Alabama Football: Bigger fail, UCF Natty claim or Saban SI cover?

Fans of Alabama football scoff at the UCF national championship claims and have broad disdain for the Saban Sports Illustrated cover.

Alabama football fans have strong opinions about the world of college football. Fans of other programs think we see ourselves on a lofty perch looking down on the rest of college football. There is some truth in that accusation.

We do believe we are entitled to a host of things from national championships to strong personal opinions. When labeled by other fan bases as arrogant, we scoff “you have never walked in our shoes.”

Two recent national media items have raised the ire of Alabama football fans. Let’s review the less serious one first. That being the foolishness spread by the University of Central Florida.

The UCF Nonsense Claim

There is a long history of college football teams claiming undeserved national championships. So, from a historical perspective, the UCF fanciful claim of a 2017 national championship is not totally unprecedented.

The problem is in American society today, anyone can make a bat-shit crazy claim and hordes of people lap it up electronically. Many in those hordes don’t bother to filter such claims through any reality-based scrutiny. They believe as we humans are wired to do, whatever they want to believe. UCF’s title claim is causing some college football fans to believe something false.

After more than a century of often justified debates over the annual college football national champion, a new system has ended the debate. Love it or demand it to be changed but outside of team homers, no one in college football believes the CFB Playoff has failed to determine the best team each season.

For the sake of every FBS program who can ever win a national championship, the UCF bogus claim should be exposed or ignored. Perhaps there is a credible argument about Group of Five schools not having a path to a national championship, The current UCF bellowing does not make that argument.

On to a more important issue – that Saban SI cover

Sports Illustrated has long been and continues to be the gold standard in sports journalism.  No media outlet outside the state of Alabama has done more to honor Alabama football than SI. Check out the Si – Bama covers 1966- January 2016.

What a tribute to Alabama football. Check out this tweet from the University highlighting the 33 Alabama football SI covers in the Saban era.

SI’s track record entitles them to a fail. The tweet below sums up the majority opinion of Alabama football fans.

Even for fans not minding the Saban-Bear juxtaposition, the artwork fails. Plus there is the style miscue.  Men of a ‘certain age’ (Bryant when he wore them and Saban if he wore them, now) do not wear a brimmed hat so high on the head.

How did Alabama football fans respond to the Saban Houndstooth cover? Based on an al.com poll, the cover was strongly rejected.

Over 67 percent of poll participants hated the cover. Less than nine percent liked it. Less than four percent loved it.

In fairness to SI, they did put out this cover as well.

Don’t worry Sports Illustrated, Alabama football fans are capable of forgiveness.

Next: 30 Greatest Games in Alabama Football History

In full disclosure, the Bama Hammer site is part of the FanSided network. The FS network of sites and Sports Illustrated are affiliated and share the same owner.