Toomer's Corner Oaks Coming Down

[knapplc]

As I type this, workers are removing the two famed oak trees at Toomer's Corner. One of college football's most unique and beloved traditions ends today - at least for now - as the poisoned trees are removed.

Toomer's Corner Oaks coming down


"The Oaks at Toomer's Corner have been a part of Auburn tradition for generations," Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association, said in a statement. "Their removal will in no way diminish the Auburn Spirit, which has grown even stronger during these past two years."

Here's an overhead shot of the final rolling of Toomer's Corner from last weekend at the Auburn Spring Game.

 

[NUpolo8]

The only trees on the Auburn campus that weren't burned by students.

 

[NUance]

The guy who poisoned the Toomer's Corner trees got six months in jail and five years of supervised probation. What an idiot. Both for poisoning the trees, and for calling into a radio talk show bragging about it. LINK

 

[Count 'Bility]

He got 6 months for poisoning a tree?

 

[StPaulHusker]

I'm glad we have a crazy fan base that doesn't go over the line (to my knowledge). Imagine how embarrassing it would be if a Husker fan poisoned Ralphie or the Boomer Sooner horse or something crazy like that. No place for it in sports. I enjoy learning about the traditions of other programs and I look forward to them when I see them in person.

 

[ZRod]

He got 6 months for poisoning a tree?

end of the article:

Harvey Updyke, a lifelong Alabama fan, was charged with poisoning the trees during Auburn's run to the national championship in the 2010 football season.

Updyke, who has yet to stand trial due to numerous delays, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges that include criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. The next trial date is set for April 8.

It's vandalism in essence. A 64 year old man should know better.

 

[Count 'Bility]

He got 6 months for poisoning a tree?

end of the article:

Harvey Updyke, a lifelong Alabama fan, was charged with poisoning the trees during Auburn's run to the national championship in the 2010 football season.

Updyke, who has yet to stand trial due to numerous delays, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges that include criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. The next trial date is set for April 8.

It's vandalism in essence. A 64 year old man should know better.

Understandable. I'm not disagreeing with the sentence I guess. It's just that...well.... he poisoned a tree. There are much more heinous acts that result in less.

Sorry to get all political in a sports thread. It's just something that caught my attention.

 

[NUance]

He got 6 months for poisoning a tree?

Yeah, I thought the same thing. But what are those trees worth to Auburn? Probably north of a million dollars. (I'm sure they could get more than a million $ in donations to save them—if it would've been possible to save them.) If the guy would have burned down a warehouse worth a million bucks instead, he'd be spending at least six months in jail.

 

[KJ.]

Did he ever admit to it or is he still claiming that it was someone he sat next to at a football game? I always believed him.

 

[Count 'Bility]

I thought it was funny how he called into a radio show to brag about what he did, then when the trees really did turn up poisoned, he was all "i didnt mean it. I wouldnt really do something like that yada yada". Epic tale. Doosh nonetheless.

 

[NUance]

Did he ever admit to it or is he still claiming that it was someone he sat next to at a football game? I always believed him.

Sounds like he admitted it to the court. This is probably from an allocution made as part of the plea bargain:

Updyke’s attorney Andrew Stanley said his client apologized to the court, his family and the state of Alabama for the poisoning of the trees.

“He was very remorseful about what he had done,” Stanley said.

LINK

 

[tschu]

They should just do what any major golf course would do and transplant 2 oaks into that spot. Problem solved.

Yes I know the poison has damaged the soil, but you can get new soil too. I've worked with a backhoe before, they dig soil strikingly well.

 

[KJ.]

They should just do what any major golf course would do and transplant 2 oaks into that spot. Problem solved.

Yes I know the poison has damaged the soil, but you can get new soil too. I've worked with a backhoe before, they dig soil strikingly well.

Part of me wants to say "I'm sure they thought of that" but the rest of me realizes they are an SEC school and they probably haven't thought anything through at all.

 

[wildman]

My moms side of the family is from Alabama with a few of my uncles Auburn Alumni. With talking with them a few weeks ago when I was in Dallas. If I remember right they have several ideas in place. One of them is replacing the trees with new Oak Trees. Plus I heard something they were talking about is metal trees. Cause I guess they think it'd be easier to clean the toilet paper out of them. I'm not sure where they got their info at but just what they were talking of when it was brought up.

 

[T_O_Bull]

He got 6 months for poisoning a tree?

end of the article:

Harvey Updyke, a lifelong Alabama fan, was charged with poisoning the trees during Auburn's run to the national championship in the 2010 football season.

Updyke, who has yet to stand trial due to numerous delays, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges that include criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. The next trial date is set for April 8.

It's vandalism in essence. A 64 year old man should know better.

He's an Alabama fan...Nuff said.

T_O_B