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but because it seems disconnected from reality to me. Let's look at what you said and then deal in some facts.
than with Tubs in '04. If it weren't for the defensive side, we wouldn't have had the record we did. And the 6 wins over bama, I sincerely doubt that would have happened without uat's difficulties.
The 04 team's offensive production was virtually equal to the 93 team's production. Both teams averaged 32.1 points per game. The 93 team averaged 420 total yards per game. The 04 team averaged 420.7. The 93 team was better at running the ball; the 04 team was much better at throwing the ball. Look up the numbers if you don't believe it. The 04 team won an SEC championship, 2 more games, and played better competition. The 93 team was the best team on radio, and, had it had an opportunity to play in the SECCG that year, I think it is doubtful that it would have won the rematch with Florida. I don't know what your standard for fun is, but the only Auburn team I have ever seen that is perhaps the equal of the 04 team is the 1983 team. It was outstanding in all phases of the game -- not just defense.
Yes, Bama was down compared to the Bryant and Stallings eras for the streak, but two of those games were against 10 win Bama teams (2002 and 2005). By contrast, only once did Bama beat a 10 win AU team during Bryant's 9 game winning streak (1974). Much of that streak was accumulated during the Doug Barfield error era. Yet one seldom hears the kind of qualifiers about the Bryant streak that one hears about the Tuberville streak. The fact is that Tubs did something against Bama that no other AU coach has ever accomplished. Do we poo poo Shug's 5 game streak because some of it came against Ears Whitworth? No, we don't. Seventy-five percent of Pat Dye's best streak against Bama occurred when Bill Curry was Bama's coach, yet Dye is revered. Dye's teams typically were outstanding on defense and pedestrian on offense. Did that make Dye's winning any less fun? Not through my orange and blue goggles.
Some carry on like Tubs was some sort of coaching genius. He wasn't. I remember a lot of complaints about his coaching before he was gone, and now he's the best coach we've ever had? And his doghouse...how much did that hurt us over the years?
If you look at records, Tubs is neck and neck with Pat Dye for the second best coach AU has ever had. Donahue is, on the numbers, the best. Was Tuberville perfect? No. Did he do things that infuriated the faithful? Sure. (I am still pissed off about the fake punt from the endzone in the 02 Florida game). But he won consistently in the toughest conference in America during, arguably, its most competitive era. That doesn't make him a genius, but it makes him a damned good coach.
Malbis has taken on your "doghouse" point very well, so I won't belabor it. Can you give some specific examples of how the team was hurt by Coach Tuberville and staff's team rules?
I didn't like the hire, his lying or his game playing with us.
I was not overjoyed with the hire in 1998, but, objectively, his performance as head coach at Ole Miss was light years ahead of Gene Chizik's at Iowa State. He put a winner on the field at Ole Miss during a serious reduction in scholarships. What has Chizik done that is comparable as HC? Nothing. I don't think Tubs played games with AU faithful. I think he played hardball with the decision makers at AU because they tried, and very nearly succeeded in, #badword#ing him over in 2003. He pushed every advantage, and he pushed hard. Should he have been more forgiving and willing to let bygones be bygones? Perhaps, but can you blame a person for behaving the way he did under the circumstances?
I'm excited to see what a new coaching staff can do with our players. Maybe we could have more talent, or maybe we do have talent and a lot of our problems was bad coaching.
I will be excited about football season in 2009 because I don't know any other way to be. But there is no evidence to suggest that Gene Chizik for Tom Tuberville is an upgrade. So, any optimism is a function of hope. I hope we do very well, but I am not going to ignore history. I hope my fears prove to be unsubstantiated, but those fears have a tie to reality.
I'm glad I won't have to see him on the sideline anymore.
I am sure you are joined by the fans of a number of SEC rivals, there.
