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'Bama-Auburn Pregame Nothing Special
But Game Day Makes 'Iron Bowl' Worth It
It was something like discovering there really isn't a Santa Claus. Or that the Easter Bunny doesn't lay multi-colored eggs. Or that Raquel Welch stuffs tissue paper in her bra.
The annual Auburn-Alabama "Iron Bowl," a game that Tide coach Ray Perkins calls "the biggest football game in the world," the game Perkins says "affects more lives than the Super Bowl," is preceded by an atmosphere which affects almost no lives at all.
The day before the Iron Bowl there were no colorful flags or streamers hanging from downtown Birmingham's light poles, no signs proclaiming "Yea Bama" or "Go Auburn." There wasn't one
	Stan Torgerson Cats' Pause Columnist
	
suggestion, oral or written, that either team "Go To Hell."
It was my first in-person Alabama-Auburn game and frankly, I expected more. When I called Alabama's capable Sports Information Director, Wayne Atcheson, for press credentials, he snorted upon discovering I was staying at the Birmingham Hilton Hotel. "You're with those Auburn people." he said. I almost apologized for having a roof over my head. Auburn's SID. David Housel. had given me the room from his hotel allotment. Obviously I should have told Wayne I was at the Holiday Inn.
There aren't two better SID's in the Southeastern Conference than Wayne and David. There may be some as good, but there aren't any that are better. They are also not the least bit impartial when it comes to the Iron Bowl.
Wayne should know, however, that the atmosphere at the hotel had all the color and excitement of a plumbers' convention.
The large number of Auburn students staying at the Hilton walked the halls calmly. They didn't run. There were no open doors to the rooms, no apparent wild parties, no singing and no cheerleading. I didn't hear a single "War Eagle!"
The small piano bar in the lobby matched the rest of the hotel. It was half full but the only singing was from some middle-aged, frustrated baritone doing a medley from "Oklahoma." Not a single fight song from any SEC school was heard. The music makers at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans would have been shocked. They would also have been bored. A football Friday night without musical salutes to the participants and their SEC brothers? Unheard of!
The pianist closed her keyboard at 11:15 p.m. There were only five or six people left for whom she could have played. Sin City, thy name is not Birmingham, Ala.
The Saturday morning drive to the stadium had more action than the entire town the previous night. Getting to Legion Field through football trafic is a trip in more ways than one.
But it's at Legion Field itself, where you find out what the Auburn-Alabama rivalry is all about.
No wonder fans of the two schools don't party on Friday. They save all that energy and enthusiasm and spirit for the game itself.
No telecast can possibly do justice to the Iron Bowl. You have to be there.
I have broadcasted nearly 200 Southeastern Conference games and attended perhaps 100 more. I'm not sure I have ever seen an intensity level on cither the field or in the stands to match the 1986 Alabama-Auburn game.
The players were magnificent. The student bodies were great. The bands were superb. The fans unbelievable.
And the game was absolutely memorable, one of the best I have ever seen.
Next year it's Auburn's turn to be the Iron Bowl host. Save me ticket, David. I wouldn't miss it for the world. But next year I'll just drive over on Saturday.
