For Gods sake please stop the self flagellation Auburn fans!!
by Col.Angus on Dec 10, 2008 11:44 PM CST
26 comments
People, for Gods sake stop the self flagellation. I understnd the hurt, the grief, the anger and the disappointment, but I have heard more Auburn fans say they are embarrassed to be associated with the University than I can ever remember... and I'm old enough to have lived through the probation/ Barfield days. All I hear is our University sucks and we have no leadership and the President and the AD are buffoons and no one in their right mind would want to coach here. All of which is being parroted by the media making the Univeristy that I love look horrible. Do all of you want to tarnish the reputation of our University across the country just because you disagree with the decision to replace the Head Coach? Because that is what you are doing. DEFEND YOUR ALMA MATER!!! I know a lot of you are unhappy but you are doing far worse damage to the university by openly railing against it and pointing out how inept the President and AD are. We are being portrayed in the media as spoiled ignorant rednecks with no concept of how lucky we were to have Tommy Tuberville roam the sidelines....and the rest of the SEC loves how we are cutting our own throats. They are laughing and loving it while we implode. Are you worried about losing recruits? Well we aren't helping ourselves by telling the world what a terrible place Auburn is to be and how we have no hope of fielding a competetive team with Tuberville gone and Jacobs/Gogue and Lowder in charge of the University.
I don't understand where this misplaced sense of piety and loyalty to a coach comes from. We aren't Duke or Staford where a 7-5 season is reason to celebrate and you can't expect much more. So many fans act like we are "better" than that to fire a coach after one awful season. Are you kidding me? Auburn is a football school, one of the top 10 revenue producing programs in the country, and we should expect excellence from our program. Tuberville gave us one SEC championship over ten seasons and a slew of good but unremarkable seasons as well. Outside of 2004, his record is decidedly average and in line with a top 20 team but not one that contends for championships. And isn't that what you play for? Listen I didn't agree with Tuberville being replaced either, I thought he should be given at least another year, but he did go an ugly, and awful to watch 5-7 where he could have easily gone 3-9 (Miss St, UT). On the flip side he could have easily gone 9-3 or 10-2. The difference in those games? Coaching, making adjustments and getting your team into position to win. All Tuberville's fault? Of course not, but he was the head coach, and it was his team. This year was bound to happen with the QB situation unsettled and to make matters worse Tubs decided to implement an offense that REQUIRES the QB to excell for it to work. Tuberville had earned to right to make such a disasterous decision, but I also can't blame the administration for wanting to stop the slide. The question you need to ask yourself is where does your allegience to Tuberville end and your allegience to your University begin? Tuberville has flirted with every big name school to come down the pike looking for a new coach, either to get a raise or a contract extension, so how would you feel about him if he had left for Texas A&M, Arkansas, Clemson or any of the other rumored suitors over the years? Something tells me we wouldn't be so fond of him. Would you still rather have Tuberville here if we were to land a Spurrier or a Brian Billick to replace him? Again, I bet not.
Well none of those things have happened or are going to happen, but that doesn't mean the right decision wasn't made or that things might be better without Tuberville because what we are looking at is where is our program going forward, not where it was in 2004. We all want to get back to that level of success of 2004 and it is was going to be extremely difficult for Tuberville to do that given his performance on the field the last 2 years. We need someone fresh, enthusiastic and capable of closing the recruiting gap between us and the rest of the SEC big dogs. Is the next guy going to come in and replicate 2004? Probably not, but the last 2 guys we brought in --- when nobody would want to coach here ---- did pretty damn good for a while.
Here's the deal, coaches will come and go but your Alma Mater will always be there. We need to support Auburn, stop trashing her and the administration. If they make a mistake with the next hire they will be held accountable, but lets not do the dirty work of our enemies for them and trash our university. Lets be proud to be Auburn Tigers, defend the university and support whoever the new coach s but most importantly stop giving the media ammo to bludgeon us with. We face a hard enough road as it is, we can not do it as a house divided. Like it or not, the Tuberville era is over, long live the new coach.
