Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Ronnie Sanders on Phillip Marshall’s passing and Auburn’s hire of Alex Golesh | Scoop w/ Dukes

Transcript

Ronnie Sanders on Phillip Marshall’s passing and Auburn’s hire of Alex Golesh | Scoop w/ Dukes · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

0:01
Welcome to the scoop with Dukes. I'm
0:02
your host, Philip Dukes, aka Dukes the
0:04
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You won't even know it's missing. We
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greatly appreciate it and it keeps this
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content coming at you consistently. And
0:26
of course, this is an AU scoop. And
0:28
today I got a really good friend of
0:31
mine, the publisher and founder of
0:33
Auburn Undercover on the 247 Sports
0:35
Network, Mr. Ronnie Sanders himself.
0:37
Ronnie, what's going on big dog?
0:39
>> Good to be with you, Dixs. Appreciate
0:40
you having me,
0:41
>> man. I appreciate you. So, um, you know,
0:44
I consider you guys family. Uh, the
0:46
first company that gave me a chance to
0:47
actually be a quote unquote journalist.
0:49
And uh we we took a family loss this
0:52
this a couple days ago uh with the loss
0:55
of legendary Auburn writer Philip
0:57
Marshall. Um you know on Twitter I went
1:00
and talked about the stories where you
1:02
know Mr. Marshall would help me. And I
1:04
just thought it was cool how, you know,
1:06
I was some guy who just Keith Neighbor
1:08
is like, "Hey, this guy on Twitter has
1:10
real info. Ronnie, you need to sign
1:12
him." Right.
1:12
>> And Philip Marshall literally is like,
1:16
"I'm going to take him and mold him."
1:18
>> And I he was the last person I thought
1:20
that would do that.
1:21
>> Can you tell us about I know you guys
1:23
had a very extensive relationship. Can
1:25
you tell us about
1:28
>> what was it in Mr. Marshall that allowed
1:30
him to reach people wherever they were,
1:32
whether they were the head coach, a
1:34
billion dollar booster, or a guy like me
1:36
off Twitter. What was it about him that
1:39
allowed to meet people where they were?
1:41
>> You know, Philip was just salt of the
1:43
earth, you know? I mean, he had been
1:44
around, his dad was a legendary beat
1:46
writer, covered Alabama. Philip covered
1:48
covered Auburn for what, 40 years. Um,
1:50
you'll have to excuse my dogs in here
1:52
drinking water.
1:54
Um but uh he was just a really really
1:57
good dude and a and a great reporter.
1:58
You know, when we started Auburn
1:59
Undercover, uh first person we targeted
2:02
or when I started Auburn Undercover,
2:03
first person my investors and I targeted
2:06
were um was Philip Marshall. Um first
2:08
phone call we made, had a conversation
2:11
and um he was working I believe at the
2:13
Huntsville Times and uh it you know he
2:15
he was a little bit hesitant you know
2:17
internet startup all those things and we
2:19
finally convinced him and uh he jumped
2:21
on board and he was it was rough. It was
2:23
rough sledding there. I mean, you know,
2:24
you know how he was. I mean, he uh he he
2:27
was kind of uh he could be crushed,
2:31
[laughter]
2:33
but he was he was funny. Uh you know,
2:35
and so uh it we were Philip was an old
2:39
newspaper guy and I was an old you know,
2:41
I had been working in coaching and and
2:42
politics and um the two of us together
2:45
kind of kind of felt our way around and
2:47
figured it out and um you know, it took
2:51
us a while. You know, I remember he'd
2:52
been we've been working together
2:53
probably I don't know four or five
2:55
months and I was in Charleston. Uh Ellis
2:58
Johnson was at the Citadel and I was up
3:00
there visiting him uh visiting staff
3:03
>> and um was supposed to speak to the
3:05
staff and so I'm up there and he calls
3:07
me
3:08
>> and we get into it over the phone. We
3:10
like I said we we we didn't really know
3:11
each other and we're screaming at each
3:13
other. I'm at a hotel room and he's he's
3:15
in Auburn. we're screaming at each other
3:16
over the phone and I get off the phone
3:18
and I think he's ready to quit and I was
3:20
ready for him too and [laughter]
3:23
he wanted to go back to newspaper
3:24
business and and uh you know but we we
3:27
waited through it and figured it out and
3:29
um pretty soon we you know we we we
3:32
figured it out. We broke a bunch of
3:33
stories and um you know he he made
3:36
offered him to cover what it is. I mean
3:37
it was uh it was kind of our vision
3:40
together and um I give him a a huge
3:42
amount of credit. There's there's we
3:44
wouldn't have had the success that we've
3:45
had without Philip. And um he insisted
3:47
on doing things the right way. And um
3:51
you know, I'm not sure who's going to
3:52
edit my stories now.
