HABOTN is going dark today
Hey everyone. Due to a surprising and unforeseen medical issue, I was not able to attend today's Auburn scrimmage ... or even make the trip to Auburn. This represents the first time since 1999 that I have missed an assignment. I'm sorry to those of you who depend on me for daily coverage. I'm planning to get back in the fray Sunday and resume the coverage you expect and deserve.
Video report, 4/10
I have disabled auto-view for this video. If you missed it, well, that's a serious disappointment that will last generations. I am a benevolent bloggist, so I'll now provide a link so you can make restitution if necessary.
Iron Bowl moving to ... Friday?
 Hey everyone. Recently received word from the SEC office that CBS has gained exclusive rights to televise the Iron Bowl in 2009 and 2010. So, what gives? The games will be played on Fridays. The 2009 game, played at Jordan-Hare, will kick off at 1:30 p.m. CST on Friday, Nov. 27. The 2010 game, played in Tuscaloosa, will be played on Friday, Nov. 26. The Iron Bowl has been played on Friday five times before: - November 25, 1988 (Auburn 15, Alabama 10 in Birmingham)
- November 27, 1987 (Auburn 10, Alabama 0 in Birmingham)
- November 29, 1974 (Alabama 17, Auburn 13 in Birmingham)
- October 23, 1903 (Alabama 18, Auburn 6 in Montgomery)
- November 15, 1901 (Auburn 17, Alabama 0 in Tuscaloosa)
Video report, 4/9
I have disabled auto-play for this video. If you missed it, you should feel shame. Fortunately, the Interwebs provide helpful things call links. These help you get caught up.
Practice chatter, 4/9
 Hey everyone. We have a few interesting topics coming out of practice today. - Harry Adams is now a wideout. If you recall, he's one of the team's fastest players and could be a game-changing element. That's what Ben Tate thinks, anyway.
- TB Eric Smith injured his right knee during Tuesday's practice. He was wearing a fairly invasive brace over the knee Thursday. The report I received is that the injury was only a "bone bruise or something like that." Then again, the injury was a non-contact situation. How can you bruise a bone without contact?
Gene Chizik and the coaching staff don't comment on injuries. So we'll just have to speculate.
- DT Mike Blanc (aka The Happy Haitian) was asked to name the team's strongest players today. We received some surprising answers. He said DT Zach Clayton squats "in the 500s" and walk-on OL Rudy Odom is the 225-pound bench press master.
- Assistant coach Tommy Thigpen discussed his projected rotations at safety today. Zaccheus "Zac" Etheridge and Mike McNeil are the top guys, obviously. Christian Thompson and Mike Slade are the next two. Thompson has received a lot of praise from Thigpen this spring, so he's a guy you should be monitoring. The fifth guy, in case you're wondering, is Drew Cole.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Bonner and Boddie now professional players
 Hey everyone. Your favorite free throw-drawing forward, DeWanna Bonner, has been selected by the Phoenix Mercury in first round of the WNBA Draft. She was the fifth overall pick. Bonner will play alongside former Auburn standout Le'Coe Willingham, who plays power forward for the Mercury. Point guard Whitney Boddie was the 20th overall selection by the Sacramento Monarchs. This is the first time Auburn has seen two players selected in the WNBA Draft.
DEWANNA BONNER SPEAKS- On the situation in general: "I'm excited to go there. It's warm and it's an awesome city. I'm just happy to experience Diana Taurasi. I think that their system is great and I like to run, so I'm just really excited about that. I'm just excited and ready to get to Phoenix."
- On Phoenix's up-tempo style: "Oh yeah, I like the way they run. They've got a great point guard and shooting guard in Cappie (Pondexter) and Diana, and they're already a veteran team. I'm just ready to come in there and improve something."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
World Cup coming to a stadium near you?
 It's rare that I can weave Auburn and international soccer into the same topic, but today is the day. The group preparing America's bids for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups has made preliminary contact with Auburn officials about playing host to games. Jordan-Hare Stadium is one of 70 stadia being considered. Other SEC schools earning similar glances include Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Georgia.
Schedule update
 Hey everyone. Happy First Day of The Masters to you all. It's a beautiful day down this way for those of you who don't live in God's Country. I think those two facts are related. Anyway, Auburn will practice today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Reporters (again) will not be allowed to watch. I'll post a practice report around 8 p.m. and a video around 10 o'clock. On a sadder note, Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car accident early this morning. I follow minor-league prospects very closely. Adenhart was an outstanding prospect who had a chance to be an outstanding major-league pitcher. RIP.
Video report, 4/8
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Tuesday practice chatter
TUESDAY AFTERNOONPost No. 1,173 Hey everyone. A few players were made available prior to the Tigers' Tuesday evening practice. The theme was quarterbacks. I'm sure you're happy to hear that. Let's just get to it: - It's clear to me that Kodi Burns believes he has accomplished enough to be named the team's top quarterback. Though he remains diplomatic with his answers about the so-called quarterback race, Burns is brimming with confidence these days.
11Being a leader is what I'm doing best," he said Tuesday. ``When I walk out there on the field, the offensive guys look me in the face and know we can get it done."
- Burns on the plusses of having a clear No. 1 guy during the summer: ``The advantage is the extra work. If you have one guy established, you're going to be that guy. The No. 1s will go with the No. 1s all the time. It would be a lot easier if you have one guy to get your timing and your cohesiveness down."
