Harsin and the PTB

[au302 2,669]

This is funny. For months we have called the "potato gang" in reference to the Boise crew. It's pure rumor on what "someone thinks", as y'all put it, but I almost hope it's true. Yes, we need their money, but I've been over the good ole boy system for a while. Glad we're running it like a program and not peoples shiny toy. Probably a stupid move, but gutsy, so props for that

[AUApostle 7,651]

8 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

 

It is on the donor side.  You would need to head over there to see the entire post.  But it was from a well respected insider.

We’re playing a game of telephone…which I guess is applicable to many topics we discuss.  Would love to hear more context…could he have been talking about the AD, former coaches, the donors, or trustees?  And what aspects was he referring to?  Was it really Harsin that said these things, or some of his potato hires?  The comment strikes me as odd and out of place.  What a horrible way to start a tenure…a huge misstep if true.  And last I checked, AU has more nat’l championships and undefeated seasons than Harsin has witnessed, so I guess we can’t be that dumb.  
 

Almost seems too outlandish to be true, BUT, we live in outlandish times.

Edited January 25, 2022 by AUDevil

[aubaseball 2,612]

16 minutes ago, Mcbowen327 said:

Bama wasn't some dream job in 2007 so what is it about Auburn that makes it impossible for us to hire a hot name HC

Here is where people get confused on what exactly is a dream job.   You don’t have to be good in a particular year to be a dream job.   

[Mcbowen327 63]

13 minutes ago, Didba said:

Bunch of unsubstantiated conjecture in this thread lmao.

Possibly. But it's the off season. I'd rather talk what ifs about a topic I love than not talk about it at all.

[au302 2,669]

10 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

We’re playing a game of telephone…which I guess is applicable to many topics we discuss.  Would love to hear more context…could he have been talking about the AD, former coaches, the donors, or trustees?  And what aspects was he referring to?  Was it really Harsin that said these things, or some of his potato hires?  The comment strikes me as odd and out of place.  What a horrible way to start a tenure…a huge misstep if true.  And last I checked, AU has more nat’l championships and undefeated seasons than Harsin has witnessed, so I guess we can’t be that dumb.  
 

Almost seems too outlandish to be true, BUT, we live in outlandish times.

The way I see it, does it really matter? From what's come out about the search, Harsin wasn't the boosters choice at all. They got scorned by university leadership. Even if he was the nicest guy in the world, would they care? Feels like he could kiss a** and stroke egos or do what he (allegedly) did and it wouldn't matter, he's not their guy and is on a short clock to win. It is what it is

[Viper 3,132]

On 1/23/2022 at 3:52 PM, AUght2win said:

I believe a simpler, but arguably more unpleasant truth: that in just one year, CDM was so repulsed by how CBH ran his program, he left without a job in hand. Not for a HC or NFL job like we thought he would eventually. He just left. 

You keep on with that preposterous theory…they will hang you from the oaks.

[AuburnEagle79 2,168]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

There's another coach at Auburn seeing some success right now and it is because he's both made good business decisions and because he has excelled at the PR part of the job. Let's be honest. Bruce Pearl is a damned good basketball coach, but I don't think he gets us where we are without bending the knee a little to those who matter. (Including, gasp, students, non-monied alumni, and other fans.)

 

Bruce is the GOAT. I have personally talked to him at least twice on football game days while he's been out and about around JHS, and each time he went out of his way to make me feel like I was doing him a service to be at a football game and didn't rush us off or anything. 

It was easy to overlook the fact that the team was average while he was building a new culture. I think Harsin should take many, many notes on how Bruce has embraced Auburn. Going to see the students in Pearlville this weekend was a good start. 

[abw0004 10,113]

25 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

We’re playing a game of telephone…which I guess is applicable to many topics we discuss.  Would love to hear more context…could he have been talking about the AD, former coaches, the donors, or trustees?  And what aspects was he referring to?  Was it really Harsin that said these things, or some of his potato hires?  The comment strikes me as odd and out of place.  What a horrible way to start a tenure…a huge misstep if true.  And last I checked, AU has more nat’l championships and undefeated seasons than Harsin has witnessed, so I guess we can’t be that dumb.  
 

Almost seems too outlandish to be true, BUT, we live in outlandish times.

Completely understand.  I am not trying not to make it seem like I am playing a game of cat and mouse but at the same time respect the forum and its rules.  I am trying to help as much as I can without getting in trouble.  I will say the post I quoted makes complete sense if you are able to read it, and if you do, just copy my quoted portion and input it in the search bar as a "full phrase search."  It will pop up.  It wasn't the only shocking thing said in that post.

I will say it was Harsin and Bobo saying this towards the donors/trustees.

