aubiefifty

i will post the auburn and uab highlights when and if they hit youtube.

i have enjoyed saban whining in this one. al.com Joseph Goodman: Is Nick Saban right about rigged SEC? Published: Mar. 06, 2023, 6:36 a.m. 8–9 minutes It’s always a good day down on the Plains and up on Rocky Top when Nick Saban lets everyone know that he’s a little worried about Auburn and Tennessee. Plans for the biggest changes to the SEC in 30 years are coming within the next 90 days, and news is starting to leak about league commissioner Greg Sankey’s goals for the new schedules. Texas and Oklahoma are joining the SEC in 2024, and the confederacy of cowboys are disrupting the balance of a league that’s already the toughest in the country. For Alabama, that might mean playing one of the more difficult schedules in the SEC every year. At least that’s what Saban wanted everyone to appreciate when he participated in an interview last week with Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellinger. The league is planning to add an extra conference game to everyone’s schedules, blow up the two-division system and give each team three permanent rivals. Saban let slip that Alabama’s permanent rivals could be Auburn, Tennessee and LSU. RELATED: Nick Saban takes issue with proposed SEC schedule NFL Combine: Results from Sunday for state players NFL Combine: Which running back ran the fastest on Sunday Oh, and Saban said it wasn’t fair to Alabama. Does he have a point? Well, maybe, but in the SEC even scheduling chatter during the offseason can be used as fuel for the roasting of rivals. Everyone got a good laugh out of Saban’s concerns. After all these years at Alabama, Saban finally lost to Tennessee last season. The Vols’ first victory against Alabama since 2006 came on the final play of the game. Saban’s Alabama teams are 15-1 against Tennessee, but now the Volunteers are too tough? Auburn and LSU have quality coaches again, so suddenly two Tigers per season are too many? I’m not here to defend Saban. Piling on Alabama’s coach for whining about Alabama’s future schedule is fair game — and plenty of people did it — but maybe some of his gripes about how the league is determining everyone’s fixed opponents are worth closer examination. I’m not ready to call Saban a whistleblower, but he’s definitely throwing up smoke to let everyone know that there might be a problem in the league office. Saban’s interview with SI was a classic example of using the media to craft a narrative and project an agenda, and no one can fault Alabama’s coach for advocating for Alabama. Saban doesn’t have a problem with adding an extra SEC game in 2024. He apparently just doesn’t want to play Auburn, Tennessee and LSU every year while the Vols, for example, might be rounding out their fixed opponents with Vanderbilt and Kentucky. By revealing the league’s potential plans, Alabama’s wise Puppetmaster of the SEC is attempting to spin things in his favor. At this point, it’s not even clear if the league’s new schedules in 2024 will include nine games. Should they? Maybe not. I’m not convinced, and I don’t think Saban is either. More games is only going to work if the schedules are fair. The context is important. This is the last season for the SEC’s two-division system. In 2024, the 16-team conference will be one big Wrestlemania. It’s going to be fun for fans, especially with the expanded, 12-team playoff coming, too. Let’s assume that the SEC will want four teams in the playoff every year, one auto bid and three at-large invites. That means one-loss teams in the SEC should be fine. Two loss teams? Trust me, y’all, there’s still going to be plenty to debate with a 12-team playoff and the regular season will absolutely still matter. Saban knows this already, and that’s why he’s talking out of turn. For Alabama and Auburn, this new format of fixed opponents could mean the difference between making the playoffs and staying home. Saban contends that Tennessee is a traditional SEC power on the level historically with Auburn and LSU. He’s correct. When it comes to SEC championship, here’s the breakdown per team of current league members: Alabama (29), Georgia (14), Tennessee (13), LSU (12), Florida (eight), Auburn (eight), Ole Miss (six), Kentucky (two) and Mississippi State (one). For those curious, Texas has won 30 conference championships, shared or outright, between the Southwest Conference (27) and the Big 12 (three). Oklahoma claims 50 conference championships, including 14 Big 12 titles since 2000. Using math because who can dispute math and numbers, the league has cooked up a metric to sell everyone on the new schedules. It’s essentially a power-ranking system of the SEC, plus Texas and Oklahoma, over the last 10 years. How Saban described the league’s analytics made me laugh. “They said they did a 10-year whatever,” Saban said. Exactly. “Look historically over a 25-year history, and the three best teams in the East are Georgia, Tennessee and Florida,” Saban said to SI. “You look historically at 25 years, Alabama, LSU and Auburn are the three best teams in the West. So we’re playing them all.” To hear Saban tell it, Sankey should just rank every team based on the spending power of NIL collectives. Should the SEC stick to eight-game conference schedules with everyone playing one permanent rival every season? That’s probably the fairest way to do things, but it’s not the most lucrative and college football, let’s face it, is all about the money. It’s why Texas and Oklahoma are joining the SEC in the first place, right? Personally, I think the SEC should play 10 conference games a year like in during the pandemic year. I don’t care about the math. Make it happen. Is Saban’s beef worth considering, though? Perhaps it’s worth considering from the Auburn perspective. If the SEC makes it a nine-game conference slate, Auburn will presumably play Alabama and Georgia every year. I know fans will want Auburn-Florida to be renewed, but it’s only fair that Auburn plays someone like South Carolina in that third spot. And, besides, in the new scheduling format, Auburn will still be playing Florida every other year. The current two-division model is flawed, so the current thinking goes, because cross-division opponents meet so infrequently. From 1927 to 2002, Auburn and Florida played every season. Since 2003, the Tigers and Gators have only played four times. With a nine-game schedule and one division, Auburn and Florida can renew the rivalry on a biennial basis. For me, the gap year will make some rivalries even better. Is Tennessee to Alabama what South Carolina is to Auburn. Not even close. Another thing to consider: Isn’t LSU and Alabama just a “rivalry game” because of Saban? Trading out LSU for Mississippi State would probably be fairer for Alabama, but some things are more important to the SEC than fairness for Alabama, and that’s the TV ratings when Alabama and LSU play every season. Let’s not ignore the most important metric of all. I asked the SEC about Saban’s claim and the league offered that it has been working “on format options with our schools for some time now and have shared information along the way as those options have been discussed.” The SEC added that “no decisions have been made, but with the accelerated entry of Oklahoma and Texas” those decisions are expected to be made in the next 90 days. Over in Louisiana, there have been reports that LSU fixed opponents will be Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Saban’s water cooler complaint is legitimate, but don’t expect the SEC to change anything for Alabama. And if the league does, then all I’m asking is for Sankey to please drop that SEC bombshell any other time than the Friday afternoon before the Final Four. Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama