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I second that..
Lets move on down the road. I ’ve seen several programs get back in the mix after a coach left. There is no alternatives.
Auburn Elvis
I was actually
going to write a post tonight about this exact thing. Students marching with picket signs and chants makes the UNIVERSITY look like a bunch of idiots. This doesn’t make Jacobs look bad and it doesn’t make Gogue look bad, it makes the UNIVERSITY look horrible.
Everyone has quickly forgotten that this season followed another offseason debacle last year where Tubberville disappeared into Arkansas for a month to 6 weeks while the media was saying that he had signed with Arkansas, all the while he simply used it to get a bigger paycheck. And he did this while the hottest part of the recruiting season was going and didn’t recruit. Look at the recruiting class that we had last year, and before the Bammers come running and say that the Mesiah of Tuscaloosa is the reason for our poor class, a coach disappearing for a month is the worst thing that could have happened for us after last year.
When I said that Auburn should have let Tubs go last year during that whole episode, I got blasted by everyone. Our recruiting classes have gotten worse every year for the past 4 or 5 years, especially considering how many we have sent to Hargrave and they don’t actually enroll at Auburn. We have recycled recruits that have inflated our classes to much better than advertised heights and we are now paying for it.
Letting Tubs go is the best thing for the University at this point, while the timing was not good after a bad season. We need to get a good hire soon and let him get on the trail and build us a respectable class to end the season and build for next year. We have the returning talent to be competitive next season but we desperately need a good class next year to sustain it.
So to anyone protesting with signs and marches, don’t be assholes and make us all look bad. Grab a pen and paper or grab a computer and flood Gogue’s mailbox with disapproval letters that aren’t profane and flood their emails.
Thank you!!! Finally someone talking some SENSE!!!
Tubb needed to go after the Arkansas loss 3 years ago and I defended him till last year. But no one can deny the downward slide in offense and recruiting and Tubb’s lack of interest of late. I dont understand anyone that thinks we should have kept going down this road…
Auburn is a GREAT school, and a GREAT COACHING JOB. The fans are very supportive and reasonable…just compare with what you get cross state…SABAN is going to get his first taste next year when they are so so…We need someone to come in a capitalize on that…I think the right choice is GILL. He can compete and he has integrity.
The issue isn't
the fact that Tuberville is gone now. The issue at hand is the handling of it. Tuberville leaving the program without him coming out in a press conference is too mysterious. Philip Fulmer came out and said he wasn’t right for coaching anymore right now and that he was resigning, and no one frowns on Tennessee for that. Tuberville’s dismissal happened behind closed doors, his mother has come out and said that he was fired, our A.D tells the press he resigned and Tuberville has yet to be heard from. This was handled as bad as you could possibly script this and it is getting no better.
Auburn looks like desperate and like assholes right now. We had a D.C leave last year and an O.C fired lst year, then the new O.C is fired mid-season followed by a horrible season and a tenured coach gone. Of course we look bad. Now we have students picketing and marching at the university and yet, the coach is still not heard from. This would be smoothed over if Tubs came out and just said that he and his mother had a misunderstanding and that he did, in fact, resign for personal reasons.
So regardless of the truth you expect.....
Tuberville to add to the lies?
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
I agree in principle
but whether or not you supported Tommy Tuberville, you must admit that Jay Jacobs has done a terrible job of handling the circumstances surrounding Tuberville’s exit from the program. Couple the fiascos of this year with those from last year and you’ve got to admit that our beloved program isn’t viewed very favorably by it’s supporters or the rest of the nation for that matter.
Sometimes situations are so bad that they must get worse and bottom out before they can get better. I for one am tired of the way that this program has been mismanaged and misrepresented by a few select individuals that have chosen to abuse the powers that have been entrusted to them.
If the program must temporarily get worse in order to permenently get better, then so be it. I feel that it would be a small price to pay in order to permenently rid the program of the parasites and leaches that that seem so intent on infesting it.
