CSNbbs

I just walked in the house from work. On the way home I was listening to Slimebaum, and he had on Paul Davis, a long time observer of all things Auburn. I urge you to listen to this segment once it hits slimebaum.com. It was a real eye opener regarding who pulls the levers of power down on the Plains, or perhaps more accurately the current state of affairs down there. Among other things he referred to AU's current Athletic Director as "bought and paid for" by Bobby Lowder.

As an appetizer I offer this column from Davis, dated yesterday. The heat generated by this take on where things are down there is part of why Paul had him on. He pulls no punches whatsoever. Very interesting stuff.

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Opelika-Auburn news
Dec. 8, 2008
http://m.oanow.com/opelika/db_4056/conte...ue#display

Paul Davis: Believe what you will, but Tubs was fired


Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, one of the most successful coaches in the history of Auburn University, was fired, resigned, has taken a leave of absence, has gone duck hunting in Arkansas, has been executed, is an enemy combatant being held at Gitmo, is on sabbatical at Lake Martin, or is in an underground bunker at an undisclosed location, according to (you may choose more than one) The Birmingham News, The Tuscaloosa News, The Opelika-Auburn News, ESPN, the Paul Finebaum Show, blogthis.com and a host of other reliable sources.

Welcome to Auburn University, Dr. Jay and Susie Gogue. On the eve of your Christmas buffet at the president’s mansion, be aware the sweet welcome and honeymoon to your alma mater is officially over. From this day forward, you will be firmly reminded that you have been relegated to handling most of the administrative affairs at Auburn — with the exception of Auburn athletics – and you will be allowed to oversee most of the academic affairs at Auburn, provided you don’t try to interfere with the academic prowess of Auburn athletes. Things you heard to the contrary while interviewing for the job were, shall we say, just talking points.

You and your sweet wife are wonderful folks, although a bit naive in believing that you would be in control. This is your first tenure at a Big Boy football school. You will compound your current situation if you assume that you will have a say in selecting the new coach for Auburn. You will, however, be allowed to make the announcement while Bobby Lowder, remains hidden behind the curtain. You must accept this situation, stage a brutal public fight, or leave.

You said volumes by your silence on the front page of the Opelika-Auburn News on Thursday. Three colorful boxes at the bottom of the front page. Tuberville’s quote, Athletics Director Jay Jacobs’ quote and your no comment. The president, no comment?

I see the footprints of the Big Three in all of this. Bobby Lowder, who has moved his church letter to United Methodist Church of Auburn and is building another house in Auburn, is also, the big mule. Two members of his Colonial Bank board, Jimmy Rane and former coach Pat Dye, are also major players. Lowder must have been feeling his oats after he secured a $500 million bailout from American taxpayers for his bank, now has the cash to pay Tuberville $6 million to walk, pay more coaches not to coach and also pay whatever is necessary to buy a new head coach and assistants.

I’ll bet he will try to pay a coach more than Alabama pays Nick Saban. Saban’s hiring has been good for the pay scale of the nation’s coaches. Some now make more than college president and all their deans combined. What’s not to love about that? Heck, coaches make more than the president of the United States, but they may be worth more.

Lowder has been after Tuberville for years. Remember, he fired up his jet for a clandestine trip to lure Bobby Petrino to Auburn. Aboard that ill-fated flight were University President, the late William Walker, Athletics Director David Housel, board chairman Earlon McWhorter and board member Byron Franklin. When word of that sordid plan leaked out, the Auburn faithful rallied to Tuberville’s defense and Tuberville won, but the wounds never healed.

Tuberville shunned his enemies on the board. They shunned him, and they waited for the right moment to pounce. Auburn’s thrashing by Alabama last week was a perfect setting.
They fired Tommy Tuberville. Forget resignation. I have gold-plated proof. Tommy’s angelic mother said he was fired. She said Tommy called and gave her the news. Challenge Olive Tuberville at your own peril. Tommy was fired. That’s her story and she’s sticking by it. Believe it.

Paul Davis writes a column for the Opelika-Auburn News. He can be reached at pauldavis@bellsouth.net

Who would you rather have running things at UAB, Bobby Lowder or Paul Bryant, JR???

Interesting stuff BandDad. But remember, if this article was about Bammer, you would be made a eunich, and someone would say "move this to the Bar & Grille!!!"

Even with the BOT pushing our buttons, I feel like Auburn's athletic department is the most inept and backwards in the state of Alabama.

I'm glad nothing like that goes on around here.
Bryant Jr. would never directly call Carol Garrison and order that UAB can't hire Jimbo Fisher.
That's just not allowed and even if it did happen our President would stand up for our school.
Yea, that's the ticket.

I still don't believe that Tommy the Tube was fired. Most likely scenario (that has been used several times to get rid of head coaches), he was told to fire/restructure your staff/assistant coaches. Most coaches resign after being given those instructions. Some don't, but most do. Either way, it's still not a firing.

The chief question here is: Is Tommy still getting paid by the school?

As Brother Kool-Aid man would say, "Oh yeah!" There is a $5.1M buyout, due in two payments to Tuberville...I don't remember how soon is has to be paid, but I believe it's within the next two months or so.

