April 23, 2011

Auburn, Florida and Alabama Meddle in Bronze

It was two weeks ago during Florida's spring game that statues commemorating their trio of Heisman Trophy winners were revealed outside Florida Field. Spurrier, Wuerffel and Tebow, their likenesses cast in bronze, were shown in action poses for the first team in the SEC to have three such winners. No sooner can I get to writing a prediction that Auburn, the second team in the SEC to accomplish the same feat, would soon follow in suit to erect some bronze figures outside Jordan-Hare, but they preempt me and announce on Thursday the Heisman trifecta collection--complete with a bust of John Heisman. Why Heisman? Because Auburn is the only school thus far where Heisman coached to have won the namesake trophy.

Naturally, the comparison of Auburn's Heisman triplets with the timing of Florida's would be the more apt choice, but with so much tension in the state following Auburn's MNC, many decided instead that Auburn was just again copying Alabama. That's right. With no apparent heritage of it's own, Auburn looked to mimic Alabama's decision (made over a year ago) to erect a statue of Nick Saban in bronze outside BDS for winning the 2009 national championship, which was just recently revealed during the Tide's spring game this past weekend. Saban joins on the Walk of Champions such legendary Alabama figures as Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings and that sports information guy who added all those national championships to the media guide 30 years ago.

Nice touch, by the way, Alabama. Your Walk of Champions is a classy display of Tide glory--I do truly mean that. And although no writer in the state would ever question the timing of erecting a statue to a sitting coach like they might if Auburn did , a nine-foot Saban statue is fitting indeed. I just hate that the sculptor used Sheriff Andy Taylor as a model instead of ole Nick.

Posted by War Eagle Atlanta

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Auburn, Florida and Alabama Meddle in Bronze
It was two weeks ago during Florida's spring game that statues commemorating their trio of Heisman Trophy winners were revealed outside Florida Field. Spurrier, Wuerffel and Tebow, their likenesses cast in bronze, were shown in action poses for the first team in the SEC to have three such winners. No sooner can I get to writing a prediction that Auburn, the second team in the SEC to accomplish the same feat, would soon follow in suit to erect some bronze figures outside Jordan-Hare, but they preempt me and announce on Thursday the Heisman trifecta collection--complete with a bust of John Heisman. Why Heisman? Because Auburn is the only school thus far where Heisman coached to have won the namesake trophy.

Naturally, the comparison of Auburn's Heisman triplets with the timing of Florida's would be the more apt choice, but with so much tension in the state following Auburn's MNC, many decided instead that Auburn was just again copying Alabama. That's right. With no apparent heritage of it's own, Auburn looked to mimic Alabama's decision (made over a year ago) to erect a statue of Nick Saban in bronze outside BDS for winning the 2009 national championship, which was just recently revealed during the Tide's spring game this past weekend. Saban joins on the Walk of Champions such legendary Alabama figures as Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings and that sports information guy who added all those national championships to the media guide 30 years ago.

Nice touch, by the way, Alabama. Your Walk of Champions is a classy display of Tide glory--I do truly mean that. And although no writer in the state would ever question the timing of erecting a statue to a sitting coach like they might if Auburn did , a nine-foot Saban statue is fitting indeed. I just hate that the sculptor used Sheriff Andy Taylor as a model instead of ole Nick.