SCOTT JACOBS

In a sports world littered with the words, “what have you done for me lately,” Auburn sure is living in the past.  Auburn recently replaced longtime head coach Tommy Tubberville with Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik.  Chizik was the former defensive coordinator at Alabama, and was a part of that magical 13-0 season, in which the Tigers went undefeated in the SEC and still failed to get a title game invite.

Chizik bolted to Iowa State, went 5-19 in two seasons, and now he’s back, resurfacing at head coach.  At Auburn.  Over guys like Turner Gill, who just led the University of Buffalo to a MAC title and an 8-5 record in just his third season.  Now, on the surface alone it looks ridiculous that Chizik would be a desirable head coach for any major BCS school after the stink he’s produced as head man of the Cyclones.  But to land the Tigers coaching job over someone as promising as Gill, well, it just seems wrong.

Enter: Charles Barkley.

Barkley, always the outspoken type, has come to the conclusion that there is no other logic for Auburn to go with Chizic over Gill, unless race came into the equation.  Chizik is white.  Gill is black.  And Auburn is in Alabama, which means its in the deep south.  Now, Barkley plays the race card a lot, and most of the time it is out of line.  But for once, I think he’s hit the nail on the head.  Alabama is a very traditional southern state, and Alabamans have southern values.  Some are racist, others are not.  And I’m not picking on Alabama, because there are a zillion states out there that have racist people.  It probably won’t change.

But when you look at this hiring, it has the stenches of racism.

How else can you explain a major SEC school opting for a former defensive coordinator who has failed miserably in the Big 12.  I’m not saying it is racism, Charles Barkley is.  But I think it makes sense that people would think this.  And the race card gets throw around a lot.  But when something looks racist, smells racist, and just glares of racism, it just might be.

But forget race for a minute.

How does a sport that disposes of its coaches like wet naps as soon as they feel like they’re all used up, go back to one that has been awful as a head coach? The NBA just saw a sixth coach get fired this season today, and once again it was a coach who’s been successful, but got off to a slow start.  Chizik wasn’t successful at Iowa State.  I repeat: wasn’t successful.

But today he’s the one with head coach of Auburn on his nameplate.  Not Gill.

You can come to your own conclusions, but ignoring the race issue is just being naive

SCOTT JACOBS

So this just in: the Mets did it! They won. They finally won. The Mets won their coin flip determining the tie breaker between them and the Brewers in terms of who would play where if the two tied to end the regular season. O, you thought I meant they clinched something of relevance? Ha!

This just in too: Pat White probably regrets his decision to come back for his senior year. Look, school and graduation is all fine and dandy, but c’mon, two losses in the first three games? It’s not like West Virginia is playing USC and Texas. No, they’re playing (and losing) to the likes of East Carolina and Colorado. What’s a matter? North Dakota was taken?

The Marlins are pulling a Will Ferrel and they’re going streaking! They’ve won nine in a row and have crept slowly back into the “they actually still have a mathematical shot if they basically win the rest of their games” discussion. Not on the list: Detroit. And you thought the third highest payroll in baseball bought you the post-season? Yeah, right, you can’t even buy the post-season with the highest. Back to the drawing board in Detroit.

Interesting news out of New York where the Yankees have announced they will allow fans onto the field for the final home game at Yankee Stadium. It’s a fascinating idea given the nature of pro sports’ “look don’t touch” mantra, and I think it’s great. Allowing the fans access to the field and monument park one last time before the tare the whole kitten cabodle down is nothing short of brilliant. It’s a throwback to Yankee Stadium’s earlier years where running onto the field during a game wasn’t that unheard of.

Auburn plays LSU in a top 10 match-up Saturday. What’s missing? The “these truly are two top 10 teams part.” I certainly don’t feel like the Tigers (of Auburn) are top 10 caliber. Three points? Three points in a 3-2 win over Mississippi State is top notch? Uh, no. Which is why the Tigers (who I think are also over-rated) will trounce the Tigers this weekend, before falling out of the top 10 shortly thereafter. Did you get that? Tigers over Tigers. It’s a bold pick, but I feel good about it happening.

Kansas State running back Leon Patton was dismissed from the team yesterday after get this- he abused a baby. You know the stupid line, “I’m so angry I could kick a baby.” Well, Patton took the idea pretty literally. He shook a two month old boy. And Riley County Police charged the running back with child abuse. Not surprisingly Patton was already on you guessed it- probation- after the former Wildcat was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and it was discovered he stole two video games from Walmart. And people wonder where the idiot-jock stereotype comes from.

Joey Harrington has found a new gig. In the Crescent City. Yup, Harrington signed with the Saints yesterday, and is now their number three backup. So let’s summarize Harrington’s once promising career.

2002: Number three pick in the draft to Detroit. Epic failure as Lion.
2006: Traded to Dolphins
2007: Cut by Dolphins, Falcons sign him, and after Mike Vick saga he becomes the starter.
2008: Harrington fails horribly as the starter in Hot ‘Lanta and is released. Now he’s with the Saints.

I think it’s finally safe to say: Joey Harrington was a major draft bust!