247sports.com NFL Combine recap: How former Auburn players tested in Indianapolis Nathan King 8–10 minutes Manage Join Trending Owen Pappoe not only stood out at the NFL Combine among Auburn's participants, but he was one of the event's top overall performers this year. The former Tigers linebacker highlighted Auburn's time in Indianapolis last week, where Auburn was represented by six players: Pappoe, Derick Hall, Eku Leota, Colby Wooden, Tank Bigsby and Anders Carlson. Here's a look at how each player tested among their respective position groups. Note that Leota, nursing a calf strain, and Carlson, who's coming off a season-ending shoulder injury, did not participate in drills but were present for interviews with NFL personnel and media. (Stacy Revere, Getty) Measurables Height: 6-0 Weight: 210 Arms: 32" Hands: 9 1/2" Drills 40-yard dash: 4.56 (10th of 15 RBs) Bench: 21 (3rd of 7 RBs) Vertical: 32.5" (13th of 17 RBs) Broad jump: 9'11" (11th of 14 RBs) 3-cone drill: DNP 20-yard shuttle: DNP 10-yard split: 1.54 (11th of 15 RBs) Scouting report (NFL.com's Lance Zierlein) "Bigsby is an upright runner with a strong, angular frame. He runs with plus burst and can create yards even when the blocking is insufficient. Bigsby runs with a nice blend of elusiveness and power, and he can quickly process movements of the defense. Fumbling has been a concern in the past, and he might not be much help on third downs or special teams. His size, creativity and quickness could create an opportunity for teams to pair Bigsby with another back to form an effective tandem in a zone-scheme rushing attack." Prospect grade: 6.20 ("will eventually be average starter) Strengths • NFL-ready frame • Rapidly processes the defensive front • Able to cut and go instantly when he sees the hole • Makes sharp, lateral jump-cuts to shift his track • Creative inside runner who can elude tacklers in tight spots • Willing and able to keep runs flowing wide to the corner • Determined short-yardage runner with plus leg drive • Dismisses arm tackles with force Weaknesses • Tries to do too much at times • Plays with an upright running style • Will bounce it wide a little too often • Stiff hands as a pass-catcher • Offers below average third-down value • Fumbled four times in 2021, per PFF (Stacy Revere, Getty) Measurables Height: 6-3 Weight: 254 Arms: 34 1/2" Hands: 10" 40-yard dash: 4.55 (5th of 21 EDGE) Bench: DNP Vertical: 33.5" (11th of 24 EDGE) Broad jump: 10'7" (3rd of 23 EDGE) 3-cone drill: DNP 20-yard shuttle: DNP 10-yard split: 1.59 (2nd of 21 EDGE) Scouting report (NFL.com's Lance Zierlein) "Explosive and long, Hall plays with a rugged demeanor and puts his traits to work as an assertive power rusher capable of putting offensive tackles in reverse. He tends to lack consistency when forced to read and react in the run game and his rush approach is predictable with charges down the fairway. However, his jolting initial contact can help him gain positioning and he’s excellent at transitioning from bulldozer to pocket vulture as a sack artist. He is average against the run, exploitable in coverage and in need of a more diversified rush approach, but a true power rush usually translates in the NFL." Prospect grade: 6.37 ("will eventually be a starter") Strengths • Team captain with tremendous character • Possesses NFL-caliber aggression and toughness • Length and power for instant press and separation at impact • Quality burst in pursuit • Pound-for-pound strength to challenge much bigger players • Explosive hips jar tackles and create early pocket push • Freight train to the quarterback once inside the pocket • Ready to void his rush and scramble with the quarterback Weaknesses • Average body control taking on blocks • Effort level as a run defender is disappointing at times • Can be robotic and inconsistent reading play development • Needs to diversify his down-the-middle rush approach • Hip tightness prevents tight turns at the arc • Jump-setting tackles can take away rush momentum • Exploitable if asked to drop into coverage (Justin Casterline, Getty) Measurables Height: 6-4 Weight: 273 Arms: 33 3/4" Hands: 10 3/8" 40-yard dash: 4.79 (4th of 6 DE) Bench: 23 (4th of 5 DE) Vertical: DNP Broad jump: 9'7" (6th of 7 DE) 3-cone drill: DNP 20-yard shuttle: 4.52 (1st of 1 DE) 10-yard split: 1.68 (4th of 7 DE) Scouting report (NFL.com's Lance Zierlein) "Defensive line prospect whose steady weight gain and frame development have allowed him to see the game at a variety of alignments. Wooden is at his most disruptive when attacking from the interior. He has a quick first step to attack gaps and threaten the pocket, but he’s unable to sit down and drop a deep anchor against bullies in the run game. Wooden’s activity level and hand skill are the keys to his current and future success -- they allow him to keep pressure on blockers from snap to whistle. High football character and scheme versatility could make Wooden a Day 2 selection and future starter with above average interior rush potential." Prospect grade: 6.24 ("will eventually will average starter") Strengths • Extremely competitive with excellent work ethic • Tape is peppered with heavy hands and nimble feet • Punch extension and spin moves to prevent long block sustains • Snap quickness to play in a one-gapping front • Activity level creates opportunities as interior rusher • Lays into blockers with explosive forward charge as bull rusher • Hands are skilled and very heavy • Versatility to play in odd or even fronts with more development Weaknesses • More elusive than controlling at the point of attack • Will need to improve his stack-and-shed technique • Below average pursuit burst down the line • Unable to set deep anchors as interior run defender • Missing desired get-off to rush from outside • Hip tightness limits playmaking agility inside the pocket (Stacy Revere, Getty) Measurables Height: 6-0 Weight: 225 Arms: 31 3/4" Hands: 9 1/8" 40-yard dash: 4.39 (1st of 16 LBs) Bench: 29 (1st of 10 LBs) Vertical: 35.5" (5th of 16 LBs) Broad jump: 10'6" (4th of 15 LBs) 3-cone drill: DNP 20-yard shuttle: DNP 10-yard split: 1.52 (1st of 16 LBs) Scouting report (NFL.com's Lance Zierlein) "Undersized linebacker with impressive build, good speed and long arms. Despite all of his traits, Pappoe failed to rack up impact production during his time at Auburn due to his lack of instincts and playmaking ability. He struggles to leverage the gaps and take on climbing blockers effectively, so a move to Will linebacker should allow him to play more run-and-chase, which suits him. He doesn’t look like an NFL starter on tape, but third down and special teams potential will give him a shot at a backup role." Prospect grade: 5.89 ("average backup or special-teamer") Strengths • Impressive build with long arms • Good acceleration to burst and close on the running back • Plays with leverage and discipline flowing to the ball • Twitchy lateral spring as tackler • Drops quickly and finds proper zone depth in coverage 5COMMENTS • Aware of routes and reads the quarterback's eyes in space Weaknesses • Not heavy enough for interior work • Unable to sufficiently stack and shed blockers • Lacks play recognition to trigger ahead of climbing blockers • Has a tendency to sit on second level and wait for the action • Production near or behind the line is lower than expected • Very average angles as a tackler

