Letter to Herbstreit

[Aubie7 0]

This was taken from another website: WarDamn Tailgate. I thought it was a very good read. Enjoy!

Letter to Herbstreit with Auburn's Position

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Author Message

WDTrey

Post subject: Letter to Herbstreit with Auburn's Position Posted: Dec 13, 2004 - 07:18 PM

WDT Journalist

The letter below was sent via e-mail to Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN by an Auburn friend (of a friend) in Atlanta. It's one of the most specific, objective arguments in favor of Auburn's position that I've seen.

Mr. Herbstreit,

Reality is sometimes hard to accept, and Sunday many Auburn fans had to accept it. It is very disappointing to believe that people are looking at facts and fighting for you, only to learn that you are merely a pawn in the politics that has now become the biggest joke in competitive sports. All

season you have appeared on Game Day, and you have said, "I'll believe in Auburn if...." First you would believe if we beat Georgia. Check. Then you said if we can go into a hostile environment on the road and beat

Alabama, you would have us in the top two. I believe you said that voters are looking for Auburn to be able to win a big road game in a hostile environment.

We did it. You forgot that Auburn had already accomplished this feat when we smoked Tennessee in Knoxville back in October. Well Auburn did go to Tuscaloosa and do that, but it was a bad win because Auburn only won by 8 points. Funny how USC's narrow escape by five points over UCLA was a good win. Auburn passed every test, but somehow after passing the test, you always found some reason that it wasn't quite good enough. All of you said that if we win out in the SEC we are deserving, but now your tune has changed.

On to the SEC Championship. The Game Day crew insinuated that Auburn would have a hard time with Tennessee. Tennessee has good athletes and a lot of reason to let it "all hang out" with nothing to lose. Tennessee played great and made a comeback, mainly thanks to Auburn spotting them two touchdowns. But nevertheless, they made the most out of the opportunities presented to them. However, Auburn made the plays when we had to, and that is what champions do. Suddenly, everything has changed because we didn't beat a team by enough points....the same team that we beat by 24 points on their own field earlier in the season? A game in which we packed it up at half-time to keep from embarrassing them? Auburn didn't have anything more to prove against Tennessee. We had already annihilated them. Still it wasn't good enough was it? Corso turned on Auburn faster than a gold-digging woman turns on her now bankrupt husband. Did he expect a Tennessee team with tremendous talent would just come into the dome and lie down? Tennessee had been practicing for Auburn since the Georgia game.

If you know anything about Tennessee, they always just do enough to win... as they did with Kentucky and Vandy. I also noticed that you did not mention that Auburn could have scored at the end to make it 45-28. And nobody failed to mention that Coach Tuberville has way too much class to do that. In fact, the entire season, we put the backups in while OU was throwing the ball on 4th and 7 against hapless teams when they were up on them 31-0...with only seconds remaining in the game. Of course class does not get you anything but good Karma does it??

Suddenly, because Tennessee came up with 28 points, 14 due to Auburn

turnovers, our defense is not good. We led the country in scoring defense all season. 67% of those points against our defense came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided and Auburn was playing many backups. Before the championship game, the most scored on this Auburn defense was 20 points by Arkansas, and the last touchdown was in the late stages of the game when Auburn had already packed it up and basically headed to the showers. Yet Oklahoma had 70 points scored on them between Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Nobody talked about them not being deserving.

And when you talk about Strength of Schedule, please examine the facts. Here is the link to the official Strength of Schedule for the NCAA:

http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/Internet/toughe...9games_cumm.pdf

Notice the Strength of Schedules:

Auburn-#10

Oklahoma-#22

USC-#28

Winning Percentage of Opponents:

OU opponents - (.526)

USC opponents - (.511)

AU opponents - (.522)

The problem with the BCS SOS is that it uses the Sagarin poll. This poll is the most absurd and unreasonable poll there is. Harvard, at # 38 is ahead of Alabama and Arkansas? That is absurd. There is nobody that seriously thinks that Harvard could beat Alabama in football. There seems to be a tremendous amount of anti-SEC bias in the media and in the computer polls.

Is it a coincidence that the Big 12 has come out on the good end of every BCS controversy? Nebraska (2001), Oklahoma (2003), and Oklahoma (2004.)

