The media and fans were freaking out this week about Alabama LB Joshua McMillon missing practice, but it turns out he had a good reason for his absence.
The media threw an absolute fit this week about Joshua McMillon missing practice. Without a comment from Alabama or Nick Saban, they quickly jumped to McMillon leaving the team.
It turns out however that this isn’t the case and McMillon will be a part of the Crimson Tide this year. McMillon took to his twitter and said that he wasn’t leaving Alabama, but was out of town because of a death in the family.
McMillon who’s Twitter account is private tweeted this:
"This report is false. I will be a member of the Crimson Tide forever."
The report about Joshua McMillon transferring is inaccurate. He was out of town following a death in the family
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) August 28, 2016
The writer who said McMillon was leaving the Tide also apologized.
My dearest apologies to UA linebacker Joshua McMillon and his family. He's not transferring. It was a mistake on my end. Won't happen again.
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 28, 2016
This is a symptom of what Alabama football has become. Alabama’s success has made everything that happens with the team news.
Take the transfer fiasco with Maurice Smith for instance. Maurice Smith wanted to transfer to Georgia, and because he wanted to leave Alabama and Nick Saban it became national news. Smith’s inability to transfer where he wanted became a trial on transfer rules in the court of public opinion.
The public was outraged that a player couldn’t follow a coach where he wants, despite the fact that just a few months earlier Kirby Smart had told Georgia players that they couldn’t follow Mark Richt to Miami. Sure Smith was a grad student, but that doesn’t change whether denying kids the ability to play where they want is right or wrong.
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Nick Saban is one of, if not the, greatest football coach of all time. And because of Saban consistently dominating college football, a lot of fans who hate him. If you’re a fan who hates Saban any story about Saban being less than wonderful is an instant click for you. On top of the hate clicks, you have the Alabama fans who are even more likely to click on any story involving Alabama football.
In the end, anything that happens at Alabama is news, just be careful what “news” you’re buying.