Not For Broadcast
A short time ago we asked how Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Chris Osgood could afford the services of the two lawyers who represented him before the NCAA committee in Kansas City, investigating alleged Rebel recruiting violations. We have since been informed by Ole Miss recruiting director Wayne Stiles that the NCAA permits a school to pay for legal assistance to a player when there is a question of his eligibility involved. Apparently Ole Miss picked up the bill for Osgood's defense. That certainly sounds fair. I'm fascinated by the signs posted on the sidelines at SEC foot-
ball games. Two of the best were seen at the Alabama-Auburn game. One, behind the Auburn bench said, "LSU says GEAUX Tigers." Obviously LSU wanted Auburn to win because of the Sugar Bowl invitation. The other, located behind the Alabama bench said, "Harvardthe Alabama of the East." On the other hand, is there a more inane yell than Alabama's chant, "We don't want no peanut butter, jam Bama jam". . .Coaching security has never been worse. There were 68 Division I colleges that entered the 1986-87 basketball season with new coaches. That's a record surpassing last year's previous high of 55. Now it's the football coaches turn to hit the unemployment line. . .Driving back from Birmingham what a pleasure it was to hear the Tulane-LSU game on WWL radio in New Orleans. The station picked up the Green Wave's games after former LSU Athletic Director Bob Brodhead severed relations with this New Orleans powerhouse a few years ago. Brodhead made a number of mistakes, but dropping WLW was one of the biggest. The station covers a large part of the country and Tiger fans loved the opportunity to hear their games. . .We'll probably be told it's none of our business, and it's not, but you have to wonder if LSU people fully realize how their school looks to the outside world with the Brodhead controversy followed by Bill Arnsparger's resignation at the height of his team's success. . .Georgia has been the SEC's top scoring basketball team in each of the past two seasons. In fact, in the past five seasons the Bulldogs have not been lower than third in the conference in scoring offense. On the other hand, while Georgia ranked No. 1 in offense last year, they were No. 9 in defense. . .It's mind boggling to think about Kentucky drawing 12.000 for their annual midnight basketball practice on the first day practice was permitted, and 19,000 for an intrasquad game in Louisville a short time later. Kentucky has elevated college basketball to its highest possible level. . . Florida's new basketball media
Dale Brown: We Played Like Garbage'
guide is the best we have ever seen It is hard cover, brilliantly laid out, colorful and very informative. The typeface and printing is of the highest possible quality. Mike McCall and Chris Cameron are listed as the editors. In the annual judging of such things, the only question remaining is which school's brochure will be chosen for second place?. . .This year's Georgia-Georgia Tech ballgame, which went 31-24 in favor of the Bulldogs, was the 33rd time in the series that the winning margin has been by seven points or less. . .By the way, Georgia and Georgia Tech are the only two schools in the country that have been victorious in the six oldest bowl gameRose, Orange, Cotton, Sugar, Sun and Gator. . .We continue to hear rumors that the SEC's tieup with the Sugar Bowl is in jeopardy. From the school's point of view, it keeps an SEC team from ever challenging a Big Eight or Southwest Conference team for national honors. From the Sugar Bowl's point of view, the intense rivalries in the league mean that they are almost certain, year in and year out, to get a team with one or two losses and it takes them out of ever setting up a classic involving independents such as this year's Fiesta Bowl meeting between Miami and Penn State. . .Kentucky had the most Academic All-SEC football honorees with nine. . .Tennessee was second with eight. . .Tennessee's new basketball recruiter, Coleman Crawford, joined Don DeVoe's staff June 23. Of the first 95 days he could legally be out, he was in the field 75 of them. . .The Last Word: LSU basketball coach Dale Brown, after his team was beaten by TCU in the first game of the new season: "I'd love to give everyone their money back because we played like garbage. We stunk. And that's the last time we'll stink this season. We may not win them all this season but we won't stink again."
UK's Worley Earns All-SEC 2nd Team
Kentucky placekicker Joe Worley has been named second-team All-Southeastern Conference by the Associated Press.
The junior specialist from Oakwood, Va.. was Kentucky's leading scorer this season, punching 70 points through the uprights. During UK's 5-5-1 campaign he hit 17 of 25 field goal attempts and a perfect 19 of 19 extra points. Three times this season Worley booted 49-yarders. against LSU and twice in Knoxville.
He was the only Wildcat to be mentioned on either the first or second team.
Alabama placekicker Van Tiffin was named to the first-team All-SEC squad. However, Tiffin is a senior and Worley will be the odds-on-favorite to replace him as the league's best next season.
