Auburn From Google Earth

Believe it or not, an Alabama fan will actually make the claim that Tuscaloosa is nicer and/or more aesthetically pleasing than Auburn. You can’t really blame them. I’m sure Pistons Fans think Detroit is a beautiful city as well.

To add to this confusion, the most vocal group of Alabama fans are the ones who have never actually stepped foot in the city, let alone attended college there. They have only heard folk tales from their gran-pappy about a magical land in which the rivers flow with houndstooth patterned water and Bear Bryant sits at the golden gates only allowing the most ardent of Alabama fans into his wondrous kingdom.

So allow me to put this “debate” to rest once and for all.

Exhibit A:

Tuscaloosa From Google Earth

See the images from Google Earth presented along the left side of this post.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Exhibit B:

Recently, the city of Auburn was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Top 10 best places to live in the United States.

Two weeks later, the city of Tuscaloosa recieved some national attention of its own.

The Associated Press ran a story about how living there can cause you to develop cancer from breathing the toxic fumes that emanate from the city.

So remember, recruits. You can spend the next four years of your life at one of the top 10 nicest cities in the United States, or get cancer.

A Big Bite for the 2009 Tigers?

by Townhallsavoy

While Tommy Tuberville had one of the most successful tenures in Auburn football history, he left the cupboard bare when it came to talented young players.  The attitude that our coach could turn two stars into five stars was flawed.  In essence, Tuberville had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough or players that were overlooked by recruiting websites and other schools.  Through attrition, the talent level at Auburn dwindled, and it showed on the field.  Tuberville’s lazy recruiting tactics and his belief that he could win by finding hidden talents led to his demise.  5-7 and a 36-0 tromping by archrival Alabama ended his career on a sour note.

For Tuberville, it was easy to leave.  A big buyout and plenty of real estate to sell sent him packing on a high note.  However, for Auburn, Tuberville’s departure gave way to a bleak outlook.  The future was grim; Alabama continued to recruit top talent, and it seemed like Auburn couldn’t even find the cookie jar when it came to recruiting blue chips.

When you listened to the talking heads on the radio and the qualified journalists in the newspapers, Chizik was entering a situation that he could not win.  His 5-19 record, no matter how indicative of his ability to coach, would hinder his reputation amongst top recruits.  Alabama’s juggernaut machine led by demigod Nick Saban would be impossible to compete against.  This was the media’s message to Auburn fans.  We were to understand our situation: Alabama is going to run the table for the next 5-10 years, and Gene Chizik was filling the void until Alabama slowed down.

What was needed was some genuine ingenuity.  A spark that would reignite the Auburn program.  A shot in the butt that would excite the Auburn fanbase.  What was needed was something that could close the curtain on Chizik’s reputation and give a reason to love Auburn despite the odds against us.  What was needed was the duo of Trooper Taylor and Curtis Luper.
One of the greatest coaching legends of all time, Vince Lombardi, once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”  This is the new philosophy in recruiting, and it also follows the original Auburn creed.  Trooper and Luper, the dynamic duo, have dedicated their innovative minds to creating an atmosphere of originality at Auburn.  Yes, Alabama media, you were correct when saying Auburn and Gene Chizik could not directly compete with Alabama and Nick Saban.  So we aren’t directly competing.

We’re going around the norm.  We got off the interstate and are taking the backroads.  The Tiger Prowl was the first of its kind in the SEC.  Our coaches spent a week driving from school to school in a limo.  It was deemed childish by Paul Finebaum.  It was considered a worthless gimmick by Jay Barker.  It was a desperate attempt to compete with Alabama said Alabama fans.  However, the perception changed after the week ended.  Take the following quote from Paul Finebaum:

“At least from a perception standpoint, it appears Auburn has gotten the better of    Saban. Alert the media! Miracles can happen.

Will it matter? Will this be a one-hit wonder? Or can Gene Chizik and his staff    start nipping at Saban’s heels on a regular basis?

Most important, did the school do anything last week to bridge the gap between    Alabama and Auburn, which seems about as wide as the Grand Canyon? Or, at    the end of a long week, was it merely a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing?”

Sure, the gap between Alabama and Auburn, Saban and Chizik, seemed as wide as the Grand Canyon, but why is that?  The media pumped up Saban from the get go.  It’s pointless to rehash the entirety of Saban’s beginning, but when the funeral of an ex-president is interrupted to broadcast the arrival of the new head coach at Alabama, you know the media is 100% behind him.  Nick Saban’s entire tenure at Alabama has been met with praise and worship.  Gene Chizik and Auburn have been the laughing stock of football in this state for all of a few months.  But as Finebaum wondered, has Chizik been nipping at the heels of Nick Saban?

If Tiger Prowl was the nip, Big Cat Weekend was the bite.  The media was able to prop their feet up on their Crimson desk after big time prospect Craig Sanders committed to the Tide.  The limo showed up at Ariton High School, but the coaches were unable to sway the considered-by-many-to-be-an-Alabama-lock Sanders.  The media was right back where they wanted to be: discussing Alabama’s dominant program and criticizing Auburn’s clownish program.  It didn’t take long for Trooper and Luper to step up their game.  Big Cat Weekend was the attack.

The top two running back prospects in the country led the charge as blue chip recruits came in to experience Auburn in its truest form.  These were considered unofficial visits, so they came on their own volition.  One even drove down from the great state of Connecticut just to visit the small, quaint campus on the plains.  This was the big bite not only to our competition in state but to the big dogs around the country.

