My wife and I were looking to buy a car in Mobile this past weekend. Our salesman was from Michigan, and I do not think that he really understood the Auburn-alabama rivalry. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he did not strike me as the smartest guy in the world.
Anyway, at one point he mentioned that his brother played defensive end for Michigan State during the 90s. I asked if that was while saban was there (it was not), and, even though I was wearing an Auburn hat and an Auburn shirt, I guess he took this question to mean that I was a huge saban fan.
Later in the conversation, it came up that he used to work for McConnell, which is a big dealership in the Mobile area. He then started talking about how saban comes down to McConnell once a year to get his free new car (I can't remember if he said it was a BMW or Mercedes). After that, he said, "Yeah, I've helped a bunch of those guys with their cars." I asked, "What do you mean?"
He then said, "Well, I helped the running back, that yeldon, I helped him get his car. He's a really great guy." (Sidenote: you are unlikely to earn my business by talking about what a wonderful person you think Benedict yeldon is). He then said he helped aj with his car. He said, "I don't know WHAT to think about THAT guy." Pretty much everyone I know in Mobile who has had any dealings with mccarron agree that he is a monumental POS, so that was not very surprising. Finally, he said he helped collins when he needed a car. I asked if he was talking about landon collins, and he said, "Yeah, the defensive back."
So after hearing all of this, I say in a smartass tone, "Gosh, I think it's great that all of these alabama players are coming down to get their free cars from McConnell." The salesman didn't really pick up on it and he responded, "Oh yeah, it's wonderful for all those guys. But, you know, it's a good deal for McConnell too because he gets to hang out on the sidelines during all the games and get his pictures with coach and everything."
I again said, "Yeah, it's absolutely wonderful that all of these bama players are getting these free nice cars to play college football at alabama." At this point, he seemed to pick up that maybe I didn't think this was such a great arrangement, and he said, "Oh, no no no, there are no issues with the NCAA or anything like that. See, it's an alumni doing everything, so it's not a problem for the university or the program or anything, because they don't have anything to do with it." I just kind of stared at him for a few seconds, pondering whether I should explain the concept of improper benefits provided by boosters, but the finance guy came in at about that point, and we left the dealership not long after.
Now, before the Bunker goes being the Bunker, I understand that this story proves absolutely nothing. However, I have never really bought into the conspiracy theories surrounding bama players and cars until I had this conversation, so I thought it was worth passing along. The salesman wasn't really being an over the top braggart or acting in a way that indicated to me that his story was disingenuous. He seemed to just be relaying stories about the "interesting" people he's met since he began working as a car salesman.
Two things I feel like I should note. First, he never explicitly said that the cars were free, but he did not correct me when I characterized it as a free car. Secondly, all three of the guys he talked about were drafted/will be drafted, so it is possible that these transactions occurred after they got out of school, but I did not get the impression that that was the case. It was my understanding that it has been a couple of years since he left McConnell, so the timeline would not work for him helping yeldon or collins after they left school.
Anyway, at one point he mentioned that his brother played defensive end for Michigan State during the 90s. I asked if that was while saban was there (it was not), and, even though I was wearing an Auburn hat and an Auburn shirt, I guess he took this question to mean that I was a huge saban fan.
Later in the conversation, it came up that he used to work for McConnell, which is a big dealership in the Mobile area. He then started talking about how saban comes down to McConnell once a year to get his free new car (I can't remember if he said it was a BMW or Mercedes). After that, he said, "Yeah, I've helped a bunch of those guys with their cars." I asked, "What do you mean?"
He then said, "Well, I helped the running back, that yeldon, I helped him get his car. He's a really great guy." (Sidenote: you are unlikely to earn my business by talking about what a wonderful person you think Benedict yeldon is). He then said he helped aj with his car. He said, "I don't know WHAT to think about THAT guy." Pretty much everyone I know in Mobile who has had any dealings with mccarron agree that he is a monumental POS, so that was not very surprising. Finally, he said he helped collins when he needed a car. I asked if he was talking about landon collins, and he said, "Yeah, the defensive back."
So after hearing all of this, I say in a smartass tone, "Gosh, I think it's great that all of these alabama players are coming down to get their free cars from McConnell." The salesman didn't really pick up on it and he responded, "Oh yeah, it's wonderful for all those guys. But, you know, it's a good deal for McConnell too because he gets to hang out on the sidelines during all the games and get his pictures with coach and everything."
I again said, "Yeah, it's absolutely wonderful that all of these bama players are getting these free nice cars to play college football at alabama." At this point, he seemed to pick up that maybe I didn't think this was such a great arrangement, and he said, "Oh, no no no, there are no issues with the NCAA or anything like that. See, it's an alumni doing everything, so it's not a problem for the university or the program or anything, because they don't have anything to do with it." I just kind of stared at him for a few seconds, pondering whether I should explain the concept of improper benefits provided by boosters, but the finance guy came in at about that point, and we left the dealership not long after.
Now, before the Bunker goes being the Bunker, I understand that this story proves absolutely nothing. However, I have never really bought into the conspiracy theories surrounding bama players and cars until I had this conversation, so I thought it was worth passing along. The salesman wasn't really being an over the top braggart or acting in a way that indicated to me that his story was disingenuous. He seemed to just be relaying stories about the "interesting" people he's met since he began working as a car salesman.
Two things I feel like I should note. First, he never explicitly said that the cars were free, but he did not correct me when I characterized it as a free car. Secondly, all three of the guys he talked about were drafted/will be drafted, so it is possible that these transactions occurred after they got out of school, but I did not get the impression that that was the case. It was my understanding that it has been a couple of years since he left McConnell, so the timeline would not work for him helping yeldon or collins after they left school.
