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Watch: Coach Nick Saban rips 'self-absorbed' Alabama football fans

By Alex Butler   |   Nov. 25, 2021 at 8:53 AM
Alabama football coach Nick Saban slammed "self-absorbed" fans in a four-minute rant on his weekly radio show Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Alabama football coach Nick Saban blasted a faction of the Crimson Tide fan base on his weekly radio show, calling out "self-absorbed folks" for their lack of appreciation for his players' effort.

Saban made the appearance on his Hey Coach radio show Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The four-minute rant came as a response to a call-in question from a listener. The caller said that fans go to the games knowing Alabama will win, but not knowing how many points they will win by.

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"I'll tell you what, I'm glad you go to the game that way because I don't ever go to the game that way," Saban said. "I have too much respect for the other team, been in too many games, whether we won when we weren't expected to win or the other team beat us."

Alabama, the reigning national champion, is the No. 3 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Crimson Tide (10-1) won its first five games this season. Texas A&M beat Alabama 41-38 on Oct. 9.

Alabama responded with wins in its last five-consecutive games. The Crimson Tide faces rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday in Auburn, Ala.

"They're competitors," Saban said of Alabama's opponents. "They have moms and dads. They have pride in performance. They have things they want to accomplish and they want to do and they want to be good.

"They don't just throw in the towel. They work harder to try to get better. And everybody wants to beat us. We're going to get everybody's best game. I don't know why people can't understand that."

Fans at the restaurant that hosts the show cheered Saban on as he continued his rant. He became more animated and raised his voice as he added to the lengthy response.

"And nobody feels worse than they do when they lose," Saban said of Alabama players. "Nobody. So for all you self-absorbed folks out there that can't look past your own self, aight, to appreciate what other people are doing."

Alabama battles No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship on Dec. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide face Auburn at 3:30 p.m. EST Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala.