Do You Speak Saban?
Coach Saban has been at Alabama since the early days of 2007, and he has brought to Tuscaloosa some things that Tide fans hadn’t seen in quite a while. Dominant recruiting? Check. National relevance? Check. Victories over Auburn and LSU? Check. Big out of conference wins? Check. Almost endless supply of grey suits and questionable shirts and sweaters? Check.
However, there is one attribute of the total package that is Nick Saban that sometimes is noticed, but rarely discussed in-depth: his seemingly endless supply of rare words and phrases to describe exactly how he wants his team to play and his fans to react. We can only imagine the shock that LSU fans felt after he left. I mean, both Saban and Les Miles press conferences can leave you saying, “Whaaaa?” But the reasons behind that reaction is very different (yes, Coach Miles…you don’t have to tell us you don’t read books; we pretty much figured that out on our own).
In order to get the full effect of a Nick Saban press conference or interview, one must effectively learn Sabanics as if it were a different language. It’s sort of like reading Shakespeare, minus the beautifully crafted lewd references. Methinks milady be crafty with her regal peaks, mmm? No, none of that. We care not for country matters (Auburn grads, that’s a dirty joke from Hamlet).
(Still confused? Ok, Auburn grads…Hamlet is a play…like in 1st grade, when your class put on Peter Rabbit. You know, you played the tree? Nevermind.)
Anyways, all Alabama fans would do well to study exactly what Coach Saban is talking about when he uses those words and phrases that leave you shaking your head. At BryantDrive, we’re all about service…especially when the judge orders it. So here is a rundown of some common Sabanisms, how they’re used, and what they mean.
Self Gratification
ex. Don’ta recieved a great deal of self gratification when he successfully read the draw and hit the running back like a Mack truck hits a slow armadillo.
Self gratification refers to a positive feeling someone receives when they view the fruits of their labors. When Coach Saban teaches a defensive back to read a play, and that DB then reads the play during a game and makes a good play, Saban receives pleasure from the fact that his teaching paid off. He also receives self gratification when a reporter asks him a dumb question and he verbally abuses the room to get his point across. Hey, it might not be pretty, but it’s effective.
Relative
ex. Tyrod Taylor was not successful relative to his ability to do anything related to moving the elongated sphere in a positive manner.
Perhaps Coach Saban’s favorite word, relative means “related to.” He usually uses it to modify some attribute which he wants to specifically highlight, most often the success or failure of a particular teaching point or virtue that he wants to see in his team. It is NOT used to denote a familial connection, such as, “Mississippi State fans typically take a relative to their senior prom.”
Competitive Spirit
ex. Cody displayed great competitive spirit by picking up the center and throwing him thirty-six rows into the bleachers.
This one seems to be pretty self explanatory. It is the mindset where someone involved with a competitive sport commits themselves to give maximum effort to be the best player they can be. However, when Saban says it, he is asking for a little more. He is asking for his players to attempt to leave his opponents looking like the floor of Gallettes on Sunday morning….utterly destroyed and covered in vomit.
Administrative Grouping
ex. We are fairly sure that Julio is at the top of the administrative grouping in the wide receiver category.
It’s a depth chart. Come on, Nick, even you can’t fool us with this one. It’s a freakin’ depth chart.
Overcoming Adversity
ex. Alabama had to overcome adversity against Virginia Tech by beating the Hokies into a bloody pulp in the fourth quarter because they had done their best to oblige Frank Beamer’s wildest dreams in the previous three periods.
This is really a loaded term. Saban uses it to describe what the team has to do whenever things don’t go exactly as planned during the course of a game. However, no matter what happens, he still expects them to do what they need to do to find a way to win. Why is it loaded? Because the players have a choice between overcoming adversity during the game, or overcoming Saban-caused adversity at practice on Monday. We hear the former is a far superior option than the latter.
Identity
ex. The Alabama defense’s identity is that of a unit who will devour your hopes and dreams and make you scream to the heavens for the sweet release of darkest, coldest death.
THIS IS NOT IMAGE. IMAGE IS HOW YOU DRESS. IDENTITY IS WHO YOU ARE. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE!
That short primer should have you up and running in your study of Sabanics. Try to incorporate these terms into your every day language, and maybe you’ll end up making $4 million a year as well.
