My dear friends and neighbors in the Crimson Nation: you do realize that under Coach Saban, a critical mass of success has been handily achieved, right?
I’m talking about that level of winning at which people hate you just for that. I’m talking about that plane at which even fans peripheral to the sport pay a little attention because they’re interested in seeing you go down. The timeless example is the New York Yankees. The best current manifestation may be the New England Patriots. UCLA basketball has been there. The Chicago Bulls have been there. Richard Petty has been there.
To be clear, folks my age or older remember being here before. We had it for a long time under Coach Bryant. Some people will throw the Stallings years in there, but as happy as they were, they don’t really count in the context I’m talking about. They were a seven-year respite from the 24-year slog between legends.
Now, I don’t mind this so much. All I have to do is think about things like being patted on the head by some arrogant gasbag from Up There to enjoy this run all over again, fully and unapologetically. But it does help me with perspective when it seems like people jump up and cheer when Alabama loses, and even the ones who aren’t seem to be grinning a bit. It’s fun to see Goliath go down, even if you don’t really care about the game. (And if your team happens to be David that day, it’s exhilarating.)
The Saban-Alabama dynasty, like all dynasties, will end. (Seems hard to believe, but is it really? Can you name any dynastic run that started and never stopped?) Probably, the end’s first symptoms will be noticeable only with hindsight, a few years after they begin.
But there’s no reason to believe they’ll be in 2018.
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