The significance of Nick Saban’s transition from Alabama to broadcasting was not completely realized until I heard him speak at A-Day.
In one breath, the former Crimson Tide coach told everyone he was simply another fan at the spring game with his family. That wasn’t entirely accurate, though, because moments later, much like in the past, Saban was recruiting for Alabama on Denny Chimes’ stairs. He took pictures with prospective recruits and talked for a while. Later that day, Saban was on the field with recruits before the game.
There’s nothing wrong with any of that except for maybe one tiny, little detail. Isn’t Saban an on-air representative for ESPN? I don’t know if that qualifies him as a broadcast journalist, but I’m guessing he’ll be expected to be neutral when he’s on TV.
I’m not sure he can do it, but ESPN’s reputation among college-football teams and fan bases will depend on it.
Saban’s role with ESPN immediately after leaving the Capstone is a major victory for Alabama’s exposure whether Saban actively recruits for the Crimson Tide or not. Something tells me that Auburn, LSU and Tennessee, too, aren’t going to appreciate ESPN’s new College GameDay jockey mixing it up with recruits every weekend.
When Saban was a coach, every decision that he made was about improving Alabama’s chances with recruits. Is he going to be able to remove himself from that game as an analyst for ESPN? I have my doubts. Saban is forever tied to the Crimson Tide. A victory for Alabama is a victory for Saban, too, and vice versa.
The SEC is about to be more competitive than ever. Even in retirement from coaching, Saban’s presence at ESPN will continue to give Alabama an edge over its rivals. If Saban wants to be taken seriously as an analyst of the game, he might need to distance himself from the Crimson Tide before stepping onto the set for ESPN.
Journalistic integrity doesn’t exactly lead the mission statement for ESPN, but certainly there is a conflict of interest or some kind of ethical breach when a prominent figure of the media company’s coverage of college football is also recruiting for one of the teams. Is Saban going to be repping Alabama while he’s at SEC Media Days later this summer? Does he have it in him to be critical of the Crimson Tide while maintaining an office at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Is he going to favor all of the fellow clients of sports agent Jimmy Sexton? Maybe Saban’s power to manipulate the media and his influence on college football should be fully considered before his first post-coaching gig for the Worldwide Leader.
