Hope everyone at Alabama that night heard what Nick Saban had to say

The intersection of sports and politics is a dangerous place, and with a few noteworthy exceptions - Thursday night's commencement event at the University of Alabama among them - Nick Saban has gone out of his way to steer clear of that intersection.

He's crashed and been burned there before.

The day after the 2016 presidential election, he was asked for his thoughts on the outcome and on the notion that coaches should stay in their lane. His response, glib and irresponsible, went viral.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even know yesterday was Election Day," he said. "It was so important to me that I didn't even know it was happening. We're focused on other things here."

The national blowback was so severe it led him to clarify his remarks three days later after a blowout victory over Mississippi State. He said he had voted by absentee ballot so that Tuesday to him was, per usual, the week's heaviest prep day. He did not say which presidential candidate had earned his vote.

As he had explained in his original answer, "I want what's best for our country. I'm not sure I can figure that out."

From that misstep, he found sounder footing as he stood with his players during the social justice movement in 2020 and advocated for national voting rights legislation in 2022.

So perhaps Saban's appearance Thursday in Coleman Coliseum, in which he addressed the graduates in attendance and introduced the event's main speaker, President Donald Trump, wasn't entirely out of character for the once famously compartmentalized former coach.

In fact, this state and this country might be a better, more united and less divided place if everyone in attendance that night heeded Saban's advice to the Class of 2025. ...

Read Kevin's full column on Saban's address to the graduates in The Birmingham News.