3:54
>> Yeah.
3:55
>> You know, he uh he was one of a kind and
3:58
a great friend and a great mentor and um
4:01
you know, [snorts] I'm I'm certainly
4:02
going to miss him and uh the Auburn
4:04
Undercover family is going to miss him
4:05
and the Auburn family is going to miss
4:06
him. the uh you know we we did we did a
4:09
tribute story uh after he passed away a
4:12
couple days ago and some of the people
4:13
that we got to weigh in. Um I would
4:17
suggest you know go over to Auburn
4:18
Undercover and read it and
4:19
>> you know look at some of the quotes that
4:20
that uh that people gave us um and it
4:23
will it will show you the depth and the
4:24
impact that that he had um not only on
4:27
Auburn people but on on those that he
4:30
knew uh personally.
4:32
>> Yeah. I think and I as I call him Mr.
4:34
Marshall with me being Philillip also,
4:36
right? That was kind of I was like, I'm
4:37
gonna call him Mr. Marshall. And uh it
4:40
it sometimes like even just you guys
4:42
having to say we got to call Dukes Dukes
4:45
because if you guys put Philillip in the
4:47
group chat, Mr. Marshall be like, "What
4:48
the hell are you talking about?" Like we
4:50
talking to Dukes, right? And uh but Mr.
4:53
Marshall was the type of guy who could
4:55
spank you and you wouldn't feel no kind
4:56
of way about it. Like I never feel like
4:58
if he if he checked me, I ain't never
4:59
feel no kind of way. But it was like he
5:01
was never really checking me. was like I
5:03
remember man one time like my my most
5:06
fun story of Mr. Marshall was uh man the
5:09
whole Brian Harson stuff and I get a
5:12
scoop at like 2:30 3:00 in the morning
5:16
and I know he's getting ready to write
5:18
his morning article and I shoot him a
5:20
text and I'm like hey forgive me but I
5:23
just wanted you to have this when you
5:24
write in the morning
5:25
>> and he he's like let's talk
5:29
and I'm like okay hit you tomorrow. He
5:30
was up, bro.
5:31
>> Oh, he's up.
5:32
>> He was up. It was 3:00. We had an
5:34
hourong conversation at 3:00 in the
5:37
morning and he literally walked me
5:39
through the people that he knew. I mean,
5:41
it it was phenomenal. And it's something
5:42
that I'll never forget for him to spend
5:44
that type of time when when when being
5:46
so busy and being such a legend, there
5:50
are so many moments that people have
5:52
with you. Like that's my that's my
5:54
biggest moment with him. Talk to me
5:56
about a moment that you felt like Philip
5:58
shine the brightest at all at Auburn
6:00
undercover.
6:01
>> You know, as a journalist, there were so
6:04
many. I mean, we we really kind of blew
6:06
up as a site when um you know,
6:08
Tubberville um resigned
6:11
>> Flash was run off and then and then the
6:13
Chisik hire and Philip Philip broke
6:15
Chisik first. Um you know, he reported
6:17
that uh Chisik was under serious
6:19
consideration and um it was it was an
6:22
issue when when we broke the story. uh
6:25
that that Auburn had hired Chisik. Uh we
6:27
were part of ESPN then instead instead
6:28
of 247 and they wouldn't run the story
6:31
and they told well you know hey you just
6:33
got to prove yourself. folks like, "Hey,
6:34
hell no. I've been reporting here 40
6:36
years. I'm not I don't need to prove
6:37
myself to you." You know, [laughter]
6:39
it was ESPN, you know, and and um but uh
6:43
you know, he he took he took great
6:44
offense, as he should have, as he should
6:46
have.