One final note regarding the student protest held in support of Tommy Tuberville earlier this week. It is my understanding that there were approximately 75 to 100 people in attendance. This was probably just students being students and hardly a cause for concern.
War Eagle Forever!
Its hard to believe....
that so many people want to be PC about this and say Tuberville should have been retained, no matter what. It borders on the irrational and is just as bad as irrationally wanting to fire a coach that goes 7-5. Just because we want to go a different direction after 10 years doesn’t mean that we are Alabama, they haven’t had a coach last even close to 10 years since the Bear was there. I would defy anyone to show me anything that Tubs has done over the last 2 years that would make you think better days were ahead and not worse. Outside of the Florida win last year, which was the biggest anomaly of the Tuberville era, Tuberville hasn’t outcoached anybody of similar caliber.
As far as Jacobs and Gogue are concerned, they are now on the clock. They did do a poor job of handling this situation, especially nobody believes a word they are saying. But what has the administration done over the last 20 some odd years that is so awful that they need to replaced. Jetgate? Is that it? Pressuring Tuberville to get an OC that actually does a good job and can get along with the staff? God Friggin forbid!!! Wanting to burn down the house because the wallpaper is ugly is REALLY a bad idea. If you are in this camp…I question where you’re loyalties lie.
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
No one wants to burn the house down.....
we just want the tenants evicted. My loyalties lie with Auburn University not with the few that control it…..I’m betting you love this country and I’m betting you were screaming from the rooftops wanting Clinton out of office……..hmmmm burn the house down?
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
Actually you assume incorrectly...
I was no Clinton fan, I was critical of him but I was far from being in the camp that wanted to impeach him. That was bad for the country…especially for the reasons he was being impeached. I am a Bush supporter but have been very critical of his inability to lead over the years….he does not communicate with the people and he lets things get out of control before he acts…Iraq, the sub prime mess…all were preventable situations if he could have admitted his mistakes and acted in the best intersts of the country and not in his best political interests. I am not an Obama fan but I want him to succeed for the good of the country. I am a country first guy, Democrats and Republicans are pretty much the same to me, its how they lead that make a difference. Ideology for ideologies sake is dangerous and destructive. I prefer to let people do their job and let their actions determine whether I support them or not. Tuberville was similar to Bush in that was unwilling to admit his mistakes and give up control to other qualified people for the good of the program. His loyaltied to his staff were misplaced, much as Bush’s loyalties to his staff were.
Todd, let Jacobs and Gogue do their jobs, if they screw up and bring in an incompetent that can’t handle the job I will be right there with you in criticizing them. I just don’t see enough evidence yet …at least not as much as Tuberville had against him… to evict these tenants, they are just a little late with the rent.
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
Regardless of whether you think....
Tuberville should have been fired or not…..do you honestly think it was handled the right way and that the dishonesty that has spewed forth has made our Alma Matre look anything less than completely moronic and dysfunctional? Do you think that Jay Jacobs has in the least acted on his own accord without the desires of a certain booster taking precident? Will getting rid of Jay Jacobs defang Lowder? Not permanently…..but it will get under his skin and cause him some of the discomfort that he deserves and maybe just maybe the university will be better off for it……it can’t in my opinion get worse.
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
I'm with you Todd
I don’ t think that any of us are trying to bring the house down. And i’m sure that no one is trying to make out as though Auburn is a bad place. But if we don’t voice opinions against the powers that be at Auburn then change will never happen the way that it should. It will continue to be run by corrupt minded individuals that have no business making decisions for the Athletics Dept. We all know that Lowder and his followers stick their fingers into the program with alarming regularity. SACS saw it and it almost cost us our accrediation. How serious does it have to get before it is ok for us to stand up and speak out against these problems?
And just for the record, i’m on the fence as to whether Tuberville should have gone or should have stayed. I believe that he did deserve a chance to right the ship however, i’m not gonna lay down in front of the bus to keep him. I loved what he did for our University and feel that he brought us from mediocracy and placed us on the biggest stage during his tenure, but feel that he was getting tired. And i’m sure that Tub’s did the best job that he could while he was here but as long as the powers that be remain in their repected positions Auburn Head Coaches will always struggle. And that causes our program to struggle.
