How about that, huh?
So you can see on the Twitter feed right over there ...Tuberville came out this afternoon addressing any and all rumors about health. And the ones about contract buyouts. And basically everything else.
Apparently, he was forced to debunk plenty of rumors during his recruiting visits late last week. Much of it had been discussed here. We all know about Tuberville's neck problems, but he said that's not going to be a job-affecting deal.
Here are the quotes:
- On the rumors: "I'm not tired of coaching. I'm fired up as ever. You know, I've been here 10 years as head coach, this is my 30th year to coach, and I feel as good right now as I ever had about coaching football and young guys. I still have that drive. You pretty much have to, 14-, 18-hour days this time of year. I read that my drive was gone."
- On how the team has responded: "The one thing I will tell you about our football team is that with all these distractions from the outside, I can tell more about our football team when things go like this then I do at any other time. A good football team is made from within, not from without. We've got some great kids on this team that have busted their tail and they have hurt immensely. And you should as much time and effort as they put into it. You can put every fan together and it wouldn't come near the hurt that it hurts one of these kids to lose a football game, the effort and time they put into it. I'm proud of it."
- On being An Auburn Man: "I just wanted to let you know. I've been here 10 years. I plan on being here 10 more. I'm looking forward to it. All these rumors get started. I'm 10 years an Auburn man and I'm 10 years more of an Auburn man than most because I put my heart and soul in this thing and we ain't going to stop now. We're going to keep working and striving to get better because we do have a good football team."
- On the haters: "We've got a great program here that's going to get stronger, that's going to get better. All the detractors from outside that keep throwing stones at us, that's fine. I love it. It makes us work harder."
- On any discussions he had with Jay Jacobs: "He's been very supportive. Dr. Gogue is the guy; he makes all the decisions. At the end of the year we sit down and we visit about how things have gone. Very little of it, to be honest with you, last year, wasn't even about winning or losing. It was about everything else. And that's what it should be. I'm a football coach and everything that goes along with it. I know more about this program than most people combined, what I've put into it in the last 10 years."
SO WHAT DID I THINK?: I'm like Tommy in the sense that I have no problem eschewing diplomacy when I'm angry. He's angry. This is exactly what I would have done. Was it the best move? Probably not. I think it creates almost as many rumors as it quells. Why did he feel the need to say that? Why would he address rumors if they're not true?
posted by Jay G. Tate at
1:24 PM
116 Comments:
Nice to know his concern is on saving his face in the eyes of recruits, parents, and criticizers.
Not like there's a big road game against a team with a QB from this state who basically said he never liked the in-state schools and with the speed in the backfield to rock us into never-never land.
I'm surprised he didn't mention Butch Davis & Lane Kiffin just to get all the rumors out there.
Sensible,
You gotta think he addressed the game as well, Jay G was just getting the juicy stuff out there 1st.
I'd say with his job on the line, Tub has some focus on the game this week. Just a guess.
I'm sure that's the case, RK.
I just miss the old Tubs who would have never even gone there.
Kinda like he did back in the summer when all the fights were going on and people were breathing down his neck.
It's funny what 3 losses and a bunch of wins from your in-state rival can do to change the situation.
"We've got a great program that's getting better." I ask anyone for proof that this program is getting better. Whether it is crumbling or not is up for debate but getting better? Am I the one missing something?
Not just 3 losses, but 2 losses to really inferior teams and an offense that on a good day has found the endzone twice in a game.
It's funny, last year everyone was upset when he wouldn't discuss his status, now people will get upset when he does discuss it.
With 3 losses and rumors all over the place, I'm sure someone felt the need for a public statement, whether it was Tub or someone else.
Sounds like he isn't going out without a fight. I hope the team comes out with the same fire Thursday night!
He should have mentioned he wasn't going to retire and be the AD.
He needs to cover all the rumors.
Maybe he should comment on the UFO STORY as well.
http://wareagleextra.blogspot.com/2008/10/tuberville-ive-been-here-10-years-i.html
full transcript
that got me fired up
This comment has been removed by the author.
As a coda to the last post, I hope that means we are ready to get it going this season
Jay I heard that CTT said that we should just stop listening to "those idiots on the radio". That true?? At least he didnt say bloggers huh? lol
"you can put every fan together and it wouldn't come near the hurt that it hurts one of these kids to lose a football game, the effort and time that they put into it."
We forget this sometimes as fans...but I wholeheartedly believe it's true
Well, I think this may be the oh crap addresss to the Auburn family. There was a time when CTT wouldn't have found this necessary. People, I don't want to cause any undo angst, but as with jobs, if your boss calls an all hands meeting to say there is nothing to worry about, that is the biggest red flag that you can have that there is something to worry about.