[steeleagle 2,945]

29 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

We’re playing a game of telephone…which I guess is applicable to many topics we discuss.  Would love to hear more context…could he have been talking about the AD, former coaches, the donors, or trustees?  And what aspects was he referring to?  Was it really Harsin that said these things, or some of his potato hires?  The comment strikes me as odd and out of place.  What a horrible way to start a tenure…a huge misstep if true.  And last I checked, AU has more nat’l championships and undefeated seasons than Harsin has witnessed, so I guess we can’t be that dumb.  
 

Almost seems too outlandish to be true, BUT, we live in outlandish times.

I don't buy the sarcasm of calling the PTB potato gang. 

HArsin knows he is in a huge football culture down here, and he wanted to succeed in it. I beleive he did listen to their successions for coaches and some he agreed with, others it was his decision(Bobo). 

I think Harsin just knows the results he wants, and if he doesn't get it with experienced coaches and schemes, he wants to go a different way.

Evidently he knows what failed, and this is his way of trying to quickly fix it.

Let's be honest, a lot of ppsters didn't like the Bobo hire. 

A lot of people liked MAson's hire, but during the year, definitely had problems with it in critical games, that we should have been better (MSU, GA St,). Who knows if the Alabama game was more of a change of attack w/ Schmeddling involved. We will never know.

 

[gravejd 3,270]

The idea of Harsin actually calling the PTB the "potato gang" is hilarious. 1 because of the obvious associated a potato would have with him and his guys from Boise and 2. Because there no way he is going around insulting potential donors and supporters of his program in a public way.
 

Now he may have made the donors feel like a bunch of potatoes by not listening to them ...etc. But there is no way he is actually going around insulting these people in a public way that it would get back to a message board. 

[DAG 33,983]

54 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

 

It is on the donor side.  You would need to head over there to see the entire post.  But it was from a well respected insider.

You put more stock on some anonymous guy you never met over logic. I doubt CBH would openly say something juvenile like that about his bosses. Even if he did , I doubt he would be stupid it enough to say it loud enough so it can be reported back on this board. 

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

6 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

I will say it was Harsin and Bobo saying this towards the donors/trustees.

Whoa now, that's a bit of a reach.  That respected poster has come down with a serious case of red ass directed at Harsin, I'm not sure he's seeing all of this objectively.  Many on here with no connection whatsoever to the involved parties continue to pour gas on a fire that should have never been lit.

[abw0004 10,113]

13 minutes ago, DAG said:

You put more stock on some anonymous guy you never met over logic. I doubt CBH would openly say something juvenile like that about his bosses. Even if he did , I doubt he would be stupid it enough to say it loud enough so it can be reported back on this board. 

I am just trying to relay bits of what a few of the insiders said.  One of which I believe you trust as well (for what it is worth).  He hasn't given me a reason not to trust him before.

[WarEagleT 122]

1 hour ago, Didba said:

Bunch of unsubstantiated conjecture in this thread lmao.

Yep bunch of crazy assumptions- but wait someone will pop up here soon and say they have an inside scoop on "Boise Boys think locals are inferior" Heaven help any of the coaching staff if they're Mormons or not Southern white Christian good ol boys..

[DAG 33,983]

Just now, abw0004 said:

I am just trying to relay bits of what a few of the insiders said.  One of which I believe you trust as well (for what it is worth).  He hasn't given me a reason not to trust him before.

I don’t trust anything that doesn’t sound logical. Too me that is very gossipy. It’s one thing if you want to talk football. Okay cool, spread your rumors . But you guys are grown men saying he is going around calling his bosses the potato gang.  To me, if you are going to be that gossipy put a name to your information. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

28 minutes ago, gravejd said:

But there is no way he is actually going around insulting these people in a public way that it would get back to a message board. 

Agreed, but folks say all kinds of crazy things in non-public ways that get back to message boards.

What's interesting to me is that there's been a widely accepted narrative for decades that Auburn football is run by a bunch of good ol' boys with more money than good sense. But as soon as a guy from a smaller but more efficiently run program- hired by an AD who is very much not a good ol' boy himself- in a different part of the country says essentially the same thing, people are claiming that it makes no sense. 

He may or may not have used those exact words, but is it so hard to believe that this outsider came in and saw the same thing that *tons* of people who follow Auburn football, both inside and outside the program and fan base, have been talking about for a very long time?

[DAG 33,983]

I mean some of you anonymous message board folks think you move smarter than the average individual lmao. These dudes are multi-millionaires for a reason but y’all believing there is a mole hearing CBH call a group of individuals potatoes. Same folks who have no freaking clue who he be hiring lol. Makes logical sense. And y’all are paying for that information? This is some clubhouse stuff. But at least clubhouse is free.