6:46
>> Um but, you know, starting out there, uh
6:49
you know, that was we really blew up
6:50
then. Um he brought he had a huge
6:53
following. We brought over a bunch of
6:54
those people.
6:55
>> Um and I think we we started out around,
6:58
you know, first first uh year or so, we
7:00
were at around 500 subscriptions that
7:02
first year. And then the Chisik stuff
7:04
blew up and then all of a sudden you got
7:06
Cam Newton and Philip owned the story uh
7:09
right and um it was just kind of one
7:12
thing after another, you know, he he
7:15
owned it
7:15
>> all the way through and and reported
7:17
things that nobody else was reporting
7:19
and
7:20
>> um and we just we just kind of built the
7:22
site from there. Um
7:23
>> yeah,
7:23
>> you know, and then we we we were
7:24
fortunate we had a lot we had a lot to
7:26
cover. Uh, you know, we we've had we
7:28
covered I think uh let's see, we had the
7:30
the Chisik hire, we had the the Maison
7:33
hire,
7:34
>> um Harson Freeze, so we covered we
7:38
covered five five coaching searches
7:40
together. Um and he he told me he said
7:42
after, you know, Chisik, he's like,
7:43
"Well, this is this probably be my last
7:46
coaching search." He kept talking about
7:47
he's going to retire every year. And uh
7:49
and I said, "Philip, just you know," I
7:51
said, "Don't worry about it." He's like,
7:51
"Well, you know, I I want to work
7:54
through my contract." I said, "You work
7:55
as long as you want to work. you don't
7:56
need a contract, you know.
7:57
>> I know that's right.
7:58
>> You know, you can you can work as long
8:00
as you want to work. And um you know,
8:02
but he he uh he always did did more than
8:06
than we ever asked him to do. You know,
8:08
he uh I always told him, you know, hey,
8:10
look, you know, I think I think we
8:13
agreed that he was going to write three
8:14
or four columns a week and he wrote
8:15
something every day, at least one thing
8:16
every day,
8:17
>> you know, and um
8:19
>> he he just just unbelievable. Just
8:21
unbelievable work ethic. worked harder
8:22
than than um you know any as as hard or
8:26
harder than anybody I' ever worked with.
8:28
Was meticulous um wanted to be right and
8:32
u I remember you know very very few
8:35
times um that that we were I think once
8:39
once we were he reported a story that
8:41
was wrong um and was very upset about
8:44
it. He apologized profusely and it was
8:46
right. It was right when he wrote it.
8:48
>> Um right up uh and then as you know
8:51
things sometimes things change,
8:53
>> right?
8:53
>> And um things changed. He was very
8:55
really upset about it. I'm like, "H
8:56
Philip, you know, it was true when you
8:57
when you wrote it,
8:58
>> right?"
8:58
>> You know, but uh he he was other than
9:00
that. Yeah. He cared. He wanted to make
9:02
sure it was right. He wanted to make
9:03
sure our site was right.
9:05
>> Um you know, he wanted to make sure the
9:07
message board properly monitored and
9:08
didn't look didn't look uh like some of
9:11
the others. and um he he made sure that
9:14
the site was as good as it could be and
9:15
and I always appreciated that and I know
9:17
the readers did too and the users.
