When Kalen DeBoer became the coach of Alabama and left my alma mater, I made an effort to act mature. I didn’t focus on the football program’s situation after DeBoer left; instead, I concentrated on the success he enjoyed during his two seasons at Washington. Although he had utilised my school similarly to how a pole vaulter uses a long, flexible stick, we had nonetheless experienced 21 straight wins and a couple of bowl victories as he catapulted to the top of the college football food chain.
My maturity failed to hold up after the season’s second week. When I saw that Alabama and University of South Florida were playing to an unexpectedly close result back on September 7, I experienced a visceral pulse of excitement. It wasn’t so much about the possibility of a Crimson Tide loss as it was about how the fans would examine DeBoer if that ended in a loss. Very likely, given that DeBoer’s top-ranked Crimson Tide lost at Vanderbilt of all places, they will question him extensively this week.
Since I was watching the Commodores run out the clock, I missed the actual kickoff of Washington’s game against Michigan. Although I wouldn’t say that I preferred DeBoer’s loss over the Huskies’ 10-point upset of the 10th-ranked Wolverines, the fact that I had to consider it is telling.
Although I don’t think this is a good reflection of me, I also don’t feel very embarrassed about it. In order to hear some appropriate crying from Crimson Tide supporters, I may even spend a portion of Monday night watching Paul Finebaum’s program on the SEC Network. I felt pretty much the same way when Russell Wilson visited Denver two years ago. Similar to Wilson, DeBoer also concluded he wanted a larger stage than what Seattle could offer. Similar to Wilson, DeBoer may find himself in the position of facing criticism and scrutiny for which he is not fully prepared. To be very clear, I believe DeBoer to be an excellent football coach. There simply isn’t a football coach alive, in my opinion, who could live up to the expectations that come with replacing Nick Saban.
Why would I care as much as I do about this is the question. Ultimately, DeBoer’s performance at Alabama, or lack thereof, is unrelated to what transpires in Washington. In the event that DeBoer fails at Alabama, the Huskies will remain the same height. Furthermore, considering the time I’ve spent working to become a less resentful person, it seems a little hypocritical of me. I even started a newsletter called Grudgery, in which I discuss how I overcame the more than two decades of anger I had harboured towards my stepfather. When it comes to my fandom, I haven’t experienced the same level of personal development, and to be honest, I’m not sure I really want to.
I usually love the taste of bitterness in sports. I find it fantastic that, even after 25 years, Seattle is still grieving over Alex Rodriguez’s free agent move to Texas, and I still grit my teeth in annoyance whenever Tyrone Willingham is brought up. I got sober seven years ago, but when the Oklahoma City Thunder are eliminated from the playoffs I dump 15 dashes of bitter into my soda water, add a lime wedge and toast their failure. I am a little bit of a hater, as the kids would say.
But I had hoped that with DeBoer, it would be different. After Jimmy Lake’s disastrous tenure, he had guided the Huskies to back-to-back seasons with ten wins, more success than anyone could have predicted. One of the most poignant moments I have ever had as a sports fan was being in the Superdome when Elijah Jackson intercepted Texas’s last pass in the Sugar Bowl. I will always be appreciative of DeBoer and the players for that season. Nor do I hold him responsible for leaving. By all standards, Alabama does a better job when it comes to resources, program history, and recruit quality.
In the modern game of college football, loyalty is as antiquated as geography. That’s just the way things operate. There’s also a limit to your rage regarding DeBoer’s exit from Washington considering the Huskies made a very similar move in hiring Arizona native Jedd Fisch. Despite saying all that, I couldn’t help but squeal with delight when Vanderbilt ran out the clock right before the Huskies kicked off. I felt like I was bathing in schadenfreude rather than actively participating in it, and it appears that this is a crucial aspect of my fandom.
In my opinion, DeBoer made the right decision in accepting the position of head coach at Alabama, and it doesn’t take away from his accomplishments at Washington.
I simply won’t be supporting him anymore, and considering the feelings I’ve felt this season while watching his new team play, I will be extremely happy if he loses. Please excuse me while I go find a place to watch some Alabama fans mope about their team’s defeat to Vanderbilt.
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