When you look at who was in Auburn this past weekend, you can see that Chizik has taken a different approach to Tuberville’s sit back and wait philosophy.  Auburn has gone on the offensive.  It’s not that Auburn is trying to steal every big time recruit from Alabama or Georgia or Florida, but we’re going to bring in the guys who fit in.  Auburn is a different school.  It’s not a state school.  It has its own unique tradition, atmosphere, and identity.  It’s alluring to those who want to be part of something distinctive, something that is built around family.  We’re one of the few schools in the country to consider ourselves a family as opposed to a “nation.”

Alabama can not directly compete with Auburn’s latest recruiting strategies.  They push their rich history with Bear Bryant and Nick Saban’s reputation onto recruits, and their strategy has been impeccable.  However, once able to stop Auburn from succeeding with top recruits, Alabama and their ilk must refocus their efforts in a different avenue.  It’s an avenue that has spent the last two years cozying up with Nick Saban.

The media, once with propped feet on their desks, has now flipped over backwards.  They’ve scrambled to get up and reshuffle their papers into order.  Big Cat Weekend took them by surprise.  For one, they weren’t notified about it until it started on Friday.  Two, it worked.  Auburn recruiting the same caliber of players that Alabama recruits?  Blasphemy.  So, what can the media, one of the components of the Alabama machine, do to stop the momentum of the weekend?

The talking points of the radio hosts on Monday, June 1st were not about how influential Big Cat Weekend was.  They weren’t about the innovative ideas coming out of the Auburn recruiting office.  They were about this: the audacity for a teenager to call out Nick Saban and the potential violations committed by Auburn.  Ian Fitzsimmons even stated that the Auburn coaching staff has had enough experience to know that they were committing violations, so he deduced that the violations were done on purpose.  Auburn completely disregarded the rules.  Finebaum even banged his fist on the table when explaining to a caller that coaches can’t announce recruits’ names on an unofficial visit.  Much to Finebaum’s dismay, this was an erroneous accusation as no coach made any announcement of recruits’ names during the weekend.

Take the following writers for local newspapers: Evan Woodberry, Ian Rapoport, Andrew Gribble, Luke Brietzke, and Charles Goldberg.  They all have written pieces over the last few days detailing the unacceptable actions committed in Auburn last weekend.  All of them, save Rapoport who focused on Seastrunk’s quote, have published articles detailing the specific rules that Auburn broke.  Not one person from the media has given Auburn credit for not only bringing in the top recruits but impressing them to the extent that they could be picking the Auburn hat by next signing day.  Radio hosts like Jay Barker have shown signs of being emotionally upset and angry with the Big Cat Weekend.  Before conducting an interview with Coach Luper, Jay Barker was quoted saying, “We’ll see how Coach Luper spins this weekend.”

Did Nick Saban have to spin the video teleconferencing?  Did the media lambast Saban’s gimmicky Breakfast for Recruits at the Sabans?  Has the media detailed the bylaws that Saban has broken numerous times over the years?  The answer is no.  The media has dismissed the textbook accusations at Alabama nothing to be worried about.  However, in big bold headlines, having recruits’ names announced randomly by a former student is a horrendous act in today’s world of recruiting.

The big bite hurt.  Auburn does indeed have their swagger back if not even more so than before.  Tuberville waited for diamonds in the rough to land on his front door.  Chizik is going out and searching, prowling for the top recruits that fit into his system.   And be on the lookout – Alabama, Nick Saban, media – Tigers don’t finish the job by just biting you in the rear, they make their kill by gnashing their teeth into the back of their prey’s neck.

By: Harvey Birdman

With the second of the three seasons of college football behind us (Recruiting, Spring Football and Football Season) it’s time to take stock in some of the things that came out in Spring Practice and where this program appears to be headed. Mind you, this is merely the observations and perceptions of this feeble minded author who is still waiting to coach his first college football game.  Most of the insight into the current state of the program comes from the Spring game itself.  Coach Chizik purposely kept a fairly tight lid on the actual practices leading up to the glorified scrimmage at JHS on April 18th.  Approximately 45,000 fans were treated to a short, but very entertaining show that featured a glimpse of the new offense under OC Gus Malzahn and served to answer some questions, but raise a few more.

The two most burning questions in my mind centered around the quarterback position and who might step forward as a playmaker on offense, something sorely lacking in 2008.  Injuries forced the quarterback race down to two in Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle.  I doubt very seriously that question number one was answered; however, if it were based on that one performance, our starter in 09′ would be Caudle.  For the first time in the few occasions I’ve had the opportunity to watch him perform, Caudle looked sharp and comfortable in the offense.  Granted, logic would tell you that they were running a base version of Coach Malzahn’s offense, but if his scheme does not require the QB to make numerous reads and go through countless progressions…in other words, break the huddle knowing what option one and option two will be and just distribute the ball….Neil Caudle might possibly be the man to run the show.  Maybe!  Unfortunately, Burns did nothing in my mind to show he had progressed any from 2008.  But again, it was just one game.

The issue of playmakers may have been answered through the size and intensity of Mario Fannin and the emergence of newcomer Onterio McCalebb.  Late in 2008, Fannin produced several highlite reel plays.  He came into this Spring several pounds bigger and apparently, stronger.  Keep in mind that it was in fact a Spring game and most of the scrimmage pitted the first strings against the seconds.  However, that didn’t take away from the fact that Mario Fannin obviously came to play and easily proved himself to be the leader of this offense.  Throughout the Spring, we heard reports that Onterio McCalebb consistently made eye opening plays, breaking several long runs.  The fans in attendance weren’t disappointed as he continued his good work, displaying quickness and true break away speed that has been missing from the backfield for some time.  Listed at 165, he certainly cannot stand the rigors of an every down back in the SEC, but that shouldn’t be an issue with the experienced Ben Tate carrying the bulk of the load at tailback.  It was hard to find any fault in Tate’s performance as well, with the senior to be looking fast and running with confidence.