9:19
>> No, absolutely, man. Uh Philip Marshall,
9:22
Auburn legend, man. Uh prayers up to his
9:25
family and we gonna miss him, man. I
9:27
know I am especially. So, man, shout out
9:29
to Mr. Marshall, man. Job well done, my
9:31
brother. So
9:32
>> yeah, I'm gonna Well, we're we're all
9:34
going to miss him and u you know, I
9:36
again I my condolences to uh to his
9:39
family. His uh for those who don't know
9:42
um his uh the funeral for him will be
9:44
Tuesday uh up in Decator. We'll we'll
9:47
post something on on the site here. And
9:48
in fact, I'm going to post as soon as we
9:50
we get finished taping this. U but it'll
9:52
be Tuesday in Decator at 2 o'clock. I
9:54
think visitation will be 12 to 2 for
9:56
those who who want to come. Um and
9:58
there'll be a number of different uh
10:00
speakers at celebration life ceremony u
10:03
after that.
10:04
>> Man, thank you for that uh information,
10:06
man. And man, we just talk about how
10:09
fleeting life can be. Even 76 years
10:11
seems so fast. It I mean, even the times
10:14
that the time that I've been knowing
10:16
him, I've been knowing him since I've I
10:18
graduated Auburn in ' 06. I've been
10:20
knowing him, you know, but I didn't know
10:22
him. I knew who he was, and he's just
10:24
been the guy. Um, when you think about
10:28
your history in Auburn,
10:31
what's what what is it now from where
10:34
you got when you got to Auburn to now?
10:37
What's the biggest difference that you
10:38
think in Auburn football from the time
10:40
that you got there until now?
10:45
>> Um, you know, when I got there, Bobby
10:48
Lauder was king.
10:49
>> Okay.
10:50
>> Um, and now, um, he's not. And you know,
10:56
for the for anybody who thinks that the
10:58
old guard is pulling the strings,
11:01
um,
11:04
look at who the head football coach is.
11:06
[laughter]
11:07
>> I mean, you know, I I I can promise you
11:10
that the powers that be in the past uh
11:13
would not have hired a guy who was born
11:14
in Russia, uh, raised in New York, and
11:17
graduated from Ohio State to coach all.
11:19
>> Now, right,
11:20
>> will this work? College football's in a
11:22
different place now than it's ever been.
11:23
It's more of a national game now than
11:25
it's ever been and NIL has changed
11:27
everything. Um, will it work with
11:30
Gouish? I mean, I don't know. Um, you
11:32
know, you never know. I thought it would
11:34
work with Freeze. I never thought it
11:35
would work with Harson. Um,
11:38
you know, so we we'll we'll we'll see. I
11:40
I mean, it's it's going to be
11:41
interesting. I I think he uh has
11:45
certainly so far been impressed with
11:46
Auburn and I think he's you know I think
11:49
Auburn fans are a little bit a little
11:51
bit nervous because of the the losses on
11:53
the roster. Um
11:55
>> right
11:55
>> and and look you know would you like to
11:57
held on to Duce Knight and and Cam
11:58
Coleman? Well sure absolutely you would.
12:01
But
12:02
>> Auburn had won more than what five games
12:03
in in five years. So, um, those guys
12:07
were on the roster, but whatever
12:08
happened last year and the year before
12:10
and the year before and the year before
12:12
it didn't work. And so, um, you know, is
12:16
it is it I don't know. You know, I know
12:18
there were some locker room issues at
12:20
some point. Um, you know, there usually
12:21
are, um, when you're not winning games.
12:24
Um, and so maybe maybe I, you know, I'm
12:27
not sure exactly the chemistry. Maybe
12:29
maybe the locker room chemistry is
12:30
better. Bringing in guys from USF that
12:32
know his system and know him and know
12:34
what his expectations are and know what
12:35
his staff expects. Um I think that's
12:38
really important. You look at what went
12:40
on in Indiana, they won 11 games their
12:41
first year. Um do I think Auburn's going
12:44
to win 11 games next year? No. Um you
12:46
know, do I think Auburn can't get to a
12:48
bowl game? Yes. Um I think Auburn should
12:50
have gotten to a bowl game this past
12:51
year. I mean, if you look um as dis as
12:54
discombobulated and dysfunctional it was
12:56
on offense, Auburn still had a chance to
12:58
win nine or 10 games. Um, and same thing
13:00
the year before. So, um, you know, and
13:04
and you know, again, Freeze's first
13:07
year, how many games, you know, could
13:09
did he have a chance to win? How many
13:11
games did, you know, over and over and
13:14
over again? It's not just not just uh
13:16
not just Freeze, but Harson and and even
13:18
Gus. Um, Auburn's lost a lot of games
13:21
over the past over the past several
13:22
years that really, you know, had plenty
13:25
of chances to win and just didn't.
