Ok. I admit it. I’m biased. I love Alabama football and I love Nick Saban.
I know many people hate Nick Saban. I know, the other day, ESPN SportsNation said Nick Saban was a liar, after he made a “pimp” speech. I know my best friend from Texas hates Nick Saban, so he really hates to see Nick Saban’s first game ticket displayed in my office. But, I love him.
When I went to Alabama for my doctoral program, Alabama just finished 10-2 season and I was excited to see Coach Shula’s pictures everywhere. It was my first big school, which had a big athletic program. But, I, soon, heard about the probation Alabama got from NCAA, observed 6-7 season and firing Coach Shula. Then, ESPN started talking no one wanted to come to Alabama.
Well, in social identity theory, people usually try to find their “in-group” identity more badly, when their “in-group” identity is threatened by others. I felt the same. Actually, that time really got me into the situation that I was becoming a die-hard Alabama fanatic. Then, Nick Saban came and he changed whole community. He immediately pulled bad weeds out from the team and brought players who committed to play. He was in a total-control of whole football program, which was almost everything of Alabama athletic program as well as whole community.
Then, Alabama started winning games from 2008 season and still haven’t lost a single regular season game since then. If you lived in Alabama in that kind of time, how can you not love Nick Saban? For me, I will never blame him, whatever he did before he came to Alabama, unless he is caught for unethical decisions, such as cheating, sexual assault, or something similar to those.
Especially, when I read this article on Al.com (by Jeff Sentell) this morning, I really thought, Nick Saban knows Public Relations, which is one of the biggest reasons I like him.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/07/high_school_coaches_see_the_so.html
First of all, he told to high school coaches,
Saban wanted the coaches listening to him to focus on helping their own players be successful.
“Maybe the participation in all athletics is not what it used to be,” Saban said.
“But I think it has tremendous value. So if they can engage and inspire and influence young people to develop better habits by participating, that would be the one thing I would want everyone to get out of this.”
Well, many people, including Colin Cowherd on SportsNation (ESPN), think Nick Saban is a liar, because he pretends to protect his players. When I heard that, even though Colin Cowherd might not directly mean it, I felt I was blamed. I am a professor. I am paid by University. I try to protect my students. I think about their career, BECAUSE I am getting paid to do that? Part of that, it is true. But, I totally agreed when Nick Saban talked about the agent issue. I could see what he was talking about. Of course, universities need to make sure they offer enough education to their student-athletes about agent issue. But, they are still students. And, it is easy to try to defend those students, if I am on the universities’ side. But, it can also be seen as just pretending or a lie. Maybe, as many people said, Nick Saban was saying that, because it was all business for him. But, sometimes, it’s all business for me, too. I know Nick Saban is paid way much more than I am paid as a professor, but, I think it is same. I do have a teaching philosophy and try to keep it in my mind when I teach and make a class plan. If I am not a professor, I don’t have to have those things. I don’t have to really care about students. Well, if I am a medical doctor, I would take care of patients, because that is my profession. I am always thinking of students and how to make them better, because it is my profession. In other words, it is my business. Then, are you going to call me a liar?
Anyway, my point is that I saw the teaching philosophy from Nick Saban. That is why I like him, even though many people blame him.
Then, Nick Saban has been always consistent with what he was saying, as I know.
Especially, in his first press conference at Alabama, he talked about his players and how he would teach them. And, after that, it was always the same way. Nick Saban always emphasized his players to do their best and to show their best and not to focus on the results.
And, today, what did Jeff Sentell talk about him in his article?
The message about freedom of choice not meaning freedom from consequences hit home. Players are free to act how they wish, but are also subject to seeing their careers penalized as a result. Smart high school coaches can motivate by replacing the NFL prize with college scholarships.
Do his players follow every word? The Marcell Dareus story proves that even projected Top 10 picks aren’t perfect.
But a great deal of his players excel off the field.
Aren’t arrest reports down?
Saban said Alabama had a record 22 graduates play in the national championship game. There were 13 players who graduated before the 2009 season and 12 freshmen who made Academic All-SEC.
Isn’t it something the University should do? I know Alabama is eager to sell tickets and have a very good athletic program, part of it, because of money. However, who do not want to make money? Every profession is paid. Who wants to work without being paid? Who wants to just sacrifice without supporting their family? Then, my question is, what is professionalism? Is it doing a pro bono? Or is it doing a right thing for the profession?
Now, it came down to my area. Public Relations, which is criticized by people with a same reason. People call it as a “spin doctor” or a “hype”. I even heard that some journalists said, “I hate PR, because they always try to give media same answers.”
I always teach my students, “don’t be a lazy PR person. If you are lazy, then, only thing you can do is hyping and spreading false information.” For Public Relations, its biggest goal is helping out its organization. To help its organizations, public relations need to consider employees, investors, customers, community, and even CEOs. And, I would say, if CEO does not know the importance of public relations, the company does not have a future, especially, in today, every company needs to deal with lots of media and people. Organizations really need to realize public relations is not a sending out press release, but, in charge of facilitating communication with organization’s all stakeholders.
So, honestly, I love Nick Saban, because he, of course, brought a National Championship to Alabama, but, I also love him, because he knows public relations. He has a philosophy. He understands college football and student-athletes. He can suggest the way where the athletic program needs to go. He does not say really weird thing in front of media. He always tries to give them the most accurate information. He is never afraid of saying, “I don’t know, but, I will let you know whenever I have more information.” He serves community. He is doing a charity. I know he is a millionaire, but, not every millionaire does a charity. The most importantly, he knows who is the most important public for collegiate athletic program. They are players, who are paid for their education. Well, in every sports organization, players are the most important public. But, in collegiate athletic program, they are “students.”
Well, those things are all I teach in my PR classes. I always have a bias toward Nick Saban and University of Alabama, because this is my alma mater. And, I always have a bias toward public relations. I even tell my students public relations will change the world. I also always have a bias toward students, because it is my profession and it is my business. Do you want to blame me, because I have biases? Well, bring it on, then.
Public Relations, Social Media, and Sports 