It's hard to put personal vendettas aside and listen to Alabama coach Nick Saban without seeing the man who betrayed my hometown Miami Dolphins after a sub-par year of coaching there. Still, Saban represented the Crimson Tide this morning.
Besides Tebow, Saban might be the biggest celebrity at this event solely because we're about 45 minutes from Tuscaloosa. Bama fans rode with us in the elevator up to the lobby and 100 more were anxiously waiting for their hero to walk through the door in the hotel foyer. All for just a glimpse at Saban, and possibly an autograph if he's feeling kind. I haven't seem him give one, but that doesn't mean he hasn't.
He spoke for a good long while, though at first the reporters were all too tentative to ask him questions. He gave us a "don't be shy" look before the media brought the heat. Though I really wanted to ask him if he was jealous about all the loyalty questions Bobby Petrino could receive, I held back. Bama probably has the largest contingent of reporters here - though I can't figure out why - and the questions to Saban mostly focused on his team's troubled off-season.
Saban, being from a SEC Western Division team, didn't have anything to say about the Gators. The two schools won't meet up this season, so there's not much insight into Florida that he could give you, except possibly about the fastest and cheapest flights out of the state.
Also, I just ran into Duce Staley, Super Bowl-winning running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers (though he's better known for his days with the Eagles) and former South Carolina Gamecock outside of the media room while getting a Pepsi. His Super Bowl XL ring was gigantic. Weird to see him here today when the Gamecocks don't speak until tomorrow.