As we saw, Nebraska was annihilated by Miami in the Rose Bowl when almost everybody knew Nebraska didn't deserve to be there. They had just been annihilated by Colorado. Oklahoma went over USC last year when Oklahoma could not even win their own championship game. In fact, they were whipped by Kansas State. Perhaps if we had let Tennessee just beat us to a pulp, we would have been on a train to Miami??

The fact is that Auburn plays in the toughest conference. We beat four teams with 9 wins. We were the most consistent team in the country over the course of the year. I am not saying that USC and Oklahoma are undeserving.

But for you to appear on National TV and say that Auburn is not deserving and that the system "works" because we have a # 1 and # 2 team is ludicrous. It proves that politics is in full effect, and that you guys wanted to make the nation believe that the system works. Well nobody is buying what you are selling. The Pac 10 is not even in the same league as the SEC. They have two teams. The Citadel could probably beat Washington. California almost got beat by Southern Miss, the same Southern Miss team that Alabama whipped. As Trev said, it is absurd that an undefeated SEC team is not going to play for the National Championship. Have the guts to say that the system is messed up, but that is the way it is for now. Do NOT say that Auburn is undeserving because you want the system to work.

Auburn was screwed! Have the guts to say it!

[SKCAUB 0]

This was taken from another website: WarDamn Tailgate. I thought it was a very good read. Enjoy!

Letter to Herbstreit with Auburn's Position

WarDamnTailgate.com Forum Index » Auburn » The Hole 

         

Author Message

WDTrey 

  Post subject: Letter to Herbstreit with Auburn's Position Posted: Dec 13, 2004 - 07:18 PM

WDT Journalist

 

The letter below was sent via e-mail to Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN by an Auburn friend (of a friend) in Atlanta. It's one of the most specific, objective arguments in favor of Auburn's position that I've seen.

Mr. Herbstreit,

Reality is sometimes hard to accept, and Sunday many Auburn fans had to accept it. It is very disappointing to believe that people are looking at facts and fighting for you, only to learn that you are merely a pawn in the politics that has now become the biggest joke in competitive sports. All

season you have appeared on Game Day, and you have said, "I'll believe in Auburn if...." First you would believe if we beat Georgia. Check. Then you said if we can go into a hostile environment on the road and beat

Alabama, you would have us in the top two. I believe you said that voters are looking for Auburn to be able to win a big road game in a hostile environment.

We did it. You forgot that Auburn had already accomplished this feat when we smoked Tennessee in Knoxville back in October. Well Auburn did go to Tuscaloosa and do that, but it was a bad win because Auburn only won by 8 points. Funny how USC's narrow escape by five points over UCLA was a good win. Auburn passed every test, but somehow after passing the test, you always found some reason that it wasn't quite good enough. All of you said that if we win out in the SEC we are deserving, but now your tune has changed.

On to the SEC Championship. The Game Day crew insinuated that Auburn would have a hard time with Tennessee. Tennessee has good athletes and a lot of reason to let it "all hang out" with nothing to lose. Tennessee played great and made a comeback, mainly thanks to Auburn spotting them two touchdowns. But nevertheless, they made the most out of the opportunities presented to them. However, Auburn made the plays when we had to, and that is what champions do. Suddenly, everything has changed because we didn't beat a team by enough points....the same team that we beat by 24 points on their own field earlier in the season? A game in which we packed it up at half-time to keep from embarrassing them? Auburn didn't have anything more to prove against Tennessee. We had already annihilated them. Still it wasn't good enough was it? Corso turned on Auburn faster than a gold-digging woman turns on her now bankrupt husband. Did he expect a Tennessee team with tremendous talent would just come into the dome and lie down? Tennessee had been practicing for Auburn since the Georgia game.

If you know anything about Tennessee, they always just do enough to win... as they did with Kentucky and Vandy. I also noticed that you did not mention that Auburn could have scored at the end to make it 45-28. And nobody failed to mention that Coach Tuberville has way too much class to do that. In fact, the entire season, we put the backups in while OU was throwing the ball on 4th and 7 against hapless teams when they were up on them 31-0...with only seconds remaining in the game. Of course class does not get you anything but good Karma does it??