Well,I said last week that he should have made a definitive statement.
Maybe CTT is reading the HABOTN. Not sure where the crap he spewed last week came from; but, my guess is everyone needed an off week to recharge their batteries.
The "one bad year, so be it" comment was sad.
This is more like the CTT we all know. Fighting and digging and winning until the end.
People, this isn't a good sign. Let me put it this way. He has said we believe in the spread offense. He has said that CTF is a great coach an works harder than anyone. He as also said, CTF, you're fired. Sometimes, when it seems that the clouds are darkest, when all hope seems to have faded, when nothing is working out, it is time to just shut up an play football.
well we can't play football until Thursday...and there was a press conference today so he kinda had to say something
Tony Franklin definately put in the hours. The reason the offense didn't work while he was the OC wasn't because of lack of effort.
As for needing to make a statement, may a paraphrase. I will not be the next head coach at Auburn University. Does that sound oddly familiar? There is another HC in the state that could have taken my just shut up and play football advice too.
Alright.
I'll get quotes up, then we'll go with video and then other stuff.
Rod and The B.O.Z. had some stuff to say about this situation.
that was no "oh crap" address steve. that was a im a man on a mission speech
Steve,
You confuse me. Most of the time you come across as the biggest sunshine guy on here when talking about the program. Now when, at least I feel like Tub said some positive stuff today, you are a black cloud.
I think a lot of positive can come out of him addressing this...however you also have to take it with a grain of salt based on comments we've heard all year long.
I guess we'll see where we are heading Thursday night.
Well, this might be a good night for a campfire if your quotes are as good as it seems. You might suggest to Tuberville that he compare the loss to Arkansas to 9/11, Pearl Harbor, The Massacre at Little Big Horn, and the Holocaust. I am telling you, during these times, saying less works much better.
steve that is the worst comparison ive ever heard. that is nowhere near the ball park
I don't get the saban refrences
FYI, and I'm very proud of this:
HABOTN.com is now live.
If you go there, you end up here. When I go on the radio now and people ask me where the site is, I can just say HABOTN DOT COM instead of "google me."
YAY.
Try it out if you wanna.
tubbs addressed rumors about himself. he said he still has the drive to be here and win. he didnt say much of anything about the losses
HABOTN.com has been a long time coming... nice work
HABOTN DOT COM also looks way better on a t-shirt. Just sayin'.
dang right jay
hotties for life
indeed
wareaglerk, in general I am a positive person. I see the good that Todd did when many don't. I see the potential of Burns. I see a lot of talent on this offense.
What occurs between games tends to bother me more than the games themselves. If they say they are going to simplify the offense one more time, I may have to find a brick wall to bang my head into.
There is a time when the talk gets old. If CTT really wants to quiet the talk, they will come out and show significant improvement against WV.
Talk is cheap. Talk is also getting very old. Forget the excuses. We don't have to win for me to like CTT. We just have to look well coached. I am hoping that will be the case against WV.
The comments after the Vandy game bothered me more than anything else this season. Players saying they don't understand what they are suppose to do is not excusable. CTT did the right thing in making changes. Now is the time to show some results.
I see Tubs found a backbone today. About time. Just hope his mouth can cash the check.
jay whats your take on the presser?
Tubbs said we had a "special team this year." Does that mean his health is in a decline? Just asking.
there wasnt any "talk" about the team and making changes. it was a man saying he is putting all he has into getting us back on track. i dont see any fluff in that
I hope the players are as motivated by CTT as all of us (except Steve) seem to be
"Talk is cheap. Talk is also getting very old"
Maybe he could use sign language at his next press conference to freshen things up. What do you want him to say?
I am having issues connecting to habotn dot com. It may take a bit for the new domain to trickle through to all he DNS servers.
Quotes are up.
Steve: Yeah. They told me that it could take up to 48 hours for all DNS servers to "agree" on the site.
ron, I think he has said enough. I would worry about doing now. The talk today would have been better after a win. There is only so much positive talking that can go on. Time to prove a point.
Well it sounded like a "back up off me" speech. LOL
CTT said he was 10 years more of an Auburn man than most because he puts his heart and soul into this. You know what...he might have a point.
It definitely was a "back up off me" speech.
whats your take on it jay?
CTT does deserve the right to say back off. He has done a lot for Auburn. I believe he is our 3rd winningest coach, or is it 2nd. He probably is close to catching Dye, if he hasn't already.
It isn't so much what CTT is saying that bothers me, but rather when he is saying it.
