AU_Canoe

Says a lot about the fanbase as we have achieved several attendance milestones, regardless of losses. The fans definitely deserve credit for their level of support. There are several teams out there with poor records and their fans are nowhere to be seen.

Cardwell is an AU treasure and a true Auburn man. Glad he is staying and I feel like he is one of those alum who will return to campus for years to come.

UTK and Vandy are at a different level of baseball vs. AU. Watched both in person and it's like observing professional vs. amateur in talent/skills and coaching. Of course, they will take their occasional loss but it's probably because they had an off-game vs. being out competed. At least so far.

It can be jaw dropping and thrilling to watch high-level talent play, i.e. Cam. We just need this level of skills spread throughout, and it wouldn't hurt to have some depth with talent. 😅 Honestly, that's the level our rivals are playing at and we chronically compete against. I am thrilled to see fun football come back to the Plains.

I believe Nike sponsors specific tournaments and development showcases that only their partner schools can attend. Outside of quality of products vs. UA, I believe this has been a selling feature for basketball.

Maybe AU needs time to dump garbage UA stock before going public. 😅

I streamed some of the top softball teams', i.e., OU, TX, UGA games this weekend and the gap between them and AU is tough to watch. All three were fun to observe and high energy; however, AU seems to be chronically at a different level and feels sluggish. UGA is building a softball only facility which looks pretty sharp and probably a huge recruitment tool. Scary with OU and TX entering the conference.

I totally agree. Bruce has a unique personality that is attractive to many and I think this trait is still not completely understood with CSP. In some ways the discussion reminded me of the early reactive push for Cadillac to be AU's next head coach. Outside of all the noise out there with Cadillac, there was a tangible need for him to professional stretch beyond the AU bubble. Maybe there would be a benefit for CSP to experience HC nuances elsewhere before moving up. "Coaches in waiting" programs have a lot of unknowns to include the challenges of recapturing a spark.

Impressive group considering the number of nationals championships and appearances with Self, Calipari, Izzo, and Barnes.

IU is currently under an Adidas contract.

Nowadays, contracts are not a lock if there is desire to poach, hire, or fire. From all accounts, Pearl seems to be happy here and it takes a lot of work, money, and time to build a program. In a lot of ways, he is a successful coach but whether he wants to start over again, might be a telling question.

Yeah, I believe it is to help minimize the foot and equipment traffic damage to the grounds. From what I heard, it's more of a stop-gap vs. perm solution.

I agree. I believe several schools are going this route with their high traffic, non-playing areas. Chatted with some friends at UGA and they too are reviewing the same surface tactic due to the difficulty of maintaining the integrity of the grass and the issue of compacting the dirt in high traffic areas. Many schools, i.e., UTK, AU, UGA, etc., are having to use a type of tarp on the ground to minimize damage yet that is causing it's own issues.

There has always been stupid and hateful people. This is not a new creation. However, social media and those who interact with them create an amplifier of their noise and nonsense.

I agree, this reminds me of a recent leadership training I attended. One of the topics involved "generational leadership strategies". Cliffs Notes version: In comparison to more established professionals, younger professionals require direct feedback language, i.e., "you", to come across as impactful and meaningful. Otherwise, the newer generations have a tendency to deflect responsibility elsewhere, including negative or positive messaging. In other words, the feedback portrayed immediately becomes diluted and less meaningful by the recipients of "we" language. This is very difficult for the more established professionals who find it easier to state "we", when providing negative feedback to others. Maybe not relatable but food for thought.

Texas Tech is moving away from UA to Adidas. https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/news/patrick-mahomes-announces-texas-tech-is-joining-adidas

I totally agree. We do not have much depth and exhaustion is a factor. Butch is motivating them to play beyond what should be reality; however, slim depth will probably be one of our biggest challenges in regards to the gauntlet of games teams have to play before hoisting a trophy.

Happy to support! War Eagle!

Thank you for sharing. I have little respect for "mob" mentality as people can get stirred into a craze and at the end of the day, these same people have no clue why they are burning down the neighborhood. However, online mobs are a reality in the world we live in. We base a lot of our judgement on street corner gossip and social media fuels this. I have always been told to be wise to Firestarters. Every team has fair weather supporters, BAMA swims in a sea of them. Thanks for providing some clarity.

I am unsure if anyone will touch Pruitt until UT's NCAA case has dust on it. Matrix might indeed break.

Went to the Ark and A&M game and the atmosphere and overall vibe was completely different. Regardless of A&M's final score, I felt like everyone, i.e., fans, players, etc., could breathe again and were having fun. I am not saying AU doesn't have their pain points, but the game wasn't painful to watch. The sense of pride that fans seem to have for Carnell at the game and on campus is tangible and heartfelt and I would be hard pressed to find a 2022 interim coaching scenario that is as meaningful to the team, fans, and interim HC than what is going on at AU right now.

I would imagine having this opportunity to lead AU the last part of the season is a huge growth opportunity for Caddy. Listening to his interviews over the years I appreciate that he is a reflective person and is always hungry to learn new things. Not many assistant coaches get the opportunity to take over on an interim basis. I think we also assume that every Assistant or Staff wants to be or is meant to be a HC. HC's often come with their entourage and blueprint; however, if the new HC is smart, he will keep Caddy and further refine and develop his passion. A coach will not find a better Auburn Man that represents the vibe of AU, loyal, marketable, holds the locker room, recruits, fan favorite, and is part of the Auburn DNA. All of those are areas a new HC will have to embrace but takes time and energy, therefore, having someone on my staff that already encompasses this... that is a win!

Even though the end score was not what we all wanted, I was extremely proud of Caddy and the team. I joked with one of my coworkers, who was in attendance, that AU might need to go into the stands for players or coaches, so be prepared. I am impressed they did as much with so much less than MSU. Does he need some CEO polish, yeah and he is still learning. Leadership takes awhile to learn with most of that curve coming from mistakes, exposure, and time-in the role. Sometimes we all have to reflect on what it was like when we first started to manage and lead teams in our professional roles. Most coaches end up at Saban's mentorship program... Caddy probably has been thrown more into the fire than having the opportunity to experience mentorship by leading AU role models.