OT: Toomer's Corner Update
When MGoBlog last left the Toomer's Corner poisoning story, Harvey Updyke Jr. had just been taken into custody on charges of Criminal Mischief for poisoning two live oaks (thanks Marvin) on Auburn's campus. He proceeded to call a syndicated radio show and brag about his actions, while giving his real name and town and calling from an unblocked number. He faces up to ten years in prison and up to 15,000 dollars in fines if found guilty.
Since then, several things have happened:
- It has been revealed that the suspect is a former Texas State Trooper, retired after 18 years. Link
- He has since denied poisoning the trees to police after being taken into custody.
- He petitioned the court for an appointed attorney, and that attorney has filed motion to withdraw, stating a conflict of interest (he is a part-time Auburn professor). A new lawyer has since been appointed.
- His son claims he suffers from kidney failure and diabetes, and is on 21 different medications. (Same link as State Trooper above.)
- He has been released on 50,000 dollars bond, and flipped off NBC cameras as he was driven away.
- Alabama has stated that he is not an alumnus nor a season ticket holder. Alabama AD Mal Moore has stated that this was "an awful act, a terrible thing to do."
- Alabama fans and students have begun fundraisers to replace the Toomer's Corner trees, which are said to be valued at around 30,000 dollars each.
- Updyke family members have received death threats from all over the state, causing grandchildren to be pulled out of school. (Same article as Texas Police and family death threats.)
Just thought I'd keep the MGoCommunity informed; this story is an interesting one for me because it really is a sad attack on college football traditions. Thinking that one man, obviously with serious problems, can cause that much damage to an age-old tradition is scary.
Also, if anyone can tell me how to do the links where it can just be one word, like Brian and a lot of the other posters do, I would be happy to go edit for readability. Edit: Fixed, thanks to Tim.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:42 AM ^
Angry Alabama fan fires bullet at son after team's loss
....
February 19th, 2011 at 9:53 AM ^
It's amazing what some people will do. I hate OSU and all, but to go down there with a loaded gun or a flamethrower trying to kill/destroy is just ridiculous.
Plus, that's his son. Some people are just demented.
February 19th, 2011 at 10:03 AM ^
So if the kid is his son does that also make him his nephew?
February 19th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
Highlight text. Click hyperlink button (globe with two chain links in front of it). Paste URL. Profit.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:40 AM ^
I pasted the links into the link button, but I didn't see how to change the text without deleting the link.
Thanks for the help Tim!
February 19th, 2011 at 9:40 AM ^
Muchos gracias!
February 19th, 2011 at 9:42 AM ^
Don't forget the underpants.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:41 AM ^
Now he's got his family involved in this, I hope it was worth it. Also, I guess if you are on 21 different medications, you can do anything short of murder and not go to jail.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:49 AM ^
I don't know what he should hope for. Jail=Auburn fans. Free=Auburn fans.
Hopefully either he gets some help through a forced psychiatric hospital stay, or can be part of a prisoner exchange or something where he can serve his time in Alaska or New England.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:53 AM ^
Were they live oaks? Because that's not the same as just an oak tree. I don't even think they're the same species. Live oaks can live hundreds of years. If so, you can't just "replace" them.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:55 AM ^
Wow, had to look that up, it was right over my head. Yes, they're live oaks. The replacement cost was for live oaks of an "appropriate height".
February 19th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/02/biloxis_beau_rivage_transporti.html
Unfortunately, the intrinsic value of the original trees cannot be replaced.
February 19th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^
So, I hear the chemicals will be in the soil for 5 years, max. I know a little bit about trees, but I'm not sure if you can just replace soil (pretty sure not). What's the best they can do to replace the tradition? Statues?
February 19th, 2011 at 10:15 AM ^
From everything I've read, they have charcol in the soil now, and might just evacuate as much of it as possible in an effort to save the trees. I know they've said it's a long shot though. The timeline is anywhere from eighteen months to five years before it's safe for them again.
Also, I think I need to take back some of the jokes I've made over the years about Ann Arbor if I'm doing whole posts on trees.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
"but I'm not sure if you can just replace soil (pretty sure not)."
Sure you can. It's done on environmental sites all the time.
February 19th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^
deed was beyond a prank. It was meant to cause some serious pain. When I lived in Austin Tx. some nut job did a similar act to a revered live oak at the capitol basically killed a 400 yo tree by poisoning the leaves and branches,
February 19th, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
I'm certainly not a tree-hugger or a (gulp, nobody take this politically please) environmentalist, but to kill something that old senselessly is just sad.
400 years and some loser offs it because of his problems.
February 19th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
The universe has a weird way of working things out. I'm sure Harvey Updyke will get his one way or another. Just hope the family is left out of it.
February 19th, 2011 at 6:51 PM ^
The Ents will eat him.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
This is the same city where they set fire to the historic governors mansion which was under renovation.
February 19th, 2011 at 11:04 AM ^
When it was pointed out to Charles Barkley yesterday that this sorry act sprung from a twisted Alabama fan irate because he thinks Auburn cheated this season in the recruitment of Cam Newton. His response: "Alabama accusing Auburn of cheating is like Snookie calling Halle Berry ugly."
The whole culture of southern football rivalries doesn't recognize there are limits. Having lived down there, the least intelligent segment of their fans, are way less intelligent than those in other areas of the country. This crap doesn't surprise me at all. It only takes one bottom feeder.
