Don't blame Alabama for it's $16m upgrade to its football facility and locker room. Don't blame them for leather movie-theatre style recliner, personalized locker, cup holder and cubbies. Don't blame them for each locker having the players picture, home town, position and number inside. Don't blame them for state-of-the-art recovery pools and cryotherapy chamber. Nope, it's not their fault.
Hang on, before you scream that the Crimson Tide did not need to build this. You are right. They did not. Before you yell that the toys are not needed, especially in the times we are living in. Stop.
Why did Alabama build this? Why did they commit to a $600 million upgrade to facilities over a 10-year period? Because they can and because you, the fan, want it. Heck, you practically demand it.
The media and rival fans scream every time someone builds a facility like this. Every time, say Clemson, puts out a slick video showcasing their new playland, critics chirp all day.
But stop for a moment and realize that fans measure the success of the football programs by wins, rival domination, recruiting rankings and...........facilities.
Admit it, when is the last time you really stopped and compared your team's GPA to your rivals?
Fans may never step foot inside these palaces but they love their team having the best. And do not underestimate the value in recruiting.
These days players know the game of recruiting as good as the coaches recruiting them. And do you know what matters in the pitch? Not playing time early promises or the depth of the academic advisory team. It's the locker room, the weight room, the players lounge, the smoothie bar, the flat-screen televisions, their own locker area, the barber, the video games and how the soft the towels are. That's right, towels.
A few years ago, a coach told me he had a recruit truly ask about then feel for the softness of their towels.
But fans want the top recruiting classes and really don't care how their favorite team gets them. It's not just about building great relationships with high school coaches or complimenting a recruit's mom's apple pie. It's about making that recruit feel like they will live like a rock star for the next 4-5 years.
All those instagram and twitter posts by players is how schools recruit 24/7. And the moment your school is not cool, you are losing and quickly.
So don't blame Alabama for building what the business of college football has made into something you need to have, especially if you have the resources to build it.
You- the fan- want it, demand it and brag about it. It's the business of college football.