AU_tiger_2000 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Have you ever seen the guy who got stuck out in the rain and had to make an impromptu poncho out of a black garbage bag? Did you ever wonder what it would look like if Larry the Cable Guy was endorsed by Alabama? Come on, you're making $20 billion a year, can't you at least afford some sleeves and a collar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otterinbham 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Have you ever seen the guy who got stuck out in the rain and had to make an impromptu poncho out of a black garbage bag? Did you ever wonder what it would look like if Larry the Cable Guy was endorsed by Alabama? Come on, you're making $20 billion a year, can't you at least afford some sleeves and a collar? Anybody ever read The Scarlet Letter in high school? Man, I suffered through that book. Yet Nick proudly wears it on his shoulder. I wonder if he's trying to tell us something. Back to the topic at hand, that has to be the single ugliest garment ever made, even without the red A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUJarhead 70 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Anybody ever read The Scarlet Letter in high school? Man, I suffered through that book. Yet Nick proudly wears it on his shoulder. I wonder if he's trying to tell us something. That's exactly what I was saying about Mike DuBose in 1998... and it actually had the same meaning as the book too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMMERPERRY 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Have you ever seen the guy who got stuck out in the rain and had to make an impromptu poncho out of a black garbage bag? Did you ever wonder what it would look like if Larry the Cable Guy was endorsed by Alabama? Come on, you're making $20 billion a year, can't you at least afford some sleeves and a collar? Anybody ever read The Scarlet Letter in high school? Man, I suffered through that book. Yet Nick proudly wears it on his shoulder. I wonder if he's trying to tell us something. Back to the topic at hand, that has to be the single ugliest garment ever made, even without the red A. Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 It looks like scrubs. "Nick's a male nurse." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAR-MATT 2 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saniflush 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Have you ever seen the guy who got stuck out in the rain and had to make an impromptu poncho out of a black garbage bag? Did you ever wonder what it would look like if Larry the Cable Guy was endorsed by Alabama? Come on, you're making $20 billion a year, can't you at least afford some sleeves and a collar? Anybody ever read The Scarlet Letter in high school? Man, I suffered through that book. Yet Nick proudly wears it on his shoulder. I wonder if he's trying to tell us something. Back to the topic at hand, that has to be the single ugliest garment ever made, even without the red A. Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. What about Pappy? Ya'll cared what he wore. (or didn't) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMMERPERRY 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Honestly, What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? All this brief respit did was secure jobs for a short period for Phatty and Tubersteak. I'm sure they appreciated it and ya'll enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrnfanatc 6 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Honestly, What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? All this brief respit did was secure jobs for a short period for Phatty and Tubersteak. I'm sure they appreciated it and ya'll enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...... You and your fanbase definitely cannot use this term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saniflush 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Honestly, What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? All this brief respit did was secure jobs for a short period for Phatty and Tubersteak. I'm sure they appreciated it and ya'll enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...... Allow me.... What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? Anyone. It is fun to point at the inbreds and laugh. What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? UAT Next questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickinwang 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Honestly, What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? All this brief respit did was secure jobs for a short period for Phatty and Tubersteak. I'm sure they appreciated it and ya'll enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...... i refer you to the "auburn only beats us when we're down" thread in the classics forum.