10/23/98.Big day in my life. Unofficially, it was the first day of my career as an Auburn beat writer. I was merely a sidebar hag covering Ala-Tennessee that day. My editor called, told me that my new job was to handle Auburn's search for a new coach.
I'd never heard of David Housel.
Anyway, we're 10 years removed from Terry Bowden's departure. Has much changed? Tommy Tuberville is in serious trouble, a former assistant is questioning him on the radio and Important People are considering their alternatives.
Anyway, I thought it was worth noting.
Reminds me of a lyric from Rush's song "Circumstances": Plus ce change, plus c'est la meme chose.
(As alarming as Auburn's problems are right now, they're not in the same zip code as the 1998 debacle. The Tigers can fix their current issues. Terry Bowden's final year on the Plains defined the word terminal.)
Seeing that picture made me throw up in my mouth a little.
ReplyDeleteIt sure would have been interesting if Terry had gotten the WV job instead of the guy they hired.
Bowdens ... West Virginia folk.
ReplyDeleteThe parallels are weird.
Yes!!! Now, I could have done without the picture of Bowden, but you are correct. The last year of Bowden was far worse. Tomorrow's headline: "Tubberville: At Least He's Not Bowden".
ReplyDeleteSorry ya gotta leave pa so soon, jay, i've worked in microbreweries there the past 9 yrs before movin back down south, coulda had you a spot at a great restaurant and your own personal beer wench to keep your mug full. Oh, and just thinkin of tot makes me feel the need for a drink. It also makes me wanna apologize to stephen davis again for the hire. Gotta go to the store for some good swill.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that Pat Forde wrote an piece on his interview with CTF on espn.com. Has a bigger deal ever been made over an assistant coach getting fired?
ReplyDeletethat sounds like a great t shirt steve. Atleast a gameday sign.
ReplyDeleteWell, after Franklin's interviews, I suspect he couldn't be more fired than he is right now.
ReplyDeleteyeah, when i refreshed the page and saw Tater-Tot i about fell out of my chair.
ReplyDeleteBowden should have been fired after the Outback Bowl vs Penn State following the 1995 season.
ReplyDeleteThat loud thump you heard was me falling out of chair after seeing the blog picture of Bowden.
ReplyDeleteI know everybody loves to get their hate on with TB, but my all time fave game attended memory is the 1993 Florida. Calvin Jackson running back the INT for a touchdown. TB standing in front of the stands after the game, misting rain and nobody would leave the stadium.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least Jay wasn't suggesting Bowden should be the next head coach. I do appreciate some of what Bowden did for Auburn. Recruiting wasn't one of those things. Firing Wayne Hall wasn't either. And abandoning the team in the middle of the season was not forgiveable.
ReplyDeleteand HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JAY! I'm sure glad your editor assigned you to us way back when.
ReplyDeleteSomehow a Christmas Vacation quote comes to mind. "I couldn't have been more surprised if I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet". Just think what this game would have meant if Bowden had gotten the West Virginia job, like he wanted.
ReplyDeletelook who is on the coaches hot seat...
ReplyDeleteCoaches Hotseat
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ReplyDeletesteve, u really think Terry would've lasted at WVU for 10 years to see this game? not so much.
ReplyDeletecongrats on the 10 years JG. i'm sure i was sitting in class somewhere in Haley Center in a state of depression on this date 10 years ago.
1993 was a magical year....on the radio. i listened to every play.
ReplyDeletePhysically, I don't think WVA is physical enough.
ReplyDeleteWow. There is a CoachesHotseat.com
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Democritus(Greek philosopher, 460-370bc) “Our sins are more easily remembered than our good deeds.”
ReplyDeleteBowden wanted the WV job when Rich Rod left. It would have been hilarious if he had gotten it.
ReplyDeleteAhh the Tater Tot memories. I don't like him anymore than the rest of the Auburn family, but he did give us a good run for a couple of years. And even though we lost it, that 1997 SECCG was one helluva football game.
ReplyDeleteGrats Jay on the anniversary. Funny how the more things change the more they stay the same...
Scottie- Terry B was a finalist for the job last year and may have gotten the job if Stewart had not beat Oklahoma.
ReplyDeletejim in scranton said...
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that Pat Forde wrote an piece on his interview with CTF on espn.com. Has a bigger deal ever been made over an assistant coach getting fired?
Has a successful major-college HC ever fired an assitant - particularly a coordinator - in the middle of a season before?
I couldn't remember it happening prior to Franklin. . .
oh, my bad eddie and steve. brain freeze. i was thinking '1998' when he left. duh.
