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Monday, February 28, 2011

Auburn dismisses running back Eric Smith for undisclosed violation of team rules

Auburn H-back Eric Smith has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, a school spokesman confirmed tonight. No further details were available.

Smith, who would have been a senior, had a rocky career with the Tigers, marred by an arrest for third-degree assault in August of 2009 after he allegedly knocked a fellow student unconscious with a punch to the back of the head during a fight outside an area hotel.

Smith, who was suspended for one game for the incident, was later granted youthful offender status. He served an academic suspension for the Outback Bowl following the 2009 season but returned to be a key member of the Tigers' 2010 national championship team.

Although he had only one carry and caught 5 passes for 49 yards, he was also one of the team's top blockers, playing in all 14 games and staring five.

Smith finished his career with 182 rushing yards and one touchdown in addition to 25 receptions for 278 yards and another score.

Although he was never a big ballcarrier, Smith's departure further diminishes Auburn's backfield numbers. Mike Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are the only returning scholarship running backs. They'll be joined by incoming freshman Tre Mason this summer. Rising junior Anthony Morgan might also be at tailback.

Auburn might also consider keeping 290-pound redshirt freshman Ladarious Phillips in the backfield. The Tigers experimented with him at defensive tackle before the bowl game.

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Varnadore named SEC Pitcher of the Week

Auburn's Derek Varnadore was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after a 13-strikeout, two-hit shutout of Radford on Sunday.

The right-hander, who transferred from Chattahoochee Valley Community College, allowed only four baserunners against Radford, none of which advanced past second. His 13 strikeouts were the most by a Tigers pitcher since Chris Bootcheck struck out 15 against West Virginia in 1999.

Varnadore is 2-0 in two starts this year, allowing five hits, three walks and no runs. He's struck out 17 in 16 innings.

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    Monday links: Looking back at the 'Cam-bine'

    Another day of NFL combine links, courtesy of whoever wrote something informational from Indianapolis that I could link to. Without further adieu:
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      • The good: his workout numbers. Newton ran an unofficial 4.58-second 40-yard dash (officially counted as a 4.59), third fastest among quarterbacks. He had a 35-inch vertical jump (third) and a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump (tied for first). As Tigers fans well know, he's a physical beast.
      • But Newton's throwing day wasn't as good as his training session for the media in San Diego earlier this month. He completed 11 of his 21 throws, overthrowing a few. Even Newton said he was a little frustrated.
      • But onlookers didn't think it was all bad. ESPN's John Clayton wrote that Newton's powerful arm is just what NFL teams are looking for.
      • What did Cam think of his day? Here's video of him talking about it. And if you're into watching the actual drills he did, click here.
      • Nick Fairley arrived and had his turn at the microphone. CBS's Pete Prisco brushes off all the "dirty player" talk and says Fairley is the best player in the draft.
      • A full note about Fairley's day in front of the media by Pro Football Weekly (scroll down). Fairley was adamant that he doesn't take plays off.
      • Some stuff on Fairley in the middle of this Don Banks article from Sports Illustrated. A shoulder injury to his AC joint suffered against Georgia prevented Fairley from bench pressing this weekend. We'll see if he does it at Auburn's Pro Day on March 8. I'd assume he would have to. (Oregon State's Stephen Paea, by the way, repped 225 a combine-record 49 times. Sweet fancy Moses that's a lot.)
      • Thought it was interesting that Fairley measured up at 6-foot-3, 291 pounds. He was listed as 6-5 and over 300 at Auburn.
            • The day's big workout winner for Auburn? Running back Mario Fannin, who clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, second best of the running backs and fourth-best for the weekend so far (defensive backs have yet to run). His time was .05 seconds faster than Ben Tate last year. Fannin, who measured in at 5-10, 231 pounds, also had a 37.5-inch vertical jump. Will it be enough to get Fannin drafted? I'm still skeptical. His fumbling problems are an issue that won't go away. But NFL teams love speed, so this figures to at the very least increase his chances of signing a free agent deal somewhere if he goes undrafted.
            • Did not see a lot out there on Darvin Adams, but SI still listed him as one of the rising receivers. Adams didn't have a great 40 time (mid-4.5s) but did catch the ball well, which is where he'll make his money at the next level.
            • Up today: Fairley and the defensive linemen take the field for drills.

            Sunday, February 27, 2011

            Auburn women's hoops the sixth seed in SEC tournament, will play Mississippi State

            The SEC women's tournament field is set. Auburn is the sixth seed and will play 11th-seeded Mississippi State on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.

            The Tigers (15-14, 8-8 SEC) wrapped their regular season up with a 76-62 loss to Kentucky on Sunday.

            They split the season series with the Bulldogs, winning 45-41 in Starkville and losing 57-45 in Auburn. The winner plays No. 3 Vanderbilt on Friday, also at 10 p.m. ET.

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            Here's the full schedule:
            • Thursday: #9 Arkansas vs. #8 Florida, FSN, 1:00 p.m. ET
            • Thursday: #10 Alabama vs. #7 LSU, FSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
            • Thursday: #12 Ole Miss vs. #5 South Carolina, FSN, 7:30 p.m. ET
            • Thursday: #11 Mississippi State vs. #6 Auburn, FSN, 10:00 p.m. ET
            • Friday: Winner Game 1 vs. #1 Tennessee, FSN, 1:00 p.m. ET
            • Friday: Winner Game 2 vs. #2 Kentucky, FSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
            • Friday: Winner Game 3 vs. #4 Georgia, FSN, 7:30 p.m. ET
            • Friday: Winner Game 4 vs. #3 Vanderbilt, FSN, 10:00 p.m. ET
            • Saturday: Game 9, ESPNU, 4:00 p.m. ET
            • Saturday: Game 10, ESPNU, 6:30 p.m. ET
            • Sunday: (SEC Championship Game), Game 11, ESPN2, 5:30 p.m. ET

            Sunday links: Auburn players at the NFL Combine

            The blog isn't in Indianapolis, but we like to scour the Internet for stories from folks who are. Here's a sampling of stuff about Auburn's players.

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            • This big show Saturday was Cam Newton, who went through interviews with the media and a few teams. As it is every time Newton talks, everything he said was under the microscope. He clarified his "icon" statement from earlier this month.
            • Watch video of Newton's opening statement at the podium here. (Honestly, sounded kind of wooden. He's better when he's not reading from a piece of paper.)
            • A question about attempting a quarterback sneak instead of just taking a knee at the end of the BCS title game reportedly flustered him.
            • Offensive lineman Lee Ziemba finished up his combine Saturday. Had a tough time finding stuff on how Ziemba fared. Only numbers I saw were on the HABOTN. Ziemba ran a 5.47-second time in the 40-yard dash and had a 7-foot, 11-inch broad jump. The leaders among offensive linemen were 4.97 seconds in the 40 (Nate Solder, Colorado) and 9 feet, 6 inches for the broad jump (Jarriel King, South Carolina).
            • Not sure if you can spot Mario Fannin in this video, but it's pretty funny. Gorilla suit gags never fail to entertain.
            • Big workout opportunity for Newton, Adams and Fannin today, when quarterbacks, receivers and running backs go through drills. Fairley and the defensive linemen take the field Monday.

