Monday, December 15, 2008

The long winter

Three summers ago now, the Mrs. JCCW and I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan.



Most days, I couldn't be happier with that decision. Certain Saturdays during the fall, when the closest I get to my football team is pay-per-view Underwater-o-Vision as called by Andy Burcham and Cole Cubelic, I'm more ambivalent. And then there's the long winter, when I don't just wonder why the hell we moved to this godforsaken icebox of a state, I wonder why anyone would have ever voluntarily chosen to live in a place that gets this damn cold.

But this past weekend, even with the thermometer hunkered down in the 20s and the wind chill driving the "feels like" reading into the teens, it felt right. This weekend, as an Auburn fan, it felt right to be surrounded by ice, and snow, and the filthy gray slush that accumulates in the gutters. It felt right to put on as many layers of clothing as possible and tromp out into the cold and wind knowing it wasn't going to be pleasant, but that you'd get where you were going eventually.

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Part of me wonders if it's just Auburn's time. After all, it's everyone's time eventually.

Before Pete Carroll, USC went six seasons without winning more than eight games in a year, went to only two low-level bowls, and lost them both. In the mid-90s, Ray Goff and Jim Donnan conspired to coach Georgia to four straight 5- or 6-win seasons. Between the Fred Akers, David McWilliams, and John Mackovic eras, Texas--Texas!--lost four or more games 12 times in 14 seasons between '84 and '97. I don't have to tell you what Alabama went through between Gene Stallings and Nick Saban. LSU, Oklahoma, the list goes on. And even Michigan--inviolable, invincible Michigan--spent the last two seasons watching first its best collection of offensive talent in a decade lose to Appalachian St. before its bajillion-year bowl-streak went down the tubes in a 3-9 debacle. Football death comes for us all, eventually.

But for the most part, even though Auburn has neither the recruiting base nor the grand tradition nor many other things that these programs have, our Tigers have been mostly immune to this kind of decay since the moment Pat Dye arrived on the Plains in 1981. Since then, Auburn has never had a three-year span in which they failed to win eight games in at least one season. The back-to-back five-win seasons to close out the Dye era were followed immediately by a perfect 11-0 campaign in 1993. The 3-8 and 5-6 seasons in '98 and '99 were bracketed by trips to Atlanta in '97 and 2000. For all the griping from certain corners of the Auburn fanbase about a general lack of championships (and sniping from Tide fans about the same, as if they wouldn't have traded any coach they had between Bryant and Saban, save Stallings, for Dye or Tubby in a heartbeat), we've had it very good for a very, very long time. For those of us born in the late '70s or early '80s who never knew the Barfield years or the nine-game streak, we've been so lucky as to never know Auburn as anything but a proven winner.

My expectation is that I'm going to remind myself of this many, many times over the next few seasons.

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Saturday night, my Michigan friends were trying to console me. "I'm sure weirder hires have worked out," one of them said.

I've spent at least part of every hour since trying to think of one, racking my brain for a coaching hire that made you say Huh? What on earth are they thinking? the way the announcement of Gene Chizik did, and then turned out all right.

I've failed. The two candidates from last year were Bill Stewart and Mike Sherman. Fail. The last two I can think of in the SEC were Ed Orgeron and Ron Zook. Fail. Remember when Nebraska fired Frank Solich and replaced him with Bill Callahan and we all thought they were dumb? They were. Remember when you found out, earlier this decade, that Army had hired some guy who was going to bring in a crazy West Coast passing scheme, and you thought "That'll never work?" It didn't. The closest I can come to new head coaches who were greeted with something less than wild enthusiasm and then went on to success are guys like Jim Tressel, Rich Brooks, and Les Miles, but all three of them had definitively successful head coaching stints already on their resume. Our guy, as you are aware, does not.

Tons of programs have been led astray by false optimism. If you know of one who's endured a bout of false pessimism, I'd love to be reminded of it.

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vs.



And so a hire that should have united Auburn fans in a way we haven't been since, oh, before the 2006 Arkansas loss only divides us again.

I don't support booing coaches or players; we're there for them, not the other way 'round. Gene Chizik deserved to be greeted with the second reaction, not the first. That he is Auburn's new coach won't change the fact that I'm going to live and die with the 2009 Tigers as much as I did with Tubby's teams, won't change my desire to return to Jordan-Hare in 2009, won't change how often I wear my Auburn t-shirts around Ann Arbor.

But I can't bring myself not to speak my mind, and I can't bring myself to believe that Gene Chizik will be a good head coach at Auburn. I'm trying. I would like to, since I think the many, many Auburn fans that are claiming we need to put aside our disappointment, get behind him, show him our support, etc., have their heart in the right place. Unity sounds a lot better than division right now.

