News of the day, 11/15
Hey everyone. Things are winding down here at Auburn. Today's practice was the players' final football responsibility before the team reconvenes on Sunday afternoon. Most players are planning a big weekend on the couch.Jerraud Powers and Eric Brock are going to attend the Ben Russell-Decatur high school game on Friday. Quentin Groves and his wife, Treska, are headed for an undisclosed location for some "time away from football."
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This one hits a little close to home. One of my best friends in the business, Mobile media maven Neal McCready, was fired from his post at WNSP-AM in Mobile late yesterday. I talked with him this morning. He said station management fired him for "not being pro-Alabama enough," which surely is an intriguing reason. I didn't know reporters at any legitimate outlet were obliged to promote a certain agenda.This sucks. Neal is an outstanding broadcaster (in addition to his strong work at the Press-Register) and I always found him to be right down the line when it came to the Auburn-Alabama dichotomy. As someone who has spent hours and hours privately discussing the SEC with Neal, I feel qualified to say that he loathes all teams equally. I'm 100% sure he doesn't have an agenda. This is a pretty alarming situation that should be considered carefully by scrutinizing sports fans on both sides of the Iron Bowl debate.
I heard a funny story this morning from DE Sen'Derrick Marks, who is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet on a football team. Anyway, Marks was flabbergasted that Groves recently was named a finalist for a national sportsmanship trophy. Marks doesn't consider Groves particularly friendly with opponents.During the Tennessee Tech game, Marks was hit in the back during a kickoff. He confronted the TTU player about the alleged misconduct. The player responded by apologizing to Marks, which was totally unexpected. Groves, apparently not satisfied with the gentle gesture, responded by saying: "Welcome to the big leagues." That drew a verbal warning from the officiating crew, which Marks considers proof that Groves isn't a good sport.
Groves disagreed, gleefully relaying a story about punching Georgia TB Knowshon Moreno during some pileups. That kind of stuff is common. It's funny to me how some of these players, Groves included, are portrayed as angelic guys who play the game cleanly all the time. No way. That's just not reality.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
11:24 AM
9 Comments:
This is an actual comment from the AU A.D. Jay Jacobs regarding next year's schedule: "You look at '08, its going to be tough. It's another two-team BCS schedule with West Va. and So. Miss. It doesn't get any easier around here. It will be exciting."
Since when did Conference USA become part of the BCS? Does this guy have a clue what is going on over there. I actually heard this guy say one time when asked about getting another series with USC that they play every team in their conference and ND every year, so they don't have room for anybody else. Last time I checked, 9 games against Pac-10 teams and 1 with ND leaves them with 2 openings.
Our nonconference schedule is terrible and with this guy we no hope of ever improving it. If you're going to schedule someone crappy, at least make sure they are from an actual BCS conference.
Jay, tell your friend to call on some Orlando TV Stations. OUr guys here are pretty lousy. I spend alot in advertising and can call for him.
This is the way Auburn likes to schedule stuff. I don't really get it, either.
It really sucks for radio here in Mobile, Jay. Neal made that show entertaining, even if you didn't agree with everything he said. The REC is making a comeback, it seems. I'm sure they'll be trying to find something that can get Auburn on probation soon.
REC came back full head of steam last Spring. NCAA is too tired to deal with them and they know it.
I don't know about the REC, per se, but the management of that station seems to have a pretty obvious agenda. That's too bad.
I'm surprised to see that a lot of people are voicing their opinions that it was a terrible move by WNSP. The ones that love the move are, or course, Bama fans.
There's a guy named Chuck Floyd that's a total embarrassment to sane, rational, intelligent Bama fans (or he should be). He has a show called "My Blood Runs Crimson" on this network. It's absolutely horrible. It's so gross I can't really articulate without becoming WAY too judgemental of people in general. Point is they leave that garbage on the radio, it gives no credible information on anything whatsoever, it's a rah rah session with the aura of the egotistical 1970s smeared all over it.
Neal was really the only good radio down here since Taylor Zaurzor left, but Neal actually put the show on the map.
The politically correct answer from the casual Bama fan is that Neal actually offended Auburn fans, too. Not true. Who would actually get offended by the opinion of one man on a radio station anyway? Who's that shallow? Well, I guess a great many people are as it turns out.
I've gotten a lot of response on the McCready situation. Most of it has been from Auburn people, though I cover Auburn so I'd expect that.
I have heard from three Alabama people who were upset. I mean, really, you have to be pretty fanned out to support a media environment where opposing views cannot be voiced.
Never thought I'd say this, but bless media conglomerates. They probably wouldn't roll this way.
I appreciate your article on Neal McCready. It took guts to write it. One of our sore points over the years has been the slanted views of the sports medis in Alabama toward Auburn. Especially, in the Bhammer Bammer sports media. Your article was a breath of fresh air. But, watch your 6 O'clock. Seriously, I mean it!! Look at those Alabama graduate lawyers up in Tenn and the death threats on Coach Fulmer. They are fanatics. Most Alabama fans that I know really place the quality of their school and their self inflated importance on the outcome of this game. You can pick up a fight in any bar in Alabama by letting people know that you are an Auburn fan.
Thanks again for your excelent articles and coverage of Auburn sports.
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