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? EEEEHHH! Wrong, try again. You're back to normal. Your 15 year stretch, ending before you and I were born, doesn't elevate the entire history of your program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saniflush 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? EEEEHHH! Wrong, try again. You're back to normal. Your 15 year stretch, ending before you and I were born, doesn't elevate the entire history of your program. Maybe he meant from the standpoint of them getting back to their cheating ways. You know, the REAL history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? EEEEHHH! Wrong, try again. You're back to normal. Your 15 year stretch, ending before you and I were born, doesn't elevate the entire history of your program. Maybe he meant from the standpoint of them getting back to their cheating ways. You know, the REAL history. Ahh, good point. Its going to be a tall order to overcome SC to have the highest paid CFB team though. With all that money they're paying NTD, you think they can pony up that much more cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECEstudentUA 9 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? EEEEHHH! Wrong, try again. You're back to normal. Your 15 year stretch, ending before you and I were born, doesn't elevate the entire history of your program. Maybe he meant from the standpoint of them getting back to their cheating ways. You know, the REAL history. oh yea, you got room to talk there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMMERPERRY 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? EEEEHHH! Wrong, try again. You're back to normal. Your 15 year stretch, ending before you and I were born, doesn't elevate the entire history of your program. Maybe he meant from the standpoint of them getting back to their cheating ways. You know, the REAL history. oh yea, you got room to talk there. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 Kay Hawes Associate Director of Media Relations 317/917-6129 AUBURN UNIVERSITY PLACED ON PROBATION FOR VIOLATIONS IN MEN'S BASKETBALL INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has placed Auburn University on probation for two years for multiple violations of NCAA recruiting legislation in the sport of men's basketball. This case revolved around activities conducted by the university's men's basketball staff with basketball club teams and individuals associated with these amateur teams, which are composed of high-school-aged prospective student-athletes. The committee found that the evidence in this case demonstrated that the university's men's basketball staff became involved with two amateur teams operating out of Huntsville, Alabama, and with two individuals associated with the teams - a Huntsville businessman who provided financial support for these teams (the "team sponsor") and a self-described "sports agent" who had befriended a member of one of the teams. The committee found that, from January 2000 through August 2001, in an effort to recruit prospect 1, members of the Auburn men's basketball staff made a deliberate effort to develop a close relationship with the team sponsor of the prospect's amateur team and the sports agent who had befriended prospect 1. The committee found that, in the course of these relationships and attempts to recruit prospects, the team sponsor became a representative of the university's athletics interests. Specifically: Former assistant coach A and the sports agent traveled to the institution's campus to attend a home basketball game March 3, 2001, at the team sponsor's expense. The tickets were booked for the sports agent and prospect 1 by the wife of former assistant coach A, an employee of a local travel agency, and then charged to the team sponsor's credit card. In conjunction with the visit, former assistant coach A provided round-trip automobile transportation between the Montgomery, Alabama, airport and the institution's campus. Also, the reservations for the rooms at the University Hotel were initially made in the name of Athletics-Men's Basketball, and the instructions on the hotel registration cards specifically stated that the credit card on file should be used. The team sponsor's credit card was the one on file in this case. The committee noted that the evidence reflected that the hotel reservation was made by someone associated with the men's basketball program who had direct knowledge that the team sponsor would pay for the room. Between March 5, 2001, and July 18, 2001, the team sponsor wired money or arranged for money to be wired to the sports agent on six occasions with the intention that the money be delivered to prospect 1 or used on his behalf. The wire transfers ranged in amounts from $200 to $2,000 and totaled $3,125. On July 2, 2001, the team sponsor purchased electronics equipment valued at $643.97 for prospect 1. The team sponsor also paid to have the equipment installed in prospect 1's vehicle at an additional cost of $50. During the spring and summer of 2001, the team sponsor provided air travel, meals and lodging expenses for the sports agent so he could accompany prospect 1 to tournaments in Nevada and North Carolina while prospect 1 was competing as a member of amateur team No. 1. The committee noted that telephone records reflected frequent contact by the university's men's basketball staff with the team sponsor. The records also showed patterns of contact by former assistant coach A with both the team sponsor and the sports agent in the weeks leading up to the weekend trip. In the committee's view, "these records were evidence that the team sponsor was operating as a representative of the university's athletics interests." The committee also found that, beginning in the summer of 1999 through August 2001, in an effort to recruit prospect 2, the team sponsor made improper recruiting contacts, offers and inducements to prospect 2 and his mother. Also, the team sponsor's inducements resulted in the young man receiving three expenses-paid visits to the institution's campus. Specifically: Beginning in the summer of 1999 and continuing through the summer of 2001 and while prospect 2 played for the team sponsor's two amateur teams from Huntsville, the