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[Noah]

Here's Finebaum doing what he does best, which is fanning the flames of the Iron Bowl.  



What a shock jock!

I'm waiting for the day he demands Saban's resignation.

AU fans find Tide won't die

  
Tuesday, January 23, 2007  
The comments keep coming in from a column last week entitled "Tuberville Can't Catch a Break." I've racked my brain (OK, no jokes!) for days attempting to understand why it bothered some people so much.
I simply stated the obvious, which is that Auburn has taken a back seat to Alabama as a result of the mania over Nick Saban, and even some of Tommy Tuberville's success has been marginalized because four of the five straight wins came against Mike Shula.
And then, I finally figured out the rest of the story.
It isn't so much the hiring of Saban that has some Auburn fans sniveling, but the resiliency of the Alabama Nation. How many times has this Alabama program been knocked down to the canvas since the death of Paul Bryant but somehow, some way, been able to get up, bloody, beaten and battered, to live to see another day? Even to someone from another state and who attended a rival school, it is an extraordinary thing to witness.
I won't bore you with a long litany of events to support this thesis, but here are a few to consider:
Bill Curry, after three straight losses to Auburn, tucks his tail in early 1990 for Kentucky, replaced by a popular but underwhelming choice in Gene Stallings. He loses his first three games. Yet he wins a national championship in 1992 and runs off a streak of 28 games without a loss. In 1995, the Tide program is humiliated with its first NCAA probation, but the next year Stallings wins 10 games and retires with a 5-2 mark against Auburn. Mike DuBose enters, gets caught up in a secretary scandal three years later, is nearly fired, loses to Louisiana Tech (and is days from being fired), and follows up with an overtime win over Florida and then beats the Gators for the SEC title. He goes from preseason No. 3 in the nation to 3-8 in 2000 and is gone. The Albert Means story explodes and Alabama is staring down the barrel of a gun from the NCAA, which is threatening the death penalty. Dennis Franchione has a cup of coffee and bolts; Mike Price, his replacement, goes down in flames (before ever coaching a game); and Mike Shula, who seemingly throws up all over himself for two years, wins 10 games and finishes No. 8 in the nation ahead of Auburn, which should have played for the national championship the year before.
This season, of course, Alabama loses to Mississippi State and nearly everyone else, and gets left at the altar by Rich Rodriguez (and nearly everyone else) in the aftermath of Shula's bungled firing. The entire college football world, led by Auburn fans, are dancing on Alabama's grave and guess what? The Tide lands Saban -- one the most feared college coaches in recent history.
Yes, I can feel the pain of the Auburn Nation. I can understand its frustration. It's like, "Dude, what else do we have to do?"
At seemingly the darkest moment in the Tide's history, the school rises like Phoenix from the ashes.
There is an old saying that has been passed down from Plato's time and repositioned by the great essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, which seems appropriate here: "If you strike the King, you must kill him." In this case, the King is obvious, and as often as Alabama has been hit in recent years, as desperate as the times have seemed, as dire and late as the hour has often been, the school's football program has survived.
Saban knows he can't revive it by simply waving a magic wand. However, he has given people reason to feel proud again. He has given people reason to hope again for better days. In some respects, this is what kills the other side of the state.
The Auburn program has grown and prospered beautifully under Tuberville. He was the right man at the right time. It has been pretty resilient, too, with Terry Bowden reeling off 20 straight wins following the ouster of Pat Dye, and when Tuberville went 13-0 and made his critics eat crow after he was nearly fired.
However, in spite of what the record book says, showing a 6-2 mark against the Tide and five in a row, there is still something missing. The sight and sound of Alabama still makes some Auburn fans quake. There is a nervous feeling that -- let's go to the history books for one more quote -- they have awoken a sleeping giant. That, of course, being the Crimson Tide.
Is Bama back? Perhaps not in anyone's preseason ranking or even in the national media. However, around here, fans are upbeat and excited and energized. They feel the Tide turning and the earth moving. Perhaps the surest sign that proves to them that things are slowly returning to normal is this: Auburn fans are saying to anyone who will listen that they aren't worried about Alabama. No, of course not.
However, if you study the rivalry between these two schools, that's like a sonic boom going off in the middle of the night. You better believe they are worried. And they should be ... Bama appears to be back.

[Darth Vader]

Noah.Dreams said:

Here's Finebaum doing what he does best, which is fanning the flames of the Iron Bowl.  



What a shock jock!

I'm waiting for the day he demands Saban's resignation.

AU fans find Tide won't die

  
Perhaps the surest sign that proves to them that things are slowly returning to normal is this: Auburn fans are saying to anyone who will listen that they aren't worried about Alabama. No, of course not.
However, if you study the rivalry between these two schools, that's like a sonic boom going off in the middle of the night. You better believe they are worried. And they should be ... Bama appears to be back.

