Maybe it's time...

[bird36 5]

If Auburn leaves the SEC it will hurt recruiting.  The best players want to play the best players every week. 

[auriptide 0]

If Auburn leaves the SEC it will hurt recruiting.  The best players want to play the best players every week. 

FSU says hello...........Auburn will always recruit well with this staff.

[87aubie 0]

No we are talking about getting out of a hateful rivarly where one program is always trying to destroy the other.  In my post above I didn't even mention this latest act of villiany.  It is just one ripple in the great cesspool known as bama.   There are a lot of reasons to stop playing Alabama.  We did it once before so it is not like there isn't a precedence.  I would rather they get booted from the SEC but if we have to move then so be it.  I woulnd't mind playing GT and playing in ATL over going to Athens.  Or trading visits to Miami over Fayetville.  Or UNC for MSU, or Duke for Vandy, or FSU for Florida, or VaTech for LSU, Clemson for USCe.  There are several ACC teams with just as many or even more national titles over the past 20 or 30 years as we have so it is not like we should be looking down our nose at ACC football.  Not to mention as much as I love AU football I also desire for us to be relevant in the NCAA Basketball Tourney on a consistant basis.

I'm looking at the bigger picture.  This time it was a couple of trees.  What will it be next time?  I'm not prone to being overly dramatic, and I'm trying not to be now.  But I think of the issues with wild animals becoming more desensitized to humans.  They become comfortable around us, but they are still wild animals and will eventually do what they do naturally.  Same progression can be applied here.  First there is character assassination, now killing of Toomers trees.  It's not a stretch to think that maybe next time someone gets hurt.

[Guest FEARLESSANDTRUE]

Yes. . .perhaps it is time for this rivalry to take a hiatus.  I realize fans are torn about it, we love beating that "other school"; but it seems that things are getting out of hand.  When someone is willing to break the law to retailiate from losing a football game, then it is serious.  This time it was our beloved trees, but what will it be next time? One of our fans, students, players?  And are our people, who at the moment are incited with a deep dark fury, able to keep cool heads and not engage in payback?  It is too intense now, maybe a timout would be nice.

[auriptide 0]

No we are talking about getting out of a hateful rivarly where one program is always trying to destroy the other.  In my post above I didn't even mention this latest act of villiany.  It is just one ripple in the great cesspool known as bama.   There are a lot of reasons to stop playing Alabama.  We did it once before so it is not like there isn't a precedence.  I would rather they get booted from the SEC but if we have to move then so be it.  I woulnd't mind playing GT and playing in ATL over going to Athens.  Or trading visits to Miami over Fayetville.  Or UNC for MSU, or Duke for Vandy, or FSU for Florida, or VaTech for LSU, Clemson for USCe.  There are several ACC teams with just as many or even more national titles over the past 20 or 30 years as we have so it is not like we should be looking down our nose at ACC football.  Not to mention as much as I love AU football I also desire for us to be relevant in the NCAA Basketball Tourney on a consistant basis.

I'm looking at the bigger picture.  This time it was a couple of trees.  What will it be next time?  I'm not prone to being overly dramatic, and I'm trying not to be now.  But I think of the issues with wild animals becoming more desensitized to humans.  They become comfortable around us, but they are still wild animals and will eventually do what they do naturally.  Same progression can be applied here.  First there is character assassination, now killing of Toomers trees.  It's not a stretch to think that maybe next time someone gets hurt.

Sad, but I'm sure it will happen, if this rivalry goes on.

[AubieIsMyHero 0]

Leaving the SEC is not an option.  We're a charter member.  It's time to dump Bammer from the schedule again, another 40-year hiatus.

[aubieclaws 0]

I'm going to write the SEC and Auburn about looking into this. I hope other Auburn folks will do the same.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why are you gonna write the SEC? about stopping the rivalry? are you serious?  Auburn will never back away from a fight.. Are you suggesting that Auburn runaway with its tail tucked under it legs.. No way!!! 

[87aubie 0]

I'm going to write the SEC and Auburn about looking into this. I hope other Auburn folks will do the same.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why are you gonna write the SEC? about stopping the rivalry? are you serious?  Auburn will never back away from a fight.. Are you suggesting that Auburn runaway with its tail tucked under it legs.. No way!!! 

No one is suggesting "running away with our tails tucked..."  What we are concerned about is the people who will run toward a fight.  There are far too many people in this state who have forgotten that football, at the end of the day, is just a game.  It's not worth dying over - even if you're just a tree.

[AuburnGrad78 0]

I fully expected this thread to be the initial comment, along with 3 pages of denunciations of the idea.

The fact that some of our veteran, respected posters are even considering this idea make it apparent that we are sick of Bama fans and how they react.

This might turn out to be a "Gabrielle Giffords" moment, when we all step back, take a breath, and think about whether things are getting out of hand.  The shame is that I really don't think the worst of the Bama fans -- the ones we need to worry about -- will ever do that.

[auriptide 0]

I'm going to write the SEC and Auburn about looking into this. I hope other Auburn folks will do the same.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Why are you gonna write the SEC? about stopping the rivalry? are you serious?  Auburn will never back away from a fight.. Are you suggesting that Auburn runaway with its tail tucked under it legs.. No way!!! 

Please.........We love football, but it's just a game. This thing has got out of hand and someone will get hurt or killed, if it's not stopped. Auburn needs to look out for the Auburn family and do the right thing. It's not backing down, but showing class and taking the high road.

[aucpe 0]

I think we should just leave the conference.

