Donna Dunn, wife of d-line coach Don Dunn (Don and Donna Dunn?), called the local sports talk station to complain that her husband found out he had lost his job when the coach of a recruit he was visiting told him. Her son, who is a student at Auburn, found out when a classmate interrupted a presentation he was giving to tell him his dad was unemployed. All of the other coaches and their families found out from media reports or friends.

Amy Enzminger, wife of offensive coordinator Steve, said her hubby found out while he was on a recruiting visit in Maryland. She also called up to rip the administration for their handling of the situation. You can listen to the calls here.

Oh, and she also accused Nick Saban of buying players, but that's just a minor detail. For those who don't know the "Jetgate" scandal, she's referring to Bobby Lowder, a powerful Auburn trustee who got the president of the university fired in 2001 and tried to hire Bobby Petrino behind Tuberville's back in 2003. (The year before Auburn went 13-0.)

Even Tommy's momma is pissed. Olive Tuberville told a newspaper, “He didn’t resign. He was fired.”

Asked if she felt her son was betrayed by the school he led to 85 wins and an SEC championship over 10 seasons, she replied, “I would say yes to a certain extent.

Saban, for his part, actually defended Tuberville and sympathized with his plight.

“I guess we’re 5-7 away from the same thing ... I really question some of the judgment relative to how it is for our game that people with those kind of relationships and done that kind of job and affected so many people in a positive way and have had a reasonable amount of success relative to their circumstances would not be given more respect and consideration than what these guys have been given.”

When pressed further, Saban didn’t duck. After being asked if his success at Alabama had contributed to Tuberville’s demise, Saban raised his eyebrows in disbelief during his answer, and he paused once for a few seconds to search for the right words.

“When you see a program start to lose toughness or discipline, that’s one thing,” Saban said. “That’s not the case. It wasn’t the case at Tennessee, and it wasn’t the case at Mississippi State. It wasn’t the case anywhere.”

He added ... "They didn't even give him a chance to break his contract and go to the NFL! That's not right."

Sports Call Archives [93.9 FM]
Mother of Tuberville said coach was fired [EnterpriseNow]
Saban Rips Administrators [NY Times]
Tuberville Out: Fans react [NBC13]

Consider the following: Clemson has not won an ACC title since 1991. The coach then was Ken Hatfield. Prior to Hatfield Clemson won five conference titles and their only national championship under Danny Ford. Things have really gone downhill since Ford was forced out at Clemson in 1990. Some would argue that Ford was successful because he cheated, but he was cleared by the NCAA of those allegations. Which probably means he has money and a good legal team. Regardless Clemson has won 18 conference championships in the ACC, plays in front of 80,000 fans, and has a fairly fertile recruiting base given their location. But that location is also surrounded by other large programs: Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina (arguably), Tennessee, and now, with Butch Davis, North Carolina. So where does Clemson really rank in the college football pecking order? It's not a top 25 job. But where does it rank between 25 and 40? And who can they get to replace Bowden?

One early candidate? How about Tommy Tuberville? Auburn fans are ready to kill him after losing to Arkansas and the failed Tony Franklin experiment. Not to mention the fact that Nick Saban has now arrived in Alabama to receive sainthood and Auburn has never showed great loyalty to Tubs. Leave Auburn after winning six (and potentially 7 in a row) over Alabama, and you'll probably become an even better coach in retrospect. Meanwhile you could take over a talented Clemson team in a weakened ACC and probably win a championship in the next three years. Could Clemson switch one Tommy for another one? If they don't go after Tuberville, then they shouldn't look much farther than Vandy's Bobby Johnson—a proven winner in the state at Furman, who is a hell of a coach and has managed to win in the SEC. Anyway, there's a couple of names to think about as theses coaching messes/searches play out.

Meanwhile, at least Tommy Bowden got a 2007 raise from Clemson after flirting with the Arkansas job. Maybe he should have left Clemson then. Because, for a variety of reasons, Clemson fans have never warmed to him. After snatching his job from onrushing defeat, time after time, at long last Wake Forest took him down. Clemson probably acted now because if they hadn't Bowden would have found a way to pull out another 8 or 9 win season before things were all said and done—his team opened as favorites over Georgia Tech. In the end 8 or 9 wins wouldn't cut it at Clemson. We'll see whether someone else can get above that hurdle.