team sponsor encouraged prospect 2 to attend the university to play basketball. The team sponsor also indicated to the prospect that the institution wanted him and needed him. In the summer of 1999, the team sponsor drove prospect 2 to the university, where he met the men's basketball coaching staff for the first time. Subsequently, men's basketball assistant coach B attended amateur team No. 2's practices in Huntsville and, on at least one occasion, told prospect 2 that the institution was interested in him. In September 1999, the team sponsor provided round-trip automobile transportation between Huntsville and the university's campus (240 miles one way) and one night's lodging at the University Hotel in order for prospect 2 and his mother to attend a university football contest. In the fall of 1999 and after prospect 2 had turned 16, prospect 2's mother asked the team sponsor to help her find an inexpensive car she could buy for her son. The team sponsor referred her to a friend of his at a local car dealership. The mother selected a 1996 Dodge Stratus that cost $6,324.65. Sometime later the team sponsor told her he had taken car of everything and she should pick up the vehicle. In December 1999, the mother returned to the dealership, signed some papers and took possession of the car at no cost to her. The team sponsor later told her he had paid for the vehicle. On the weekend of January 5-6, 2001, the team sponsor provided round-trip automobile transportation between Huntsville and the university's campus, one night's lodging and meal expenses to prospect 2 and his mother. The group traveled to the university to attend a men's basketball contest. During part of the summer of 2001, the team sponsor supplied $65 in cash per week to prospect 2 for spending money. On one occasion, the team sponsor gave $300 to prospect 2's mother to purchase school clothes for prospect 2. The committee noted that, on the trips set up by the team sponsor, prospect 2 met the men's basketball coaches and was shown around the coaches' offices. Also, each time the group stayed in the University Hotel on campus, where reservations were initially made in the name of the men's basketball department. Prospect 2's mother stated that on every trip to campus (paid for by the team sponsor) she and her son interacted with the men's basketball coaches and they told her they were interested in prospect 2. The committee noted that the close relationship between the university's men's basketball coaches and the team sponsor was reflected on the University Hotel registration cards as well as, in at least one instance, by the institutional phone records of the men's basketball staff. The committee found that, because the team sponsor was a representative of the university's athletics interests, his involvement in facilitating and financing trips to the university for prospect 2 and his mother violated NCAA recruiting legislation. The committee also concluded from the evidence that the men's basketball staff facilitated and coordinated these trips with the team sponsor. The committee also found that, since the team sponsor's actions in the provision of cash for prospect 2 and his mother could not be exclusively linked to his recruitment by the institution, the university's culpability was reduced. In determining appropriate penalties, the committee considered the institution's self-imposed penalties and corrective actions. The following penalties were imposed by the committee or were self-imposed by the university and adopted by the committee. Those penalties that were self-imposed by the university are so noted. Public reprimand and censure. A two-year period of probation commencing on April 27, 2004, and concluding on April 26, 2006. A reduction of total grants-in-aid in men's basketball by one (from 13 to 12) for both the 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years. (The university had proposed a reduction of one initial grant-in-aid and one total grant-in-aid for only the 2004-5 academic year.) A reduction in the number of official paid visits in men's basketball from 12 to nine for the 2003-04 academic year and from 12 to nine in the 2004-05 academic year. (Self-imposed by the university.) A reduction in the number of off-campus evaluations from 40 to 35 for both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years. The number of coaches allowed to recruit off-campus was reduced from three to two for the July 2004 evaluation period. (Self-imposed by the university.) During the probation period (April 27, 2004, to April 26, 2006), the men's basketball staff shall cease recruiting prospective student-athletes (through the amateur team program) who play for the team sponsor named in this report. This penalty permits the recruitment of prospects directly and through their families and high-school coaches. But, it prohibits any contact or involvement by the men's basketball coaching staff with the team sponsor as it relates to recruitment of players on his teams. During this period, any contact with the team sponsor regarding prospective student-athletes other than incidental and/or unavoidable contact is prohibited. (The university had proposed that this prohibition conclude on December 15, 2005.) The committee required that, during the probationary period, the university shall continue to develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation and submit periodic reports to the NCAA. The university also is required to submit, to the director of the NCAA Committees on Infractions, a preliminary report that sets forth a schedule for