Skip navigation

Saban compares loss to 9/11, Pearl Harbor

Alabama coach says upset by Louisiana-Monroe was 'catastrophic event'

Video
  Saban makes shocking reference
Nov. 20: Alabama coach Nick Saban talks about the Tide's loss to Louisiana-Monroe and makes a comparison to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

NBC Sports

Video: Football from NBC Sports
Fired up over firing
Nov. 10: University of Memphis head football coach Tommy West was fired and isn't happy about it.

Special feature
Predictions 101
Get picks to week's key games

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Cincinnati Bearcats v University of South Florida Bulls
  College cheer
Check out some of the college football cheerleaders from across the country.
Slide show
Image: AEK Athens' Nemeth reacts after a Europa League soccer match against BATE Borisov in Athens
  Week in Sports Pictures
Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more.

more photos

updated 3:37 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2007

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama’s latest loss has coach Nick Saban searching for ways to motivate his team.

Citing the 9-11 terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor, Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday his team must rebound like America did from a “catastrophic event.”

In this case, that would be an embarrassing 21-14 loss Saturday to Louisiana-Monroe.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

“Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event,” Saban said during the opening remarks of his weekly news conference. “It may be 9-11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, or whatever, and that was a catastrophic event.”

Alabama’s just getting ready to face No. 25 Auburn, its biggest rival, on Saturday.

A Saban spokesman said the coach chose the 9-11 and Pearl Harbor references to illustrate the challenges facing his team.

“What Coach Saban said did not correlate losing a football game with tragedy; everyone needs to understand that. He was not equating losing football games to those catastrophic events,” football spokesman Jeff Purington said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The message was that true spirit and unity become evident in the most difficult of times. Those were two tremendous examples that everyone can identify with.”

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored links