What is wrong with Alabama fans?
It is OK for New York fans to boo players, but it has no place at the University, but as the chorus of boos have increased this season fans are taking the negative attitude toward the players into other venues from message boards, talk radio and even letters to the editor.
In this letter to the editor published in the Tuscaloosa News, one fan defends Shula, blames the players and hits at some grand conspiracy between the NY Times and the Tuscaloosa News to distort the news.
While it is owned by the NY Times Co., at least the paper isn’t as bad as other NY Times owned publications like say the Gadsden Times.
The centerpiece of the editorial is really an excuse for Shula’s ineffective offensive performance. The writer, Glen Smith of Tuscaloosa said: “The obvious cause of our present lackluster season rests with the players, who have not lived up to historical standards.”
We’ve gone from blaming adult coaches who earn millions per year to blaming teenagers in college.
That’s not having class. That’s not even intelligent.
Alabama should hold itself to higher standards than just popping off at the players. Booing players (like happened to Darby on a few occasions) sends a bad message about the University.
We’ve got fans who say a blog like this hurts recruiting, how much more must booing players hurt recruiting?
In this case, the letter to the editor does little to hurt recruiting, but it does illustrate a growing mindset on the part of some Alabama fans, where they will say and do anything to defend this coaching staff, even at the expense of badmouthing players.
