Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Rare Form

Nick Saban made a stupid mistake. He could use a healthy dose of perspective, as well. Earlier this week, he compared Alabama's loss in their homecoming game - to a hyphenated team (University of Louisiana-Monroe) - to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor in terms of pivotal catastrophes. Great, Nicky. You're team lost a game that they really, really, really, really should have won, and rather than just admitting that you and your team blew it and played horribly, you take the high road and decide that your loss ranks on the level of two of the most tragic events to ever take place on American soil. God will smite you for this travesty, Nick Saban! The real catastrophe will be Bama's sixth loss in six years to Auburn! War Eagle!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

A big fan of the inferior NBA product...

Red Sox bandwagoner since 2004...

*AND* an Auburn fan?

Dude, do you root for al Qaeda too? It'd be a perfect fit for your fandom.

Josh said...

I must say, this comment made me laugh out loud. It was funny. I have to admit though, that al Qaeda restaruant does have some mighty tasty salsa.

Chad Billy-Steve Pknicholson said...

Glad to know the CIA will be reading my blog from now on...

III said...

So apparently, along with the national media, you too don't understand the difference between "is the same as" & "is analogous to."

Are they just handing out Masters degrees up there in Memphis???

Chad Billy-Steve Pknicholson said...

In my defense, Bama homer, I said he made a stupid mistake. It was a mistake to use those events at all. By saying that their losses were the same as OR analogous to events where people died lacks perspective. Glad to have you back, though...

III said...

Saying the loss was the same as 9/11, Pearl Harbor, or an alcoholic hitting rock bottom would be egregious. But to draw an analogy to learn lessons from those events is what we do every day. Either we can learn lessons from history and life events, or we can't. One of the main modes of learning is through analogies. And for people who write FOR A LIVING not to be able to recognize the difference & to slander a man's name for the sole reason that they don't like him is nothing short of heinous.

When Missouri & Kansas played last week, some ESPN analysts compared it to the Civil War. Were they saying that it was the same as the Civil War? No. Were they drawing an analogy? Yes. Did anyone get up in arms about it? No, it was the very same people who criticized Nick Saban that very week who did it!

I'll accept the title "Bama homer" only if you, along with everyone else who chastised Saban, accept the title "hypocrite." If Nick Saban committed some sort of public sin by drawing an analogy, then we are all also guilty many times over.

No, it's not Nick Saban that lacks perspective. That appraisal is reserved for each of the critics who choose not to peer beyond their own hate (or admit that it even exists).

Chad Billy-Steve Pknicholson said...

Not only is iii back, he comes with a vengeance!

I see your point, but I'm not comparing football games to the greatest loss of American lives in war in our history. Those who do can be hypocrites, but I'll decline the comment. I think comparing football to anything that has included the loss of human life (by analogy or otherwise) lacks perspective. These are kids playing games for entertainment. Of course, they play to obtain a certain lifestyle, but if they don't make the NFL, they don't lose their lives.

I understand his analogy. The analogy is true - catastrophes do evoke change. I just think the examples he chose were poor choices. The stupid mistake was not the analogy, it was the examples he chose.

III said...

I suppose you're entitled to your opinion. You aren't entitled to be right, though. (G)

j/k

Your point is valid. Coach Saban could have been more tasteful; could have used other analogies. My point still stands though: the media sucks.

Chad Billy-Steve Pknicholson said...

Well, I'm not arguing that. But that doesn't mean that I can say that the media crucified Saban.