            Saturday, February 26, 2011

            Late Arkansas dunk sinks Auburn in final seconds for second time this week

            AUBURN, Ala. — In erasing a 13-point second-half deficit against Arkansas, Auburn did everything right defensively, contesting shots, stepping into passing lanes and converting turnovers into points.

            But when the Tigers needed one last defensive stop, like earlier this week against Alabama, they couldn't get it.

            Arkansas forward Delvon Johnson got open after Auburn failed to make a defensive switch, receiving a pass from Julysses Nobles under the hoop and dunking it with 5 seconds remaining to lift the Razorbacks (18-10, 7-7 SEC) to a 57-55 win at the Auburn Arena on Saturday.

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            Auburn guard Josh Wallace got a good look at a long 3-pointer from just inside halfcourt at the final horn, but it was too strong, hitting the backboard and rim before bouncing away as the Tigers (9-19, 2-12 SEC) lost in the final seconds for the second time this week.

            They lost a heartbreaker at Alabama on Wednesday 51-49 on a tip-in by JaMychal Green with .3 seconds left.

            "It's draining," Wallace said. "You want to win. And to come so close and fight so hard, it hurts."

            The Tigers did their best to get SEC win No. 3, charging back after being down by 13 early in the second half. Auburn scored seven straight, starting with a 3-pointer by Earnest Ross with 3:49 to play. A Rob Chubb layup cut the lead to two before Kenny Gabriel got open for a layup with 28.1 seconds left to tie the game at 55.

            Arkansas held for the final shot, finding an opening when Auburn guard Chris Denson got caught behind Johnson in the post after Gabriel called for a switch after being screened. The feed from Nobles was precise and Johnson had an easy two-handed jam.

            "We executed our tails off defensively down the stretch, except for the very last play," Auburn coach Tony Barbee said. "We broke down. ... I told the guys that even though that play happened, we lost this game a long time ago because of the way we started."

            The Tigers continued to struggle offensively, finishing with their second-lowest first-half point total this season.

            They shot 26 percent in the first half and went into the locker room down 27-20 only by the good fortune of a goaltending call against Arkansas as the clock expired on a Wallace 3-pointer that didn't appear to have a chance at going in. Wallace finished with 9 points and 5 assists.

            Auburn missed easy looks all afternoon. Chubb air-balled a hook shot from three feet away. Ross, who finished with 11, missed an uncontested layup after a steal. Gabriel led the team with 13 points but took 16 shots to do so.

            "Have we seen that before? Is that something new?" Barbee asked rhetorically. "We have seen it all year long. Offensively, we are what we are."

            Still, the Tigers hung close because of effort. They had nine steals, forced 17 turnovers that they converted into into 19 points and matched their SEC-high with five blocks.

            Although Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke, who finished with a game-high 17 points, hit several shots to keep it at bay, Auburn stuck close and gave themselves a chance.

            "There is no quit in this team," Barbee said. "That is what we have to be about as our foundation. We are coming at you and if we lose it is because we ran out of time, not because we gave up. Our team has done that all year long. I am proud of them for that."

            Auburn's Ward working, waiting on his chance

            Auburn and Arkansas play this afternoon, but I wrote about somebody who won't even be dressing up for the game -- point guard Varez Ward, a transfer from Texas. Here's how the story starts:
            AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn guard Varez Ward has perfected the waiting game.

            His college debut was delayed a year for prep school. His first chance to shine was delayed because of a bad attitude. And his opportunity to start has been delayed by a quad tear and transfer from Texas to Auburn, where he won’t be eligible to play until next season.

            But patience is exactly what is needed by the Tigers (9-18, 2-11 SEC), who continue to play out the stretch today against Arkansas (17-10, 6-7) at the Auburn Arena starting at 1:47 p.m.

            “It’s hard to sit there and watch because I know I can be out there helping out my teammates get wins,” Ward said. “I think I’ll be able to come in and compete.”

            With Ward, 6-foot-6 Clemson transfer Noel Johnson and injured guard Frankie Sullivan all joining the rotation next season, there appears to be brighter days on the horizon for Auburn, which needs to win one of its final three league games to avoid its worst conference mark since going 2-16 in 1988-89.
            Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

            Thursday, February 24, 2011

            Auburn hoops invited to play in Hawaiian Diamond Head Classic next December

            The Auburn basketball team will play in the 2011 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic from Dec. 22-25 next season.

            The Tigers are in a field that includes Clemson, Kansas State, Xavier, UTEP, Long Beach State, Southern Illinois and Hawaii.

            "This is part of the process in building a national program at Auburn, and it will be a wonderful experience for our players both on the court and off," Tigers head coach Tony Barbee said.

            This is Auburn's third trip to the Hawaiian Islands for a tournament. It won the 1998 United Airlines Tip-Off Classic in Honolulu and played in the 1996 Big Island Invitational in Hilo.

            Next season's tournament features 12 games in three days at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii Campus. Each team plays in one game per day, with a bracket format.The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match on Christmas day.

            Barbee, who is in his first season with Auburn, previously coached at UTEP.

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            D-line coach Clint Hurtt staying at Louisville

            After interviewing with Auburn for its vacant defensive line coach job, Clint Hurtt is staying at Louisville.

            Cardinals coach Charlie Strong tweeted today that Hurtt would be staying with the school.

            "Big news!! The big hurtt is staying with the cardinals," he tweeted.

            Hurtt, who was ESPN's 2011 national recruiter of the year and had ties to South Florida, reportedly interviewed in Auburn on Wednesday for the job, which came open after Tracy Rocker left to join the Tennessee Titans last week.

            Auburn is also interested in talking to former Minnesota defensive line coach Tim Cross, according to AuburnUndercover.com. Cross and current Tigers defensive coordinator Ted Roof worked together for a year in 2008 with the Golden Gophers.

            Cross, who was not in football last year, previously worked at Minnesota (2007-08, d-line), Syracuse (2005-06, d-line) and Texas (strength coach, 2001-04).

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            Lee Ziemba eyes crucial job interview at NFL Scouting Combine

            The NFL Combine starts today in Indianapolis. I caught up with Lee Ziemba, who is one of five former Auburn Tigers who will participate. Here's how today's story starts:
            AUBURN, Ala. -- The poking, prodding and endless questions that potential NFL players must endure is nothing new for Lee Ziemba. The former Auburn offensive tackle went through the circus at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month.

            He will face Round 2 this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in what is essentially the most important job interview of his life.

            “I’ve always been told it’s a very strenuous three days and that it really wears you out,” he said. “But I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to the next level.”

            Ziemba is one of five former Auburn players who will participate in the combine, joining quarterback Cam Newton, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, wide receiver Darvin Adams and running back Mario Fannin.

            The weeklong event, which runs from today until March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium, will feature more than 300 prospects put through a ringer of drills and interviews by scouts, coaches and general managers from every team in the NFL.
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            I'll try to keep up with the combine happenings from afar. Here's a link to the NFL's official site, where combine times and workout figures are posted.