Suddenly, because Tennessee came up with 28 points, 14 due to Auburn

turnovers, our defense is not good. We led the country in scoring defense all season. 67% of those points against our defense came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided and Auburn was playing many backups. Before the championship game, the most scored on this Auburn defense was 20 points by Arkansas, and the last touchdown was in the late stages of the game when Auburn had already packed it up and basically headed to the showers. Yet Oklahoma had 70 points scored on them between Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Nobody talked about them not being deserving.

And when you talk about Strength of Schedule, please examine the facts. Here is the link to the official Strength of Schedule for the NCAA:

http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/Internet/toughe...9games_cumm.pdf

Notice the Strength of Schedules:

Auburn-#10

Oklahoma-#22

USC-#28

Winning Percentage of Opponents:

OU opponents - (.526)

USC opponents - (.511)

AU opponents - (.522)

The problem with the BCS SOS is that it uses the Sagarin poll. This poll is the most absurd and unreasonable poll there is. Harvard, at # 38 is ahead of Alabama and Arkansas? That is absurd. There is nobody that seriously thinks that Harvard could beat Alabama in football. There seems to be a tremendous amount of anti-SEC bias in the media and in the computer polls.

Is it a coincidence that the Big 12 has come out on the good end of every BCS controversy? Nebraska (2001), Oklahoma (2003), and Oklahoma (2004.)

As we saw, Nebraska was annihilated by Miami in the Rose Bowl when almost everybody knew Nebraska didn't deserve to be there. They had just been annihilated by Colorado. Oklahoma went over USC last year when Oklahoma could not even win their own championship game. In fact, they were whipped by Kansas State. Perhaps if we had let Tennessee just beat us to a pulp, we would have been on a train to Miami??

The fact is that Auburn plays in the toughest conference. We beat four teams with 9 wins. We were the most consistent team in the country over the course of the year. I am not saying that USC and Oklahoma are undeserving.

But for you to appear on National TV and say that Auburn is not deserving and that the system "works" because we have a # 1 and # 2 team is ludicrous. It proves that politics is in full effect, and that you guys wanted to make the nation believe that the system works. Well nobody is buying what you are selling. The Pac 10 is not even in the same league as the SEC. They have two teams. The Citadel could probably beat Washington. California almost got beat by Southern Miss, the same Southern Miss team that Alabama whipped. As Trev said, it is absurd that an undefeated SEC team is not going to play for the National Championship. Have the guts to say that the system is messed up, but that is the way it is for now. Do NOT say that Auburn is undeserving because you want the system to work.

Auburn was screwed! Have the guts to say it!

131474[/snapback]

DANG IT!!! It has ALL THE RIGHT STUFF!!!

[TigerGlide 1]

I heard Mel Kiper on the ESPN's Morning Radio Show ( Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic). He said that his opinion of who the best two teams were didn't matter, but that he had polled all the pro scouts he worked with this year (and most of them had scouted all three teams) and he said 90-95 percent replied that Auburn was the best team. He said that if it had been 60-70 percent he would not have even mentioned it. But, because it was such a consensus among them, he thought it carried some weight. I guess Pro-Scouts don't use Sagarin's "Elo-Chess".

[tiger88 934]

Kornheiser and wilbon both said we got screwed on that face off thing they do. Usually they oppose each other, but they both agreed that we had won the toughest conference in the nation and should be in the bcscg.

AFA opening herbstreits eyes, I really believe he and corso know we had the best year. They are either just puppets, playing politics, or both.

[TexasTiger 13,006]

I really believe he and corso know we had the best year. They are either just puppets, playing politics, or both.

131517[/snapback]

I think they just mindless drones, incapable of original thought.

[tiger88 934]

I heard Mel Kiper on the ESPN's Morning Radio Show ( Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic).  He said that his opinion of who the best two teams were didn't matter, but that he had polled all the pro scouts he worked with this year (and most of them had scouted all three teams) and he said 90-95 percent replied that Auburn was the best team.  He said that if it had been 60-70 percent he would not have even mentioned it.  But, because it was such a consensus among them, he thought it carried some weight.  I guess Pro-Scouts don't use Sagarin's "Elo-Chess".

131516[/snapback]

Man , I miss M&M in the morning. I used to listen to 98.1 out of pens. in the mornings until they dropped m&m for maxed out with max whats his name and sidekicks . Now, I'm listening to cd's.

[tiger88 934]

I really believe he and corso know we had the best year. They are either just puppets, playing politics, or both.

131517[/snapback]

I think they just mindless drones, incapable of original thought.

