Eagle5, reporting for Bunker duty on this Friday just ahead of Obbern Fall Camp.
"Ole Miss football has proved to be nothing if not a loop of terrible decisions that yield brief, spectacular successes doomed to father more of the same."
- Steven Godfrey, closing paragraph, in https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...6984/hugh-freeze-fired-ole-miss-football-ncaa
I'd take only mild exception to his choice of "spectacular" when describing Ole Miss successes in say, their modern history. The big year with Eli Manning was special for sure (10-3 is high cotton for the Rebs, Eli 3rd in Heisman voting in 2003), but no trip to the SEC title game.
Beating a strong Saban bammer team twice is the high water mark lately, but again, did not translate into a monster year which would normally be the case for LSU or AU when they beat bammer. And the laundry as to "how" OM did it is in part now hanging on the Oxford clothes line.
I take larger exception to Godfrey (a very good writer and decent podcaster as well with Bill Connelly, on Podcast Ain't Played Nobody - go listen to the July 25th episode on Hugh Freeze, about the 12:00 mark) having the WRONG TEAM in the quote.
In my opinion, the quote tends to more aptly fit Auburn's football program the last 24 years or so (the "Post-Dye" era, I'd argue). Tot blows up in '93, only to start a slide late '94 that included his own colossal on-field and personal failure, notwithstanding a fun '97 year. His was a ". . . brief, spectacular success doomed to father more of the same ("terrible decisions")."
I'd have to call Tubs an excellent hire overall, as we won our share and won some big ones with the 2004 monster at least arguably Auburn's best team fielded in the modern era (I won't argue hard if you like '83 or '10 more, even '88). But in the total body of work, Tubs, too, lacked the year in, year out consistency of performance to not be dubbed ". . . a brief, spectacular success doomed to father more of the same." To be fair, Tubs is beloved by most all AU fans today, but you can't cleanse the memories of Black Saturday 2001, Nallsminger, 2003, Reggie Ball, a 4th down and DUMB punter pass call from his own 20 at Florida, Arky's Fred Talley STILL seen't running past our windows, the Rib Rub Boyz (not making CEO decisions on staff), the Tony Franklin WTF hiring, midseason firing, and 2008 colossal failure. But I do love Tubs overall, just wouldn't hire him if given a do-over. And while 6 in a row is 6 in a row, it was some years over a bammer program that couldn't get out of its own way. #Shula
Rinse, repeat with Chiz. But LAWD was the "spectacular" a generationally beautiful explosion of a constellation of stars with the seizing of hardware in Phoenix. Best moment of my Auburn life and yours (please tell me the moment that beat it, if not!), and like AU people being led through the parted Red Sea. Only to become ". . . a brief, spectacular success doomed to father more." And damn, when the Chiz empire fell, did it ever fall in 2012 in some of the more mind-numbing coaching and program management moves imaginable.
And along comes Malzahn, who wasted no time serving up the "spectacular" for a hungry AU fan base, and good God-toe-mighty was the offensive system a game-changer that shook the Dwarf Lord to seek shelter from the NCAA rules committee (starting 2nd half LSU game), UGA game ending, and Kick Six game an ICBM missile into the all-time history book of greatest of all time endings transcending not only the SEC, but all of sport, both amateur and professional. Alas, the one of 15+ different plays in Pasadena that would have capped it with the 2nd title in three years was not to be, and probably portended the chinks in Gus's youthful head coaching armor. After '14 through '16, the Godfrey quote sits poised to be yet again fulfilled for the fifth consecutive Auburn head coach - or DOES IT?
We do not know, though a Bunker vote would tally the Aye's 85%, Nay's 15% I'd guess.
All in your power to cause the sea change, this year, Gustav. Yeah, we've got some "systemic" athletics leadership culture and competence problems to be sure, that if not rectified will continue ". . . spectacular successes doomed to father more of the same 'terrible decisions'." These include the need to play catch up on the "right" football facility needs, whatever those are, but more importantly to hardwire competence, excellence, monarchical strategic decision-making (IYAM at least), and accountability that makes it impossible to put in a single day at Auburn Athletics without relentless excellence.
The good news is, we won't have to wait long now to find out. And for my considerable money to AU, I hope to see this season mark the epiphany for a head coach who had all the look of being our own Steve Spurrier in '13, as Gus fully matures into the CEO, delegater, big picture guy and sustains winning for a long, long time.
But if we don't see that kind of 10+ win year, including UGA and Bama (I don't care, call me unfair, you lose 3-straight Amen Corners, you owe us), or let's by God convene the powers that be with Auburn University President Stephen Leath, organize the will, commitment, finances, and best and brightest Auburn people to hire a new head coach in '18 who has proven to be able to build and sustain a winning culture.
Lest ye find me sour, or ungrateful, I'm not. There's nothing wrong with wildly celebrating AU's 2010 and 2013 conquests, as well as '93 and '04. I still go back to those days in my mind on difficult days to know we've done it before, and can do it again (hey, OM, MSU, Arky, aTM!). But it's tragically wrong to allow those years to be levers of free passes for not having built a system of leadership, support, accountability and excellence that alumni and fans of Auburn richly deserve, and whose fruits (winning) will further the larger mission of Auburn University, period.
Happy Friday to all you inglorious, and glorious bastages. I got a lotta love for erry one of you'ans.
14-1, 2017 National Champions.
E5
P.S. My youngest, "Spud" (Hannah) enters her senior year at Auburn this Fall. In just days, she and her team will mentor all these young FR in sorority ("hell") rush as head of Pi Chi. I absolutely could not be prouder of the young lass, and she has lived and breathed a near-perfect "Auburn experience" as did her older Sis (Lauren, '13). It's time. Spud is entitled to championship hardware during her four years
like Big Sis'. And sorry I just made this thread:
"Ole Miss football has proved to be nothing if not a loop of terrible decisions that yield brief, spectacular successes doomed to father more of the same."