ReplyDeletei'm a little anxioius to get outta work and head to the hizzie. may be jetting out 3 hours early today. i'm worthless anyways.
Jay G - So I'm assuming you didn't come from Alabama. A little bio would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteok look OBVIOUSLY this dude on 740 is reading this blog because NO WAY IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL did he come up with "passive aggressive" all on his own.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of work, I have a meeting an hour and a half before kickoff. Gonna be a close call. Job vs game? Hmmm, may have to do my best impression of interest in the meeting.
ReplyDeleteJay is from Kentucky, but I overlook that.
ReplyDeleteman up, Steve - blow off the meeting
ReplyDeleteJim Fyffe was from KY too, but I never held that against him.
ReplyDeletethat's rough steve. good luck.
ReplyDeleteYepp. This site has to be being read by the hosts of 740 round table.
ReplyDeleteOh that's Josh???? Well, no wonder. At least Josh has some good sense.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is interested in what it is like in West Virginia, look up Jesco White on youtube.
ReplyDeleteFortunately my meetings are all over the phone and I work from home so the TV can be on. I just have to turn the sound down and occasionally say umhmm.
ReplyDeleteI'm supposed to be on that radio program at 1:30. I'm talking about WMSP.
ReplyDeleteJosh is channeling me! This makes it official. Josh and Jay should have their own show. (see how worship anyone who agrees with me?)
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteI took the bait. Sloppy eggs was somewhat disturbing.
Steve - I live in WV and I'm not like Jesco White.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, sorry about that Monica.
ReplyDeleteuh huh - I'm putting you on my list.
ReplyDeleteSOOOOO.... If Tubs loses or looks bad tonight, Josh Moon thinks its over. What say ya, Jay.
ReplyDeleteI've listened to about 5 minutes of WMSP and so far it is far superior to anything we have here in the Ham.
ReplyDeleteBrief bio
ReplyDeleteBorn in Ky.
Grew up in San Diego and Tulsa, Okla. 1990 HS grad.
1994 Transylvania U. grad (Lexington, Ky.)
1998 U. Kentucky grad (Lexington, Ky.)
1998-today @ Montgomery Advertiser
That pretty much sums it up for me, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they'd fire him tomorrow, but this would be Coup De Grace.
you baited me too. the DANCING OUTLAW? r u serious? Monica, you're safe b/c you're not from there. that's just god-awful. like, jan terri awful......"held a butcher knife up to her neck" because "i'm tired of eating slimy, sloppy eggs". wow.
ReplyDeleteSo, does this make this game and Ole Miss must wins at all costs? If thats the case, I guarentee we will see Trotter.
ReplyDeleteJay, you might as well put that on your profile thingy. People ask you constantly and as your worshipers grow it's going to get worse.
ReplyDeleteHey, you need an agent and I'm available. I'll only take 75%.
so, this is the biggest game of Tubs' career at AU? sounds like it.
ReplyDeleteI despise Tater Tot. What is it like in good ole West Virginia today Jay? What is the teams attitude?
ReplyDeleteI think the Franklin Interviews were bad for Tubs because it will sway people on the fence for Tubs to the "Fire Tubs" side of the fence.
ReplyDeleteRE: the caller on the line
ReplyDeletepuuuhleeeze
I'm still in suburban PIT. I'm heading down there in about an hour.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a mystery WHY he went to spread considering he SAID he did it for recruiting purposes.
ReplyDeleteFor those listening to 740: Brother Oliver always thought he would be a better OC than DC. Food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Franklin interviews hurt Tuberville. If anything, I think it made me realize he did the right thing in getting rid of Franklin.
ReplyDeleteDon't these guys have producers? Is Josh a bammer?
ReplyDeleteYeah I think Moon is bammer...
ReplyDeleteouch - now I'm conflicted
ReplyDeleteThis is still better radio than the crap on WJOX.
ReplyDeleteJay,
ReplyDeleteHaving covered AU for so long, do you find yorself rooting for AU while covering the team?
I was a Junior at Auburn in 98, nobody gave a damn about the team that year....at least students....I remember driving in my car and hearing Andy Burcham announce that Bowden had been axed, we all just kept drinking.
ReplyDeleteI hope it wasn't a surprise party!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about JOX, James.
ReplyDeleteFranklin just needs to go be head coach somewhere. That way he can stop people from being mean to him in the headset. He can even build himself a little crying room where he can go when he's feeling all vaclemped.
sheesh
1998 was my last year there, and that was not a fun year to follow the football team.
