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2.04.2008

News of the day, 2/4

Hey everyone. Sorry for the short absence. I spent my free time this weekend kickin' it with my 5-year-old daughter, who really enjoys Hannah Montana. Oh yea -- we were there for the BIG movie on Saturday morning.

Wasn't the Super Bowl great. I told my wifey, just before the Giants' winning drive, that there was no way the Giants could build a winning drive. I mean, Eli Manning? He's been a pretty average quarterback. I'll have to re-think that after what we all saw Sunday. What a game.

You're here for Auburn smack. So let's get to it.

Thanks for making the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net part of your life. It's certainly a fun part of mine.

Recruiting is picking up, or slowing down. It all depends on your perspective. The Tigers added two kids since we last blogged -- a Georgia DB named Neiko Lipscomb and a Florida wideout named Derek Winter. My guess is that Lipscomb moved into the picture when George Baker, a recent de-commitment, moved out. I'm higher on Winter, who looks like the classic underrated prospect to me: Played really well in a reasonably tough Tampa league and he's the kind of kid who can apply intelligence to the field. That's what guys like Rod Smith and Sen'Derrick Marks do.

LB Jerrell Harris, the big recruit from Gadsden, still is considering Auburn, Alabama, Southern Cal, Clemson and Tennessee. I don't think the Vols are a real player here. Auburn would realllllly like to have Harris and would play him immediately, but I think the loss of Will Muschamp hurt the Tigers' chances to some degree. New DC Paul Rhoads is doing a fine job and all. It's just that Muschamp is Muschamp. He's nuts when it comes to recruiting.

The men's team lost at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Pretty bad loss in my mind. The game was close until the final six minutes or so when the Commodores just took off. G Frankie Tolbert was nuts, going 10-of-19 from the floor, but his teammates were pretty ineffectual. G Rasheem Barrett was 0-for-9 (!!) and G Tez Robertson was 1-for-7. If you're going to use 4 (or 5) guards at a time, you can't shoot like that. I still think Jeff Lebo is doing one hell of a job with the strategy part of his task. Lebo's recruiting leaves a lot to be desired.

The women's team beat Mississippi State senseless on Sunday. Auburn is pretty good. G Alli Smalley is going to be a really good player beginning next season ... combining with already excellent players F DeWanna Bonner and G Sherell Hobbs. I think the Tigers will qualify for the NCAA Tournament as a 4 or 5 seed -- giving coach Nell Fortner her first Auburn appearance in the Big Dance.

Some of you all may have missed it, but a former Auburn player by the name of Frank Hayes died last week. He was Travis Tidwell's center for the big upset of Alabama in 1949. I didn't know Mr. Hayes, but he was a popular dude. He'll be missed.

Photo credit: Associated Press/Chris O'Meara

30 Comments:

Blogger ADP said...

Was Mr. Hayes from Montgomery?

7:25 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Yes. I should have pointed that out.

He played high-school ball at Lanier, back when Lanier was good.

8:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i believe so. re: au b-ball, i noticed the 0% from the field for barrett; that's ridiculous.

8:25 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

That certainly qualifies as a bad night.

9:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AU has a 0% chance of getting Jerrell Harris.

9:36 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

I agree. Zero.

Still, he's saying Auburn is in it and until that changes, that's what I have to report.

9:49 PM  
Blogger ADP said...

I met Mr. Hayes at a breakfast early Christmas morning. Real nice guy. Something interesting that he told me. His basketball coach was Shug Jordan. He coached both basketball and football for a time. I don't know if he was his coach for the entire time, but I know that he was at some point. Anyway, sorry to hear about it. He was a super nice guy to talk to.

10:05 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

It's voting time!

I won't reveal my political lean, but I'm really glad to live in a country where the people (sort of) get a say in things.

So go fight the power in your own way today. Or massage the power. Whatever you want ...

6:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wasn't challenging you, Jay, my friend. Just felt like putting some emphasis on the Jerrell Harris thing. That one really burns me up. I'm hugely biased, but I can't believe he values the program at Alabama that much. Jerrell appears to be a high character guy and a hard worker. He's even taken up yoga! Seriously. He wants to improve himself in every facet. With guys like that Alabama WILL end up "back" in reality this time.

7:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jay, you need to get the low down on Jarmon Fortson. Auburn "dropped him". Something is going on.

9:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fortson is going to FSU. Auburn's taking the right approach. No need to chase somebody around that really doesn't git into AU's offense (unless he wouldn't mind being a tight end). FSU's a place to go to be forgotten. That is...unless Jimbo someday turns it around. I don't think he's that good though.


What I want to know is...

Where is Derek Winter's QB going??? That guy is awesome.

9:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jay

What happened to Jatavious Miller? He had an OV to Auburn. Rivals says he is not committed anywhere. It seems with the uncertainty of Harris, that we would be after him hard (Miller is a LB). He has an offer from us and WVU

10:45 AM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

The HOTTIES know that recruiting isn't my area of expertise. Jatavious Miller is a kid from Pahokee, Fla., who is a 5-11 inside linebacker.

