OT - Maurice Smith (Alabama)

[chugg21]

Maurice Smith, parents speak out about ongoing battle with Alabama

Thoughts on this? I'm usually 100% for the players to be allowed to do whatever they feel is in their best interest. This is the 1st time where I don't absolutely hate the coach for being a selfish . On one side you have the kid who is a Senior and has already graduated and currently is their #3 or 4 CB and wants to go play for his old D-Coordinator and position coach at Georgia where he might be able to get some more time/exposure. The other side you have Saban who doesn't want to set a precedent for letting a kid transfer to a conference foe but the only point they could ever face each other would be the SEC championship game.

 

[texascpa]

The problem with the the "other side" is that Saban just let a player of his transfer to an SEC school - Chris Black to Missouri this past Winter.

 

[CuseCactus]

Maurice Smith, parents speak out about ongoing battle with Alabama

Thoughts on this? I'm usually 100% for the players to be allowed to do whatever they feel is in their best interest. This is the 1st time where I don't absolutely hate the coach for being a selfish . . . . . . On one side you have the kid who is a Senior and has already graduated and currently is their #3 or 4 CB and wants to go play for his old D-Coordinator and position coach at Georgia where he might be able to get some more time/exposure. The other side you have Saban who doesn't want to set a precedent for letting a kid transfer to a conference foe but the only point they could ever face each other would be the SEC championship game.

The kid graduated. He should be free to do whatever he wants and go wherever he's wanted. It's an absurdity and frankly offensive that Nick Saban can claim that he knows what's best for this kid. I dislike Alabama even more now.

 

[orangeinjersey]

the kid graduated, let him go wherever he wants

 

[djorange1989]

Saban is being petty. Let the kid go. Smart going to Georgia is a much greater threat to Saban then this kid going there for a year. It is a joke

 

[PhatOrange]

if a kid is graduated he shouldn't have to be released. he's fulfilled his 'obligation' and should be able to go wherever he wants.

 

[chugg21]

Its just another case of it being a business for everyone except for the labor. The coaches aren't limited to where they can move at a whim, but the free labor can be held hostage by a coach that could be gone the next day.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

All about keeping the kids in line.
Kids should be able to transfer without sitting out.
Only in FB and basketball, which are dominated by cheap AA labor, do these rules exist.
They don't exist in lacrosse, swimming, fencing, etc.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Kid could get an injunction in Federal court

 

[Cheriehoop]

Wonder if it will start affecting the decision of coaches to redshirt players??

 

[RF2044]

The kid graduated. He should be free to do whatever he wants and go wherever he's wanted. It's an absurdity and frankly offensive that Nick Saban can claim that he knows what's best for this kid. I dislike Alabama even more now.

Saban is being petty. Let the kid go. Smart going to Georgia is a much greater threat to Saban then this kid going there for a year. It is a joke

Could not agree more.

This really paints Saban as stubborn to the exclusionary expense of the kid. I know that the story is written from the kid's family perspective more than Alabama's, but wow.

No justifiable rationale for Saban, beyond I'm just not going to do it [i.e., release the kid to Georgia].

 

[bcubs9497]

Typical Saban. Would love to play Alabama in a few years just to hear Saban scream and bitch about the hurry-up offense some more...

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[texascpa]

Good to hear

 

[Ward]

Really hope this works out for Maurice Smith. Heard that a lot of the animosity and contributing factor to Saban not letting him go at first was he was mad Kirby and Mel Tucker were actively recruiting Smith to Georgia while he was still considered a part of Bama's program.

Will be interesting to see how this impacts the league. Have a feeling you're going to see a lot of players more or less become free agents. This is GREAT for the players. Say you're a 3 star in high school- go to a mid to low tier SEC school and play a few years to develop and gain experience then for your last year (or two depending on how fast you graduated and if you were an EE) transfer to Bama, LSU, etc. and compete for a championship as an instant impact upperclassmen contributor. I saw someone joke that Saban is going to turn Kentucky and Vanderbilt into his farm system.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

if a kid is graduated he shouldn't have to be released. he's fulfilled his 'obligation' and should be able to go wherever he wants.

Spot on.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[skurey]

Wow typical Saban letting him transfer like that.