The Story You Didn’t Hear From the College Football National Championship

SAN JOSE, CA – The team arrival for the two national championship contenders, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers, at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport on Jan 4. for the College Football Playoffs National Championship wasn’t all smiles.

A winning Pop Warner league organization, the Santa Clara Lions, had the honor of being the first people in California to greet the two championship contenders. From a trusted source, both programs were instructed that the Santa Clara Lions would be in attendance for the purpose of enthusiastically greeting the teams.

The Clemson Tigers greeted the Santa Clara Lions with open arms and multiple players and staff, including head coach Dabo Swinney, freshman sensation quarterback Trevor Lawrence and wide receiver Tee Higgins.

It was different story, for the Crimson Tide. Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the only person who greeted the Lions. Players for the Lions screamed the names of Crimson Tide players, such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but none came over to share a smile or shake hands.

Lions players walked back from the taxiway disappointed and dismayed as the Alabama busses pulled off from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport.

“First of all, I don’t think anybody in our organization knew that they were going to be there,” Alabama’s Saban said when asked at the official College Football Playoff National Championship media day why none of the players greeted the Lions. “So our players weren’t instructed you know one way or the other. I think they just thought they were fans you know that were there. I just noticed that the kids had jerseys on. So, I played Pop Warner football. My dad was a Pop Warner football coach. Idamay Black Diamonds, you can look it up, back in West Virginia. I just have a tremendous amount of respect for guys that want to be and participate in our sport, and I was just trying to encourage those guys, by being positive and shaking hands with the, but, I don’t think our players even knew that they were going to be there, but, I think our players have done a really, really good job of community. Supporting the community. Supporting athletics. Supporting young people. Playing athletics. We have a lot of young people come to our practices and our players are always engaged with them, but, I didn’t think anybody really knew that I team was going to be there, and I didn’t know either.”

After asking my question, I exited the podium area. I was immediately stopped by a representative from the Alabama athletic department. This Alabama Communications staff member spoke to me in a stern tone and denounced my reporting.

The big takeaway isn’t about what happened to me, but the difference between the Crimson Tide’s and the Tiger’s programs. The Crimson Tide’s regimented approach vs. The Tigers’ relaxed approach. One could say that neither approach is more effective than the other. It’s just the price of doing business. Hopefully, the young Lions have recovered from the hurt to learn this lesson and continue to look up to championship college football teams.