establishing this compliance and educational program. The institution also must file annual compliance reports indicating progress made with the program and placing particular emphasis on adhering to NCAA recruiting legislation, particularly the recruitment of prospects competing on amateur teams. The report also must include documentation of the university's compliance with the penalties imposed and adopted by the committee. At the end of the probationary period, the university's president will provide a letter to the committee affirming that the university's current athletics policies and practices conform to all requirements of NCAA regulations. As required by NCAA legislation for any institution involved in a major infractions case, Auburn University is subject to the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 19.5.2.3, concerning repeat violators for a five-year period beginning on the effective date of the penalties in this case, April 27, 2004. The members of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions who heard this case are as follows: Thomas Yeager, committee chair and commissioner, Colonial Athletic Association; Paul T. Dee, athletics director at University of Miami (Florida); Alfred J. Lechner Jr., attorney, Princeton, New Jersey; Andrea L. Myers, athletics director at Indiana State University; Josephine R. Potuto, professor of law, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Eugene D. Smith, athletics director at Arizona State University. Attachments: Committee on Infractions Report (PDF*) NCAA Division I Bylaws Major Infractions History for this School Committee on Infractions Web Page NCAA Enforcement/Infractions Web Page Windows Media 9** Audio Recording of the News Teleconference (32 minutes) -30- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,152 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 the uat arrogance gets old fast, the most despised program in the SEC and maybe the nation still hasn't learned humility. Beating uat anytime is pure joy, continue to make your pathetic excuses while Auburn continues to leave you red headed step punks behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMMERPERRY 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Auburn Put on Probation by Accreditor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auburn University was placed on one year’s probation by its accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, in December. The move stemmed mainly from concern about the role of trustees in the Alabama university’s operations, particularly its athletics programs. A letter from the accreditor made public by the university spelled out the ways in which Auburn had not complied with accreditation requirements. Among them, it was insufficiently committed to and did not cooperate fully with the accreditation process; it did not demonstrate a clear delineation between the role of the president and that of the trustees, nor did it establish that the board was not controlled by a minority of board members; it did not demonstrate a clear distinction between the role of the board (to make policy) and that of the faculty and administrators (to administer and implement policy); the president did not exercise sufficient control over athletics funds; and it was unclear whether he exercised control over the athletics program. Critics have charged in recent years that individual trustees have exercised too much control over the university’s day-to-day operations, and that many board members have inappropriate financial ties to the university or to each other. In 2001, a group representing faculty, students, and alumni asked the accrediting association to investigate several situations, including the board’s dismissal of the university’s then-president William Muse, its involvement in the university’s athletics program, and its perceived secrecy. (See pages 9–10 of the July–August 2001 issue.) The university president sued to stop the investigation, but a judge allowed it to go forward on some matters and appointed a lawyer to carry it out. The lawyer’s final report, however, was sealed on the grounds that it contained personal financial information about some trustees. The president who filed the lawsuit, William Walker, has since resigned, and a member of the board of trustees resigned his board position to become interim president. “Faculty are, of course, greatly concerned about the prospect of losing accreditation, but most were appalled at Walker’s decision to sue and believe that the accreditor’s decision to place Auburn on probation confirms the validity of criticisms faculty have long been making about the conduct of the board,†says Larry Gerber, professor of history at Auburn and first vice president of the AAUP. The Southern Association will review Auburn’s compliance with accrediting requirements in a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMMERPERRY 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 July 14, 2006 Top Grades and No Class Time for Auburn Players By PETE THAMEL A graphic popped up on James Gundlach’s television during an Auburn football game in the fall of 2004, and he could not believe his eyes. One of the university’s prominent football players was being honored as a scholar athlete for his work as a sociology major. Professor Gundlach, the director of the Auburn sociology department, had never had the player in class. He asked two other full-time sociology professors about the player, and they could not recall having taught him, either. So Professor Gundlach looked at the player’s