Edited January 25, 2022 by DAG

[abw0004 10,113]

6 minutes ago, DAG said:

I mean some of you anonymous message board folks think you move smarter than the average individual lmao. These dudes are multi-millionaires for a reason but y’all believing there is a mole hearing CBH call a group of individuals potatoes. Same folks who have no freaking clue who he be hiring lol. Makes logical sense. 

Is it that far-fetched for conversations behind closed doors to get out to the public though?  It was this way for Gus' tenure.  We know we have people on this forum who work for the university, and some who work for the athletics department in various capacities.  If Harsin is that overly-confident, he could quite possibly say these things thinking they can't do anything to him.  He is a very confident person, so it wouldn't be too surprising. 

[DAG 33,983]

Just now, abw0004 said:

Is it that far-fetched for conversations behind closed doors to get out to the public though?  It was this way for Gus' tenure.  We know we have people on this forum who work for the university, and some who work for the athletics department in various capacities.  If Harsin is that overly-confident, he could quite possibly say these things thinking they can't do anything to him.  He is a very confident person, so it wouldn't be too surprising. 

No it’s not far-fetched. What is far-fetch is the context of the conversation. I don’t even think Gus would say something goofy like that and he was a corky individual. CBH seems to keep everything close to the vest ( a little too much at times IMO). So the idea that something like that getting out when we got people who can’t even get prominent things right about his tenure does seem far- fetched.

[abw0004 10,113]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

No it’s not far-fetched. What is far-fetch is the context of the conversation. I don’t even think Gus would say something goofy like that and he was a corky individual. CBH seems to keep everything close to the vest ( a little too much at times IMO). So the idea that something like that getting out when we got people who can’t even get prominent things right about his tenure does seem far- fetched.

In all honesty, I hope I am dead wrong.  I want it to work with Harsin.  I really don't want to have to start over yet again.  And he is our coach, so I fully support him 100% just like I did Gus.  It is hard (for me) to ignore some of the contributors when they say certain things that have a great track record.

It is like if PTB said, "Tank Bigsby had his leg blown off in a motorcycle accident and had it replaced with a titanium leg."  Now that is the weirdest, most far-fetched thing I have ever heard him say, but his track record on medical situations of current players will make me sit there and think about it.  

[oracle79 3,569]

Harsin's biggest cultural challenge isn't the football team, it's the insiders, good ole boys, boosters, and all the other jock sniffers associated with Auburn football. If he can change or at least manage that Auburn football will become the powerhouse that it is capable of becoming.

[steeleagle 2,945]

41 minutes ago, DAG said:

You put more stock on some anonymous guy you never met over logic. I doubt CBH would openly say something juvenile like that about his bosses. Even if he did , I doubt he would be stupid it enough to say it loud enough so it can be reported back on this board. 

And it doesn't make sense it came from Harsin AND Bobo who is rooted deep in southern PTB at GA,SC, etc...

It doesn't fit... and to be honest...i can imagine what is said by all strong minded coaches, administratiors, etc after a drink or two...:)

 

[DAG 33,983]

Just now, abw0004 said:

In all honesty, I hope I am dead wrong.  I want it to work with Harsin.  I really don't want to have to start over yet again.  And he is our coach, so I fully support him 100% just like I did Gus.  It is hard (for me) to ignore some of the contributors when they say certain things that have a great track record.

It is like if PTB said, "Tank Bigsby had his leg blown off in a motorcycle accident and had it replaced with a titanium leg."  Now that is the weirdest, most far-fetched thing I have ever heard him say, but his track record on medical situations of current players will make me sit there and think about it.  

But you aren’t even talking football. You are talking juvenile name calling . Come on man. That’s my point lol. If there is in fighting about football personnel, okay . But you are pushing a narrative about name calling with someone who seemingly doesn’t even talk about his potential football hires in shots ear.

[Didba 5,256]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

Keep down voting and showing up to every thread to try to shut them down. People love it.

Lmao

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, DAG said:

No it’s not far-fetched. What is far-fetch is the context of the conversation. I don’t even think Gus would say something goofy like that and he was a corky individual. CBH seems to keep everything close to the vest ( a little too much at times IMO). So the idea that something like that getting out when we got people who can’t even get prominent things right about his tenure does seem far- fetched.

It doesn't make sense to you that some "goofy"- agreed- meaningless comment would leak out but things that actually matter and have big ramifications for people at high levels wouldn't? 

As for the donor forum, I personally didn't pay to have access to more information. I donated $25 twice because Red asked for some help keeping the lights on and I spend a lot of time here. I do love the higher ration of reactions, though!