FNblazer Wrote:As Brother Kool-Aid man would say, "Oh yeah!" There is a $5.1M buyout, due in two payments to Tuberville...I don't remember how soon is has to be paid, but I believe it's within the next two months or so.

Then, if as MCB asserts, Tuberville was not fired, why are they having to pay a buyout?

I think I heard from an AU fan that Tubs has to be paid half of the total within 30 days and the other half within a year.

BandGrad Wrote:Who would you rather have running things at UAB, Bobby Lowder or Paul Bryant, JR???

Easy Paul Bryant Jr.

Two reasons Bobby has gone after Academic programs and professors,
had made loans and deals with other board members to make sure he contoled their board, got Auburn a SACs probation - not just athletic control issues.

Plus Baby bear gets "blamed" by us fans because of his name for real actions of the BOT and even perceived actions of the BOT that he had nothing or little to do with as the originator.

uabbean Wrote:

BandGrad Wrote:Who would you rather have running things at UAB, Bobby Lowder or Paul Bryant, JR???

Easy Paul Bryant Jr.

Two reasons Bobby has gone after Academic programs and professors,
had made loans and deals with other board members to make sure he contoled their board, got Auburn a SACs probation - not just athletic control issues.

Plus Baby bear gets "blamed" by us fans because of his name for real actions of the BOT and even perceived actions of the BOT that he had nothing or little to do with while us fan act like he is the prime mover.

BlazerFromMD Wrote:

FNblazer Wrote:As Brother Kool-Aid man would say, "Oh yeah!" There is a $5.1M buyout, due in two payments to Tuberville...I don't remember how soon is has to be paid, but I believe it's within the next two months or so.

Then, if as MCB asserts, Tuberville was not fired, why are they having to pay a buyout?

To keep things from getting REALLY ugly. It is fairly common. Like asking for someone's resignation provided a buy-out is paid. A "conditional" buy-out. It is used a lot in pro sports.

In this case, the "condition" was to overhaul his staff.

"Two reasons Bobby has gone after Academic programs and professors,
had made loans and deals with other board members to make sure he contoled their board, got Auburn a SACs probation - not just athletic control issues."

Excellent point. Bryant is clearly literate - at least enough to read message boards - but doesn't care about non-athletic issues, possibly not even non-football issues.

However, it's a comparison between two types of cancers. Liver or pancreatic, they're both deadly and need to be excised from the patient and burned to a bacony crisp with lasers.

Let's stick with Cubby. He's not a young man, and has reputedly unhealthy habits.

Wow. Did I just type that?

Bad Smaug. Bad, bad Smaug.

Liver cirrhosis, the Great Blazer Hope. Heh.

UAB Band Dad Wrote:Liver cirrhosis, the Great Blazer Hope. Heh.

Wow. If you are PBJ, who do you want doing that transplant? Do you want it done at UAB with a whole bunch of Blazertalkers manning the instruments, or do you want it done a DCH, whose record of ineptitude I will let speak for itself.

(Of course I'm not implying that anyone's professionalism is in question, but accidents do happen.)

With his money, I bet he goes to Johns Hopkins or the Mayo Clinic and not risk it here.

The one factor in common between the two boards is that they are composed of persons of substantial wealth. They did not gain that by being timid about using their resources or calling their shots. They generally are in the habit of having things go according to their wishes and when they don't, they know what to do to get it changed so it does go their way. The Bama BOT (and the wealthy power brokers behind them) is no less aggressive in influencing the academic folks to do it their way than their fellows at Auburn. They just have a greater control of those who might complain. (Did you notice that there were no complaints filed by anyone in or around the UAB program over the way our coaching change was accomplished?) Someone has got to file a complaint with the NCAA or SACHS to get the investigative "ball" rolling. That happened at Auburn, but not at UAB.

BlazerPhil Wrote:

UAB Band Dad Wrote:Liver cirrhosis, the Great Blazer Hope. Heh.

Wow. If you are PBJ, who do you want doing that transplant? Do you want it done at UAB with a whole bunch of Blazertalkers manning the instruments, or do you want it done a DCH, whose record of ineptitude I will let speak for itself.

(Of course I'm not implying that anyone's professionalism is in question, but accidents do happen.)

With his money, I bet he goes to Johns Hopkins or the Mayo Clinic and not risk it here.

That puts him in my neck of the woods.

Well, if he goes to UAB, Frenchy is likely to be his anesthesiologist. Slip me word beforehand so I can take out some life insurance on Cubby.

UAB Band Dad Wrote:

Dude, talk about throwing a brother under the bus.

15 yard penalty assessed for unnecessary roughness
and
dead ball foul for excessive celebration.
and
sideline warning
and
ejection

Awww, CT, we both know that ain't gonna happen. Can't hang a guy for dreaming though, heh.

Bet he'd be tempted though.

I have a lot of trust in Frenchy's professionalism. Having him standing by the gurney just before my wife went off to surgery helped a lot. She wasn't his patient, but just knowing he was around made us both feel better.