athlonsports.com SEC Football: Spring 2023 Power Rankings Steven Lassan 9–12 minutes Spring practice has already started or will soon for all 14 teams in the SEC for the 2023 college football season. Although it's tough to get an accurate read on teams from practices in the spring, this is the first set of official workouts and provides some insight into rosters, coaching outlooks, transfers or impact freshmen for the upcoming year. Back-to-back national champion Georgia is the way-too-early team to beat in the spring power rankings for the SEC, with Alabama and LSU headlining the next tier. Tennessee checks in at No. 4, but the rest of the league is clustered together after that spot, as little separates South Carolina, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Texas A&M going into spring ball. Auburn should also show improvement in coach Hugh Freeze's debut. What are the early storylines to watch and how do the teams stack up in the SEC going into '23? Here are Athlon's top things to watch on both sides of the ball for the conference going into spring practice: 1. Georgia What to Watch on Offense: The quarterback battle. How does new play-caller Mike Bobo evaluate a competition featuring Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton? What to Watch on Defense: This spring is all about development and finding the next wave of stars to replace standouts like lineman Jalen Carter, linebacker Robert Beal and defensive backs Christopher Smith and Kelee Ringo. Related: Pre-Spring Ranking the SEC Quarterbacks for 2023 2. Alabama What to Watch on Offense: This spring is the first chance to get a look at Alabama's offense under new play-caller Tommy Rees. The quarterback battle between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson is among the biggest in college football. The Crimson Tide also need to solidify their offensive line. What to Watch on Defense: With five returning starters, new coordinator Kevin Steele will be busy breaking in new faces at every level. The secondary is under the biggest spotlight with cornerback Eli Ricks and safeties Brian Branch, Malachi Moore and DeMarcco Hellams off to the NFL. 3. LSU What to Watch on Offense: Is there a quarterback battle here or will Jayden Daniels easily hold off Garrett Nussmeier? The Tigers suffered through growing pains along the offensive line last season, but this unit should take a step forward with five experienced starters back for '23. What to Watch on Defense: For the second year in a row, coach Brian Kelly and coordinator Matt House have significant turnover in the secondary to navigate. A couple of talented transfers will help immediately here, but this spring is the first chance to get a look at this group before the second portal window opens in late April. Related: Projecting Future SEC Opponents in a 9-Game Schedule 4. Tennessee What to Watch on Offense: Joe Milton's impressive showing in the Orange Bowl boosted his stock going into the spring, but the quarterback battle is still under the spotlight with five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava pushing for snaps. Additionally, right tackle Darnell Wright and a couple of receiving standouts (Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt) must be replaced. What to Watch on Defense: Can coordinator Tim Banks generate more improvement out of this group? Tennessee took a step forward on defense last year, limiting teams to 22.8 points a game (down from 29.1 in '22). However, linemen LaTrell Bumphus and Byron Young, linebacker Jeremy Banks and safety Trevon Flowers are gone. Improving a leaky pass defense is a must. 5. Ole Miss What to Watch on Offense: The quarterback battle. Will the spring produce a front-runner in a three-man competition that features returning starter Jaxson Dart and a pair of transfers in Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU)? What to Watch on Defense: The hire of Pete Golding is one of the SEC's top assistant moves for 2023. This spring is all about Golding getting acclimated with the personnel and implementing his scheme for the fall. With just five starters back, the Rebels will be auditioning new starters at every level, but help is also on the way from the portal. 6. Arkansas What to Watch on Offense: The Razorbacks return arguably the SEC's top quarterback in K.J. Jefferson and one of the nation's best running backs in Rocket Sanders. But there's transition elsewhere, as Dan Enos takes over as play-caller, and this unit has big holes to fill along the offensive line and at receiver. What to Watch on Defense: How far can new coordinator Travis Williams improve this group in spring ball? Arkansas gave up 30.6 points a game and struggled mightily against the pass in '22. Just four starters are back and a handful of transfers have to step up in key spots this offseason. Related: Pre-Spring Ranking the SEC Quarterbacks for 2023 7. South Carolina What to Watch on Offense: What tweaks will new coordinator Dowell Loggains implement this offseason? The Gamecocks seemed to find their rhythm offensively late in the year and received a boost when quarterback Spencer Rattler and receiver Juice Wells opted to return for '23. But in addition to the change in play-caller, question marks remain along the offensive line and with the depth at running back. What to Watch on Defense: This spring is all about finding answers at every level with just four returning starters. The Gamecocks are thin on proven edge rushers after Jordan Burch (Oregon) and Gilber Edmond (Florida State) transferred. Two new starters must emerge at linebacker, and the secondary has to replace standout cornerbacks Cam Smith and Darius Rush. 8. Kentucky (Complete Kentucky Spring Preview) What to Watch on Offense: Changes on offense. Liam Coen returned to Lexington to handle play-calling duties after a year in the NFL, NC State transfer Devin