It appears that Malzahn’s system and the receivers getting some actual coaching, will not require anybody to be Superman from the wide receiver spot.  Numerous times, the same plays were run in the scrimmage with the exact same pattern run by multiple receivers…each time with some success.  Auburn did not recruit a group of rejects at that position.  There’s plenty of talent there. They just need some direction and a system to thrive in.  Hopefully, this will be the one.  The starters across the front on offense have put the weight back on that Tony Franklin insisted they lose.  6′8″ Lee Ziemba is finally listed over 300 lbs. for the first time in his Auburn career.  Ryan Pugh, Mike Berry, Andrew McCain etc. are all big, physical and experienced.  They’ve been to war on the biggest stages college football has to offer.  The issue is finding 3-4 solid backups.  This could in fact, be a huge issue.

Defensively, not much needs to be said other than stressing my feelings from the earlier article.  The starters at every position are guys I’d gladly line up against anybody in the country.  Eltoro Freeman looks to be the instant impact player we all thought Trey Blackmon would be.  But, like the offensive line, a few key injuries could very possibly devestate this unit.  There’s a ton of “Potential” behind the starters, but very few proven performers.  Overall, I think this team is not in as bad a shape as some of the media “Experts” would have us believe.  But, I can’t let go of my glass-half-empty anxiety over what a few injuries might do to this team.  Until I see Jomarcus Savage or Andre Wadley or any number of DB’s get it done on Fall Saturdays, I’ll still be holding my breath.

So, Summer workouts begin soon and the team learns to develop and gel a little more under this new staff.  Meanwhile, the new staff is continuing it’s in-your-face style of recruiting.  As of yesterday, “Tiger Prowl”, the 7 member limo tour is officially underway.  A bit gimmicky?  A little cornball?  Maybe…maybe not.  But, their early assault on Mobile area schools yielded some very positive comments from top recruits.  This comes on the heels of the top two running backs in the nation raving about their visit to Teh Planes and vaulting Auburn to the top of their lists.  Will it net results come February 2010?  Time will tell.  However, while I may cast a wary eye towards an all-orange limo tour, I fully realize that I have an 18 year old daughter myself…which firmly establishes that I have no earthly idea what appeals to kids.  Not a clue!  Maybe this staff does. And somewhat of an analogy comes to mind when I think about the antics of Lane Kiffin in his short tenure at Tennessee.  I have heard more than a few comments from UT faithful who say, “Whether you agree or disagree with his tactics, Kiffin is doing everything possible to make people take notice of Tennessee again.”

I’d say a quick look at the final tally on UT’s recruiting class, shows he’s off to a damn good start.  In their own way, Chizik and his staff appear to be taking a similar approach in saying, “You may point and laugh now, but you WILL have to deal with us later.”  There are many who simply cannot bring themselves to jump on Gene Chizik’s bandwagon, if there even is such a thing.  The confusing selection for Auburn’s head coach still has some entrenched in their foxhole, awaiting the impending doom and end of Auburn Football as we know it.  Whether or not Mr. Chizik is assembling and directing a program that will make Auburn a player on the national scene again…only time will tell. But, whatever happens won’t be for lack of effort and innovation.  The next couple of years should be quite a ride.

By: Harvey Birdman

Will Coach Chizik impersonate Old Mother Hubbard?

In evaluating Gene Chizik after this upcoming season, regardless of what happens, I think we’re going to have to take a lot of other factors into account besides wins and losses.  CTT came in and lead a rag tag bunch to a 5-6 record and was just a few plays and a bone headed coaching decision from 8 wins and a bowl.  In my mind, it was one of the top coaching jobs of his entire tenure at Auburn.  That team was literally void of any real talent and experience.  One thing about his final few years that concerned me though, was a perceived change in his recruiting tactics.  I know it’s been hashed out time and time again; however, what I saw was a coach and staff that had become complacent, comfortable if you will.  There were few if any battles for the top rated talent.  Sunshine pumpers defended Tuberville’s knack for “Finding diamonds in the rough”.  The two star, 190 lb. linebacker who “Camped well” that will come in, redshirt and Yoxercise for a year had become the norm.

As last year grinded to a close, I argued several times that the problem could stem back to the failed Franklin experiment, but probably lay more at the feet of poor recruiting.  Other than Mario Fannin stepping up in a couple of games late, name ONE true playmaker on that squad.  Name one receiver that could beat anyone deep, much less catch the ball if he did.  Name any back besides Mario that gave you anything to make you believe he could take it to the house…ever.  Name one QB that could start for Troy.  The same guys are back and realistically, our hope rests on a new staff, a new system and possibly a new attitude.  Several signees coming in look to have potential to be studs but you don’t really have much if you’re counting on kids who haven’t even enrolled, much less played a down of SEC ball.

In looking at the roster, the departure of Kyle Coulahan, who never played a down, leaves Auburn with about 7-8 scholarship offensive linemen.  (That doesn’t include incoming freshmen). In typical Tuberville fashion, several defensive guys are now listed as O-linemen, including AJ Green.  Defensively, I’d go to war against anyone in the country with our starters.  After that….it’s a little scary!  Our defensive ends are solid and 2 deep with Coleman, Carter, Goggans Gabe McKenzie (If he’s on the team…and back playing defense) Once heralded Raven Gray is no longer listed on the roster.  Our guys in the middle are big, physical and experienced with Jake Ricks, Mike Blanc and Zach Clayton.  Name anyone besides a handful of redshirt freshmen behind them.