He allegedly has an offer. I'll tell you that I haven't heard much about this kid in a while ...

re: Harris. I didn't think you were challenging me at all. I was explaining my comments.

re: Fortson. It's interesting how the Fortson and McClain situations turned south so quickly. I don't recall that happening before. I hope to have more answers on that tomorrow.

11:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish somebody would tell J. Harris that Alabama hasn't produced a decent NFL LB since Cornelius Bennett. However, Reggie Torbor played in the Super Bowl sunday night. Know what I mean?

11:24 AM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Alabama has a lot going for it right now: Big-name coach, the appearance of upward mobility, a buzzy recruiting class.

I don't understand why it's so surprising that kids would be choosing to play for that program.

I gotta say: I wouldn't play for an autocrat and I wouldn't let my kid(s) play for a autocrat. I've always ascribed to the John Wooden way of coaching. That, of course, has nothing to do with anything being discussed here.

It's my blog. I can do that.

11:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Torbor. Recruited as a moderately touted running back. This is Auburn Football.

12:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

auburnmath:
I'm pretty sure Demeco Ryans qualifies as a "decent" linebacker

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

autocrat. bogus disciplinarian. bogus educational promoter. total used car salesman. throw out the "i will not coach at alabama" deal. that stuff does not phase me anymore as it's happening all over the place.

the thing that gets me about this guy's character are his comments about education and how football is more important. he says they come to play football first, that holding them out of game for disciplinary reasons is detrimental to their futures in football. their character development does not matter.

this is why it surprises me that parents would want their kids to play for a guy like this. it's my assumption that they only see dollar signs (i will not alledge that they're paid- not yet at least). it's all about the NFL from the get go. there is not plan B in the realm of NC's world as he promotes his "process".

tuberville is not like that. he's not perfect. but he promotes a pretty clean environment and he, like a strict father, means what he says about rules.

12:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

rumors on Fortson and McClain:

i repeat, rumors, im not accusing or claiming them to be true.

I heard that Tenn and FSU offered both players money. We got wind of it and immediately dropped interest.

Think about it...why would any athlete want to go play for the criminoles. FSU always has top 5 recruiting classes, yet cant cash in on the talent. They take players who have some thug tendancies, and bring out the inner thug and ened up wasting the talent and lives. You have to wonder how they keep getting top talent each year ($$).

kudos to Tubs for standing for a clean program.

its about time we stop giving attention to these players who commit early and visit others schools late and decommit. it shows a lack of integrity to do so and back out. If you arent sure, dont commit.

12:33 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

I'm tempted to take down that post. I hate people lobbing up accusations without anything to support those claims, but I reallllly don't like censoring the stuff written here.

Play nice.

12:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

any chance AU pulls it out against Kentucky? I agree that Lebo is doing one hell of a coaching job. I dont think his recruting is off par. He has the talent, theyre just sitting on the bench injured or ineligible.

The game plans that this team is forced to play with a 4 G/1 F lineup is pretty remarkable that they can even challenge a team like Vandy etc.

Quan Prowell is a team player. He is a perimeter player who has learned to play the inside game pretty effectively

You gotta love Tolbert. Hargrove is fun to watch too.

12:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

whenever you start something with "i heard" it's pretty much dead in the water there regardless of whether or not it may be true. it may be true. i assumed something far less ugly. i just assumed auburn did not want to play second fiddle when the guy may be better suited as a small TE in the spread or even a LB.

12:56 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

I couldn't be a college coach because all this switching of allegiances would drive me crazy. The kid is with you one minute, in love with a rival later that day. It's silly and petty and wishy-washy and I would get so mad.

That's not a shot at Jarmon Fortson or George Baker. It's not even a shot at quarterback LaTrez Harrison, the one-time Auburn commitment who later signed with Maryland in 99 or 2000.

Y'all remember the Von Ewing crap? Blah blah blah. It's a circus.

1:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

anon ... can you name another current LB besides Ryans? I can't.

Try this on for size though. Current AU LB's in the NFL.

1. Dontarius Thomas (Minnesota)
2. Will Herring (Seattle)
3. Karlos Dansby (Arizona)
4. Takeo Spikes (Philadelphia)
5. Reggie Torbor (New York Giants)
6. Marcus Washington (Washington)
7. Travis Williams (Atlanta)

Any questions?

3:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh wait ... my bad ... there is also Derrick Pope for UA as an NFL LB. So UA has two, and AU has SEVEN. Hmm ... does that mean anything? Apparently not to anon.

3:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

by the way, there are too many anons. Y'all pick a damn name so I'll know who I'm arguing with.

3:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would guess that you also belive that historically Auburn has a better football program that Alabama. By your comments on this blog I can tell that the only time that you ever stepped foot on a football field was at halftime when you were the leading jazz flute player in your high dchool band.

4:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me say this peckerhead ... we can suit up anytime you get ready ... daddy. you have a short memory among other short things.

By the way, try to live in this decade if you can.

4:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

auburnmath:
get your panties out of a wad. I just corrected your mistake by you saying that alabama hasn't had a decent linebacker since Bennett. I wish Harris would go to Auburn too. War Eagle

4:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jay,
I knew J. Harris was out for Auburn when I heard he was from Gadsden,AL.
Gene Jelks was from there also. We all know what goes on in Gadsden don't we Jerrell.

8:56 PM  

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