Monday, December 19, 2011

Yeldon gives verbal to ‘Bama, AU fans in hysteria

Daphne High School (AL) running back T.J. Yeldon has officially decommitted from Auburn University and given his verbal commitment to the University of Alabama. Yeldon is expected to enroll at UA next month.

Yeldon, who is considered one of the top running backs in the nation in respect to the 2012 signing class, verbally committed to Auburn in June but changed that commitment Sunday afternoon.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect was considered a “firm verbal” to Auburn, but in the wake of AU’s mediocre offensive production this season, coupled with the recent departure of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, Yeldon became a potential “flip” as the days moved forward.

Yeldon, who is regarded as a five-star talent per Rivals.com, has caused a major stir due to his recent verbal pledge to Alabama.

While fans of the Crimson Tide rejoice at the promise of adding yet another quality running back to the stable, Auburn fans have turned on Yeldon, his family, and virtually everyone associated with the University of Alabama.

“Switching is fine, but show some class when you do it,” expresses one AU supporter. “This kid's obviously a piece of crap thug.”

Using social media and various message boards to proclaim displeasure, the “Auburn Family” is convinced that Alabama and Nick Saban provided Yeldon and his family with impermissible benefits in exchange for his football services.

“It's time to take the gloves off,” writes a zealous fan. “Those (Alabama) scumbags need to be taken down by any means necessary.”

While the conspiracy theories have kept AU fans busy, one can’t live on “cheap fiction” alone. Auburn fans have also directed scathing remarks towards Yeldon via Twitter and wished him virtually everything short of physical death.

“…Would never wish this on anyone but T.J. Yeldon, I hope you tear every ligament in your knee,” tweets AU fan @ChapmanTanner1.

Although the above remark has since been deleted and replaced with an apology, the original “tweet” was well documented courtesy of various Twitter users exploiting the “retweet” function.

Auburn’s “fan meltdown” is certainly nothing new and the “syndrome” has become even more pervasive since 2008. The lack of basic common sense, coupled with delusions of grandeur in respect to the “worth” of the AU football program, has created utter pandemonium more often than not.

In respect to the T.J. Yeldon saga, Auburn fans simply can’t believe a highly-touted recruit would dare take a “step down” and agree to WILLINGLY play for the University of Alabama. How could someone leave Auburn for Alabama without being paid?

“This certainly rots. I'm going to love finding the money trail,” writes one Auburn madcap. “Right now it’s hard to tell if he played us or if he was simply paid off. Going to check this out right now…”

While “Mr. Tin Foil Hat” is checking it all out, sanity has arrived with a dose of reality.

Yeldon didn’t reject Auburn for Troy; he turned down Auburn for one of the elite programs in the nation.

As much as it pains Tiger fans to read and comprehend…Auburn is not an elite program and Gene Chizik is not Vince Lombardi.

Auburn is, at best, a perennial top-25 program, and Chizik is just a “yes man” in a windbreaker.

On the other hand, with an overall record of 47-6 since the 2008 season, the University of Alabama is one of the elite football programs in the nation.

Validated as a perennial national title contender since the ’08 campaign, UA is now on the cusp of earning the school’s second national title in three seasons.

Alabama also stakes claim to the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and the 2011 Heisman Trophy third-place recipient.

What does it all mean?

Five-star prospects want to play for a stable “five-star” program. Auburn does not have a stable “five-star” program at this time.

Keep this in mind ladies and gents, prolific high school football players want to EAT Chick-fil-A after winning the BCS title…not PLAY in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

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