There’s an open letter from sports writer Rachel Bachman to Mr. Gus Malzahn in today’s Wall Street Journal, and Bachman just comes out with it: Auburn is American football’s last chance for salvation… because a third straight national title for the Crimson Tide would push the game to the brink of boring.
“Alabama is the only team that brings no mystery to the table. The Tide are simply so good, so methodical, that they seem to remove the element of chance,” Bachman writes, addressing Malzahn. “Without it, what’s the fun of watching? But you and Auburn, can change all that with one big game.”
When it comes to entertainment, Bachman feels the Tigers are the anti-Tide.
It seems that the Auburn football program was built as a thrill ride Just three seasons ago, when you were offensive coordinator at Auburn, quarterback Cam Newton led the Tigers to a national championship—including a regular-season comeback from a 24-point deficit against Alabama to stay unbeaten. The Tigers tanked last season, going 3-9 and firing Gene Chizik, the guy who coached that title game. Clearly, Auburn is not a place of half-measures.”
You have an amazing opportunity, Coach. You’ll have to get past a pesky Georgia team next Saturday in order to turn your game against Alabama into a tiebreaker for the SEC West title. But it can be done. Your team gained 437 yards against LSU in your only loss of the season, and showed its mettle in upsetting Texas A&M at raucous Kyle Field. You also have a better-than-average defense, 22nd in the nation in preventing scores.
Granted, Missouri has had a spectacular season in the SEC East, and is on track to reach the conference championship game. But do those Tigers have what it takes to stare down an ocean of crimson and beat Alabama at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta? Perhaps it’s better not to find out.
You can read the full letter here.
[UPDATE] And here it is in print… [via Julia Harlin Tilou]
h/t Jed Johnson.
Related: Wall Street Journal says Auburn football worth millions more than Alabama football.
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Rachel must not watch much BAMA football. Understandable, being she’s an Auburn fan who can’t stand Alabama’s winning. If she would put down her pen and take a peek at a game like the one a few days ago against LSU, she would have found it very exciting -complete with a fake punt, turn overs, broken passing records, great runs by more than one running back, awesome defensive plays, four QB sacks in the fourth…come on Rachel, don’t give us football fan women a bad name…the stadium was ROCKIN’! Hope it will be on November 30th as well. Let me know how BORING it is in your letter Sunday, December 1!!!
I never realized how much the Alabama Football Team was hated until I saw this link. You got to be kidding me. I am a Alabama Fan. I come from a Alabama Football Family. But wake up World IT IS A GAME….. But for those who did not watch the Alabama and LSU game last week it was far from boring and it was exciting. But to Rachel Bachman you must have a great life if all you have to worry about is if Alabama is going to win their third national championship in a row.