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<P>Normally I am not one to say, "I told you so..."
<P>Normally.
<P>But today is different. This is the last regular season game of what is considered to be the 20th century. Next year, in the year 2000, we will do something we were told we would never do--play Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
<P>In Tuscaloosa.
<P>I'm not mean-spirited. I'm not hateful and I'm not one to gloat, but I believe the time has come for all of us, Auburn and Alabama fans alike, especially Alabama fans, to admit what we Auburn people have known for a long time:
<P>Coach Jordan was right.
<P>"College football was meant to be played on campus, on grass, and on Saturday afternoon..."
That's what he always believed, that's what he always said, and did he ever catch hell for saying it.
<P>"Ridiculous...stupid...old fashioned...out of touch..." This and much, much more. Much worse.
<P>He was held up for public ridicule and public scorn because he thought college football was meant to be played on campus and on grass rather than in the big cities on artificial turf.
<P>Artificial turf was the rage of its time thirty years ago. It would revolutionize the sport of college football, its devotees said. None of that mattered to Coach Jordan. He didn't like "rugs" or "Brillo pads." Football wasn't meant to be played on rugs or Brillo pads. Football was meant to be played on grass and on campus, and preferably on a Saturday afternoon.
<P>Nobody believed him and many, most, made fun of him.
<P>The same was true for his belief that college football is at its best when it is played on the college campus. The campus provides an atmosphere like none other. Bah, humbug, said his critics, preferring their urban settings, their crowded restaurants and their bustling city sidewalks. College football on campus? On grass? Bah, Humbug.
<P>Auburn brought its games to campus in 1989. Alabama finishes the journey next year when Auburn arrives in Tuscaloosa.
<P>The time has come for all of us, no matter which side of the Shug-Bear wars we were on, to admit the obvious. Coach Jordan was right. Time and our own actions have proven him right.
<P>Once again, decisions that appeared to be wrong in the short run have proven to be right in the long run. Time often does that.
<P>Alabama played Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago. Alabama people said it was the biggest game ever played on their campus, and they reveled in the atmosphere and the experience. It was, they said, like nothing they had ever experienced before.
<P>And now, even they have to admit Coach Jordan was right.
<P>There's nothing else to say.
<P>He's not here to hear us say it, but we, all of us together, ought to give him his due. He deserves that much.
 The Game Site Controversy is finally over. And Shug Jordan is the clear winner.


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	<TABLE border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=450><td>
	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER> <IMG ALT="Housel's Desk " ALIGN =CENTER WIDTH=434 HEIGHT=102 BORDER=2 SRC="housldsk.jpg"> </H1>
	<BR><BR>

	<P>Normally I am not one to say, "I told you so..."
	<P>Normally.
	<P>But today is different. This is the last regular season game of what is considered to be the 20th century. Next year, in the year 2000, we will do something we were told we would never do--play Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
	<P>In Tuscaloosa.
	<P>I'm not mean-spirited. I'm not hateful and I'm not one to gloat, but I believe the time has come for all of us, Auburn and Alabama fans alike, especially Alabama fans, to admit what we Auburn people have known for a long time:
	<P>Coach Jordan was right.
	<P>"College football was meant to be played on campus, on grass, and on Saturday afternoon..."
	That's what he always believed, that's what he always said, and did he ever catch hell for saying it.
	<P>"Ridiculous...stupid...old fashioned...out of touch..." This and much, much more. Much worse.
	<P>He was held up for public ridicule and public scorn because he thought college football was meant to be played on campus and on grass rather than in the big cities on artificial turf.
	<P>Artificial turf was the rage of its time thirty years ago. It would revolutionize the sport of college football, its devotees said. None of that mattered to Coach Jordan. He didn't like "rugs" or "Brillo pads." Football wasn't meant to be played on rugs or Brillo pads. Football was meant to be played on grass and on campus, and preferably on a Saturday afternoon.
	<P>Nobody believed him and many, most, made fun of him.
	<P>The same was true for his belief that college football is at its best when it is played on the college campus. The campus provides an atmosphere like none other. Bah, humbug, said his critics, preferring their urban settings, their crowded restaurants and their bustling city sidewalks. College football on campus? On grass? Bah, Humbug.
	<P>Auburn brought its games to campus in 1989. Alabama finishes the journey next year when Auburn arrives in Tuscaloosa.
	<P>The time has come for all of us, no matter which side of the Shug-Bear wars we were on, to admit the obvious. Coach Jordan was right. Time and our own actions have proven him right.
	<P>Once again, decisions that appeared to be wrong in the short run have proven to be right in the long run. Time often does that.
	<P>Alabama played Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa a few weeks ago. Alabama people said it was the biggest game ever played on their campus, and they reveled in the atmosphere and the experience. It was, they said, like nothing they had ever experienced before.
	<P>And now, even they have to admit Coach Jordan was right.
	<P>There's nothing else to say.
	<P>He's not here to hear us say it, but we, all of us together, ought to give him his due. He deserves that much.
	The Game Site Controversy is finally over. And Shug Jordan is the clear winner.


	<CENTER><P><A HREF="main.html" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../main_afi.html" target="_top">PROGRAM
	INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="http://www.aunetwork.com" target="_top">HOME</A></P></CENTER>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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