13:26
There's no reason for Auburn to have
13:27
five straight losing seasons.
13:30
>> What number of wins do you think shift
13:32
the trajectory and the goodwill of
13:35
Auburn fans? Like right now, people are
13:38
it's Auburn is like that that that that
13:41
really pretty girlfriend that does
13:43
whatever the hell she wants to do. It's
13:45
like you want to love her so bad, but
13:47
it's like every time you get ready to
13:49
love her, she's in, you know, she's
13:50
doing something crazy. right now. That's
13:52
how as a Auburn feel, as an Auburn fan,
13:54
it kind of feels like, man, she keeps
13:56
breaking my heart. How do you h how what
13:59
how many wins does Auburn need in order
14:02
for Auburn fans to start to trust again?
14:05
>> Uh, I think get to seven this year. I
14:08
think seven is a is a realistic goal.
14:10
Can you get to more? Yeah. I mean, but
14:12
it's a brutal schedule. I mean, this
14:13
schedule past year kind of set up for
14:15
Auburn. this next season uh doesn't you
14:18
know it is a you know not again for
14:22
Auburn it was I don't want to say it was
14:24
an easy schedule it was a was a it was
14:26
an easier schedule last year this next
14:28
schedule is not and so um it'll be
14:32
interesting to see how it plays out but
14:33
I think seven is a realistic goal that
14:34
put you at seven and five um you get to
14:36
a bowl game you got a chance to win
14:38
eight um but you know eight and five
14:41
eight and five year I think is a is a uh
14:43
is a realistic expectation and You've
14:45
got a really good quarterback coming in.
14:47
Uh you got a really good receiver coming
14:48
in. Um you got some good players that
14:50
that came from USF. Look, I think you've
14:52
got what 50some new players on the
14:54
roster.
14:54
>> It's something crazy. Yeah.
14:56
>> And so it's it's going to be a new team
14:58
and it's just a new day in college
14:59
football. Um
15:02
if it's it should be fun to watch. It's
15:04
not the college football we grew up with
15:06
though
15:06
>> at all. So I'm going to give you the
15:08
magic wand and you are the genie in
15:13
college football. you grant any wish to
15:15
yourself right now to fix college
15:19
football, what would you do?
15:22
>> First thing you got to do is fix the
15:23
calendar.
15:23
>> Okay.
15:24
>> Um, you know, I think that's the big
15:26
thing because now I mean even the
15:27
coaching convention screwed up. I mean,
15:29
you've got coaching changes happening.
15:32
You got Lane Keifin leaving before the
15:33
playoff. Uh, and again, I you know,
15:35
we've had conversations about this on
15:36
Terry Bowen show and other shows, other
15:38
podcasts that we do on on Auburn to
15:40
cover. Um, I I just think if you you
15:42
look at a guy like Keifin, you know,
15:45
nobody's saying that LSU and Florida and
15:47
Auburn are not better jobs than Old Miss
15:50
because they are.
15:52
>> But you're at Miss, you got a chance to
15:54
play for a national championship for the
15:55
I mean, you're doing things there that
15:57
nobody's ever done. Fine. You want to go
15:59
to you go you want to go to LSU. Okay.
16:01
Well, maybe and maybe that's the perfect
16:02
job for you,
16:03
>> right?
16:04
>> But maybe it's not the perfect time to
16:05
take it. And to leave to leave a team in
16:08
the middle of a playoff run
16:10
>> in the best season in school history
16:12
>> and you just walk out on them,
16:14
>> that's crazy.
16:16
>> I'm just not I have an issue with that.