academic files, which led him to the discovery that many Auburn athletes were receiving high grades from the same professor for sociology and criminology courses that required no attendance and little work. Eighteen members of the 2004 Auburn football team, which went undefeated and finished No. 2 in the nation, took a combined 97 hours of the courses during their careers. The offerings, known as directed-reading courses, resemble independent study and include core subjects like statistics, theory and methods, which normally require class instruction. The professor for those players and many other athletes was Thomas Petee, the sociology department’s highest-ranking member. The star running back Carnell (Cadillac) Williams, now playing in the National Football League, said the only two classes he took during the spring semester of his senior year were one-on-one courses with Professor Petee. At one point, Professor Petee was carrying the workload of more than three and a half professors, an academic schedule that his colleagues said no one could legitimately handle. “It was a lot of work,†Professor Petee said. “And I basically wore myself out.†Auburn, a public university in eastern Alabama with more than 23,000 students, has a storied football tradition. The team won a national championship in 1957 and has a track record of producing professional players. Keeping players academically eligible is a task that has bedeviled many institutions. Colleges have long offered easy courses, and athletes are by no means the only ones who sign up. Under new National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, however, colleges whose athletes do not meet academic standards can be penalized, sometimes by having the number of their athletic scholarships reduced. That change is intended to help ensure that student athletes receive a legitimate education. But the change can also increase the pressure on colleges to find ways to keep athletes from failing. In Auburn’s case, the sociology department and one of its leaders became just the ticket. Professor Petee’s directed-reading classes, which nonathletes took as well, helped athletes in several sports improve their grade-point averages and preserve their athletic eligibility. A number of athletes took more than one class with Professor Petee over their careers: one athlete took seven such courses, three athletes took six, five took five and eight took four, according to records compiled by Professor Gundlach. He also found that more than a quarter of the students in Professor Petee’s directed-reading courses were athletes. (Professor Gundlach could not provide specific names because of student privacy laws.) The Auburn football team’s performance in the N.C.A.A.’s new rankings of student athletes’ academic progress surprised many educators on and off campus. The team had the highest ranking of any Division I-A public university among college football’s six major conferences. Over all among Division I-A football programs, Auburn trailed only Stanford, Navy and Boston College, and finished just ahead of Duke. Among those caught off guard by Auburn’s performance was Gordon Gee, the chancellor of Vanderbilt, a fellow university in the Southeastern Conference and its only private institution. Vanderbilt had an 88 percent graduation rate in 2004, compared with Auburn’s 48 percent, yet finished well behind Auburn in the new N.C.A.A. rankings. “It was a little surprising because our graduation rates are so much higher,†Mr. Gee said. “I’m not quite certain I understood that.†The N.C.A.A. cannot comment on specific academic cases. But when asked how much 18 players taking 97 credit hours could affect a football team’s academic standing, Thomas S. Paskus, the N.C.A.A.’s principal research scientist, said it would be likely to lift the number. He added that it would be difficult to gauge how much the classes helped the academic ranking. In the spring of 2005, Professor Gundlach confronted Professor Petee, to whom he reported, about the proliferation of directed-reading courses. That spring, the university’s administration told Professor Petee he was carrying too many of the classes. Far fewer have been offered since. The availability of better grades for some athletes who did not attend class did not surprise professors who said Auburn sometimes emphasizes athletics at any cost. In December 2003, the university was placed on probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools partly because of concerns about whether trustees had too much involvement in the athletic department. The N.C.A.A. has cited Auburn through the years for seven major infractions, the most of any university in the SEC and among the most in the nation. The sociology department became “a dumping ground for athletes,†according to one sociology professor, Paul Starr. That did not bother Professor Gundlach as much as what he viewed as the university administration’s apathy toward Professor Petee’s academic approach. Professor Gundlach took the case to John Heilman, a university administrator who would soon become Auburn’s provost. He included paperwork showing that Professor Petee taught more than 250 students individually during the 2004-5 academic year. He also provided Mr. Heilman with examples of how prominent athletes had cut academic corners. “It was at that point that I figured the corruption runs the full gantlet of the administration,†Professor Gundlach said. “We were getting sociology majors graduating without taking sociology classes. I’m a director of a program putting out people who I know more than likely don’t deserve a degree.