Leary is slated to start at quarterback, and coach Mark Stoops brought in two transfers to bolster a struggling offensive line. What to Watch on Defense: Each level of the defense suffered some sort of turnover, but the biggest spring question mark has to be at cornerback. Keidron Smith and Carrington Valentine both departed after '22, and Stoops landed a pair of transfers - Jantzen Dunn (Ohio State) and JQ Hardaway (Cincinnati) to push for the starting job. 9. Mississippi State (Complete Mississippi State Spring Preview) What to Watch on Offense: What does the offense look like under new play-caller Kevin Barbay? Quarterback Will Rogers returns, but Barbay is likely to shift and tweak Mississippi State's scheme a bit from the Air Raid. This spring is all about the first look for this group. What to Watch on Defense: Can the Bulldogs find the right answers in the secondary? Four starters are gone, including All-American cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. 10. Texas A&M What to Watch on Offense: How far will this offense develop under new play-caller Bobby Petrino? And can Petrino help quarterback Conner Weigman take a big step forward in his development this spring? What to Watch on Defense: Can the Aggies get this group back on track in '23? After ranking among the SEC's best defenses in '22, this unit allowed 28.1 points a game in league play. Also, the Aggies ranked last in the SEC against the run. Depth in the secondary - especially at cornerback - will be a focal point in spring practice. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 11. Auburn (Complete Auburn Spring Preview) What to Watch on Offense: Quarterback Robby Ashford's development under coach Hugh Freeze and coordinator Philip Montgomery is crucial with the second transfer window opening in mid-April. The line is just as big of a concern for Auburn with four new starters, with three transfers expected to win jobs. What to Watch on Defense: New coordinator Ron Roberts inherits a solid foundation, especially in the secondary where the Tigers return cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett. How fast can Roberts find replacements for standouts Derick Hall and Colby Wooden up front, along with linebacker Owen Pappoe? Related: Grading College Football's New Coach Hires for 2023 12. Florida What to Watch on Offense: Quarterback play should dominate the spring conversation in Gainesville. Will Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz impress and take a clear hold on the job? The Gators are also breaking in four new starters along the line of scrimmage. What to Watch on Defense: This group is experiencing a significant amount of turnover (just four returning starters), and there's a new coordinator (Austin Armstrong) taking over in '23. Florida allowed 28.8 points a game last year, so this spring is all about finding the right answers under Armstrong to improve in the fall. 13. Missouri What to Watch on Offense: With Brady Cook sidelined due to shoulder surgery, this spring is an opportunity for new coordinator Kirby Moore to get an extended look at Miami transfer Jake Garcia and redshirt freshman Sam Horn at quarterback. Although three starters are back up front, this unit needs to show massive improvement in '23. What to Watch on Defense: This group was one of the SEC's biggest surprises last season as it held opponents to 25.2 points a game after allowing 33.8 in '22. Coordinator Blake Baker brings back eight starters, but there are holes to fill up front with the loss of ends Trajan Jeffcoat, Isaiah McGuire and D.J. Coleman. 14. Vanderbilt What to Watch on Offense: Can quarterback A.J. Swann take a big step forward as the team's full-time starter after a solid freshman debut in '22? The Commodores also need to replace running back Ray Davis and continue to improve the play in the trenches. What to Watch on Defense: Major improvement is needed here. Vanderbilt has ranked last in the SEC in scoring defense in each of coach Clark Lea's two seasons at the helm.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Could Robby Ashford be the SEC's most surprising player in 2023? Taylor Jones ~2 minutes Freshman transfer quarterback Robby Ashford was thrown into the fire in 2022 and made the most of the hand he was dealt. Filling in for an injured T.J. Finley after Auburn’s loss to Penn State, Ashford ultimately took over the starting quarterback role and passed for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns in his initial college season. Buy Tigers Tickets Heading into 2023, Ashford will need to prove to his new head coach that he is worthy of taking over the starting quarterback spot again. While many are doubtful of his abilities, one national college football analyst has high hopes for Ashford. Josh Pate, the host of The Late Kick from 247Sports, says that Ashford is a winner and that he will have the chance to showcase that trait this season. “I happen to think Robby Ashford has winning football inside of him. I don’t know whether it’s seven wins or 10 wins, I think he got the right head coach at the right time. My suspicion is that we will be watching the SEC come November if he’s healthy and say ‘I had no clue Robby Ashford was this good.’ …I think Robby Ashford is going to be a pretty good football player this year. He’s still going to have to prove it.” Ashford is in a quarterback battle with Holden Geriner and T.J. Finley this spring and will compete with incoming freshman Hank Brown once he arrives on campus this summer. Hugh Freeze’s initial reaction to the quarterback room suggests that Ashford, and every Auburn quarterback, will have an uphill battle this spring. “I thought our quarterbacks threw some decent balls, at times, and other times where our mechanics were really bad. But I kind of expected that,” Freeze said on the opening day of spring practice on Feb. 27.

