End of an Era
3-7-05
By: Jacob

For the past 3 years, Auburn has been divided on who was the best. Fights broke out, and it was as an unwelcome subject as politics. I am talking about the legends Ronnie “Touchdown” Brown and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. Even though both have been playing for 4 years, the debates didn’t begin until after Caddy went down in Gainesville in 2002. I was in Gainesville and I remember when Ronnie switched from a back-up to an immortal in 2 quarters of football. When Carnell got carted off the field, I remember calling my dad and trying to find out how bad the injury was. Everyone around me was giving the “Auburn sigh.” You know what I am talking about… the “great, what else can go wrong, because you know it will because we are Auburn” sigh. Even I started thinking about what time I could get back to Auburn if I left by half-time.

Then it happened! Auburn actually mounted a comeback using a second-string running back and quarter back. We scored 3 straight touchdowns and 2 point conversions to tie the game and send it to overtime. We lost in overtime, but we showed the SEC that we weren’t a one-man team. Ronnie Brown started the rest of the year rushing for over a 1000 yards with only 6 starts (Cadillac started 5 and Tre Smith started the bama game). He ended his great season by showing up the running back that was heralded as the best running back in the nation in the Capitol One Bowl. Was there any question who was going to be the starter the next season? Of course there was. Now we had ourselves a full blown out controversy.

Since that fateful night in Florida, the most perplexing question in Alabama was not whether the egg came before the chicken, but who was the better running back and who should be getting the bulk of the carries. I have likened the intensity of views to the political races for Presidency. In fact, every game you could find at least one individual who thought their guy should be running for President.

Well if you have to split them into parties, then I would have to say that Ronnie would be the republican representative. He was forceful, if you were in his way, he would tell you as he ran over you. He was the guy who got the job done every time, but did it quietly and still got criticism by fans and media. Caddy is the democrat because the media love Cadillac because he was flashy and you knew whenever he did anything because he did it with style. Ask him a question and he would leave you tackling air as he danced around you. Tre Smith was Nader by the way. All he did was take away carries and yards from a deserving candidate. Even though; this year, it’s Tre’s turn.

With that being said vote in our poll and find out if you are a republican or democrat at heart. Me? I always found my self sticking up for the guy that everyone around me was bashing… reminding them that we are all Auburners especially Ronnie and Caddy (and I guess Tre too).

WAR EAGLE!

Jacob can be contacted at jacob@theauburner.com