I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the conference wouldn't rather kick bama out. I doubt seriously that Auburn fans are the only ones who have no respect for bama and everything their fans stand for.

[Junebug 0]

I would be in favor of ending the rivalry. I think it has gotten way too ugly.

[Tmad4AU 0]

I would be in favor of ending the rivalry. I think it has gotten way too ugly.

I tend to agree. In my lifetime, Alabama has been more of a bump in the road than a rivalry. The UGA rivalry is so much more healthy, older and just plain fun.

[Weegle777 78]

This is probably one of the most disappointing threads that I have ever read. WE BACK DOWN FROM NOONE, ESPECIALLY BAMMER. While we are at it, let's discontinue the Yankees vs. RedSox rivalry, let's discontinue the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry, let's just stop playing football all together. You can't let one man destroy the greatest rivalry in college football. I really think you guys and ladies are overreacting a little bit. I hope this doesn't upset any of you and I expect some hostile responses for this post, but somebody had to say this. Never back down, never. War Eagle!!!!!!!

[aucpe 0]

This is probably one of the most disappointing threads that I have ever read. WE BACK DOWN FROM NOONE, ESPECIALLY BAMMER. While we are at it, let's discontinue the Yankees vs. RedSox rivalry, let's discontinue the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry, let's just stop playing football all together. You can't let one man destroy the greatest rivalry in college football. I really think you guys and ladies are overreacting a little bit. I hope this doesn't upset any of you and I expect some hostile responses for this post, but somebody had to say this. Never back down, never. War Eagle!!!!!!!

I understand what you're saying, but I can see why some people may think it's time to take a hiatus.  This time it was poisoning trees -- what comes next?  Will somebody go Tonya Harding on one of our players?  Burn down a coach's house?  Take out a contract on a player/coach?  Things have reached a boiling point, and we all know there are other fans that are just as crazy or crazier than this one guy.

Stopping the series wouldn't be considered backing down in my eyes -- it would be acting as the bigger man and letting them know they're not worth it.

[Weegle777 78]

If it gets suspended, let the turds suspend it. I will go postal on a turd fan if they called Auburn a pansy school and said we were afraid to play them. No sir, a suspension of this game would set in motion a time-bomb that could explode at any time. It wouldn't tone the rivalry down, it would make it nastier because of the grief that Auburn fans would endure by being called a bunch of p******. Keep it going.

[AgentOrange 36]

This is probably one of the most disappointing threads that I have ever read. WE BACK DOWN FROM NOONE, ESPECIALLY BAMMER. While we are at it, let's discontinue the Yankees vs. RedSox rivalry, let's discontinue the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry, let's just stop playing football all together. You can't let one man destroy the greatest rivalry in college football. I really think you guys and ladies are overreacting a little bit. I hope this doesn't upset any of you and I expect some hostile responses for this post, but somebody had to say this. Never back down, never. War Eagle!!!!!!!

I'm with you Weegle. Well said.

[TGR77 0]

I worry what could happen in the melee that is Tiger Walk. Impossible to monitor that many people.

[Weegle777 78]

I worry what could happen in the melee that is Tiger Walk. Impossible to monitor that many people.

If some fool did something to one of our players he would be disembowelled by about 1000 Auburn fans on the spot.

[telling tiger 156]

Our players will be surrounded by 80,000 Auburn fans. I fully realize bammers are stupid, but even they can't be stupid enough to do something in the middle of 80,000 angry Tigers. Some people are just naturally predispositioned to worry.

[tbone4jc 2,320]

Something definitely has to change ! I am not for ending our rivalry with bama but the media, administrators, coaches and others in charge need to find a way to calm these flames before someone gets hurt or,  G-d forbid , even killed. One rogue bama fan went way overboard and intentionally destroyed our beautiful trees as well as a tradition that hes endured for a long, long time. I know most bama fans are disgusted with this fans incredibly irrational act but there are those who applaud his actions also I believe that this rivalry is way out of control and who will be held accountable when something worse than this happens?

[AUUSN 823]

F the Bammers and their football program! Having lived out of State for more than 12 years, the rivalry means nothing to me. Kick them off our schedule. The silliness has reached terminal velocity.

The pending economic collapse and Middle East wars should take people's minds off football anyway.

[RRiviere1008 0]

Im sorry but I really can't believe what I'm reading. You want to discontinue the Iron Bowl? You want Auburn to leave the conference? Are you even listening to yourselves right now? I understand that things are starting to get out of hand but come on now. The Iron Bowl is one of the many traditions that makes Auburn great. I realize that we don't have to have it to be great but it is a major part of what drives not only the interest in our football program but our football program as a whole. I'm currently a student at AU and I would never let some crazy bammer determine my decisions for what conference I think we should play in or even who AU schedules games with. Discontinuing this rivalry will not end it. The fact of the matter is that it is so ingrained into our way of life here in AL that people wont care if we don't play each other. This has gone on too long to simply end it with no consequences. Running away from fights is never an option. However, dirty, underhanded retaliation shouldn't be either. We need to step up and be the bigger man and show them how to take out your aggression where it really matters. On the field.

[au21tigers 0]

NO!!!!!!!!

[telling tiger 156]

Who do we hold responsible for the next act of violence?

You hold the individual criminal responsible for the individuals acts. Far and away the majority of people would not and do not involve themselves in anything like this. To suggest that we not play a football game over the fear of an impending war or economic collapse is almost beyond comprehension. Actually in times of national crisis, sports have often been used as a way of keeping the nations morale up. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, obviously, but that's all it is. An opinion.