Letters to Ramon

Actual calls from actual listeners...

"Boston College - How did I not know there's a Flutie on this team until last week!?! Sure, he's a backup but the name alone is worth one extra win this season." -- Scott F.

"You should add to the pool, who will be the next coach at Auburn. Leach is interviewing, Auburn has asked for permission to interview Petrino. Also of note, John Brummett and Kristin Fisher will discuss twitter and live blogging at next Tuesday's meeting of the SPJ. I have suggested that since Fisher is such a fan of the Twitter and the tweet, that all her comments should be limited to 150 characters or less. Such as:
Brummett: Well, the problem with Twitter and tweeting is that by its very nature you can't get into context and depth since brevity and speed are so prized.
Fisher: OMG JB, o rly? LOL
Brummett: I think I just won the debate in one question
Fisher: ROFLMAO
Brummett: LH6
Fisher: Rrly? A3 OM
Brummett: Kewl"
-- Jeremy P.

"Dear Doosh Bag, Why do we have 2 sorry-ass Big East games this week, when you could have some other conference championship games in the mix with the other 3? You're as bad as the BCS. Didn't East Carolina, who incidentally plays in a Conference Championship game this weekend, beat this 7 point favorite West Virginia already this season? P.S. Thanks for running the pool again this year. Great job as always." -- Jerry W.

"I am boycotting the Big 12 Championship game this year. At least the SEC has hit the 1 in 10 year anomaly in which the Conference Championship game is worthwhile: the top 2 teams in the conference who have not played each other this season are matched up. The only thing that would make this game more anticipated is if the Gators were coming in undefeated as well. Yea Houston Nutt! More often, the Conference Championship is just a chance for an undeserving team to pull an upset and
get into a BCS bowl. If Missouri pulls that off this weekend, I think OU is out of a BCS game." -- Jerry W.

"I'm so sick of Texas fans, what do they not get about a three way tie? Maybe they should pick some decent nonconference foes like Cincy and TCU and win all their games...duh. The campaigning by Mack Brown was just disgusting." -- Sean O.

"Big 11????? PAC 10???? Oh sorry they have no playoff...... Cuz they suck. Ditch them and bring in the WAC and Mountain West." -- Sully

"After my 0-for last week and the idiots who run the AU athletic department, I need a 5-0 week..." -- Jeff K.

"Brace yourself... my cheer this week goes to..... Alabama! ROLL TIDE!!!" -- Randi P.

"Mark Murphy, Stephen Atkinson and Jason Caldwell, all staff members of the Inside Auburn Tigers publication, have been on top of this thing the entire week and they stand by their statement Tommy was fired. You are not 'fulfilling the contract' if you pay Tommy $5.1 Million Dollars over a year if he in fact quit. Folks, I've been involved in more involuntary resignations than you can imagine over the past 40 years and this departure is not what Tommy wanted. If you remove from your HC inherent functions such as retention and assignment of coaching staff members you have created an intolerable situation which by long standing case law principles constitutes what the law describes as a 'constructive discharge.' Labeling the action a resignation is nothing more than a face saving measure for all concerned. Tommy, unlike his recently terminated OC, respects our University enough so as to not make it harder for our program to recover as soon as possible. On top of all that, if further supportive evidence is needed, one of the website posters today definatively stated she knows some one who knows Tommy's Mother who has complained that Tommy was fired. Seriously, as for CTT sticking around Auburn, that isn't required under the terms of his contract to collect the buyout. I believe Tommy, like many of us, truely loves Auburn, loves his new digs and wants his kids to graduate from High School there." -- Big O

"I'm reverting back to the old paper-rock-scissors method for picking them this week. This is more challenging then you would think, since it's my left hand against my right hand. I had to keep my eyes closed just to make sure I didn't favor one side over the other." -- Greg Biz.

"The story on Hogville was pulled because it was not a link and it was copyrighted. I will paraphrase. Friends and loved ones waited at the Tubberville home. When Tubby entered he was rubbing the back of his neck and did not address anyone waiting on him. He walked to his bedroom where he methodically closed the door. His wife arrived home before him apparently crying and went to the bed room." -- BR

"I don't want Petrino. If not because I think Petrino is a slime ball, but bringing him in will only continue the circus of what was started 5 years ago. The rumor mill will never end if he is brought in." -- Lee D.

"A 17 pt. spread for the Oklahoma - Missouri game. Can you say 'choke time'? How difficult would a 4-team playoff be to set up? Florida vs. Oklahoma at Oklahoma and Texas vs. Alabama at Alabama. The winners meet in the National Championship game. Superiority decided on the field of play. The two losers can meet in one of the premiere bowl games. And can we not wait 2 weeks or whatever ridiculous time between the conference championship games and the National Championship game?" -- Kate D.

"After reading Wally Hall yesterday (which I always try NOT to do) I remembered that I meant to reply to this e-mail. First of all, how does Wally give Petrino a higher coaching grade this year than Houston Nutt? Nutt won his last 5 games and beat Florida at the Swamp. Crazy. If Hall isn't the worst sports writer on the planet, who is? How does he have the esteemed position that he has within the Arkansas sports community? The second any editor reads anything like "and that deal fell apart faster than wet tissues at a sneezing clinic," they should tell him "I think you're in the wrong profession." And there's always 2 or 3 of those turds in every one of his articles. Okay, I feel better now." -- Jerry W.