one of the best aubunr video's i have ever seen and there is an orange jersey sighting lol

yahoo.com Rivals names Zac Etheridge an up-and-coming recruiter in the SEC JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Zac Etheridge was just one of two coaches that Hugh Freeze retained from Bryan Harsin’s staff when he took over Auburn football. One of the reasons why Etheridge was retained is his impressive abilities as a recruiter. He had a hand in recruiting 11 of Auburn’s 21 signees in the 2023 recruiting class. His efforts are starting to get some national recognition as Rival’s National Director of Recruiting Adam Gorney named him one of 10 up-and-coming recruiters in the SEC. Numerous prospects have noted Auburn as high on their list because of Etheridge and not only how well he recruits them but how well he connects with them once on campus. The recruiting prowess is unquestioned and it’s one reason why Etheridge is so vital to Auburn’s new coaching staff. Not only did Etheridge help recruit over half of Auburn’s class, but, according to 247Sports, he was also the primary recruit on Auburn’s four-highest recruits in edge rusher Keldric Faulk, cornerback Kayin Lee, running back Jeremiah Cobb, and defensive lineman Darron Reed. Etheridge, who is now Auburn’s secondary and safeties coach, has already gotten off to a great start in the 2024 class. He has already landed commitments from four-star cornerbacks Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane. More Recruiting! Local DL target can 'see himself playing' for Jeremy Garrett No. 3 overall recruit KJ Bolden schedules visit to Auburn Son of former Auburn RB is building relationship with current staff Auburn offers 5-star defensive lineman Iose Epenesa Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

eventually you would hope we would always applaud freedom of speech but i wonder when lies and bullcap become a freedom issue?

huffpost.com Veterans Group To Pentagon: Ban Fox News On Military Bases Lee Moran 1–2 minutes A veterans group has called on the Pentagon to ban some Fox News personalities from being broadcast in U.S. military facilities. An advertisement released by the VoteVets progressive political action committee online Monday slammed the conservative network’s prime-time hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity for knowingly pushing the baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. “The most valuable weapon to the enemy is disinformation,” begins the narrator in the spot. “That’s why the Pentagon spends hundreds of millions training our troops to resist it. Yet, at the same time, the U.S. military uses taxpayer-funded facilities to broadcast disinformation on military bases, knowingly letting false propaganda infiltrate the ranks.” Carlson, Ingraham and Hannity have “open access to spread their conspiracy theories to U.S. troops,” the voice-over adds.

hell duke it out! take no prisoners. we can let mr 24 officiate as that would just be more entertaining............lol but i will say this from past experience........NEVER EVER piss off bird. he took twenty pounds of my behind if he took an ounce.....lol. true story

i do agree with this. it would appear to give an unfair advantage

hold on there fella! YOU boys set a new standard for idiocy when you voted for trump. according to you guys it was silence or "fake news" concerning his bullsh*t. and he is still biting you guys in the ass. you cats that wear that scarlet T should know better.

