Former Player Speaks Out
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Tiger Fans- Although I didn’t play for Tuberville (having played for Dye 82-86), I did experience Auburn’s class selection and treatment of its athletes. I personally took the hard path…..majoring in finance because I realized there was life after football (including getting my MBA at Duke). However, all students (including athletes) look for classes that are easy…..whether it is the subject matter or professors….. and we all know there are a limited number of such classes. My graduate school classmates at Duke were no different when it came to picking the easiest classes.
I have many friends that played at other SEC schools and they are laughing out loud at the microscope Auburn is under. I have recently heard crazy stories of how they majored in Coaching or Early Childhood Development or other such majors and the path to graduation was easy and included courses they did little or no work (Art of Coaching Tennis- how difficult can that be). This fact is not only true for some athletes but for many normal students. The question is what path will a student choose? Are they looking for just a degree or are they pursuing something that will serve as a platform of knowledge for a career? Look at my former teammates- Greg Carr studied Engineering and later went to Med School; Steve Wallace majored in Mathematics; and Yann Cowart majored in Architecture (talk about a difficult path to a degree while playing football)!

The current media attention should really be a broader question of the overall USA university system. All large learning institutions provide something for everyone…..so if the NY Times and other media outlets are going to look at Auburn please let them look at every institution and the 1,000’s of different type of degrees offered….some very difficult and some very easy.

So breath easy Tiger Fans….. This is not about us but whether universities should offer multiple disciplines for multiple types of people!
Rob Shuler

aubeef
The Lunatic Fringe
Posts: 4000
(7/20/06 2:11:25 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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Thanks

It’s too bad journalism isn’t a more difficult degree nationwide or maybe a rational discussion like the one you suggested would be possible.

AUfamilyman
Registered User
Posts: 433
(7/20/06 2:45:59 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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Rob, we probably had a class together while you were at AU (I majored in Bus Mgt and was there the same years- Coach Dye “no shirted” me ). Thanks for the helpful perspective.

Class of ‘86

WAR EAGLE!!

AubRx
Registered User
Posts: 3760
(7/20/06 2:58:07 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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Great points…I believe Win Lyle is a physician….

gr8rau
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Posts: 688
(7/20/06 4:19:08 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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Excellent Post. Hope you’re doing well, Rob! War Eagle!

4thEstate
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Posts: 8
(7/20/06 6:49:34 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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Quote:
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It’s too bad journalism isn’t a more difficult degree nationwide
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Funny.

ihatevols
Registered User
Posts: 167
(7/20/06 7:34:26 pm )
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Re: Former Player Speaks Out
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the hard path is finance?

powerofdixieland
Registered User
Posts: 4763
(7/20/06 8:34:00 pm )
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I remember Rob
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Offensive Guard right? Blond hair.

I didn’t look this up in an old media guide.

Finebaum claims to be an analytical critic. He is rather a a crass bully. There is a difference, but young people don’t understand the difference — and neither do some older people. The young people are apparently glad to see him pound the sports establishment in this state, and such coaches as Tuberville and Shula tolerate him, because he appeals to the younger crowd, or a portion of it.

I would sum up the Finebaum phenomenon by saying that his popularity in this state says a lot about this state. We are like Japan after World War II — we are so chastened by the fact that we were wrong in the Civil Rights struggle that we have turned over the state to a foreigner, one whose values are to the extreme. In a weird sort of way, Finebaum is the MacArthur of Alabama — to get that picture you will have to close your eyes and forget his big ears, bald head, and the fact that, after all, he is a little nerd who, because he is an excellent con man, has conned a considerable number of young people in this state.

As far as him having credibility, he built that a LONG time ago when he broke the Bobby Lee Hurt story. Bama’s been cheating a LONG time. It didn’t just start in the 90s. He broke the story on Wimp Sanderson and Bobby Lee Hurt and bammer people have hated him ever since.

God Bless your child, as he is apparently handicapped when it comes to the DNA race with others in his generation.

Credibility is built one brick at a time, Finebaum is missing a few tiers to hold up the sagging foundation.

Finebaum’s show had a 12.2 for September of 2005. The ratings for October showed a .8.

There’s no way in hell that his audience dropped by over 80% during the middle of football season.

November’s number was back over 10, so it’s obvious that the October number was incorrect.

When the next ratings book comes out and that faulty October number is dropped, his ratings will again show that he has the #1 show in the state of Alabama.

Leave it to bammers to get the facts wrong. Shula HAS been on Finebaum’s show and WILL go on his show. Finebaum doesn’t “hate” Shula. But, according to the bammer nation, if a person isn’t fawning all over a bama coach/player and comparing them to the Old Drunk (bear) or the Young Drunk (joe namath), then that person MUST HATE BAMA. Idiots.

Nice interview.

It is disappointing as a Bama fan to learn we no longer have a chance against UF in the Swamp.

On the other hand, as a UF fan it must be very reassuring to know you can go ahead and count the win.

Congratulations.

You’d think Shula knocked up Vickers’ daughter to hear him. It’s all schtick and it’s starting to wear thin.

As a Bama fan, I have always loved Paul, but people are right that his show has gone downhill in the past couple of years. His show thrived on controversy and now that Alabama and Auburn are both doing well; there isn’t much reason to tune in anymore. His attempts to stir up trouble recently ring kinda hollow and quite often look pathetic.

Finebaum is a joke these days; his ratings are a 1/3 of what they were two years ago. He lives and dies by problems at Alabama. He’s trying his best to manufacture some these days. It’s a bit embarrassing you guys think he’s some big star.