Now starting at strongside linebacker for Auburn, that kid from that YouTube video that's been posted a dozen different places. Or perhaps someone slightly, slightly older. Track 'Em Tigers (full Tubby transcript!) and Phillip Marshall's essential al.com blog (Pat Sims is going to rock!) have had Auburn's first weeks of practice covered like so many Sunday morning casseroles. (See, church lunches are called "covered-dish," right, so ... nevermind.) The biggest news has been that junior LB Steve Gandy's suffered a fourth concussion and his career is over. Obviously it's a terrible way for Gandy's time as a Tiger to end, but for Auburn's linebacking corps the more pressing issue is this Marshall quote:
Patrick Trahan, who left spring as a starter, is academically ineligible ... As of today, the starters are junior Merrill Johnson on the weak side, sophomore Tray Blackmon in the middle and redshirt freshman Craig Stevens on the strong side. Junior Courtney Harden is the backup on the weak side, junior Chris Evans in the middle and true freshman Bo Harris on the strong side ... True freshmen Josh Bynes and Adam Herring also could still get into the mix.If Auburn has a non-suspended Blackmon and a healthy Johnson (and yes, I'd like to super-size that IF for 99 cents), you could line up C. Montgomery Burns beside them and have a quality unit. Stevens worked his way into the rotation as a true frosh last year before getting hurt, so you know both that he's got skillz and that the current crop of true frosh could be capable of contributing. Still: when half of your top eight linebackers are freshmen, yes, your depth could be better.
Coach, can you at least give him a coupon book or something? Dueling Cole Bennett articles this week from Marshall and the Montgomery Advertiser. I'm probably supposed to be troubled by Bennett's admission to the Advertiser that "it would be a lot better" if someone could cut him a check once in a while, but I just admire his honesty. Also, I admire him being 6-4, 255, and good at football.
ESPN hates you. I mean, it doesn't even like to look at you, it can't stand you so much. This write-up is dated June 28, so maybe I got the news then, took a Forget-Me-Now in horror, and only re-discovered it at CFR this week rather than saw it for the first time. It would be a reasonable response to learning that the move of Ron Franklin to ABC means he's not going to broadcast any SEC games this year. None. ABC's regional coverage is Big 10, 12, Pac-10, and ACC only. The closest Ron could get would be something like the UGA-Ga Tech or UF-FSU games. Instead, viewers watching SEC games in ESPN or ESPN2's prime-time will get more Mike Patrick (sigh) or the wondrous Mark Jones-Bob Davie pairing (sigh sigh). The guy with the beautiful Mississippi drawl, of course, will be off broadcasting Missouri-Nebraska. SighSighSighSighSiiiiiiiigh.
I haven't spent 80 bucks on a pair of shoes since 7th grade ... but, I do have a paying job now. Courtesy of Collin Mickle at the OA-News, Nike's got some sweet, sweet Auburn-inspired Charles Barkley kicks coming in October.
Air Chucksters!A gift that keeps on giving, much like the elastic in his waistband. Food-lovin' fool Kasas St. QB Josh Freeman might have finally passed his conditioning test, but making up the lost practice time won't be easy. And, oh, the best time to play a team whose quarterback is still playing catch-up from starting practice several days late? Week 1, natch.
Spambots posting on Florida blogs are under the command of Brandon Cox! First Ryan Ferguson, now Orson, who left Auburn out of his top 25 and when pressed for explanation said "We’re not sold on Brandon Cox at quarterback. At. All." It's like Norm MacDonald's bit about Germans and David Hasselhoff, but it's Florida bloggers and Cox, and instead of love it's "slag off for no apparent reason."
Remember: 30 last year, 'k? Be sure to remember this Saurian Sagacity post when Auburn signs, like, eight dudes and nosedives in the recruiting rankings next year. Different school, same principle.
If I owned bagpipes and could play them, I would play them for you. The best of wishes to both Gandy and Tyrone Prothro, two careers ended long before their time.
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