But I haven't been able to believe. I can't. Not yet.

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My favorite book as a kid--and one my favorite books ever, period, still--is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And so there's come a point around each of the last two Februaries, when we haven't seen the sun for months and the plowed slushpiles in the parking lots rise higher than my head and I can't even remember the last time I went outside without coat-scarf-gloves-hat, that the fantastical part of my brain worries that we've been plunged into the White Witch's endless winter, that it's just going to stay icy and miserable forever and never even be Christmas. That's the same part of my brain I tried to drown Saturday night, the part that was worrying that Auburn was about to re-enter the Barfield days and that this time, in this new SEC of Meyerses and Sabans and Richts, we'd never come out, trapped in our horrible Shreveport winters forever.

The good news is that there's a reason that part of the brain is only a small part, and that the rest knows better, knows that eventually the sun is going to come out again, that eventually we'll be able to go to the park again, spread a blanket out on the grass, and spend all afternoon only reading about make-believe witches and eternal snowfall. Eventually, I know, Auburn will hire another Pat Dye or Tommy Tuberville and we'll all ride back to New Orleans together.

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No, I don't believe that's where Gene Chizik will take us. What I believe is that Auburn football is in for some cold and difficult seasons, and that there will be times this fall and maybe in subsequent falls when it will seem like Auburn football will never warm us again. I hope like hell I'm wrong about that. But right now, that's what I think.

But here's what I know: that if 2008--now, without question, the worst season of Auburn football of my lifetime--and the Chizik era represent an Auburn winter, spring's going to come some day. And in the meantime, winter isn't always the way it is in Michigan--when it snows back home, it's a reason for celebration, for snowballs hidden in the freezer and days away from school and homemade ice cream. If this is Auburn's winter, it won't be quite that fun, but we will have some laughs and some little victories along the way.

And so, finally, I would say to Auburn fans: Bundle up. Prepare for the worst. But know that we'll have our day in the sun again someday, and that--who knows?--it might come sooner than any of us dare to hope.

War Eagle: today, tomorrow, winter, spring, summer, forever. War Eagle.

23 comments:

JCS said...

Great post! Your "skeptic optimism" describes my feelings exactly. While Chizik may not be the next Pat Dye, I am willing to get behind this team and give my support, like I always have. I, like you, have not known Auburn to be "down" for a period of time. For the last thirty years, Auburn has enjoyed tremendous success...more than anytime in the history of AU football. We'll get through this as a "family." And, who knows...this could be an anomaly, and Chizik could be great?!?!?! War Eagle, Always!

Anonymous said...

Good work, Jerry.

My formative years of Auburn were Shug's last years and the Barfield era. I survived it --- I was 21 when Coach Dye arrived.

But I do feel bad for my dad. He's 80 and the main, if not the only, reason I am an Auburn man. When he was at school , Auburn won less than ten games in four years. Total. He should not have to endure this. He went through Barfield and Earl Brown and Carl Voyles.

Oh and it got cold this past weekend in Jupiter Florida, Jerry. So cold that we had to turn off our air conditioning. Winter indeed sucks.

Taylor said...

If you recall:

Pat Dye was not an enthusiastically hire, and look what he did.

Chizik is not going to sink this program. Mark it down

Im pretty disappointed reading this gloomy post, and with the overall negative reaction from these so called "fans".

I expected you would do more research, which you usually do, and find that Iowa State is a black hole for coaches. No coach has a winning career there in like the last 50 years. I can see how getting solid coordinators and recruits would be next to impossible.

Taylor said...

*enthusiastically accepted

Anyway, I enjoy the blog, this post excluded. Keep up the good work and War Eagle.

Jaiden_S said...

Great article. I feel the same way as you. I'd like to be optimistic, but I just can't find it in me. Chizik is likely to be our Shula. Despite the fact that I don't like the coaching hire, I will always love Auburn.

Jerry Hinnen said...

Taylor, there's more research coming later in the day. But I think documenting what you might call a slightly-less-gut-influenced "gut reaction" was important for me, and important for the blog.

Thanks for reading, though, as always, and of course the same goes for those of you who liked the post as well.

Anonymous said...

Taylor,

I, for one, think I'm allowed to be skeptical of this hire. Auburn is a football punchline this morning, and for the weeks and months ahead. I'll be there for the team this fall, no doubt about it. Just allow some of us a few weeks to stomach this questionable decision.

