Your Daily Fix, 7/15 (in progress)

Hey everyone. Let's get to business.

I had a chance to talk with Troy coach Larry Blakeney this afternoon after his talk to the Montgomery Kiwanis Club downtown. He, of course, was the first guy to hire Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin after a series of 2001 problems.

Blakeney hired Franklin in 2006, though he planned to do so much earlier.

Here are some interesting things Blakeney had to say about Franklin:

• Blakeney wanted to hire Franklin months after the entire staff at Kentucky was dismissed in February 2001. The problem? "To be honest, I just didn't have a lot of money at that point. He couldn't just (come to Troy) without being sure he could make it financially. A few years later, we were better off, he was better off and we got it together."
  
  
• Blakeney never believed Franklin was involved in the problems that led to NCAA sanctions at Kentucky. "I knew he was clean."
  
  
• Blakeney believes Franklin's scheme will translate well to the SEC. ``He's a fundamental football coach who understands that you can't just throw the ball to be successful. It's the best system I've ever seen. He's the best there is."
  
  
• How enamored was Blakeney? After Franklin left for Auburn, Troy promoted Franklin's protege (27-year-old Neal Brown) into the top spot. ``When Tony left, we promoted the guy who was closest we could come to Tony without it being Tony. That's how strongly I feel about it."
  

Wally Hall of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette thinks Auburn could be in the thick of the BCS race this fall. I don't disagree with the premise. I have a couple differences of opinions.

a.) How is Auburn "flying under the radar" with a 42-9 record since 2004?

b.) I don't think it's imperative that Kodi Burns emerge as the No. 1 guy.

Tommy and Wally have a love-hate relationship that spans back more than 20 years. I love listening to them jab at each other. Tommy always says he doesn't read the newspaper, yet he has a keen awareness of what Auburn beat writers and selected regional columnists (Wally being one) are saying about him. Funny.

I'll be on a Jackson, Miss., station tomorrow morning talking Auburn football. The station added live streaming yesterday. Lucky you. Click here for streaming audio. (The file opened in iTunes for me)

You know I love Rock Band. You may not know that I enjoy The Who quite a bit. These two interests married this morning when a Who pack was made available on XBox Live as DLC.

Here is a preview of my fave "Eminence Front." There are 11 other songs in the pack, which costs 1600 points. You can buy the tracks individually for 160 points.

"Amazing Journey"
"Baba O'Riley"
"Behind Blue Eyes"
"Eminence Front"
"Going Mobile"
"Leaving Here"
"My Generation" (Live at Leeds)
"Real Good Looking Boy"
"Sea & Sand"
"Summertime Blues" (Live at Leeds)http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
"Who Are You"
"Young Man Blues" (Live at Leeds)



Also in videogame news, NCAA 09 hits retail shelves this morning. I'm sure a massive group of HOTTIES will be playing this afternoon. You may be taking a sick day. Let me know how it goes.