Tim Tebow responds to Nick Saban's comments on self-absorbed fans

This week, Nick Saban went viral for his rant about ‘self-absorbed’ Alabama fans. Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow knows a thing or two about high expectations and responded to Saban’s remarks on The Paul Finebaum Show on Friday.

Saban’s point was fans don’t just expect Alabama to win, but expecting to win by a certain amount. He brought up how when he arrived in Tuscaloosa, fans were happy to win at all.

Tebow had Saban’s back and applauded him for his comments.

“I thought it was one of the more honest things that he’s said in a long time,” Tebow told Finebaum. “I thought he was very transparent. You could tell … in the middle of that, he wanted to stop and maybe calm down and probably in his head, he heard a few of the [SIDs] talking to him. But he just cared so much [that] he was like, ‘I’m just going to say it anyways.’ And I loved it. I thought he was honest, very transparent, I thought it came from his heart and I agreed with … his sentiment.

“I think that Alabama has some of the best fans in the country, but they’re also probably the most spoiled fans in the country. Shoot, let’s be honest, you see them leaving early [from] games. It’s not good enough just to win. … Listen, in 2004, [2005] or [2006], they were happy when they were getting wins. They were happy when they would be able to beat Tennessee by seven or three or win by a field goal, and now it’s, ‘Ah, it’s super disappointing. We’ve got to get new players.’ I feel like he was sharing from his heart that he wants them to support their team whether they win by as much as the fans think or they barely win. You still need to be supportive of your team.”

Tim Tebow watched Alabama struggle as a recruit

Tebow also discussed where Alabama came from under Saban, becoming arguably the most dominant team in college football over the last decade. He pointed to his time as a recruit when the Crimson Tide weren’t what they are today.

“If I was telling Alabama fans something, I would say, ‘Hey, step back. Appreciate the success. No, it’s not going to last forever. You’re at a place where they do love it and they’re passionate,'” Tebow said. “But remember showing up to games and you were happy that you’d just barely beat Southern Miss? Because I remember being at the game as a recruit and you’re losing to Southern Miss and you came back to win on a crazy play, and you were freaking out.

“So it’s important to remember those times, as well, so you can really appreciate [it]. And in Thanksgiving? Maybe they should step back and say, ‘Hey, we’re pretty thankful that we have Nick Saban and we have this crazy run and maybe the best in the history of college football.”