Wright Thompson on the Auburn tree poisoner

The inmates of Philadelphia will pelt you with bottles and cans first. Then punch your face.

 

We used to ignore these morons and let them shuffle off to some place of detention, hopefully rot there for a while. Now they need to have their story told.

 

Yeah. All the other times someone poisoned and killed the most famous trees in Alabama because of sports, we ignored it. What has happened to us?

 

I wasn't suggesting that you actually indulge. Just trying to help the sarcasm-impaired.

 

If the story glorified the man or defended him in any way I might agree. I don't think it does that. I think it portrays him as the miserable fuck that he is.

Is this the first time he's talked publicly since being arrested?

 

I wonder how many college football coaches have full-time bodyguards. I remember someone telling me that eight of the 12 SEC coaches (at the time) had them.

I'd be very surprised if any other conference had more than a couple who had them.

 

Ever see the movie Talk Radio? Yeah, well, same premise, except trees were killed at the end of the movie instead of the radio show host.

 

Other than pronouncements of innocence outside the courtroom, I believe so.

 

THE MOST FAMOUS TREES IN ALABAMA!

 

Outside the Lines did a piece on this a few months ago. Not sure of the percentage, but most big-time college football coaches of recent vintage --- Bobby Bowden, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel --- have had some form of personal security. It's a very prestigious position within individual state police departments, sort of like when a Secret Service agent moves up to the President's personal detail.

And by "full-time," do you mean a state trooper escort on game day and for public appearances, or a guy (or group of guys) that's with them 24 hours a day? Not sure many have the latter, though I wouldn't be surprised if Nick Saban has someone to walk him to his car and/or tail him to and from the office.