Can't say I am particularly fired up by any of this speech. But I'm just not much of a rah rah guy. I don't see anything wrong with it, I think it was what needed to be said in light of the doubts the recruits might be having. I give it a B+.
he is addressing rumors that he has heard the past two weeks... how is his timing off?
I just hope we don't get run off the field Thursday night...again.
I don't care if Snow White and the 7 Dwafs are coaching.
im with ron. no timing issue. would you rather continue to let rumors swell about his health and his desire to coach? not me. i want someone to stop them dead in the track and falt out say "youre dead wrong"
Taylor, I now have provided my opinion on the main page.
flat*
thanks jay. what kind of new rumors would you say it started?
It's time to get some HABOTN shirts made! I'll wear mine proudly around "The Gump"!!
I identified them in italics.
It's so rare to see a coach (or anyone serving in a similar capacity) address stuff like that. So it begs the question: Why would he address it?
Let THOSE rumors begin ...
Finebaum is all over that part of it, JGT.
prolly cause he's fed up with all of the rumors....just like he said.
Jay - do you think this was a planned rant..or did a question/moment in the press conference spur it on?
Planned all the way.
I think he referenced the rumors because it was a chance to get the fans on his side and show how much of an Auburn man he is. That makes him much harder to fire. I think his job is in danger, but the neck-pain retirement business is probably false. It gives him a good opportunity to bolster fan support and encourage recruits and make it that much more likely that he will be coach next year.
OR
His neck does hurt and he just wants to keep the team and the recruits happy until they name his successor. Hmmm, doesn't seem all that likely.
(B-Matt said he quit Finebaum.)
Oops.
I have similar concerns as Jay. The problem I see with timing is that this could get the focus off the game at hand. Players have to be wondering why this needed to be addressed so soon and that if CTT is focused on these concerns, there might be some validity to them. This would have came off much better if it were after a big win, not in the middle of a two game loosing streak. The WV game looks to be the most important game of the year at this point.
"Why would he address these rumors?" Well it could have something to do with the fact that he just came off of a long recruiting weekend and I bet he encountered many of these rumors from recruits both committed and those still uncommitted. I would say this was as much of an attempt to calm the fears of the faithful as well as the future faithful.
why cant he just be dispelling rumors? most of it was about his his health and desire.
its funny how you get used to winning and you have an off year and its like weve havent won a game in 5 years. look at Penn St and Joe Pa. they have stuck with him when they had down years. tubbs is right. we have led every game at the half. even with a horrible offense we have been in a position to win. we have lost 3 games by a total of 8 points. that wont become a trend every year.
btw, cory...i designed a pimping shirt, but jay says the advertiser thinks they should be handling that...so we are on hold
i guess you'd consider me a 'rah rah' guy. i like it. a little passion never hurt anybody. i'm glad he's a bit fired up regardless of what he's addressing. i'd be disappointed if he wasn't.
I hope Tubs does right the ship. Ii am glad to see him stand up for himself, but I only feel that he is doing so because he has been backed into a corner.
If you don't talk wins and losses at the end of the year? What do you get graded on. I agree that there are other factors, but I got to believe that W's and L's are the most important grade.
tubbs knows when to get fired up and when not to...see UF game last year on that bogus fair catch interference penalty. he went nuts and the team got fired up because it...the next series? UF went three and out and we won the game
Taylor, I agree with you. Standing behind CTT is the way to go. He has earned the respect. He had the guts to say bye bye to CTF. Heck, if Shula has said bye bye to Rader, he might still be at Bama. CTT has showning the willingness to make changes when they are needed and I respect him for that. He is willing to make the hard decisions. His job should not be in question after this season.
I don't think this is bad timing for the players. If I am receiving emails and talking to friends about these rumors, don't you think every student in class and off the field are asking the players about the rumors? It's not like they live in an insulated bubbles. The more rumors that are dispelled, the easier it is on the players, no matter if a game is a couple of days away or not.
Now, the flip side of consistently dispelling rumors is that you can't say "no comment" when another rumor is brought up, because then automatically people will think that rumor is true. Believe it or not, some coaches have actually lied to avoid controversy when faced with this conundrum.
it's nice to hear other people show their support of Tubs. i've felt i was in the minority.
good call michael. i think its good for the players and recruits to hear what he said. its the kind they will rally behind
I think it needed to be done regardless of where I think Auburn should be with a coach.
But what I want to know is, what is "everything else" in the below passage?