February 19th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
I disagree vs harming the environment and vandelism and violators should be properly prosecuted and imprisoned / fined but that is local business. I understand if there is a resgional focus on the story but why is it a story anywhere else? - its two programs that we have no connection to in a conference that we are not a part of.
February 19th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
It's a college sports story. This is a college sports blog. It's the offseason.
February 19th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
This is also a blog about a school that highly values its traditions. This story is about a guy who attempted to/did destroy a tradition considered great by Auburn and its rivals.
You could just not click on the story or comment on it: it has a clearly labeled title.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
Not my school, not my conference....dont care. Would rather have discussions about potential recruits, MBB game today, softball team, etc...Cannot spend time worrying / discussing everything that happens at every other Program or campus.
Go Blue.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^
There are softball, womens tennis, hockey and TomVH threads on the board. All you have to do is click...
February 19th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
Oh, is that what those links were. Gosh jeez. Thanks.
Stupid thread, stupid article.
Lets pound the Hawkeyes today at 3:30.
Go Blue.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
Why are you still here?
February 19th, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
We get it: you're an ass. But the lapel pin on 007 is a nice touch.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:49 PM ^
February 19th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
He's gone now, no sense feeding him any more. Do like Brian (or was it Tim or Misopogon?) said and just neg him and let him have the last word. Hopefully he won't come back.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
In case you missed it, Auburn just won something called "the national championship" in a sport called "football." I could be wrong, but I think the game they won was against Oregon, and from what I've read, fans all across the country were interested in the outcome of the contest, even those who root for other "teams." Strange, I know, but what can you do?
"Football" is a game that the University of Michigan plays as well, and most UM football fans would like Michigan to win a "national championship" too.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
Don, I'll give you props - you're the only one with a logical rebuttle and your argument makes sense as to why its noteworthy to Michigan fans. Others on this board are just putting trash up to say "hey look at me and what I just read" when all I care about is dialogue on Michigan. This is a major flaw in my logic for why posts like this are stupid but I am willing to die by that sword.
Go Blue.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:48 PM ^
Are you really that obtuse?
February 19th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
How are you a fan of college football if you don't understand the traditions that make up its fabric?
February 19th, 2011 at 12:12 PM ^
I can understand traditions but that does not mean that I have to care about them - particularly the one involving those two programs. Frankly, the only traditoins I care aobut is our Program and our campus.
Go Blue.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
I don't know if you can read but... OT means off topic. Coming in I’m surprised you didn’t put it together that this would not be about Michigan.
Future suggestion... Avoid OT if you don't want to talk about things not pertaining to Michigan.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
What a surprise.
I'd be willing to bet that the very worst Ohio State fans are people who have never set foot in an OSU classroom.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:11 PM ^
Living in Austin, most of what I would call the "bad" UT fans are the ones who not only did not go to UT, but never could have because they were too lazy.
I don't believe you have to go to a school to be a fan.
That said, I find it odd when grown men cry when UT loses and they have only stepped foot on campus to go to a game. Often times, they do not really know anything about the rest of the school. (this is not an exageration).
February 19th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
Well, you should have pride of ownership.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
im impressed with how restrained auburn fans apparently are. if osu did something like that to us, id be inclined to destroy any sort of osu paraphernalia i see. probably with fire
February 19th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^
In that he made Auburn "sympathetic," at least for the time being. I don't know if the remediation fund being started by Alabama makes them "sympathetic." It all seems impossible to me. They deserve each other. Roll damn Tide.
Many years ago, I often wished that Michigan had begun a long series of out-of-conference home-and-home series with SEC schools. I just thought it woud be fun to have them visit Ann Arbor, and to visit some fun CFB places like Baton Rouge, Oxford, Gainesville, etc. But geeze, some of those folks really need to get a life.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:48 PM ^
Auburn is full of scumbags, but this makes them the victims for once.
I don't think any school deserves this sort of thing. I can't think of a comparable situation between any other two big rivals. OSU can (and did) tear down the M Club banner- but it's a banner. I'm sure its been replaced several times over the years. It's not like we can take the marching band away from OSU forever. USC can't kill off the rest of the leprechauns and if Oklahoma were to kill Bevo it would be sad, but there have been several Bevo's.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
To me, killing Bevo would be just as bad, if not worse. Regardless of whether the tradition can be replaced or not, this idiot still killed something that was alive and to me, killing an animal would be even worse.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
My first double post...I feel violated.
February 19th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
Well obviously. But the point is that Auburns trees are likely gone forever. They will no longer have that tradition, period.
I guess I came off wrong just comparing it to killing, but I was just trying to say that this guy took something from Auburn that cannot be replaced, at least in the next few years.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:02 PM ^
Oh I understand what you're saying now. I still feel like the life of the trees were more important than the fact that they don't have that tradition anymore.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
Losing the trees is sad, but I think the reason it resonates is that these two particular trees meant a lot to a bunch of people.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
If this man had an inquisitive brain, he would know that killers of sacred oak trees have not fared well throughout history. This reminds me of the martyrdom of St. Adalbert of Prague. Desecrated the sacred oak grove of the native Prussians... and met a fitting end by the edge of an axe, vainly begging for help from above.
Typical bully mentality: it is obvious enough that the trees are an easy, defenseless target, if you're trying to somehow prove your might. But what is to be feared are those who respect that which you've destroyed. Updyke will carry this to the end of his life... and for what?
February 19th, 2011 at 2:26 PM ^
because ROLE DAYUM TIDE, thats why