            Here's the different arrival dates for the players positions, with their interview and workout schedules:
            • Wednesday - Group 1, (PK, ST, OL), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (TE). Media interviews are Thursday, on-field drills are on Saturday.
            • Thursday - Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (RB). Media interviews are on Friday, on-field drills are on Sunday.
            • Friday – Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB). Media interviews are on Saturday, on-field drills are on Monday.
            • Saturday - Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB). Media interviews are on Sunday, on-field drills are on Tuesday.

            Wednesday, February 23, 2011

            Tip-in with .3 seconds left crushes Auburn's upset bid in 51-49 loss at Alabama

            TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Auburn's three leading rebounders sat on the bench, helpless to do anything, having fouled out far earlier in a slow-paced, foul-plagued game at Coleman Coliseum.

            They could only watch as Alabama's JaMychal Green followed up a Tony Mitchell miss with a tip-in with .3 seconds on the clock, helping the Crimson Tide avoid an NCAA tournament résumé-crushing loss in a 51-49 win Wednesday night.

            "It's very tough to sit on the sideline and not be able to contribute," Auburn guard Earnest Ross said of his vantage point for the final four minutes. "I wish we could have pulled it out."

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            Allen Payne's desperation, fullcourt heave hit the backboard and rim for the Tigers (9-18, 2-11 SEC) but bounced out, although it was later confirmed that the shot would not have counted.

            It only added more sting to a game that, had Auburn won, would have been the most gratifying moment of Tony Barbee's long first season on the Plains.

            "This loss is on me because I did an awful job of teaching these guys how to win," Barbee said. "Because that's a game even in this environment that as bad as we played, we've got to figure out a way to win. And we lost it, so that's on me."

            Alabama (19-8, 11-2 SEC) shook off a 26 percent shooting night — its worst of the season — to avoid a loss that would have devastated its already borderline NCAA tournament credentials.

            Despite having already clinched the SEC West, the Crimson Tide entered Wednesday with an RPI of 78. The Tigers, who sit at 270, could have dragged that down considerably.

            "I'm still trying to find out how we did it," Alabama coach Anthony Grant said, looking at his team's woeful offensive numbers. ""When you look at the numbers, it equates to a loss. ...

            "I told them that this was a near-death experience. You've got to understand how close you came to losing some opportunities that are in front of us."

            Auburn started hot, using a 17-2 run to lead by as many as 15 in the first half. The Tigers led for 19:15 in the first half in a building where that usually doesn't happen. Crimson Tide opponents had led for only 48:01 of 580 minutes in the Coleman Coliseum this season.

            Alabama, meanwhile, couldn't have struggled more. The Tide went 5-for-22 from the floor (22 percent) but managed to put together a 9-0 run just before the break to go into halftime trailing 31-25.

            The Tigers kept it going in the second half, however, taking a 41-29 lead with 11:52 on a 3-pointer in the corner by Ross, who was the team's only double-figure scorer with 10.

            But fouls and the usual offensive shortcomings proved to be Auburn's Achilles' heel. The Tigers would score only two points in the next nine minutes.

            Meanwhile, the fouls piled up. Auburn had 29 in the game, watching center Rob Chubb foul out with 9:19 left, a questionable call that prompted Barbee to earn his third technical in as many games. Ross picked up his fifth foul minutes later followed by Gabriel and Adrian Forbes, three-fifths of the Tigers' starting lineup and the majority of the team's offense.

            "I told my guys that there's a big difference between playing hard and fouling," Barbee said. "They were all fouls and we put them to the foul line way too much when they were struggling to score."

            Alabama made 27 of 40 free throws while Auburn was only 10-for-19, helping the Tide erase the 12-point deficit down the stretch.

            The Crimson Tide took a 49-47 lead with 28.4 seconds left after Green and Trevor Releford both split a pair of free throws. Auburn's Tony Neysmith answered with a shot off the glass that tied things at 49 with 13 seconds to play.

            That set up the final play, with Green, who finished with a game-high 17, darting to the hoop to clean up Mitchell's miss with little resistance.

            "Give them credit," Barbee said. "They made the plays down the stretch and we didn't."

            Auburn returns to action Saturday at home against Arkansas starting at 1:47 p.m. ET.

            Live chat from the first half of Auburn-Alabama

            OK, not a bad try at live chatting during a basketball game. We might try it in the future as well.

            Big thanks to Justin, fearless.true and Bellefay1 for carrying the chat. We covered a bit of everything. Check out the replay below.

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            Tuesday, February 22, 2011

            Harvey Updyke's new lawyer, friend/landlord talk on Paul Finebaum's radio show

            We got a pretty big look into Harvey Updyke, the accused poisoner of the Toomer's Corner oak trees, today on Paul Finebaum's radio show today. He had Updyke's new attorney, Glennon Threatt, and his best friend, Wayne Barnes, aka FLORIBAMA on TiderInsiders.com, on the show for a lengthy discussion.

