Birmingham Post-Herald

[Draven 0]

It has been nice, quiet off-season at Auburn

Cook's Corner by BEN COOK

BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD

I'm having a hard time figuring out how a football team can go 13-0, win the Southeastern Conference championship, finish second in the nation, be riding a 15-game winning streak and still be flying under the radar.

That is exactly what Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn Tigers have been doing this off-season. Not many people are talking about Auburn like they are — say — the USC Trojans or any of the other top teams from last season.

More people in Auburn's home state have spent the off-season talking about a team that didn't even win half as many games as Auburn. It would be enough to make some coaches angry, but Tuberville is not one of those coaches. It's been a pleasant off-season for Auburn's head man.

The biggest news at Auburn this off-season has been celebrating four first-round picks in the National Football League draft.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has been the deflected center of controversy because of the failed lawsuit filed by Montgomery lawyer Tommy Gallion in which he tried to bring down the NCAA, Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer, former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer and just about anybody else that ever said, did or thought ill of Alabama at any time in recent years.

At Auburn, Tuberville has been trying to figure out how to spend his new $2 million dollar salary.

Across the state there has been the ongoing discussion by Alabama fans over whether Mike Shula is the right coach for the job or just a stopgap method until a real coach can swoop in when the lingering effects of probation are finally over.

At Auburn, the biggest problem Auburn fans have is looking at the schedule and trying figure out which game will break the all-time Auburn winning streak.

At Alabama, it has been an off-season of trying to figure a way to make a 6-6 record and a humiliating loss in a minor bowl appear to be a sign that the program is heading in the right direction.

At Auburn, it has been an off-season of trying to figure out how the Tigers can go undefeated again and actually get a chance to play for the national championship.

The bottom line is that the state should be Auburn's at the moment, but it is not. No matter what the Tigers achieve, the one thing that seems to elude Auburn is the ability to be the center of football attention in the state. Even when things are perfect at Auburn, it seems Alabama's imperfections are bigger news.

However, this is not necessarily bad news for Auburn or for Tuberville, especially when he can think back a little over a year ago to Jetgate and the way his name was constantly in the news.

There is a lot to be said for staying out of the spotlight, especially when the spotlight seems to seek out the negative rather than the positive, which is the climate of sports these days. A coach on the hot seat generates more attention than a coach who is doing a good job. A program that has been at odds with the NCAA gets more headlines than a program that has quietly stayed inside the lines.

In short, this off-season has belonged to Alabama even though last football season belonged solidly to Auburn. That has made this one of the easiest off-seasons in the history of Auburn football. Under Shula at Alabama, the Tide will be trying to finally beat a good SEC team.

Under Tuberville at Auburn, the Tigers will be trying to beat them all ... again.

Cook's Corner appears every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Birmingham Post-Herald.

http://www.postherald.com/ti071505.shtml

"Under Shula at Alabama, the Tide will be trying to finally beat a good SEC team.

Under Tuberville at Auburn, the Tigers will be trying to beat them all ... again." This was the best part of the article, shows the discord uat is in right now, which personally I find amusing. Also it shows how it’s great to be an Auburn Tiger with a coach who keeps control over his players and recruits quality young men to fill a squad, unlike some school . . . cough . . . cough (fsu, vols, etc. . . . ) So I say no news is good news in this case, wouldn't you?

[TigerFreak 6]

Great read!

[AURaptor 1,126]

Clearly shows the bias from the state's newspapers. Auburn goes 13-0, and the main focus from the media is ' will 'bama come back this year? ' .

It also shows ( knock on wood ) a program running in smooth waters. Look at FSU, S.Carolina, UGA..... off the field troubles abound at those schools. In the off season, no news is the best news.

[DKW 86 7,441]

Clearly shows the bias from the state's newspapers. Auburn goes 13-0, and the main focus from the media is ' will 'bama come back this year? ' .

It also shows ( knock on wood ) a program running in smooth waters. Look at FSU, S.Carolina, UGA..... off the field troubles abound at thsoe schools. In the off season, no news is the best news.

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Raptor, I dont agree. Tommy is doing the right things now. If headlines are what you get from bad things, then I dont want any. If headlines get you trailer park dwelling, meshback cap wearing, mulllet hair combing, teeth losing sidewalk fans, then I dont want any.

Want proof this is going on? Finebaum cant even get a caller after we win the SEC. Why? Because we have lives!!!!!. By and large, we dont work at Wal-Mart, McDonalds, the gas station, and Uncle Earl's Liquor Store.

Alabama boards are in near melt down right now over the Cottrell Case. a case that is truly showing that no one eats there own like Go to BOL, Bamamags, and some others and see. Our sister site, RollTideBama.com/CrimsonTusks seems to be unaffected, Thank God Porterhose and Porkchop are running a sane board.

1) Culpepper lost his job due to LY over his hatred of RC and IW.

2) PF will tell you for years that Assts called RC, IW, and LY crooks.

3) Culpepper may actually, over a long time be seen as ridding of bad influences.

4) Bama is at war with itself, NCAA, , Judge Steve Wilson, CPF, Kramer, et al and good ole is no where to be seen!

[AURaptor 1,126]

Raptor, I dont agree. Tommy is doing the right things now. If headlines are what you get from bad things, then I dont want any. If headlines get you trailer park dwelling, meshback cap wearing, mulllet hair combing, teeth losing sidewalk fans, then I dont want any.

What don't you agree w/ me on this ? I said pretty much the same thing you just did. If anything makes the news in the off season ( like now), it's bound to be bad news. Look around, and all you see is player suspensions, injuries, legal issues. None of those stories have Auburn associated w/ them. So the SEC champions aren't getting any 'press'. CTT and the team have given the media next to nothing to write about, and that's a good thing. We'll grab the headlines come fall. As it SHOULD be!

['82 Tiger 2]

the problems & bad press at make me . wish their legal and program issues will continue for the indefinite future. i really like reading all the negative articles that have been written about them.

[AuNuma1 1]

In short, this off-season has belonged to Alabama even though last football season belonged solidly to Auburn. That has made this one of the easiest off-seasons in the history of Auburn football. Under Shula at Alabama, the Tide will be trying to finally beat a good SEC team.

Let them have all the damn press they want...fact remains, they've done nothing under Shula.

[vatz22au 142]

"At Alabama, it has been an off-season of trying to figure a way to make a 6-6 record and a humiliating loss in a minor bowl appear to be a sign that the program is heading in the right direction."

[auskull 239]

Good article by Ben Cook. However, the state IS Auburn's. We are again 50th in the Nation with our inability to get our head out of the sand. Auburn folks understand this. A lot of money is made from the UA rednecks that spend $$$ on anything that promotes what a wonderful state of affairs UA with its 6-6 record with an embarrassing loss to Minnesota is in. For them, all signs are pointing to another MNC in 2005. Finbum is parlaying this into mega $$$ and high ratings. Too bad it takes Fulmer to finally get the NCAA's attention and clean up the mess over at UAT.

A lot depends on how we handle this season as to whether we will be the force in the west with CTT. If we can continue and build off of last year then the SEC will go through AU. However, if we have another 2003, then it’s over. I'm betting this is just the beginning.