Linebackers…Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens and Eltoro Freeman look to be one hell of a unit but keep in mind, Freeman hasn’t played a down of SEC ball either and behind them….Spencer Pybus, Adam Herring and Dashaun Barnes?  Who else?  Only one of them has even part time playing experience.  Fortunately, our numbers are strong throughout the secondary.  But, the point of all this is, we’ve got to hope this staff finds some playmakers or implements a system that truly catches the league off guard.  We’ve got to have an injury free year for the most part because the numbers in the trenches and at linebacker just aren’t there.

Any way you slice it, Tuberville’s recruting has put this program in a very precarious situation.  I know this is a glass half empty analysis but facts are facts.  I’m as bad as anyone in breaking down an Auburn team going into any given year and drinking the kool-ade to the point that I’m wondering how an NFL team could beat them.  But, while this team has talent, they don’t have a lot of it and you have to have numbers to compete for titles in this league.  I also tend to think the SEC will be stronger overall this year with LSU, UT and Georgia  (All on our schedule) being improved..and let’s not forget Ole Miss, who suddenly is a legit playa in the West.  Of course, we can’t leave out the mighty CrimpsumTahd, who will most certainly secure the 279th Nayshunal Champeenship for the Crapstone…but I digress.

What we saw out of Chizik’s staff when they came in late, was what Tommy Tuberville and his guys should have been doing all along.  Instead, they quit going in the living rooms of top rated, high profile kids and held camps to find a good many of the players on our roster.  It told on him last season.  I was just as WTF as anyone when Gene Chizik was hired.  But, regardless of whether Chizik or Pete Carroll or Nick Saban or Bob Stoops was our coach, my expectations still would not be that high going in to 09′.  Let this new staff continue their ways for a year or two more on the recruting trail, then I’m talking BCS.  Right now, I want to get to a bowl.

By: Kevin Strickland

When the Milwaukee Schlitzes took on the Kentucky Bourbons in a slow-pitch softball world series game in 1979, the two teams had no way of knowing what monster would rise from dust of their diamond.

Fledgling cable network ESPN (the Entertainment Sports Programming Network) broadcast the aluminum-bat slugfest to its 625 cable system affiliates which reached more than one million of a total of 20 million households. It was the first televised sporting event for the network, the brainchild of Bill Rasmussen.

Sports hasn’t been the same since.

Since that initial broadcast ESPN has grown into a behemoth. From low-rent boxing matches, slow pitch softball and Australian Rules football the self-proclaimed World Wide Leader in Sports has expanded to dominate the American sports landscape.

College football, basketball, softball and baseball, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, NASCAR, the PGA and the National Hockey League all call (or have called) ESPN home for at least part of their seasons.

The network provides sports fans with unprecedented access to sports both in the broadcast of live events as well as its real-time reporting of scores.  The days of waiting for the morning newspaper box score to see how your favorite Cleveland Indian fared against the mighty Yankees the night before are long gone.

With ESPN you know instantly. The network’s companion website provides pitch-by-pitch analysis if you don’t have the patience to wait for the score ticker that runs constantly across the bottom of the ESPN screen.

This instant access spawned a cottage industry of fantasy baseball, basketball and football leagues.

The insatiable desire for sports coverage unleashed a series of sister networks including ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews.

While the pervasive coverage and the access to more information is a boon to sports lovers, over recent years the trend at ESPN has edged more toward creating the news as opposed to merely presenting and reporting on it.

The network has, by virtue of its sheer size and scope become a powerful force that has the ability to influence public perception and, even worse, the very competitions it is purported to objectively cover.

Take the example of Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner who was injured in the 2006 Preakness and was euthanized eight months later after his injuries failed to heal.

ESPN carried second-by-second updates of Barbaro’s condition. When he was put down, the network devoted significant air time to honoring his memory.

The national response was overwhelming.  Grown men and women who had never seen the horse race wept openly on camera when the news of Barbaro’s demise was reported.

Lost in the furor over Barbaro is the fact that hundreds of horses die during racing events every year.  The California Horse Racing Board reported that 306 horses had died during the 2007-08 fiscal year in that state alone.  The U.S. Jockey Club in New York estimated more than 600 deaths at racetracks in 2006.

This begs the question: Did ESPN respond to a surge of national interest in Barbaro’s condition or was the surge of national interest created by the network’s saturating coverage?

In 2004, the network undoubtedly played a part in determining the participants in college football’s BCS national championship game.

At the conclusion of the 2004 regular season, four teams sported unbeaten records: Big 12 Champion Texas, Pac-10 Champion USC, SEC Champion Auburn and Mountain West Champion Utah.

As the four teams headed down the stretch, ESPN college football analysts led by its GameDay crew of Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit relentlessly pounded the scheduling drum, making the claim that the strength of schedule for both Auburn and Utah paled in comparison to that of USC or Texas.

When the final polls were released, voters retained USC and Texas atop the polls and many of those who voted parroted the ESPN strength-of-schedule mantra in justifying their picks.

Problem is, the ESPN talking heads were wrong. When the NCAA released its 2004 report, Auburn’s strength of schedule rated higher than either the Trojans or Sooners.

The following year as Texas and USC churned toward the ESPN-hyped game of the century in the BCS title game, the network debuted a series of specials calling the USC team with its lone title a dynasty and comparing it to – and ranking it above many of –the greatest college teams in history.  Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville was vocal in his criticism.

“It’s done,” Tuberville said weeks before the 2004 season ended. “The national media, led by ESPN, wants to see Vince Young vs. Matt Leinart in the championship game. It’s going to be those two teams unless Texas or USC get upset.

“If four teams are undefeated at the end of the season, there should be a playoff. There should’ve been one last year. But it’s decided already. I don’t like it.

“ESPN has gotten so much power lately, it’s kinda scary,” Tuberville said.

