Football Coach Makes Analogy Between Team's Loss, 9/11
Alabama's Nick Saban referenced historical tragedies discussing a recent loss.
Nov. 21, 2007 — -- TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama fans aren't the only ones treating the Louisiana-Monroe loss as a monumental event.
Coach Nick Saban described the humbling defeat in almost apocalyptic terms Monday, mentioning the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor in talking about how his team must rebound like America did from a "catastrophic event."
"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," Saban said. "It may be 9/11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, and that was a catastrophic event."
If the comparisons seem over the top, well, it is Iron Bowl week.
Saban didn't compare the embarrassing 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe to those events, but picked those historical references to illustrate that this could be a pivotal week for the Crimson Tide.
A Saban spokesman said the coach chose the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor references to illustrate this could be a pivotal week for the Crimson Tide.
"What Coach Saban said did not correlate losing a football game with tragedy, everyone needs to understand that. He was not equating losing football games to those catastrophic events," football spokesman Jeff Purinton said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The message was that true spirit and unity become evident in the most difficult of times. Those were two tremendous examples that everyone can identify with."
Alabama (6-5, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) is preparing to face its biggest rival, No. 25 Auburn. The Tide is in a precarious spot leading up to Saturday's visit to the Tigers, having been stung by three consecutive losses that have put Saban's first Alabama team in danger of getting snubbed by bowls and having a .500 record.
The latest defeat was definitely a low-point, especially following on the heels of losses to No. 1 LSU and Mississippi State. It led Saban to another non-football analogy.
"They talk about alcoholics and people like that who never ever change until they hit rock bottom," Saban said. "Well, they change because when they hit rock bottom they have an awareness, they have an acceptance and a commitment to change.
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