News of the day, 2/28

Hey everyone. I missed practice today due to a family issue, but ace correspondent Luke Brietzke was on hand to pass along some of the salient information. And there was plenty today. Let's get to business.

First, we here at the HABOTN thank you for making this the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

Maybe my prediction that Chris Todd will be the starting quarterback next year was premature. Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, shown at left, said today that he believe Todd has injured his throwing shoulder.

The junior-college signee apparently suffered a shoulder injury during the final weeks of last season. Surgery was avoided. Todd now is struggling to throw with any authority. Here is what Franklin said today:

**Chris looks like his arm's really hurting him. I know he threw better in high school when he was a freshman than he probably is throwing now. He had a problem with his shoulder when he got here and he didn't start throwing until two weeks ago and he just doesn't have anything on the ball at all. What we're seeing right now of him is not what he is. It's not the kid I remember throwing the football. He's got a long way to go to get healthy and I don't know when he'll get healthy. It's probably not going to happen during the spring.**

Tailback Tristan Davis missed a portion of practice after apparently re-injuring the same toe that required surgery last year. How serious is the situation? Nobody knows. Davis is going in for tests soon.

Christa Turner of the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer had a nice story the other day. Athletic director Jay Jacobs had a previously scheduled visit to CLE headquarters Tuesday afternoon and offered a surprising take on Tommy Tuberville's Tuesday morning suggestion that the football team needs a bigger indoor facility.

Here is a portion of Jacobs' comments:

"It's on our master plan, but the way we prioritize those things are needs versus wants," Jacobs said. "The facilities that our student-athletes use every day are more of a priority than having an indoor facility for football to use once every two years. That's not good stewardship of our money."

Here's another one:

"We would like to have, at some point, a multi-purpose facility," Jacobs said. "But to build one just for football is not economically feasible. When you talk to student-athletes, and particularly their parents, they're most interested in where they're going to live and eat and the Lowder academic center, a place they can go and study."

Jacobs is right. He just is. I had to hold back laughter when Tuberville made that suggestion. I mean, Auburn almost never misses practice because of weather. To drop $50 million or whatever on a 100-yard facility so the team has a place to practice three times per year is nuts.

I think Tuberville was just having fun with it. It's not breaking news that life within the athletic department (and beyond) isn't exactly rainbows and butterflies these days.
The HOTTIES know that I have been impressed with the recent play of basketball signee Frankie Sullivan. He took things to a new level on Wednesday, scoring a Class 2A Tournament record 51 points in R.C. Hatch's win over Barbour County. That is Sullivan's fifth state championship in his six varsity seasons.

He was 28-of-31 from the free-throw line. I'd say he's a slasher.

I wrote about him extensively in two recent blogs. Here is my scouting report and here are some comments from Auburn coach Jeff Lebo about Sullivan.