16:18
I mean, I really do. And I'm not and I I
16:20
don't begrudge him for taking a job that
16:21
he wanted or or, you know, felt like he
16:23
needed to take and all those. I I get
16:24
it. You know, can you win more national
16:26
championships at LSU than you can at Old
16:27
Miss? Well, obviously, absolutely. But
16:30
there's a right way and a wrong way to
16:31
do things. But I think the first thing,
16:32
Dukes, is you got to fix the calendar.
16:35
you know, whether it's, you know, fix
16:36
recruiting. Uh the second thing is fix
16:39
the po maybe the first thing fix the
16:41
portal. Um
16:42
>> and there are things that you can do and
16:44
I think you've got you probably need to
16:46
have a commissioner whether it's a Nick
16:48
Sabin type figure, somebody that people
16:49
respect um some kind of a commissioner
16:52
for college football to to get things
16:55
under control and have some kind of
16:58
semblance of order because right now it
17:00
it is complete and total chaos. And I
17:04
We're on the verge of killing the the
17:06
goose that laid the golden egg. It's
17:07
it's it's as big a mess as it's ever
17:09
been, but the product on the pill is as
17:11
good as it's ever been. But I can tell
17:13
you that the fans and I know for me and
17:17
I do this for a living. Um but and you
17:19
do too, but but uh you know I talking to
17:24
fans it is yes it's exciting in a lot of
17:26
ways the the changes and the you know uh
17:30
for years these brands have been vastly
17:32
undervalued. Um, but uh fans want are
17:37
used to following players for three,
17:38
four, five years and knowing who's on
17:40
the football team. When you got 50, 60
17:41
guys, and you deal with this in Colorado
17:44
because you cover them, too.
17:46
>> It's it's tough when you've got a roster
17:48
50 60 guys and new guys in the locker
17:50
room every year. It's just absolutely
17:53
>> And look, goish had no choice this year.
17:55
Now he'll have a choice next year
17:57
hopefully.
17:58
>> Yeah. I mean, and I think Goalish has
18:00
the right personality. um I had a pretty
18:03
good conversation with about 15 minutes
18:04
maybe about two three weeks ago and uh
18:07
seems to be I I'm not sure what he ranks
18:11
agewise but is he has there ever been a
18:13
coach younger than him?
18:15
>> Terry was in his Terry Brown was in his
18:17
30s.
18:17
>> Oh wow. Okay. Okay.
18:19
>> Believe he was 38 when he got the Auburn
18:21
job I believe. Okay.
18:22
>> So um
18:24
>> and Brian Hart wasn't that old. I mean
18:25
you had to maybe 44 maybe something like
18:28
that.
18:29
>> Yeah mid 40s I believe. I believe um you
18:32
know he never should have ended up with
18:33
a job though. [laughter]
18:35
Don't get me don't get me started on
18:37
Miss Potato Head.
18:38
>> Don't do that, man. [laughter]
18:41
>> Man, I tell you what, it's it's it's
18:44
interesting though. One thing I did like
18:45
about Goalish was he really believes in
18:49
process, but he doesn't put process over
18:52
people. And he made sure that I
18:54
understood that. He's like, "Hey, look,
18:55
Duke, I know how it looks. we're just
18:57
meeting. But listen, I wanted to keep
19:01
retain some of these guys. So, it's not
19:03
that I came in and I just gave everybody
19:05
the boot. It's that's not what it is.
19:07
And he wanted to make that clear. Um,
19:09
and I think even making concessions to
19:11
say, "Hey, look, maybe we may have
19:13
attacked a few things wrong initially,
19:16
but we're going to adjust and we're
19:18
going to fix it." So, I mean, from
19:20
[clears throat] on a conversational
19:21
basis from somebody that you don't know
19:23
from Sam, it's kind of like, all right,
19:25
well, Sam, listen, I know for one, if he
19:28
knows that there are certain people that
19:30
he needs to get in contact with, I just
19:32
talked to a high school coach in Atlanta
19:34
that said Goal called him instantly when
19:37
he got the job. Like, and this is from a
19:38
powerhouse school, and I just remember
19:40
it was like pulling teeth with coach
19:42
Harson. And he had his own way about it.
