The Hottest Auburn Blog on The Net

We have moved!

2010-08-04T08:31:00.004-05:00

We still have some stragglers.

What are you waiting for?

The NEW HABOTN is now at http://www.habotn.com. Adjust your bookmarks.

You also may access the site at http://www.madvertiserblogs.com/HABOTN

See you there.

HABOTN 2.0 countdown begins

2010-07-30T20:11:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. The "new" HABOTN, which has been in the works for months, is going to be unveiled at some point this weekend.

It signals a major change in how we're going to operate here. While my primary focus will remain on making HABOTN.com a pool of credible and timely information, we're adding a proper forum to the festivities. Several of our most tenured posters graciously agreed to help me test the forum this week for problems, adjustments, functionality.

Things have been running smoothly over there after a rough beginning. I'm now confident enough to unveil the HABOTN's first-ever renovation.

See you at HABOTN 2.0 later this weekend.

UPDATE:

This will be our permanent home: http://www.habotn.com

If that link takes you right back here, here is a temporary solution: http://madvertiserblogs.com/HABOTN/

Still, I STRONGLY suggest you stick with HABOTN.com as your bookmark location.

Auburn goes into the third dimension

2010-07-29T11:39:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. ESPN announced this morning that the Auburn-Clemson game scheduled for will be televised on their new 3D channel.

I don't have ESPN 3D available to me on Dish Network. I'm curious to hear if you all have access to it.

I am not into this 3D fad. Who cares?

Here is the important portion of the release:

AUBURN—Marking the first time ever an Auburn sporting event will be
televised in 3D, the Auburn football game against Clemson on Sept. 18
will air on ESPN 3D. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN with
kickoff slated for 6 p.m CT.

ESPN was the first to announce in the United States an exclusive 3D
network in January 2010 which was the culmination of more than three
years of testing 3D television.

The Auburn-Clemson game will be the third college football game to air
on ESPN 3D this season, and just the fourth football college game ever
to be broadcast in 3D.

Fans interested in viewing the game in 3D, must have ESPN 3D service
and a 3D television.

Your new roster

2010-07-28T15:15:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn has released its 2010 roster with new names, new numbers, new sizes in some cases.

FRESHMAN NUMBERS
1 -- Trovon Reed, WR
3 -- Chris Davis, DB
4 -- Shaun Kitchens, WR
5 -- Michael Dyer, RB
5 -- Jake Holland, LB
6 -- Jonathon Mincy, DB
6 -- Antonio Goodwin, WR
10 -- LaDarius Owens, LB/DE
12 -- Demetruce McNeal, S
13 -- Craig Sanders, DL
24 -- Ryan Smith, DB
28 -- Ryan White, DB
30 -- Steven Clark, P
31 -- Trent Fisher, son of Tennessee Titans head coach, DB
33 -- Jessel Curry, LB
36 -- Cody Parkey, K
37 -- Ladarious Phillips, FB
38 -- Jawara White, LB
48 -- Dakota Mosley, TE/OL
52 -- Justin Delaine, DE
54 -- Jeffrey Whitaker, DT
55 -- Corey Lemonier, DE (I compared him to McGinest and he wore 55!)
60 -- Eric Mack, OL
62 -- Chad Slade, OL
65 -- Tunde Fariyike, OL
68 -- Ed Christian, OL
91 -- Joel Bonomolo, DE
92 -- Kenneth Carter, DT

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE
**Onterio McCalebb is listed at 171. That's bigger for sure.

**John Sullen is listed at 312, which is way down from where he was a year ago. Wow.

**I knew Jawara White was a thick kid, but 6-foot-1 and 243 is really thick. Josh Bynes is an inch taller, weighs eight pounds less and has been through Kevin Yoxall's offseason program several times.

**Daren Bates, who opened 2009 between 190 and 195, now is 203. He'll need it at linebacker.

**Ladarious Phillips. That's a man right there.

**Dee Ford is up 26 pounds since last season.

**Eric Mack is 361 pounds. There's your new John Sullen ... but can he commit to reshape his body with Sullen's rigor? Who knows.

Sullivan, the basketball player, is out

2010-07-27T19:34:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. Guard Frankie Sullivan underwent knee surgery today in Birmingham to repair a torn ligament.

No timetable has been given for his return.

The success was deemed a "success," though I don't even know what that means given the context. Mack McGadney had "successful" surgery in 2000 and you know how that ended.

Not saying Sullivan is finished like McGadney was. I'm just saying: There's no way to know.

Sullivan was supposed to be the de facto star of Tony Barbee's first Auburn team. Looks like that plan has changed. It'll be a long year in Auburn Arena.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn: Soon to be a second-time champion?

2010-07-27T08:48:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. So Tommy Tuberville, he of Texas Tech fame, has been talking in recent months that Auburn should become the 2004 national champions if Southern Cal is forced to vacate wins from that era.

That happened. The NCAA took action against the Trojans this summer.

So what now? Though the AP said it won't take any retroactive action, the Football Writers Association of America is open to changing its 2004 champion.

The group's director said yesterday that he's going to talk with several former FWAA presidents and see what they think.

"I'm sensing that people, when they look at the situation, that is a distinct possibility that Auburn thing can come into play," FWAA president Steve Richardson said. "I haven't had anyone convince me why we shouldn't do it."

I know what you may be thinking. The FWAA title?

It's at least as good as Parke Davis, Houlgate and the College Football Researchers Association.

Cotton not as tall in Mississippi

2010-07-26T13:49:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. So we now know that Raymond Cotton, the former Auburn commitment who instead signed with Ole Miss, has announced plans to leave Ole Miss.

To be fair, I'd be upset as well if the Rebels' No. 1 quarterback rolled on down to the Manning ~~Love Fest~~ Academy and I wasn't invited ... surgically repaired labrum or not.

This odd turn for Cotton adds intrigue for me. Everyone who knew about Cotton in 2008, when he was a high prospect, understood that his top priority was playing time. He walked away from a mid-level SEC program that needed a quality quarterback and landed at a mid-level SEC program that didn't need a quality quarterback as badly.

As decisions go, that won't be nominated for the Hall of Fame.

Either way, I'm hoping Cotton finds what he's seeking.

Also: Jeremiah Masoli?

SNAPSHOTS: Ziemba has seen agent runners at Auburn

2010-07-23T10:18:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone. In talking with Lee Ziemba today, he said something very interesting.

The senior said he's seen agent runners, the guys who do an agent's dirty work, around campus before. How does he know them?

"They usually introduce themselves," Ziemba said.

Isn't that weird?

``You know who you're dealing with," he said, ``and you also know those rules. Not a lot goes unnoticed around Auburn. We know what's going on, what the rules are. Auburn does a great job of telling us."

***********

Josh Bynes said the team has adopted an interesting theme this season.

Eight ain't it.

What does it mean? Strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall developed the phrase to remind players to strive for more than eight wins this season.

``Eight ain't it because eight ain't going to get you nowhere," Bynes said. ``Eight wins might get us to an Outback Bowl or a Champs Sports Bowl. That's not our plan this year. The games we lost -- Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky -- that easily could have changed our season to 11-2. That could have put us in the one of the BCS bowls. Obviously, we didn't finish strong enough. That's why we have to do a better job finishing because eight definitely ain't it."

***********

Ziemba said he looked into the possibility of buying private insurance to protect himself (financially) in the event of injury. One glance at the informational handout ended that idea.

``The premiums are extremely high," he said. ``And it only covers you where you can't play the game again -- not an ACL injury or something like that. I'd have to get a second job (to pay the premiums). I looked at the NCAA policy, too, but once I saw the private premiums, I was like: No."

***********

Bynes was asked about newcomers who have impressed him.

His list included CB Jonathan Mincy, LB/DE LaDarius Owens, LB Jake Holland, DL Jeffrey Whitaker and DL Kenneth Carter.

``(Mincy) has come in and understands a lot of the stuff," Bynes said. ``He's been out there doing his thing. Defensive line, Whitaker and Carter. Carter, for his size, can run. When we do a lot of our sprints, he's up in the front because he can run for his size."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Media Days: LSU

2010-07-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

LSU
The coach is Les Miles.

He has arrived.
"Some things, we need to fix and put in the right perspective. We're working toward making real quality adjustments on our team."
"We're a better offense. We're stronger; we can run the ball better."
"I think we'll be a team that has a very talented, young group of me in there with some veterans that comes together quickly and plays one of the most ambitious schedules." (They're playing North Carolina and West Virginia out of conference.)
(Jabbering about his team. Too technical.)
On if this is an Alabama-Florida league: ``I don't have anxiety about that. My want is to prepare my team."
He likes his 2011 recruiting class. Shocking.
On Ken Adams, the former Auburn signee from Enterprise: ``He showed a toughness and an athleticism. He runs very fast, long arms. He's a very, very good defensive end. We expect him to play virtually every game if not start in most."
On not messing up games from the sideline: ``I scrutinize the coaching, me and others. In some of those situations, I was prepared for them but ... not the time constraints."
They're going to spend far more practice time this season perfecting their two-minute offense and clock-management stuff. "It's not just lip service; we really have changed."
On the oil spill: ``I hope the cap stays on. The people of Louisiana -- they handle it by being strong, standing tall, working hard. This is just another example of that. I hope that our government, and the powers that be, give us the power to affect the people. Just to help the people. If they do that, I think they'll be fine."
Great question: "Comment on the Western Division, the SEC, from Alabama all the way on down to the Mississippi schools."
Thanks, guys. See ya."
That's a wrap.

Media Days: AUBURN

2010-07-23T08:32:00.016-05:00

AUBURN
The coach is Gene Chizik.

He's now at the main podium.
On last season: ``We'll never pin success on a number of wins. The foundation of what we were trying to do was extremely important."
"We spent the majority of the off-season figuring out how we can be a more consistent football team. That's everywhere on our football team. Look at our offense last year. There are a lot of things we did well. We had some landmarks. What was glaring to us is that we were very inconsistent. There were times when we couldn't run the football. First downs ... there were times when we put pressure on our defense. When you commit to a fast-tempo offense, that's what you do to you defense. There were times on defense when we played really well."
"Wins and losses is not something we can pin a number to and say: We're successful."
"Lee (Zimeba) is a tremendous Auburn man. He's as happy as he's ever been. He's probably going to break most of the records for consecutive starts at Auburn. We're expecting a big year from Lee."
On Bynes: "He played relentlessly through all 13 games. Didn't miss a game. Didn't miss a practice."
On Savage: ``He's the epitome of a young guy who fought through so many things ... that could bring you down. He's done everything we've asked him to do. I'm just glad we have him back on the team. The leadership he brings ... is second to none."
Is Auburn like Arkansas? "I know Arkansas is returning a very, very good football team. All my effort goes into what Auburn does. I don't know what people are saying. I'm not sure what everybody thinks about the status of Auburn or Arkansas. I don't have time for that."
He supports legislation that would prevent players from receiving scholarship offers before their junior year ends: "It's the way recruiting is right now. Technology ... has sped up the recruiting process. Right now, literally you're evaluating sophomore. You're sitting down there talking to a 15-year-old about what it's going to be like 15 years from now. That's really weird. It's like trying to take sand out of the sandbox. It's already out."
Does Auburn's offense score too quickly? "When you have explosive plays, it was a different dynamic for us. We scored fast and quick. I'm good with that; that's not a problem. What we need to address that we saw in the offense ... is how can we sustain longer drives. From a team concept, that's where we needed to continue to improve. That means getting first down, driving the football, running the football. We have to do things to keep our defense off the field."
On Cam Newton: ``He's done everything we've asked him to do -- on an off the field. When he walks through the door, you can tell he's an athletic young man. The fact that he went to a junior college and was able to guide them to a national championship. That's part of the recipe. He's really, really worked at it ... and a lot on his own. That's what excites me about him."
"We recruit against everybody. There's no question that the productivity of us on offense helps us sell Auburn University to a young man who wants to play. There are a lot of things we did last year that we feel were just a glimmer to what we could be. The fact that there are opportunities, the fact that we were an explosive offense ... I think those are intriguing things. I want to make sure nobody outworks us."
On Zac: "He eats, sleeps and drinks football."
On if energized Auburn fans translates into pressure for the coaching staff: "More pressure for coaches in self-imposed more than anything else. I'm just excited that the Auburn family. It's the same passion and energy and excitement at every place. I wanted to pull the Auburn family back together. The pressure that's involved -- we're in an age when everybody wants to win. Your self-imposed pressure maybe is the biggest part."
He said Trovon Reed could play a few roles (wideout, Wildcat). ``We've got to see how fast he develops and see where he feels most comfortable."
"We're going to continue to fight every week in the league. It's challenging ... from top to bottom."
That's a wrap. For now.

Chizik speaks ... early

2010-07-23T08:03:00.015-05:00

Hey everyone. Here is a closed-door run with Your Head Coach.

On his summer: ``We were busy with a lot of camps. Recruiting is an op-going process. We've had a ton of recruits coming through. We've had a very busy summer."
"We're extremely, extremely excited about August 4."
"The majority of our football team have never had ... the same coordinator twice. We were able to keep the continuity of our staff, which was a priority for me. A lot of teams weren't able to do that. We know the players; the players know us. This time last year, we were trying to break the huddle and learn what our team was."
On the new guys: ``I met with all the freshmen yesterday. The message was: We recruited you guys and we expect you to play. If you prove to me that you can't, we'll proceed form there."
On Zac Etheridge: ``He's very blessed. It's been a journey. A lot of ups and downs. We're going to take this one step at a time. We're going to be very prudent. He has a high level of respect from his teammates. It was big for this team. We'll always be on constant consultation (with the doctors). It will always be hand-in-hand with our medical staff."
On almost everyone qualifying: ``That's a rarity. We're looking for the right guy. It was a highly ranked class on paper. We know that. What we're excited about is that they're student-athletes. They've all been doing really, really well this summer. Hopefully, that's the way it's going to be every year."
On being near the 85 limit: "We're really close. We're not quite there yet. We brought in 30 and we're still not at 85. We'll be losing a class of 20+ seniors. We have a small class behind him. Next year, we'll be in that same situation where we sign 25 again. We need multiple years like this."
On Aairon Savage: "We brought him (to Media Days) because he's a great story. Aairon has a very special place in my heart because of what he's been through."
On linebackers: "We'll want to set our three guys in there and say: These are the three we'll play. Last year, it was getting real challenging going two deep. It was a revolving door. We're hoping it won't be like that. You don't know how it unfolds in this league. We're not out of the woods when it comes to depth. We have young guys."
On agents: "Our compliance staff ... do a great job of agent education. We've taken extra measures with outside people coming to talk with our guys. We're probably not any different than anyone else. A lot of this has to go back on the young guy. He's got to have an allegiance ... to his university. If they know right from wrong and they choose wrong, they don't really have an allegiance. You have to look at the young man. They know right from wrong."
More on that: ``This is not a new problem. It's an ongoing issue that everyone is aware of."
On meeting with fans and gauging expectations: "It's been awesome going around talking to all our fans. I know there's a sense of excitement. It seems like to me an extreme sense of excitement ... in terms of how they feel about the future of Auburn football. I think it's rightly so. I'm glad the Auburn people have something to be excited about. Obviously, we have to go on the field and give them something to be excited about."
Can Auburn get to Atlanta? ``If you have half the penalties we had at critical times, we win more games. It's that simple. It's a consistency issue. I've been on undefeated teams. It's team chemistry. It's how well your team comes together. There are times in that season where there's the one time when it changes this season. Maybe it's that one loss. Our team changed today. There's a lot of potential variables."

DAY TWO: Wrappin' it up

2010-07-22T17:23:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone. That's two days of puffery and inanity out of the way, which means we're past the hump. I'm thankful ... like a South Carolina turkey.

The best is yet to come for you all, of course. Gene Chizik leads off tomorrow morning.

Until then, though, let's review the best of today's drivel.

Vanderbilt coach Robbie Caldwell, pictured at left, revealing that his first job was inseminating turkeys.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier pats himself on the back for only having one player arrested during his time in Columbia, though he noted the charges were dropped. Why are college players being arrested more often? Spurrier says it's because law enforcement actually enforces the law now.
Caldwell becomes the first SEC coach in history to reference "frog giggin'" when asked about what he did for fun growing up in rural South Carolina.
Georgia receiver A.J. Green's awkward no-comment answers when asked about reports that he attended the spring party in Miami that has piqued the NCAA's interest.
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino reveals that his players must "friend" the team's director of football operations if they plan to have a Facebook page. That allows coaches to monitor what players says on their pages. Gives you that 1984 vibe, no?
Spurrier says he's no longer the coach who gives outlandish answers, explains that he's not winning enough to be that guy.

Photo credit: Butch Dill/AP

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Media Days: SOUTH CAROLINA

2010-07-22T12:08:00.022-05:00

SOUTH CAROLINA
The coach is Steve Spurrier.