Its wrong and i don’t give a shit what you say, I’m gonna speak out against it and the one’s that cause the problems.
Give money to the University because you love it, Not because of the power that it gives you!
They are taking way too long. Mississippi St. gets a good coach and Auburn is just sitting there wondering what’s going to happen. The whole thing is totally unfair to the Auburn faithful. I have stated something similar to this blog a while saying that I’m a part of Auburn and that means something to me. So should it mean something to everyone else.
Move on down the road??!!
What if we’ve been this way before? Does it color us anti-Auburn if the AD and President turn down the dirt road known as ‘Barfield Lane’ and we say something about it? How about if we smell something and see the smoke billowing from under the hood?
This entire episode stinks, no matter how much Oust is sprayed at the press in terms of who’s being interviewed. If the selection doesn’t include any of the coaches Jacobs ‘interviews’ are you going to say it was a good and fair decision?
Miss State made a choice and simply announced it. UT did as well. Will they be successful? Who knows? At least they won’t look like two-bit carny hawkers like Jacobs.
Imagine this: Let’s assume that Jacobs has been absolutely truthful in every detail about the Tuberville situation. Would a capable Athletic Director of a major University fumble-butt his way through every interview in such a manner? Can you imagine Vince Dooley doing the same?
Loyalty to an institution and team is one thing, but it doesn’t excuse fools. Personally, I wouldn’t give Jacobs more responsibility than a broom and a dustpan. That’s about the limit of his ability.
Amen....tell it like it is..
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
Shut Up People!! You are not doing our Team any favors!!
We are starting to look like ALABAMA….WHINE WHINE whine….YEA, I WISH THAT THE SEARCH WERE OVER TOO…AND I WISH IT WERE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY…AND I AM NOT TOO IMPRESSED WITH JACOBS…SO WHAT?
The issue IS Tubb is gone….we need a new coach…let’s be excited that something good might come from a bad situation instead of wallowing in the situation like a bunch of Alabama fans…we are better than that…!!
Thank you! Well said.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I can also remember the Barfield era, and I also have thought that Tubs has been terrific from the standpoint of running a classy organization. But as said here, his record is good but not always outstanding. I really want outstanding! Bama fans have been trying to make us feel like “wannabes” and second-class citizens for as long as I remember, and now it seems like many of us are certainly acting like that is exactly what we are. I Believe in Auburn, and I think it is the finest University in our state.
Bama doesn't make me feel like anything
When I first moved to Alabama, it was assumed that you were either an Auburn fan or an Alabama fan. I had no loyalty to either but I went to Auburn for my education and enjoyed the football games as a side benefit. I am now a hardcore Auburn fan, but I do not understand the us/them mentality that some of us perpetuate. Is it really important what anyone says about Auburn? It won’t change my feelings about it or the pride I have about being forever linked with it. And I don’t ever compare myself to Alabama so I just think its irrelevant.
That said, I will also continue to talk about the administration how I see fit. I appreciate the spirit in which the main post was written, but the administration needs to change. Otherwise whoever we do hire is going to get railroaded by the Board again. I want the backroom deals over with. I am not going to suppress my beliefs because some people think it hurts our chances at getting a good coach. I believe they need to change the way they do business because its unethical. You can say Tubs only won 1 SEC title in 10 years but while he was around, we were always competitive (yes, even this year with the exception of the last game) and we stayed out of trouble. We were not a team with a bad reputation or criminal athletes or any of that negative stuff. I think thats worthy of praise, but I guess if you only look at Wins and Losses, then you won’t see that.
Fair enough....