†After Professor Gundlach turned over many of his findings to The New York Times and a reporter began questioning administrators two months ago, the provost’s office began an investigation. Mr. Heilman said yesterday in a prepared statement that the investigation began on June 5 after an anonymous complaint was submitted. In a separate statement yesterday, Edward Richardson, Auburn’s interim president, said, “I want to assure everyone associated with Auburn that upon completion of the investigation we will deal with this issue as we have dealt with other challenges  directly and openly.†In a telephone interview, Mr. Heilman refused to comment on Professor Petee’s courses, saying he could talk only about what had happened since he had become provost. “I can assure you as provost that academic misconduct will not be tolerated at Auburn University,†Mr. Heilman said in his statement yesterday. Professor Petee denied that he favored athletes, saying there were only “a handful of them†in his directed readings. He said nothing was unethical about the number of courses he taught, though other professors viewed his workload as unprecedented and unmanageable. Raising the Average The Auburn football team appeared to be the biggest benefactor of Professor Petee’s directed-reading offerings. The 18 football players received an average G.P.A. of 3.31 in the classes, according to statistics compiled by Professor Gundlach. In all of their other credit hours at Auburn, their average was 2.14. “He’s the kind of teacher that, you know, he wants to help you out, not just pile a lot of stuff on you,†said Carlos Rogers, a former sociology major and defensive back who left the university early and now plays in the N.F.L. for the Washington Redskins. Mr. Williams said one of the two directed-reading courses he took with Professor Petee during the spring of 2005 was a statistics class. Asked if that course, considered the most difficult in the sociology major, was available to regular students as a directed reading, Professor Petee said, “No, not usually.†Mr. Williams described the class this way: “You’re just studying different kinds of math. It’s one of those things where you write a report about the different theories and things like that.†He said that Virgil Starks, the director of Student Athlete Support Services at Auburn, set up the courses. Mr. Starks said scheduling was not his responsibility, but that of the dean’s office. Mr. Williams said he appreciated the convenience of the two courses, because he was traveling around the country auditioning for N.F.L. teams at the time. “I didn’t do nothing illegal or anything like that,†he said when told that Professor Petee was under investigation. “My work was good. It was definitely real work.†Mr. Williams said Professor Petee asked him to autograph a football once when they met in his office. “To be honest with you, if they think that’s a problem, they need to investigate all the teachers at Auburn,†Mr. Williams said. Mr. Williams, who now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had already completed his football eligibility at Auburn. He was a B student, according to Professor Petee. But Professor Petee also acknowledged that by taking those two classes, Mr. Williams helped boost Auburn’s standing in the academic rankings. He left Auburn six credits short of graduating. ‘One-Assignment Class’ The academic journey of the former Auburn defensive end Doug Langenfeld illustrates how Professor Petee and the athletic department helped athletes remain eligible. When Mr. Langenfeld arrived at Auburn in 2003 from a junior college in California, he wanted to major in nursing. To do so would have required him to take a heavy load of 21 credits his first semester. Instead, he said, Mr. Starks suggested he major in sociology. Mr. Langenfeld asked for advice from Mr. Williams, who claimed that the major was “easy if you studied.†In the fall of 2004, Mr. Langenfeld found himself in an academic bind. More than two months into the fall semester, he realized he had been attending the wrong class because of a scheduling error. Mr. Langenfeld approached Professor Gundlach about adding a class, but Professor Gundlach said he could not help him because it was too late in the semester. Mr. Langenfeld then went to his academic counselor in the athletic department, Brett Wohlers, with a plea: “I got dropped from a class and need a class to stay eligible for the bowl game,†Mr. Langenfeld recalled in a recent telephone interview. “I need a class, and I’ll take any class right now. I don’t not want to play in my last bowl game.†He said Mr. Wohlers told him about a “one-assignment class†that other players had taken and enjoyed. So in the “ninth or 10th week,†Mr. Langenfeld said, he picked up a directed-reading course with Professor Petee. Semesters typically run 15 weeks. Mr. Langenfeld said he had to read one book, but he could not recall the title. He said he was required to hand in a 10-page paper on the book. Between picking up the class and handing in the paper, he said, he met several times with Professor Petee in his office. “I got a B in the class,†said Mr. Langenfeld, who started in the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. “That was a good choice for me.†Mr. Wohlers said he did not recall Mr. Langenfeld’s situation. He said he was familiar with Professor Petee, but denied seeking him out to place athletes in his classes. Professors around the university said they saw Mr. Langenfeld’s late-semester rescue as inappropriate. When told of Mr. Langenfeld’s situation, David Cicci, the chairman-elect of Auburn’s faculty senate, said: “From my point of view, that’s not much work for three credit hours. It’s an awful lot of credits for reading one book.