Paul Tagliabue releases statement on Nick Saban letter to Congress

Alabama head coach Nick Saban branched outside of football this week when he signed a letter to Sen. Joe Manchin endorsing the passage of the Freedom to Vote and the John R. Lewis Act. Apparently, a footnote was missing, and one signee provided clarity on that Wednesday night.

After the letter came out, Manchin questioned why Saban’s footnote wasn’t on there. According to former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Saban agreed to have it removed.

The footnote was regarding filibuster rules and Saban’s stance on the issue. Tagliabue confirmed that and explained the decision to remove it from the letter.

“Coach Saban and I agreed that since the letter focused on the merits of the Freedom to Vote Act and the filibuster had not been discussed with everyone signing the letter, it was unnecessary to include the filibuster footnote in the letter to be publicly distributed,” Tagliabue wrote in a statement to AL.com. “As a result, our press statement along with the letter released publicly did not address the filibuster issue.”

Saban and his wife, Terry, are both West Virginia natives. In fact, Saban and Manchin have a longstanding relationship that goes back to the 1950s. The two grew up four miles apart in Monongah, West Virginia.

Saban calls on Senate passage of Voting Rights bill

The letter sent from the native West Virginians reads:

“We strongly support urgently needed legislation that will protect both the rights of voters and the integrity of outcomes in all Federal elections. The Freedom to Vote Act, which you sponsored with Committee Chair Senator Klobuchar and other colleagues, effectively addressed these goals.

“We come from some of our Nation’s most popular sports leagues, conferences and teams. Some of us have roots and shaped our lives in West Virginia, others followed very different paths and some of us have been rivals in sports or business. But we are all certain that democracy is best when voting is open to everyone on a level playing field; the referees are neutral; and at the end of the game the final score is respected and accepted.

The cosigned parties pointed to state legislators across the country imposing new voting restrictions since the 2020 election. Additionally, they say they’ll continue to call on more supporters to join their efforts.

“These principles are now under intentional and unprecedented challenge. In the last year, some 20 states have enacted dozens of laws that restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with Federal election outcomes. Motivated by the unanticipated outcomes of recent close elections conducted with integrity, these state laws seek to secure partisan advantage by eliminating reliable practices with proven safeguards and substituting practices ripe for manipulation.

“To complement your efforts to have the Senate enact balanced and widely supported legislation, we will encourage others in sports, business and other endeavors to join with us in endorsing the concepts set forth in this letter. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this manner.”