Gang Members Hold Positions at ‘Highest Levels’ of LA Sheriff’s Department, Investigation Reveals Tim Dickinson 8–10 minutes Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva - Credit: Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images A blistering new official investigation decries violent, lawless “deputy gangs” that continue to wield extraordinary power within the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The report delivers a call to action for new Sheriff Robert Luna: “It is time to eradicate this 50-year plague upon the County of Los Angeles.” The report identifies at “least a half dozen” active gangs and cliques — and names them: the Executioners, the Banditos, the Regulators, the Spartans, the Gladiators, the Cowboys, and the Reapers. More from Rolling Stone 'Haunted' Vanessa Bryant Deserves $42.5 Million for Crash Photos Distress, Lawyers Tell Jury Dozens of L.A. Sheriff Deputies Alleged to Be 'Tattooed Members' of 'Law Enforcement Gangs' His Deputies Got Caught Forming Gangs, But L.A.'s Sheriff Is Too 'Busy' to Talk About It These groups pose a threat to the general public — deputies hoping to prove themselves worthy of gang membership routinely seek out violent encounters with the public, the investigation reports — as well as to the internal command-and-control structure of LASD. The gangs “undermine supervision, destroy public trust, are discriminatory, disruptive, and act contrary to … professional policing,” the report concludes. Perhaps most alarming, the investigation reveals that in recent years “tattooed deputy gang members” have risen to “the highest levels” of department leadership. It calls out recent former Sheriff Alex Villanueva (who lost his 2022 reelection bid) for betraying promises of reform by installing gang members as his right-hand men. Villanueva, the report says, “at minimum tolerated, if not rewarded deputy gangs.” The new investigation describes a deputy-gang culture that is “deeply embedded” within LASD, calling it a “cancer” that “must be excised.” Conducted by the special counsel to the Civilian Oversight Commission — the county body that watchdogs LASD — the 70-page investigation relied on interviews with nearly 80 witnesses as well as dozens of depositions, court exhibits, and civil lawsuits. LASD is the nation’s second-largest municipal law enforcement agency. Its deputies are sworn to “serve and protect” more than four million residents — as well as to operate America’s largest county jail system. Yet LASD has long been riven by lawlessness. Gangs and cliques were first decried in LASD in 1973, with the identification of a group called the Little Devils. A landmark report by the Kolts Commission, issued in the wake of the Rodney King beating, denounced the problem of deputy cliques publically in 1992. A 2021 report commissioned by L.A. County underscored that deputy-gangs had cost taxpayers at least $55 million in court judgments and settlements, and it excoriated leadership that “can’t or won’t” implement gang reforms. In the past, official reports have minced words around the “gang” terminology; this new report insists that common behaviors by deputy cliques meet the definition of “law enforcement gangs” under the state’s penal code, and that both cliques and gangs “must be eradicated” in the name of public safety. LASD gangs are based out the department’s geographic precincts, which the report calls out for operating as quasi-independent “fiefdoms.” For example, the Executioners run out of Compton Station, while East L.A. Station is notorious as the home of the Banditos. Much like street gangs, the various LASD gangs mark themselves with tattoos; the Executioner ink is described as “a skeleton holding an automatic rifle.” The report insists that the gangs operate “much like the Mafia” and that only “made” members are entitled to the tattoo. Deputies eager to join a gang are notorious for “chasing ink” — or engaging in violence toward county residents, as a means of proving their moxie “in the hope of becoming members.” This has led to a rash of “excessive force or other forms of unconstitutional policing,” the report says. It describes one “chasing ink” episode in which deputies transporting a shooting victim to the hospital allegedly took an “off-route” detour and instead “assaulted the victim.” Other deputies “chasing ink,” the investigation states, have actively tried to “get into shootings.” It elaborates: “These deputies would follow a suspect believed to have a gun so that a shooting would be justified.” The gangs pose a double threat, the report states. Internally, they exercise unwarranted power, with clique-member “shot callers” exercising authority that should be reserved for department brass. “Deputy cliques run the stations or units where they exist,” the investigation states, “as opposed to the sergeants, lieutenants and the captain who are charged with the duty.” The gangs themselves are openly discriminatory — creating precinct in-groups defined by race, ethnicity, and gender — with non-gang members often subject to scorn and abuse. These range from a failure to send back-up to violent crime scenes (leaving unaffiliated deputies dangerously exposed) up to “assaultive behavior against fellow deputies.” The presence of gangs and cliques is also anathema to transparency and trust: The investigation underscores that members not only “operate in secrecy” they will even “lie in reports to protect each other.” The gangs also pose a clear-and-present danger to the public. “Most troubling,” the investigation reports, “they create rituals that valorize violence.” This includes holding “shooting parties” to celebrate member-deputies who open fire on suspects, as well as “authorizing deputies who have shot a community member to add embellishments to their common gang tattoos” — think: adding plumes of “smoke” to the muzzle of a tattooed gun. The report describes myriad other “harmful acts” by deputy gang members, including “falsified police reports, unlawful searches and seizures, [and] discriminatory enforcement of law.” The recent-former Sheriff Alex Villanueva won office in 2018 after campaigning as a reformer. But if Villanueva paid lip service to ending LASD’s gang culture, his hiring practices told a much different story. “Sheriff Villanueva promoted Timothy Murakami, a tattooed Caveman, to Undersheriff and Lawrence Del Mese, a tattooed Grim Reaper, to Chief of Staff,” the investigation reports. (The report states that both Villanueva and Murakami refused to participate in the investigation, while Del Mese testified he’d had his tattoos removed when joining the Villanueva regime, because they were a “liability” and “a bad look.”) LASD’s struggle with deputy gangs has been an open secret within law enforcement. And the report upbraids the county DA’s office for recklessness in not disclosing the gang affiliations of deputies who also serve as prosecution witnesses. “The failure to obtain and to disclose potentially exonerating or impeaching testimony favorable to the defense,” it argues, “raises significant constitutional issues.” The report concludes with a detailed set of policy recommendations for uprooting the department’s gangs. The moves range from prohibiting new tattoos, to breaking up precinct cliques, to reforming command structures to limit precinct autonomy. It insists that the elimination of deputy cliques and gangs is not only “constitutionally permissible” but a “constitutional imperative.” New sheriff Robert Luna also campaigned as a reformer. But unlike the Trumpy Villanueva, Luna’s actions are, so far, matching his rhetoric. In mid-February, Luna announced the creation of a new Office of Constitutional Policing he insisted would be tasked to “eradicate all deputy gangs from this department.” Luna, an LASD outsider who last served as police chief of Long Beach, insisted: “I will have an absolute zero tolerance for this type of conduct.”

not sure about you guys but i saw this coming from a mile away.

