Go 2 Guy: Cougs' opponent minds P's and IQ's

[DKW 86 7,438]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/283226_moore31.html

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Go 2 Guy: Cougs' opponent minds P's and IQ's

By JIM MOORE

P-I COLUMNIST

AUBURN, Ala. -- This column was scheduled to run Wednesday but didn't, mainly because I'm such a workaholic that I'd already written another column on Bill Doba that ran in its place.

The editors held this one a day, which meant I had nothing to do Wednesday besides eat, drink, golf and soak in the Auburn atmosphere. In this humidity, you soak everywhere you go.

So here's what happened Tuesday as the Go 2 Guy loitered around a fourth-ranked Auburn football team that is supposed to beat Washington State by two touchdowns Saturday night.

Practice began at 9:15 a.m., which seemed odd. I thought college football players went to class before noon, if at all, but then I remembered -- that's right, I'm at Auburn, where student-athletes are more apt to be athlete-students.

Reporters are allowed to watch the first 15 minutes of practice, and I was frantically trying to gather as much information as I could -- not really, I just stood there, idle pen in hand.

"Is that the coach?" I asked a beat writer when a man wearing an orange baseball cap walked by.

Turns out it was. Tommy Tuberville came over, introduced himself and BS'd for the next five minutes, wondering how Dennis Erickson was doing at Idaho. Tuberville was an assistant on Erickson's staff at Miami from 1989-93.

Tuberville's a good ol' boy. He asked who the Huskies were playing this week and if "they were gonna be any good" this year. My answers: San Jose State, and I don't think so.

We talked about the War Eagle Supper Club, a legendary local bar that he's never been to, for many good reasons. But he's been somewhere else.

"You gotta go to Byron's," Tuberville said, recommending an Auburn barbecue joint.

(During the first part of Wednesday's practice, Tuberville asked if I was enjoying my stay and suggested two more places for lunch, one for dinner, and a Robert Trent Jones golf course I should play, Grand National. The only way this man could be more accommodating is if his team loses.)

After Tuberville walked away, I was whisked away, back to the air conditioning to get ready for an interview with athletic director Jay Jacobs.

A FORMER WALK-ON who started as an offensive lineman for the Tigers' 1983 SEC championship team, Jacobs has risen from childhood usher at Jordan-Hare Stadium to leader of the athletic department. He said that 11 starters in Saturday's game have already earned their degrees.

"The football team is leading the way academically and from a character standpoint, setting higher expectations for all of the other sports," Jacobs said.

But what about that recent New York Times story in which 18 members of the '04 team got what appeared to be bogus sociology credits?

"At the end of the day, Auburn is going to be better for having a self-examination regardless of how it came about," Jacobs said, noting that new policies are now in place to prevent a recurrence.

But back then, sociology professor Thomas Petee, who gave out the high grades, must have received a game ball from the Sugar Bowl.

Auburn has had several incidents in the past 15 years that nearly rival the shenanigans at Probation Nation, but the Tigers appear to be clean on Jacobs' watch, just as the Huskies have been since Todd Turner and Tyrone Willingham arrived.

TUESDAY IS THE LAST DAY that Auburn players are available for interviews. They shuffle into the Anthony J. Rane Reception Center, unprepared for the Go 2 Guy's interrogation.

Cherrywood cases line both sides of the room, filled with SEC championship trophies and, my favorite, one from the 1996 Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl.

Bo Jackson's 1985 Heisman Trophy is on one side of the room while his Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is on the other.

I could have asked questions about the game, but instead chose to grill the Tigers on their knowledge of Cougs football.

"Got any idea where Washington State is?" I asked Tigers cornerback David Irons.

"Seatttle? I don't know, Seattle, yeah, I think that's it," he said. "I don't know nothing about Washington State, to tell you the truth. All I hear about is Jason Hill, and how me and Jason Hill are matching up. Everybody wants to see the matchup between me and him, so I'm gonna bring it to 'em.

"I'm a great defensive back, and he's a great receiver. He's taller than me, and he might dominate me, I don't know. But it's going to be a dogfight for anybody who comes to my side."

When told that Washington State is in Pullman, Irons said: "I've never heard of it."

"It's out in the wheat fields in the middle of nowhere about 280 miles from Seattle," I said.

"For real? Ohmigosh," Irons said.

"I'm guessing it's like Seattle and rains a lot," strong safety Eric Brock said.

Irons' brother, Kenny, led the SEC in rushing last year and figures to get plenty of carries against that team with the nameless leader.

"Do you know who Washington State's coach is?"

"Nope," Irons said.

The Tigers had trouble coming up with other names. David Irons is concerned about Michael Bump, referring to Michael Bumpus. Brock knew that a guy named Alex is the WSU quarterback but had no idea who Brink is.

"I like to call people by their first names," Brock said.

Brock knows that Alex likes to throw to 83, old what's-his-name.

"They had that running back last year, No. 1, and y'all got, I think his name is James Hill, No. 83," said King Dunlap, a 6-foot-9, 320-pound offensive tackle who will line up against WSU's Mkristo Bruce.

Asked about WSU's colors, Dunlap said: "Silver and red. That's right, right?"

It's not just the Cougs.

"The University of Washington ... they don't play in Seattle, do they?" Dunlap asked.

Not a single Tiger knew that Bill Doba was the head coach, and only one came up with Pullman, quarterback Brandon Cox.

I was most impressed by wide receiver Courtney Taylor, who called Washington State "a prestigious program" three times in three minutes. And David Irons made a comeback when he said: "Hey, didn't Ryan Leaf go there?"

But my overall findings: They still need Dr. Petee.

