Roll Tide/War Eagle Review

I love the recent trend of sports documentaries on either ESPN or HBO. I love them because they talk about sports history and history that I either wasn't alive for yet or was too young to remember. I love learning about sports history and these docs have been very helpful. I've learned something new watching the recent sports documentary.

I bring this up because ESPN aired their last 30 for 30 documentary last night called Roll Tide/War Eagle. The only feeling that I had during this documentary was "meh". Didn't love this doc, didn't hate it. That's because this doc didn't really delve into the history of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry except for the recent history. And that's where this doc falls short in my opinion.

HBO did a wonderful job of telling the complete history of the Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry and the UNC-Duke basketball rivalry. A half hour of each of these documentaries weren't just focused on a specific two year run like 'Roll Tide/War Eagle' was.

Sure 'Roll Tide/War Eagle' focused on a few aspects of the history of the Iron Bowl before the past two years like how neither school played each other for thirty years, Bear Bryant, Bo Jackson turning the rivalry into a fair competition, and the Gene Julks controversy.

The bulk of the documentary though was spent talking about the past two years of the rivalry. So as expected we got a lot of did Cam Newton take money to play at Auburn footage and creepy Harvey "the tree poisoner" Updyke stories.

Maybe it's because these stories just happened, maybe because these are stories that I really didn't want to relive, but this documentary lost me during the last half hour of the program. I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know. Again I watch these documentaries to learn something new. This doc just rehashed what happened in the past two years.

I wanted to learn more about Pat Dye's time at Auburn and his string of success against Alabama. I wanted to learn more about Gene Stallings time at Bama. I wanted to see Tommy Tuberville's string of wins against Bama. Didn't get any of that. 

So in the end 'Roll Tide/War Eagle' left me wanting more. I wanted to know more about the Alabama-Auburn rivalry and I didn't get that. So this doc in the end gave me that "meh" feeling.

Video: Buying a Tiger

I'm a California Golden Bears. To say I'm sour about seeing our bitter rival go to a BCS game while my team doesn't even have the pleasure of attending a bowl game is an understatement. Football will never be as popular in this area as Alabama, so this next video shouldn't surprise anyone.

A bitter Alabama has posted a video entitled "Buying a Tiger." Yes a video about Cam Newton and Auburn "buying him." This video isn't funny, original, or relevant, but it is pure bitterness. Sweet, sweet, bitterness.



(Via Hot Clicks)

The Links

Miranda Kerr is a nice way to start the mourning.... Mark this down as we have heard this before: A Detroit Lions QB looking good in practice..... Plaxico had a bad day yesterday.... A great feature on Talk Magazine.... Obama joker posters are popping up in Los Angeles.... NBA player vs. Porn Star to see who can get more Twitter followers.... How idiotic is this 'cash for clunkers' program?

Dusty Baker has done it again. He's burned out yet another pitcher's arm (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Lack of planning, not injuries doom the Mets (NY Post)

Meet the new race contributor at MSNBC (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

What's wrong with Cole Hamels? (Daily News)

Vernon Gholston is expected to contribute a little bit more this season for the Jets (Gang Green Nation)

Do not leak news without David Stern's permission (The Dream Shake)

Top 10 minor league baseball promotions (Real Clear Sports)

Wrestling on the beach? (Wall Street Journal)

Michael Douglas' son busted for Meth (TMZ)

Auburn football headed on the right path (AL.com)

A golf course allows people to shoot geese on the course(Burn Monkey Burn) video below

Iowa St. Strikes Back

Auburn took Gene Chizik from Iowa St., so they took their defensive coordinator.

Paul Rhodes was introduced as the new Iowa St. coach earlier today.

Rhodes spent seven years at Pittsburgh before being hired as the new defensive coordinator at Auburn. He had previously been an assistant at Iowa St. and actually grew up in the state.

Rhodes has been an outstanding defensive coordinator for both Pittsburgh and Auburn, and this should be a good hire for Iowa St.

The Links

- No Tommy Tuberville = More Pat Dye at Auburn (AL.com)

- An Ex-Kansas St. football player is a real scumbag (SportsbyBrooks)

- Skip Bayless's sexiest men in the NFL (Deadspin)

- San Francisco has a plan for the homeless (SF Chronicle)

- Devin Harris ruined Jason Kidd's homecoming (NY Post)

- Madonna is now cheating on A-Rod (Page Six)

- Iowa St. strikes back at Auburn (ESPN)

- Paris Hilton's home burglarized, and I don't know why (LA Times)

BREAKING: Auburn Chooses Their Coach

After a coaching search that included interviews with, Buffalo coach Turner Gill, Ball State coach Brady Hoke, and a few others Auburn has finally choose a coach.

According to CBS Dennis Dodd, Auburn has chosen Iowa State coach Gene Chizik as their next coach.

Chizik was the Auburn defensive coordinator from 2002-2004, including leading the best defense in the nation in 2004 en route to an unbeaten season.

Chizik then left for Texas, where he was also the defensive coordinator, leading the team to the 2005 National Championship. Chizik was one of the hottest assistant coaches in the nation after that season.

In 2007, Iowa St. choose Chizik to lead their program. He only went 5-19 in two season's at Iowa St., including a zero win season in the Big 12 this year.

This is an interesting choice for Auburn. He is familiar with the program and conference, but he has not been that successful in his tenure as the Iowa St. coach. Hoke or Gill would have been better choices because of their track record of turning around their respective programs.

I hope Chizik is ready for the always demanding Bobby "Jet fuel" Lowder.

Mommy Can You Help Me

(Put me down, or I will tell my mom)

As I reported last week, Auburn had let go their coach Tommy Tuberville.

Their were conflicting reports that Tuberville resigned and that he was fired.

Well according to Tuberville's mom, he was fired. She told the The Opelika-Auburn News the school turned their back on her little boy.

"This went on too long," she said. "They had their minds made up days ago, I imagine. It was tough. He didn't know what to expect. All of his friends have stayed with him."

Auburn AD Jay Jacobs said Tuberville left on his own decision. Tuberville himself said that it was the best interests of both parties.

I or anyone else knows what exactly went wrong in Auburn, but if that was me, I wouldn't won't my mommy telling the press, "they turned their backs on my little boy".

Report: Tuberville is out as Auburn coach

There is nothing official yet, but apparently Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville is out as the coach.

The Birmingham news reported the story.

An official announcement could come out today.

Tuberville met with school AD Jay Jacobs on Tuesday and Wednesday. And the school might not waste anytime getting rid of Tuberville.

Tuberville is 85-40 in his ten years at Auburn. This is year though has been the worst. The season started with high expectations because a great defensive was returning and they were implementing a new spread offense.

Well things went down hill and Tuberville fired his new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin after five weeks. The offense could never compliment the defense and forced Auburn to miss the postseason since Tuberville's last year.

More on this to come.