Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The Fall of a Hero and a Dark Day for Auburn

RIP Auburn Basketball 1905-2017
 
There are a lot of bad things going on around the world today.  I am certainly not going to say this is one of the worst but for the Auburn family it is pretty bad.  Chuck Person, the greatest player in Auburn basketball history and current assistant coach, was charged today with corruption in a sworn complaint from the FBI and arrested on federal charges.  Person is facing six charges, including bribery conspiracy, solicitation of bribes and gratuities, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and travel act conspiracy, according to court documents. If found guilty, Person could face a maximum of 80 years in prison.

It feels like a gut punch to me personally.  I have maintained on this web site that Person not Charles Barkley is Auburn's greatest player.  He was my hero when it came to Auburn basketball.  I remember watching, recording and re-watching the 1985 SEC Tournament final where Auburn and Person beat Bama for the title.  I remember the NCAA runs to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.  I remember Person's gorgeous shot, one of the prettiest I have ever seen.  I remember his NBA time with the Indiana Pacers.  I was so happy when he came back to Auburn to assist Bruce Pearl.  You knew he would be the heir apparent to be head coach after Pearl left. 

Chuck Person could have been one of the leaders in turning Auburn basketball around... and now he is the one who has delivered the killing stroke.  Auburn basketball was just about dead when Bruce Pearl and Person arrived as I have detailed many times in this blogNow it is definitely over for this cursed program, finished off by its greatest player.  I mean...  it just leaves you speechless.  These egregious acts will of course also take down head coach Bruce Pearl and probably end his career.  The players involved are done in college.  The university is left with a giant black eye and the collateral damage will probably effect all sports at Auburn in some degree even football. 

Finally, no good basketball coach in his right mind will ever get near Auburn again after this monumental disaster.  It is as simple as bad things happen to basketball players and coaches at Auburn.  The history speaks for itself.  I knew well about this curse and again have documented it several times on this blog but Chuck Person being charged by the FEDS???  I did not see that coming.  I mean this is ridiculous even for Auburn basketball.  This just goes beyond what you think about Gus Malzahn or how you feel about the football team.  This is the fall of a hero and a very dark day for Auburn University. 

It is really hard to swallow.  I just do not understand it.  WHY???  The guy played in the NBA, coached under Phil Jackson and again would have most likely gotten the head coaching job at Auburn when Pearl left.  WHY???  I know that college basketball is the sleaziest college sport behind the scenes but this was definitely beyond the scope of any normal shadowy recruiting.  In fact this was not about recruiting at all but just about illegally getting more money.  WHY???  Person makes a good salary and has made a good one for a long time.  I just do not understand it.  The guy was Auburn's greatest player and maybe could have been one of Auburn's greatest coaches.

Person's name will now live in infamy in Auburn.  The incredible things he did will be forgotten and he will only be remembered as a criminal and the man who finished off the basketball program.  I am at a loss for words on how to finish this post.  This guy was one of my heroes at Auburn.  I thought he was one of the all-time greats.  He has now destroyed his life and career.  He has probably destroyed other peoples careers.  He has destroyed his accomplishments and legacy.  Forgiveness and redemption are always possible but they will not stop the consequences of these crimes.  They will be felt around Auburn for a long time.

I mean when your greatest basketball player kills his own program and goes down an infamy... when college football has become little more than a hate fest and also includes rampant cheating... when your leadership shows their incompetence again and again and nothing is done till the bottom drops out if then...  what is the point of it all?

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