That was well stated and not mean spirited.I don’t have a problem with people criticizing the administration and seeking change if thats what you believe. What I have a problem with is the folks running down the university publicly calling us a laughing stock, a circus run by clowns, buffoons…you name it. All with NO FACTS to back themselves up….NONE. Thats not healthy, its not productive, it creates dissention and does not UNIFY people. Say what you will about the administration but Tuberville also isn’t playing ball, he got his buyout and got to say he resigned and wasn’t fired OR WHATEVER HAPPENED, I don’t know and really don’t care, but he got his money and he is letting the university twist in the wind. I’m sorry but that isn’t a very honarable thing to do, reagrdless of how you feel about the administation. That is going to hurt his chances of finding another big time job..college Presidents don’t need a coach trying to embarrass them.
Go ahead a fight for change, just do it a respectful manner to the University is all I ask. Right letters, email, make calls, better yet hold onto your money. Those things mean more and will be seen more by people in charge than blog posts and calls to a radio show or other avenues that get picked up and used against us by the media for THEIR profit.. I don’t want an administration that gets its marching orders from the Media because they don’t have our best interests at heart. If you disagree I respect that but please try to keep that in mind.
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
Respect is earned.....
what has Jay Jacobs or the BOT done to earn that respect? You didn’t have a problem calling for Tubs head but now you have a problem calling for the Jacobs head? hmmmmm. Tuberville is supposed to be happy with the way things went down and come out in support of those that orchestrated it? We can’t evaluate the job performance of our AD by watching his actions and the results of those actions? Don’t do anything to embarrass the University by criticizing those we feel are dragging it down and embarrassing it repeatedly? ……..The only power we have is our voice. I somehow doubt the University will miss my yearly donations as much as Lowders and a voice not heard by anyone but those criticized will fall on deaf ears. Change can only come about by public outcry. No one respects the University more than I but that does not automatically apply to the individuals running it……I will not confine my complaints to “letters to the president” and continue to swallow the incompetence of the BOT and their “Tools” (and yes there are multiple meanings that I intend with that label as disrespectful as that might be). We have lived with and been forced to swallow this kind of cronyism and overlording for far too long, 25+ years, with only black eyes to show for it……enough is enough. The University will be far better off with out them and the end justifies the means.
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
Please detail the "black eyes" other than Jetgate.
I would really like to see a detailed list of all the AWFUL things that Lowder and the BOT have done. Auburn has THRIVED over the last 25 years. Arguably the best run in its history. We had three coaches that won SEC crowns or we’re undefeated and we were consistently ranked in the top 20. They really have done a lousy job of running the store. I hear all the crap about Lowder this and that but the bottom line is we have an outstanding program that when run competently by a head coach has us in competition for SEC crowns. I don’t get it, where are the facts…PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME.
I was critical of Tuberville becaues he made continuous bad coaching decisions and WAS NOT CHANGING. Go back and look at the posts, he wouldn’t correct his mistakes. Any coach HAS to be taken to task for that. I didn’t want to criticize Tuberville but he would not make adjustments to his gameplans and playcalling and we lost games we should have won. Again my opinions are based on facts, we all saw the games and how poorly we were prepared to win. I want to hear the facts on Jacobs and Lowder and the BOT. Seriously, I don’t know of anything factual, all heresay, and all quite minor other than Jetgate. Heads did roll after Jetgate, just not Lowders…cause you can’t fire him. So if you can detail anything is worse than a ,worse than it looked, 5-7 season, please detail them. I’m fair minded, if you can detail 5 embarrasing things they’ve done that didn’t involve pressuring Tuberville to perform…..beause I don’t think there is anything wrong with that when you are getting 3.5 million a year to perform…..then I will concede your point.
I’ll agree that Jacobs looks bad and if he doesn’t make a good hire, like picking Muschamp, Chizik or Nix. I will rail against him as well because he will have done so knowing they weren’t the best qualified guys for the job….like sticking with the spread when you know its not going to work.
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
Was the SACS probation based on hearsay?
