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Number 1

Nov 23rd, 2008
by Tom.
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Anyone who knows anything about the Iron Bowl series knows that often the games are won by unknowns.  Sure, if you’re a player for either team you do your part.  But these games are won because all on the team step up and play.

So was the case in 2002.

The unranked Auburn Tigers came into Tuscaloosa in 2002 licking their wounds.  The previous weeks loss to Georgia placed their SEC West titles hopes virtually out of reach and dropped their conference record to 4 wins and 3 losses.  More importantly the Tigers were to play without their starting running backs and fullback who were injured.  Not too many were giving the Tigers a chance in the game.

Alabama on the other hand was in prime position to represent the SEC West in the title match.  They had trounced LSU the week before and brought only one conference loss into the game.  Additional motivation for the Tide was the fact that they had never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa.  Alabama was confident they would win their second straight game over their in-state rival.

The only problem for the Tide was an unknown freshman running back Tre Smith.  Smith was getting his first career start for the Tigers, starting in place of the injured Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown.  Auburn’s starting fullback was also injured and tight end Tommy Trott had been converted to full back to block for Smith.  There wasn’t a beat writer alive who thought it would work.  But it did.  Smith rushed for 126 yards on 25 carries.  Auburn led 17-0 at halftime.

The rest is history as they say.  Alabama didn’t get the expected victory.  Not only did Auburn remain undefeated in Tuscaloosa, this win marked the first time an unranked Auburn team had beated a ranked Alabama team.  You can check out the recap for the details.  The game even made a recent top 10 list of wins celebrating Tommy Tuberville’s 10th season as Auburn Head Coach.

We’re counting down the previous six straight Auburn wins over Alabama this week leading up to the 2008 Iron Bowl.  Next up: 2003, a cadillac goes crazy.

Double-Oh-Seven

Nov 22nd, 2008
by Tom.
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Double-OH-Seven… In more ways than one.

Taylor and I did see the latest James Bond flick this afternoon.  Go see it, in the theatre.  Don’t wait for the DVD.  The action and sound on the big screen is worth every penny.  The latest Bond flicks aren’t as romantic as the Bonds of old, but there’s just enough of the old style combined with a youthful vigor to keep any viewer engaged.

How engaged is Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn Tigers is the big question.  Number 7 could be one week away.  One loss to make this season the first season Auburn has finished below.500 in a long time could be one week away too.  We wonder if the players, the young players, really understand what losing to Alabama feels like.  We wonder if we have forgotten.

We don’t live in Alabama.  That means that ultimately we don’t have to live with it 365 days a year.  People still ask us, every year.  My classmates have ragged us enough through the entire year.  One big win at the end of the season will save face.  One win at the end of the season will lift our spirits for the last month of this dismal year.  One win will certainly mean new t-shirts for the clan under the Christmas tree.

It is Alabama.  It is the Crimson Tide.  It is the one game that ends all games, hopes, dreams, and seasons each year.  If Alabama has any hopes of a conference or national title, they must win.  If Alabama desires to place a nail in an Auburn losing season, they must win.  If Alabama’s senior class wants any gratification for the past 4-5 years, they must win.  Most importantly, for Alabama to truly claim they are “back”, they must win.  All eyes are squarely on Alabama.

Auburn.  These guys don’t have to do anything.  They are hurt.  They are drained.  They are ready to rest and heal the wounds of a controversial and growing season.  They are ready to learn yet another offensive system.  For some, they are ready to consider the easy opt-out and move on to the NFL.  There are no expectations.

I’m feeling a little Auburn football.  True Auburn football.  I had a bug before this season began.  I thought it would be special.  I was wrong on the type of special.  It certainly wasn’t 1993 special, nor 2004 special.  Maybe it will be 1972 special, or 1989 special.  The kind of special where Auburn had its chances, fell short of expectations, and then vindicated itself with wins over its arch rival.

I gotta little feelin’.

The Auburner

The Auburner

You Name the Post

Nov 21st, 2008
by Tom.
2 comments

We’re coming to you this evening from our local Whole Foods.  It has been a fairly regular routine to stop by the store each Thursday and pick up pizza for the LAN crew.  First, it’s my night to be responsible for dinner and it’s easy to get take-out.  Two, Thursday night Whole Foods does a pizza special and it fits in our budget quite nicely.  Three, the pizza is great!  7-grain crust, made to order, natural ingredients (me thinks) – what’s not to love.  Oh number four, they sell beer by the bottle.

There are more reasons too: I like to watch the pizza bake in the oven.  There’s  good people watchin’.  It’s a good time to catch up via phone with friends.  I can unwind and get some me time.  I love me some me.

But tonight’s Friday.  Tracey made black eyed peas, greens, and cornbread last night without knowing my ritual plan.  When I mentioned why I like hitting Whole Foods earlier today, she confessed that pizza would be a grand idea for tonight.  So here I am.