This is just his usual drivel. He brings nothing of substance and just tries to rile one side up. He doesn't care which side it is. He'll poke at Bama for a wile till they get over him and then he'll do the same to Auburn. I don't know what Auburn fans he has spoke to but I can say I have not had to deny any "fear" to any Bama fans since Saban arrived. I work at a company that is about 80% Bama and nobody has said squat about it. I have several buddies here that I'll will talk candidly with about football and even talk about Saban. I can't speak for every auburn fan but I can tell you that for one I don't fear Saban or any team or coach for that matter. I do have a good deal of [I]respect[I] for Saban because he is a good coach and I think he'll do well. Past that all I can say is that Finebaum is full of crap.

[Jay Bee]

WarEagle73 said:

This is just his usual drivel. He brings nothing of substance and just tries to rile one side up. He doesn't care which side it is. He'll poke at Bama for a wile till they get over him and then he'll do the same to Auburn. I don't know what Auburn fans he has spoke to but I can say I have not had to deny any "fear" to any Bama fans since Saban arrived. I work at a company that is about 80% Bama and nobody has said squat about it. I have several buddies here that I'll will talk candidly with about football and even talk about Saban. I can't speak for every auburn fan but I can tell you that for one I don't fear Saban or any team or coach for that matter. I do have a good deal of [I]respect[I] for Saban because he is a good coach and I think he'll do well. Past that all I can say is that Finebaum is full of crap.

Amen!  That's why I like to refer to him as 'Pendulum Paul'.  He's that kid on the playground that was always yelling "Hey Look at ME!".  I admit to listening to his show, but strictly for entertainment purposes.  Finebaum really isn't very knowledgeable about sports.  But I gotta hand it to him, he knows how to stir things up and make money.  I hear he's pulling down like 350k for his radio show.  

WDE!
jb

[GatorUnvrsty]

Noah.Dreams said:

Here's Finebaum doing what he does best, which is fanning the flames of the Iron Bowl.  



What a shock jock!

I'm waiting for the day he demands Saban's resignation.

AU fans find Tide won't die

  
Tuesday, January 23, 2007  
The comments keep coming in from a column last week entitled "Tuberville Can't Catch a Break." I've racked my brain (OK, no jokes!) for days attempting to understand why it bothered some people so much.
I simply stated the obvious, which is that Auburn has taken a back seat to Alabama as a result of the mania over Nick Saban, and even some of Tommy Tuberville's success has been marginalized because four of the five straight wins came against Mike Shula.
And then, I finally figured out the rest of the story.
It isn't so much the hiring of Saban that has some Auburn fans sniveling, but the resiliency of the Alabama Nation. How many times has this Alabama program been knocked down to the canvas since the death of Paul Bryant but somehow, some way, been able to get up, bloody, beaten and battered, to live to see another day? Even to someone from another state and who attended a rival school, it is an extraordinary thing to witness.
I won't bore you with a long litany of events to support this thesis, but here are a few to consider:
Bill Curry, after three straight losses to Auburn, tucks his tail in early 1990 for Kentucky, replaced by a popular but underwhelming choice in Gene Stallings. He loses his first three games. Yet he wins a national championship in 1992 and runs off a streak of 28 games without a loss. In 1995, the Tide program is humiliated with its first NCAA probation, but the next year Stallings wins 10 games and retires with a 5-2 mark against Auburn. Mike DuBose enters, gets caught up in a secretary scandal three years later, is nearly fired, loses to Louisiana Tech (and is days from being fired), and follows up with an overtime win over Florida and then beats the Gators for the SEC title. He goes from preseason No. 3 in the nation to 3-8 in 2000 and is gone. The Albert Means story explodes and Alabama is staring down the barrel of a gun from the NCAA, which is threatening the death penalty. Dennis Franchione has a cup of coffee and bolts; Mike Price, his replacement, goes down in flames (before ever coaching a game); and Mike Shula, who seemingly throws up all over himself for two years, wins 10 games and finishes No. 8 in the nation ahead of Auburn, which should have played for the national championship the year before.
This season, of course, Alabama loses to Mississippi State and nearly everyone else, and gets left at the altar by Rich Rodriguez (and nearly everyone else) in the aftermath of Shula's bungled firing. The entire college football world, led by Auburn fans, are dancing on Alabama's grave and guess what? The Tide lands Saban -- one the most feared college coaches in recent history.
Yes, I can feel the pain of the Auburn Nation. I can understand its frustration. It's like, "Dude, what else do we have to do?"
At seemingly the darkest moment in the Tide's history, the school rises like Phoenix from the ashes.
There is an old saying that has been passed down from Plato's time and repositioned by the great essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, which seems appropriate here: "If you strike the King, you must kill him." In this case, the King is obvious, and as often as Alabama has been hit in recent years, as desperate as the times have seemed, as dire and late as the hour has often been, the school's football program has survived.
Saban knows he can't revive it by simply waving a magic wand. However, he has given people reason to feel proud again. He has given people reason to hope again for better days. In some respects, this is what kills the other side of the state.
The Auburn program has grown and prospered beautifully under Tuberville. He was the right man at the right time. It has been pretty resilient, too, with Terry Bowden reeling off 20 straight wins following the ouster of Pat Dye, and when Tuberville went 13-0 and made his critics eat crow after he was nearly fired.
However, in spite of what the record book says, showing a 6-2 mark against the Tide and five in a row, there is still something missing. The sight and sound of Alabama still makes some Auburn fans quake. There is a nervous feeling that -- let's go to the history books for one more quote -- they have awoken a sleeping giant. That, of course, being the Crimson Tide.
Is Bama back? Perhaps not in anyone's preseason ranking or even in the national media. However, around here, fans are upbeat and excited and energized. They feel the Tide turning and the earth moving. Perhaps the surest sign that proves to them that things are slowly returning to normal is this: Auburn fans are saying to anyone who will listen that they aren't worried about Alabama. No, of course not.
However, if you study the rivalry between these two schools, that's like a sonic boom going off in the middle of the night. You better believe they are worried. And they should be ... Bama appears to be back.