Was the probation at the end of Dye’s era hearsay? How about State Law being changed to weaken Lowders control only to see him get around it? How about the direct conflict of interest of having 3 Colonial Bank Board Members on the BOT? The dismissal of Bowden and the subsequent gag clause in his buyout to keep him from spilling the beans? Lowder has undue control over the daily operations of the University and especially the Atheletic Department……..it is wrong and you know it. Regardless of your feelings about Tuberville you should be mad as hell at how the situation was handled. You say you know the facts about the way the team prepared by the results…..well that is the same premise that most argue against Lowder and Jabobs…..we know how well they prepared by the results they have gotten as well as having seen the results of Lowders meddling for the past 25 years……
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
Oh and I forgot.....
the fourth Colonial Bank Board member and “Special Advisor to the University President (regardless of who that president is)”, one Patrick Fain Dye. You really think he’s getting that payola because of his incredible insight that he can offer the President?
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
Eric Ramsey? SACS?
Yeah going on probation is bad, but what Dye and the boosters were doing that got them in trouble….well if that wasn’t going on at every big university at the time I would be shocked. SACS probation? Maybe I’m jaded but I just don’t see violating an “open meetings law” as that big a deal. Yes Lowder has too much control but, he’s the money behind the university and people like that want power. As long as they aren’t using their power to steal or misapropriate for themselves, I am not going to be naive enough to say they shouldn’t have a say in the major revenue producing stream at the university. Hey, it is wrong and I don’t like it as much as you that people abuse their power but that is unfortunately how the world works. Its unethical but since when has anything about big time college football been ethical. Assholes get ahead and people who follow the rules get stepped on. I mean we’re taking kids that have no business being on a college campus and giving them scholarships to help us win football games. Once their eligibility is up, its thanks for the memories…now hit the bricks. The whole thing is unethical, I figured that out in the 70’s when we were getting put on probation because the Bear was sicking the NCAA on us at every turn. as the corruption in Alabama and the NCAA turned a blind eye to illegal recruiting tactics and players getting paid by Bama boosters. All of college football is unethical and hypocritical, top to bottom, and I’ve come to grips with it. Its big business and in big business ethics takes a backseat to the almighty dollar. In the world of college football I just don’t see Lowder as being anything worse than what a lot of other programs deal with. Sure he’s a meddler but we have been successful since he’s been meddling.
I respect the fact you take issue with the corruption that Lowder brings to the program but if it bothers you that much I don’t see how you can stand to watch college sports, because in my opinion its rampant everywhere…especially now in the age of Mega Millions TV contracts. Its a Quixotic quest to try and purge the money from the program but God Bless for trying
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
Do you honestly think that posting negative comments is going to lead to change??
My education is also from Auburn and while I agree with your point that we need to make a change in the backroom deals…I just think your going about it the wrong way. Talking is not going to accomplish anything here except make everyone depressed…and I refuse to be depressed just yet…we could come out of this much better off. Let’s just be supportive of our university until we see what the final result is…if we end up with a no name second rate coach..then I’ll jump on your bandwagon.
I disagree
Talking about it here gets everyone unified here. Moving towards a common goal. All the students that marched on the administration building the other night was an example of this unity. You can sit and bury your head in the sand if you want to hoping that things will just work out, but i for one am tired of sitting by and watching as the powers that be control things they have no business being involved in. They do this because we have given them too much control over the years. Simply because they give more money than any ONE of us. But collectively, well thats a different story. So if money is truly what speaks volumes to them, i think its time that we hurt them where it affects the most change. I mean considering that they have so much money now that they can give Tubs 5.1 million because he is a “good guy”. And money is no object in the next hire. I think that they can do without mine for several years. Every year they want to go up in donations. Well i’m going down…….
OK, We'll just have to agree to disagree...
I understand your anger…I feel it too…but I don’t have my head in the sand at all..I don’t like the administration any more than you do…I just don’t see the benefit of all the inflammatory comments. We are out trying to hire a coach right now…it’s not the time to constantly talk about what is wrong with us…..(and every program has it’s problems) I’m not saying it does’nt need correction…but there is a right and wrong way to handle things and I just dont think slinging mud on ourselves is going to make us any more attractive to the coaching prospects out there…
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