In response to Tuberville’s comments, ESPN radio anchor Dan Patrick aired a contentious interview with the Auburn coach where he warned “You’re biting the hand that feeds.”

Fowler, from his moderator’s perch on GameDay lambasted Tuberville. Later Fowler was filmed touting an upcoming USC-Texas BCS title matchup, at a time when neither of the BCS participants had been selected.

That Tuberville’s criticism of the network’s power could be chastised as “biting the hand that feeds” is clear evidence that ESPN wields undue influence.  That Fowler would use his position as lead anchor of College GameDay shows that agenda, even personal agenda, trumps objectivity.

When coaches aren’t allowed to criticize the networks which cover their sports, or when worse they’re targeted and/or penalized for those opinions, it’s a clear sign that the balance of power has swung too far.

ESPN is a victim of its own growth and reach. But the only ones harmed are those who dare to run counter to the official network position.

Like Roman Emperors, the hands that feed can turn a thumbs down and punish those who disagree.

Beyond that, however, the network has become fatuous. In the never-ending effort to top itself, ESPN has reached well past its core competencies. The foray into original programming with such fare as the Dale Earnhardt biopic was misguided. The constant parade of former athletes turned analysts is tiring — as is some of their ridiculous attire.

Even its SportsCenter broadcasts once glib and fresh when Patrick and Keith Olbermann manned the anchor desk have become self-indulgent parodies.

It’s one thing to toss off an occasional clever bonmot. It’s another to bludgeon viewers with  repetitive and cloying manufactured catch-phrases.

As John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton noted in 1897, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

From its poorly lit sets and softball game beginnings, the ESPN of today has reached a state of near absolute power over the games it broadcasts.

As its influence broadens, how big is the leap from shilling for big market teams to make the BCS title game to quietly insisting that certain teams win in order to create the matchups the programming managers want?  To withholding air time from teams and conferences that don’t follow guidelines passed down from the network?

How big a stride is it from disregarding every other player on the golf course to focus on Tiger Woods’ efforts to remove a bee from his towel to quietly encouraging events to make sure Tiger plays the final day?

ESPN already decides who sports fans are supposed to like and who they are supposed to loathe. They decide which teams are popular by focusing promotions and by airing their games.

If ESPN decides tomorrow that the American fan should like Barry Bonds again, the general public perception could be turned in two weeks or less.

That’s the power of influence the network currently holds.

At what point does the exertion of that influence become corruption?

by: Chizad

A month ago, Jeff Lebo’s position as head Auburn basketball coach appeared to be in jeopardy.  Many Auburn fans had set the ultimatum that if he didn’t make it to the NCAA tournament this year, he needed to pack it up.

Little did we know,  the selection committee would take this whole “The SEC is weak this year” concept and run with it to the extreme. So much so that apparently this year a team ranked second in their division of a major NCAA conference with 20 wins  (and counting) is not only not being talked about as one of the 65 teams making it into the tournament, it’s considered ridiculous to discuss them as one of approximately 30 bubble teams.

Members of the selection committee have stated that a very important factor in the selection is how a team plays down the stretch. However, the fact that Auburn is currently one of the hottest  teams in the nation and certainly the SEC, finishing strong with 7 wins out of the last 8 games, apparently means absolutely nothing.

Jerry Palm of RPI.com had this to say about Auburn:

I can’t answer my phone or check my e-mail without getting a question about Auburn, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. The Tigers are a slightly above average team in the weaker division of a below average major conference. They have a one-point win at home over Tennessee, and that’s it. Yes, the Tigers have won seven of eight, but other than Tennessee, the wins have come over the other league punching bags. There’s nothing to see here, folks. Move along, please.

Jerry clearly fails to realize that the “weaker” division is 17-16 against the mighty Eastern division. He also apparently does not realize that Kentucky has only won 3 out of their last 10 to these same “punching bags” ranking two spots behind Auburn in the conference. They’re solidly on the bubble according to most bracketologists, including Jerry.

Despite this, beating #11 LSU this weekend won’t be enough for Auburn. According to the experts, we’re going to have to win the SEC tournament as well, or we’re not getting in.

In my opinion, regardless of whether or not this happens, Lebo is going to lead us in a dance of some sort.

The NIT? Oh yeah. Probably that too.

I was talking about the spastically frantic cousin of the Humpty Hump. The Lebo.

Ranked by The Prowler with hot linked visual aids.

6 Grillz and a Pimp Cup (Top Prospect at their position HS, JUCO, or Prep):
Onterrio McCalebb, RB
Eltoro Freeman, LB
Demond Washington, CB

6 Grillz (Top Five Prospect at their Position):
Tyrik Rollison, QB
DeAngelo Benton, WR
Phillip Lutzenkirchen, TE
Taikwon Paige, DB

5 Grillz:
Clint Moseley, QB
Dontae Aycock, RB
Brandon Jacobs, RB/LB
Emory Blake, WR
LaVoyd James, WR
Travante Stallworth, WR
Donald Ford, DE/LB
Nosa Eguae, DE
Nick Fairley, DT
Jamar Travis, DT
Reggie Taylor, CB

4 Grillz:
Anthony Gulley, WR
Andre Harris, OL
John Sullen, OL
Terrence Coleman, DT
Josh Jackson, DT
Harris Gaston, LB
Jonathan Evans, LB
Daren Bates, S
Izauea Lanier, S

3 Grillz:

Robert Cooper, QB

2 Grillz:
N/A

1 Grill:

N/A

In early December, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs unleashed a maelstrom when he selected former Auburn defensive coordinator and then Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik to succeed Tommy Tuberville as head of the Auburn football program.