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            Lots of stuff to go through. Let's do it bullet point style:
            • First up: Threatt, who is Updyke's fourth defense attorney, previously represented disgraced former mayor of Birmingham Larry Langford in his trial for public corruption.
            • Threatt: "I can tell you when I first talked to Harvey he sounded very downtrodden. He was very, very disappointed. He has been, in my view, denied some basic civil rights that anyone should get no matter what you're accused of. He spent the night in his car. He has very limited resources. He is exactly the kind of person the law requires to get adequate representation. Now he's facing a hostile crowd that rather than have a jury, he'll probably have a crowd of pitchforks and torches out there waiting for him."
            • On Updyke living in his car, Threatt said Updyke's landlord (more on him later) was getting pressured from the folks around that area not to let Updyke stay there anymore. "He is not a popular person in that part of the state right now," he said.
            • Threatt said Updyke is living in his car. He said his client is safe but would like to get him to a safer spot. "I don't think he was at all prepared for the maelstrom of public hatred that he received," Threatt said. "And I'm not saying that it was warranted, but I don't think he anticipated, I don't think anybody anticipated that this story would have the legs that it has on the national level."
            • What has Updyke told him? "I can tell you that he told me that he told you that he did it," Threatt said. "And he told the police something different. I don't know him well enough to know whether his belief system is consistent with the truth."
            • Threatt tells us a little bit about Updyke: Said he's a father, husband, retired state trooper who had a severe injury in a high speed chase and now has three fused vertebrae. He's also taking 20 medications.
            • Threatt said Updyke told him he didn't feel safe in jail. "He didn't. He said he didn't. Again, I wasn't there in the jail with him, but he said he felt threatened and he felt that he was threatened on multiple and repeated instances. That there were slurs that were made and he thought it was a little bit more than people egging him on. He thought that they were getting ready to do something to him. And that's why he responded to the press the way he did." (That last part was in reference to the middle finger to the cameras.)
            • Wait, the people in jail or the authorities who were running the jail? "By the authorities or other people in the jail. He felt that he was being taunted in a way and he was helpless. The point of jail is to make you feel controlled and helpless and secured in an environment in which you have no control. So when you're a (62)-year-old person who is used to being on the other side of the law ... I mean, one of the last people who ever want to go to jail is a former law enforcement officer."
            • Updyke's first two lawyers were court-appointed. A third didn't work out. Threatt is No. 4. "It's difficult when you've got people who are being thrust upon you and not people that you picked," he said.
            • Finebaum plays for Threatt the "Al from Dadeville" tape. Threatt's response: "I think he showed that he lacked consciousness of guilt. But I don't know if that's going to matter. We're not going to be placed in a situation where he's insane. I don't know enough about him to have any reason to believe he's incompetent. The fact that he wasn't aware of the total legal consequences of an act he intended to do, if he's incompetent, he's responsible for it."
            • He won't enter an insanity plea. Said that's rare and that Updyke certainly wouldn't qualify.
            • After a commercial break, we get Barnes on the phone. He is Updyke's "best friend," former landlord in Dadeville and a poster on an Alabama message board TiderInsiders.com named FLORIBAMA.
            • Barnes said he was with Updyke when he was let out of jail. They went to Walmart to get a new cell phone and when he came out, his tires were slashed. at that point, Barnes suggested he not stay in the house he was renting to him in Dadeville. "We just thought it was best that he go somewhere else," Barnes said.
            • It had to be in the state of Alabama, per court orders. Barnes said Updyke doesn't know anybody in the state, so he's staying in the woods in his car (I believe it's a Kia). Barnes described it as "living in his car by a creek."
            • "If I thought he was safe, he could stay (in the house) until Doomsday," Barnes said.
            • Barnes clears some things up. Said Updyke is 62, not 67. He is a retired Texas state trooper, not Alabama. Has four kids. He confirms that Updyke's children have Alabama-themed names. His daughter is Crimson Tyde Updyke. His son is Bear Bryant Updyke. He wanted to name his third daughter Ally Bama Updyke. His wife overruled him, saying "hell no." The child was named Megan.
            • Barnes said he does have the handle FLORIBAMA on the site TiderInsider.com. Posts on that site showed knowledge of the Spike 80DF poisoning of the Toomer's Corner oaks before the Finebaum call from "Al from Dadeville." Barnes said several people have access to his log-in information. "I've never posted anything negative on the site," Barnes said.
            • COMMERCIAL BREAK ... and we're back with more from Barnes. Back to the posts on the website "Harvey has admitted to the Auburn police department that he made those posts on TiderInsiders when he was questioned or interviewed," Barnes said.
            • Barnes said he was working in North Mississippi when he found out about the radio show call from "Al from Dadeville." Talked to Harvey later. He admitted to calling in to the radio show. "I said, 'Man, I don't know why in the world you would do something like that," Barnes said.
            • Was he concerned he would be caught? "He was very concerned," Barnes said. Also a former law enforcement officer, Barnes told Updyke that they probably had a caller ID system. "I said, you made a very, very poor judgment call to call Paul Finebaum, making those kind of allegations," Barnes said. "He became concerned about it, but it was too late. You couldn't put the bullet back in the gun, so to speak."
            • Barnes visited Updyke in jail on Friday. Also talked to lawyer in Montgomery (Jerry Blevins) to represent him. He stayed in the area while Updyke was bonded out. Stayed in Lee County area Friday night before returning to lake house in Dadeville on Saturday. There was news media there. They knew he couldn't stay there.
            • "I won't turn my back on him," Barnes said. "I don't approve of what he's done, if he's done this. But that's neither here nor there. He'll be punished."
            • To best of Barnes' knowledge, Updyke hadn't been to Alabama-Auburn football game until 2000. He didn't go to any more until 2009 when he moved to Alabama. The two of them went to the Rose Bowl following the 2009 season for the BCS national championship game against Texas.
            • "There's no question that Harvey's an Alabama fan. There's no question that I'm an Alabama fan," Barnes said. "But there is a difference between a fan and fanatic."
            • Some background on Updyke, per Barnes: Graduated (not sure where) in 1967, moved to Texas following mother's death in 1969 or '70. Didn't return until two years ago. Barnes said Updyke went to the Bluebonnet bowl in 1970 between Oklahoma and Alabama and ran on the field carrying a box of Tide and a roll of toilet paper.
            • Barnes' opinion on if Updyke did it: "If you asked me if Harvey called the radio station, I would have said yes. If you ask me if he might have committed this crime, I would say ... I can't imagine him doing it for the simple reason that to the best of my knowledge and belief, this would have been something done at night. I can't imagine with based on Harvey's health him taking the chance and doing something like that.
            • Barnes said he doesn't have any knowledge that Updyke knew anything about herbicides. "Nothing in his background of our friendship tells me he knew anything about any type of pesticide, herbicide or whatever you want to refer to it as."
            • Back to the Updyke's treatment in jail: Barnes said they kept him in a cell segregated from the prisoners (possibly a safety issue). But ... "for three days they didn't allow him to have his medication." (This is a point of contention, since he was arrested at 1:26 a.m. Thursday morning and released at 7:30 p.m. Friday, which is 42 hours, not three days). Barnes said they wouldn't let him shower and kept him in a straightjacket for the first 24 hours. "Naturally when he got released, he was a little upset," Barnes said. "As soon as he got in the truck, there's a camera in his face and unfortunately her made an error in judgment and did something he shouldn't have done." (This was a reference to the middle finger he gave the cameras.
            • OK, Barnes was cut off as they went to commercial. Coming back, there was more from Threatt. He says a possible reason for a straighjacket might be for him to not hurt himself. He couldn't imagine that at 62 he would be a threat to anyone else. He later said that he's dealt with the folks at Lee County jail and they're "very conscious of the standards of care that are required of prisoners." He said they do the best they can to secure the safety of the individual. "They probably had reason to believe that there was some psychological and emotional issues and they did it for Harvey," Threatt said.
            • Finebaum goes back to Barnes' notion that he didn't think Updyke is capable of doing something like this. Threatt's response: "It would not surprise me at all, and it would not be the first time that somebody took credit for a highly publicized criminal act and they had nothing to do with it. In many instances, when something like this occurs, there are people who call, crackpots and others who try to take credit for something because they believe that credit is something that they want to have. And so it wouldn't surprise me that he took credit for something that he didn't do." (Question from me: didn't he call to brag about this before anyone knew about it?)
            • Why would he do this? "He is an individual who may have some emotional and psychological problems," Threatt said.
            • Threatt said moving for a change of venue is a "delicate issue." Said you could end up in some place that could be worse. (Quick comment: not quite sure how that could be the case in this instance.) Said it's hard for defendant's to prove that an entire jurisdiction is unfair.
            • Threatt said he is doing this case pro bono. "I'm not rich but I've made enough to give back to the community," he said. Threatt has represented "indigent" clients since 1986. Threat said in his last conversation with Updyke, he didn't have his medicine and didn't have the money to go get it. He said he might pay for it out of pocket.
              • Also, he went to Princeton, so he's not an Auburn or Alabama fan.
              • "Harvey is a person who needs an aggressive advocate right now and not somebody who is just going to be a judge standing next to him," Threatt said. He said it wouldn't surprise him if there was a tort claim after the criminal proceeding but wouldn't worry about that until down the line. "Once I can ensure his freedom and his liberty, then we'll worry about somebody trying to get money from him down the line," he said.

              Two more lawyers ask off Harvey Updyke case

              A third defense attorney has asked to be taken off the case of Harvey Updyke, the man accused of poisoning the oak trees at Toomer's Corner.