The post is called “You Name the Post” for a reason.  The idea of a regular entry from the Whole Foods came to me one evening while tweeting with Panovec.  But I don’t know what to name the column.  So c’mon now don’t be bashful.  Post a comment and give me your ideas for this post, and maybe an idea or two on what you think it should be about.  The winner receives… a picture of me.

Maybe tonight we should provide a little tour of the new blog features?

Nah… too much work and I’m not done with all the clean-up.

Maybe we should begin our dialog on the impending Iron Bowl?

Nah… I’m not that excited yet.

Maybe we’ll comment on the various people sitting with me in the Whole Food café?

Nah… they are a hell of allot more sophisticated than I am.

As a matter of fact I was ridiculed leaving the house before coming down this evening.  Now normally I would hit the Whole Foods on the way home from work.  Tonight I was close to home so I grabbed a change of clothes and my laptop.  Taylor and Tracey made fun of me.

My khaki pants are a little too short from the years of washing.  My FTL’s showcase their elasticity if I bend my torso ever so slightly.  I’m wearing a Cardinals ball cap stretched over my bur head.  I’m a magnificent sight of married man.

One thing I need to write about is the beer I’m sampling at the Whole Foods this evening… It’s not really a sampling as it is a regular avail in the LAN Beer Fridge back at HQ.  We’re sipping on a little Skinny Dip from New Belgium.  Yes summer is gone but it’s never out of style to toast the “frolic” of the season.

We like the Skinny Dip.  It’s not as creamy as a Fat Tire but still is a crisp ale representative of the style that has made New Belgium brews popular.  If you can’t buy New Belgium products because you are east of the Mississippi, then it sucks to be you.  If you are west, well then make sure you grab the Skinny Dip before the weather turns too cold.

Speaking of cold… It has turned cold pretty quickly.  Highs here in the Lou this week have been in the 30′s.  I believe our high tomorrow will be in the mid-40′s.  Clear skies with no immediate chance of precipitation.  I hope Thanksgiving will be calm as we are planning our annual turkey smoking and we’re looking forward to the smoker providing the love this year.

We plan to hit the blog with plenty of Iron Bowl attitude next week plus a Thanksgiving stream.  So we’re signing off for now…

Hope the weekend is getting off to a great start for you and yours.

Cheers!

Whole Foods 11/21/2008:

Beer Tasted: New Belgium Skinny Dip

Tune Playing over the WF System: Marshall Tucker Band, Heard It In A Love Song

Pizzas:

  1. 7-Grain crust, pizza sauce, mozzarella, sausage, bacon, mushroom, red onion
  2. 7-Grain crust, pizza sauce, mozzarella, hamburger, bacon, spinach, calamatta olives, garlic, mushroom

Tell It!

Nov 20th, 2008
by Tom.
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We are working feverishly to have the site fully functional and up to date.  We have some loose plans for postings next week to prepare for the Iron Bowl.  In the mean time we had to share this…

If there ever was a post that captured the urgency we Auburn people feel over the impending date with fate on 11/29 it is here at the Auburner.  Good work boys!

WDE

The Brits Invade

Nov 16th, 2008
by Tom.
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Mr. Malloy passed this over to us a couple of weeks ago.  I’ve been saving it.  It’s been a long time since the Auburn nation had to hang it’s fate on one game.  We find ourselves there once again.  Hope you enjoy the video.  More thoughts on this year’s match coming…

El Gato

Nov 12th, 2008
by Tom.
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For some strange reason Speedy Gonzalez is floating through our minds tonight.  Hope you enjoy the cartoon.

We’re running out of post titles:  “excuse us” “welcome back” “we’re back” blah blah blah… Here’s yet another new look for the site after we discovered just how much of a pain in the ice it is to transfer blogs over from one to another.  And we’re not done yet.

To summarize some thoughts tonight as we sip some vino:

  • Auburn.  I would love to be cocky right now.  We can’t.  It’s Georgia week and this is the first Georgia week that I can remember that we haven’t been celebrating Georgia week.  You can check out some of our feature posts of past memories of years gone by.  (Note to author: Since we’ve had this blog Auburn hasn’t beaten Georgia.  Maybe I shouldn’t be posting anything at all this week about the game?)  This year’s game is a regional telecast.  Wow.
  • Auburn II.  We have beaten Bama in the two years the blog has been up.  Next week we better make some time for some hating Tide speak.  We are pretty good at beating the Tide just when they think they have it all.  Bill Curry knows just exactly what the facts is.  1989 was special for lots of reasons.  Wonder if we’ll bag number 7?
  • 2008: It’s almost over.  Can you guess which character in the Speedy cartoon I feel like?
  • Student syndrome.  We have it big time.  There’s no time for anything anymore.  We just finished up one theme and are starting our next to the last group of classes.  Yep only two more courses and our trip to China left to go.  We’ll have the paper in May of next year.  Can’t wait!

That’s all the brain can handle this evening.  We’ll do our best to check back in.  I think you’ll figure out the functionality of the new site pretty quick.  We have lots of work to do in getting content indexed right to take advantage of the features.  We should be on top of it by the time the Turkey hits the smoke.

Buenas Noches mi amigos!

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