On any discussions he had with Jay Jacobs: "He's been very supportive. Dr. Gogue is the guy; he makes all the decisions. At the end of the year we sit down and we visit about how things have gone. Very little of it, to be honest with you, last year, wasn't even about winning or losing. It was about everything else. And that's what it should be. I'm a football coach and everything that goes along with it. I know more about this program than most people combined, what I've put into it in the last 10 years."
eddie4au, I disagree. W's and L's aren't the most important thing. These kids playing the game are what is most important. I would rather see us loose every game and teach these kids the right way to do things, rather than win at all cost, even if it meant an MNC. CTT has made a point at times of doing things that are best for Auburn in the long run. We had an outstanding high profile LB about 4 or 5 years ago that had a taste for the sweat leaf. CTT kicked is high profile butt off the team. That is what good coaches do. Could we have won more games with the kid in the short term? Possibly. I will take the long term.
By the way, there is a big difference between talking to the players about rumors and talking to the media about it.
for god's sake...when you are 7-2 against bama (and i dont care how bad they sucked) there shouldnt be fans or administration wanting you fired. 7 and freaking 2 people!
If Tubbs was coaching at an ACC school with the success he has had here, every SEC HC opening would have him on the wishlist
Good point Taylor. Auburn would likely be the top team in the ACC this year. The SEC is a different animal. There is parity. Even the worst teams in the SEC will give a lot of outside folks fits. Ask Wake Forest.
Speaking of Wake Forest, how about them getting zeroed by Maryland last week?
Good god. Have some dignity!
Thanks Jay. I hadn't heard about the Wake Forest meltdown. Any chance that the ACC will just decide not to have a champion this season?
Taylor, there is more to life for Auburn than beating Alabama.
SEC Championships
BCS Bowls
dare I write it, BCS Championships
The ACC doesn't have a single team in the top 20. They have three in the top 25. Somehow, I think they can't wait for basketball season.
Mr. Sensible, I agree. The Iron Bowl isn't even our biggest game of the year, although that could change. Things will be very interesting this season.
habotn.com works out here. sweet.
im not arguing that mr S. im with you on that one. im just saying its not like we arent a contender every year.
sure we have fallen out of position to this year, but if we axe TT, we take several steps back.
TT is one the best coaches in the SEC and nation...just ask herbstreit:
http://www.trackemtigers.com/2008/10/15/635804/even-herbie-is-talking-tub
and he hates auburn
habotn.com now works for me too. Congrats Jay.
Thanks for all the support.
Taylor -- the link works but the video apparently has been taken down.
ALL CAPS FOR THIS ONE:
THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN BEATING ALABAMA.
We may still beat Bama. I trust in their ability to make the proper adjustments and continue their November tradion. You never know.
ok....bigger picture:
84-36 in 9.5 seasons equates to .700 winning %. how many guys not coaching at USC are better?
Why do we take several steps back if Tuberville is fired? Last I checked, Bama took several steps forward after they fired Shula. We took several steps forward after Bowden was fired...er...resigned.
I'm with sensible, SEC championships should be our goal, not just to beat Alabama.
If our big goal is Alabama, then we are short changing ourselves every year. I hate the inferiority complex it sometimes seems we have with them.
I liked Tub today. It's the old fire that's been missing lately.
Taylor, it's not longer about winning games...it's the lack of trophies. Not just the ones we get for tying for the west.
dont get me wrong. i agree, SECCG is where we want to be. no doubt. i think TT has put auburn in a position to have a shot at it every year. and i dont think we could get to it every single year if we cant beat alabama.
and we wont get to it EVERY year. this is the SEC. logically, the next goal to work toward is a solid bowl game and beating alabama
but i want to be in ATL every just as much as any hottie
I think the hard part is, we aren't even getting our share of shots at SEC championships. I don't think there is a team that comes close to how many close calls we've had.
While UGA and LSU have been racking up championships the past decade, we keep coming one game short. It's that one game in the regular season that's killing us.
It was losing 3 out of our last 4 SEC games in 01 and tying LSU for the West.
It was the embarassment vs Arkansas and two last min break downs vs UGA & UF in 02 that tied us for the West.
It was the 5 missed FG's vs LSU in 05 that tied us for the West.
It was the two complete breakdowns vs Ark & UGA in 06 that kept us from Atlanta.
Last year it was a home loss to Miss State, a complete breakdown vs UGA and a last second TD vs LSU.
If we win any one of those games I listed above, we play for the SEC title, if not more.
Yes, he has a great record, but we never seem to get over the hump and always lose a game that makes no sense. Trust me, I know these things happen to a lot of teams, but I don't think there is anyone in the SEC who gets as close as we do to Atlanta to only make it 3 times in 17 years, much less 2 times in 10 years under Tub.
Somebody on here mentioned that we had beaten Bama six years in a row the other day and that maybe we could still beat them.
