News of the day, 11/23

Hey everyone. After a 107-day streak of daily blogs, I took a few days off from the heat. My parents made the trip to Montgomery, I don't see them very often at all and, well, I make the rule around here. So we here at the HABOTN hope you had a swell Thanksgiving full of delicious goodness.

I'll be in and out today with periodic updates. I received a letter from WNSP program director Tim Camp, the guy who fired Neal McCready, and I'll share some of that message with you. I know that story only appeals to a percentage of you all, but I'm in that percentage and the tale keeps getting funnier.
How do you like that picture of Tommy Tuberville carving ham for Leon Hart? That is a shot years in the making, I tell ya.

We know you're stuffed, but thanks for for rolling by for another fill of the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

I'm not a Mississippi State http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giffan by any stretch, but I was really glad to see Sly Croom get his seventh win today. The HABOTN headquarters had the Egg Bowl tuned in and I'll admit to being pretty geeked to see the Bulldogs win. I really like Croom. He's a good dude, a good coach and someone who definitely keeps it real.

I don't run a lot comparatively speaking -- I prefer the arc trainer and Precor machines -- but I liked the playlist Jeff Pearlman of ESPN.com posted the other day. There is good workout music in his list and in the lists readers have provided in the comments rection.

Here is a portion of the letter I received on Wednesday from Tim Camp. Note that he spells Neal McCready's name incorrectly throughout.

``Perhaps if what Neil has said about the reason for his termination at WNSP were true, I could somewhat understand your actions.

His comments make a nice story however history does not bear him out.

WNSP has been operated by the same management for thirteen years and our editorial position of open and honest debate has not suddenly changed.

We had Neil on the air for five years! During that time I received complaints from listeners and advertisers from the first week he was on the air until the last.

If his reporting had been a issue I would have terminated him long ago.

The thing that most disturbs me however is the fact that you sight some journalistic integrity as your reason for not coming on the station.

If it is journalistic integrity then why would you make a decision based on only one side of the story.

Would your editors allow you to publish a controversial story with only one angry source? Not one of the "journahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giflists" who have consumed the kool aid that Neil is serving has called me or contacted me to find out our reasons for letting Neil go and the reporters who have contacted me have printed partial statements placed out of context.

Neil can be a great sports radio talent, however after five years of his attitude of the glass always being half empty we begin to realize that it was having a negative effect on our staff, our operation, and our business. Neil had contempt for the listeners, the subject matter that he had to report on, and the city which we call home. I had simply had enough and decided that maybe we would be better off finding someone who could see the glass half full at least some of the time."

I've said my peace on this subject. I thought it was fair to let Mr. Camp tell his side of the story, though ragging the Press-Register's story for using information "out of context" was too delicious to not pass along.