jefftiedrich.substack.com down the Jan 6 memory hole with ****er Carlson Jeff Tiedrich ~2 minutes last night, Tucker Tanned Ballsack Carlson devoted his show to airing January 6 footage that had been edited to make the armed insurrection look like a peaceful love-fest that maybe got a little bit out of hand. it’s not like we didn’t see this coming a mile away. it’s just one more shameful episode in Fox News’s 27-year span of shameful episodes. what’s particularly galling is that once again, it’s going to work. Fox viewers, already the low-informationest mother****s in the multiverse, are going to eat this up with a fork, knife and spoon. **** it, at this point we might as well go all in. how about we Foxify the rest of world history? look at these madcap Nazis. they’re guards and office workers at Auschwitz. looks to me like this whole World War Two thing was completely overblown. whatever did our parents and grandparents get so worked up about? I keep hearing about what a nightmare World War One was, but if these soldiers had time to play baseball, how bad could it have been? also: not a trench in sight. what the hell is going on. check out this these Civil War dudes. come on, they’re running a freaking post office, right in the middle of a war, so how bad could Gettysburg have been? it really makes you wonder: what else have they been lying to us about

man i love cats that show the love! i will miss him............

montgomeryadvertiser.com What Auburn basketball's Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Williams said when asked if they're returning Richard Silva ~2 minutes AUBURN — Auburn basketball's matchup with Tennessee on Saturday isn't only important because of the potential March Madness implications. It's also Senior Day, as some players will suit up in Neville Arena for the last time. Players like Zep Jasper are out of eligibility, but others − like Allen Flanigan and Jaylin Williams − have the option of returning for another season with the Tigers. That's due to the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted players who participated in the 2020-21 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Asked if they've made their decisions, both Flanigan and Williams said they're locked into the task at hand. PREVIWING TENNESSEE:Auburn basketball vs. Tennessee: Our scouting report, score prediction THE ALABAMA LOSS:Auburn basketball fights, but comes up short in OT rivalry loss to Alabama "Right now, I'm focused on the season and finishing this thing out the right way," Flanigan said Friday. "Once that comes to an end I will start thinking about the factors then.” Williams agreed: "Yeah, I haven’t really been thinking about it much. We have been struggling to win games like the last five weekends. I'm just trying to get on track with my teammates and figure out how we are going to win and play through March.” Coach Bruce Pearl addressed the possibility of some of his seniors returning, too. "We have several COVID seniors," he said. "A lot of those guys could come back, and some will. And some will move on." The Tigers wrap up the regular season against Tennessee (22-8, 11-6 SEC) on Saturday (1 p.m. CT, ESPN). Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

yahoo.com Unpacking Auburn basketball March Madness projections after beating Tennessee Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser 3–4 minutes AUBURN — It seemed like it would never happen for Auburn basketball, but it finally did: The Tigers picked up a key win against a nationally-respected opponent to cement their NCAA Tournament resume. Auburn topped Tennessee on Saturday in its regular-season finale. The win comes after a month of what seemed to be close loss after close loss. Prior to the win over the Vols, the Tigers were 3-8 over their last 11 games with six of those losses coming by single digits. Even more heartbreaking, five of those defeats featured a margin that was five points or fewer. But all of that was pushed to the side with Auburn (20-11, 10-8 SEC) taking down Tennessee in front of a lively crowd at Neville Arena. It won't be official until Selection Sunday arrives March 12, but the win likely locked the Tigers into the NCAA Tournament. It was their 20th victory of the season and their 10th in the conference. It also boosted their NET ranking to No. 32 and their slotting in KenPom to No. 26. Here's where the latest projections from a few outlets have Auburn playing in March Madness. POSSIBLE RETURN:What Auburn basketball's Allen Flanigan, Jaylin Williams said when asked if they're returning KEY TO SUCCESS:How Auburn basketball defense, Wendell Green Jr. helped beat Tennessee for much-needed win ESPN: No. 9 seed (Sacremento) Joe Lunardi has the Tigers as a No. 9 seed set to play No. 8 Florida Atlantic in the first round. If Auburn was to beat the Owls, it would go on to play the winner between No. 1 UCLA and No. 16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Lunardi, who released his updated bracketology Monday, has the Tigers playing in Sacramento, California. CBS: No. 8 seed (Birmingham) Jerry Palm dropped a fresh prediction Monday. He has Auburn as a No. 8 seed with a scheduled meeting versus No. 9 Iowa in Birmingham. Should the Tigers win in this scenario, they'd see either No. 1 Houston or No. 16 Youngstown State in the second round. Fox Sports: No. 11 seed (Unspecified) Mike DeCourcy doesn't break his projections up into locations or matchups, but he has Auburn as a No. 11 seed, ranked as the No. 41 overall team in the field of 68. Other No. 11 seeds in DeCourcy's projections, which were released Monday, include the College of Charleston, Rutgers and Mississippi State/Wisconsin, with the latter pairing facing off in the First Four to earn a spot in the first round. Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Where do analysts think Auburn basketball will play in March Madness?