I like how this guy says, "I won't bore you with a long litany of events to support this thesis, but here are a few to consider:". That's the same as saying,"I won't make an idiot of myself, but I change my mind; here goes.":laugh: Usually, I never read any of these posts AU and UA fans put up of Finebaum's. Most of these guys just like to get off to the sound of their "witty" diatribes. But, in reading this, I finally understand why many of the AU guys' arguments are so self-contradictory and one-sided. They must read Finebaum's column every day before coming over to the boards. They even use his way of speaking, and use of certain words. This moron goes on and on about the death of UA football, and supports it with tales of 10-win seasons, SEC championships, and National Championships. He further goes on to call Stallings an "underwhelming choice" for coach. And his support for this is, he lost his first 3 games; followed by the statement that he won a NC and once won 28 games in a row.:blink:  Now that's the kind of underachieving anybody would kill for. This is my favorite part: "How many times has this Alabama program been knocked down to the canvas since the death of Paul Bryant but somehow, some way, been able to get up, bloody, beaten and battered, to live to see another day?" Hello, is there anybody home? That whole part of Bama's history is, arguably, better than the entire history of Auburn football. Of course, it's not like the dominance Bama enjoyed years ago; but it's still better than their cross-state rival has ever done. No team is ever going to be dominant like that again, because of the equality in CFB. "Bear" wouldn't even be that dominant in today's game. He'd be another CSS. Spurrier probably would've thrown him for a loop when he introduced the Fun 'n' Gun, just like every other coach in the SEC at the time. In conclusion, here's the most telling part of his rant; and the one most copied by Auburn fans. When talking about Alabama success during this period, he makes sure he lists all the probations and black eyes the program suffered at the time. When it's time to discuss Auburn's success during the period, like the 20 wins in a row by Bowden; he conveniently leaves out that AU was caught cheating, put on probation, and forced to give up their SEC championship for that. In '95 Alabama being put on probation is "humiliating". But, for Auburn, not only isn't it humiliating, he doesn't even mention it. Maybe that's just business as usual; who knows? In reading this article, I find gratification realizing that I certainly wasn't missing anything by ignoring the posting of his previous articles. Except maybe a good laugh. :excl: NOTE TO AUBURN FANS: Do not emulate this idiot. Approach with EXTREME CAUTION! He will make you sound STOOOPID!:excl:


NEW RULE PROPOSITION: Anybody posting articles by this fool, Finebaum, gets banned for distributing potentially contagious and infectious stupidity. He puts us all at risk.:happy:

[Jay Bee]

gatorunvrsty said:

<SNIP> In reading this article, I find gratification realizing that I certainly wasn't missing anything by ignoring the posting of his previous articles. Except maybe a good laugh. <SNIP>

So you found his article amusing?  So we agree.  As for your advice, thanks, but I'll decide what I read for myself.  Thanks for your concern.

WDE!
jb

[GatorUnvrsty]

Jay Bee said:

So you found his article amusing?  So we agree.  As for your advice, thanks, but I'll decide what I read for myself.  Thanks for your concern.

WDE!
jb

That's what I was afraid of.