An entitled generation of Alabama football fans have forgotten the past

In order to appreciate the magnitude of the Alabama Football dynasty under Coach Nick Saban, one must first realize why the Crimson Tide have been so good in the past decade and how bad the Tide were before Saban.

Coach Saban is one of the few coaches in football history that not only desires perfection but is willing to do what it takes to earn perfection. Others that come to mind are Vince Lombardi, Bear Bryant, and Bill Belichick. This elite company is not something that happened by chance, but by work. As the Alabama football team continues forward on its quest for perfection, it is important to realize that only a few will be willing to do what it takes to get there.

I’ve noticed since the loss to Clemson people have stated that Coach Saban is going to have to change his ways to get coaches and future recruits to come to Alabama.

His mentality that perfection is the standard and that anything else is not the Alabama football way, simply will not work with the future generations.

Why?

Because people believe that perfection is attainable without the work required to achieve it and today’s generations cannot work under the pretense that perfection is the standard.

This is the problem that comes when winning becomes perceived as natural.

Let’s go back to 2009 when not only the Alabama Football team but its fans were hungry for a championship.

Chasing perfection was the goal. It was demanded, yearned for, chased after, and attained when Alabama beat Texas.

Since then Alabama football has won an additional four national championships. In the seasons where it did not win a National Championship, it lost two championships, one playoff loss, one ‘Kick-Six’ away from an SEC Championship and BCS championship, and one two-loss season.

What happens to a fanbase that gets accustomed to winning and then suffers a loss?

They complain, they critique, they criticize, they voice their opinion about a football coach who has given college football the greatest run by a team in college football history.

Fans have forgotten about those years between Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. They forgot about the Shula years where Alabama fans were just happy to beat Ole Miss or Arkansas. When being in the Top 25 was a big deal. When chasing perfection was a dream.

Fans have forgotten what it takes to be perfect. It takes work, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of perfection.

Vince Lombardi in his first meeting with the Packer players uttered this quote,

"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."

Vince Lombardi set the standard by which the Packers players and coaches were held. Their run of dominance led to Green Bay becoming known as Titletown USA and Lombardi’s name being placed upon the Super Bowl Trophy.

Bear Bryant set the same standard and by the time he left Alabama he had become the winningest coach in college football history and before Nick Saban was the only coach with six National Championships.

Bill Belichick as a head coach has won more Super Bowls as a head coach than any other coach in NFL history, and it because of his relentless chase of perfection.

Those that are willing to relentlessly chase perfection and hold everyone around them to that standard will be successful.

Time doesn’t change this.

The players Vince Lombardi had compared to Bill Belichick in nearly all facets are completely different. However, the standard set by the coach isn’t.

The same could be said for the players Bear Bryant had and those that Nick Saban has. But the key is the relentless pursuit of perfection has not changed.

Fans need to take a step back and realize the magnitude of the Alabama football era they are living in. Because soon it will be gone.

The relentless chase of perfection has only been accomplished by a few coaches in all of football history.

Alabama football fans need to understand that the success the Tide has experienced under Coach Saban is due to his chase of perfection and his demand that everyone associated with the team chase perfection as well.

To suggest Coach Saban change his ways from his standard of perfection will only result in the ways of the past.

Which some Alabama fans have clearly forgotten.