Paul Finebaum breaks down why Alabama spring games have less buzz than they used to

On McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy claimed that the Crimson Tide’s spring games just don’t have the same buzz they used to when Nick Saban first arrived in Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s spring game takes place this Saturday, and college football analyst Paul Finebaum gave his thoughts on the state of the game, starting with its history.

“Well I think some of it has to do with the games are not a priority for coaches anymore where let’s go back, you remember it well Greg, I mean the first game was one of the biggest stories and one of the most important moments of the Saban era,” Finebaum said. “Even the next couple, I remember being down there as a quote-unquote coach for the 2010 game right after the national championship and yeah, there were 90,000 people, ESPN was there.”

Alabama’s spring games received a large draw, helping generate excitement about football season months in advance. And while Finebaum likely misses this era, he doesn’t miss his the aftermath of his 2010 spring game coaching performance

“And the big controversy afterwards, because I got back and thought everybody would call me and congratulate me for winning the game. I had AJ McCarron as my quarterback, everybody said man it’s too bad the game ended in a tie, I said the game didn’t end in a tie, we won. But ESPN went off after the end of regulation, I mean that was like the only thing I heard for days,” Finebaum laughed and said.

Packed houses, extensive media coverage, and celebrity coaches may not exist in Alabama’s spring game this year, but the impact locally and to dedicated fans is hard to deny. This year’s spring game may not have as much juice as those in the past, but loyal fans will never turn down the opportunity to get an early look at this year’s team, and likely have a strong opinion according to Finebaum.

“Now you have to try to look and find the game, and I think the coaches know what’s going on. They still market it, it’s a big deal, get everybody back on campus, pretty day, kids can go see the game, maybe they won’t get another chance to go back there anytime soon,” Finebaum said. “But I think it’s more for the fans to come up with whatever opinion they want, and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but fans watch these games for 10 minutes and have pretty much decided who the starter is.”