Can you believe he's still here? Not that he'd be fired. I'm talking about him throwing up his hands after all these losses, taking his money and heading for the links.
He opens by saying their academics are awesome. He said 13 of 14 seniors graduated.
"I don't think we've had but one player arrested ... and those charges were dropped."
"Now we need to get past seven wins."
He believes USC baseball's championship run can "rub off" on other USC programs.
More on the arrest record: ``I do think they're more common now because players are getting arrested for everything they didn't used to get arrested for. Nowadays, as you all know, you go straight to jail if you break the law. There is no room for error. Times are different."
On the team in general: "We have belief and hope that our best days are ahead of us."
On the offensive zeitgeist: "YOu see a little bit of everything. It starts with your big guys up front. That's what's going to make you a good offense."
On Vanderbilt's new coach: "I think it's a wonderful opportunity for him. It appears that Bobby is ready to get out of coaching and do something else. All I know about Robbie is that he's a very enthusiastic offensive line coach."
Is USC what he thought it would be?: We didn't think we'd step in there and start tearing it up. We don't have tremendous tradition there over the long haul. We haven't done poorly. We just haven't done super."
On following funny guys Joker Phillips and Robbie Caldwell: "I'm not worried about that at all. I don't think I've won enough games lately to have any outlandish quotes. You win a bunch of games, it's easy to give all the answers up here. Right now, I'm just a ball coach."
On the NCAA releasing each coach's APR rating: "I think it's a pretty good idea. I never thought I'd get as big a bonus for our guys graduating as I did for the bowl game. I didn't even know it was in (the contract.)"
On the perception that he doesn't get along with QB Stephen Garcia: "I'm just trying to express what he needs to do to help our team. Maybe he's playing the best he can. If you don't have enough player to put in there, you move on."
On Wesley Saunders, the USC player, who may be involved in the Miami trip: "He went on a trip with several players to Miami on spring break. The question is: Who paid for it? I talked to him briefly. He told me that he's done nothing wrong. We'll let it play out."
On the other SEC coaches: "Some of them I like more than others. Some of them are my buddies. Some I don't talk to very much."
On if he's scripting more plays now: "We script them in practice. I probably do more scripting stuff than we used to do. When we were at Florida, we'd just start calling 'em and see which ones work. It's not really that complicated."
On if he misses Lane Kiffin: ``The former Tennessee coach? I didn't pay much attention. We have our own problems at South Carolina."
On if he's changed the attitude at USC: ``Our attitude around there hasn't changed to where we hoped it'd be."
Regret leaving Florida? "I love Florida and always will, but I had been there 12 years. At the time, I thought I wanted to coach in the NFL five or six years and that would be the end of it. The NFL is good for a lot of coaches. They could sit in the film room or video room and watch tape all afternoon and love it. They do this year-round. I can't do that year-round."
That's a wrap.

Media Days: VANDERBILT

2010-07-22T10:59:00.025-05:00

VANDERBILT
The coach is Robbie Caldwell.

"It was bittersweet when Coach Johnson retired. I'm just so tickled for him ... he has his health."
On Johnson's resignation: "None of us had any idea."
His family only heard that Johnson had retired; not that Caldwell had been named interim coach. "You can imagine how they all settled down (once his family learned the full story). We finally got to celebrate the situation."
On him being an interim guy: "People make more of that than they should. If it's two days or 20 years, I can say: Hey, I was a head coach!"
His lifetime goal (as a youngster) was to be a high-school head coach. ``I never dreamed of (being a college) coach until a few years ago. This is the greatest thrill of my life -- other than my child being born."
On if this is a fair situation: "Absolutely it's a fair situation. All they've told me is that they're behind me 100 percent. All I know how to do is work. I'm in place and ready to go."
On if he's been congratulated by fellow coaches: "Naw. They don't know me. They have no idea who I am. Coach Spurrier does; we have a little bit of a relationship."
"I go from lining the field to head coach in the SEC. I still walk in places and they don't know me. Last night, I held the door open for people and they gave me a tip."
On if he'll continue Johnson's no-profanity rule: ``I'm no angel."
"I know y'all can't tell it, but I have an education."
"I can't be the positional coach and be the emotional, hootin-and-hollerin' (guy) and be the head coach. I need to be even-keeled. I can do that."
On growing up in Pageland, S.C.: "You had to like watermelon. It was the watermelon capital of the world, or so we proclaimed, and you had to like huntin' and fishin', frog giggin', I was scared of girls ... and you had to play sports."
His first job at the turkey farm?: "I was on the inseminatin' crew."
On Rajaan Bennett, the top recruit who was killed in his home earlier this year: "I hate that the world is not going to know Rajaan Bennett. It was a tremendous tragedy."
"We feel pretty good about where we're headed."
"I'm a country boy; I enjoy my roots. I'm not an angel. I wish I could say that, but I have my faults. Just ask my wife. I've been preparing for this day. I wasn't consumed by being a head coach, but I listened and watched."
"Y'all are human just like me. I don't think any of y'all are from outer space."
He said domestic turkeys are so dumb that farmers have to use sprinklers during the summer to keep the turkeys from smothering each other. "I guess that's why I work so well with them."
On the cultural shock when he first arrived in Nashville: "It was a big adjustment for Vanderbilt! I brought a little flavor."

Media Days: GEORGIA

2010-07-22T09:54:00.010-05:00

GEORGIA
The coach is Mark Richt.

The SEC people already have warned us ... no questions about the NCAA inquiry.
On moving to a 3-4: "Players were asking, What position do I play? We're trying to get everybody in the right place. Now, We think we have them in the right place. It's about learning the position."
On Bobby Bowden not being a coach any longer: ``He won't be out of college football. He'll be at a lot of football games. Everybody wants him to be at their games."
On the next trend in college offense: "It'll be whatever the winning teams are using. I believe you can win running anything. The thing that's important is your personnel. If somebody does something and wins with it, wins on a consistent basis, people will gravitate to it."
He supports APRs associated with individual coaches being released. "Ours is going to be very good. We've done a great job with that."
On allegedly being on the hot seat: "I can control my attitude. I can control my effort. That's what I can control. The things I can't control? I trust in the Lord for that ... just as I have since 1986."
On Damon Evans' demise: "I'm very saddened by what happened."
That's a wrap.
BONUS A.J. Green says: "This team right here is pretty special."
BONUS A.J. Green says of ever traveling to Miami, Fla.: "I really can't comment on that issue right now."
"It's not my place to comment on that. I don't feel like I need to."

Media Days: ARKANSAS

2010-07-22T08:30:00.023-05:00

Welcome to our first team of the day. They have a really nice stadium and the school was built on a hill.

ARKANSAS
The coach is Robert ("Bob" or "Bobby") Petrino.

Get ready for excitement here. Always a gas, Petrino.
On Ryan Mallett: "He's a young man who is a tremendous leader for us. Every week ... he makes two or three throws that make you say: Wow. Nobody else in the country could have made that throw."
Their top four receivers are back, though all the back-up guys have graduated. So it'll be freshmen along the second team. That's interesting.
Petrino notes that Mallett is something like former Louisville (and NFL) quarterback Brian Brohm. "Brian was really about timing. He doesn't have the arm strength Ryan has. Ryan is a little bit different in that he has the big, strong arm. We actually have to tone him down a little bit ... to tell him not to throw that fastball every time."
On what they learned from losing close games last season: "We have to play well on the road. We made a huge step forward when we played at Florida. They don't have to do anything extraordinary; they just have to play Razorback football. We know that the majority of the games are going to come down to the fourth quarter."
"I'm not saying we're going to be a ball-control team. What I do believe is: How well you run the ball in the third quarter and fourth quarter -- and how you defend the run in the third quarter and fourth quarter -- makes the difference in those close games."
He supports legislation that prevents high-school players from receiving offers before their junior year ends. ``There has to be a lot of thought into it. Will it be a verbal offer or a written offer? A written offer comes out of our office. I can track that. I've never liked the early commitment part -- the way it's changed in the last 10 years."
"I like high expectations. You want people to think you're going to be good. You want your players and coaches to be driven by that. I think it's a good thing. The one thing you can't do is shy away from it."
On putting Mallett on the cover of Arkansas' media guide ... alone: "The one thing I wanted was for me to not be on the cover."
On ~~pimps~~ agents: "It's a concern every single day for coaches. We try to educate our players ... what does an agent do? It's up to us to help them with it."
On social media: "It's something we've spent a lot of time educating our players about not doing something stupid. Everybody on our team has to let (the director of football operations) be his friend. There have been times when we had to bring young men in to take something off his Facebook page. It's a new part of the world. I'm confident our players ... will do what's right."
On having an off week after playing Alabama: "We messed that up, didn't we?"
That's a wrap.
BONUS Ryan Mallett says "I didn't want to leave after one season. I didn't think that was ethically right."
BONUS Ryan Mallett says "I had an OK year last year."
BONUS Ryan Mallett says "I'm obviously not a runner. I move around in the pocket."

Media Days: OFFICIATING

2010-07-22T08:09:00.015-05:00

ROGERS REDDING
He's the coordinator of officials.

We'll soon learn what the points of emphasis are this season.
He looks just like Hal Baird. It's uncanny.
The NCAA has gone to a two-year, rule-change process. It takes two years now. (ie rules are changed/adjusted in odd years only)
This is the "off" year, so there are no rule changes to discuss.
However, changes can be made if player safety is at stake.
It is now illegal to form a three-man wedge to block for the kick returner on a kickoff. We're talking about wedge guys being shoulder-to-shoulder and within two yards of each other.
It's a 15-yard penalty (from the spot of the foul).
"What we're telling coaches is: Get that third man out of there."
Players who are injured in a game and the game is stopped for the injury, cannot return until medical personnel clear him.
The replay booth is now using an HD feed.

DAY ONE: Wrappin' it up

2010-07-21T17:35:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. The first day of puffery and inanity has ended. What was worthwhile?

I'm glad you asked.

Nick Saban referring to predatory agents as "pimps."
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen responding to indirect criticism from Saban about the spread offense (favored by MSU) not helping players develop NFL skills. ``I've coached the spread offense and I've had a lot more first-round quarterbacks drafted than he has in his career as head coach."
Commissioner Mike Slive discussing new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and noting that his "predecessor left to return to his western roots." It was a humorous, though diluted, shot at Lane Kiffin.
Florida coach Urban Meyer also taking an indirect shot at Kiffin by praising Dooley as a "high-character" guy ... and how that's a "nice change."
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen saying he'd be happy to expand Scott Field ... as soon as they generate enough fan support to fill the current capacity.
Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, whose brother allegedly took a payment after the SEC Championship game last year, saying the allegation "ruined someone's name" and seemed sullen about the whole thing.

Media Days: FLORIDA

2010-07-21T16:34:00.013-05:00

FLORIDA
The coach is Urban Meyer.

He'll be here ... unless he changes his mind.
On resigning for one day last year: "Some things that went on behind the scenes that led to that. So regrets? No."
On someone suggesting that agents be kicked off campus: ``It's one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard. They're not on campus. If they are, they're hiding behind bushes."
"We've reached a point where the size of college football now is really overwhelming. We have to do the right thing."
On Maurkice Pouncey: He said he learned about the accusation five or six weeks ago. ``I went right to compliance and went right to Maurkice. He said he didn't do it. We stand by Maurkice Pouncey."
"I have a lot of respect for the new coach at Tennessee. He's a high-character guy. It's nice to see that."
On the stress of being a college football coach ... in relation to talk that his one-day resignation was related to stress: "The issue was knowing that something was wrong and what was that? That's been solved. The stress of having a health issue has been relieved."
On the future of the spread offense: ``(Strategy) has a cyclical movement."
On if the problems that prompted his resignation will reoccur: ``I was in my third year of having some pain that was undiagnosed. It's now diagnosed. I'll just have to maintain a balance that had gotten out of whack. It's a new season. I don't have that same concern."
On Dan Mullen's allegedly forward demeanor: "I think he just gives very direct answers ... and very intelligent answers."
On Saban calling agents pimps: ``I'm not sure what else you can call them. I call them predators."
On possibly cheering when Lane Kiffin's USC program was slapped with NCAA sanctions: ``I'll let the Commissioner speak to that. No comment. Sorry."
Meyer was smiling while delivering that last quote.
That's a wrap.

Media Days: KENTUCKY

2010-07-21T15:21:00.015-05:00

KENTUCKY
The coach is Joker Phillips.

Biggest difference between being Coach In Waiting and the actual head coach: "The hard-core decisions and being responsible for those hard-core decisions."
He's talking about hiring assistants. Same ol'. He wants recruiters, teachers and guys who "have the juice." He wants passion and enthusiasm.
On trying to recruit South Carolina, which UK has been doing for a while now: ``Absolutely. We cannot stop going into South Carolina. We have guys from South Carolina, which makes it easier to recruit guys in South Carolina."
On offense, where it's headed in the college game: ``I see it staying about the same. In the high schools, you're seeing more athletic quarterbacks. There's not as many pro-style guys."
On Tee Martin as an assistant: "The No. 1 thing is that he understands Facebook."
He then praised Martin for being able to relate with players quite well considering his age. ``He is not that far removed from winning a national championship."
"We are the only (SEC) team with a head coach that's undefeated."
On monitoring his own players' Facebook pages: "We don't want them to put anything out there that's going to embarrass them."
On what he learned from Rich Brooks: "Best advice was: Don't listen to the noise. It's the media. It's the fan. You just have to go about your business. We do speak periodically. In some of those fishing holes where he is in Oregon, he can't get service."
"Joker" is not his real name. It's Joe. His grandfather bestowed that name upon Joker.
That's a wrap.

Media Days: MISSISSIPPI STATE

2010-07-21T14:10:00.014-05:00

OK. On to the next team ...

MISSISSIPPI STATE
The coach is Dan Mullen.

He opened by telling everyone they had 10 seconds to ring their cowbells. Crickets.
He said Auburn has "a ton of talent."
He refers to Ole Miss as "the school up north."
"Our guys believe in how we played last year. They now believe they can beat any team in this league. We have to bring that drive every week and win those games."
On how long it'll take to get MSU to Atlanta: "This December. That's the plan. I don't show up on Sunday saying we're not going to win this one; let's prepare for another one."
He said MSU has crossed at least one player off its recruiting list because of things recruits have posted/said on their Facebook pages.
On if his spread offense hurts kids' NFL opportunities ... as Nick Saban implied: "I've had a lot more first-round draft picks than he has. It does develop players to get there (the NFL). I also coached the NFL Rookie of the Year last year ... in Percy Harvin."
He supports legislation that players shouldn't be allowed to receive offers until after their junior year ends.
On stadium expansion in Starkville: "The biggest part for us is making sure we have enough fans to fill the stadium. It would show a lot of our local players than they don't have to leave to play big-time college football. That would be something for us."
On Chris Relf, G.W. Carver graduate: ``Before, when I got there, Chris thought he'd just show up when the meetings start and play football and go home. The last offseason, we had to push Chris. Your quarterback position isn't the one you should have to push as a coach. I couldn't tell you one time this offseason where I had to tell him -- you have to pick it up."
On recruiting against Ole Miss: "It's a tough battle. One of the big things for me and our staff is that we have to get the best players in Mississippi to come play for us. Ten years from now, it's still going to be tough."
Why call it The School Up North?: "It adds to the rivalry a little bit. It means an awful lot to people in the state of Mississippi. That is a very, very important game to the Mississippi State fan base and alums and fans everywhere."
That's a wrap.

Media Days: ALABAMA

2010-07-21T12:58:00.011-05:00

Hey everyone. It's almost time to start with the annual Media Days buffet of puffery and inanity. I hope you enjoy it.

POINT OF ORDER: Internet here at the Wynfrey Hotel is down. I am on cellular broadband ... along with a lot of people. It's slow. Bear with me.

ALABAMA
The coach is Nick Saban.

He is here.
He claims to be thankful for the "self-gratification" us reporters give his players.
He said he doesn't want to talk about last year. "We're not really defending a championship. A championship is part of history."
Alabama lost 11 starters, a punter, a kicker and its top kick returner ... though he was one of the 11 starters, too.
"Even if we had all the ingredients back, it would be difficult to manufacture the same chemistry."
"Every team in the West is going to be better than they were a year ago, in our estimation."
On the Dareus situation: "Our compliance people are looking into it in conjunction with the NCAA. We're going to find out."
On agents in general: "It's entrapment of young people at a very difficult time of their life. As college coaches, we should look into that. We treat the NFL as well as anybody when they come to University of Alabama. If something doesn't happen ... I'm not sure that same hospitality will be welcomed in the future."
"It's not a good situation. It was a bad situation for Reggie Bush at Southern Cal and it's a bad situation all around. We should all drive the speed limit because it's for everyone's safety. I'll be honest ... I drive the speed limit because I don't want to get a ticket. The agent should have consequences. Right now, they don't."
On the fans' expectations: "I wouldn't want to somewhere where they didn't have high expectations. I just ask that they be realistic. Our positive fan support has been a real asset of us turning around the football fortunes at University of Alabama."
More on agents: "It's not really the NFL; it's the NFLPA. It's something that's affecting college football in a negative. It's not in the best interest of the young people. It's not really good for anyone. I don't think it's anything but greed that's motivating them."
"How are they any better than a pimp?"
He visited the Gulf Coast recently. He went "quietly" to provide support. I think he meant emotional support.
More on agents: "A player's best resume is the way he plays. He doesn't really need an agent until the season is over."
That's a wrap.

