Grant's firing was a monumental publicity error..,
Battle checked off every box of how not to handle a delicate situation
I'm not here to argue whether or not Anthony Grant should have been fired. That decision was made and is over. I think that choice is better for Alabama all the way around. I said I'd even support Battle's decision in the spirit of unity and a fresh start. That's not what this short post is about. Do we have a big crimson stupid machine tucked in the corner of the AD's office to churn out poor choices?:
If there is the machine worked overtime on Sunday. Alabama or Battle makes a decision to fire Grant. He knows that Alabama is going to get an invitation to play in the NIT, and then he fires him leaving us with no coach for the NIT. This isn't ISIS type publicity but when several sportscasters and coached chided Alabama for the manner in which it occurred, it is newsworthy. It was an idiotic decision that is almost frightful in its callousness. You have to seriously fail to think about what the national perception might be over such a thoughtless act. Battle could have fired Grant and then said he would coach the NIT. I don't think anyone would have objected. Most fans on Tider Insider had already proclaimed the NIT as worthless.
Battle made a huge mistake which has embarrassed the University of Alabama. "Way to go Alabama, classless." according to one ESPN sportscaster. I have to agree. I wish I didn't have to admit to feeling that way but it is obvious the lack of a coherent thought process which is truly embarrassing. The players love Grant. It would have a class act to let him coach the way they asked. That wasn't much for the players who have had to endure so much. It would have been a token gesture. Perhaps Anthony refused. I understand that after he was fired he called all the recruits and tried his best to shore up the class. Perhaps the bell cow of the group was right in not signing his letter of intent. He stock has soared this season. He de-committed today. If Pettway stays the Tide could get lucky and get him back. He's going to get offers from every SEC school, including Auburn to join them. The ACC is going to give him some offers. The upside of this kid is unlimited. He might well be a program changers. He wouldn't sign his letter of intent until he was sure that Grant would be his coach. Smart kid. I know at least one other recruit is asking whether he still has to go to Alabama if his coach is fired. The answer to that is yes. I am afraid the kid will just sit out the year, or go to JUCO one season and become the hottest JUCO commodity around. I don't think people realized just how good this class was going to be. But because Grant signed them they were downgraded. When Billy Donovan would take all three that's all I need to know.
What difference does it make to allow Grant to coach his team until the NIT was over? Was Battle afraid the Tide might go on a Bruce Pearl run, or horrors of horrors what if the Tide won the NIT. I hope the new coach can soothe the anxiety of these 17 year kids whose world was just upset. Kudos to Grant for telling them to honor their commitment. Bruce Pearl would sign any of them just to embarrass Alabama. Seriously, do we not have some type of PR department to talk these things over. I'm not going to argue that Grant should not have fired any longer. But what Alabama did to the brand was about as stupid is as stupid does. I thought Battle had more sense than that. You have seen me defend him before. I have asked our fans to stop with the old age jokes. I have friends call me from all over that nation to talk about the mythical Alabama class. I can offer no defense. Regardless of how you feel about Grant it would be nice if people told him thank you for his efforts. It probably won't happen. Yesterday, Bill Battle embarrassed the University. He has no defense. I wonder, just in passing, what potential coaches might think about this.
Battle checked off every box of how not to handle a delicate situation
I'm not here to argue whether or not Anthony Grant should have been fired. That decision was made and is over. I think that choice is better for Alabama all the way around. I said I'd even support Battle's decision in the spirit of unity and a fresh start. That's not what this short post is about. Do we have a big crimson stupid machine tucked in the corner of the AD's office to churn out poor choices?:
If there is the machine worked overtime on Sunday. Alabama or Battle makes a decision to fire Grant. He knows that Alabama is going to get an invitation to play in the NIT, and then he fires him leaving us with no coach for the NIT. This isn't ISIS type publicity but when several sportscasters and coached chided Alabama for the manner in which it occurred, it is newsworthy. It was an idiotic decision that is almost frightful in its callousness. You have to seriously fail to think about what the national perception might be over such a thoughtless act. Battle could have fired Grant and then said he would coach the NIT. I don't think anyone would have objected. Most fans on Tider Insider had already proclaimed the NIT as worthless.
Battle made a huge mistake which has embarrassed the University of Alabama. "Way to go Alabama, classless." according to one ESPN sportscaster. I have to agree. I wish I didn't have to admit to feeling that way but it is obvious the lack of a coherent thought process which is truly embarrassing. The players love Grant. It would have a class act to let him coach the way they asked. That wasn't much for the players who have had to endure so much. It would have been a token gesture. Perhaps Anthony refused. I understand that after he was fired he called all the recruits and tried his best to shore up the class. Perhaps the bell cow of the group was right in not signing his letter of intent. He stock has soared this season. He de-committed today. If Pettway stays the Tide could get lucky and get him back. He's going to get offers from every SEC school, including Auburn to join them. The ACC is going to give him some offers. The upside of this kid is unlimited. He might well be a program changers. He wouldn't sign his letter of intent until he was sure that Grant would be his coach. Smart kid. I know at least one other recruit is asking whether he still has to go to Alabama if his coach is fired. The answer to that is yes. I am afraid the kid will just sit out the year, or go to JUCO one season and become the hottest JUCO commodity around. I don't think people realized just how good this class was going to be. But because Grant signed them they were downgraded. When Billy Donovan would take all three that's all I need to know.
What difference does it make to allow Grant to coach his team until the NIT was over? Was Battle afraid the Tide might go on a Bruce Pearl run, or horrors of horrors what if the Tide won the NIT. I hope the new coach can soothe the anxiety of these 17 year kids whose world was just upset. Kudos to Grant for telling them to honor their commitment. Bruce Pearl would sign any of them just to embarrass Alabama. Seriously, do we not have some type of PR department to talk these things over. I'm not going to argue that Grant should not have fired any longer. But what Alabama did to the brand was about as stupid is as stupid does. I thought Battle had more sense than that. You have seen me defend him before. I have asked our fans to stop with the old age jokes. I have friends call me from all over that nation to talk about the mythical Alabama class. I can offer no defense. Regardless of how you feel about Grant it would be nice if people told him thank you for his efforts. It probably won't happen. Yesterday, Bill Battle embarrassed the University. He has no defense. I wonder, just in passing, what potential coaches might think about this.
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