Shane Gillis contends he was joking. Nick Saban wasn’t laughing. In fact, the former Alabama coach was mad, the comedian recently revealed.
The viral - and awkward - moment during ESPN’s “College GameDay” last month between the standup comic and legendary coach continues to grow in infamy after Gillis joked about Alabama football and Saban paying players.
After the comment was made, Gillis said, he went to the “GameDay” desk in the stadium leading up to the CFP game between Notre Dame and Indiana.
“When I got in there, right before we go on, he looks at me, and he’s like, ‘I heard what you said,’” Gillis explained.
Gillis reply?
“Holy (expletive),” he said he thought to himself.
The Notre Dame fan said Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee were convinced Saban was just giving the guest a hard time.
“I never would’ve done that if I knew he was serious,” Gillis said. “So, they told me he was (expletive) around, so I started (expletive) around with him.”
“I was just joking around,” Gillis said during the broadcast. “I don’t think the SEC paid players, ever.”
“I’m joking,” Gillis continued, while also roasting Saban’s hat. “Is this not a fun show? It’s a serious show? Alabama Jones is very serious. Get the whip, Indy.”
After that final interaction, Gillis still thinking Saban was mad - took Herbstreit and McAfee up on their suggestion to go talk to the former coach to smooth things over.
“I went up to him after, and he was like, ‘You think the SEC dominated because we cheated?’” he barked. “‘That’s (bull-expletive).’ He spazzed on me.”
It got even more awkward. Gillis said after Saban “yelled at me” he needed helped getting down from the “GameDay” panel and looked around to see if anyone other than the comedian was around. There wasn’t, so Gillis obliged.