Media Days: SLIVE SPEAKS

2010-07-21T12:25:00.016-05:00

Hey everyone.

I forgot that Mike Slive, the SEC's commish, is speaking first.

So let's hear what he has to say:

The 86 Southeastern Conference games played last season drew 6.5 million fans. That's a 76,000 average.
The SEC had 49 players drafted last season.
On disciplinary troubles: "The problematic behavior of few casts a dark cloud over many."
He goes on to discuss players who have done great things. First up was Jordan Anderson, the Auburn swimmer who was named a Rhodes Scholar.
He acknowledged the Alabama/Dareus situation and provided a little information about how the SEC requires the school to provide an extensive review. "It's difficult, if not impossible, for institutions to know what might have taken place."
"It is time to re-examine the NCAA rules that relate to agents. This is a national problem that requires a national agent strategy for agents -- from enforcement to an assistance-based issue."
"We in the SEC look forward to being active participants in this review."
On expansion: "As it turned out, the paradigm shift never materialized. In the future, there may be continued interest in conference expansion by some."
He spoke/memorialized Myles Brand, the NCAA president who died suddenly last year.
This will be Slive's ninth season with the league.
That's a wrap.

Etheridge speaks

2010-07-20T16:10:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone. Zaccheus Etheridge, whom you may know better as Zac, was gracious enough to call me a few minutes ago. Here's what he had to say.

On the general situation: ``I'm very excited. I couldn't be more happy than I am right now."
On if he had a sense about the doctor's opinion prior to the tests: ``I kind of had an idea, yeah. I didn't go in with a negative thought. Not one negative thought. I went in there feeling positive about it. I knew I had been feeling great."
He was given an MRI scan, a series of tests to assess the strength of his neck muscles and an x-ray.
He has been meeting with his Birmingham-based neurosurgeon, Dr. Swaid N. Swaid, once a month since the initial injury.
On when he began to feel good about his chances to play again: ``Once I got out of the brace, it was all uphill. When the doctor told me that I didn't need surgery, that my body fixed itself, I knew I was in good shape."
On if he would have considered hanging it up even if the doctor provided clearance: ``No. I never considered not playing. I've been telling everyone that I was going to play again regardless. I can't stop now."
On the psychological toll the injury will take during two-a-days: ``I'll be dealing with that for a little while. It's that way with anyone coming back from an injury. Once I put my hat on somebody and get that first good hit, I know I'll feel good about it. I know there's going to be some tough days when I first get out there. I'll get through it."
On if he's currently ready for the rigors of camp: ``I've been working out, running, lifting weights. I'm in good shape. There's always a little time in there beginning when you get used to the helmet and the weight of the pads. It'll be just like any other season, getting ready for the season."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Etheridge cleared

2010-07-20T13:18:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. Safety Zaccheus Etheridge, often referred to simply as "Zac," has been deemed fit by physicians in Birmingham. He is expected to play this season.

The Troy native missed Auburn's final three regular-season games, the Outback Bowl and spring practice after suffering a serious neck injury against Ole Miss. He was forced to wear an invasive neck brace for three months.

Still, those days appear over. Etheridge said he'll play this fall.

``This is certainly quite a boost for all of us," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. ``He was so tough about it -- he never sulked, never had that poor me attitude. He knows what he wants to do and he did everything possible to make that happen. It's inspiring it what it is."

Auburn lands six on the Preseason All-SEC team

2010-07-20T11:06:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. I'm headed to the Montgomery Kiwanis Club meeting momentarily (Thanks, Phred!) and I'll be joined there by Ted Roof. Should be fun.

The news at this hour is that six AU players are on the coaches' Preseason All-SEC team. Here they are:

FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
LT Lee Ziemba (legit)

SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
WR Darvin Adams (behind AJ Green and Julio Jones; legit)
C Ryan Pugh (behind Mike Pouncey; legit)

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
MLB Joshua Bynes (should be on the same team with Stevens)

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
SLB Craig Stevens (should be on the same team with Bynes)
CB Neiko Thorpe (legit)

** SOMEWHAT RELATED NOTE (has to do with an Auburn player): Zac Etheridge just finished his diagnostic MRI in Birmingham. He's meeting with doctors today to make a final determination on his fitness.

** UNRELATED NOTE: Dont'a Hightower on the first-team defense? Seriously?

Jacobs speaking for all?

2010-07-19T11:52:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone. As I mentioned in the comments section earlier today, I got a good laugh from something Jay Jacobs said during his Q-and-A with Columbus Ledger-Enquirer ace Andy Bitter.

What's so funny? This section, which deals with the athletic department's apparel deal with Under Armour:

"It's been fabulous. It's been great for us. And it's been great for Under Armour. And we'll renegotiate that contract with them and hopefully extend that sooner than later."

It doesn't take much searching to find someone at Auburn who isn't thrilled with the apparel deal. Under Armour is a non-player in the world of college basketball, where top prospects become aligned with shoe companies at an early age. College coaches also are aligned with shoe companies -- and there's often a commonality there when players sign with schools.

Dan Wetzel and Don Yaeger wrote an entire book about this subject.

Tony Barbee is a Nike guy. Always has been. Now he's at an Under Armour school that gleefully signed away all flexibility associated with its shoe contract. So Barbee now is, in some ways, the odd man out at prospect camps that often are sponsored/funded by shoe companies.

(Read: Nike and adidas.)

Here's what Barbee had to say about this situation in May:

Will you have any flexibility with the deal? South Carolina is Under Armour, too, but (Darrin) Van Horn was able to strike an independent deal with Nike.

``The Under Armour deal is an all-school deal. It's already in place. That's where we are."
Does that complexity to your recruiting tasks?

``It does just from my perspective because I've always been with Nike. All my relationships and contacts are there. In college basketball, unlike any other college sport, show companies have a big influence on where prospects end up. This (the Under Armour deal) adds a different dynamic for me because it's outside my comfort level, where I've been."
Is there any way you can get out from under that?

``To my understanding, we're with Under Armour through 2015-16. That's a ways down the line."
Does that create a backlash against you and the program from the Nike people?

``They understand that I have no options, that I have no choice with it. I hope it's not a problem. This business is about relationships -- not just with the sneaker companies. It's recruiting, coaches, AAU coaches, contacts. It's about building relationships and maintaining them. I'll stay close with those people even if Auburn is with with Under Armour. Even though you may not get the first (prospect), you may get the second one. You never want to burn bridges."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

The Five I'm Watching: Part VI (BONUS)

2010-07-17T12:39:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. So I couldn't whittle down the list to just five players without cutting Lee Ziemba, so he becomes the BONUS sixth player to watch.

Please enjoy your weekend ... and this fine piece of prose.

LEE ZIEMBA
Left tackle

Age: 21
Class: Senior (one season of eligibility remaining)
Size: 6-8, approximately 320 pounds
Previous roles: Starting left tackle
Theme song: ``Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," Eric Clapton (many people have performed it)
Relevant lyric: "When you finally get back up on your feet again, everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend."

THE GOOD: Ziemba is exactly what an NFL scout seeks in a left tackle. He's tall. He's big without being fat. He has relatively quick feet. Years of repetition have given him a strong base of fundamentals. Coaches always have praised his awareness. Ziemba has missed a total of zero games during his three-year career, which demonstrates an ability to play through injury. He is an outstanding run blocker. Ziemba often is overpowering in running situations. He was raised in an Auburn home -- his father is a graduate -- and I've always gotten the sense that he really is playing for the school. It's a difficult thing to quantify, sure, but I can sense it nonetheless.

THE BAD: He is penalized too often for someone of his experience and aptitude. Though his problem isn't as bad as some say, Ziemba has been flagged more more than his fair share of drive-stalling holds and false starts. He said in April that it's a concentration thing -- and something that has become a point of emphasis this offseason. Ziemba used to lean when guarding against the outside pass rush, which led to a rash of missed blocks in 2008, though he seemed to trust his lateral quickness more in 2009. He's probably a little above average as a pass blocker right now. That's a big improvement. It's rare that you see Auburn ask him to pull on a sweep or screen pass.

THE REALITY: He is Auburn's most reliable offensive player and one that cannot be replaced. The Tigers don't have anyone who can step in and play at Ziemba's level. I expect penalty prevalence to fall within the normal range this season. I also expect his pass-block skills to sharpen because of experience, which will make him a first- or second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He's an undervalued part of the Tigers' enterprise right now.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

The Five I'm Watching: Part V

2010-07-16T16:17:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. So we're at No. 5 on the list, but that's not enough for me.

In these hard times, I want to provide more value for your $0 investment here. One guy who is immensely intriguing fell into the sixth slot and he deserves a moment in the HABOTN sun.

So you'll get a BONUS player on Saturday. Consider it a summer miracle.

And now ... on with the countdown. Number Five.

ONTERIO McCALEBB
Tailback/Wildcat

Age: 20
Class: Sophomore (three seasons of eligibility remaining)
Size: 5-10, approximately 175 pounds
Previous roles: Second-choice tailback and kickoff return man. Then he became an injured tailback and return man.
Theme song: ``Break," Three Days Grace
Relevant lyric: "If you can't stand the way this place is ... take yourself to higher places."

THE GOOD: Our own Sensi asked me one day last year why I liked McCalebb so much. My response: He's fast as hell. That's why many people here refer to McCalebb simply as FAH. And he is quite fast. He's fast side to side. He's fast in a straight line. Despite a smallish frame, McCalebb runs like he's Brandon Jacobs. He has no problem challenging larger guys in one-on-one situations. McCalebb is like Carnell Williams in that sense. Both guys are fearless. McCalebb has some receiving instincts. He doesn't seem prone to fumbles. He made several critical assignment problems early last season, but seemed to be making progress before suffering his ankle injury became a deal-breaker in October. He grew up under remarkably difficult circumstances, which could have condemned him to a life of poverty. McCalebb instead used the situation as motivation to seek a better life. That element cannot be understated. McCalebb is running from his past and he knows it.

THE BAD: He doesn't look like a football player. He's rail thin. Though McCalebb seems completely rehabilitated from the high-ankle sprain that undermined him in October and November, there is concern that his lack of size puts him at increased risk for injury. He works hard in the weight room to add bulk. Still, he may never crack the 190-pound barrier. McCalebb missed too many pass-block assignments last season, which prevented offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn from using the freshman in one-back sets for the most part. He'll never be the rah-rah kind of player who prompts improvements in his teammates. McCalebb keeps to himself and rarely criticizes anyone -- even privately.

THE REALITY: He would have been the primary breakout guy last season (supplanting Darvin Adams) had he not injured his left ankle against Ball State. McCalebb was among league leaders in total yards at the time. Can he be a No. 1 tailback? That's still unknown, but the point is moot this year. McCalebb will be sharing the ball with Mario Fannin. McCalebb could emerge as an option at the Wildcat position, too, which adds plenty of touchdown opportunities. I'm forecasting 175 carries, 900 yards, 12 rushing touchdowns.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

The Five I'm Watching: Part IV

2010-07-16T11:29:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone. Let's continue.

ZAC ETHERIDGE
Safety

Age: 22
Class: Senior (one season of eligibility remaining)
Size: 6 feet, approximately 210 pounds pounds
Previous roles: Starting safety until ... injured safety
Theme song: ``Testify," Rage Against The Machine
Relevant lyric: "Who controls the past now controls the future; who controls the present now controls the past."

THE GOOD: Etheridge is a leader, a challenger, a guy who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Auburn hasn't exactly had an excess of those personalities in recent years. The 2008 season comes to mind there. On the field, Etheridge is a remarkably enthusiastic player. He suffered a serious neck injury last season because he was desperate to finish someone else's tackle. He's been fearless since the day he started as a true freshman for Will Muschamp. As for football skills, Etheridge is a little confounding. Safeties are supposed to cover ground quickly, defend mid-level and deep routes intelligently and provide some run support. Etheridge is a hitter; he's very useful against the run. His range is average. His cover skills are average. Roof feels comfortable with Etheridge at strong safety -- where the senior's cover skills are less vital -- and plans to play him extensively this fall.

THE BAD: Etheridge's neck injury wasn't fixed with gauze and some aspirin. Though he avoided surgery, Etheridge spent three months wearing an invasive head restraint every hour of every day. He told reporters earlier this year that luck played a role in his recovery; the injury easily could have been catastrophic. He'll be examined by a specialist next week. A decision will be made then about Etheridge's orthopedic fitness, if he'll play this fall. I expect him to gain clearance. The next question is: Will memories of that injury affect how Etheridge plays? Nobody can answer that question right now. From a football perspective, Etheridge is not particularly fast, quick or tall. Instincts, guts and cardiovascular fitness make him what he is.

THE REALITY: I'm so intrigued by Etheridge right now because there was a time last fall when he wasn't sure he'd walk again. Or play again. Now he's on the verge of medical clearance. His specialist won't play around with his assessment, though, because nobody wants to be the guy who cleared a kid who suffers a second episode. If Etheridge plays, my expectations won't change much from 2009. He's a solid player who provides enthusiasm and some significant administrative contributions between snaps. Auburn needs that.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn Arena video

2010-07-14T15:57:00.001-05:00

Not much to it, but you may get a better sense of the arena's size with this.

Please enjoy.

Auburn Arena: Photo Gallery

2010-07-14T14:58:00.021-05:00

Hey everyone. So I spent about an hour touring Auburn's new basketball hub/arena and, honestly, they seemed to get a lot out of $85+ million.

Now you can make the call.

PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF
AUBURN ARENA
Click to enlarge

From the floor with Beard-Eaves at my back.

The baseline.

Here's the view from the high-roller scholarship area.

This is facing Beard-Eaves from the highest (third) deck.

I'm trying to convey how steep these third-level seats are. It feels like it's straight down to the floor.

This is the bar in the high-roller Scholarship Donor area.

This is Suite 12 in the high-roller Scholarship Donor area. Each suite has its own patio that faces Jordan-Hare.

This is the men's locker room.

Fixtures from the women's locker room.

Players put their (used) practice gear in here after practice ... and can pick up clean gear before practice.

Those little lockers, I guess you'd call them, open to the laundry area.

That's a serious dryer. Luke Brietzke of the Anniston Star, pictured, is 6-foot-2.

Visitor's locker room. Hilarious.

This the hallway where players, both men and women, funnel into the arena.

This is where the weightlifting will occur. It's adjacent to the practice courts. That window faces Jordan-Hare.

This is the door from weightlifting to the practice courts. I was struck by how tall the doors were. Luke Brietzke again illustrating.

This is the main entry into the arena. It's opposite Beard-Eaves. If you're not a donor (or media), you're coming in this door.

No idea.

Shakeup at Vanderbilt

2010-07-14T11:32:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. As some of the techno-savvy HOTTIES have been discussing, Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson has resigned.

The Tennesseean, a Gannett newspaper that apparently uses unnamed sources, is crediting the information to unnamed sources.

Press conference at 1 p.m. CDT.

I will be inside Auburn Arena at that time. Please feel free to update in the comments section until I return.

Photo credit: The Tennesseean

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

The Five I'm Watching: Part III

2010-07-13T09:21:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. Let's continue.

NICK FAIRLEY
Defensive tackle

Age: 22
Class: Senior (two seasons of eligibility remaining)
Size: 6-foot-5, approximately 300 pounds
Previous role: Third guy in a two-tackle system, 2009
Theme song: ``Stand," R.E.M.
Relevant lyric: "Think about direction. Wonder why you haven't before."

THE GOOD: Nick Fairley is, to me, a totally untapped resource. I watch him play and am reminded of Pat Sims. What does that mean? Big dude, quick feet, light feet, awesome short-range acceleration, tackles that express rage. It's odd considering that both players are generally quiet people. Sims has a more biting wit. Though Fairley managed only a somewhat involved role last season -- he started two games -- the Mobile native was playing with more purpose during the season's final half. He has the capability to be more than a run-stopper; Fairley has the speed and instincts to be a pass-rush asset as well. Nothing in his past suggests that he's an injury liability. Fairley appears to be a rugged guy who can handle the rigors of 40 snaps per game.