Who cares. Who hasn't beaten Alabama over the last six years.
While beating us is a goal of theirs, the utmost goal is the NAtional Championship. That is it.
Win it and everything else has been taken care of.
also:
if tuberville had lost 6 straight to bama you better believe every single one of you would be calling for his head. so dont pretend like beating bama doesnt matter
Our goal should be winning national championships. Period.
If we can consistantly get to Atlanta, there will be national championship opportunities.
I can't believe someone actually mentioned how good Bama did by firing Shula. Look at Price, Fran, Dubose, Stallings, Curry, Perkins. Coaching instability hurts a program.
As for Saban, we will have to wait and see. They are having a good year. They were 6-6 last year. Heck, they could be 6-6 next year. Saban is an okay coach that has won 10 games in a couple of seasons. I don't want to model what we do after Bama.
CTT has stuck with us. If you don't believe he couldn't have left many times, you are out of touch with reality. There is a huge benefit to having a stable coaching situation. Look at FSU. The could have waited and hired a big name. The chose instead to have a stable transition. It works in the long term.
Never said it doesn't matter, but until this program and the fan base gets past the beating Bama is greater than everything else, we'll never get over the hump of being a really good team to being a great team.
i mean seriously...what fan/player/coach doenst do what he does and to win championships.
thats like saying:
i want to be happy and successful.
big DUH.
everyone wants to win championships. you all make it sound like the players and coaches dont want that.
I don't think anyone has ever said that these players don't want to win.
"Our goal should be winning national championships"
everyone is saying it SHOULD be our goal.
but thats always the goal. they dont play and coach so they can go to shreveport during christmads break when they could be spending time with family thats for sure.
I have no doubt the players and coaches want and work for NC's. I do believe some of the fans have internalized the "little brother" role and are (consciously or otherwise) happy with mediocrity.
no fan is happy with mediocrity. but if i cant be watching my boys play for the SEC championship, i sure as hell want to beat alabama.
thats not to say i am happy to be an 8-4 team every year as long as we beat bama. but if we end up not going to atl but 1 time the next 3 years, the 2 years we dont go, i dont want to deal with no championship game and losing to bama. that doesnt make me happy to be average, it makes me an auburn man, beacause auburn men and women love their school and hate alabama. if i cant achieve the big dream, im gonna hop down the closest thing FOR THAT YEAR. but come spring practice, its MNC or bust everytime.
it is ALWAYS great to beat alabama.
It is always great to beat Alabama. The point people are trying to make is that some consider it a successful season if we beat them and do nothing else.
It just sucks that out of the 6 in a row that we have won, only once did we play in the SEC championship game after that.
It's just hard to know we are a play or two away in 01, 02, 05 & 07 from getting there, and didn't make it happen. There is a hump we seem to not be able to get over. We only got over it in 04.
Taylor - While, I admire your passion, I don't think you can speak for every Auburn fan. I know people who call themselves fans who are "happy enough" with a 6 and or 7 and season as long as it includes beating Bama. More telling is the fact that those fans are "afraid" of losing CTT based primarily on his record against Bama.
I'm not generalizing those fans to the entire fan base (because I'm not stupid), but those fans do exist.
it hurts and sucks big time. im bleeding with you, RK.
it just doesnt make sense to fire a man who gives you a chance every year.
especially with a bunch of solid commitments this year and a lot of young talent. combine that with a solid OC hire, and we are right back to contending
i dont know any college football fan - much less an auburn fan - who likes going .500
sounds like a bunch of women who dont like football and yankees to me
Steve,
The point is that you don't always take a step back when you change coaches. I'm not comparing Bama to Auburn, just saying that sometimes new blood can energize a program.
some think this was the beginning of the end.
Beat WVU. That is what is important.
THIS WEEK
Taylor,
I'm not calling for Tub to be gone. I'm just calling for him to get this team over the hump that has held us back from the upper upper level of college football teams. We've been close a lot, but we never seem to break through.
If Tub is the coach that can do that, then by all means do it. I personally like the guy, I want him to succeed.
I can't read 100+ comments right now...maybe later. Tubs is da man.
Taylor - Just because you don't know them doesn't mean they aren't out there.
No, I'm not talking about "a bunch of women" or "yankees". I'm talking about Auburn graduates most of whom are men.
But, hey, way to keep it classy.
Taylor, homey, you're hurtin' the cause with that one.
Beating Bama seems to matter a lot more to those of us who live in state and hear about it day in and day out, but maybe im generalizing.
Agreed Jay G. It is beholden of all men on this blog not to say anything that could hurt the cause...All of us could go to Elberta Alabama if we wanted a sausage fest.
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