Not THAT Brother {Oliver}! Taking one stiletto in the back from a bammer-at-heart coach (who butchered the Auburn Creed in the pregame locker room as interim head coach) once is enough for me, thank you, even if he does have a great blitz package.
I speak, instead, of the elusive glory days of Auburn football, evading us for nigh on five years now if you judge by the breathtaking litmus test of 2004.
The cyclical cruelty of college football is well established, yet ignored by greedy fans, fueled as it is by the primordial savagery of recruiting competition (and its “unlevel playing field” if you take my meaning), player attrition or failed talent evaluation, and the rise and fall of coaching regimes to name but a few factors.
Some segments of Auburn faithful, who as a rule are beloved for their passion and patience, today seem less inoculated for the bammeresque microwave mentality. In most respects, this is positive, to the extent it signals the death of the eight wins, late December bowl standard of success that may have sated the palate of prior generations. But the mentality can also be a bear trap (pun intended) which fosters an NFL-ish culture of disruptive instability that in fact contributes to bad cycles.
As one Auburn fan observed, it is all too easy to contract optical rectalitis after the rollercoaster of tsunami offensive production which ebbed to one-foot baby pool since Fayette Nam. But I humbly advise here the long-term view of the Auburn Tigers, starting with the attitude our promising recruits seem to embody. Barring a shocker, 5-star RB Michael Dyer will announce for Auburn on November 6th. Auburn remains in it for 5-star RB Marcus Lattimore, who makes an official visit this weekend. RB Lache Seastrunk and WR Trovon Reed are still very much in the picture for the Tigers. Coach Chizik is playing with house money in the linebacker sweepstakes with the state’s three best (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) in Jake Holland, LaDarius Owens, and Jawara White, along with Georgia linebacker phenom Jessel Curry who will enroll at Auburn in January. At this stage, a Top 10 signing day class is probable, and Top 5 class not impossible.
So why do I take this patient position? Just blinded by sunshine, you say? Well, actually, it has less to do with orange and blue sunshine and a lot more to do with logic (minoring in Philosophy has its benefits, few though they be). Like so:
1. Coach Chizik is our coach (and I’m glad he is based on the “big picture” - moves he has made, the fact he is an “Auburn man”, and his upside).
2. Barring some outrageous issue that arose (fireable offense) which won’t happen, he will be our coach at least through 2012 or 2013.
3. A “pure” analysis of Coach Chizik’s head coaching ability is impossible to make under current circumstances. The jury is out on CGC, and will return in 2-3 years with a verdict.
4. The staff is recruiting lights out, especially given that they are up against negative recruiting including our record last year, in-state media antagonism, and poor play the last three games.
5. Regardless of who our head coach is 3-5 years from now, he will stink up the joint UNLESS HE HAS SEC-CALIBER TALENT AND PLENTY OF IT to deploy.
6. : Ergo, be positive and patient. Be “that guy” that recruits talk about at the Tiger Walk, and why they want to wear the blue jersey. Only a fan who has optical rectalitis would believe that any positive result comes from joining the cacophony of critics, boo-ers, or naysayers, or prophets of doom. Analysis? Absolutely. My purpose is not to squelch free speech. (Tip of the day: How do you know if your “analysis” crosses the line from analytical to destructive? Can it be used against AU in recruiting? Are you going to become a YouTube ”hero” like the jackleg who booed at the AU airport? To paraphrase the U.S. Supreme Court justice’s opinion on the difference between art and pornography . . . “I can’t define it for you, but I know it when I see it.”)
Ah, the age of microwaves, $.99 iTunes, relationships by text message, and instant Nirvana . . . Bah gawd, give me a national championship, and give it to me now! Why me? Why ain’t my team winning like the Gators? And the gridiron gods reply . . . WHY NOT YOU? It was only five years ago that you had the most magical, impressive regular season in the last 20 years of the SEC, and yes, you wuz robbed of the BCS Title shot with USC, but DON’T BE A BAMMER. The BCS title game is a mythical national championship. As much a media created champion as an on-the-field champion, as much as every fan would relish the “mythical hardware”.
Our day will come again, Auburn, and when it does, we will savor the conquest like a fine Napa wine that was aged in the cellar (bad metaphor, sorry) for the perfect, preordained period of time. The truth of college football is, if you take the bammer view (championships are all we are happy with) you will by definition be miserable at the close of about 90% of seasons. If you dub me a champion of mediocrity because I state the mathematically obvious here, then I will meet you at high noon in the town square, and fart in your general direction.
“Frequently, the difference between success and failure is the resolve to stick to your plan long enough to win.”
– David Cottrell
So it’s all about adherence to the plan. There is a plan, and while bumpy and even ugly at times for now as both staff and players deal with first year transitions, I believe in Coach Chizik’s plan. Here’s the adherence formula ($1 to Lee Colan) . . .
Strategy + (Focus x Competence x Passion) = Achievement Level
(Where “Adherence” = the exponential elements of Focus x Competence x Passion).
Research of corporations and teams will show you that what sets high-achieving individuals and teams apart from their peers is adherence to a strategy. A mediocre strategy with strong adherence will produce better results than a brilliant strategy with minimal adherence. What I’m calling adherence here is in football, I believe, synonymous with “continuity” in a program. Building the pipelines, creating a sense of long-term stability so that players and their Mamas believe their son is going to a college where the coach they chose will be the coach at their graduation. Changing coaching staffs happens, and is essential at some junctures as it was for Auburn in 2008, but you damn well better understand the disruption factor. It is not low risk, and requires a minimum 2-3 year transition period for a return on investment.
While winning a beauty (if you can call their style of play recently “beautiful”) contest right now, the bammer nation will sooner than later learn a painful lesson about the pricetag for selling your soul (forgive the presumption here) and surrendering institutional control (again, forgive the presumption here) for a head case coach.
If you’ve been watching closely, our 2010 recruits almost to a man refer to the sense of “family” as their deciding factor in committing to Auburn. If we are indeed an “Auburn Family” as we proudly brand ourselves, we should realize that we’re in this gig together. We can and should be the “Passion” in the adherence formula. For me, that includes an early departure this Saturday for the bloody mary venue of Auburn vs. Ole Myth. Get your rear, or some other good Auburn fan’s, in your seats by 11:00 a.m. There is no excuse to “sit on” your tickets when there are plenty of less fortunate Auburn fans who would never forget the opportunity to be there.
If you’re a long-term investor, Auburn is a “buy” right now. Wait til 2010, you missed the window. This month is the 5-year low on the AU stock price. Day traders, load up on bammer and Florida, but have your finger on your “sell” button.
See you at the Tiger Walk at 9:00 a.m. this Saturday! And remember, change is inevitable, but misery is optional.
Eagle5