THE BAD: If he's so talented, why didn't he shine last season? In his defense, junior college defense can be a pretty chaotic enterprise. Still, it's not like Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks are sure-fire NFL guys. Fairley had a few games -- LSU in particular -- where he was a non-factor. A guy with that kind of talent playing in his 18th college game shouldn't disappear. Though I never heard anyone say conditioning was a problem per se, it was clear that Fairley could be in better condition. More time with Kevin Yoxall, the Tigers' strength and conditioning czar, generally cures those kind of ills. His laid-back nature off the field could be a concern. Will he bring the fire on the field? Perhaps that played a role in Fairley's so-so season in 2009.

THE REALITY: He's my No. 1 breakout candidate ... on either side of the ball. Sure, Cameron Newton has a chance to be a big star. You already know that. So does everyone else in the SEC. Fairley still is under the radar for the most part. I kept seeing shades of Pat Sims last season. I consider that a great development for Auburn's defense, which needs all the good news it can get. I project 40 tackles, 5 sacks, hype building through the fall. Of course, I predicted Tommy Trott would flourish under Tony Franklin's leadership. You might want to take that into account.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

The Five I'm Watching: Part II

2010-07-12T07:10:00.005-05:00

TED ROOF
Defensive coordinator

Age: 46
College: Georgia Tech '85
Previous role: Defensive coordinator, Minnesota (1998)
Theme song: ``Down in It," Nine Inch Nails
Relevant lyric: "All the world's weight is on my back and I don't even know why."

THE GOOD: Ted Roof has the experience and knowledge you'd expect from someone whose career is rooted in coaching college defenses. Fellow coaches were impressed by the things Roof did during his season at Minnesota. He took a terrible defense and made it average during a period of six months. He did it with a series of odd formations, blitzes, schemes. So you know he's competent. Roof doesn't struggle with confidence, which means the memories of Auburn's terrible 2009 season -- the team set a record for points allowed -- likely won't affect his approach in a negative way this fall. He'll have more talent and more bodies at his disposal this time around; Roof was limited last season by a defense that featured few reliable reserves. Two FBS assistant coaches have told me they'll be surprised if the Tigers' defense isn't significantly better in 2010. They believe in Roof.

THE BAD: The numbers. Auburn's defense wasn't very good last season. What happened? We know Roof was compromised by a lack of depth on defense, which forced him to consider conserving his linebackers after halftime. He said that wasn't a thought, that Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens were fit enough to handle 90 snaps, but I don't believe him. The Tigers were more base than they should have been during the season's second half. Talk all you want about Jessel Curry, but he's a freshman. Eltoro Freeman remains an unknown. The same goes for Jonathan Evans. Is the linebacker corps going to be that much better? I sense that coach Gene Chizik will feel pressure to make a change at coordinator if the team doesn't make significant defensive progress this season. I still project the team's defense to be below average, though it's impossible to assess any of Roof's strategic adjustments at this stage. Maybe he's developed something innovative during the past six months.

THE REALITY: Auburn will be better on defense. That's the key to the team's overall success because we know (with some degree of certainty) that the Tigers will average at least 23 points per game. That creates a reasonable margin for error. Still, I expect defense to be a weakness.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

Maligned former trainer lands on his feet

2010-07-08T18:24:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. I was surprised today to learn that Tommy Tuberville, now of Texas Tech fame, has hired Arnold Gamber to be his head athletic trainer.

You may recall that Gamber worked at Auburn from 1999-2009. His image was tarnished after allegations surfaced that he played a key role in Chaz Ramsey's physical problems -- or the lack of attention paid to them. That lawsuit remains on track for a February trial.

Evan Woodbery slyly learned in late June that former offensive line coach Hugh Nall has been dropped from the suit. Gamber has not.

Odd choice? I'd say so.

The Five I'm Watching: Part I

2010-07-08T08:43:00.014-05:00

Hey everyone. With the World Cup all but completed, I'm back to the HABOTN where I belong.

Thanks for your patience.

We're starting a new series today we like to call The Five I'm Watching, which highlights ... exactly what you think it highlights. Media Days, the unofficial start to college football in my world, begins on July 21.

That's only 13 days.

So let's start assessing what the Auburn Tigers have in store for the 2010 season. We'll begin by examining Cameron Newton.

CAMERON NEWTON
Quarterback

Age: 21
Class: Junior
Size: 6-foot-6, approximately 250 pounds
Previous role: Starting JUCO quarterback
Theme song: ``I Am The Highway," Audioslave
Relevant lyric: "I am not your rolling wheels; I am the highway."

THE GOOD: The scouting reports we've all heard on Newton is that he's big and fast and commandeering. I haven't seen much of him because of Auburn's semi-restrictive access guidelines. I have seen enough to know he's faster than you'd expect from someone of his size. I know he has plus arm strength. I know he's bright and has the kind of fire one would expect from a top-tier college quarterback. He's in an offense that made a (compromised) Chris Todd pretty doggone effective. Imagine the kinds of numbers a healthy, thoughtful quarterback could amass. I don't say this often about athletes' parents, but Newton's father is a huge plus in my mind. He knows the game. He provides a certain thrust, I guess you'd say, that gives Newton proper large-scale vision.

THE BAD: His performance in the A-Day game did little to soothe questions about accuracy. To be fair, coaches asked almost nothing Newton in that game. It's a smart decision. A great game would have stoked expectations beyond where they are right now. I'm also wary of hype here. I'm not saying he's Greg Smith or even Eltoro Freeman, but the expectations being heaped upon Newton seem out of proportion given his lack of top-level experience. Was he good in junior college? Absolutely. Two rival JUCO coaches who spoke with me earlier this year made it clear, though, that Newton thrived primarily because of overwhelming play-making ability. Defenders at that level couldn't handle that. The Southeastern Conference is home to the best college defenders, pound for pound, in the world. Look at NFL rosters and tell me I'm wrong.

THE REALITY: He's going to be 80% of what you think he'll be -- at least initially. I expect his play-making ability to work well in this league. He'll create on the fly. He'll run away from some good linebackers, which will make you think: Damn, he's good. He'll improvise more often -- and more effectively -- than you think. I just get this sense that Newton's accuracy will wane beyond 20 yards. Gus Malzahn craves those long passes, too, so Newton will be forced to improve dramatically. My guess is that he will. It may take some time.

What do you think? Speak your mind!

ACC taps into the ESPN stash

2010-07-08T08:42:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. The Atlantic Coast Conference today announced a new, lucrative television deal with The Worldwide Leader.

Basics:

It's for 12 years.
It begins in 2011-12.
It's worth a reported $1.86 billion.
Each school is expected to net approximately $12.9 million/year.
They currently net approximately $6.5.
Football games will be broadcast on Saturday afternoons (when the SEC is on CBS) and nights (when the SEC is on ESPN and ESPN2). I'm assuming the ACC will see several games telecast to ESPNU. I don't know that.

Aycock finds a new home

2010-07-08T08:41:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. We've been talking about this in the other thread, but I think this deserves its own home.

Former Auburn tailback Dontae Aycock, who left the team earlier this season, will attempt to walk on at South Florida this fall. We know this because Greg Auman of the St. Petersburg Times says so.

Commence jokes involving "Aycock" in the punchline.

ps: Sweet logo.

He likes Auburn

2010-07-06T21:23:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Courtesy of Jet, who linked us, we have this fine photo of Leo DiCaprio.

This was taken on July 3 in the Cape Town, South Africa, airport.

Photo credit: INFdaily.com

Damon Evans out at Georgia

2010-07-04T08:52:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone. Happy 4th of July to all you American HOTTIES and your families.

We're very lucky to live in a country where people can say what they think in an honest manner. You know who made that happen, who makes that happen right now.

Thank you.

To the business at hand ...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is parroting a report made by WSB-TV that Georgia athletic director Damon Evans will be employed for only a few more hours. The school reportedly will announce Evans' resignation on Monday.

You probably know that Evans recently was pulled over for DUI -- hours before his new contract (which called for a $110,000 raise) went into effect. Evans himself says drunken driving is a bad idea.

You probably know that some other, embarrassing things occurred during that traffic stop.

He'll soon be unemployed. And that sucks.

I like Evans. He's good for Georgia. He's good for the Southeastern Conference. He's a younger guy, a competent guy, whose voice among the league's power players stood out for its lack of stodginess.

Can Evans realistically remain athletic director? No. He's become a punchline. A leader can be a punchline, but the jokes must center around professional decisions. When personal decisions elicit the laughter, it's a totally different deal. Now he's the drunk AD with red panties in his lap.

That won't work.

So we'll soon hear how The New Guy is better. I won't believe it. Georgia already was making progress.

As seen at ESPN.com ...

2010-07-01T21:32:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone. I'm in Kentucky this week for an allegedly relaxing week off before we start getting cranked up for Media Days, though some really sweet World Cup action will fray my nerves.

I hope you know about my little World Cup venture: Gannett World Cup.

So why am I writing this post? Oh, yes. "News."

Chris Low, a righteous dude who blogs for ESPN.com, today posted a list indicating how many national titles (in all sports) owned by each of the Southeastern Conference men's programs.

His source is the SEC office.

Within that countdown, I came across this:

Auburn: 9
* Eight in swimming (1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009), one in football (1957).

Alabama: 8
* Eight in football (1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009).

Thoughts:

a.) Wow.

b.) Finally -- someone recognizes the correct number of titles at Alabama.

Tony Barbee speaks

2010-06-28T18:42:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. It's been a while, but I promise that I've been working.

GannettWorldCup.com has been rollin' along with the little soccer tournament in Africa. Thanks to E-Bro, Eddie, Peter, Scott Chocolate, ehyou and Jimmy for hanging out over there.

So what do we have here today?

Your new men's basketball coach, Tony Barbee, participated in the SEC's summer teleconference. We didn't learn a lot per se, but he spoke. And we listened.

On the team's situation heading into Barbee's first season:
``We're starting over having lost 80 percent of our scoring and 80 percent of our rebounding. The majority of our team being either freshmen or sophomores and only two returning juniors and only really one of those played in Frankie Sullivan. We're starting over, but it's exciting to start over in that way because you get the chance to mold a younger group of players who haven't been set in their ways having gone through a system for several years. It's going to be kind of like molding clay. Every day is going to bring a different challenge especially with Frankie Sullivan, an experienced guard. I think he is a solid guard in this league. Beyond that, we don't have much experience left. It's starting over."
On Luke Cothran, the power forward signee who is expected to be very good:
``I think Luke brings us a different level of talent to this program than this program has seen in quite some time. He's one of those 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 hybrid forwards that can score from different angles from the perimeter and obviously the 3-point line. He's great around the basket because he's got great feet for a big man. He's got a knack for rebounding the ball, so there's no question he'll bring a lot to the team as a freshman."
On anything he's learned so far in terms of evaluating current players:
``Anytime you take over a new position, you go through a pretty long evaluation process and we're still in that phase with the limited amount of access that I've had to my returning players and to the incoming recruits. Anytime a new coach takes over, there's always transition. You've got to make sure it's a fit both ways, for the player and for myself and my staff and for my system and how we are going to do things. I'm pretty pleased with how the current team is shaping up with the returners from last year's team and with the signees that we were able to put together here in the late spring signing period."
On Frankie Sullivan:
``Frankie is a kid that I have known for a long time. He used to come to our camps when I was at Memphis as an assistant there, so I've known him for a long time. He's one of those guys that you want your entire team to play like, with reckless abandon. He's not going to back down no matter who he plays against. That's what Frankie brings to the court and, hopefully, he's going to step up in a leadership role now. He's one of the veterans that we have on this team. Frankie brings you a guy who can put points on the board. With the type of offense I'd like to run here depending on the personnel we have based around the dribble-drive and attacking the paint, whether it's on the drive or the post-up, I think Frankie will be able to be very productive in this offense."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Let the watching begin

2010-06-21T18:26:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. Hope you're having a great SUMMER SOLSTICE. It's the longest day of the year, so make the most of it!

I'm just here to pass along some information about two Auburn football players.

Linebacker Craig Stevens and offensive tackle Lee Ziemba have been named to award watch lists. It's a rite of passage for college seniors. These two players are, in my opinion, deserving.

Stevens has caught the attention of people who administrate the Nagurski Trophy. The senior-to-be was credited with 90 tackles last season. He also was one of the four players who participated in all 115 snaps of the Outback Bowl. They don't come tougher than that.

Ziemba is up for the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation's top lineman -- on offense or defense. The Arkansas native is tall, strong, durable and generally good. What else can I say?

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn football going indoors

2010-06-18T17:48:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. News is breaking this afternoon about Auburn's decade-long quest for a proper indoor practice facility.

Short summary: It's happening.

The Board of Trustees on Friday approved plans to build a 100-yard, enclosed facility on the current practice grounds. Athletic director Jay Jacobs said the department needs to raise $16 million privately to cover construction costs.

He's hoping the facility, which also can provide training space for other sports, will be completed before the 2011 season begins.

``This is a huge step forward for our football facilities," coach Gene Chizik said.

Here's two more shots. Click to enlarge:

Morris, Fletcher earn high praise

2010-06-16T17:49:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. Hunter Morris and Brian Fletcher, a pair of young men who play baseball at Auburn University, were named to the All-America team today.

A deserving achievement, if you ask me.

You didn't. But if you had ...

Morris, a first baseman, was named to the first team. Fletcher, an outfielder, is part of the second team.

Morris was the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Year after leading the league in homers, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. Not too shabby. He was a fourth-round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers last week.

(It's pronounced "mill-e-wah-kay," which is Algonquin for "the good land.")

His final line looked a little something like this: .386-23-76.

Fletcher went .357-22-75. He was an 18th-round pick of the Kansas City Royals.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Auburn football lands a commitment

2010-06-15T17:11:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Just a quick note to say our friends at AuburnSports.com, AuburnUndercover.com and ITAT are reporting that Auburn has secured a commitment from Mobile defensive tackle JaBrian Miles.

He currently stands 6-foot-2 and weighs approximately 260 pounds.

Miles, who plays at Davidson High, picked Auburn over offers from Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Florida State ... among others.

Photo credit: Rivals.com

The SEC will stand pat

2010-06-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. So the remaining members of the Big 12 Conference had a meeting of the minds and decided to stay put.

Texas isn't leaving the league. Neither is Oklahoma. Neither is Texas A&M.

It's a decision that some Aggies fans have decried.

"With one decision, the big brass of Texas A&M inhibited the athletic program's potential and has done irreparable damage to the future success of Aggie athletics."

Others believe Texas A&M made the right decision. Among those supporters is SI.com's Stewart Mandel, whose writing I trust.

"Many SEC fans and Texas A&M fans, meanwhile, had gotten their hopes up about a potential marriage, one that appeared plausible as recently as Sunday night. It didn't happen, and while many of those fans may disagree, believe me, this is a good thing for both parties. The SEC has a near-perfect product. It's the toast of the sport right now. It's not hurting for money. There was no justifiable reason to mess it up for the sake of a few Texas television sets, just as the Aggies would have eventually regretted parting with their Lone Star brethren."

New member on the way?

2010-06-14T00:03:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. News is breaking at this hour about Texas A&M and its feelings about the Southeastern Conference.

The Houston Chronicle, citing an unnamed source, says school regents are expected to meet this week and discuss a possible jump to the SEC. An offer apparently is on the table.

Houston is the fattest city in America.

Have a nice night.

The new world of college football: Is the SEC dying?

2010-06-11T19:06:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. So today we receive word (via named sources) that Nebraska will join the Big 10 Conference one year from now.

We also have received word (via unnamed sources) that Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and the Fightin' Tubervilles are on the verge of joining the Pac-10.

I still don't see how this affects the Southeastern Conference.

It's apparent that league commissioner Mike Slive has been talking with some of these schools. It's also apparent that Texas A&M is taking SEC overtones more seriously, though, as the story notes, that could be a function of ego in College Station. They have this thing about not having their lives dictated by Texas. Sound familiar?

Anyway, I still don't see the SEC changing right now. The schools that make most sense (Atlantic Coast Conference) have nothing to do with this realignment.

Do you hear any talk of the ACC disbanding? I didn't think so.

Southern Cal hammered by NCAA; Auburn playing revisionist history?

2010-06-10T16:38:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. Busy day in the world of sports, no?

News also broke this afternoon regarding rampant violations that occurred at Southern Cal from 2003-05. Part of the NCAA's penalty includes the stripping of the Trojans' football wins in 2004 and 2005, which irks Auburn fans to no end.

Southern Cal beat Oklahoma like a drum in the 2004 Bowl Championship Series title game. Auburn, despite being 12-0 heading into bowl season, wasn't allowed to play for the national championship. Many here believe the Tigers were improperly denied that opportunity ... and now comes news that opportunity was obfuscated because of cheating.

Does Auburn now have a true claim to the 2004 championship? No.

The BCS amended its bylaws a few years ago to permit the stripping of a title. There will be no retroactive changes; the 2004 season, officially, will have no BCS champion.

Still angry? Maybe you'll feel better vicariously reveling in Tennessee's enjoyment. Lane Kiffin left the Vols last winter for USC and now faces the loss of 10 football scholarships and bowl trips for two seasons. And he worked as an assistant at USC when these violations went down.

