Auburn update, 1/10

Hey everyone. There are a couple of things to address, so let's get to it.

a.) The Cotton Bowl is the best bowl ever in terms of taking care of out-of-town people. I've talked with several fans about their good experiences in Dallas, and I had a wonderful week in Las Colinas with all the peeps. The bowl's president, Rick Baker, asked to convey his appreciation for Auburn fans ... and I'm totally fine with giving him some space in this blog.
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January 10, 2007

An Open Letter to the Football Fans of Auburn:

On behalf of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and the City of Dallas, congratulations to Auburn University on the Tigers’ 17-14 victory over Nebraska in the 71^st AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

We’re grateful to the Auburn fans who traveled to Texas to cheer on the Tigers to their first-ever victory over Nebraska and their first win in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

Auburn fans should take pride in their players, Coach Tommy Tuberville, Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, and President Ed Richardson. These gentlemen represented Auburn University and the SEC in a first-class manner. We enjoyed hosting them here in Big D.

Again, congratulations on another successful season for the Tigers, and thanks for helping make this year’s AT&T Cotton Bowl a Classic to remember.

Sincerely,

Rick Baker
President
Cotton Bowl Athletic Association

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b.) I was fairly impressed with how the men's basketball team played against Vanderbilt during the weekend. The guards used their speed to create fast-break situations rather than spazzing out. That's a step in the right direction. The team hit 14 shots from three-point range, too, which was a surprising development.

Auburn plays at Kentucky tonight. If the hot shooting persists, I don't see why Auburn can't win. It's not like the Wildcats are where they were in the mid 1990s. Still, the Tigers don't have the brawn to bang inside. They need Rasheem Barrett, Frank Tolbert and Quantez Robertson to provide scoring help from the perimeter.

c.) Still no football schedule. I'll be making calls about that today. I just don't get it.

d.) Big weekend for recruiting coming up. The big tackle from Arkansas, Lee Ziemba, will be on campus along with several other kids Auburn really wants. We run recruiting updates in the paper on Sundays (one day too early, I know) ... but I'll post here on Monday to recount how the weekend went for the most valued prospects.

e.) To the Auburn fans yearning for play-makers: Remember that Mario Fannin will be with the varsity next season. I've had many different people (offense and defense) tell me that Fannin is going to be a big-time player. He could be Auburn's answer to Percy Harvin and Trindon Holliday. Fannin is 5-10, though, so he's no midget. He'll have a chance to change games next fall with his speed.