- Steven Godfrey, closing paragraph, in https://www.sbnation.com/college-fo...6984/hugh-freeze-fired-ole-miss-football-ncaa
I'd take only mild exception to his choice of "spectacular" when describing Ole Miss successes in say, their modern history. The big year with Eli Manning was special for sure (10-3 is high cotton for the Rebs, Eli 3rd in Heisman voting in 2003), but no trip to the SEC title game.
Beating a strong Saban bammer team twice is the high water mark lately, but again, did not translate into a monster year which would normally be the case for LSU or AU when they beat bammer. And the laundry as to "how" OM did it is in part now hanging on the Oxford clothes line.
I take larger exception to Godfrey (a very good writer and decent podcaster as well with Bill Connelly, on Podcast Ain't Played Nobody - go listen to the July 25th episode on Hugh Freeze, about the 12:00 mark) having the WRONG TEAM in the quote.
In my opinion, the quote tends to more aptly fit Auburn's football program the last 24 years or so (the "Post-Dye" era, I'd argue). Tot blows up in '93, only to start a slide late '94 that included his own colossal on-field and personal failure, notwithstanding a fun '97 year. His was a ". . . brief, spectacular success doomed to father more of the same ("terrible decisions")."
I'd have to call Tubs an excellent hire overall, as we won our share and won some big ones with the 2004 monster at least arguably Auburn's best team fielded in the modern era (I won't argue hard if you like '83 or '10 more, even '88). But in the total body of work, Tubs, too, lacked the year in, year out consistency of performance to not be dubbed ". . . a brief, spectacular success doomed to father more of the same." To be fair, Tubs is beloved by most all AU fans today, but you can't cleanse the memories of Black Saturday 2001, Nallsminger, 2003, Reggie Ball, a 4th down and DUMB punter pass call from his own 20 at Florida, Arky's Fred Talley STILL seen't running past our windows, the Rib Rub Boyz (not making CEO decisions on staff), the Tony Franklin WTF hiring, midseason firing, and 2008 colossal failure. But I do love Tubs overall, just wouldn't hire him if given a do-over. And while 6 in a row is 6 in a row, it was some years over a bammer program that couldn't get out of its own way. #Shula
Rinse, repeat with Chiz. But LAWD was the "spectacular" a generationally beautiful explosion of a constellation of stars with the seizing of hardware in Phoenix. Best moment of my Auburn life and yours (please tell me the moment that beat it, if not!), and like AU people being led through the parted Red Sea. Only to become ". . . a brief, spectacular success doomed to father more." And damn, when the Chiz empire fell, did it ever fall in 2012 in some of the more mind-numbing coaching and program management moves imaginable.
And along comes Malzahn, who wasted no time serving up the "spectacular" for a hungry AU fan base, and good God-toe-mighty was the offensive system a game-changer that shook the Dwarf Lord to seek shelter from the NCAA rules committee (starting 2nd half LSU game), UGA game ending, and Kick Six game an ICBM missile into the all-time history book of greatest of all time endings transcending not only the SEC, but all of sport, both amateur and professional. Alas, the one of 15+ different plays in Pasadena that would have capped it with the 2nd title in three years was not to be, and probably portended the chinks in Gus's youthful head coaching armor. After '14 through '16, the Godfrey quote sits poised to be yet again fulfilled for the fifth consecutive Auburn head coach - or DOES IT?
We do not know, though a Bunker vote would tally the Aye's 85%, Nay's 15% I'd guess.
All in your power to cause the sea change, this year, Gustav. Yeah, we've got some "systemic" athletics leadership culture and competence problems to be sure, that if not rectified will continue ". . . spectacular successes doomed to father more of the same 'terrible decisions'." These include the need to play catch up on the "right" football facility needs, whatever those are, but more importantly to hardwire competence, excellence, monarchical strategic decision-making (IYAM at least), and accountability that makes it impossible to put in a single day at Auburn Athletics without relentless excellence.
The good news is, we won't have to wait long now to find out. And for my considerable money to AU, I hope to see this season mark the epiphany for a head coach who had all the look of being our own Steve Spurrier in '13, as Gus fully matures into the CEO, delegater, big picture guy and sustains winning for a long, long time.
But if we don't see that kind of 10+ win year, including UGA and Bama (I don't care, call me unfair, you lose 3-straight Amen Corners, you owe us), or let's by God convene the powers that be with Auburn University President Stephen Leath, organize the will, commitment, finances, and best and brightest Auburn people to hire a new head coach in '18 who has proven to be able to build and sustain a winning culture.
Lest ye find me sour, or ungrateful, I'm not. There's nothing wrong with wildly celebrating AU's 2010 and 2013 conquests, as well as '93 and '04. I still go back to those days in my mind on difficult days to know we've done it before, and can do it again (hey, OM, MSU, Arky, aTM!). But it's tragically wrong to allow those years to be levers of free passes for not having built a system of leadership, support, accountability and excellence that alumni and fans of Auburn richly deserve, and whose fruits (winning) will further the larger mission of Auburn University, period.
Happy Friday to all you inglorious, and glorious bastages. I got a lotta love for erry one of you'ans.
14-1, 2017 National Champions.
E5
P.S. My youngest, "Spud" (Hannah) enters her senior year at Auburn this Fall. In just days, she and her team will mentor all these young FR in sorority ("hell") rush as head of Pi Chi. I absolutely could not be prouder of the young lass, and she has lived and breathed a near-perfect "Auburn experience" as did her older Sis (Lauren, '13). It's time. Spud is entitled to championship hardware during her four years
like Big Sis'. And sorry I just made this thread:
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