Nick Saban tells everyone just how good he is

[cygnus34]

By Steve Reeves

Assistant City Editor, Birmingham News

January 19, 2007 3:30AM

Note: Disregard comments reference Luther Davis as it appears now that Davis is in fact headed to Bama.

TUSCALOOSA | Alabama head football coach Nick Saban continues his whirl-wind

courtship with the Crimson Tide faithful in person and on the air waves.

State-wide stable, Paul Finebaum ended his 13-year affiliation with WERC-AM this week with a three-hour call in show with Saban. Finebaum has agreed to a three-year contract with Citadel Broadcasting, which owns WJOX.

Finebaum's last show on WERC, Saban presented a confident, personable style, punctuated with good-natured barbs at Auburn, Mississippi State, and

saving his strongest lines for his former employer, LSU.

Finebaum's show airs from 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and is also carried on about 20 other stations, mostly in Alabama, under the banner of the Paul Finebaum Radio Network.

Finebaum's show was previously heard in Tuscaloosa on WTBC 1230AM, where it

will still be aired. Officials with WTBC did not return a phone call Friday.

"I'm sure the SEC hasn't changed much over the past two seasons. I mean Mississippi State is still funding scholarships by collecting pop bottles and aluminum cans along the highways," said Saban, half jokingly Friday afternoon. "Auburn, our motto --'Where most coaches are fired' -- is still

in effect."

"LSU was nothing before I arrived. Academically, athletically, physical plant, nothing. I made LSU. I was LSU. Their current success is solely

due to my recruits. Coach Miles, while a fine man, does not fill my shoes, fit my desk, or cast a taller shadow. Our coaching staff is superior to anything in Baton Rouge. We will go into Louisiana an take each and every player we want. LSU will not, nor can not stop me. Mark my words."

Finebaum point blank asked Saban if those comments mean LSU is a bigger foe

than Auburn, a team that has dominated the Crimson Tide in recent years.

"No. Auburn is in-state. They are consistently the best team in the West,which speaks to the talent in Alabama. As talent I recruited graduates from LSU, after this season, they will return to the loweer depths of this league."

When pressed about his initial comments about LSU "being special", Saban rejoined, "It was special. I won a title there. But LSU fans focus is on the pre-game party aspect. Winning the party is paramount there. Seven-win football and winning baseball will keep them happy."

Currently there is a controversy regarding Saban's comments about the staff at LSU to previously committed Tiger recruits. In visiting Curtis star Joe McKnight, Nick Saban has created a stir while visiting LSU commitments Phelon

Jones, a cornerback from McGill-Toolen High in Mobile, Ala., and Luther Davis, a defensive end from West Monroe.

According to both prospects, Saban took credit for LSU's recent success as he signed most of the players involved in the Tigers' 22-4 run since he

left.

Neither player agreed to take a visit to Alabama, though, and refused to de-commit from LSU.

"Great guy, but he is a little bit overconfident," Jones' father Tony is quoted as saying at Tigerbait.com.

Saban also got a no from Davis in West Monroe.

"He (Saban) was kind of mad that we turned down the visit and turned down the scholarship," Davis told Tigerbait.com. "He said that there is no way

that the coaching staff at LSU can compare to the coaching staff we have at Alabama right now. He gave no credit to anyone."

"I don't think the LSU coaches are upset with Saban," according to Mike Scarborough of Tigerbait.com. "It probably just makes them very motivated to out-recruit him. I think they also think it's unbelievable some of the

things he is saying about LSU."

Associated Press reports were used in this report.

[HarveyGlass]

"LSU was nothing before I arrived. Academically, athletically, physical plant, nothing. I made LSU. I was LSU. Their current success is solely

due to my recruits. Coach Miles, while a fine man, does not fill my shoes, fit my desk, or cast a taller shadow. Our coaching staff is superior to anything in Baton Rouge. We will go into Louisiana and take each and every player we want. LSU will not, nor can not stop me. Mark my words."

Uhhh, wow.

[Guest AstroBull]

What a d!@#

[sdgukhsdgl]

he is skyrocekting up my list of coaches I just absolutely hate with comments like this.  he was already high on the list just for being the head coach at Bama, but stupidity like this almost puts him in the same group as Spurrier and Urban.  

[smazza]

sounds like pressure is getting to him

[Triple B]

"LSU was nothing before I arrived. Academically, athletically, physical plant, nothing. I made LSU. I was LSU. Their current success is solely

due to my recruits. Coach Miles, while a fine man, does not fill my shoes, fit my desk, or cast a taller shadow. Our coaching staff is superior to anything in Baton Rouge. We will go into Louisiana and take each and every player we want. LSU will not, nor can not stop me. Mark my words."

Uhhh, wow.

Can we have some links please? If he really said all that he's a bigger ***** than I ever imagined...

[HarveyGlass]

"LSU was nothing before I arrived. Academically, athletically, physical plant, nothing. I made LSU. I was LSU. Their current success is solely

due to my recruits. Coach Miles, while a fine man, does not fill my shoes, fit my desk, or cast a taller shadow. Our coaching staff is superior to anything in Baton Rouge. We will go into Louisiana and take each and every player we want. LSU will not, nor can not stop me. Mark my words."

Uhhh, wow.

Can we have some links please? If he really said all that he's a bigger ***** than I ever imagined...

I didn't post it.  I just pasted it straight from the first post in this thread, which is from the Birmingham News apparently.

[flsportsfan83]

its a hoax..... the fans on the LSU scout page have a thread about it. That reporter dosen't even work for the B Ham news.

[usfbulls2004]

I hope LSU wipes the floor with Saban and his team. Jeez this guy is a total jerk.

[HarveyGlass]

I'm thinking it's a hoax also.  I went to B'ham News and couldn't find the story or the author.