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Nick Saban to Paul Finebaum: There’s nobody that stirs the pot in Alabama better than you
By Nick Krueger
Published:
Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s relationship with the media has been tumultuous over the years.
Last season, he defined the positive coverage of his players as “rat poison” after beating Texas A&M which received its fair share of discussion in the news cycle. Paul Finebaum came to Saban’s defense after the comment and the Alabama head coach appeared to show some gratitude Wednesday.
Saban seemed to explicate his true feelings about the media in a drawn-out answer on Finebaum’s show.
“I really appreciate them,” Saban said. “There is nobody that stirs the pot in Alabama better than you. And the interest that you’ve created through the years? Nobody else could even do so how could I not appreciate that I mean you create a whole lot of interest.”
From @SECNetwork, Nick Saban on his relationship with the media and @finebaum. "There's nobody that stirs the pot in Alabama better than you (Paul)…You create a whole lot of interest." Saban says he truly does appreciate the media. #SECMD18 pic.twitter.com/roixqwiLqE
— David Scott (@ESPNprDScott) July 18, 2018
While he paid the famous host a compliment on the SEC Network, Saban also acknowledged why he sometimes bites back at questions from the podium.
“Now, do I like the way y’all go about it sometimes in terms of the questions I have to answer and the situations y’all put me in? Maybe not, but I do respect that’s a part of doing your job, but I may not like it,” Saban said. “That’s the part that y’all see sometimes, but I do respect what you do. How it creates positive self-gratification for the players, interest in the game to the fans and promotes the game tremendously”
It appears as if Saban was speaking from the heart so this may be a good moment to remember when he decides to inevitably question a reporter at some point this season.
Nick covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