              Jerry Blevins of Montgomery filed a motion Tuesday to be taken off the case, saying he had "irreconcilable differences" with Updyke. Blevins said he withdrew because of a conflict that arose this past weekend but wouldn't offer specifics.

              "I probably can't comment on it any more than just some differences arose that mandated my withdrawal from the case," Blevins said.

              Blevins asked the court to delay a March 2 preliminary hearing in District Court of Lee County until Updyke can get new counsel.

              He is the third attorney to ask off the case. Jerry Hauser filed a motion Tuesday morning to withdraw, citing a conflict of interest. His wife, Dr. Margaret Fitch-Hauser, is the head of the Department of Communications and Journalism at Auburn University.

              Updyke's first appointed attorney, Philip Tyler, was granted a similar removal from the case last Friday because of numerous personal and family ties to the school.

              Updyke was released from Lee County Detention Center last Friday on $50,000 bond.

              And here's more from an AP story today that outlines some of the treatments taking place on the tree.

              Cam Newton will do it all at NFL Combine

              Cam Newton won't hold anything back at the NFL Combine.

              The former Auburn quarterback, who received the Davey O'Brien Award on Monday night in Fort Worth, Texas, as the nation's top quarterback, told several outlets that he will throw at the NFL scouting combine, which starts Thursday in Indianapolis.

              Newton said he wants "to be transparent" through the NFL draft process.

              "I don’t have nothing to hide, and I’m a competitor,” Newton told the Associated Press. “I’m going to go out here and do what I’ve been working on this whole time and preparing for this moment right now.”

              Newton, who held a workout for the media earlier this month in San Diego, was previously non-committal about whether or not he would throw at the combine.

              Newton has been working with quarterback coach George Whitfield and has been mentored by football Hall of Famer Warren Moon. He realizes how important the interview process is as the combine, particularly considering the questions surrounding his recruitment in college.

              “It’s just as important, if not (more) important than the play on the field,” Newton said. “You can’t overlook that by no means. If you don’t sell yourself to an organization, I think you’re going to be skipped in that process and I don’t want to be skipped.”

              Newton's draft stock varies depending on the analyst. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. currently projects the quarterback to go No. 3 to the Buffalo Bills. Fellow ESPN analyst Todd McShay has Newton going 10th to the Washington Redskins.

              Newton is one of five former Auburn players who will participate at the NFL Combine, joining defensive tackle Nick Fairley, offensive lineman Lee Ziemba, and running back Mario Fannin.

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              Sunday, February 20, 2011

              New bats are expected to set new standard in college baseball

              I won't be out at Plainsman Park for the final game of opening weekend for Auburn against UAB. But I did write this lengthy Sunday article for our paper about the new bat standard for the NCAA this year and how it might radically alter the game. Here's how it starts:
              AUBURN, Ala. -- The high, deep fly ball looked good off the bat of Casey McElroy, soaring toward left-center field as the Auburn crowd stood in anticipation of the season’s first home run.

              Not with college baseball’s less-lively bats. Instead, the ball caromed high off the wall, leaving the Tigers third baseman with a double.

              “I think it would have been out (last year),” McElroy said. “I don’t know how far. I knew right when I hit it I had to run.”

              Expect more of that this season after the NCAA, concerned by skyrocketing offensive numbers and the injury risk from exceedingly high speeds of batted balls, made its biggest changes to bat standards in more than a decade.

              The new bats, which lack the distinctive “ping” associated with the college game, conform to standards similar to the wood bats used in professional baseball, with a smaller sweet spot, less of the “trampoline effect” common in old composite bats and, as a result, decreased speeds.

              Coaches and players anticipate a radical change to the game, with fewer slugfests that pass the four-hour mark, an across-the-board drop in home runs and scoring and, as baseball purists love to hear, an added emphasis on pitching and defense.

              “I think it’s probably closer to what baseball should be,” Georgia coach David Perno said.
              Read the full thing here. Follow the blog on Twitter and Facebook.

              Saturday, February 19, 2011

              Auburn men's swimming and diving captures 15th straight SEC title; women place third

              The Auburn men's swimming and diving team won its 15th straight SEC championship Saturday at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

              The Tigers beat second-place Florida by 17 points, 799-782. The schools have finished 1-2 in the event each of the last 10 years.

              “This is the way this meet is supposed to be,” head coach Brett Hawke said. “The SEC is an extremely tough conference and Florida always gives us a run for our money. We have a tough team and winning the SEC title is a part of who we are. We have a tradition of excellence and this is an amazing team. I couldn’t be more proud of their fight and will to hold on in the end.”

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              The Auburn men have won 17 titles in the last 18 years.

              The Tigers' women's team, meanwhile, finished third overall with 563 points, behind Georgia and Florida. It was the 15th year in a row they've finished third or better.

              Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace was named SEC Female Swimmer of the Year and also was one of two competitors to earn the women’s SEC Commissioner’s Trophy for high points scorer of the meet.

              Senior diver Dan Mazzaferro was named SEC Male Diver of the Year and was one of two to take the men’s SEC Commissioner’s Trophy.

              Diving coach Jeff Shaffer was named the SEC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year for the fifth-straight year.

              Auburn's Top Finishers
              Women: 1650 Free - 8. Gardocki (16:10.56); 200 Back - 6. Bos (1:55.99); 100 Free - 1. Vanderpool-Wallace (46.81); 200 Breast - 2. Lawrence (2:10.23); 200 Fly - 13. Roberts (2:00.83); 400 Free Relay - 1. Riordan, Geary, Bos, Vanderpool-Wallace (3:13.03).

              Men: 1650 Free - 4. Grothe (14:57.56) 200 Back -2. Owens (1:40.36); 100 Free - 1. Brown (41.92); 200 Breast - t4. Ferguson & Klein (1:57.32); 200 Fly -8. Looney (1:46.64); 400 Free Relay - 1. Brown, Krug, Modrov, Norys (2:49.95).
              Here are Auburn's automatic NCAA qualifiers:

              MEN
              • Adam Brown - 50 Free (19.05)
              • Adam Brown - 100 Free (41.92)
              • Tony Cox - 100 Back (45.72)
              • Karl Krug - 50 Free (19.27)
              • 200 free relay: Adam Brown, Marcelo Chierighini, Chris Manning, Karl
              • Krug (1:16.56)
              • 400 free relay: Adam Brown, Karl Krug, Drew Modrov, Kohlton Norys
              • (2:49.95)
              • 800 free relay: Kyle Owens, Zane Grothe, Karl Krug, Kohlton Norys
              • (6:21.79)
              • 200 medley relay: Jared White, Adam Klein, Adam Brown, Kohlton Norys
              • (1:25.52)
              • 400 Medley Relay: Kyle Owens, Stuart Ferguson, Tony Cox, Adam Brown (3:06.52)
              WOMEN
              • Micah Lawrence - 100 Breast (59.95)
              • Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace - 50 Free (21.34)
              • Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace - 100 Free (46.81)
              • Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace - 100 Fly (51.98)
              • 200 free relay: Hannah Riordan, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Lindsey
              • Norberg, Olivia Scott (1:28.25)
              • 400 free relay: Hannah Riordan, Caitlin Geary, Emily Bos, Arianna
              • Vanderpool-Wallace (3:13.03)
              • 200 medley relay: Emily Bos, Lauren Norberg, Olivia Scott, Arianna
              • Vanderpool-Wallace (1:36.11)

              Tigers 'let go of the rope' in 77-60 loss to Vandy

              AUBURN, Ala. — For 26 minutes, Auburn hung with No. 18 Vanderbilt, going back and forth with the SEC East's second-place team in what head coach Tony Barbee likened to a tug of war.