Bowden fired at Clemson after 3-3 start [ESPN]

War Eagle! My favorite time of the year is just around the corner as it is almost Auburn football time. Coming off of a year that had some major highs (beating Florida in the Swamp and the sixth straight win over Bama) and some major lows (losing to South Florida and LSU at the last second), Auburn is stocked and ready to take their place atop the SEC once again. With the majority of tough games being at home, the Tigers are poised to make noise on the national scene as well and hopefully not get rammed in the ass like in 2004. So get out your nicest orange shirt, stock up on toilet paper for Toomers and lets get this season rolling!

Strengths

The two major strengths for Auburn during the Tuberville era have always been the defense and the plethora of running backs. (Also a strength? Tuberville and crews’ 9-3 record in the last 12 games against teams in the Top 10). Leading the defense is the man, the myth. the legend Tray Blackmon. You might recognize Blackmon from his previous works such as “How to Make Tebow Cry like the Bitch He Is,” “Auburn Football Player or Runaway Locomotive?” and "A Bama Player’s Flirtation with Death.” (See video below) On the defensive line, preseason All-American Sen’Derrick Marks will make life hell all season long for opposing quarterbacks. Much more so than if he was just Derrick.

As for the running backs, the two-headed monster of Brad Lester and Ben Tate will continue the tradition of Auburn having bad-ass running backs. Lester, who has now been at Auburn for what seems like seven years, is the more mobile shifty of the two while Tate is a beast who will not only run you over but call your mother a slut while doing it.

Weaknesses

The one major weakness coming into the 2008 campaign is the play of the wide receivers. Can they hold on to the ball this year? I mean, it really isn’t THAT hard to catch a football. In fact, I caught a few passes in Central Park the other day. (I run a sick out pattern). I long for the days of Devin Aromashodu and Ben Obomanu and not solely based on the fact that their names were so much fun to say. If the likes of Rodgeriqus Smith, Tim Hawthorne and Robert Dunn can step up, the offense could put up some huge numbers and points.

The quarterback situation is not what I would call a weakness per se but more of a quandary. Kodi Burns, who filled in quite nicely for Cox at times last year, and Chris Todd are in a dead heat for the starting position and the keys to the new spread offense that Tony Franklin has brought from the Troy “We finally realized we aren’t a State” Trojans. Tuberville has stated that both will play in the beginning of the season until one sets itself apart.

Rant and Your Team Sucks Section

There are many things that I could go on a rant about here including the major ass fucking Auburn received in 2004 by the BCS, the fact that 90% of Alabama’s fan base could not find Tuscaloosa on a map, the major accomplishment that Bob Stoops pulls off each week by blowing every media voter, that every college football program has their own pregame “Walk” now even though Auburn started the damn tradition many years ago, Lou Holtz and the fact that ESPN doesn’t realize he is a bitter demented old man and the fact I would love to see Bobby Petrino and Nick Saban find themselves in the Rawhide bar in Chelsea when it just happened to be prisoner parole week.

But I am going to sink even lower and go after a fellow member of the Auburn family. Bobby Lowder, the booster who rules Auburn like Hitler ruled Nazi Germany, is the biggest douche bag, fuck hat, son of a bitch that ever existed. To this day, if I ever see Lowder in person, I will immediately punch the skinny E.T. looking asshole right in the kisser. Lowder has pissed all Auburn people off for a very long time but when he tried to oust Tuberville, he made an enemy for life. So Bobby, if you are reading this and we all know you are egotistical enough to google yourself and Auburn preview every day of every year, I challenge you to a duel at midfield before the Southern Mississippi game on September 6th. If you refuse and puss out, fine. But if you fuck with my boy Tubs one more time, you can kiss your sorry ass goodbye. (PLEASE don’t take my diploma away!)

Also, Bama fans can suck it. 7 in a row this year bitches!

War Eagle!