ReplyDeleteI remember having 4 plays from the 2 yard line vs UT, and not being able to get the ball in. Of course by then we were on our 5th center of the year.
Nobody smarter than Tony Franklin? Somehow, somewhere, there has to be somebody smart enough to have the people skills to keep himself from getting fired in the middle of the season.
ReplyDeleteJay is going to be wanting an Auburn win big so that his Weezer concert is not interrupted.
ReplyDeleterk, the sad thing is our d played good that day.....Jamal Lewis tore his ACL and missed the NC game.
ReplyDeleteIt was 17-9 against the eventual national champions and we had the ball with a chance at the end of the game, but Gross couldn't get it done after Leard got hurt. (Which was on a QB sneak on that goalline situation I was talking about.)
ReplyDeleteI remember in that game, we came out with Leard running the option and he pitched to Demontray Carter for a long run, but Shawn Ellis completely destroyed Leard as he pitched the ball.
Just to anger myself, I looked it up Quinten Reece recovered the ball at the 1 yard line on a Tee Martin fumble.
ReplyDeleteHere are our 4 plays, it may look familiar....apparently Leard got hurt before this drive.
A 1-G T01 AUBURN drive start at 06:31 (2nd).
A 1-G T01 Gabe Gross rush for no gain to the TENN1 (TM).
A 2-G T01 Gabe Gross rush for no gain to the TENN1 (TM).
A 3-G T01 Timeout Auburn, clock 05:25.
A 3-G T01 Tellie Embery rush for no gain to the TENN1 (95).
A 4-G T01 Tellie Embery rush for loss of 1 yard to the TENN2 (46).
RK- That was the breaking point of the season if you asked me. The defense was all up in the offenses face after that series and it was just a fracturing point of that team.
ReplyDeleterk, sad to see...we were there during some lean times.
ReplyDeleteTellie Embry...what a dangerous goal line force!
ReplyDeleteI never understood why Burks or Carter didn't get a shot over the top from the goalline...instead of Tellie Embery.
ReplyDeleteThe D held UT under 220 total yards in that game. Jamal Lewis had 140 of them before he got hurt.
ReplyDeleteHowever Leard started the game 1/10 before he got hurt, but I'm 99% sure he got a concussion on the 1st drive on that option pitch to Carter where he got killed.
I think i saw leard out that night, I think he got a cut on his chin from that hit
ReplyDeletePretty sure Demontray came up limping after that long run - in fact I think he pulled a hammy during the play, which is why the UT defender caught him before he scored. Only carried the ball 3 more times after that.
ReplyDeleteWhoops, shoulda researched before that last post - Carter toted the rock for the first 4 snaps, culminating on the 49-yard-scamper to the UT 10 yard line, which was his last attempt of the day.
ReplyDeleteTwo plays later Leard threw a TAINT, and we all knew then it was over.
When you have two national championships and 6 final four appearances, you can have a bad year or two. Then, all of sudden, people start calling repeat trips to the Sweet Sixteen mediocrity.
ReplyDeleteI still don't think we will be able to run against Bob Huggins' defense. He is just too tough.
On a basketball note, Auburn should have hired Bob Knight and not let him go to Texas Tech. I mean Jay G could have made a career covering the General.
CTT kinda reminds me of Bob Huggins, minus recruiting the thugs and the drinking problem, and being a profane individual. But professionally, they have accomplished roughly the same things. Huggs has one final four appearance and some elite eights. CTT has one undefeated season and some notable bowl appearances.
Bob Huggins has always been a great recruiter. However, he cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Mike Kryzewski, Bob Knight, Roy Williams, or Rick Pitino when it comes to great college basketball coaches. The reason why: National Championships. Bog Huggins has zero. Yes, he has one final four, but there were many other years the Bearcats were expected to go deep into the NCAA tournament but instead packed their bags for home after the second round. Plus, this trip to the final four is tainted because all of the teams seeded higher than the Bearcats in their side of the bracket had already lost before Cincinnati had to face them. As a four seed that season, UC only had to face lower seeds on their way to the final round.
Besides the previously mentioned elite eight appearances and the final four appearances, Huggins could achieve only one sweet sixteen appearance. That amounts to ten second round exits out of 14 NCAA tournament appearances. Plus, Huggins piled up offcourt issues along the way from
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/205659/bob_huggins_finally_returns_to_alma.html?cat=14
WHy did I mention that. I don't know. It seemed more interesting to me than talking about Josh Moon or anything like that.
ReplyDelete