- I've never seen a quarterback pooped on more than Neil Caudle in 2008. His offensive coordinator sold him out. Caudle never had a shot. When the team's fortunes soured in October, Auburn coaches considered activating Barrett Trotter, then a true freshman, rather than Caudle. Nevermind that Caudle was in his third college season.
``I know we were a little bit desperate, but it was kind of disheartening for that to happen," Caudle said Tuesday. ``I think it all worked out in the end. This is a new year."
- The three healthy scholarship quarterbacks (Burns, Caudle, Trotter) split reps evenly during Saturday's scrimmage.
- Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn says he's grading each quarterback's performance on a daily basis. Those grades apparently are not being shared with the players.
Trotter on his Saturday scrimmage grade: ``Couldn't tell you."
Trotter on if he finds that annoying: ``You'd like to know. At the same time, either way, you know, you're going to keep working hard and doing what you're going to do. Hopefully it wouldn't affect that much of my work ethic. I'm going to work hard either way."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Schedule update
 Hey everyone. I have nothing to report right now, but that will change shortly. Your Auburn Tigers will hold their eighth spring practice this afternoon. Players will be available prior to that engagement. A soccer game being held in Montgomery featuring an up-and-coming striker may delay the arrival of practice information this afternoon, but I'll still be hustling to keep you informed. AS FOR THE HABOTN BRACKET CHALLENGE: Someone won. It wasn't you. The end. AS FOR THE HOTTIE BRACKETS: Oughtn't we wait until after spring drills before getting involved with that? That's just a suggestion.
Video report, 4/6
MONDAY AFTERNOONPost No. 1,171I have disabled auto-play for this video. If you've been living in Pakistan and somehow forgot to view the video at its freshest, please don't hesitate in catching up below:
Post-practice reaction, 4/5
 Hey everyone. Here are a few other note-worthy things we learned today. - Marcus Jemison has, in fact, been moved to linebacker. He's 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 right now. He wants to add 20 pounds before the season starts. He'll be playing behind Craig Stevens on the strong side.
``It was the coach’s idea because of the way I come up from safety and throw my body at a guy when I hit him," Jemison said. ``He liked that and then I have a nose for the ball. He said that’s the way I’ll get on the field quickest, so I’m with it. As long as I’m playing, I’m with it."
- Eltoro Freeman, previously known as Stevens' backup on the strong side, has moved to weak-side linebacker. That's a permanent thing. He played that position in high school and junior college, so it should be a straightforward transition.
``The move went real good for me. I've been playing what I wasn't used to," Freeman said. ``One day, Coach (Ted) Roof gave me a couple reps at Will linebacker and he liked the way I was playing so he was like 'OK, Toro, this the fit for you.' So then I went on in the starting rotation."
- I thought Kodi Burns threw really well today. His motion still seems funky to me -- like he has too much weight on his front foot after throwing -- but he was pretty accurate today. Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn told him so during practice.
- Former Prattville High tailback Justin Albert missed the 2008 season, his first at Auburn, while rehabilitating a repaired knee. He has drawn praise for his work this spring. ``I never sat out of a football game. And I love playing, I love competition and I was kind of frustrated. I was like, 'Aww, man.' I wanted to be out there, but I couldn't. So I just fought through it, fought through it and this year I get my chance."
- Gus Malzahn on The Quarterback Race: ``We don’t have a lot of our offense in now. It’s the base offense. After they get that down, we’ll start getting to the other stuff. But they’re competing hard. We went live with them again today. I think that’s the way you can evaluate the quickest. We’re going to find out what’s inside of them and how they compete."
- Mario Fannin looks bulkier ... because he is. The tailback said he's up to 230 pounds, which represents a 10-pound increase from his 2008 weight. It's all muscle. Still, he's not really satisfied.
"I kind of bulked up on my own. That's one thing coaches took into consideration because they saw I wanted (that) as far as a personal preference -- to get bigger and at the same time be fast. That's something they recognized something I was to do. Now it's a matter of losing a couple of pounds to get that speed back."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Video practice report, 4/5
I have disabled auto-play for this video. If you missed it, check it out. Here is a run-down of my recent cinematic exploits:
Initial practice observations, 4/5
Hey everyone. Auburn is in the midst of a two-hour practice. Beat hacks were allowed to watch approximately 30 minutes. Here are the things I noticed: - Eltoro Freeman was working exclusively at weak-side linebacker. That's a change. He had been working exclusively behind Craig Stevens on the strong side and some of you marveled that Spencer Pybus was in position to start at WLB. Might wanna adjust those depth charts.
- DE Hot Carter was helped off the field with what appeared to be a lower-leg injury. I can't judge the severity of that injury.
- TB/WR Mario Fannin was out there. That's the first time I've seen him participating since getting that protective boot last weekend.
- WR Philip Pierre-Louis was running routes and cutting, but he cannot jump at all. Assistant coach Trooper Taylor seemed dismayed after PPL failed to reach a ball that seemed within his grasp, saying: "Give me a receiver with arms longer than six inches."
PPL responded: "I still can't jump, Coach."
- TB Onterio McCalebb's jersey reads "McCaleb" ... I don't know if that's a jersey space issue or what.
- K Chandler Brooks is still wearing the yellow shoes.
- S Marcus Jemison, who blew out his knee in two-a-days, may have moved to linebacker. I saw him running there today. I'll see if that's a permanent thing.
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