Crazy last couple of weeks

By Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News
Published: December 12, 2007

I’m just going to tell you right now, never ... never, never, never, never ... plan a vacation in the three weeks immediately following football season. It just doesn’t work.

I took off the week after the Iron Bowl—to spend some time with my wife, 3-year-old and newborn—but ended up working about the same as if I were in the office. College football and the coaches who coach in it (make sense?) sometimes don’t cooperate with my vacation plans.
But, it’s my job. And I can’t complain. I mean, I get paid to cover sports. I know, my life is so hard.

Anyway, I wrote a column about some of the things that I’ve been thinking of the last couple of days as it pertains to Auburn and some people close to the program.

Enjoy ...

Is it football season yet?
I never thought I’d say that this close to the end of one, but I’m ready for another season to kick off right now.
Things are a lot clearer during the season than they are immediately following.
Everyone knows where coaches are and how to get in touch with them. There are actual games to be prepared for on the field, not played between the ears. There are rules during football season. There’s an order. A method. A consistency.
But once that final whistle blows, “order” goes out the window like a drive-thru.
These last two and a half weeks were supposed to be slow. Very slow. This was supposed to be the time we (the media) recharged our batteries and got geared up for the bowl season and then the night-after-night grid on basketball — high school and college.
With no practices, no games — nothing, really — going on, what a great time to take vacation, read some books, watch hours of TV or sleep.
Or so we thought.
Beginning with Tommy Tuberville Contract Watch 2007 and ending Wednesday with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, the last 19 days have been anything but lazy.
And I should know, I invented lazy.
You know how everyone says there are three seasons in college football: The actual season, the spring season and recruiting? Well, here’s one more: Coaching Carousel season. Right now, I’m trying to figure out which one of these four is the most important.
It’s hard to say.

Good luck, Al
Yes, Al Borges’ offense wasn’t anything to brag about this year. Or last year. Honestly, it was boring. Very boring.
But, coupled with a good defense, it worked a lot more times than it failed. But, that’s not college football anymore. Three yards and a cloud of dust got left in the dust a long time ago.
Football offenses have evolved. And three years ago, Borges was on the cutting edge. Now, he’s gone. Resigned (cough). He went from the list of “best coordinator who’s never been a head coach” to unemployed (but not for long) pretty quickly.
Regardless of what you think of Borges as a playcaller — his offense was No. 1 in the SEC in 2004 and 2005, but 76th and 101st in the country the past two seasons — he’s one heck of a guy.
Yes, I know, this business isn’t about being nice. It’s about production. It’s about “what have you done for me lately.” But it still stinks when a good guy struggles and has to pay the price for it.
But he’ll land on his feet. Guys like him always do.
I know this, you won’t find a better — or funnier — interview than Al Borges.
My favorite Borges memory? Answering reports’ questions after a game with a mouthful of hot dog.
Classic Borges. Classic.

Will will be a good one
Stating the obvious here ... Will Muschamp will be a college football head coach soon. Very soon.
And why not? He’s a great hire — a young, fiery guy, who kids want to play for. A great recruiter and defensive coordinator. And an even better motivator.
It’s a shame Arkansas had to hire Bobby Petrino. Muschamp would have been a better fit. And more fun to quote.

What commitment?
Speaking of Petrino, how can you leave your team with three games left in the season and take another job?
I’m sorry, I just don’t get it.
If you want to go back to college (Arkansas), that’s fine, but at least honor your commitment to your current team (Atlanta Falcons) and finish the season.
Even Nick Saban did that. Why not Petrino?
Maybe he couldn’t hack it in the NFL. Maybe he saw an easy out to a terrible situation and had to take it. Maybe he just really likes the college game. Maybe.
But what about all those Falcons’ players who bought into his system? What about them?
What about honor? Loyalty? Finishing what you started?
Ahh, remember, football isn’t about that.
And neither is Petrino.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 737-2513.