Crimson Red Sports

In the case against Harvey Updyke, could there be a better one-man jury than Charles Barkley?

Barkley said of Updyke's alleged crime: "The guy's an idiot ... It's a finable offense. I'm not sure it's a jailable offense for the rest of the guy's life or for 10 or 20 years. Auburn is an amazing place, but we need to get over the tree thing."

Updyke, a regular caller, phoned in on the night of Jan. 27, identifying himself as Al from Dadeville.

"Let me tell you what I did," he said. "The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I went to Auburn because I lived 30 miles away, and I poisoned the two Toomer's trees. I put Spike 80DF in 'em. They're not dead yet, but they definitely will die."

Incredulous at what I just heard, and thinking this was a joke, I asked him if it was against the law to poison a tree?

"Do you think I care?" he asked. "I really don't." The call ended with Updyke's trademark "Roll da#@ Tide!"

Updyke was arrested three days later and the college football world, especially in Alabama, went into a meltdown of anger.

The last eight months have been filled with some comedy at Updyke's expense, but mostly with tragedy and enough psychobabble analysis to fill up 10 episodes of Nancy Grace.

Let's learn from Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr.'s mistake and allow this to be a teachable moment. I'm not suggesting President Obama invite Updyke and Gene Chizik to The White House for a beer summit. But throwing him in jail will only make some people feel better for a brief moment. I say enough of the attacks and the calls for jail time for vengeance to right the wrong. It is time to get past this human tragedy.
We should listen to a good Auburn man, Sir Charles Barkley, when he says: "Auburn is a place. It's not a tree."