A video surfaced this week showing Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton hitting a female Tennessee fan during Tennessee’s thrilling win over Alabama at Neyland Stadium.
Nick Saban claims he and Jermaine Burton were worried after Tennessee beat Alabama.
SEC penalized Tennessee $100,000 for field rushing. The thing is… Spectators storming the field are penalized, not players hitting fans. Nobody can be hit. Fans can trample each other and die.
Saban opted to play Burton in Alabama’s 30-6 win against Mississippi State rather than discipline him for striking a Tennessee supporter.
In Response to What Saban Said
What Burton did was completely unacceptable. After considering his options, Saban said he decided to counsel rather than discipline Burton. Against Mississippi State on Saturday night, Burton started and helped lead his team to a resounding victory.
Listen, I don’t know how many of you have been in this situation, but I spoke to him,” Saban added. He was frightened.
Yes, I was genuinely terrified. Unfortunately, some of our other participants were frightened. We have a duty to respect one another no matter what our circumstances are, and I think that’s something we learn.
Contrary to recent reports, this is not an anger management course. No one has ever claimed that. No, that’s not the issue.
But that correct regard for others is the point. Additionally, I did not think it was essential to suspend the man. Maybe you wouldn’t if you knew the full tale, but I’m not going to tell you the complete story.
To me, it isn’t enough, and I don’t see why Saban leaves out key details.
It’s admirable that Saban has stood by his player through this difficult situation, but I don’t think it was wise to play against Burton or to let him keep his scholarship. For Burton’s acts, some form of punishment appears required or at least fair.
What Really Occurred
It appears like Burton was trying to clothesline the fan, but there’s no way to be sure of this beyond the fact that he wasn’t trying to high-five the woman or congratulate her on Tennessee’s victory over Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
She then claimed on social media that the fan smacked her. I have no idea either. It’s possible that’s the case. The person who filmed the scene from the stands did a terrible job, thus the video is of low quality.
The individual who recorded the footage had nothing to do with the events depicted in the video, but this is the SEC, so there are always “alternative truths” to examine.
The shocked fan whirled around to stare at Burton as he departed. According to the caption on TikTok, “Jermaine Burton smacking me in the head when walking past him after their defeat Saturday.“
Eventually, both the video and the remark were taken down. Naturally, Burton should be removed from the team, as this has been decided by fans of Alabama’s opponents.
Maybe. Saban will make a decision, and then he will have to live with the consequences of that choice. If Alabama loses Burton, they will be down one of their best receivers.
Most organizations have well-defined protocols for handling cases of domestic violence, but this is not that. The fact that Burton assaulted a female player remains a season-defining event for Saban.
After Williams left, it was expected that Burton would take his position. Burton bizarrely switched teams after winning a national title with them to join the Alabama squad of quarterback Bryce Young. Really can’t hold it against him. When it comes to college football, Young is without peers.
The SEC penalized Tennessee $100,000 because of crowd interference during a game. This is a high-profile lawsuit since both Alabama and Nick Saban have built substantial national profiles. Furthermore, this also. It’s unheard of for a sports player to strike a female opponent.
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