This one stings

[Kaos]

http://www.gulflive.com/sports/mississippipress/index.ssf?/base/sports/125067692331680.xml&coll=5

If insanity is repeating the same action and expecting different results, what does that say about Auburn's choice of Chris Todd as its starting quarterback in 2009?

Yes, Todd had a bum shoulder last year. Yes, it's supposedly close to 100 percent now. Yes, that affected the velocity on his throws in 2008, many of which gave dying ducks a bad name.

But is the quarterback who helped dig Auburn's grave last season really the guy to lead its offense back from the dead? Can one year and one surgery really have made that much of a difference?

Even Gene Chizik doesn't sound all that sure. In meeting with reporters after announcing Todd as the starter, the best he could do to explain the decision was to talk of the "flashes" he'd seen from Todd in practice and mumble about his experience. Not that Chizik is an excitable guy to begin with, but he looked like someone who'd just had to choose between a kick in the stomach and a sharp stick in the eye.

To be fair, Todd's throws in practice this month have looked much better than those of last fall. And give the guy this much: He's shown a ton of guts in sticking around after watching the coach who brought him to Auburn, Tony Franklin, get run out of town on a rail. It would be the feel-good story of the decade if Todd came back this season and set the college football world on fire.

There is some precedent for reclamation projects at Auburn. Jason Campbell's career could have been charitably described as lackluster until Al Borges came to the Plains just before Campbell's senior year. A year later, Campbell was a first-round NFL draft pick.

Todd has about as much chance of being a first-round draft choice as Ozzy Osbourne has of becoming pope. But he should have a few advantages this year that he didn't have in 2008. Like a running game, if Gus Malzahn's track record is any indication. And some playmakers at receiver, if freshmen DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake live up to their billing.

And finally, he has a coaching staff that didn't let its quarterback competition bleed into the season like last year, when it ultimately divided the locker room.

Unlike Tommy Tuberville last season, Chizik handled this one right. His definitive announcement last weekend galvanized the players. Odd man out Kodi Burns showed he's a stand-up guy by endorsing the decision and accepting a position switch to receiver.

Everyone is saying all the right things. Everyone appears to be on the same page, which is a far cry from last year.

But remember this: Some of the guys who thought Burns should have been starting throughout 2008 are still in the Tigers' locker room in 2009. If Todd flounders again, the potential for dissension is still there. How many losses would it take before people start calling for Tyrik Rollison?

Even so, insanity is too strong a word. If we were talking about Tennessee and Jonathan Crompton, now that would be insane.

[Birmingham]

Frontpage!

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

This is all the same opinion as people with that approach.  I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's no more insightfull than those expecting success.   I think we're at the point now where everyone, whether their with the decision or not, is just ready to see some sort of result on the phone.

I'm ready to start figuring out our pace.  Whether or not we'll line up in the shotgun inside the 5.   Can we run it more than 3 yards if we need 4 up the gut?   ...at the end of the game, regardless of personnel, do we have more points on the board when the final gun sounds?

I think our success in recruiting, results on the scoreboard, and getting back to being a collective Auburn chanting "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger" depends on that at this point.

I think of this saying...

"Looking nice and a smile will get you ten minutes.  After that you better have something to say."   I'm now just ready for results.

[AUChizad]

If insanity is repeating the same action and expecting different results, what does that say about Auburn's choice of Chris Todd as its starting quarterback in 2009?

Yes, Todd had a bum shoulder last year. Yes, it's supposedly close to 100 percent now. Yes, that affected the velocity on his throws in 2008, many of which gave dying ducks a bad name.

But is the quarterback who helped dig Auburn's grave last season really the guy to lead its offense back from the dead? Can one year and one surgery really have made that much of a difference?

Even Gene Chizik doesn't sound all that sure. In meeting with reporters after announcing Todd as the starter, the best he could do to explain the decision was to talk of the "flashes" he'd seen from Todd in practice and mumble about his experience. Not that Chizik is an excitable guy to begin with, but he looked like someone who'd just had to choose between a kick in the stomach and a sharp stick in the eye.