†To get in a class that late in the semester requires the signature of the interim department chairman, Professor Petee, and the dean of the college. The dean at the time, Joseph Ansell, died in late June after a battle with cancer. Peggy Kirby, who recently retired as the director of student services in the dean’s office, said that the dean typically trusted what was put in front of him for approval. The senior associate director for admissions and records at Auburn, Louis E. Jimenez, said that a situation in which a student adds a class as late as Mr. Langenfeld did usually happened only once or twice a semester, if at all. “It’s very unusual,†he said. Confrontation and Change At a heated faculty meeting in the spring of 2005, Professor Gundlach challenged Professor Petee. The number of directed readings that Professor Petee offered had jumped to 152 in the spring of 2005, from 120 in the fall of 2004. Professor Gundlach described them as fake courses and said they were undermining the department’s integrity. Professor Petee offered 15 different courses as directed readings both semesters, along with teaching regular courses. His full-time-equivalent number on his teaching schedule for the fall of 2004 was 3.5, or the workload of three and a half professors. In the spring, it rose to 3.67. He was not compensated for the extra work. The numbers included his in-classroom teachings and directed readings, but they did not include the time commitment for his responsibilities as interim department chairman. The chairman of the philosophy department, Kelly Jolley, said in a telephone interview that it would be unusual for someone in his department to teach 10 directed readings. As for more than 100? “Speaking relative to my own department standards, there would be no way,†Mr. Jolley said. “It couldn’t be done. I don’t know anyone here, given their regular teaching load, who could hope to do so.†Cal Clark, the director of Auburn’s public administration major, said one of his directed readings consists of reading five or six books and a written report on each. He said he usually would teach between three and five directed readings a semester “Maybe I’m egotistical,†Mr. Clark said. “But I thought that I did a lot.†Professor Gundlach said that within two weeks of the contentious faculty meeting, Professor Petee erased many of the directed-reading courses offered for the next semester. That prompted a rush of dozens of students, including many athletes, to Professor Gundlach to try to sign up for directed readings. So many prospective students approached him that he posted a sign that said: “Directed readings should be viewed as an opportunity to study in an area of interest, not a way to get some hours.†He said students would need to read at least 1,200 pages of upper-division text and could not have a history of taking easy courses. “After I stated that kind of approach, I got only one student who wanted to do a directed reading,†Professor Gundlach said. Also after the confrontation in the faculty meeting, Professor Petee’s grades for the football players dropped sharply. Professor Gundlach found that before the meeting, the players received 81.1 percent A’s and 16.8 percent B’s in directed-reading courses with Professor Petee. After the meeting, those numbers fell to 40.9 percent A’s and 51.7 percent B’s. Professor Petee defended his record on directed readings, saying he provided so many because of an influx of students, a shortage of faculty and the convenience of using the Web to communicate with and teach students. Professor Petee said that the classes were structured, even though he did not meet with the students regularly, if at all. The department office assistant at the time, Rebecca Gregory, said Professor Petee managed the work with students primarily through e-mail messages. “I would give you a readings course that amounts to substantively reading the stuff,†Professor Petee said. “You’re going to be going through the process of doing the work in the course. You’re going to have to take exams. You’re going to have to write a paper.†Professor Petee’s mentor, the former sociology department director Gregory Kowalski, said he considered Professor Petee like “a brother.†Still, he said, he could not find any comparable situation at Auburn in which one teacher taught so many directed-reading courses. “I don’t think it was anything malicious or that he had anything to gain,†Mr. Kowalski said. “He’s always been a very accommodating faculty member.†But the numbers baffled educators around the university. “I have never heard of anything of this magnitude in any discipline at any university,†Mr. Cicci said. Auburn’s Past Problems Auburn University has had its share of embarrassing incidents involving athletes. In 1991, tapes of the football coach at the time, Pat Dye, talking about arranging a loan for a player were aired on “60 Minutes.