Former QB Makes Pitch for Tubby

[Ogre]

From everyone's favorite sports-talk personality:

Former QB makes pitch for Tubby
Tuesday, March 04, 2008

It's too bad Tommy Tuberville can't take Jason Campbell on the recruiting trail.

If the star quarterback of Auburn's perfect 13-0 season in 2004 was able to go into the homes of top recruits with Tubs and deliver the same message to their parents as he did to me the other day in an interview, the reports of Auburn's demise would be greatly exaggerated.

Clearly, since his arrival 14 months ago, the most punishing impact Nick Saban has had on Tuberville has been in recruiting. But some have wondered in recent days if the highly publicized discipline problems at Alabama and Saban's wretched reaction have given Tuberville a new lease on life -- particularly in what has seemingly been a lost cause in attempting to slow down Saban's stranglehold on getting the top players in this state.

While Auburn faithful have been quick to point fingers at Saban's lack of control, mumbling about Alabama being the new Thug U., Tuberville has been more subtle. Still, one suspects that in private he is driving the point home to anyone who will listen that Saban doesn't have control of his own campus.

Tuberville made a strong argument on signing day -- to the raised eyebrows of many cynics -- that while he goes after top players, character counts most when he is looking for recruits.

It sounded like the fine whine of someone on the losing end with Saban's foot on his throat. And with this in mind, during a recent visit with Campbell, the first-round pick and now starting quarterback of the Washington Redskins, I posed the question about discipline under his former head coach.

"He (Tuberville) didn't put up with it," Campbell said about bad behavior. "Guys knew it. You maybe got one chance, if that. If you skipped class, you weren't going to play. If you got in trouble off the field, he was just going to get rid of you."

Interesting when you compare that to Saban's soft-on-crime state of the union of week ago in which he called the recent problems on campus "a family tragedy."

"He said there were too many guys who wanted a scholarship, deserved scholarships and earned them," Campbell said. "One thing Coach Tuberville didn't put up with it ... he made it clear that if you got in trouble he just said he wasn't going to tolerate it. And if you got in trouble, he was going to move on to the next guy."

And in his final brickbat, clearly aimed at Saban and Alabama, Campbell said: "You didn't see anyone at Auburn getting in trouble, get DUI's or fighting in the clubs. One rule we always had was don't make the school name look bad or make your family look bad. It was the same way when you get on that field."

While one can easily equivocate with Campbell's understandably loyalist view of Auburn and his beloved head coach, I must admit his words turned my head the other day. His calm, measured and pointed words resonated loudly.

This is not to suggest Tuberville can completely slow down the Saban recruiting machine on a single issue. But in the households of recruits where discipline matters most, one can see how at least the parents might be swayed by Campbell's words about Tuberville and the Auburn coach's record vs. the actions so far under Saban.

The second-year Alabama coach can alibi to parents that this is a "process," and things will certainly improve over time. Most agree it probably will. However, Tuberville has a strong and proven record and Campbell, as one of his most successful and visible former players, has made it easier.

So once again, like he has seemingly done in his eight other lives as Auburn's head football coach, Tommy Tuberville's hopes to combat Nick Saban have suddenly risen like the Phoenix.

He is still down and facing an uphill battle. However, it's a safe bet that Tuberville will use Alabama's current woes early and often on the recruiting trail.

And if he needs anyone to drive the point home, he might consider giving Jason Campbell a call.

How in the hell can Tuberville be 'down and facing an uphill battle' when he hasn't lost to Alabama in 6 years? 

http://www.al.com/press-register/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1204625778260490.xml&coll=3&thispage=1

[AUChizad]

I heard Finebaum the other day say that Tuberville pulling the "We are strong disciplinarians over here, while Saban's not" is like Hillary Clinton pulling the race card. When you're on your back like that, you'll try anything because you're already doomed.
He referenced the Trey Blackmon incident. I shit thee not.

[BAMAPERRY]

Another Tuberville attempt at trying to make excuses for Saban handing him his ass     recruiting. Pretty pathetic, really.

[Snaggletiger]

The only thing pathetic is you, you little fuck.  Try and post something with even an ounce of intelligence at some point in your sorry excuse for an existence. 

[lifesapplepie]

Another Tuberville attempt at trying to make excuses for Saban handing him his ass     recruiting. Pretty pathetic, really.

How was that a "tuberville attempt" to make excuses... It was a former player stating that tubs did not put up with the shit...that's it!   

What's pathetic is how Bammers are trying to blame Auburn for the recent jail fest!  "didn't the cop have a Auburn tag on his car"....Shut the fuck up!