Let's NEVER

[AUesquire 1]

Now that the Timmy Two Toes circus is over, I want to make an observation and implore Auburn fans never to get caught up in anything so ridiculous as what just transpired. Mark it down, our opportunity is coming and I hope we handle it far better than our brethren loyal to the smaller school to the west have done.

Recall that 2 years ago, the recruiting hype centered around the greatest linebacker ever to walk the earth, ole what's his name...uh...oh yea, Willie Williams. He was followed throughout the recruiting process and articles written daily about his every visit, what he had to eat, who he talked to, how he felt, blah, blah blah. Last year, it was Ryan Perrier Amylou and how whoever lands this cat will immediately be forced to give up D-1 status and proceed to the pros.

This year, ESPN decided to take a top notch recruit in Tim Treegrow and turn his recruiting experience into a made-for-TV circus, second only to Survivor, Guatemala in the south. Teblow reportedley "agonized" over his decision right up to the very last minute.(Right up to the scheduled ESPN announcement show) It was the "Hardest decision he's ever made". Florida/Bama, Florida/Bama, FLORIDA/BAMA....what to doooo....what to doooo? Oh the pain and torment.

Note to Bama fans: WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!! You got played like a cheap fiddle and you ate it up, hook, line and sinker. You were the unwitting participant in ESPN's little production. Despite all the spin, despite all the recruiting service hoopla and message board fodder, this kid knew where he was going since day 1. Does anyone honestly believe that ESPN just happened to pick the one stud QB in the entire country that would agonize over his decision until the last possible minute....right up until the time he stepped on stage, in front of the ESPN cameras, behind the ESPN microphones, while all the world and ESPN producers held their collective breath, with NO CLUE who he would choose? Uuuuhhhh, yea, right.

Even Paul Finebaum was calling his show the "Tim Tebow Radio Network." It was sickening to watch people get so caught up in the whole affair, knowing this kid and that network were stringing everyone involved along by the nose ring. Our time is coming folks. It may be next year or the year after, but it's coming. The next high school phenom will be the annointed one by ESPN or some other entity and Auburn will be in the mix for his services. When it happens, I ask again that we NOT look as foolish as others around our state have appeared over the last few weeks. Let our coaches and Auburn itself sell this university and this program to those we recruit and hopefully, we won't all be anxiously awaiting a scheduled interruption of the President's State of the Union address for a 17 year old kid to make his announcement.

I kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out on the set in Jacksonville yesterday saying, "Bama, you got PUNKED."

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

I kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out on the set in Jacksonville yesterday saying, "Bama, you got PUNKED."

205442[/snapback]

This made the whole post worth reading!!

[SKCAUB 0]

Hey! I NEVER fall for the hype! I was the first one to say that Bo Jackson fellah would probably never amount to anything!!!

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Good posr Esquire/ I just hpe we never do get as caught up as the bammers were with Tebow. If you ready my posts, I always said he would go to Fla., unless he went out of state and then it would be to USC. IMHO, bama was never in it. The whole thing really begin to smell in the end. I mean how in the world could Shula stay in a kid's house 10 hours or so unde any normal circumstance. I would hope our coaches would just drop a kid if it ever got to be a circus like the Tebow affair.

[boddatiger99 5]

Now that the Timmy Two Toes circus is over, I want to make an observation and implore Auburn fans never to get caught up in anything so ridiculous as what just transpired.  Mark it down, our opportunity is coming and I hope we handle it far better than our brethren loyal to the smaller school to the west have done.

Recall that 2 years ago, the recruiting hype centered around the greatest linebacker ever to walk the earth, ole what's his name...uh...oh yea, Willie Williams.  He was followed throughout the recruiting process and articles written daily about his every visit, what he had to eat, who he talked to, how he felt, blah, blah blah.  Last year, it was Ryan Perrier Amylou and how whoever lands this cat will immediately be forced to give up D-1 status and proceed to the pros.

This year, ESPN decided to take a top notch recruit in Tim Treegrow and turn his recruiting experience into a made-for-TV circus, second only to Survivor, Guatemala in the south.  Teblow reportedley "agonized" over his decision right up to the very last minute.(Right up to the scheduled ESPN announcement show)  It was the "Hardest decision he's ever made".  Florida/Bama, Florida/Bama, FLORIDA/BAMA....what to doooo....what to doooo?  Oh the pain and torment.

Note to Bama fans: WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!!  You got played like a cheap fiddle and you ate it up, hook, line and sinker.  You were the unwitting participant in ESPN's little production.  Despite all the spin, despite all the recruiting service hoopla and message board fodder, this kid knew where he was going since day 1.  Does anyone honestly believe that ESPN just happened to pick the one stud QB in the entire country that would agonize over his decision until the last possible minute....right up until the time he stepped on stage, in front of the ESPN cameras, behind the ESPN microphones, while all the world and ESPN producers held their collective breath, with NO CLUE who he would choose?  Uuuuhhhh, yea, right.

