Tenth Arrest Under Saban’s Watch is a Doozy: Possession of Ectasy, Distributing Cocaine
Campus Crime, College Football, Courts, Legal, Drugs June 25th. 2008, 6:01pm
We hope the glee in this post isn’t all that transparent … but Nick Saban’s struggling in the Yellowhammer State. Strugggling to keep his players out of handcuffs, that is. Intern Parrish is on the case.
Wow. That is all you can say when you get your head around the current situation at Alabama. Jimmy Johns (no, not the purveyor of delicious sandwiches) was arrested on charges of selling cocaine and ecstasy and has subsequently been kicked off the team. Now, if this were the first felony for the Bammers this may not be get the same play as it has gotten, but alas, this is not the world in which Saint Saban lives.
Saban has been in charge of God’s country for 14 months and has watched as 10 players have been arrested —two were charged with felonies—and it looks as though nothing will stop Alabama from accruing more arrests than any other major program this offseason. Hell, this latest “issue†wasn’t even the worst arrest in the spring. Freshman Jeremy Elder was booked for first-degree robbery after holding up two fellow students at gun point in February.
Gosh Nick, I thought you were a hard liner who wouldn’t stand for this kind of chicanery. Obviously, I was way off. At this rate, Bama is going to dominate the Fulmer Cup (hey, at least they’ll win something!) seeing as how multiple felonies have to trump the usual bar brawl.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Johns happens to be a linebacker and was expected to contribute significantly after fellow linebacker Prince Hall was suspended for an unspecified reason and an unspecified length of time.
I know Mike Shula wasn’t exactly Lombardi-esque, but I don’t recall him having this many issues during his (sacrificial) tenure. Look, 18-21-year-old kids are going to make mistakes, that is a given. This, however, is absurd. Lawrence Phillips is beginning to think Alabama is out of control.
In any other field, the head of the company, organization or, in this case, team would be under heavy scrutiny. While Saban might get blasted by the likes of ESPN, he seems untouchable in Alabama. I have an uncle in Alabama, he’s good people. He is, however, a classic Bama diehard. He will undoubtedly overlook the litany of arrests just as long Bama gets a win on Saturdays. Such is life I suppose when all you have going for you is an 8-4 football team.
16 Responses to “Tenth Arrest Under Saban’s Watch is a Doozy: Possession of Ectasy, Distributing Cocaine”
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June 25th, 2008 at 6:05 PM
He was a Mike Shula recruit…
June 25th, 2008 at 6:12 PM
It doesn’t even matter whose recruit it was.
Nick Saban cannot baby sit 50 guys, during the offseason especially. It’s the player’s fault, and his alone.
This guilt by proxy is retarded.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:13 PM
As much as it is fun to blast Saban, there is really nothing any coach can do to prevent these type of things happening. A few years ago Tressel meets with all the Buckeye football players, tells them summer is approaching and they have to be careful as there are more opportunities for trouble. He probably also tells them nothing good after midnight. That evening two players rob a fellow student at an ATM. When a player screws up kick him off the team, and know that it will happen again.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:21 PM
I agree Mike there is no reason any coach should have to babysit but they should recogonize players potential for trouble and some say the writing was on the wall. They did the right thing dumped him as soon as the charges came out.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Wait. People still use X? I don’t mean to sound like the moralty police, but that stuff has been proven (by real live scienticians!), to rewire your brain. More importantly, however, Xers are the most annoying damn people when they are on it. Pacifiers and epilectic dancing and the really horrible style of music known as Techno. I want to shoot people when I here that crap. Not quite as bad as Emo, but equally annoying.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:38 PM
Did Saban buy coke from him? NO.
Jiffy Johns> Jimmy Johns
June 25th, 2008 at 6:41 PM
SEC Speed(ball)
June 25th, 2008 at 6:41 PM
Gargantuanalways tasted like it was laced with some unnatural hallucinogen – Oh you say that is just saturated fat – well I beg to differ, no you’re fat.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:45 PM
This kind of stuff happens at every major college football program. I don’t think it is really an indictment on Saban in particular, but the culture in general. If you ask boosters or even generic fans whether they want a squeaky team clean or one that wins, they will always choose the latter.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:49 PM
A coach is to blame for arrests when the team performs below the fans’ expectations, has not been to a bowl and the coach has a losing record against his major rival. Otherwise, its entirely the kids’ fault.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:05 PM
As an Auburn grad I have to say – ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Another thing – there is no way other players on the team didn’t know about Jimmy Johns distributing the powder. When Saban loses Bama’s 7th in a row to Auburn this year, in Tuscaloosa no less, they might run him out on a rail.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Its not Nicks fault, he can’t recruit the kids he wants due to the high academic standards of Alabama.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:33 PM
While I agree that you cannot put the blame totally on Saban, 10 arrests is still 10 arrests. If this amount arrests happened at every school than the argument that he can do nothing about it would make sense but the fact is 10 arrests in 14 months is way above the norm. Someone has to take heat for this as it makes the school look terrible.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:38 PM
Its not Nicks fault, he can’t recruit the kids he wants due to the high academic standards of Alabama.
Coop wins ‘funniest comment of the day’ award
June 25th, 2008 at 8:53 PM
Shrutebag actually said that this could be a good sign for ‘Bama. His reasoning is that the more players you have arrested, the more successful your team is. Evidently, the Bengals never got that memo.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:06 AM
‘Bama also oversigns their recruiting classes, in effect hoping that stuff like this happens so they don’t have to yank scholarships from kids who have not done anything wrong.