19:45
But I think the similarities between
19:47
them is that they both believed in
19:48
process and they were like football
19:50
junkies. But I think the difference is
19:52
if you could have got Brian Harson's
19:55
football knowledge or acumen to have
19:59
some semblance of recruiting with it
20:02
then it's a totally different ball game
20:04
but
20:05
>> or some semblance of you know give a
20:07
about Auburn you know. I mean you
20:09
know that that's that's the other thing.
20:11
I mean if you're going to be at a place
20:12
at least act like you care.
20:14
>> Um Mhm.
20:15
>> And you know that is that's as important
20:19
at at a place like Auburn as anything
20:21
else because if you come in
20:23
>> and you know I mean look say what you
20:26
want to say. Goish has come in and he
20:27
has so far embraced Auburn. Um you know
20:31
Hugh Freeze did a phenomenal job
20:32
recruiting putting roster together all
20:34
those things cleaning up a mess from
20:35
Harson and it was a mess. Um make make
20:38
no mistake. Uh,
20:41
but they, you know, I said since he got
20:44
there, they they don't really play with
20:45
an edge. Um, gosh's team has played with
20:47
an edge, you know, and I personally, I
20:50
mean, for me, I thought it was over for
20:52
Freeze, and I didn't post on the message
20:53
board. Um, I talked to some people about
20:56
it, but I mean, to me, Freeze looked
20:59
the&m game, I think they call four four
21:01
runs to the backs.
21:03
>> Um, and he looked lost during the during
21:06
the game. just looked completely just,
21:09
you know,
21:11
I thought it was over at that point and
21:13
it was um you know, the the wheels
21:16
hadn't completely come off, but they
21:18
were headed that way. So,
21:19
>> yeah. I mean, it it's one of those
21:21
things that you you don't understand
21:24
why. It's almost like when a kicker, you
21:26
know, starts missing field goals or or
21:28
like a u a pitcher gets the yips, right?
21:31
You just don't understand. It should
21:33
work. You got the players. We've seen
21:34
the scheme before. He he, you know, he
21:37
was successful at Liberty. He beat power
21:39
SEC teams while he was at Liberty. Why
21:41
isn't it why isn't this working? And it
21:44
just never did. And now you've got a guy
21:45
with some fresh blood, some fresh
21:47
energy, and hopefully it goes in the way
21:49
of the Tigers and the orange and blue
21:51
this year. So Ronnie, when when will I
21:54
see you again, my brother?
21:56
>> You tell me, Dicks.
21:57
>> Okay, [laughter] good. Good to know,
21:59
man. So look, man, for everybody, uh,
22:01
talk to us a little bit about Auburn
22:03
Undercover, why why you're here. Yeah,
22:05
Auburn Undercover. We started in 2008
22:07
and uh we're still the market leader.
22:09
We've broken a ton of stories over the
22:10
years and um obviously right now we're
22:13
mourning the loss of longtime uh
22:16
columnist Philip Marshall and um we've
22:19
got full coverage of that. We'll have uh
22:21
coverage of his funeral on Tuesday. Um
22:25
and so we we invite you to tune in and
22:27
and do that. We'll also have uh
22:29
obviously we got basketball, we got
22:31
recruiting, we got you know junior day
22:32
today and um we'll have all that covered
22:35
as well. So we're running subscription
22:37
special now. So uh the work never stops
22:39
over over at Auburn Undercover. So check
22:41
us out.
22:42
>> Yeah. And I I don't think Mr. Marshall
22:44
will have it any other way at all. So
22:47
man,
22:47
>> not at all. In fact, in fact, Nathan put
22:49
up a story that Philip always did on on
22:52
Sunday his Sunday reflections from
22:54
Auburn and beyond.
22:55
>> Oh man,
22:56
>> we don't know. We don't know what what
22:58
that's going to look like going forward,
22:59
but uh Nathan did did a nice job this
23:01
morning uh remembering Philip. So, um
23:04
you know, we we're gonna figure it out
23:05
as we we're gonna wade through it as we
23:07
uh
23:08
>> you know, we're all sad and we're all
23:10
dealing with it in our own ways, but uh
23:12
we're we're going to try to help each
23:13
other through it. And Dukes, I want to
23:15
invite you to come come stop by on the
23:16
message board and join us. And and um I
23:19
know everybody'd love to hear from you.
