Georgia vs. Alabama Recruiting: Like TikTok?
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Unless you have not been on the internet since Florida last won a National Championship, you have probably heard of TikTok. For the uninitiated, TikTok is the social networking giant featuring short, user-created videos of everything from pranks, stunts, fun dog and baby videos and dance routines, among other things. Judge me if you like, but I often find TikTok just the type of mindless stupidity I need before bed.
Some of the dance routines on TikTok are truly amazing, featuring unbelievably talented performers who have obviously worked for years at their craft and have spent hours upon hours together for this short routine – every step is in sync with one another and with the music. And the best videos can generate millions of views and significant revenue. This is analogous to Kirby Smart and his staff’s tireless efforts to build a roster that can compete for National Championships. Of course, before January 10, 2022, Kirby and Georgia were missing that one thing it could show off to entice potential blue-chips.
There are also TikTok videos that generate millions of views featuring young, attractive women who, at least in these videos, do the absolute bare minimum. Some of these women may themselves be among the best dancers, lawyers, doctors or whatever and perhaps have spent years honing those skills. But in these particular videos that I am referring to, they might shake their hips once and clap twice, effectively mailing it in because they know their physical attractiveness will be more than sufficient to generate millions of views.
These videos are what Alabama and Nick Saban’s recruiting machine had become. To be sure, before January 10, 2022, Saban – like a gorgeous TikTok performer who might, off camera, be a brain surgeon – worked tirelessly for years to be the best at his craft. Recently, however, just how much did Saban really need to do to attract the attention of recruits? For some blue-chips, it seemed that Nick (as even has been caught recently on leaked audio) needed only to flash the equivalent of those young ladies resting on their physical attributes – in this case, those shiny championship trophies – and point out that Bama was the place to find them.
Well, you know how this story ends, or rather continues: Kirby and Georgia are now not only the best dancers (i.e., recruiters), in arguably the best college town in America, but also have a “real and spectacular” trophy to display, as well. This is not to say that Nick and Alabama are going anywhere anytime soon, but now Saban will need to roll up his sleeves, button up his shirt and dust off his dancing shoes. While Kirby and Georgia are super young and have a beautiful perky new trophy, Nick’s moves, at least based on those Aflac commercials he stars in, are not exactly what the kids are doing these days.