Jacobs promised a spare-no-expense nationwide search for the best and brightest coach available. In Chizik he selected a coach in the midst of a ten-game losing streak who had a dismal 5-19 record in his two years as head coach of the ISU Cyclones.

Fan and alumni reaction was, at best, outraged. National media heaped universal scorn on the program.

After the initial shock subsided, the Auburn family split into three relatively distinct camps, each with a different perspective on the hire and what it portends for Auburn.

That familial split was highlighted this week in the reactions to news that Auburn linebacker coach James Willis, the lone holdover from Tommy Tuberville’s coaching staff, was leaving the Tigers to take a similar position with the rival Alabama Crimson Tide.

In responding to the news, each group displayed the distinct traits that separate them.

Let’s call the first group of Auburn fans Chizikites. They represent one extreme.

Chizikites buy into the new Auburn coach hook, line and sinker. For every negative about his coaching record or performance, they have a ready answer.

Chizikites are convinced that he is the coach for the job, that he’s breaking ground no other coach could break, he’s making inroads no other coach could pave and he’s working harder than any other coach could work.

Most Chizikites are dismissive and highly critical of Tuberville and his coaching staff, despite a solid ten-year record at the school.

Chizik is Auburn’s newest savior. Tuberville and his crew are rubbish. Good riddance. 

Chizik’s coaching hires are among the most brilliant of all time. He has assembled a staff that none can rival, one that is the envy of college football nationwide.

Chizikites greet his every move with rejoicing and celebration. If a recruit commits, it is because Chizik wowed him with his magnificence. If one departs the fold, it is someone else’s fault. Never Chizik.

They are quick to paint anyone who isn’t as enthusiastic about Chizik as they are as being against Auburn. In doing so, Chizikites generally fail to separate the man from the program.

When Willis defected to the rival Tide, Chizikites rallied to the defense of their anointed leader.

Willis leaving is a blessing in disguise. It will allow Chizik to hire an even better coach in his place. Chizik didn’t want him anyway because he didn’t fit into the overall plan. 

Chizikites, although vocal, make up a small portion of the Auburn fanbase.

At the other end of the spectrum are the Anti-Chizikites. As expected, the Anti crowd views the hiring of Chizik as nothing short of a disaster. They express grave concern that he will drag the program down to depths from which it may take years to recover.

According to the Antis, Chizik’s failures as a head coach at ISU clearly point out that while he may be a fantastic defensive coordinator, he does not have the credentials to manage a program. 

Antis scrutinize his every move, looking for flaws or indications that he might already be failing.

Most Antis refuse to recognize positive accomplishments, such as the hiring of what is, on paper, a competent qualified staff.  They often  point to recruiting decommits, typical in a transitional period, as evidence of his incompetence. 

Antis do not hope that Chizik fails, but most anticipate he will eventually do so. Antis agree that if failure is the ultimate outcome it will hopefully come quickly so Auburn can move ahead with the search for his replacement.

Antis view the defection of Willis to Alabama as an epic failure on the part of Chizik. He took several weeks to decide to re-hire Willis and then Chizik disrespected him  by hiring other coaches to perform similar duties at substantially higher pay. This alone is ample evidence of Chizik’s inability to comprehend the big picture.

Antis are known to carry torches and pitchforks.

As with Chizikites, the number of Antis is relatively small but vocal.

The vast majority of Auburn fans fall somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. 

A month removed from the initial shock of the hire, most of the Auburn family has settled into wait and see mode.  Let’s call them the Rationals.

Rationals are encouraged by the hires that Chizik made, particularly his effort to bring in coaches with a reputation for aggressive recruiting.

They are encouraged to see Chizik working hard on the recruiting trail even if early results are mixed.
Rationals are excited to hear him saying the right things at the right times, to hear him profess his devotion to the program they love and to watch him put that devotion into motion.

Most look at the upcoming season with a mixture of caution and optimism.

Rationals recognize the gnawing concern presented by Chizik’s undeniable 5-19 Iowa State catastrophe, but hope that he learned from the experience. They also acknowledge the extenuating circumstances that may have led to the overall result.

Most Rational Auburn fans look at the 5-7 collapse of 2008 and realize that with a made extra point here or a third-down stop there the team could just as easily been 9-3 and come closer to living up to preseason expectations.

It’s not as if Chizik is walking into a nuclear wasteland and will be tasked with rebuilding from the ground up. Rational Auburn fans hope he can rectify some of the glaring problems that plagued the 2008 squad both from a coaching and execution standpoint. They anticipate immediate improvement. 

His task is a course correction, not an entirely new navigational chart. His mission should be to bring the team and coaching staff to the same page and right the ship before it truly lurches into uncharted waters.

When Willis opted to depart the Tigers, Rational Auburn fans reacted with disappointment and frustration.

There was some irritation that Willis chose the Tiger’s biggest rival as his new destination and there were questions as to what led Willis to make the decision.

Overall, however, the Rationals didn’t see the defection of Willis as either a confirmation or condemnation of Chizik. It was one man’s decision and their primary concern was how it affected Auburn in the immediate issue of recruiting.

To most Rationals, the departure of Willis wasn’t the best news of the day, but it fell short of reaching the apocalyptic threshold.  It was a bump in the road, albeit a painful one.

If you listen to talk radio or read most Internet message boards, the vitriol roaring from Chizikites and Antis would have you believe that the Chizik hire and his subsequent recruiting and hiring decisions had split the Auburn fanbase into two warring factions.

Not true.

In reality Rationals far outnumber both of the two more strident camps combined. Chizik may not be their coach, but he is Auburn’s coach and as such they support him until and unless he proves unable to be the man Auburn needs for now and for the future. They’re just not nearly as vocal about it.

For the time being the Rationals reserve judgment, hoping for and expecting the best.