Even Paul Finebaum was calling his show the "Tim Tebow Radio Network."  It was sickening to watch people get so caught up in the whole affair, knowing this kid and that network were stringing everyone involved along by the nose ring.  Our time is coming folks.  It may be next year or the year after, but it's coming.  The next high school phenom will be the annointed one by ESPN or some other entity and Auburn will be in the mix for his services.  When it happens, I ask again that we NOT look as foolish as others around our state have appeared over the last few weeks.  Let our coaches and Auburn itself sell this university and this program to those we recruit and hopefully, we won't all be anxiously awaiting a scheduled interruption of the President's State of the Union address for a 17 year old kid to make his announcement.

I kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out on the set in Jacksonville yesterday saying, "Bama, you got PUNKED."

205442[/snapback]

Great post. Fear not, though, my friend. Auburn coaches, players, and fans have a completely different philosophy when it comes to teamwork and recruiting. What has Bammer done the past few years? That's right, build its entire program around 1 or 2 key players. Where did it get them? What has AUburn done? Promote, promote, and promote some more the idea of unity and pulling together as a team. In fact, despite having four 1st round picks last year, the guys never displayed the kind of "me" attitude on the field. Auburn has made it perfectly clear to any recruit that when you come to play at AUburn....you are playing for AUburn!....not yourself. Yeah, media will do what they do. Overhype. But it's been amazing to watch one side of the state grow in domination with a philosophy of producing STUDENT athletes who have more togetherness than any team in the country right now versus a philosophy of coaches (and mainly fans) who continuously promote one player as their savior. Don't read me wrong here, though. Do we want the top prospects? Sure! But will Auburn sacrifice what it has to pursue the wonderkid of college football? Nope. Much more interested in recruiting team players, guys who are willing to listen and develop into something better than they came in as. TT is a stud at this...finding the right players that "fit" Auburn. War Eagle. Can't wait to see what happens in 06.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Auburn coaches, players, and fans have a completely different philosophy when it comes to teamwork and recruiting. What has Bammer done the past few years? That's right, build its entire program around 1 or 2 key players. Where did it get them? What has AUburn done? Promote, promote, and promote some more the idea of unity and pulling together as a team. In fact, despite having four 1st round picks last year, the guys never displayed the kind of "me" attitude on the field. Auburn has made it perfectly clear to any recruit that when you come to play at AUburn....you are playing for AUburn!....not yourself.

205468[/snapback]

Man, you saved me the trouble of typing this. If you are playing for the name on the BACK of your jersey, keep looking - Auburn and CTT don't want or need you. Auburn defines "team". You see what happens when you build your team around one guy - a la Prothro. When you don't do that... think Tre Smith in the Iron Bowl, a moment that will live in Auburn history forever.

I just don't think our fans have it in them to get like this. We aren't franticall,y hysterically, desperate for some mythological "return to glory". Bammer is like some aging movie star, getting quickie plastic surgeries in hopes of snagging one more starring role before they are relegated to the role of "Housekeeper #1" or a cameo in the latest Woody Allen flick.

Link-A-Dink In fact, one of the CFN guys referred to bammer as "Stonehenge ball".:

Culture-clashes make sports sing, and in 22nd century Mike Leach against 19th century Mike Shula, you have a collision of two totally opposed football methodologies. Coaches and football experts should be all over this game in terms of wondering how well "techno-ball" and "Stonehenge ball" fare against each other.[snip] But if you also care about the Xs and Os of the game of football, you should desperately want to see this contest because of what it will reveal about two football philosophies that are light years apart.

In other words, old and decrepit. Calling Dr. Feelgood and his Botox of the week!

[WarTim 3,456]

You folks are right on the money. Auburn is and SHOULD remain above this type of circus. It is up to Auburn people to make sure it remains above the fray.

p.s. Jenny, good point about Tre and the IB of '02. I must remind everyone of a guy named Cooper Wallace that played fullback for the first time in his career in that game and did one heck of a job blocking.

T-E-A-M

[AUesquire 1]

I know for a fact that Tommy Tutone wasn't going to Bama because of his medical condition. The guy has had glaucoma since he was born.

He never could see his a$$ playing for Alabama.

[Tigermike 3,041]

I know for a fact that Tommy Tutone wasn't going to Bama because of his medical condition.  The guy has had glaucoma since he was born.

He never could see his a$$ playing for Alabama.

205507[/snapback]

He never could see his a$$ planted on the floor of Pat Dye Field at Jordan Hare or Jordan Hare West in Tuscaloosa.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Hey! I NEVER fall for the hype! I was the first one to say that Bo Jackson fellah would probably never amount to anything!!!

 

205457[/snapback]

Ironically, Bo was NOT the most highly recruited running back that year. That designation fell on Enterprise High School's Alan Evans, who also signed with Auburn and later transferred. Of course, this was before all the scouting services and such and did not get as much hype as it would today.

Bo would have been a strong 4 star that fell to a 3 star when he signed with the Tigers.