To be fair, Todd's throws in practice this month have looked much better than those of last fall. And give the guy this much: He's shown a ton of guts in sticking around after watching the coach who brought him to Auburn, Tony Franklin, get run out of town on a rail. It would be the feel-good story of the decade if Todd came back this season and set the college football world on fire.

There is some precedent for reclamation projects at Auburn. Jason Campbell's career could have been charitably described as lackluster until Al Borges came to the Plains just before Campbell's senior year. A year later, Campbell was a first-round NFL draft pick.

Todd has about as much chance of being a first-round draft choice as Ozzy Osbourne has of becoming pope. But he should have a few advantages this year that he didn't have in 2008. Like a running game, if Gus Malzahn's track record is any indication. And some playmakers at receiver, if freshmen DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake live up to their billing.

And finally, he has a coaching staff that didn't let its quarterback competition bleed into the season like last year, when it ultimately divided the locker room.

Unlike Tommy Tuberville last season, Chizik handled this one right. His definitive announcement last weekend galvanized the players. Odd man out Kodi Burns showed he's a stand-up guy by endorsing the decision and accepting a position switch to receiver.

Everyone is saying all the right things. Everyone appears to be on the same page, which is a far cry from last year.

But remember this: Some of the guys who thought Burns should have been starting throughout 2008 are still in the Tigers' locker room in 2009. If Todd flounders again, the potential for dissension is still there. How many losses would it take before people start calling for Tyrik Rollison?

Even so, insanity is too strong a word. If we were talking about Tennessee and Jonathan Crompton, now that would be insane.

MOST of the article is positive. Basically he supports the opposing view with 20 points before he writes one sentence that says basically "But I still think (based on nothing) we're doomed to repeat last year."

I'm not stinging from this article.

[RWS]

MOST of the article is positive. Basically he supports the opposing view with 20 points before he writes one sentence that says basically "But I still think (based on nothing) we're doomed to repeat last year."

I'm not stinging from this article.

And your assumption that AU won't repeat last year is based on the same thing as his assumption that AU will repeat last year; nothing. You don't have any better evidence than anybody else does as to what will truly happen. Its just an educated guess on both sides. Don't be so quick to shoot something down when your argument is just as weak.

[Kaos]

This is all the same opinion as people with that approach.  I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's no more insightfull than those expecting success.   I think we're at the point now where everyone, whether their with the decision or not, is just ready to see some sort of result on the phone.

I'm ready to start figuring out our pace.  Whether or not we'll line up in the shotgun inside the 5.   Can we run it more than 3 yards if we need 4 up the gut?   ...at the end of the game, regardless of personnel, do we have more points on the board when the final gun sounds?

I think our success in recruiting, results on the scoreboard, and getting back to being a collective Auburn chanting "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger" depends on that at this point.

I think of this saying...

"Looking nice and a smile will get you ten minutes.  After that you better have something to say."   I'm now just ready for results.

The thing is -- and this is the drum I've been beating -- is that it's easy to dismiss this guy or anybody else who doesn't have a pet unicorn as "Debbie Downer" "shit colored glass" or whatever. 

But these opinions are based on tangible past results, on what has happened and what those previous results mean and how they impact the future.  For that reason, it IS more insightful than hope and wishes based on nothing more than prayers and personal allegiances. 

I also don't think "it's great to be an Auburn Tiger" is based on won/loss record.  The greatest moments in relation to that particular chant have come after losses when our guys laid every ounce of their heart, soul and guts on the field but it just wasn't enough. 

[Saniflush]

The greatest moments in relation to that particular chant have come after losses when our guys laid every ounce of their heart, soul and guts on the field but it just wasn't enough. 

[Kaos]

From that loss, character was built.  That loss was the genesis of a decade of greatness. 

Perhaps Dye's second-greatest moment.   The one where he chokes back tears and tells the players to go back and thank the fans in 1982 still makes me cry like a baby. 

THAT was a football coach.  That was a man.  Flawed? Yeah.  But God bless him.

[Sensi]

Pat Dye - Auburn man.

[Saniflush]

We'll let it slide since you are new and all but just paste the youtube link in the box and it will format itself. 
We are kind of a big deal around here.

[Sensi]

We'll let it slide since you are new and all but just paste the youtube link in the box and it will format itself. 
We are kind of a big deal around here.

Done. Didn't know that.