Karma, anyone?

Here's the full bill for USC (courtesy of the L.A. Times):

Public reprimand and censure.
Four years of probation: from June 10, 2010, through June 9, 2014.
Postseason ban for the 2009-10 men’s basketball season. (self-imposed)
Postseason ban for the 2010 and 2011 football seasons.
One-year show-cause penalty for assistant football coach Todd McNair (June 10, 2010, to June 9, 2011).
Vacation of all football wins, including football bowl games, from the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Vacation of all basketball wins in the 2007-08 season, including the NCAA tournament. (self-imposed)
Vacation of all wins in women’s tennis between November 2006 and May 2009.(self-imposed)
Reduction of football scholarships by 10 for the next three academic years.
Reduction of men’s basketball scholarships from 13 to 12 for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years. (self-imposed)
Reduction of the total number of recruiting days in men’s basketball by 20 days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-11 academic year. (self-imposed)
$5,000 fine. (self-imposed)
Remittance of the $206,200 the university received for its participation in the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament. (self-imposed).
Disassociation of football player Reggie Bush, basketball player O.J. Mayo and “booster” Rodney Guillory.
Release of three men’s basketball recruits from their letters of intent. (self-imposed).
Prohibition of all non-university personnel, including boosters, from traveling on football and men’s basketball charters; attending football and men’s basketball team practices; attending or participating in any way with university football and men’s basketball camps, including donation of funds; and having access to the sidelines and locker rooms for football and men’s basketball games.

The Pac-10 makes its first addition

2010-06-10T12:56:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. News is breaking in the Mountain Time Zone where Colorado has accepted an offer to join the Pac-10 Conference.

Should SEC fans worry? Not about that.

However, Joe Schad (whom I respect) has a source telling him that Colorado simply is the first of several more Big 12 Conference schools to make the jump.

Nebraska is linked to the Big 10 Conference search for a new member. That deal is expected to be finalized this weekend.

Does that mean the Southeastern Conference must somehow keep pace? After listening to commissioner Mike Slive speak a few times last week and talking with a few ADs privately, it's reasonable to assume the league already has reached out to Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

How involved were those conversations? I don't know.

Was a membership offer extended? I'm almost certain it wasn't.

Still, Slive and his top league cohorts -- Charles Bloom, Mark Womack, et al. -- are shrewd when it comes to business affairs. They honestly believe a lucrative and thriving SEC, with its 12-school lineup, doesn't need to position itself any differently with the upheaval out west.

At least that's what he said last week.

``Given our success over the last decade, we're pretty comfortable, as I think you all know," Slive told reporters in Sandestin. ``Having said that, if there's a significant shift in the conference paradigm, we will be thoughtful, we'll be strategic and our goal is for us to maintain our position as one of the most successful conferences in the country. People have been drawing inferences from that, they'll continue to draw inferences from that, but really that's about all we're going to say about it."

It's not like the Atlantic Coast Conference is disbanding. That's the SEC's closest neighbor and a conglomeration of schools within driving distance.

Texas? Missouri? Oklahoma? Considering how we all see Arkansas as basically the North Pole in terms of proximity, I don't see why these particular realignments will have any effect on the SEC Sphere of Influence.

Rowland is fast

2010-06-09T21:37:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn's ace photographer, Todd Van Emst, sent along this awesome photo of sprinter Marcus Rowland.

The sophomore ran a 10.18 in the 100-meter semis and qualified for the NCAA final. He already owns the fastest 100 time in the NCAA this year, so he technically is the favorite.

Make that 11

2010-06-09T17:01:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. The Major League Baseball draft continued today and two more Auburn Tigers -- outfielder Justin Fradejas (above) and reliever Stephen Kohlscheen -- were selected.

That bumps the program's total to 11 this season. It's a record.

A recap:

OF Trent Mummey, 4th round (Baltimore)
1B Hunter Morris, 4th round (Milwaukee)
SP Cole Nelson, 10th round (Detroit)
SP Grant Dayton, 11th round (Florida)
RP Austin Hubbard, 14th round (Tampa)
C Ryan Jenkins, 17th round (Kansas City)
OF Brian Fletcher, 18th round (Kansas City)
DH Kevin Patterson, 23rd round (Tampa)
RP Bradley Hendrix, 30th round (Cincinnati)
OF Justin Fradejas, 35th round (Colorado)
RP Stephen Kohlscheen, 45th round (Seattle)

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn players in the MLB draft

2010-06-08T13:19:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone.

Drafts are unpredictable. That's the only way I can explain how OF Trent Mummey, an excellent center fielder, was selected ahead of 1B Hunter Morris in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft this afternoon.

Mummey went 118th overall to the Baltimore Orioles.

Morris, the SEC's Player of The Year, went 129th overall (fourth round) to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Several more Tigers will be drafted in the coming hours.

COMMENTS FROM MUMMEY:
** This was what he said after being asked about this season: ``After last night, when we lost in front of all those fans, it was really hard to take that Auburn jersey off. We had a lot of expectations this year. We wanted to go out a little further. The great group of guys we had really brought out the Auburn family for baseball. These past couple games were really great. It was really special to be able to experience that before this season ended. We brought back a winning tradition to Auburn.

``If this is my last year at Auburn, it's definitely the way I'd like to have gone out. It was really exciting to experience all the things I did. Coming back from my injury was really tough. At the beginning of the year, you have a lot of expectation for the draft. A week before the season, it was taken away. It was tough. I experienced a little depression there for a little bit. I was a little upset."

** On motivation after missing 28 games: ``I was doing it for the Auburn family. I felt like I had a lot to give to Auburn. Missing 28 games, I felt like I had to give a lot to the team."

COMMENTS FROM MORRIS:
** General comments: ``I had high hopes that it would happen earlier, but I'm in a great situation with a great organization with the Brewers. They had a lot of interest out of high school. I had a lot if conversations with them this year. I knew they were in the mix. It wasn't really a surprise to me that they were the ones who jumped forward and took me there."

** On learning that he'd been drafted: ``I was driving to my apartment. I was on the phone with my dad and we were sitting there with raised eyebrows wondering: What's going on? Then he told me: ``Congratulations." I'm relieved for it to be over with. It's behind us now."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn Regional Sorta Live V

2010-06-07T17:55:00.019-05:00

Well, hello there, boys and girls.

We are once again sitting in a sticky press box at Plainsman Park. Your Tigers have taken the field, once again the home team in their own park. As you know, you'll have semi-live updates from the BIG ONE.

Avoid the clap ... and let's get going

CLEMSON v. AUBURN

CU Top 1: Tough start ... again. Clemson put a couple on and Kyle Parker, who also plays a little QB in his spare time, brought three in with a DONG to center. You might be interested to know that the wind is blowing out rather briskly to right. I'm guessing that won't be the last ball to leave the park tonight. First score: CU 3, AU 0

AU Btm 1: Not much. Gamache had a Ga-single up the middle and then worked his way around to third on wild pitches. That's the good news. Bad news: He didn't work himself home.

CU Top 2: The visiting Tigers have come to play. You gotta tip your hat to 'em. After that ending last night, they have every right to mail this in. Instead, they've just put two more on the board and chased AU starter Jon Luke Jacobs after just inning. Your score: CU 6, AU 0

AU Btm 2: Signs of life. Your Tigers put a three-spot on the board. Fradejas and Bryant had RBIs. The Clemson pitcher also got an RBI, since he walked one in. New score: CU 6, AU 3

CU Top 3: John Hinson has taken a little time off from "Wipeout" to hit a DONGER (Worked in a "Sixteen Candles" reference -- find that elsewhere). New score: CU 7, AU 3

AU Btm 3: A little bit closer. McElroy with an RBI double and another RBI hit for Bryant. New score: CU 7, AU 5

CU Top 4: Zilch.

AU Btm 4: Nothing on the board, but Brian Fletcher hit the best looking single you'll ever see. Bounced that baby off the wall.

CU Top 5: Clemson stretches it back out a bit. A run on a couple of hits. New score: CU 8, AU 5

AU Btm 5: And Auburn closes the gap again. Mummey with a DONG to right. Back to two. CU 8, AU 6

CU Top 6: A single, but no damage.

AU Btm 6: Ditto for Auburn -- single but no damage.

CU Top 7: You'll probably not remember the name Richie Shaffer in a few weeks, but he's very likely the guy that stomped on Auburn's super regional dreams. His double scored three. New score: CU 11, AU 6

AU Btm 7: A run crossed the plate, but a big opportunity missed. Fittingly, some guy had a goat behind the center field wall. There was also one on the base path. Last night's hero made two pretty big blunders -- either that or he was trying not to score. If so, well played, sir. Well played, indeed. New score: CU 11, AU 7

CU Top 8: A little action. Nothing anyone will remember.

AU Btm 8: Couple of tough breaks for the home team. Fletch F. Fletch's shot down the right field line could have been ruled either way. Ump called it foul. Might have been a mistake. Auburn's pitching coach certainly seemed to think so, as he was tossed for arguing and made quite a spectacle of himself. It was enjoyable. Morris then lined out and Gamache was doubled up in the process. AU still trails by four with one shot left.

CU Top 9: Bad news. Clemson put two more on the board and made a tough challenge that much harder. Three outs to go and the hometown Tigers need six to keep playing this season.

AU Btm 9: Somehow, Auburn didn't score. Ended with 18 hits and seven runs -- almost impossible.

Final Score: CU 13, AU 7

Recapping a big night in Auburn

2010-06-07T07:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone.

I think this will summarize things from last night.

Here's what our own Bag had to say about Auburn's 11-9 win.

Auburn Regional Sorta Live IV

2010-06-06T17:16:00.020-05:00

After a walk to Momma G's, a good sammich and a couple of blisters, we're ready to roll again.

The only thing I've wiffed on so far has been the weather problems and judging by the clouds, I'm not far off of that.

Somebody get the live chicken ...

AUBURN v. CLEMSON

AU Top 1: Your Auburn Tigers have kept the offense going. RBI double from Fletcher and an RBI single from Morris gives Auburn a quick lead and a lot of momentum. AU 2, CU 0

CU Btm 1: One hit, but no danger.

AU Top 2: A hit that nearly decapitated poor ol' Lamb, but no runs.

CU Btm 2: Another hit. Still no real harm.

AU Top 3: A double from Mummey goes unused. Still, Auburn continues to hit the ball hard.

CU Btm 3: Sorry for the delay. Tech difficulties. Anyway, apparently Under Armour doesn't have a sunglass line and that has cost Auburn. Fletcher lost one in the sun in left and Clemson got a run out of it. Fradejas almost misplayed one in right, but I don't know what the issue was there -- Dramamine, maybe. Anyway, new score: AU 2, CU 1

AU Top 4: Couple of threats but nothing to show for it ... except for a new Clemson pitcher. You got that going for you, which is nice ... I guess.

CU Btm 4: Nothing much.

AU Top 5: Fletch F. Fletch has left the yard with a two-run DOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG. AU added another run on top of that and I've made early dinner reservations at Provinos for tomorrow night. New score: AU 5, CU 1

CU Btm 5: Uh, yeah, might've spoke a bit soon there. OK, no might about it. The visiting Tigers have bounced back to score SEVEN runs in their half of the fifth. Everybody in the lineup doubled at least twice in the inning. New score: CU 8, AU 5

AU Top 6: There's a sign that AU will not be going quietly. Mr. Fradejas, who would never make it in Arizona with a name like that, is doing just dandy here, thank you. He DONGED one over the big, green wall. New score: CU 8, AU 6

CU Btm 6: Nothing much to report.

AU Top 7: Just think of me as Bobby Boucher's girlfriend. Your Tigers get two runs in odd fashion -- walked one in and an infield single for the other. New score: AU 8, CU 8

CU Btm 7: Back they come. A walk, a sacrifice and a two-out double puts Clemson back on top. Score: CU 9, AU 8

AU Top 8: There was a chance there. Had a runner at first and then at second for Morris and Caldwell. But Mighty Casey popped out and Caldwell struck out. One shot left.

CU Btm 8: Nothing but one loud out.

AU Top 9: Crede Simpson drinks free tonight. Simpson's three-run, pinch-hit home run with two outs allows Auburn to see another half-inning and possibly another day. New score: AU 11, CU 9

CU Btm 9: Tying run left at third. See ya tomorrow.

Final Score: AU 11, CU 10

AU Regional Sorta Live III

2010-06-06T13:03:00.019-05:00

Here we go with what is sure to be a looooooooong day of baseball for all of us.

No need to waste any additional time here.

May our bats be swift and our balls be plentiful ...

AUBURN v. SOUTHERN MISS

AU Top 1: That's right, the Tigers are the visitors in their own park. Must be weird. Didn't seem to bother Mr. Fletcher. Went deep. Your score: AU 1, USM 0

USM Btm 1: Uh-oh. B.A. "Baracus" Vollmuth hit what has to be his 75th home run this weekend to put the Golden Eagle on top. Then Travis Graves solved a bases loaded jam for the Tigers by doubling to center. New score: USM 5, AU 1

AU Top 2: Casey McElroy put a dent in the Under Armour sign in left-center. Scored three. We're well on our way to a 30-run day. New score: USM 5, AU 4

USM Btm 2: Relatively quiet. B.A., whose initials are fitting, singled -- but when doesn't he? That was all, though.

AU Top 3: Tie game on a nice double from Kevin Patterson. Should've given the Tigers the lead but Jenkins got his feet tangled on the third base line and tripped. Brand new game anyway. AU 5, USM 5

USM Btm 3: A double and a two-out, RBI single put the Fightin' Favres back on top. And we had our first of what's sure to be NUMEROUS pitching changes. New score: USM 6, AU 5

AU Top 4: A GRAND DONG from Mr. Morris has turned things around for the visiting, yet homestanding, Tigers. We also got pitching change No. 2. New score: AU 9, USM 6

USM Btm 4: That'll help the pace a bit. A quick one. No harm.

AU Top 5: Hey, hey, hey -- halfway home. Your Tigers put up SIX more in the fifth. The big blow was ... let's see ... somebody hit a homerun. It happened like a half-hour ago. I forgot. You can now go do something else and wait on the late game to start. New score: AU 15, USM 6

USM Btm 5: Couple of runners. Neither of them touched the plate ... when it counted.

AU Top 6: Didn't score. Call it mercy.

USM Btm 6: Didn't score. Call it surrender.

AU Top 7: Thanks to an it's-hot call by the first base ump on a double play, no runs again.

USM Btm 7: We're rolling now, baby. Still 15-6 ... and hot.

AU Top 8: Two more runs for the Tigers. Might wanna think about saving some of this for later. New Score: AU 17, USM 6

USM Btm 8: One more meaningless run for the Golden Eagles. Score: AU 17, USM 7

AU Top 9: Nothing. But ... we can see the end. Sweet mercy.

USM Btm 9: A run on a homer. Needed a pitching change to get it done, though.

Final Score: AU 17, USM 8

AU Regional Sorta Live II

2010-06-05T20:08:00.022-05:00

OK, you guys ready to let the dogs out?

In case you were wondering, we're late here. It rained. Baseball players melt. Had to wait that out.

But we're ready to go now -- a mere two hours and 15 minutes later than scheduled. But who's counting?

Anyway, you know the drill here. I can't go completely live, but I can knock out half-inning updates and make limitless snide remarks.

Let's rol... uh, I mean, Here we go:

CLEMSON v. AUBURN

CU Top 1: Could've started better for the Auburn Tigers. Mike Freeman hit a two-run DONG for the big blow. Clemson also tacked on another run. CU 3, AU 0

AU Btm 1: Three players batted. Two struck out. The other lined out.

CU Top 2: Nothing much. One hit. No damage.

AU Btm 2: Mr. Harman is proving to be quite a problem. Another 1-2-3 inning.

CU Top 3: The lack of offensive production is apparently a contagious condition. Now Clemson's going quietly. Still 3-0, if you're wondering.

AU Btm 3: Clemson tried its best to pump a little life into your Tigers with a dropped pop-up, but the flatline continues. Mr. Harman, thanks to a double play, has still faced the minimum.

CU Top 4: Getting out of hand now. The purpled-up Tigers hit back-to-back doubles to score a run and then took advantage of an AU throwing error to score another. New score: CU 5, AU 0

AU Btm 4: Zippo.

CU Top 5: In order without incident.

AU Btm 5: Well, there goes the no-hitter ... and the shutout. Tony Caldwell -- DONG city. New score: CU 5, AU 1

CU Top 6: Notta.

AU Btm 6: Signs of life. Hard hit single and a yet another home run ball pulled back into the park. But things seem to be shifting a bit. It might have something to do with Trooper ... and his towel.

CU Top 7: Zilch. (By the way, after the seventh, Dayton had 126 pitches -- a career high.)

AU Btm 7: One runner. Not much else.