              "I thought we let go of the rope in the second half," Barbee said.

              The Commodores used a 20-2 run during a seven-minute stretch midway through the second half Saturday in a 77-60 win over the Tigers at the Auburn Arena.

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              After showing signs of life during a four-game stretch that saw it earn its only two league victories, Auburn (9-17, 2-10 SEC) took a step backward in the last week, losing to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt by an average of 24 points.

              Barbee was particularly irked Saturday by Auburn's 19 turnovers, the second most it has had in an SEC game. Vanderbilt (20-6, 8-4 SEC) didn't press once during the game, instead allowing the Tigers to hurt themselves.

              Even guard Earnest Ross, a rare bright spot with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, committed 6 turnovers.

              "We just made the worst decisions with the basketball I've ever seen in the second half," Barbee said. "We had guys wide open on backdoors, wide open on post-ups. We had guys who had the ball just taken right out of their hands. Just disappointing."

              Even worse, it affected Auburn's defense. After shooting only 36 percent in the first half, Vanderbilt made 60 percent of its shots after the break.

              "We started to hang our head and let our lack of offense and our lack of toughness in terms of securing the ball and making great decisions, we let it affect our defense," Barbee said.

              A little room was all it took for Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins to shake off a slow start. The sophomore, who leads the league in scoring with 19.8 points per game, struggled early, missing his first five shots.

              But, like he did when scoring all 21 of his points in the second half of a victory at Georgia earlier this week, he found his shooting touch, scoring 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. He finished with five of the Commodores' nine 3-pointers.

              Jeffery Taylor added 20 points and Brad Tinsley 16 for Vanderbilt, which reached 20 wins for the sixth time under coach Kevin Stallings.

              "Those guys are veteran. They don't panic," Barbee said. "They stay to what they do and they made plays and made shots."

              Some frustration boiled over for Auburn by the end. Barbee was on his players throughout the second half, but diverted his scorn to the referees after two ticky-tack fouls on Ross and Kenny Gabriel.

              He earned a technical and had to be held back by two assistants from storming onto the court to address the refs.

              "Coach is always that competitive," said Gabriel, Auburn's only other player in double figures with 13 points. "He likes us to be more physical than the other team. ... It doesn't surprise me that he acted like that. It looked like he was ready to go out there, but I'm glad he didn't."

              Auburn returns to action Wednesday at Alabama, starting at 8 p.m. ET.

              Friday, February 18, 2011

              Auburn beats Arkansas State 12-5 in opener

              AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn's new-look lineup didn't flash the power it did last year, but it still showed it is still capable of scoring some runs.

              The No. 23 Tigers didn't hit a home run but scored four times in the third and seventh innings of a 12-5 win against Arkansas State on Friday in front of a crowd of 4,096, a school record for a season-opener.

              "We have to create runs," Auburn head coach John Pawlowski said. "I think that's what our team identity is going to be. And we've got some big, strong guys in the lineup, but we've got to find ways to create some offense."

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              Auburn (1-0), which slugged its way to within one game of the Super Regional last year, setting the school record in home runs thanks to MLB draft picks Hunter Morris, Brian Fletcher and Trent Mummey, didn't hit the ball out of the park once Friday.

              Instead it showed a versatile offensive game, walking, bunting and stealing its way to 12 runs on 13 hits.

              "I think we did some good things with the short game," Pawlowski said. "We put a little pressure on them and slashed a little bit."

              Auburn scored in a variety ways. In the third, it was patience. Arkansas State starter Andy Ferguson (0-1) issued four walks and hit a batter. Freshman Zach Alvord made it 4-0 with a two-run single, the only hit of the inning.

              Arkansas State (0-1) pulled withing 6-5 in the seventh, but Auburn pulled away with another four-run inning.

              With two runners on in the seventh, Justin Bryant put down a bunt that third baseman Claude Johnson threw into right field, allowing two runs to score.

              "That's what we worked on all fall," said third baseman Casey McElroy, who went 3-for-4. "We knew with the new (less lively) bats we weren't going to be able to hit the home runs like we did last year. So we worked on small ball and moving runners."

              Justin Hargett and Justin Fradejas followed with back-to-back RBI doubles that pushed the lead to 10-5.

              Starter Slade Smith (1-0) pitched 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowing four runs on six hits. He faced one over the minimum through three innings, allowing one baserunner on an error.

              Creede Simpson was 3-for-3 with four runs scored and a stolen base.

              Auburn hosts No. 14 Virginia today at Plainsman Park at 2 p.m. ET. Left-hander Cory Luckie will start for the Tigers.

              Updyke released from jail after posting bail

              Harvey Updyke, the man police say poisoned Auburn's Toomer's Corner oak trees, was released from jail Friday night after posting bail, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones confirmed.

              The 62-year-old Updyke, from Dadeville, Ala., was arrested early Thursday morning in connection with the historic trees' poisoning and charged with one count of criminal mischief, a Class C felony.

              Bail was set at $50,000, although a local bail bondsman only had to produce a fraction of that for Updyke's release. Jones did not have the exact figure.

              He was released from Lee County Detention Center around 7:30 local time, Jones said.

              Auburn announces next steps for Toomer's Corner, urges fans not to roll the trees

              Auburn University is mapping out a plan to save the Toomer's Corner oaks and is asking fans not to roll the trees.

              A task force has been formed that is designed to save the famed trees. It includes experts in horticulture, agronomy, civil engineering, forestry, chemistry and landscape services.

              They've asked fans not to walk in the trees' bedding area, which could further damage the trees. Workers have put up a fence around the bedding area and added a tarp to keep rainwater from going into the roots.

              A release by the school said soil removal begins early next week, with soil samples being taken to determine the concentration of herbicide at different depths.

              Civil engineers will also install small cylinders to monitor the downward spread of the herbicide Spike 80DF.

              Further actions will be based on the results of the initial steps.

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              Joint statement by Auburn's Gene Chizik, Alabama's Nick Saban on Toomer's Oaks

              Auburn coach Gene Chizik and Alabama coach Nick Saban issued a joint statement today about the Toomer's Corner oak trees poisoning:
              “This is an isolated incident by one individual that is not representative of what the greatest rivalry in college football is all about. The players and coaches at both schools have a tremendous amount of respect for each other on and off the field, and we encourage our fans to show that same amount of respect now and in the future. We will move beyond this regrettable incident and continue to enjoy this great rivalry.”
              Chizik also released a statement specifically to Auburn fans:
              “It’s unfortunate that an incident like this has occurred, but it was an isolated act by one individual. I encourage the entire Auburn family to continue to show class and dignity moving forward. While the trees at Toomer’s may have been poisoned, the roots and spirit of Auburn will continue to be as strong as they have ever been.”
              Looks like the schools are serious about trying to cool off the rivalry a bit. Earlier today, the student presidents of both school issued a joint statement urging the fans to act in a respectful manner.