Here are Worley's record setting marks while a member of the Kentucky Wildcats: field goals attempted, 64; field goals made. 43; four field goals in one outing (Bowling Green and Clemson in 1985 and against Southern Mississippi in '86); most consecutive extra points without a miss. 49; most field goals attempted in one season, 28 (1985); most field goals made in one season, 16 (1985); and most points scored in one season, 72 (1985).
Not too many UK records are left for Worley to achieve. The one that quickly comes to mind is John Pierce's mark of career extra points attempted (65) and PATs made (58). Pierce was a member of Kentucky's 1974, '75 and '76 squads.
Here are your 1986 All-Southeastern Conference first- and second-team selections as voted by the Associated Press:
OFFENSE
WP  Wended Davts. Louisiana Slate. 6-
0. 189. junior. Shreveport, La . Ricky Nattiel. Florida. 5-10. 179. senior. Archer. Fla
TE  Carl Parker. Vandertxlt. 6-2. 205. Junior. Vatdosta. Ga
T  Stacy Searels. Auburn. 6-5. 267. junior. Trion. 6a ; Wilbur Strozier. Georgia. 6-4 265. senior. LaGrange. Ga
Q  Eric Andolsek. Louisiana Slate. 6-2. 270. junior. Thibodaux. La. Bill Condon. Alabama. 6-2. 251. junior. Mobile. Ala.
C  Ben Tamburelkj. Auburn. 6-3. 268. senior. Birmingham. Ala.
Q6  Tom Hodson. Louisiana Stale. 6-3. 181. Ireshman, Mathews. La Don Smith. Mississippi Slate. 6-1. 195. senior. Hamilton. Miss
KB  Brenl Fullwocd. Auburn. 5-11. 209. senior. St Cloud. Fla.. Bobby Humphrey. Alabama. 6-1. 185. sophomore. Birmingham. Ala
Kicker  Van Tiffin. Alabama. 5-10. 163. senior. Fled Bay. Ala
DEFENSE
E  Karl Wilson. Louisiana Sale. 6-4. 263, senior. Baton Rouge. La; Aundray Bruce. Auburn, 6-6. 228. junior, Montgomery. Ala
T  Tracy Rocker. Auburn. 6-3. 250, sophomore. Atlanta. Ga. Keith Williams. Florida. 6-4. 250. senior. Milton. Fla
MQ  Henry Thomas. Louisiana State. 6-2. 266. senior. Houston. Texas
LB  Cornelius Bennett. Alabama. 6-4. 235. senior. Birmingham. Ala. Kurt Cram. Auburn. 6-2. 210. junior. Birmingham. Ala . Cliflord CharHon. Florida. 6-3. 200. junior. Tallahassee. Fla
B  John Little. Georgia. 6-2. 197. senior. Lynn Haven. Fla. Freddie Robinson. Alabama. 6-1. 175. senior. Mobile. Ala ; Adrian White, Florida. 6-0. 203. senior. Orange Park. Fla
Punter  Bill Smith. Mississippi. 6-3. 217. senior. Little Rock. Ark
Coach o( Ymt  Bill Arnsparger, Louisiana State
Second Team Often**
WR-J R Ambrose. Mississippi. Al Bell. Alcjbsrnfl
TE  Brian Kinchen. LSU
T  Bruce Wilkerson. Tennessee. Jefl Zimmerman. Florida
Q  Harry Galbrealh. Tennessee. John Haizard. Louisiana State
C  Wes Neighbors. Alabama
OB  Kerwm Bell. Florida
RS  Lars Tate. Georgia. William Howard, lennessee
Kicker  Joe Wortey, Kentucky Second Team Dilimi
E  Roland Barbay. Louisiana Stale. Dale Jones. Tennessee
T  Mike Fitzsimmons. Mississippi. Henry Harris. Georgia
MQ  Curl Jarvis. Alabama
LB  Toby Caston. Louisiana State. John Brantley, Georgia. Jefl Herrod. Mississippi
B  Kevin Porter. Auburn. Jarvs Williams. Florida. Jefl NoWin. Mississippi
Punter  Cris Carpenter. Georgia.