We can only go with the facts right now. And the fact is Chizik doesn't seem to be that great of a head coach. On the flip side he's a helluva defensive coordinator. It just appears that he is in way over his head here.

Recruits are rescinding their commitment to Auburn (expected). James Willis, a hell of a coach/recruiter/man, has been let go by Chizik. I, for one, do not like where this is going already.

Anonymous said...

AMEN. I agree totally with the post. I find myself looking at this hire like I do Obama's presidency, I don't like him but I hope he is the best prez we ever had. The same goes for Chizik, I don't agree with the hire but I hope he turns out to be the best coach at Auburn since John Heisman. War Damn Eagle.

JR Suicide said...

as per usual i am humbled at how much better a writer you are than every other Auburn blogger of note. i'm trying to get myself somewhere in the realm of your "skeptic optimism"...but unfortunately i am still in the "SMASH! KILL! SMASH!" mindset. beer does nothing to kill the demons.

i never thought i'd spend my thirties watching Auburn eat itself.

Taylor said...

Being skeptical is OK. Im skeptical, but support is what the team needs.

I doubt very seriously that the Administration made this hire to ruin the football program. They want to win just like we do.

Side note: Ive been told by someone who works with Lowder that Pat Dye is extremely excited about Chizik. If he is on board, Ill get behind it.

Check all the player reactions from last night. Current and former player are impressed and thinks its a great hire. So do Herbsrteit, not that that really matters.

The video of the guy booing hurts Auburn in the eyes of recruits an outsiders. Imagine being Ray Cotton, and you see that on the internet and the negative fan reaction. I would not want to play anywhere with fans like that.

Being skeptical is all right, I just hate seeing all this negativity. Its not very like Auburn, in my opinion.

Thanks everyone for the rational discussion by the way.

Anonymous said...

If Raymond Cotton goes elsewhere it will be on Chizik's coaching record and not on the booing guy (who was booing Jacobs and not Chizik). Can you really blame Cotton's dad for his comments? See below.

From the Dothan Eagle:

Highly touted quarterback Raymond Cotton, who has maintained his commitment throughout Auburn's 2008 turmoil, is now on the fence and could de-commit sometime this week, according to AuburnSports.com.

"I know about Chizik's good background with Auburn, but I look at Auburn as being on the same level with the Floridas and Georgias, a top 10 school in the country. It's a big-time program," Raymond Cotton, Sr. told AuburnSports.com. "And then we go out and hire a guy that has five wins over the last couple of years. That definitely brings some concern. I don't know if there is a lot of confidence there from me as a father."

JR Suicide said...

when Herbiebot gave his support for the hire i nearly kicked my television.

i understand the sentiment of getting behind the coach and supporting him for the sake of our players and recruits, etc... but it's hard not to feel like the Sword of Damocles is already hanging over the guy's head and he hasn't coached a single game yet.

Taylor said...

I see the point JM. I was speaking more about recruits in general. Not many recruits will disect the video as booing the administration, not Chizik. You know it will be generalized.

Point blank: It looks bad. Really bad. Its embarrassing to me.

We might lose Cotton, we might not. Cotton's dad also said that he was disappointed that Tubbs didnt call to talk to him about reasons or encourage him to stay with Auburn.

All that is moot. I think all the public negativity is a deterrent.

C.J. Schexnayder said...

excellent take on the situation, as per usual.

i think the assessment that every program is inevitably beset by down cycles is correct but the reason this one is so fascinating is that it all seems so... avoidable.

and one minor point about your c.s. lewis analogy. have you ever read the last book in the narnia series, "The Last Battle"? because the conclusion is that they all die in a massive trainwreck.

Anonymous said...

If you love Turner Gill so much why don't you marry him?? Joshua's right, I remember all those Dickheads in 1980 who had erections waiting for Vince Dooley to return to the Plains...Who was this Dye guy? An ex-UGA linesmen who looked constipated all the time...East Carolina??? No way he was gonna compete with the Bear, 2 years later, streaks broken and Bear's dead...Bear's dead baby..

Anonymous said...

Okay the booing was bad, Taylor. Really bad. Looks classless. I am with you there. I am in total agreement re: booing, although booing Jacobs is not as egregious as booing at a football game. Not condoning it at all, but one is burglary and the other armed robbery.

But please spare me "the ISU sucks he shouldn't be judge on his record there". Iowa State is no one's idea of a power house, but the guy is trending in the wrong direction. In 2007, he took a 4-8 team and went 3-9. Losing to a division 1-AA school in the process. A very very good Division 1-AA team in Northern Iowa, but still. And he beats a lackluster Iowa team. Yay 'Clones.