†In the late 1990’s, a star tailback from two decades earlier, James Brooks, told a judge in a child-support case that he was illiterate and had used his athletic prowess to skate through high school and college. Brooks did not graduate. In November 2003, the university president and the athletic director flew on the private plane of a booster and trustee, Bobby Lowder, to the outskirts of Louisville, Ky. They held a meeting with Bobby Petrino, the University of Louisville coach, to gauge his interest in replacing Tommy Tuberville as the head coach at Auburn. No permission was sought from Louisville, and both coaches were still under contract. Through a spokesman, Mr. Tuberville declined to be interviewed for this article. The news of the visit emerged, and William Walker, Auburn’s president, resigned under pressure two months later. Mr. Tuberville remained as coach and led the Tigers to a 13-0 record the next season. Auburn admitted two football players in the fall of 2004, Lorenzo Ferguson and Ulysses Alexander, who attended University High School in Miami. That school, an investigation by The Times found, gave fast and easy grades to talented athletes. Ferguson said that during his senior year at University High his grade-point average went to 2.6 from 2.0 in one month. Auburn defended their admission by saying that both players met N.C.A.A. standards. Once players arrive at Auburn, they tend to find themselves clustered in the same classes. “When you’ve got more than five or six athletes in one class, you’re guaranteed to have fun,†said Robert Johnson, a tight end who left Auburn in 2003 and now plays for the Washington Redskins. “Class is guaranteed to not be as hard as the rest of your classes, especially if you’re winning.†Auburn was coming off its 13-0 season in the spring of 2005 when Mr. Heilman met with Professor Petee in the aftermath of Professor Gundlach’s initial accusations. Mr. Heilman refused to offer any details of their conversation. Professor Petee said: “I got chastised by the provost’s office for it. He said you’re teaching too many independent study courses to try to accommodate the students. In essence, you know, you really need to stop that practice. And I did.†After the confrontation, Professor Petee’s directed readings dipped to 25 last fall from 152. His full-time-equivalent number dropped to 1.0 from 3.67. Mr. Heilman left Professor Petee in charge of the sociology department, something that stunned many around the university. That left the department divided, and it was what led Professor Gundlach to decide to retire after next year. “Things have reached a point where we’re getting ready to produce more James Brooks incidents,†Professor Gundlach said. “It’s embarrassing.†Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickinwang 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 funny thing is...auburn was on AND OFF both of those probations...before bammer served their time for getting busted IN 2002. Athletes make academic end run Posted by Ken Booth November 7, 2006 14:07 Print | Email JON SOLOMON News staff writer The class was easy enough for Ahmad Childress, then a University of Alabama football player: Write about football. For three credits one summer, Childress said, he and five teammates composed an entire football class that required only instructing a football camp for kids in Gulf Shores and writing a four-page essay. "That was the whole class. I got an A," Childress said. "Yeah, it was a little weird, but sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do to be eligible." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDeere 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 So, I guess bammer Perry is trying to express, "Auburn has been down for the past five years they have put the beatdown on UAT" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,152 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 from Wikipedia "Since the SMU case, the closest that the NCAA has come to imposing the "death penalty" against a football program was against the University of Alabama in 2002. The most severe violation involved boosters paying players to come to Alabama. Infractions committee chairman Thomas Yeager said that the committee seriously considered giving Alabama the "death penalty." He called the violations "some of the worst, most serious that have ever occurred" in NCAA history and claimed that the Crimson Tide were "absolutely staring down the barrel of a gun." [1] It finally settled on five years' probation, a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 21 scholarships over three years." This can be considered a "BEATDOWN" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKCAUB 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 It looks like scrubs. "Nick's a male nurse." So is Joe Piscopo... LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKCAUB 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Prepare for the Beatdown. We don't care what he wears. You and your fanbase cannot use this word........ Honestly, What group of fans would brag about beating Bama during the worst period in their history? What fanbase would slink so low? What fanbase is going to get steal-toed booted in the head when reality sinks in this Fall? All this brief respit did was secure jobs for a short period for Phatty and Tubersteak. I'm sure they appreciated it and ya'll enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...... Dude...SI said you were "BACK"...so we're reveling in beating the mighty "Tahd".... LOL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saniflush 0 Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Dude...SI said you were "BACK"...so we're reveling in beating the mighty "Tahd".... LOL!!! You forget, they are only back when it suits their needs. Oh yea don't forget what color undershirt Brodie is wearing in that cover picture either. Before you all go take the framed SI magazine off the mantle I will remind you. It is blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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