Auburn Baseball Notebook: Strong week for Thompson's Tigers Jason Caldwell 4–5 minutes Auburn Baseball 9-1-1 Ranking: No. 13 PerfectGame Week results: Auburn 18, Florida A&M 8 (7 innings) Auburn 7, Lipscomb 3 Auburn 12, Lipscomb 11 Auburn 4, Lipscomb 3 This week’s schedule (All Times Central): Tuesday, 6 p.m., UAB Wednesday, 6 p.m., at Jacksonville State Friday, 6 p.m., Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, 2 p.m., Southeastern Louisiana Sunday, 1 p.m., Southeastern Louisiana Player of the Week: There are plenty of options, but it has to be Bryson Ware for the week he put together. Batting .400 (6-15) the senior smacked three home runs, two doubles and eight RBI. Included in those three home runs were a two-run shot that tied the game on Saturday and a three-run homer that proved to be the game winner. For the season Ware is batting .513 with six home runs, six doubles and 17 runs batted in. Pitcher of the Week: Tommy Vail was really good in his first start for the Tigers, not giving up a hit and striking out six in four innings against FAMU on Tuesday night, but the star of the show was reliever John Armstrong. Going 2-0 for the week, Armstrong allowed one run in five and one/third innings and struck out six while not walking a single batter. Opponents batted just .105 against him in two appearances. Newcomer of the Week: Getting his first career starts with the hamstring strain to Bobby Peirce, true freshman outfielder Chris Stanfield batted .463 (6-13) for the week to lead the team and scored four runs while adding a double and a triple. Injury updates: Auburn was without Peirce last week while recovering from the muscle strain suffered the previous weekend, but the good news is that he’s closer to being back on the field for the Tigers. He hasn’t stopped swinging the bat and has continued to get his hacks in the cage so he should be able to get back in the groove pretty quickly if he returns to action this week. The news isn’t as good for first baseman Cooper McMurray. Rolling his ankle on a play at first base during Saturday’s game, the Kansas transfer has been in a boot the last two days and his status for this week is uncertain. The good news is that there was no break, so it’s a matter of the swelling going down to see how he responds. Maybe the biggest news is on junior right-handed pitcher Joseph Gonzalez. He has been cleared to throw and is expected to get back on the mound Tuesday. With Auburn wanting to get at least two bullpen appearances with him before getting back in a game, it’s doubtful he pitches this week. That would mean his next appearance could be at Arkansas in the SEC opener in two weeks. LaRue’s value shows up He has struggled at the plate this season, but there is no debating the importance of Auburn senior catcher Nate LaRue to this team. That was on display this weekend against Lipscomb in the three-game series against a powerful Bisons lineup. With the Mobile native behind the dish, Auburn pitching allowed just seven runs in 23 innings. Without him in the game, the Tigers gave up nine runs in four innings. 21COMMENTS “It’s a difference-maker for sure,” Auburn reliever John Armstrong said of LaRue. “He’s got a really good connection with me. I think a lot of the other guys do, too. I feel like catcher is the most offensive position on the field. Him doing what he’s doing behind the plate is all that we can really ask for.” *** Get FREE Auburn breaking news in your inbox *** ">247Sports

theplainsman.com Auburn completes sweep of Lipscomb at home - The Auburn Plainsman 4–5 minutes The Auburn Tigers completed their first sweep of the season with a 4-3 victory over Lipscomb at Plainsman Park Sunday. A solid pitching effort from the Tigers’ bullpen and more late-game hitting heroics from senior third baseman Bryson Ware helped Auburn improve to a 9-1-1 record. Ware hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning which eventually became the game winner for the Tigers. Ware recorded a home run in each game of the series, tallying three homers in 13 at-bats, including a game-tying two-run homer in Saturday’s game. Ware took note of the changeups thrown by Lipscomb’s reliever, graduate student Noah Thompson. Thompson had retired Auburn’s first two batters in the eighth inning before a double from graduate student Justin Kirby and a walk to freshman Ike Irish extended the inning, allowing Ware to get to the plate. “They brought in their closer that had been effective, and I knew he threw a lot of changeups on the at-bats leading up to mine,” Ware said. “I had in the back of my mind that he’s probably going to throw a changeup. He left it up and right over the plate, and I just got enough of it to get it out.” The third game of the series showcased an effective Tigers pitching lineup. Freshman pitcher Zach Crotchfelt (6.35 ERA) made his first career start for the Tigers, allowing two runs on six hits in four innings pitched. Freshman Hayden Murray (2.45 ERA) relieved Crotchfelt in the fifth inning, allowing one run on three hits in 1.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Parker Carlson (7.71 ERA) took the mound following Murray in the top of the sixth, and struck out Lipscomb’s leadoff hitter, sophomore Caleb Ketchup, who had homered in the third to put the Bisons up 2-0. Sophomore pitcher John Armstrong (3.00 ERA) came on in the seventh inning for his second appearance of the weekend and eventually earned the win, his fourth of the season against zero losses in six appearances. Armstrong allowed just one runner to reach base off an error in three innings pitched. “I threw quite a bit of pitches Friday, so it was a little different coming back with that many pitches thrown,” Armstrong said. “I wanted to come back so badly and was able to do that. [Anthony Sandersen] in the training room helped me out a bit, and I just gave it everything right there at the end.” Auburn’s pitching rotation threw seven strikeouts in the game, while the Tigers’ batsmen recorded six hits in 30 total at-bats. Scoring for Auburn also included a fifth inning sacrifice fly from senior catcher Nate LaRue that allowed freshman outfielder Chris Stanfield to score, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Lipscomb’s junior infielder Alec Gonzalez brought the Bisons’ lead back to two with an RBI single that allowed his fellow infielder, redshirt sophomore Parks Bouck, to reach home. This set up the 3-1 Bisons lead erased by Ware’s game-winning home run. The Tigers (9-1-1) face the UAB Blazers (4-7) in their next game on Tuesday, March 7 at Plainsman Park. The game begins at 6 p.m. CST and will be streamed live on SEC Network+. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Jack Fawcett | Sports Writer Jack Fawcett is a sports production major from San Diego, California. He started with The Plainsman in January 2023. Share and discuss “Auburn completes sweep of Lipscomb at home” on social media.