Crushed

I'm not even sure how to begin this blog. My heart has been crushed, as I feel like I've lost a member of my family today. Before you, yourself, get upset, let me explain... this member of my family is of the vegetative type. But none the less, I feel sick to my stomach and about to cry at any moment.

You all know I went to Auburn. And if you know me, you know my heart bleeds burnt orange and navy, through and through, and Auburn will forever be part of me. Going to Auburn means going to a school rich with traditions, especially with football. One of the greatest tradition, and one of the oldest in college football history, is rolling Toomer's Corner after a win, especially a big win! For those who don't know, Toomer's Corner is an important intersection for both the school and the City... this is where the campus joins the downtown (and there's so much more I could tell). On the campus corner of the intersection grows a couple of great Live Oaks that are well over a century old. When it come to Auburn traditions,know this... this is one that run so deep in our blood that we have nurtured seedlings of these great trees to have close to us, where ever we may be in the country (world).

Tragedy has struck these trees. And not in the form that Mother Nature would do - we had that scare a few years back! This was just vengeful and mean and horrible and cruel. Someone poisoned our trees. And then bragged about it on a radio show. Some guy was so bitter after Auburn won in the Iron Bowl that he decided to use lethal doses of Spike 80DF, also known as tebuthiuron, and essentially left the Auburn Nation praying for a miracle. They've done tests on the soil and officially confirmed this act today... and have little hope the trees will survive this episode.

There are articles everywhere on this, so I won't go into details here. Just Google it if you want to know the sad specifics.. When I first heard about it, I got very choked up and felt weak in the knees. I still tear up as I write this. Yes... over trees.

But these aren't just trees. This was the killing of a tradition by a fan who despised a school so much over a football game. This was unthinkable by anyone out there... it's one thing to hurt a living thing, still giving it a chance to live. But to kill something, ANYTHING... wow! That's a little much. In the realm of things, this would be like putting graffiti on "Touchdown Jesus" (for those who aren't familiar with Auburn, but know college football, I hope you get that reference). Or even worse, actually killing a school's live mascot after a game.

Oh, and a side note... the stuff the guy used is regulated by the EPA, so this could become a federal issue real soon. He used so much, it could potentially get into the City's water system and be harmful to humans, as well. Nice, huh?

The thing is, all this guy really did is stir up the Auburn Nation even more. And probably others, just for the sake of the stupidity of the guy and his idea of trashing a tradition! We will rally louder, and come back stronger, regardless of what we do on the field. At Auburn, we are much more than football... we are a family. And we will not let something like this bring us down. We will fight for our trees... and we have the will power to do whatever we can to possibly save the trees. Who knows... they are Auburn Trees, so we all know they are strong. Maybe they will survive. Maybe if we send as much Auburn love to the trees as we can, they will themselves fight the poison. Sadly, all most of us can do is wait.