CU Top 8: Couple of two-out hits and a hard hit third out. Nice play by Fletcher in left to end it. Still 5-1. Two shots left.

AU Btm 8: Drama. AU put two on, thanks in part to a weird scene in which a bunt attempt by Fradejas was at first ruled a foul ball until a very animated Pawlowski hit the scene. After a lengthy discussion, that was reversed and Fradejas was awarded first for a HBP. And out came CU HC Jack Leggett, who was none-too-happy. No one was tossed, although I've seen em get run for much less. And all of it mattered not at all. Harman, ace that he is, smoked the next two AU hitters to get out of the inning.

CU Top 9: No more damage.

AU Btm 9: No real threat. Morris blasted one that's still going, but that was really all.

FINAL: Clemson 5, Auburn 2

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Live Baseball -- sorta

2010-06-04T18:16:00.017-05:00

Alrighty, boys and girls, I'm here for actual baseball. Your Tigers are on the field as I'm typing this. As you know, we can't do a "live blog" of the game -- the NCAA frowns upon such things. I'll recap the innings as best I can for ya.

So, away we go on what is sure to be a fantastic voyage ...

JACKSONVILLE STATE v. AUBURN

JSU Top 1: SP Cory Luckie struggled a bit, allowing a run on two hits. He also balked runners to second and third and walked 'em loaded. Fortunately for AU, that's where he left 'em. He did throw 36 pitches in the half-inning. JSU 1, AU 0

AU Btm 1: Considerably less drama. Three to bat, three to sit. JSU starter Austin Lucas threw five pitches.

JSU Top 2: Another inning, another runner in scoring position. No harm this time, however. AU still down a run.

AU Btm 2: Think back to the first. It went like that.

JSU Top 3: Couple of balls to the track, but no harm done. Still one-zip, JSU.

AU Btm 3: Couple of balls to the track. Still no harm done by the Tigers.

JSU Top 4: A walk and double play. As an aside, you know what's stupid? Grown men at a baseball game yelling at "Blue."

AU Btm 4: Hey, offense. Your Tigers have plated three runs, despite one of the most awesomest catches by JSU CF Daniel Adamson that saved a grand slam. New score: AU 3, JSU 1

JSU Top 5: And back come those pesky Gamecocks. Two-run ... ahem, DONG, and an RBI single put them back on top. Your new score: JSU 4, AU 3

AU Btm 5: And back come the Tigers. They love pepper and hate cinnamon but also don't mind a lead either. Fradejas hit his second -- ahem -- DONG of the season -- this one a two-runner -- and AU is back on top. AU 5, JSU 4

JSU Top 6: And back come the Gamecocks. Tied this baby at 5-5.

AU Btm 6: Mr. Gamache went ahead and Ga-Mashed one. AU 6, JSU 5

JSU Top 7: Eh.

AU Btm 7: Give the Tigers two more. And Gamache had hit one ball six inches higher and another a foot to the right, he'd have six more RBIs. On the other hand, had JSU's first sub-style pitcher been 12 feet to the left on a couple of pitches, he would've just missed outside. New score: AU 8, JSU 5

JSU Top 8: And back come the Gamecocks ... just not all the way. Couple of runs scored, a runner left at third. Give these guys credit, they're not going anywhere. New score: AU 8, JSU 7

Brief summary: Auburn wins, 9-7.

Sorry, had to finish a few notes and get quotes. But hey, it was on TV.

Auburn No. 9 on ESPN's 2011 recruiting rankings

2010-06-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. ESPN just revealed its (extremely preliminary) 2011 recruiting rankings based on players the Tigers have committed.

Auburn's rank? Nine.

Not too shabby. I can't say much about it because, honestly, I know very little about what the other major FBS teams have on board. It's impossible for me to understand what Auburn is accomplishing relative to their rivals, but snagging Kiehl Frazier obviously is a huge deal.

More Auburn-themed snippets from Sandestin

2010-06-04T14:54:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. The official disbursement figure, for reasons that still aren't 100% clear to me, is $17.3 million.

However, SEC teams that qualified for bowls in 2009 split an extra $14.9 million. That money is not distributed evenly.

My educated guess is that Auburn's actual take is something in the neighborhood of $18.6 million. That money is due to arrive in July.

Not bad for paying $50 in SEC dues.

* Jay Jacobs has been named to the SEC's Executive Committee, which includes seven members. He's the only athletic director on the board.

* I reported earlier that Jacobs played a central role in The Cowbell Provision going through. Here's what MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin had to say about it:

"Jay made the motion in the AD meeting of: Let's give this a shot. What do we have to lose? He's a great guy. I really appreciate him stepping up and helping for the right reasons: Let's help a league member through a situation that's challenging."

Mike Slive speaks

2010-06-04T13:27:00.024-05:00

Hey everyone. The SEC commissioner is speaking in Sandestin.

Here is what he's discussing:

* The annual distribution is an average of $17.4 million per this year. That's a 57% increase in one year. That's a pool of $209 million.

*Reseeding the basketball tournament: ``That came up through the basketball coaches. They had discussed the current process and maybe a single division. They wanted to continue to study it. At least for the coming year, there will be no change."

* League approved a "modification" ... recognizing the tradition at Mississippi State and will provide the opportunity for the use of cowbells at Mississippi State so long as they're used at the appropriate time."

* There is no change in the main rule. The only change is a recognition of MSU's tradition and only at their stadium and only at a appropriate times. It will be revisited by the league next year. ``If it doesn't work, the league would re-consider going back to the original."

* Penalty for non-compliance?: ``You don't penalize people unless it's in the rule book." (It's not.)

* Fine 'em for non-compliance?: ``There's a sunset. If it doesn't work, then we'll go back to the ban of artificial noisemakers."

* Expansion: ``We discussed it as you would expect us to discuss it. There's nothing more I can add to that."

* ``It is not unusual, in these kinds of contracts, for there to be a provision that if the ... league changes, to be able to sit down and talk about that with your telecast partner."

* SEC dues are $50 per year.

* Voting for expansion, if it comes to that, requires the support of nine conference presidents.

* Is sixteen teams too many for a league? (That's what the Pac-10 is discussing?) "That's a lot of teams to administer. What impact would that have nationally? I don't know. That's highly speculative. There apparently is a lot of talk in the media of superconferences. That's a concept that comes more from the outside than the people who do the work like we do. I've never heard of a need or a drive to get a bunch of superconferences."

* On moving tournaments from their current locations: They have one year to go in Hoover. Then the contract runs out. "Hoover does a terrific job." He said the SEC still will explore alternatives and will bring different scenarios to the ADs for a vote during the fall.

* He said Hoover is "part of the fabric" of SEC baseball.

* Football? ``The game is extraordinarily successful in Atlanta. We have no intention of moving it out of Atlanta."

* On the disbursement: Slive noted that the ESPN/CBS deal allows schools to have control over their local multimedia packages. The Big Ten Network annexed all that business. As for SEC schools getting the ESPN/CBS money and being able to keep their own multimedia money, he said: ``If you add it all up, the total is really quite substantial."

* No more than three or four off-week scenarios for schools will be permitted beginning in 2011. (In relation to Alabama's schedule.)

* On finding a remedy for Alabama's schedule situation: ``As long as people are still willing to help us with it, we're willing to work with it."

* The SEC officially opposes an early signing period in football. ``Our coaches oppose it, our ADs oppose it and the presidents oppose it."

* Back to expansion: "Strategic and thoughtful could mean doing nothing ... no matter what anybody else does. It could mean doing something. It's just designed to say that we have maximum flexibility as to how we approach this issue."

* Back to disbursement, will it rise: "For the foreseeable future, it's approximately the same."

* "It's an extraordinary growth. It's gratifying to see the changes."

* Expansion again: "We're very comfortable with where we are now. If nothing happened, we'd be very comfortable with where we are."

* "I'm not going to discuss any other aspect of expansion."

* Unified drug policy? They have talked about that before, though not at these meetings. "It did not get traction. Everybody has their own (policy)."

* That's a wrap.

Notes from Jay Jacobs

2010-06-04T12:31:00.003-05:00

I just spoke with Jay Jacobs prior to his trip into the presidents' legislative session with SEC presidents.

Here are the highlights:

*I told him that the official HABOTN® disbursement prediction was $16.75 million. ``You're going to be doggone close."

*He said the jump from $11.1 million, which the schools received last season, was known well ahead of time and budgeted. ``Ticket sales are down, priorities (PSLs) are down and it's money we really need to continue serving our customers and our student-athletes they way they deserve."

*He was one of the biggest supporters of MSU's cowbell provision. ``I'm very empathetic toward Mississippi State's situation. That's a tradition over there that means so much to the Mississippi State people. I think about what it'd be like if I was in their shoes. I just feel like it's the right thing to do -- to let them sort it out."

*He said basketball coaches will begin moving into Auburn Arena in July.

*He said the soccer/track complex is expected to be finished in September. The project fell behind schedule because of weather and mud problems in December and January.

*He said the next major building project will involve an indoor football practice field. He said it must be located close to the athletics corridor. My first thought was the old track, but Jacobs said that hasn't yet been determined.

*He said the next building project in line is a new sports medicine facility for Olympic sports. That stuff currently is housed inside Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. Asked if it could be coupled with the football practice facility (a la UK's Nutter Center/Field House) ... and Jacobs said "no."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Cowbells now legal at MSU ... for now

2010-06-04T11:40:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. We're live at the SEC Spring Meetings where Mississippi State just received the approval of league athletic directors to allow cowbells into home games.

There is a catch. The cowbells may be rattled only at appropriate times. When is appropriate? During timeouts and other stoppages of play ... when most schools play music or messages over their soundsystems.

If league presidents approve the measure this afternoon, MSU's plan will have a one-year trial. The issue will be revisited next year.

``I think the general thought was we'll give you a chance," MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said. ``One of the parts of this proposal that's key is right now there's a sunset clause on it that runs out next year. In other words, we have a year to see if we can be responsible as a fan base. If we're responsible, the league will address it and go from there and if we're not, we'll take a different tack."

Reportage from Sandestin, Day 3

2010-06-04T09:42:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. I write for a living. I get paid because you read the things I write. So please, help a journalist and read the following pieces of prose.

*`Saban Rule' bumped

*Le Notebook (includes basketball items, Barbee involved with both)

Getting to know your Auburn regional opponents

2010-06-03T16:05:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone. Bag was generous enough to crank out some capsules designed to give you, the HOTTIES, a better understanding of the teams Auburn will or may play this weekend.

Please enjoy. And ... thanks, Color Me Bagg.

AUBURN

Record: 40-19

Opponent: vs. Jacksonville State, 6 p.m.

Opening starting pitcher: LHP Cory Luckie (6-4; 5.68)

Key players: 1B Hunter Morris (.392, 21 HRs, 70 RBIs), 3B Dan Gamache (.387, 49 runs, 34 RBIs); LF Brian Fletcher (.359, 20 HRs, 70 RBIs); CF Trent Mummey (.371, 15 HRs, 47 RBIs)

Notes: This is Auburn’s first home regional appearance since 2003 … Auburn went 13-13 against the NCAA field this season …Auburn is 15th in the latest RPI rankings, just ahead of second-seed Clemson, which is 18th … The Tigers ended the year as the SEC leaders in batting average (.348), slugging percentage (.585), on-base percentage (.424), runs (538), hits (750), home runs (117) and total bases (1,260) … Head coach John Pawlowski played at Clemson and later was the pitching coach there for five seasons in the 1990s.

CLEMSON

Record: 38-21

Opponent: vs. Southern Miss, 2 p.m.

Opening starting pitcher: RHP Scott Weismann (6-2, 5.47)

Key players: SS Brad Miller (.373, 7 HRs, 37 RBIs); RF Kyle Parker (.364, 19 HRs, 57 RBIs); LF Jeff Schaus (.311, 15 HRs, 75 RBIs); 3B John Hinson (.324, 12 HRs, 62 RBIs)

Notes: Clemson is making its 35th trip to an NCAA regional – the sixth most in the country … The Tigers are 7-8 against top-25 competition this season … Both the Clemson baseball and football teams won the ACC Atlantic Division this academic year and Kyle Parker played a pivotal role in both titles. Parker was the starting QB and threw 20 TDs and racked up 2,526 passing yards. He’s also one of the best hitters on the baseball team, leading the Tigers in slugging and on-base percentage … The Tigers played 27 games (out of 59) this season against teams currently in the NCAA Tournament. They managed a 14-13 record in those games.

SOUTHERN MISS

Record: 35-22

Opponent: vs. Clemson, 2 p.m.

Opening starting pitcher: RHP Scott Copeland (11-0, 3.38)

Key players: 2B Taylor Walker (.365, 7 HRs, 53 RBIs); SS B.A. Vollmuth (.383, 15 HRs, 63 RBIs); DH Adam Doleac (.362, 6 HRs, 53 RBIs); 1B Mark Ellis (.318, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs)

Notes: After winning the C-USA tournament, the Golden Eagles are making their eighth consecutive trip to an NCAA regional … Senior right-hander Scott Copeland is 11-0 this season and Southern Miss is 13-1 in games he’s started …Shortstop B.A. Vollmuth has hit 10 home runs in USM’s last 11 games … The Southern Miss infield has turned an NCAA-leading 80 double plays this season, including four games with four double plays and one game with five … USM alum Bret Favre told the Golden Eagles last month that if they make it to the College World Series, he’ll return for another season in the NFL.

JACKSONVILLE STATE

Record: 32-24

Opponent: vs. Auburn, 6 p.m.

Opening starting pitcher: RHP Austin Lucas (6-0, 4.97)

Key players: 2B Bert Smith (.372, 55 runs, 39 RBIs); LF Todd Cunnigham (.352, 59 runs, 10 HRs); CF Daniel Adamson (.348, 13 HRs, 53 RBIs); C Andrew Edge (.330, 11 HRs, 62 RBIs)

Notes: This is the third regional appearance for Jacksonville State and will be the Gamecocks’ first tournament since 2006 … JSU third baseman Sam Eberle was suspended earlier in the week for violating undisclosed team rules. He was leading the team in home runs (16) and had 60 RBIs … The Gamecocks have won six straight games and eight of their last nine. The only loss in that stretch came against Auburn (9-7) two weeks ago … JSU’s two top pitchers – senior Austin Lucas and sophomore Tanner Freshour – are a combined 12-1 this season. Lucas has a 4.97 ERA and Freshour’s is at 5.62.

Clemson game hittin' the big time

2010-06-03T14:05:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn's football schedule is known, but now the times are coming into view.

The Tigers' game against Clemson (aka Clempson) on Sept. 18 has been picked up by ESPN. The contest will begin at 6 p.m. CT.

Auburn's Sept. 9 game at Mississippi State also will be televised by The Worldwide Leader. That game will begin at 6:30 CT.

(That is Wifey's birthday, fyi.)

AU Baseball II

2010-06-03T12:19:00.002-05:00

Aight ingrates, here's another round of quotes from members of the AU baseball program.

If I have time, I'll get some stuff up from J-State later. There will also be a Pulitzer-worthy preview, along with info boxes on all four teams at the AU Regional, in tomorrow's edition of the Montgomery Advertiser.

Until then, enjoy away ...

1B Hunter Morris

On how he approaches hitting at Plainsman Park since it seems to favor a lefty …
We never change our approach no matter the park. The mindset is always the same. We go up trying to hit the ball hard in the gaps. You don’t go up trying to hit homeruns.

On how much the size of Regions Park affected the Tigers’ offense last week …
You can never use the park as an excuse because the other team is playing in the same park. Everything’s equal. We just didn’t do a good enough job.

P Austin Hubbard

On the improved pitching late in the season …
I think the biggest thing is that we’ve been more aggressive and gone right at hitters. Our walks are down and we’re more aggressive.

Head coach John Pawlowski

On the improved pitching …
A lot of times (games get out of hand) because the pitcher isn’t throwing strikes. That’s the biggest key – to throw strikes. Our staff has done a great job with that. That’s been our No. 1 focus, to compete and throw strikes.

On Auburn’s overall experience but lack of postseason experience …
I think our experience has helped us throughout the season. It has propelled us the second half of the season. We haven’t been in an SEC Tournament or an NCAA regional, but our guys understand that the game is going to be the same.

Reportage from Sandestin

2010-06-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. So I'm here in the Florida panhandle, where peeps are worried that oil soon will be washing ashore. It's a sad thing.

On a happier note, I have stories to share.

Good news for you: They're written by me!

Bad news: One centers on Alabama.

Still, you're not a bad person for reading about the Crimson Tide's schedule problems and their attempts to reach some kind of accord.

Tide football continues to tackle scheduling issue

Le Notebook (includes snippets from Barbee and Chizik)

Auburn basketball fills one schedule slot

2010-06-02T14:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn began the day with six open spots in its 2010-11 schedule, but one has been filled.