              Here's the full thing:
              We are disappointed with the vandalism that has occurred to the famous oak trees at Toomer's Corner on the campus of Auburn University. We share this disappointment with the Auburn and Alabama alumni, students and fans who recognize this as an insult to the longstanding and unparalleled rivalry between our two exceptional schools.

              Now more than ever is a time to reflect on what this rivalry means to all the people associated with these two universities. As collegiate students from both Auburn and Alabama prepare to take leadership roles across the state and nation, we collectively welcome our responsibility in shaping the future of our alma maters. We must ensure that the values our universities have imbued in us - values of respect, fairness, empathy and honesty - live on for future generations.

              Part of that responsibility is to make certain that the greatest rivalry in college sports goes forward in an atmosphere of honor and mutual respect.

              Today, we encourage all students to act in a manner that represents the mission and values of our institutions. By committing ourselves to those values, we may look forward to a future that is marked by commonalities: the preservation of traditions, the pursuit of excellence, and the constant betterment of both Auburn University and The University of Alabama.

              War Eagle, and Roll Tide,
              Kurt Sasser, SGA President, Auburn University
              James Fowler, SGA President, The University of Alabama

              Updyke given new court-appointed attorney

              Harvey Updyke, who is accused of poisoning the oak trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn, was given a new court-appointed attorney Friday.

              Lee County District Court Judge Russell K. Bush appointed Jerry W. Hauser to represent Updyke, who was arrested early Thursday morning for criminal mischief in the first degree, a Class C felony. If convicted, he could face a punishment of one to 10 years in prison.

              Updyke's original court-appointed attorney, Philip O. Tyler, filed a motion to be taken off the case Thursday, citing a conflict of interest. It was granted Friday.

              Tyler is a former part-time professor at Auburn and has represented the university in the past. He also has lived in the city since 1988 and has "numerous personal and family ties" to the school, according to documents filed in court.

              Updyke is currently being held on $50,000 bond.

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              All of today's stories on the Toomer's oak trees

              It was a full day of tree coverage in the wake of the Toomer's Corner oaks poisoning. Here are the Ledger-Enquirer's stories to fill you in after the arrest of 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke of Dadeville, Ala.

              Two are by me, one is by Larry Gierer, who was up in Dadeville yesterday, and another by columnist Richard Hyatt.
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              And here are some other links you might find interesting:
              • There is a Facebook page for this Saturday's "Tree Hug" at Toomer's Corner. (Must log in to see it.) There were 7,500 who planned to attend as of early Friday morning. Here's another page dedicated to saving Toomer's Corner.
              • And if you're not following the Toomers Oaks Twitter account, you should.. Plenty of quips. ("Mmmmm... activated charcoal. At this point, I don't care if I OD on the stuff. Bring it.")
              • Didn't see this until late Thursday night, but Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, as usual, sums things up nicely in this poignant article about Toomer's Corner.
              • And lastly, this picture was on the university's web page. It's Toomer's Corner from the 1890's.

              Thursday, February 17, 2011

              Updyke's court-appointed lawyer moves to withdraw as counsel, citing conflict of interest

              The court-appointed attorney of Harvey Updyke, the man accused of poisoning Toomer's Corner oak trees, has moved to withdraw as counsel on the case.

              Philip Tyler filed a motion in the District Court of Lee County on Thursday to be taken off the case, citing a "clear conflict" of interest.

              Tyler's law firm currently represents Auburn University, the victim in the case. The motion also said Tyler was a former part-time professor at Auburn University and, as a resident in the city since 1988, has "numerous personal and family ties" to the school.

              Updyke has been charged with criminal mischief, a Class C feloney, in relation to the tree poisonings but could face additional federal charges. He is being held on $50,000 bond.

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              Affidavit: Finebaum call, suspicious phone message to AU professor led police to Updyke

              A call to The Paul Finebaum Show and a suspicious voice message to an Auburn professor led police to arrest 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke in the Toomer's Corner oak trees poisonings, according to an affidavit filed Thursday.

              Updyke was arrested early Thursday morning for criminal mischief in the first degree, a Class C felony. He is being held on $50,000 bond and faces one to 10 years in prison if convicted.

              A court affidavit revealed that around Jan. 28, Auburn police were made aware of a telephone call to The Paul Finebaum Show by a caller named "Al from Dadeville," who claimed to have poisoned the historic Auburn trees at Toomer's Corner using a herbicide called Spike 80DF. Soil tests confirmed the presence of the substance.

              A professor at Auburn's Turfgrass Management and Weed Science also received a suspicious telephone message around Feb. 7 from someone who claimed to have knowledge about the tree's poisoning.

              The message was recorded and was consistent with the voice on the radio show, according to the affidavit.

              Auburn police obtained telephone records from Auburn University and made a covert call to the number from the suspicious message. The voice that answered was consistent with the voice on the radio show and message. Police came upon Updyke as a suspect after an investigation.

              Updyke made an oral statement to police admitting to making the phone calls to the Finebaum Radio Show and the Auburn professor, the affidavit said. He later denied actually poisoning the trees.

              Additionally, Lee County District Attorney Robert Treese asked the court to add three conditions towards the $50,000 bond for Updyke: prohibit him from entering the Auburn campus, prohibit him from possessing any firearms, weapons, or any toxic or dangerous chemicals, substances, or herbicdes and mandating he enter an anger management program

              Updyke's court-appointed attorney is Philip Tyler. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

              More than you wanted to know about Spike 80DF and the poisoning of Toomer's Corner's oak trees

              Stephen Enloe, an assistant professor for Agronomy and Soils at Auburn, became emotional when talking about the poisoned Toomer's Corner oaks Thursday, choking up as he gave a grim prognosis for the trees' survival.

              "It's an emotional question," he said, maintaining his composure. "I always want to hold out hope. Based upon the technical experts I have consulted with around the country, the concentration of Spike found within the soil would suggest there's a very low probability."

              The Toomer's Corner oak trees are all over the news today, after police say they were poisoned with a herbicide by Harvey Updyke Jr. of Dadeville, Ala.

              Several Auburn spokesmen and horticultural experts spoke about the trees' treatment and future today. Enloe is picture on the left. Gary Keever, the school's Professor of Horticulture, is on the right.