The next year the record gets worse, and he manages to lose 8 Big XII games and doesn't face Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma.

Oh, in what aspect there is improvement--- Chizik doesn't lose to a Division 1-AA school in 2008, he manages to best the mighty mighty 6-5 South Dakota State Jack Rabbits despite being out gained -- mainly because SDSU gave up 5 or 6 turnovers. So there's that going for him. He went a whole season without losing to a Division 1-AA school. Yay Gene.

The fact is that ISU had played .500 ball from 2000 and was in 2005, three OT losses away from a ten win season. ISU had been to five bowl games the previous seven seasons. It was a mediocre program at best. Chizik made it worse. Pretending it isn't so or saying "no one could win there" isn't helpful. Ultimately Head Coaches are judged on wins and losses and Chizik has 5 wins and 19 losses.

There are ton of good OC/DC, very good OC/DC out there who will never be successful head coaches. Chizik, by what we have before us, appears to be one of them. There is nothing in his record at ISU that leads me to think otherwise.And that may be negative, but sometimes negativity and reality coincide.

Oh his wife is attractive. Not as nice looking as Mrs. Lane Kiffin, but definitely attractive. There's a positive.

Anonymous said...

Y'all Know you'll be the first ones attached permanently to Chizik's crotch when he slaps Richt, Kiffin, and Saban next year like they were Al-Kaids Shoe bombers caught in the act. Y'all sound like friggin BAMA fans...Y'all boo when I'm around and you'll be needin a size 12 clod-hopper in your-ass ectomy

Taylor said...

Hobbes. I agree. He isnt getting a free pass from me, nor should he from anyone. But he should get our support.

My point was that ISU is not the friend of a first time head coach, and that Auburn is totally different. He knows this region, the conference, and he will enjoy it and put far more into it.

Im just listening to what the former players say.

My point: He has an opportunity to be successful, especially if he hires an all star support cast of assistants. Im not among those that think there is no shot.

These types of discussions to me, are perfectly fine. Its reasonable, giving his lack of success, to have doubt. Its all of the no hope fire so and so posts on message boards and facebook, etc. Recruits see it. Hell, I see it, and it sickens me. That is not Auburn. That is not how the Auburn Creed that we recite says we should or do act.

Anonymous said...

Do you think former players are going to criticize their position coach? No. And indeed he was a fine position coach and DC at Auburn. As were all of Tub's DC, with the possible exception of Gibbs.

My point is you can't just poo-poo his record at Iowa State. With Nebraska, Kansas, KSU, and CU were all having problems, it was time for ISU to take advantage of it. And they didn't. And Chizik was the head coach.

Maybe Urban Meyer or, oh say, Paul Johnson or Brain Kelly would have been 5-19 over the same time period. Going 2-10 at ISU is not the same as Pat Dye going 7-4-1 at ECU or 6-5 at Wyoming.

And while Dye was very few people's first choice in 1980 (including Auburn's -- Dooley accepted then reneged on the $1 million offered -- I wanted Bobby Bowden Dan Reaves or a guy named Atkins who was an assistant at the Cardinals-- might be Ace Atkins' dad, now that I am thinking about it) -- anyhow there was never anything like the massive FTH that is going on now. Same thing re: Tubs and Terry Bowden.

But I doubt it.

Brandon said...

A precedent for this unpopular a hire that turned out to be OK? Ask the Atlanta Falcons.

Unknown said...

I am honestly dumbfounded by the turn of events here. I cannot believe that the power-brokers at Auburn would think that Chizik would be a better coach than Tubs ...or for that matter, any of the people mentioned in the search process.

I was really hoping that we would go out and get a white-hot coach to compete with Saban, Miles, Meyer, etc.

The only good that I see coming from this is Jacobs getting the boot and BL possibly losing some power to influence the decisions made down on the plains.

I can't even look my Bama fan friends in the face right now.

Anonymous said...

Ugh--shrugg. Let's all check into a Motel 6 and shoot ourselves in the head. I see only skeptic depressive here. Take 2 Harbor Lights and call me in the morning.

Anonymous said...

It isn't so much dissatisfaction with Chizik. We'll be behind him. But it is a real upset with our administration, who don't allow us to hire a competent AD, and who insist on micromanaging the whole place.

As much as I hate to say it, my beloved Auburn University will not get a penny from me until Lowder is off the Auburn BOT. I can't trust him to manage any financial gift I give to the university.

Auburn will survive. It is bigger than Lowder or Jacobs.

Best of luck to Gene Chizik. Goodness knows he's going to need it.