The Tigers will play Rutgers in the SEC-Big East Invitational. That game will be played at University of Pittsburgh and will occur in early December.

An official date is to be determined.

Piecemeal from Chizik

2010-06-02T13:37:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Just finished a short chat with Gene Chizik.

You probably care about 2.2% of what was discussed.

a.) Chizik said a legit, real, for-sure evaluation of Zac Etheridge's ability to play football will happen in mid-to-late July. Etheridge has been participating in non-contact workouts for a while now. He also has been lifting weights.

``He's made some progress. He really has," Chizik said. ``As far as medical details -- is he going to be able to do x, y and z -- we'll make a further, more detailed assessment in mid to late July."

b.) Chizik dismissed talk that playing opponents coming off an off week is a tougher endeavor. He wasn't talking directly about Alabama's situation -- the Tide will play six consecutive games against teams that were off the week before -- but it was an interesting plot twist nonetheless.

``You know what? If the team plays really well, the team that had to week off beforehand, then it's: Boy, they had two weeks. If they play really bad, and I've been on that end, it's: Boy they're rusty because they took the time off. It really is how who wants to spin it spins it. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad."

AU Baseball Update

2010-06-01T21:56:00.003-05:00

Hello there, HABOTN boys and girls.

You will undoubtedly note that this post and subsequent AU baseball posts this week are not provided by HABOTN proprietor Jay G. Tate. Instead, you get me, Josh Moon.

What does this mean for you? Basically, just no photos. Other than that, the coverage should be somewhat similar to what Mr. Tate provides -- quotes, game updates, etc. I'm certain, however, that it will be just different enough for you to long for Jay. Ah well, it's only for a couple of days. You'll survive.

With the intro out of the way, here's some stuff from earlier today.

1B Hunter Morris

On falling short in the SEC Tournament …
Obviously, the goal was to win the tournament and we fell short of that, but we’re not letting that hang with us. We’ve been able to put that behind us and redirect our focus on this regional.

Do the offensive struggles in the SEC Tourney change anything …
No, we’re just gonna keep doing what we’ve been doing. We can’t change that. We’ve won a lot of ballgames this year playing our style. Our offense has kept us in ballgames and allowed us to come back a lot. We’re comfortable playing our style.

On the chemistry of this team …
The core of this team has been together for three years – some of us a lot longer than that, since we were 10 or 11. We all played travel ball together. I think I played with everyone on this team growing up – everyone in my class. It was kind of a shock when I got here and saw everybody. Seriously, I knew everyone.

LHP Cory Luckie

On starting Auburn’s first regional game since 2003 …
It’s a pretty special thing, no doubt. We can all talk about what it might be like, but we really have no idea. We haven’t been here. I’m just so happy for the older guys on this team who have put in so much time and been through so much.

On the SEC tourney troubles …
I can’t really tell you what happened there other than to say that some teams treated the SEC Tournament a little differently than others. There was more urgency there for some teams. I mean, the seventh and eighth seeds were in the championship game.

On the offensive problems …
Some of that was the ballpark was just huge. There were a lot of balls hit to the warning track there that would’ve been out of most park, especially here (at Plainsman Park). We got up off the bench five times to celebrate homeruns and watched all of them get caught on the track.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Best of the Day (so far)

2010-06-01T14:17:00.013-05:00

Here's a potpourri of different things heard at the SEC Spring Meetings:

URBAN MEYER
Florida football coach

Meyer took some time off earlier this year to deal with personal issues related to his health. The coach declined to delve into the basis of his problem other than to make vague references to his esophagus and chest pains.
"It's like waking up every morning with a toothache in your chest. Haven't felt anything since late January. I feel fantastic. I have a greater appreciation for the guys around me."
He doesn't think it's fair that people get on him for taking leave: ``A lot of them do it without saying leave. They take a few weeks off here and there. It's just not in an article. I have to learn to really trust our staff. I'm pleased with how it's going."
Meyer reportedly took his family on a trip to Rome, where he saw Pope Benedict. ``Big Gator fan," he quipped. Sounds like Meyer only saw the Pope from long range.
He said doctors, for a long time, couldn't explain what was wrong with Meyer: ``To have someone say we're not quite sure? That's very humbling. Then they said: This is it. Take this. Now it's time to go."
On learning to let go: "I can bolt for five days, I've never done that in my life. The stadium's still standing and everything."

NICK SABAN
Alabama football coach

He told a funny story about how Saban was holding an aggressive phone conversation (presumably with a subordinate) when Derek Dooley came upon the Sabans this morning. Dooley told Terry Saban, Nick's wife, that he didn't understand why Saban would be so rough with assistants back in the day. Now Dooley understands. ``It's so they don't bring all that mouse manure stuff to you," Saban said. ``(Dooley) gets it."
He said the only change he's made to his spring regimen is to fill space formerly filled by recruiting responsibilities. Head coaches can have only limited involvement now. ``Not being able to do that, I have more time off, more speaking -- things I don't enjoy very much. I'm not wired to where I can sit around and do nothing. Even at the lake … I got the chainsaw out and was trimming trees. And I have a lot of trees I can cut."

DEREK DOOLEY
Tennessee football coach

He's a straightforward guy, speaks pretty abruptly. He seems to sugarcoat less than the average SEC coach.
On getting Tennessee's support system realigned: ``When you come into a low-resource program, you want to get your culture right and do things a certain way. There’s really nobody there to do it. In some ways, it’s easier, but you don’t have the resources to do it. At Tennessee, we have so much support. It’s phenomenal. A lot of areas touch you and it’s hard to get them all on board philosophically in a month. It takes more than a year to slowly get to know each other. We’re making progress.
His mother, Barbara, has become a popular figure in Tennessee ... so much so that Derek playfully suggested that she no longer interview with outlets in Tennessee. She already has done that. ``She's violated the interview policy -- and she doesn't give a damn about what I say."
On his relationship with Nick Saban: ``Philosophically, we're cut from the same cloth." Dooley said he still enjoys hanging out with Saban. ``I always have a good time."
He told a funny story about his first year at Louisiana Tech, which included a thumping at LSU. Afterward, some of his coaches were telling players to keep their heads up. Dooley said he soon told players a different story: ``Bull----. Put your head down. Next time, I'm going to bring a box of Sharpies and some pictures so you can get some autographs. That's the way you played," he said Tuesday.

STEVE SPURRIER
South Carolina football coach

He was asked about the pre-season conditioning programs of yesteryear ... and couldn't help discuss Doug Johnson's regimen prior to the 1997 season. ``He was out playing professional baseball and drinking beer all summer. We did a poor job of giving him a summer plan."
On why Steven Garcia played the entire season at quarterback despite playing poorly for long stretches: ``He went the distance because we didn't have anyone else. We had to live with everything he did."
He said retirement hasn't been a serious consideration for him. ``I've been going 4 or 5 years for the last 20. Back then, though, 50 used to be on the far side of coaching."

MARK RICHT
Georgia football coach

He's not into the expansion thing: ``I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon."
``The commissioners who have managed this league of date have done a great job. I just don't want to add any more league games. That's for sure."
There is talk that a new NCAA rule will dole out automatic suspensions for players who don't pass nine credit hours per semester. ``I doubt it will affect anybody. If they know they have to get nine, they'll get nine."
On Bobby Bowden's retirement: ``He didn't really retire. He had to retire."
On the possibility of (again) attempting to ban artificial noisemakers: ``I've never seen it enforced to a point where it matters. Once it's loud -- super loud or just loud -- we just have to adjust."

BOBBY PETRINO
Arkansas football coach

"I'm like you guys, I'm sitting here wondering what's going to happen. I didn't get any talking points. The commissioners didn't give me talking points."
On the cowbells at Mississippi State: ``The first time I went there was when I was at Auburn. That was the year they did away with the cowbell -- and enforced it. Who is going to enforce it? That's the question. I didn't really notice. Those stadiums are so loud. You have to be well prepared on your silent cadence. By that time of the year, you're so used to (din)."

Welcome to the Sandestin Hilton

2010-06-01T10:53:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. I am on site for one of the least glamorous events of my professional career: The SEC Spring Meetings.

I'll spend much of the next four days loitering in a lobby aiming to talk with the league's movers and shakers.

For instance, I met Kentucky coach Joker Phillips earlier. He was just walking around with his wife and in a great mood. That's the best way to talk with college football coach.

Being a Kentucky graduate has its (rare) advantages.

I'll provide updates when conditions merit.

UPDATE: Just freed myself from the basement. I had no internet down there. I spoke with Jay Jacobs earlier and saw Tony Barbee, but I don't have anything to report from either guy.

My plan is to give you all a run-down of the best things heard today, which includes talk about expansion, Urban Meyer talking about his new life perspective, Saban's talk, a funny story from Derek Dooley.

Auburn's regional is set

2010-05-31T11:58:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone. I am on the road.

We now know that Auburn will play host to Clemson (No. 2 seed), Southern Miss (No. 3 seed) and Jacksonville State (No. 4 seed) in the NCAA Tournament, which begins later this week.

My best guess is that Auburn will be paired with Georgia Tech. If that's true and things hold to form and both AU and GT win their regionals, the two teams would meet in Atlanta a week from Friday with a trip to Omaha on the line.

As for this Friday, Auburn will play JSU at 6 p.m. The Clemson-USM game will be played at 2 p.m. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Brett Favre makes the trip. He's really into USM baseball.

UPDATE: I was right. Auburn and Georgia Tech are paired, though red-hot Alabama is the No. 2 in Tech's region. Yow.

Here's the complete Division I bracket

Auburn awarded an NCAA regional

2010-05-30T14:37:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn been chosen as a host site for the first round of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, which begins next week.

``It's a great accomplishment for these kids and our program," coach John Pawlowski said. ``I'm certainly proud of this. It's a great opportunity to host. It's certainly exciting for our program. It's a great step."

It's the fourth time Auburn has played host.

The last time? 2003.

We don't yet know whom Auburn will be playing. We also don't know which other regional will be paired with Auburn. That information will be learned tomorrow around 11:30 a.m. CDT.

Tickets may be ordered online. Or you can call 1-800-282-1957.

Other host sites include:

Arizona State (47-8)
Arkansas (40-18)
Cal State Fullerton (40-15)
Coastal Carolina (51-7)
Connecticut (47-14)
Florida (42-15)
Georgia Tech (45-13)
Louisville (48-12)
Miami, Fla. (40-17)
Oklahoma (44-15)
South Carolina (43-15)
Texas (46-11)
TCU (46-11)
UCLA (42-13)
Virginia (47-11)

An off-topic rant about college baseball

2010-05-30T13:56:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. My biggest problem with college baseball is the way pitchers sometimes are used in truly unreasonable ways.

I followed Jake Peavy's career closely when he was a farmhand with the San Diego Padres. When Peavy was 19 and 20, the Padres required that he be taken out of games once a certain pitch count was reached. That number typically was between 60 and 70.

Full count? Doesn't matter. Once that pitch count is reached, the manager went to the mound and Peavy was removed. It works like that for many prospects. Is that going too far? Perhaps. Most young arms can handle more than 70 pitches every five days, but most professional organizations err on the side of caution.

College ball, of course, has a different purpose. The goal here is to win. Development simply is a byproduct of competing in the opinion of many coaches. The pitch counts seen in college ball sometimes move into the absurd.

Which brings me to the reason for this rant.

A kid by the name of Chad Pierce, ace pitcher for Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has endured a busy week.

He earned a complete-game win on Thursday. He threw 150 pitches that day.

OK. The kid is 23 years old. Maybe he can handle an occasional 150.

Today, UWM coach Scott Doffek does the unthinkable. He sends Pierce to the mound in the Horizon League championship game on TWO DAYS REST. And the kid throws 86 pitches.

He actually performed well.

Still, Pierce now has thrown 236 pitches over a three-day period. That's an incredible amount of strain on his arm. Professional teams, which surely are tracking Pierce's performances, know he's thrown 236 pitches and they don't like it.

So now the kid's chances of a future injury are significantly higher and as a bonus, his draft stock may suffer.

It sucks.

(As an aside, Auburn coach John Pawlowski is a former major-league pitcher and pays close attention to pitch counts. He doesn't abuse arms.)

Other news from Big Cat Weekend

2010-05-29T20:07:00.012-05:00

Hey everyone. So the big news today was Kiehl Frazier's commitment, but several other big-name prospects spent time at Auburn this weekend.

Here's a glimpse:

*Leeds High standout Jonathan Rose sounds like a commitment to me. He's already recruiting guys to play ball at Auburn ... though Rose isn't yet committed himself. I expect to see that happen during the next few weeks.

Rose said this weekend gave him a new perspective on the program.

``I was bonding more with other players than just coaches this time. I got to meet new guys -- hopefully potential teammates. I'm glad to be able to meet these other hot prospects. I was just glad to have the bonding experience."

*Keymiya Harrell of Dallas County High seems pretty high on Auburn. He's a tall DE in the Antoine Carter mold. Harrell said it's between the Tigers and Tennessee right now. The Auburn coaches made a special stop during their caravan in Plantersville to see Harrell. That tells me he's high on their list.

*Rush Propst, the former Hoover coach, brought one of his players to the event. His name is Xzavier Ward. They're from Colquitt County (Ga.) High. Ward looks like a wideout to me. He's 6-foot-7. Auburn wants him as an offensive tackle. He has one year of starting experience under his belt. Georgia is all over this kid. So are other programs.

Ward said he's not expecting to make a decision until Colquitt's season ends. He has 16 offers. Propst said Ward has it narrowed down to 10 and Auburn is in the mix. That's as deep as it gets with those two.

*Javorius "Buck" Allen is a tailback from Tallahassee, Fla. He plays at Lincoln High, which produced a pair of Auburn scholarship guys in LB Craig Stevens and S Mike Slade. Allen, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200, missed most of last season with a broken femur. He is in no hurry to make a decision. ``It'll be close to signing day. I want to focus on my season, my senior year, and not recruiting."

*Pat Milliner is a wideout/tailback from Stanhope Elmore High. His brother, Demarcus, signed with Alabama as a defensive back earlier this year. Pat said he expects to play wideout in college and insists that his brother's decision has no bearing on his own. "I'll go to the school that's best for me," he said.

Kiehl Frazier commits

2010-05-29T17:05:00.017-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn has secured a commitment from Arkansas quarterback Kiehl (Kyle) Frazier.

His father said this is the kind of commitment that sticks. He said they talked about not being one of those commit-decommit people. Taking time to say that tells me the commitment is more firm than usual.

What is the draw to Auburn? Gus Malzahn, of course.

"It's huge. He's been recruiting me since 9th grade," Frazier said. ``I know what kind of person his was. I would have followed him to Tulsa, followed him to Arkansas. He came here. This is a great place for me to be."

Frazier's father, a cheery guy named Robin Beach, made the trip and had plenty to say about The Big Decision.

``He weighed all of the options," Beach said. ``He took the negatives and the positives into consideration. He came to me a few days ago and said: Dad, this is what I want to do. We're not the kind of people where it's going to be this commit-decommit kind of thing. When it was all said and done, Kiehl weighed all his options, put the data into a format and made an educated decision about what's going to best for him."

Beach said his son currently holds offers from 27 Bowl Subdivision offers.

Auburn V. Ole Miss (SEC Tournament)

2010-05-28T16:40:00.088-05:00

Hey everyone. Welcome to Regions Park, where your Auburn Tigers are participating in a baseball contest against a team from Mississippi.

FINAL SCORE: Ole Miss 10, Auburn 7

OLE MISS 1st

walk, walk, strikeout, strikeout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 2 LOB
Nelson threw 24 pitches, 13 for strikes

AUBURN 1st
strikeout, Gamache single, strikeout, (Gamache to 2nd on wild pitch), flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

OLE MISS 2nd
Yarbrough double, strikeout, infield single, walk (four pitches to the No. 9 hitter), Ferguson single (scores two runs), groundout, flyout
2 runs, 3 hits, 2 LOB
Nelson is up to 50 pitches; 29 strikes

AUBURN 2nd
strikeout, Jenkins single, flyout, Simpson triple (scores one run), strikeout
1 run, 2 hits, 1 LOB

OLE MISS 3rd
flyout, hit by pitch, flyout, Mi. Snyder single (scores a run from first base), Mort single, strikeout.
1 run, 2 hits, 2 LOB
Nelson is up to 72 pitches; 43 strikes

AUBURN 3rd
Fradejas single, flyout, CALDWELL DONG (scores two runs), Morris single, Patterson hit by pitch, Jenkins walk, (PITCHING CHANGE), strikeout, strikeout
2 runs, 3 hits, 3 LOB

OLE MISS 4th
Ferguson single, flyout, (Ferguson stole second because of an error), groundout, (wild pitch scores a run), hit by pitch, (PITCHING CHANGE), groundout
1 run, 1 hit, 1 LOB
Nelson ended his night at 85 pitches

AUBURN 4th
strikeout, Fradejas walk, strikeout, (Fradejas caught stealing)
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 LOB

OLE MISS 4th
single, double play ball, error, flyout

AUBURN 5th
In progress.