131523[/snapback]

I'll go along with that too!

[True Blue in Ga 0]

I just think that Herbie and Corso are towing the party line and are taking their money and not worring about what is fair and just.

You wait and see next year Corso will be saying at the beginning of the season that AU got shafted because the OB game will turn out to be a joke

[Sherpa 0]

i think True Blue in Ga haz it right. It's not a matter of logic or debate. It iz simply a matter of toeing party lines. Herby The Boot-Licker and Lee The Shill know which side of the bread their butter iz on. It happenz every day in board roomz all across this great nation. Actually, we should applaud/salute it az a fine reflection of business az usual in america.

(not sure if i'm being sarcastic)

[SKCAUB 0]

I really believe he and corso know we had the best year. They are either just puppets, playing politics, or both.

131517[/snapback]

I think they just mindless drones, incapable of original thought.

131523[/snapback]

They are big10 's ! Same thing....

[autigeremt 6,683]

Outstanding email dude. Very well rounded and written. Great job. And you are right about Herbstreet. He made those statements. Corso did too. He said that if Auburn ran the table, they should be in. Then he says that one half of football in the SECCG changed his mind. What an idiot!

[rickyd 0]

I heard Mel Kiper on the ESPN's Morning Radio Show ( Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic).  He said that his opinion of who the best two teams were didn't matter, but that he had polled all the pro scouts he worked with this year (and most of them had scouted all three teams) and he said 90-95 percent replied that Auburn was the best team.  He said that if it had been 60-70 percent he would not have even mentioned it.  But, because it was such a consensus among them, he thought it carried some weight.  I guess Pro-Scouts don't use Sagarin's "Elo-Chess".

131516[/snapback]

The pro scouts said the same things about us last year, fortunately we were given the chance to prove them right. What is unfortunate for you guys is, there seems to be no media outcry that a wrong has occured, instead they are all patting themselves on the back that the system worked.

I would say that there was no system in place at all this year, just 2 pre-season polls that no one saw fit to adjust as the quality of wins against questionable opponents progressed through the season.

They now have the dream matchup that they all wanted last year, until the un-biased computers screwed it up.

[tombigbeetiger 223]

I heard Mel Kiper on the ESPN's Morning Radio Show ( Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic).  He said that his opinion of who the best two teams were didn't matter, but that he had polled all the pro scouts he worked with this year (and most of them had scouted all three teams) and he said 90-95 percent replied that Auburn was the best team.  He said that if it had been 60-70 percent he would not have even mentioned it.  But, because it was such a consensus among them, he thought it carried some weight.  I guess Pro-Scouts don't use Sagarin's "Elo-Chess".

131516[/snapback]

Man , I miss M&M in the morning. I used to listen to 98.1 out of pens. in the mornings until they dropped m&m for maxed out with max whats his name and sidekicks . Now, I'm listening to cd's.

131524[/snapback]

hey man, get an XM radio system and you can listen to M&M in the morining on it

[cadillacattack 0]

i think True Blue in Ga haz it right. It's not a matter of logic or debate. It iz simply a matter of toeing party lines. Herby The Boot-Licker and Lee The Shill know which side of the bread their butter iz on. It happenz every day in board roomz all across this great nation. Actually, we should applaud/salute it az a fine reflection of business az usual in america.

Agreed. I hate to say it, but this is the business that is CFB. Big Media calls the shots, and they got the matchup they'd been building up all season.

[tiger88 934]

I heard Mel Kiper on the ESPN's Morning Radio Show ( Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic).  He said that his opinion of who the best two teams were didn't matter, but that he had polled all the pro scouts he worked with this year (and most of them had scouted all three teams) and he said 90-95 percent replied that Auburn was the best team.  He said that if it had been 60-70 percent he would not have even mentioned it.  But, because it was such a consensus among them, he thought it carried some weight.  I guess Pro-Scouts don't use Sagarin's "Elo-Chess".

131516[/snapback]

Man , I miss M&M in the morning. I used to listen to 98.1 out of pens. in the mornings until they dropped m&m for maxed out with max whats his name and sidekicks . Now, I'm listening to cd's.

131524[/snapback]

hey man, get an XM radio system and you can listen to M&M in the morining on it

131739[/snapback]

I've been considering it. I will probably get one next year. Thanks for the heads up, I didn't know they were on there.