[Snaggletiger]

Old school baby.  Dye had some of the most classic post game talks ever.  If you didn't get chills, you don't deserve to wear the colors.

On Todd, the reality is that there's a lot of hoping going on with Auburn people.  He's the guy so you have to support him and Auburn football.  Honestly, naming him the starter was a kick in the gut for me initially.  Why? Because the past is all we really have to judge him by.  And injury or no injury, his past ain't that sporty.  Go back before his injured season and note that he wasn't going to play at Texas Tech (Fair enuff...they did have a pretty good QB) and put up abysmal numbers at some obscure Community College.  I also recall several instances last year where arm strength had nothing to do with that particular clusterduck.  Like, taking a high snap and promptly handing it off to the running back's face mask....then standing and watching while players for both teams scrambled to pick up the fumble 5 feet away. 

As I said, I'll be pulling for the guy to have a huge year and I hope 2-3 games into the season, the league is saying, "Holy shit, they found themselves a quarterback.  Look out".  And you have to give the guy credit for enduring last year, surgery and tons of criticism...then coming back to win the starting job.  But ultimately, it's fair for people to be apprehensive about Chris Todd until he proves otherwise on the field

 

[AUChizad]

And your assumption that AU won't repeat last year is based on the same thing as his assumption that AU will repeat last year; nothing. You don't have any better evidence than anybody else does as to what will truly happen. Its just an educated guess on both sides. Don't be so quick to shoot something down when your argument is just as weak.

The thing is -- and this is the drum I've been beating -- is that it's easy to dismiss this guy or anybody else who doesn't have a pet unicorn as "Debbie Downer" "shiitake colored glass" or whatever.  

But these opinions are based on tangible past results, on what has happened and what those previous results mean and how they impact the future.  For that reason, it IS more insightful than hope and wishes based on nothing more than prayers and personal allegiances.  

I also don't think "it's great to be an Auburn Tiger" is based on won/loss record.  The greatest moments in relation to that particular chant have come after losses when our guys laid every ounce of their heart, soul and guts on the field but it just wasn't enough.  

I'm not "shooting down" his opinion. I'm just saying that he himself supports the opposing argument more than the one (I think?) he's trying to make.

Read the article as I had quoted it earlier, excluding the portions that I scratched out. It's a pretty positive article.

I'll post it again:

If insanity is repeating the same action and expecting different results, what does that say about Auburn's choice of Chris Todd as its starting quarterback in 2009?

Yes, Todd had a bum shoulder last year. Yes, it's supposedly close to 100 percent now. Yes, that affected the velocity on his throws in 2008, many of which gave dying ducks a bad name.

But is the quarterback who helped dig Auburn's grave last season really the guy to lead its offense back from the dead? Can one year and one surgery really have made that much of a difference?

Even Gene Chizik doesn't sound all that sure. In meeting with reporters after announcing Todd as the starter, the best he could do to explain the decision was to talk of the "flashes" he'd seen from Todd in practice and mumble about his experience. Not that Chizik is an excitable guy to begin with, but he looked like someone who'd just had to choose between a kick in the stomach and a sharp stick in the eye.

To be fair, Todd's throws in practice this month have looked much better than those of last fall. And give the guy this much: He's shown a ton of guts in sticking around after watching the coach who brought him to Auburn, Tony Franklin, get run out of town on a rail. It would be the feel-good story of the decade if Todd came back this season and set the college football world on fire.

There is some precedent for reclamation projects at Auburn. Jason Campbell's career could have been charitably described as lackluster until Al Borges came to the Plains just before Campbell's senior year. A year later, Campbell was a first-round NFL draft pick.

Todd has about as much chance of being a first-round draft choice as Ozzy Osbourne has of becoming pope. But he should have a few advantages this year that he didn't have in 2008. Like a running game, if Gus Malzahn's track record is any indication. And some playmakers at receiver, if freshmen DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake live up to their billing.

And finally, he has a coaching staff that didn't let its quarterback competition bleed into the season like last year, when it ultimately divided the locker room.

Unlike Tommy Tuberville last season, Chizik handled this one right. His definitive announcement last weekend galvanized the players. Odd man out Kodi Burns showed he's a stand-up guy by endorsing the decision and accepting a position switch to receiver.