I'm going to sit with Choco Scott for a second. See you in a bit.

AUBURN 7th
strikeout, Gamache walk, (Gamache to 2nd on wild pitch), Caldwell single, MORRIS DONG (scores three runs), (PITCHING CHANGE), groundout, groundout
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 LOB

OLE MISS 8th
flyout, flyout, walk, single, (PITCHING CHANGE), flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 2 LOB

AUBURN 8th
McElroy single, fielder's choice (McElroy out at second), (Mummey pinch hitting for Hargett), (PITCHING CHANGE), double play ball
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

OLE MISS 9th
strikeout, walk, double play ball
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

AUBURN 9th
flyout, groundout, Caldwell single, groundout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

OLE MISS 10
groundout, walk, (PITCHING CHANGE), single, HASHMAN DONG (three runs score), strikeout
3 runs, 2 hits, 0 LOB

AUBURN 10th
Bryant single, strikeout, strikeout, walk, groundout

THAT'S A WRAP

AUBURN LINEUP
RF Justin Fradejas
3B Dan Gamache
LF Tony Caldwell
1B Hunter Morris
DH Kevin Patterson
C Ryan Jenkins
SS Casey McElroy
CF Creede Simpson
2B Justin Hargett

SP Cole Nelson (6-3, 4.94 ERA)

The rain in Hoover: Pictures

2010-05-28T15:00:00.013-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn's baseball game against a college team from Mississippi has been delayed due to rain, wind, lightning, etc.

It's sunny where you are? I was thinking the same thing. It was cloudless in Montgomery this afternoon, where I dined with Norm and Le Zookeeper.

The tarp is OFF the field.

The game is scheduled to begin at 4:55 p.m. CDT.

Anyway, here's proof:

I caught a bolt on film. Yay me.

Auburn played host to a Little League team during the rain delay. I thought that was nice. Those kids walked away with a lot of autographed baseballs.

Water has pooled throughout the outfield. I think 3:40 p.m. is an ambitious estimation.

Friend of the Blog® Todd Dewey of ABC 33/40 fame begins the process of evacuating water from his video perch high above the field.

Tarp comes off.

It's wet. This is just beyond first base in shallow right field.

The mound needed serious help.

No matter how far away, no matter the stakes, there always is at least one Alabama fan at every major Auburn event doing their best to ... represent? Here's a great example. Standing out in the rain to make it work!

Radio Appearance Forthcoming

2010-05-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. I will be participating in my weekly segment on SuperSport 930 out of Jackson, Miss., in a bit. That extravaganza will begin around 8:32 a.m. CST. There will be a podcast later in the day in case you miss the fun.

It typically streams live, so please enjoy the segment digitally if you're so inclined.

BONUS Postgame video

2010-05-27T15:19:00.009-05:00

Please enjoy.

Auburn v. South Carolina (SEC Tournament)

2010-05-27T08:55:00.102-05:00

Hey everyone. Welcome to Regions Park, where your Auburn Tigers are participating in a baseball contest against a team from South Carolina.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn 3, South Carolina 1 (12 innings)

AUBURN 1st

flyout, flyout, Fletcher hit by pitch, Morris single, flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 2 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 1st
bunt single, flyout, flyout (spectacular catch by Fradejas), strikeout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

AUBURN 2nd
flyout, single by Jenkins, fielder's choice, caught stealing
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 2nd
strikeout, walk, hit by pitch, flyout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 LOB

AUBURN 3rd
strikeout, single by Fradejas, double play ball by Mummey
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 3rd
flyout, double off the wall in right, walk, fielder's choice (missed chance at a double play), flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 2 LOB

AUBURN 4th
Simpson DING DONG, Morris single, strikeout, flyout, flyout
1 run, 2 hits, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 4th
strikeout, strikeout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

AUBURN 5th
flyout, Hargett single, flyout, groundout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 5th
groundout, bunt single, flyout, flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

AUBURN 6th
strikeout, flyout, strikeout
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 6th
flyout, flyout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

AUBURN 7th
groundout, strikeout, single by McElroy, strikeout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 7th
Thomas DING DONG, groundout, flyout, groundout
1 run, 1 hit, 0 LOB

AUBURN 8th
groundout, Mummey single, flyout, flyout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 8th
Bradley single, sac bunt, lineout, (Bradley advances to third on wild pitch), strikeout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

AUBURN 9th
strikeout, groundout, strikeout
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 9th
flyout, strikeout, strikeout
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 LOB

AUBURN 10th
flyout, walk, strikeout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 10th
groundout, walk, single, groundout, intentional walk, groundout
0 runs, 1 hit, 3 LOB

AUBURN 11th
groundout, strikeout, Caldwell double off the wall in right, strikeout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 11th
Marzilli single, (advanced to second on wild pitch), strikeout, flyout, groundout
0 runs, 1 hit, 1 LOB

AUBURN 12th
Jenkins single, fielder's choice (Jenkins out at second), error, walk, Mummey single (scores two runs), strikeout, intentional walk to Morris, strikeout
2 runs, 2 hits, 3 LOB

SOUTH CAROLINA 12th
walk, strikeout, flyout, flyout
0 runs, 0 hits, 1 LOB

THAT'S A WRAP.

TODAY'S LINEUP
RF Justin Fradejas -- .354-1-26
CF Trent Mummey -- .376-15-45
LF Brian Fletcher -- .359-20-70
1B Hunter Morris -- .392-20-67
DH Kevin Patterson -- .318-16-31
3B Dan Gamache -- .403-7-34
C Ryan Jenkins -- .367-7-37
SS Casey McElroy -- .330-6-37
2B Justin Hargett -- .323-2-32

LHP Grant Dayton -- 8-2, 4.61

PRE-GAME PHOTO GALLERY
Click to enlarge

Here's the "shot clock" ... you'd better enlarge this shot to see it. (It's the red zero just below the scoreboard.) Pitchers have 20 seconds to throw their next pitch when no runners are on base. Teams have 108 seconds to prepare themselves between innings.

How do you think they keep those logos looking so good all day?

Fellow beat hacks (L to R) Andy Bitter, Charles Goldberg and Phillip Marshall in the midst of difficult mental preparation prior to today's game.

Your Big Cat Weekend update

2010-05-27T07:14:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. It's almost Memorial Day Weekend around these parts and you know what that means.

Baseball regional? Oh, yeah? That wasn't what I meant.

Big Cat Weekend II: Electric Boogaloo begins tomorrow with what (at initial glance) promises to be a swell array of football prospects. We know Arkansas quarterback Kiehl ("Kyle") Frazier will be there. We also believe Arkansas offensive lineman Mitch Smothers will attend.

Anyone else? Absolutely. Can I identify them? Not right now.

The HABOTN spoke with Auburn recruiting czar Curtis Luper about what to expect this weekend.

On how many kids will attend: "We don't know yet. It'll be a work in progress."
On turning away kids who have come forward and asked for an invitation: ``No is not something that's really in our vocabulary. We don't want it to be 400 kids because we can't manage it. We try to keep it as small and manageable as possible."
On changes Auburn is expected to make to BCW this time around: ``We got a lot of feedback from the guys on our team now, our new freshmen, who were part of Big Cat last year. They all had ideas of stuff we should do. Pie eating and watermelon eating contests that we did last year were big. Auburn is known as a family place, so it'll be like another family reunion."
On fielding new suggestions: ``The suggestions come from everywhere now. Not just our players or former players. We're talking about a couple of secretaries, people in airports. We want to do the best that we can do show Auburn for what it is. We heard some crazy ideas, but a few of them actually were really smart. Some of them made us laugh."
On which ones made him laugh: ``You wouldn't believe them."
On the most important part from a recruiting perspective: ``There are some guys who had some strong bonds from that particular weekend that carried over into the season and after the season. Subsequently, some of those guys are on our football team. The big thing was the uniqueness of the weekend and those guys being part of the initial Big Cat … that's the sense that we got."

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

AU Baseball: What Went Wrong Today?

2010-05-26T15:38:00.011-05:00

Hey everyone. So you were really up on the Tigers after they won the Western Division and pounded Ole Miss into pieces last weekend.

Now you're looking at that same team, fresh off a 7-1 loss to Alabama in the SEC Tournament, and you're thinking: What just happened?

Baseball just happened.

It's the least predictable major sport. A great day from an opposing pitcher means you have almost no shot. That's what Auburn experienced today.

KEY ELEMENTS:

Alabama starter Jimmy Nelson was really good today. That was his third consecutive complete-game win. He knew even Auburn, the league's most homer-prone team, would struggle to bop the ball out of spacious Regions Park. So he threw good strikes and dared the Tigers to hit it deep. They didn't.
Auburn starter Cory Luckie was not as good as Nelson.
Auburn's relievers pitched poorly for the most part.
Alabama played excellent defense ... particularly at first base.
Auburn played imperfect defense. An error at second base early in the game created drama that shouldn't have existed.

And that, HOTTIES, comprises every known reason for the Tigers' struggles.

Auburn plays South Carolina tomorrow morning in an elimination game. The Gamecocks are better than Alabama, but the Tigers will be throwing de facto ace Grant Dayton against them.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn v. Alabama (SEC Tournament)

2010-05-26T09:11:00.045-05:00

Hey everyone. Welcome to Regions Park.

FINAL SCORE: Auburn 1, Alabama 7

ALABAMA 1st

groundout, strikeout, groundout
0 hits, 0 runs

AUBURN 1st
groundout, groundout, Fletcher single, strikeout.
1 hit, 0 runs

ALABAMA 2nd
strikeout, strikeout, single, single, strikeout
2 hits, 0 runs

AUBURN 2nd
fly out, strikeout, fly out
0 hits, 0 runs

ALABAMA 3rd
flyout, groundout, flyout
0 hits, 0 runs

AUBURN 3rd
Gamache double, sacrifice, sac bunt (scores Gamache), Mummey triple, strikeout.
2 hits, 1 run

ALABAMA 4th
groundout, walk, error, flyout, walk, single (scores two), strikeout
1 hit, 2 runs

AUBURN 4th
lineout, deep flyout, groundout
0 hits, 0 runs

HABOTN BREAK TO MEET WITH HOOPIE
(Alabama scored a run in the top of the 7th)

AUBURN 7th
flyout, McElroy single, McElroy caught stealing, strikeout
1 hit, 0 runs

ALABAMA 8th
strikeout, double, strikeout, double (scores one run), strikeout
2 hits, 1 run

AUBURN 8th
groundout, single, sac bunt, lineout
1 hit, 0 runs

ALABAMA 8th
flyout, single, walk, flyout, hit by pitch, walk (scores one run), single (scores two runs), strikeout
2 hits, 3 runs

AUBURN 9th
groundout, flyout, strikeout
0 hits, 0 runs

AUBURN LINEUP
RF Justin Fradejas (.358-1-25)
CF Trent Mummey (.380-15-45)
LF Brian Fletcher (.361-20-70)
1B Hunter Morris (.38-20-67)
DH Kevin Patterson (.330-16-31)
SS Casey McElroy (.330-6-37)
C Ryan Jenkins (.374-7-37)
3B Dan Gamache (.404-7-34)
2B Justin Hargett (.321-2-32)

Hunter Morris named POY

2010-05-25T18:00:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn 1B Hunter Morris has been named the SEC's Player of the Year.

He is Auburn's second POY. The first?

You guessed it: Tim Hudson in 1997.

Morris leads the SEC in slugging percentage (.767), hits (94), home runs (20) and total bases (1818), is second in runs scored (60), third in RBI (67) and fifth in batting average (.398).

Morris is only the second player in SEC history to win both Freshman of the Year and POY. The other was Stephen Head from Ole Miss.

Photo credit: Leffie V. Dailey/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

John Pawlowski speaks in HD

2010-05-24T15:21:00.023-05:00

Please enjoy.

No ON2 version:

Get ready for some hatin'

2010-05-22T18:43:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn's first-round opponent in the SEC Tournament has been determined and you may be happy about it.

The league's hottest team, led by John Pawlowski, will play the Crimson Tide on Wednesday morning beginning 9:30 a.m. That'll take place in Hoover, Ala., at Regions Park Stadium.

Auburn beat Ole Miss on Saturday, 11-1. The completed a series sweep.

The West has been won

2010-05-21T22:39:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. We have a new Western Division champion.

It is the Auburn Tigers.

John Pawlowski's team earned an 18-4 win at Ole Miss this evening, which caps a really impressive run through the conference portion of the schedule.

Ryan Jenkins led the way with a pair of homers. Auburn hit five in all.

Auburn now is 38-17 overall and 19-10 in the league. It enters the SEC Tournament next week as the No. 2 seed. A trip to the NCAA Tournament is all but assured and the possibility of playing host to an NCAA regional is very real.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Auburn @ Ole Miss baseball

2010-05-21T18:30:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. Auburn is going for the SEC Western Division title tonight in Oxford, Miss.

I am not there. You probably aren't. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, though, we can pretend we are.

(Click on the little movie camera next to Friday's game for live stats.)

I'll be here after 8 p.m. CDT ... approximately.

Feel free to post along as the game progresses.

Dontae Aycock: We hardly knew ye

2010-05-21T13:56:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone. So tailback Dontae Aycock has been dismissed from the Auburn football team, which comes as a bit of a surprise to me.

I never considered him an academic or behavioral risk.

Then again, do we really know anybody? Auburn officially is saying the dismissal stems from a violation of team rules. So it goes.

This surely will be a difficult time for several members of our community who considered Aycock a blossoming superstar. Maybe he was. I didn't hear much about him during the spring (good or bad) and that gave me the feeling that coaches were headed in a different direction.

So now we know: It'll be Mario Fannin, Onterio McCalebb and Michael Dyer this fall.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Radio Appearance Forthcoming

2010-05-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. I will be participating in my weekly segment on SuperSport 930 out of Jackson, Miss., in a bit. That extravaganza will begin around 9:17 a.m. CST. There will be a podcast later in the day in case you miss the fun.

It typically streams live, so please enjoy the segment digitally if you're so inclined.

Auburn baseball wins again

2010-05-20T21:14:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone. Kevin Patterson's pinch-hit DONG in the eighth inning scored three runs ... and helped the Tigers earn a 5-3 win at Ole Miss on Thursday night.

Implications? I'm glad you asked.

The Tigers now are one win away from clinching the Western Division title.

OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

**SP Cory Luckie allowed three runs in six innings.

**Relievers Bradley Hendrix and Austin Hubbard combined to hold Ole Miss scoreless during the 7th, 8th and 9th innings.

**CF Trent Mummey and DH Tony Caldwell had two hits apiece.

Photo credit: Bruce Newman/Oxford Eagle via AP

Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.

Tyrik Rollison: We hardly knew ye

2010-05-19T19:55:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone. Just a quick note to give you official word that Tyrik Rollison has been granted his release and will transfer.

We believe he's headed for Sam Houston State. We have not yet confirmed that.

What can be said about Rollison? Some will say he was a failed prospect and it's difficult to argue with that assessment. The depth chart at quarterback filled very quickly with the arrival of Cam Newton. Auburn is aggressively recruiting at least two major high-school prospects. Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley have considerable upside.

There's little room for a true freshman who loses significant development time to suspension. Period. That's a terrible way to make a first impression.

My best guess: Tyrik learns from what happened at Auburn and keeps himself straight at his next stop, which will be closer to home ... and his support system.

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

John Pawlowski speaks

2010-05-19T15:01:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. We're now attempting to offer audio to the HABOTN.

It's important that you get maximum value for your zero-dollar investment, so this is our latest venture into the world of multimedia bliss.

This file is limited to 3 minutes. The software that I used to create this file requires a modest investment and I don't want to pay that unless this is something you really like.

Let me know if you can hear it, etc.

BONUS Photo Gallery

2010-05-19T11:32:00.013-05:00

Hey everyone. My amateur camera and I rolled around the Athletic Corridor today and collected some scenery for you.

Auburn Arena is basically finished. It's time for landscaping and fixtures.

The new soccer/track complex is not basically finished.

PHOTO GALLERY
Click to enlarge

This is the entrance nearest Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. This is where the high rollers will be entering the party.

A better shot of the large eagle that gives me the creeps. That eye followed me across the parking lot. I felt shame for some reason.

This is the side farthest from BEMC. This entrances faces the new quad that includes the new student housing and dining hall.

Here is perhaps the largest Auburn Creed on earth.

Please tell me there is a professor, administrator, former student, anyone more deserving of a residence hall. Aubie Hall? This is located directly north of the student ticket entrance.

Lots and lots and lots of bike racks.

Here's the track/soccer facility as seen from near the football practice fields.

Here it is from the track side.

Another angle for you engineering types.

Here's a hoopty version of the TIGER PROWL bus. I like this one better. As seen from Wire Road.