              Here's more than a sportswriter ever envisioned having to write about poisoned trees:
              • What is Spike 80DF? It's an herbicide commonly used for total vegetation control. It kills most plants and is used in areas where tree control is needed, such as industrial areas, near electrical or pumping stations and, most commonly, along fence roads. It works by inhibiting photosynthesis, essentially starving the tree.
              • Enloe said the herbicide is water soluble and has moved into the soil profile beneath the trees, if it was put near the trees in the late fall as "Al from Dadeville" claimed on The Paul Finebaum Show. The trees have not been actively growing this winter, but as the temperature gets warmer, it will take up the herbicide through the roots. The leaves will turn yellow and brown and fall off, but it doesn't mean the tree is dead. Enloe said many species of trees "leaf out" after the initial uptake of Spike, but since the herbicide is in the soil, it will uptake again and repeat the death cycle. This can happen several times before the tree actually dies.
              • How much stuff was in the soil? Enloe said between .78 parts per million and about 51 parts per million. Evidence exists that the herbicide can be toxic to some species of oaks at 100 parts per billion. So quite a bit. "Every expert I've talked to around the country in mentioning rates up to 51 parts per million, they were very discouraged and did not offer up a lot of hope (for survival) due to the extremely high concentration," Enloe said.
              • How did Updyke allegedly do it? Good question. "We don’t know if he mixed it up in a Coke can and just knocked it over out there," Enloe said. "We don’t know if he sprinkled for the formulation. We just don’t know." Enloe also didn't know how much was used. "The concentration in the top three inches is extremely hot," he said. "That might suggest it hasn’t moved much farther than that. Hopefully, it hasn’t."
              • Spike 80DF is not a restricted use product, but it is not widely available. Enloe said you would have to go to an agricultural cooperative or pesticide distributor to purchase it. He also said it is not cheap. "There's some cost involved," he said.
              • This part was interesting: The label is the law. "So the label is a legally binding document so that anything you do with that herbicide that is not in agreement with what the label directs you to do is a violation of federal law," Enloe said.
              • Keever said that Spike is a material that has never been used on campus at Auburn. Enloe added that it specifically says on the label not to use near vegetation you don't want to injure. "The detection of the chemical up here is not an accident," Keever said. "It's not there because of anything that might have occurred on campus as a part of routine activity."
              • How will the trees be affected moving forward? Keever said Spike has a half-life of 12-15 months. It's likely to be in the soil for 3-5 years and can inhibit growth for up to 7 years.
              • What has the university done so far? First, they've taken additional soil samples to find out the extent of the Spike -- if it has moved into the landscaping or can damage other vegetation. Those samples are expected back in 7-10 days. They have treated the tree beds with liquid charcoal, which is an absorbent that binds to the herbicide and inactivates it. Keever acknowledged the herbicide has likely moved beyond that. He was unsure how far and in what direction.
              • Why not remove the soil, you say? Keever said that the dense roots and granite curbing around the trees make that very difficult, if not impossible. He said the ground was so dense with roots that it was very difficult to even take soil samples. "There may be ways to remove some of the soil," he said. "A lot of people have offered advice. They are very willing to help to do anything to save the trees to increase the chances of survival." One way was a vacuum to remove the soil out of the root zone, which is still an extreme longshot. Keever said after things settle down, they'll decide a course of action to take.
              • Can it affect the surrounding trees? Yes. "If it moves into the landscape -- we've got hollies, magnolias, a white oak -- if those root zones come in contact with the herbicide, they'll absorb it just like the live oaks have," Keever said. "And there's a real chance of injury."
              • What about the water, you might ask hysterically? Tom McCauley of the Department of Risk Management and Safety with a focus on environmental compliance and responsibility said it is extremely unlikely. The soil is dense, making the migration of the herbicide difficult. The uppermost aquifer is five feet below ground. A drinking water well is 150-200 feet below the ground. "Very little chance to impact the groundwater for drinking water purposes," McCauley said.
              • There is a very, very low risk to humans. "You would have to eat quite a bit of it," Enloe said. "A 150-pound male would have to consume at least two ounces of it to have an adverse affect. If it got in your eyes, if you washed it out immediately, there wouldn’t be problems. If you decided to pack it in your eyes and leave it, you’d have eye injuries. ... Basically, anybody celebrating out there under that tree would have eaten several pounds of dirt to have a negative effect."
              • Can people go near the trees? Enloe doesn't suggest it. "The less impact below the trees right now would be the best thing for them," he said. "I wouldn't want 100 people stomping around the base of those trees to be honest with you. I don't think that's a good idea." (They've been cordoned off by police barricades to prevent people from getting too close).
              • What if the trees don't make it? "The soil would be excavated, new soil brought in and an environment created where trees could grow and thrive," Keever said.
              • That's getting ahead of things for now. Deedie Dowdle, Auburn's Executive Director and a school spokesman, said the school is "hoping for a miracle." She didn't want to speak about limiting the rolling of the oaks "With the president being gone, I certainly don't want to say that we're not going to roll the oaks anymore," she said. "Last night, I don't think we could have stopped it if we wanted to."
              • Will it prevent future celebrations at Toomer's Corner? "We heard someone say, well, did the Grinch steal Christmas? No," Dowdle said. "The celebrations at Toomer's Corner existed before the rolling of the trees. Not before the trees. But before they rolled the trees they rolled the corner. There will be a lot of things we can do to make those celebrations continue and of course, if the advice is that we not roll the trees to save them, I imagine members of the Auburn family would honor that."

              Auburn police chief on Toomer's oaks arrest: 'This is a person who obviously has problems'

              AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn police have arrested Harvey Almorn Updyke of Dadeville, Ala., in connection with the Toomer's Corner oak tree poisonings.

              The 62-year-old Updyke has been charged with one Class C felony count of criminal mischief and faces one to 10 years in prison if convicted.

              He made an initial appearance in court this morning to hear the charges. He is being held on $50,000 bond, Auburn police chief Tommy Dawson said at a morning press conference in front of Samford Hall. As of this morning, he was still incarcerated.

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              With help from the FBI, U.S. Marshalls, State of Alabama Department of Agricultural Industries and Tallapoosa County Sheriff's office, the Auburn police arrested Updyke at 1:26 a.m. Thursday morning, only hours after releasing information that the iconic Toomer's Corner oak trees are likely to die after being poisoned with the herbicide Spike 80DF.

              Updyke was arrested at the Auburn police department, although Dawson would not say what led the police to the suspect or whether or not he turned himself in.

              "This is a person who obviously has problems to do something like this," Dawson said. "We want to use caution and let the justice system take its course."

              Dawson said the police received information that the trees were poisoned last month, prompting an investigation.

              A caller on The Paul Finebaum Radio Show named "Al from Dadeville" bragged on Jan. 27 that he used Spike 80DF to poison the trees, which are rolled with toilet paper following football victories. He claimed to be an Alabama fan who did it in response to Auburn fans placing a jersey of Tigers quarterback Cam Newton on a statue of former Crimson Tide coach Paul "Bear" Bryant after the Iron Bowl.

              Dawson did not confirm whether Updyke was the caller.

              He said police are still investigating but do not anticipate any other arrests.

              "I do believe he acted alone," Dawson said.

              Auburn horticulture experts Gary Keever and Stephen Enloe do not know how long the trees will live.

              "I always want to hold out hope," said Enloe, who choked up. "Based upon the technical experts I have consulted with around the country, the concentration of Spike found within the soil would suggest there's a very low probability."

              Enloe said the herbicide, which is used primarily to protect pasture fences from being overgrown, has moved into the soil around the area. He said the herbicide is likely to be in the soil for three to five years and can inhibit growth for up to seven years.

              Keever said Auburn has never used Spike 80DF and the the amounts found around the Toomer's trees could not have been an accident.

              Back with more on this story in a bit. Also check Ledger-Enquirer.com for complete updates.