I always thought I should be treated like a star.

By: Tiger Wench

The buzz of the audience quieted and then was silenced as he took a seat at the table.  The only sounds were the clicking of cameras and the rustle of cameramen jockeying for a better angle.  As he adjusted the microphone, and cleared his throat, grown men shifted nervously in their chairs, fingers poised over their laptop keyboards.  As he began to speak, the tension in the room was palpable.  Had a decision finally been reached?  What would it be?  Lives, careers, fates hung in the balance.  Stomachs clenched, foreheads beaded with sweat, nerves taut, the audience strained to hear the words they came for.  Just say it already, dammit…!!!

A Presidential press conference?  A statement on the economy by the Chairman of the Federal reserve?  A briefing on troop movements in Iraq?

Nope.

The announcement by an 18 year old kid on where he would be playing college football.

The 24-7 news cycle is a ravenous beast.  The public places tremendous pressure on the media to constantly provide instant, on demand, up-to-the minute content.  The problem is that there is only so much happening in the world at any given moment. 

Nowhere is this pressure felt more acutely than in the sports world.  It may be the offseason in college football, but the insatiable demand from fans for news has not stopped.  This forces the college sports media to make the most out of what they have – and right now, that’s recruiting news.

The media starts tracking these kids when they are sophomores and juniors.  They assign them rankings, dissect their stats, televise their games, review their films.  What seems to be overlooked is that these are high school kids.  Kids.  Even the guys considered to be the most talented of the bunch are nothing more at this point but little balls of potential.  Being a stud in high school sports – even at a powerhouse like Alabama’s Hoover High School or Evangel in Louisiana – is a far cry from being a stud in collegiate D-1A – or even D-1AA.  Few of these players come out of high school instantly ready to step on the field and perform.

But none of this matters.  As national Signing Day approaches, the media frenzy escalates, until every last burp, fart and whistle of every recruit is analyzed and scrutinized and assigned deep meaning.  Add in the internet message boards (this one included) and the premium information websites, and you have a perfect storm of epic proportions.  Where did he schedule an official visit?  Is he going to take an official visit?  What color shirt did he wear to school today?  Whose logo was on the sweatshirt he wore to the movies over the weekend?  Did his momma like the coach?  Did Coach stay for supper, or was he out the door in fifteen minutes?  OMG- i- heard- his- best- friend- was- going- to- go- to-State-U-but-his-girlfriend-is-going-to-U-State!!  OMG!! 

O!!!!!! M!!!!!!! G!!!!!!!!!

W??? T??? F???

Is it any wonder, then, that after two or more years of being fawned over by groups of grown-ups who should know better, of having their asses kissed and pampered and praised, of being told how awesome and gifted and special they are, that these kids choose to exploit the desperation of the coaches and media alike, and stage a ridiculous dog and pony show involving multiple baseball caps or football jerseys so as to get their fifteen minutes of fame?  All for announcing which institution of higher learning they have selected as the beneficiary of their awesome, godlike, football prowess?  To bring joy and rapture to one group of fanatics while simultaneously inflicting grief and despair on others?  All at the tender age of 18?

What a rush.

The sad thing is that for many, if not most, of these players, this will be the only fifteen minutes of fame they get.  What they don’t realize is that this is just the beginning of the end.  Some will wash out of summer camp.  Some will get injured.  Some will fail to meet the academic standards.  And when one or more of those things happen, the bright lights go away and the attention is directed to the next up and coming stud. 

We, the fans, gripe and complain about kids that show up on campus thinking that their fecal excretions do not contain odor.  We snicker that they will get knocked off that pedestal soon enough once they hit two-a-days.  Just wait until they take their first lick from an All-SEC lineman – that’ll bust their ego bubble.

The ego bubble built on our obsequious behavior.

The media gleefully report on the once highly touted freshmen who get arrested, who cheat, who fail to perform.  They solemnly editorialize about “failure to realize that there are consequences to actions” and that “the rules apply to everyone”.  That these players are maybe not that great, that they were overrated.

Ratings created, perpetuated, assigned and reported by the media.

We, the fans and the media, have created this monster of switching caps, last minute announcements, milking the moment, and even lying outright about being one of the chosen few.  It is our inability to maintain a rational, adult perspective that fosters this atmosphere of arrogance, ego, and unrealistic expectations in these unproven, untested, potential college athletes.  That would kind of make it our responsibility to put an end to it all, right?

As the 2009 National Signing Day approaches, let’s all make an effort to show some restraint.  Let’s congratulate these students on the college education they have earned through their talents, not deify them for what they might or might not do on Saturday afternoons.

I, for one, will promise to do just that.

Right after SportsCenter.

Chizik and his newly assembled staff

By: AuburnChopper1

This weekend marks the fourth weekend, and possibly the most important of Gene Chizik’s young tenure as Auburn University’s Head Football Coach.  It’s his first official visit weekend for recruits on campus. Listening to the talking heads on radio, television and in print, you just had to know that Coach Chizik would be a one year, or two year anomaly, and then Auburn would once again be moving on to supposedly newer, greener pastures.   I mean, come on now, a Head Coach that had only managed a meager 5 and 19 record at Big Twelve juggernaut, Iowa State?  Auburn’s fan base was split, and passionately debated the hire from a much maligned and scrutinized Athletic Director, Jay Jacobs, and his hiring process that had taken seemingly months, and not the few weeks that actually passed.   