Everyone is saying all the right things. Everyone appears to be on the same page, which is a far cry from last year.

But remember this: Some of the guys who thought Burns should have been starting throughout 2008 are still in the Tigers' locker room in 2009. If Todd flounders again, the potential for dissension is still there. How many losses would it take before people start calling for Tyrik Rollison?

Even so, insanity is too strong a word. If we were talking about Tennessee and Jonathan Crompton, now that would be insane.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

The thing is -- and this is the drum I've been beating -- is that it's easy to dismiss this guy or anybody else who doesn't have a pet unicorn as "Debbie Downer" "shit colored glass" or whatever.

Well, now that your way of going about it is tempered, I don't think a lot of people mind you taking this same, or basically same approach.   

But these opinions are based on tangible past results, on what has happened and what those previous results mean and how they impact the future.  For that reason, it IS more insightful than hope and wishes based on nothing more than prayers and personal allegiances.

This is a nobody wins debate.  I know what you're saying in the fact we've seen THIS SAME GUY on the field, and perform terribly.  Understood.  I just think there's another school of thought that takes that into consideration, but takes it with all the factors as well, and bases opinions on it.   Fact is, he might be terrible and you may be absolutely correct.  I'm (and a few others I believe) just simply saying that I don't believe that he's playing this year with the same set of circumstances.  I'm just willing to wait and see what happens at this point based on the fact he did WIN the position, and coaches that don't need the headache of a poor performer are all to willing to put him back in the role.

I'm merely open to the idea. 

I also don't think "it's great to be an Auburn Tiger" is based on won/loss record.  The greatest moments in relation to that particular chant have come after losses when our guys laid every ounce of their heart, soul and guts on the field but it just wasn't enough. 

Maybe you're right, but I sure don't remember ANYONE chanting that towards the end of last season.  That was really my only point.  You're right in the deeper meaning scope of things, but on the surface, nobody I knew was chanting it allowed in the winter of '08.

[AUChizad]

Well, now that your way of going about it is tempered, I don't think a lot of people mind you taking this same, or basically same approach.   

This is a nobody wins debate.  I know what you're saying in the fact we've seen THIS SAME GUY on the field, and perform terribly.  Understood.  I just think there's another school of thought that takes that into consideration, but takes it with all the factors as well, and bases opinions on it.   Fact is, he might be terrible and you may be absolutely correct.  I'm (and a few others I believe) just simply saying that I don't believe that he's playing this year with the same set of circumstances.  I'm just willing to wait and see what happens at this point based on the fact he did WIN the position, and coaches that don't need the headache of a poor performer are all to willing to put him back in the role.

I'm merely open to the idea. 

This

[Kaos]

Well, now that your way of going about it is tempered, I don't think a lot of people mind you taking this same, or basically same approach.   

This is a nobody wins debate.  I know what you're saying in the fact we've seen THIS SAME GUY on the field, and perform terribly.  Understood.  I just think there's another school of thought that takes that into consideration, but takes it with all the factors as well, and bases opinions on it.   Fact is, he might be terrible and you may be absolutely correct.  I'm (and a few others I believe) just simply saying that I don't believe that he's playing this year with the same set of circumstances.  I'm just willing to wait and see what happens at this point based on the fact he did WIN the position, and coaches that don't need the headache of a poor performer are all to willing to put him back in the role.

I'm merely open to the idea. 

Maybe you're right, but I sure don't remember ANYONE chanting that towards the end of last season.  That was really my only point.  You're right in the deeper meaning scope of things, but on the surface, nobody I knew was chanting it allowed in the winter of '08.

My way of going about anything isn't tempered.  I'm still exactly the same as I was before. 

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

My way of going about anything isn't tempered.  I'm still exactly the same as I was before. 

Hmm.  I've noticed a change.  I don't think it's ALL me.  Who knows....

[Kaos]

Hmm.  I've noticed a change.  I don't think it's ALL me.  Who knows....

I'm not cussing you out.  Is that a change?

[Snaggletiger]

I'm not cussing you out.  Is that a change?

This

[Snaggletiger]

Hmm.  I've noticed a change.  I don't think it's ALL me.  Who knows....

That