Alabama Football: Imitation is often unintentional flattery

The amount of success Alabama Football has experienced often causes envy among opposing football teams. All too often they attempt to copy ‘The Process.’

Alabama football has experienced an incredible amount of success during the Nick Saban era. If you can’t beat them, join them, becomes the philosophy of opposing coaches. Even if it’s unintentional, it happens. We as Alabama football fans absolutely love it.

More and more we see former Nick Saban assistants as head men of college football teams. The similarities in style are bound to exist. In last night’s premiere of Training Days: Rolling With the Tide, Nick Saban made reference to other schools following the Alabama football process.

No other team has quite mastered the imitation as well as the University of Georgia. From press conferences to coaching styles and the interworkings of a program, UGA has copied the generic version of Nick Saban’s process.

Kirby Smart continues his best Nick Saban impersonation.

The inside look provided by last night’s premiere showed the world what Bama fans had already come to know. Alabama football isn’t merely a program, but an organization with Nick Saban as CEO. Nick said it best in episode No. 1.

"Everybody wants to know what we are doing here. But, it’s not what we are doing here, it’s how we do it."

Unwavering attention to and execution of detail is what sets Alabama football apart.

Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee may try, but he can’t do it like Nick Saban and Alabama. Kirby Smart may try. But, it’s a cassette tape version in a high def world. It’s ok though Saban disciples. You all keep trying, and we will keep loving it.

Schools all over the country, from Georgia all the way to Oregon are worried about keeping up with Alabama. The Tide goes about its business of developing young men and winning championships. The 2018 season will be no different from any before. One team, one ultimate goal: another national championship.

Nick Saban’s secret weapon may just be found on Lake Tuscaloosa.

Training Days took us inside fall camp at the University of Alabama. But, before the work began, we got a peek at the fun the players and coaches have in the beautiful waters of Lake Tuscaloosa. Some coaches around the SEC (here’s looking at you, Kirby) tell recruits fun doesn’t exist at Alabama. Thanks to the inside look provided by last night’s premiere, we now know we can throw that statement in the trash. Discard it right along with “freshmen don’t play at Alabama” and “Nick Saban will retire soon”.

Thanks to ESPN and Training Days, we see how far other programs go to imitate the best in the business. Old Kang Kirby and all of his men will never turn Georgia into Alabama again. But hey, you guys keep trying, and we Bama fans, will keep laughing. Roll Tide.

Training Days is well made and in effect, a commercial for the Alabama football program. Three more episodes will air before it ends on August 29.