Rumors were rampant, as racism, favoritism, past coaches, and every other back door, and scandalous issue you could possibly imagine found it’s way into mainstream discussion.   Again, the Auburn family found itself deeply divided, confused and frankly had no idea where to start when it came to deciding on whether or not to support this hire, or grab a pitchfork and torch on the way to pillaging the Athletics Facility.  A Fiery Tiger Walk from hell seemed all but inevitable.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and Auburn fans, alumni and other supporters decided to wait and see what Coach Chizik provided before taking him to task on a hiring process and future that was out of his control at the time.  Chizik, knowing his challenges, stood firm and acknowledged the aggressive scrutiny and faced it head on in interviews and other appearances.

First steps to calm past issues included the subsequent departure from long time, and deeply rooted agent, Jimmy Sexton.  Sexton seemingly was at the root of many of former Head Coach Tommy Tuberville’s off-season coaching waltzes that drove Auburn faithful mad.  Every year, it was someone else, some other school that ultimately had Tommy Tuberville coming or going.   

Next, Chizik worked with Auburn to structure a salary that would allow them to pay better salaries for better assistants.   Evidenced by the hiring of Gus Malzahn, a highly touted up and coming Offensive Coordinator.

Gus Malzahn is duly recognized for the successful usage and play-calling abilities while coaching Felix Jones, now of the Cowboys, and Darren McFadden of the Raiders, at Arkansas.  With formations such as the “Wild Hog”, Malzahn’s running attack terrorized the SEC for a season, and took a much overachieving Razorbacks squad to an SEC Championship berth against eventual National Champion Florida in 2006.

Malzahn, leaving a tumultuous situation under Houston Nutt, headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In two years, and an recruit star average of 1.57, Malzahn took Tulsa to the top of the offensive scale putting up numbers that only Oklahoma and other national powers were able to strive for.   

Malzahn now comes to Auburn, with better players, talent level and supporting staff, including newly hired RB Coach Curtis Luper, formerly of Oklahoma State University.  Luper, known for his aggressive recruiting and experience in spread formation running game, has been nothing short of outstanding in that role thus far for Auburn.

Also coming from Oklahoma State, is Wide Receivers Coach, Trooper Taylor.  Coach Taylor, regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country by national recruiting authorities such as Rivals, and Scout, was being pursued by programs such as Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi State in the past few weeks and months.  In the end, Chizik, Malzahn and closer friend, Curtis Luper convinced Taylor that Auburn was building something special.

Also joining the staff is former Iowa State assistant, and former Utah assistant under Urban Meyer, Jay Boulware.  Jay will be coaching Special Teams under the new Chizik staff and is the only “hold-over” from Iowa State.

On the defensive side of the ball, while maybe not as sexy as some of the other names, Ted Roof comes to Auburn as Defensive Coordinator.  Some will argue that his Golden Gopher defense was not the top defense in the country, but at the same time don’t see the progression they made in the single year Roof was at the helm.  Minnesota’s Gopher Defense improved almost fifty positions in NCAA rankings this past season under the former Duke Head Coach’s tutelage.   They were better off for him being there, and Auburn should be glad to have him working along side, arguably one of the best defensive minds this decade, Coach Chizik.

As this coaching staff comes together during another hotly contested recruiting season, they’ve had to endure bowl games and dead periods, but in the less than five to ten days total of open recruiting days, the new staff has shown a dedication to the expansion of our recruiting base, not only in state borders, but in talent level as well.   Gene Chizik’s hands-on approach has impressed many recruits that either had de-committed, or at minimum showed a level of apprehension immediately following his hiring.   Some say that retaining recruits is not really an impressive feat, but in reality, with the unpopular response at the beginning, and charges of racism pumping from the national, and local radios, to only lose the few Auburn did was nothing short of phenomenal.   Some will recognize this some do not.  It’s all a matter of perspective.

Recruiting needs and priorities will change and get sorted out as the new staff prepares for the 2009 season, and also after evaluations of the current roster of talented players is mulled over as well.   Auburn fielded a young and talented team last year that suffered from a lack of consistent, and aggressive coaching.   Many players got caught up in political in-house scuffles between staff that either believed, or didn’t believe in the newer offensive and defensive philosophies that defined the 2008 football season.  With this new staff and new off-season, Auburn finds itself with a common philosophy and common goal among the staff.  They all understand, and have experience running the offense that Auburn will field in 2009.  That’s a major step in the right direction.

Recruits that would never look at Auburn in the past, are not only looking at Auburn now, but visiting as well.   Although former Auburn personnel spoke with number one WR Rueben Randle early in the process, it was apparent that we never stuck with it.  After only one visit from Curtis Luper, Randle arranged an official visit.   Same can be said about Tyrik Rollison, the number two dual threat QB in the nation.   Same can be said with the five star RB Bryce Brown.   Five Star DB Greg Reid is looking to set up a visit to Auburn.  All Greg Reid did was go out and intercept all world everything QB Matt Barkely, three times in last Sunday night’s Under-Armor HS All-Star game on ESPN, and win himself an MVP trophy at the same time. Suddenly recruits that were “Bama locks” are not so locked any more.  It’s true that Auburn might not pull many of these recruits, maybe none of them, but the sheer fact they’re coming, and that we’re in the discussion, is something Auburn hasn’t been a part of in years.   In the next year, many new recruits that may not have gotten that knock on the door, or letter, or phone call from the Plains will suddenly begin to get those memos with the AU on the header.

It is clearly evident that with the efforts being made by Luper, Trooper, Malzahn, Roof and Chizik himself, that they already have a larger, and more aggressive vision for Auburn, and that is something that Auburn desperately needed.

There is a long way to go, and the first game of the 2009 season is too far away to even begin thinking about, but one things for sure, it will be a different Auburn Tigers Football team that hits Pat Dye Field that day.   At this pace, hopefully it will be a different, but unified, and excited Auburn Family that hits Jordan-Hare’s seats as well.