The University of Alabama made headlines last week when the news broke that the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium would be named after legendary and now retired coach Nick Saban making the full name “Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.”
For the most part, the reaction was fairly positive. However, some pointed out that naming the field in Saban’s honor was not enough of a tribute to the best coach in college football history. Fans have since called for Saban’s name to be incorporated into the name of the stadium while dropping Denny from the title in the process.
Count Paul Finebaum in that group.
This morning on “The Opening Kickoff” on Mobile’s 105.5 WNSP FM, Finebaum said declining to change the stadium name to include Saban is “an insult” and naming just the field for him is not a fitting tribute.
“I don’t understand why the University of Alabama is so stubborn here. I don’t think this is that great of a tribute to Saban, I think it’s somewhat of an insult to put him below [Bear] Bryant and [George] Denny,” Finebaum said.
“Denny has Denny Chimes, it may be the most iconic thing on the Alabama campus … Naming a field after the greatest coach in college football is an insult …. Make a statement Alabama! Quit doing things halfway. You have Nick Saban, the greatest coach in college football. You have Bear Bryant, who was the greatest coach of his era, take advantage of it! In sports media I have never once heard anyone refer to the field, it’s about the stadium.”
Finebaum is not far off in arguing it would be a much bigger statement to change the stadium name to include Saban, whether that means taking Denny’s name off of it or not.
While it is an honor for the field to be named after Saban, it may not be an honor truly fitting of the best college football coach to have ever lived.
“Bryant-Saban Stadium” presented an opportunity for Alabama to make a massive statement, but they declined to do so.
Finebaum’s interview can be heard here.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
