Alabama head coach Nick Saban entered SEC Media Days’ Wednesday session, unaware of the spat that was about to transpire between him and SEC Network host Paul Finebaum.
On May 17, Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson and defensive back Laurence “Hootie” Jones were arrested in Monroe, Louisiana for possession of marijuana and weapons. Although two other people also appeared in the vehicle, after initially handcuffing them, police determined Robinson and Jones to be the lone perpetrators. The cops then slapped Robinson with two misdemeanors, possession and unlicensed carrying of a handgun, along with felony possession of embezzled weapons. Jones, on the other hand, got off with just the two misdemeanors.
However, on June 20, district attorney Jerry Jones decided to halt his attempt to prosecute Robinson and Jones.
“I want to emphasize once again that the main reason I’m doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and their teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all home in the air conditioning,” Jones said to KNOE, the local television station in Monroe, Louisiana.
Even with binoculars, one can’t read between the lines of Jones’ remarks on the case. Sure, the two athletes labored countless hours on the field in order to earn a scholarship at Alabama. Yet, many folks, who array a similar exertion for their craft, fail to walk away scot-free, following a criminal offense. In the end, though, he simply couldn’t compile enough evidence against Robinson and Jones.
“It might be under the driver’s seat but I can’t prove who put it there,” Jones informed KNOE. “Even if I could get DNA showing that he had touched it at some point in time, that does not mean that he obtained it.”
While Saban revealed that neither would serve a suspension, Alabama’s athletic department already arranged for both players to receive weekly urine tests, frequent drug counseling, participate in monthly video consultations with a health adviser and meet twice a week with Tuscaloosa police for gun safety insight.
Nevertheless, Finebaum displayed his displeasure on live TV, dueling back and forth with Saban over the school’s decision to handle the situation internally, rather than docking games from their season. The coach stiff-armed the commentator quickly, though.
Nick Saban was MUCH more candid about the Cam Robinson situation just now on @SECNetwork #SECMD16 pic.twitter.com/FJ4tJ8z22r
— Adam Silverstein (@SilversteinAdam) July 13, 2016
Later on, Saban confronted the analyst off the air, suspecting the arrests took place because of SEC bias, according to Finebaum.
Saban and Finebaum continuing their "conversation." #SECMD16 @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/6ZwJzYuy1c
— Seth. (@sethtweetsgood) July 13, 2016
Will fans annihilate the five-time national champion due to his arrogant attitude? Absolutely. Still, Saban stated a sincere response when he could’ve ducked Finebaum’s assertion. Upset over the attack, with thousands of viewers watching, his reply clearly reinforced the cloudiness of the case.
Additionally, whether folks believe student athletes should collect a salary or not, a 20-year-old isn’t deserving of absorbing oodles of heat, especially when no charges were filed. A station’s audience, such as the SEC Network’s, could easily torch Alabama’s aforementioned left tackle through multiple social media outlets, too. Plus, if the athletic department wished to suspend Robinson, announcing the news on a massive platform would be extremely unjustified.
On top of Saban’s resume, consisting of 196 coaching wins in 257 games, his firm personality allows him to manage situations and protect the players, communicating his thoughts solely to the individual, not to a network, operating with hopes of digging up the latest facts. Ultimately, the 6-foot-6, 327-pound man should just be criticized for a lack of acumen in the moment.
Hence, inferring that Saban’s comments were meant to shield Robinson from a suspension, and therefore preserving his draft stock, is nonsense. Alabama’s leader undoubtedly provides more for the offensive lineman than only resembling a body guard.