Mr. Moore,

Will Rogers, hope you have heard of him, said once: "How intelligent a man is depends on where he is standing in the world." IE; A reporter from the NW asking a multi-millionaire football coach if he frequents a dive like the Supper Club is directly akin to not knowing where the hell is Pullman, Washington.

David and Kenny Irons will sign for more money than you will ever make, in less than a year. They will play in towns that dont know nor care where Pullman (builders of the Pullman Train cars) is located either. You see, if you ever get out of the NW, some folks really just dont care much about what happens on the Paloose. In American terms the Paloose could be equated to Afghanistan. Auburn may as well be in the American Outback. Half the nation thinks we are in Georgia, NTTAWWT.

Our players spend so much time in training and they actually do go to class, that they really do not have time to waste with geography lessons on the Pacific NW.

War Eagle to you and the Cougs, and please get a bigger stadium. That way, maybe we would come and visit you and learn about that wonderful little widespot in the road you call home.

DKW 86

[saniflush 0]

I actually wasn't offended by the article. I thought it was done pretty tounge and cheek myself. Anyone who has an article called the go2guy is writing for laughs. What else is there to write about up there anyway?

[Bottomfeeder 244]

I wonder if our guys will read this crap. It pisses me off to the point where I wish I could suit-up tomorrow. What a smart###. Hit 'em Big Blue, so they feel through their pads, and I guarantee they won't forget Auburn, AL is located.

[quietfan 233]

I actually wasn't offended by the article. I thought it was done pretty tounge and cheek myself. Anyone who has an article called the go2guy is writing for laughs. What else is there to write about up there anyway?

Yeah, I wasn't particularly upset either. First of all, he is apparently a columnist, not a straight reporter--the difference: columnists write more for entertainment, reporters (supposedly) are more concerned with objectively reporting news and information. Secondly, he is writing for his home audience, not for an Auburn crowd, and since I'd never heard of him before, I'm guessing not so much for a national audience. Finally, big deal; I doubt WSU players know much more about us--I imagine an Alabama columnist could go to Pullman and write a similar feature for us that we'd all enjoy reading.

As for the Petee/sociology references, let's face it, right or wrong, we're going to hear them for a while so we may as well grow a tougher skin and get used to it. We won't change it (the jokes/references), so we might as well roll with it or laugh it off. Admittedly there was a bit of an academic (not athletic) problem there that we fixed.

I thought he was pretty complementary of CTT, though, and he seems to have reported Jay Jacob's response fairly.

Incidentally, I have three college degrees and I didn't really know until I read this article that WSU was in Pullman and that Pullman was in middle Washington. Admittedly I did know that WSU wasn't near Seattle.

[Ranger12 46]

The only thing that bugged me is the ignorance that has been shown once again about the sociology thing.

But back then, sociology professor Thomas Petee, who gave out the high grades, must have received a game ball from the Sugar Bowl.

Again, the classes were mostly taken after the season. Were they not?

[Tigermike 3,046]

Other than the last sentence it was an OK article.

When the players think about Washington State, they are thinking of other players that they will be matching up against. The only real estate location important is Pat Dye Field, Saturday night. I am hoping that after Saturday night, the cougars need Dr. Petee to show them the way home. And the Go 2 Guy, will be writing an article about how the AU players knew their assignments much, much better than the Wougars from CAZZU.

[AUloggerhead 2,252]

I actually wasn't offended by the article. I thought it was done pretty tounge and cheek myself. Anyone who has an article called the go2guy is writing for laughs. What else is there to write about up there anyway?

Yeah, I wasn't particularly upset either. First of all, he is apparently a columnist, not a straight reporter--the difference: columnists write more for entertainment, reporters (supposedly) are more concerned with objectively reporting news and information. Secondly, he is writing for his home audience, not for an Auburn crowd, and since I'd never heard of him before, I'm guessing not so much for a national audience. Finally, big deal; I doubt WSU players know much more about us--I imagine an Alabama columnist could go to Pullman and write a similar feature for us that we'd all enjoy reading.

As for the Petee/sociology references, let's face it, right or wrong, we're going to hear them for a while so we may as well grow a tougher skin and get used to it. We won't change it (the jokes/references), so we might as well roll with it or laugh it off. Admittedly there was a bit of an academic (not athletic) problem there that we fixed.

I thought he was pretty complementary of CTT, though, and he seems to have reported Jay Jacob's response fairly.

Incidentally, I have three college degrees and I didn't really know until I read this article that WSU was in Pullman and that Pullman was in middle Washington. Admittedly I did know that WSU wasn't near Seattle.

I've lived in WA 18 years and have never been to Pullman. Pullman is located in the SE corner of the state and couldn't be any further from Seattle & still be in Washington. You really have to want to go there to drive through the place. Having lived in both the SE & the NW, I'd say the ignorance of your typical Northwesterner regarding SE geography/knowledge is on par with Southeasterners re the NW. In general, if it doesn't happen West of the Rockies, native NW people don't care to know about it.

The P-I is a liberal daily rag in Seattle that isn't worth reading much less paying for. I didn't think the guy's column was that bad -- it was written for laughs mostly. The Petee/Sociology thing is going to be with us for a while Get used to the cheap shots. It doesn't matter because at the end of the day AU still has a higher APR rating then all but 3 schools.

Also if AU ever does reciprocate a return engagement with WSU, they will be playing in QWest Field in Seattle (the Seahawks home stadium) and not in Pullman. WSU has been playing one OOC game there each season since it opened. It makes sense since the majority of the state's' population (and WSU alumni) live in Western Washington in the Puget Sound region.

[DKW 86 7,438]

I took the aricle to be funny. I hope you guys read my comments as somewhat humorous.

CTT in the Supper Club...Puh-lease!

[SKCAUB 0]

Definitely tongue in cheek. No biggie...just having fun.