23:20
>> Oh, man. I appreciate it. And uh man,
23:23
you know, no place like home, right? So,
23:25
that's right. Uh, man. Man, man, let me
23:29
get off of here, man. Hey, man. Listen,
23:31
y'all. Um, man, one time for my for I
23:34
call I call I used to call him my uncle,
23:35
man. Man, all right. Best story ever for
23:39
me. All right, now I leave and I'll
23:40
leave it at this. He was so damn cool,
23:43
man. Look. Okay, you remember when I I
23:46
first get the job? I'm literally We had
23:50
a basketball game. Harson's just getting
23:51
there. I walk in and I got like six A
23:54
I'm on a recruiting visit and I'm
23:56
working for Auburn undercover. Jason
23:58
Cwell sees me and goes the f off. What
24:01
is he doing? Such and such. You can't be
24:03
doing that. And I'm like, damn, did I
24:05
lose my job? I think I ended up seeing
24:06
you at the game.
24:08
>> And uh
24:09
>> yeah, we ended up sitting together. He's
24:10
like, douche that's not how you do
24:11
journalism. Like you got to figure out
24:13
and separate this stuff.
24:14
>> And at the time, I'm thinking in my
24:16
head, I'm like, what the hell am I gonna
24:17
do? I pissed these folks off. And of all
24:20
people, Mr. Marshall was like, "Oh,
24:22
don't worry about that, dude. She'll be
24:24
fine." He's like, "Don't worry about
24:26
that. Did you get the story? Did you get
24:28
the article?" Like, "What? What?" And
24:30
and from that moment, I felt so
24:34
comfortable talking to him because I'm
24:35
like, "Well, I got these kids that I
24:37
mentor and they wanted to come to
24:38
Auburn, so I brought them all to the
24:40
game." And shoot, because at the time,
24:42
nobody was at junior day. I mean, I
24:43
brought half the damn junior day. So,
24:46
>> Well, yeah. I mean, and Philip Phillip
24:48
was just, you know, he he as long as you
24:51
wanted to do well and you always wanted
24:52
to do well, he he wanted to help, you
24:55
know, right?
24:56
>> And he would give you the shirt off his
24:57
back. The one thing he wouldn't give you
24:59
was his story
25:00
>> and he would tell you what he would tell
25:02
you like, "Look, I'll give you the shirt
25:03
off my back. [snorts]
25:04
>> I'll do whatever you want me to do, but
25:06
I'm not giving you my story, you know."
25:07
>> No, not at all, man. And and and but the
25:10
good part about Mr. Marshall was he was
25:12
so high up. If you got one of his
25:15
stories, I mean, you had to be in
25:16
rarified air. Like, you lucked up on it
25:19
almost because the phone calls that he
25:20
could make. None of us were making. And
25:22
and no disrespect to anybody. I think at
25:25
the time we had a good team at the time,
25:26
too. It was Keith,
25:28
>> I think. Was Christian there yet?
25:32
>> Christian was not there yet. Christian
25:33
replaced Keith. But we had we had Jason,
25:35
we had Phillip Murphy.
25:37
>> Mark Murphy.
25:38
>> Yeah. But that that was like the
25:40
Avengers, dog. Like that was crazy. But
25:42
yeah, man. Man, I that's that's somebody
25:45
I'll never forget. Well, guys, man, I
25:47
appreciate you tuning in. We'll have
25:48
Ronnie back on soon. Uh thank you, man.
25:51
We're we're at almost at 16,500. We're
25:54
approaching 165, which is a great
25:56
number, especially in after 12 months.
25:58
So, thank y'all for supporting. Uh make
26:00
sure you hit the like button, hit the
26:01
hype button, hype this video up so it
26:03
can get in the algorithm. All right,
26:04
man. Thank y'all. We appreciate you. We
26:06
are out.