UPDATE: New video provides better view of pregame beak bender.
They can call it a “senior project” all they want, but it’s starting to seem seem like Robo-Eagle may really come in handy soon… because Spirit and Nova are just getting way too good at scaring the hell out of Auburn fans:
In all seriousness, ye olde bird of prey seemed none the worse for wear after ramming his own reflection (and terrifying children) during his traditional pregame flight. After picking the heads of several fans clean of lice, he finallyyyyyyyyyyy EAGLE’d, HEY! and was taken off the field as if nothing had happened.
Nova, for what it’s worth, was thrilled but concerned:
It’s just another day in Jordan-Hare. Heart-stopping finishes. Heart-stopping eagle encounters. Don’t worry, folks — it’s all part of the Auburn show.
UPDATE: Family in luxury box recalls eagle encounter, photographs eagle grease.
Related: Auburn Eagle statue at Toomer’s Corner de-beaked / Harvey Updyke sign at Auburn tailgate.
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May want to think about a helmet and HANS device for that bird.
The crowd reaction is a trip.
My three children and I were sitting in the front row of our skybox when he hit right in the middle of our glass. My 4 year old honestly thought the eagle was trying to eat our 11 month old. I have a picture of the grease spot it left and you can see all the parts of the bird.
Spirit, which frat house did you did you do a fly by before the game? Seriously, when you “kissed the glass”, we thought it was an omen. Little did we know that when you got hit in the nose, you accomplished the mission and got your prey on the field. Same here. WAR EAGLE! Can you and Gene get together and looking into booking direct non-stops?
It will be interesting to see how the raptor team tries to correct that. I know the tradition is just a few years old but it has become such a unique incredible part of the Auburn Gameday Experience, it must be preserved, improved and built upon. One thing I have thought for a long time is, we need to come up with something better to release the eagle out of than a simple dog crate. Surely, there is a woodworker or somebody out there in the Auburn Family who could craft a better cage than that. Make something that looks like a tree trunk or eagles nest or something. Who can make this happen?