Study says Auburn oaks likely doomed
Alabama uber-fan Harvey Updyke is awaiting trial on charges he poisoned the oak trees at Toomer's Corner.
A new report by Auburn University says the famed oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, allegedly poisoned by Updyke two years ago, are probably doomed and will need to be replaced, the Associated Press reports.
The report says the trees’ branches will continue to die, leaving them “aesthetically dead if not actually dead,” AP said.
Updyke, the rabid Alabama fan who allegedly boasted of his deed on a radio talk show — under the name “Al from Dadeville” — after Auburn defeated the Tide in 2010, is awaiting trial on charges of criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. His trial is scheduled for Oct. 1, although his attorneys are seeking a change of venue.
The study, which was conducted by experts after a recent pruning, says a preservation committee will report soon to the university president on whether to continue efforts to save the trees or replace them, but concluded that “the long-term outlook for the trees is not good.”
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139 comments Add your comment
Cam
August 21st, 2012
9:13 am
Do this laptop belong to anybody?
sowega
August 21st, 2012
9:14 am
A grown man gets in his car and drives 30 miles to a college campus to commit acts of vandalism on tress because of a football rivalry between two schools neither of which he attended. Sad and pathetic.
SimpleDawg
August 21st, 2012
9:16 am
The Awbarn people can still hold on to the notion that….”Gump never scored on us!”
joe
August 21st, 2012
9:27 am
Typical inbred Bama posters, instead of showing sympathy for the trees and Auburn, all ya’ll do is run your damn mouths about how big and bad ya’ll are. Why don’t you go to some fast food eatery and t-bag someone…oh, wait, ya’ll have done that already. Most pathetic bunch of fans ever…and 99% of you were too dumb to get into Tuscaloosa state U.
The Ols
August 21st, 2012
9:30 am
To sabanslifts…While this was a deplorable act by a clearly unfit man, the fact that you wish more tornadoes on Tuscaloosa makes you as bad, if not worse than HU…I can’t believe that nobody took this moron to task for wishing more lives lost in Tuscaloosa…Yes, what HU did was wrong on every level, but what you just posted is actually disgusting…Karma’s a b***h, and you just invited her to dinner…
what a pack of fools
August 21st, 2012
9:31 am
You folks in Tuscaloser need to get over that tornado and move on. geez…..
14 Titles
August 21st, 2012
9:38 am
Nick’s loaded the roster again, ready for another title run in 2012. Mark this down–the 2012 Bama D may be better than last year! RTR!
Give me a break.....
August 21st, 2012
9:46 am
I grew up a Alabama fan but have plenty of Auburn friends. The man who did this has to have a mental illness……as all this did is make Alabama fans look like a bunch of idiots. As a Alabama fan….I apologize for a rouge “fan” who would do something this horrible! I feel for the Auburn nation…the trees were a tradition. But I hope Auburn realizes that the majority of Alabama fans would never have been involved in this destructive behavior!!
joe
August 21st, 2012
9:50 am
@ 14–More like 5. It’s pretty darn funny that you guys actually count all those MNC’s. The Davis poll and the Dunkle poll from the 1920’s don’t amount to dung, but you losers still count them. HA HA! Pathetic again, but we’re used to it from your “intelligent” fan base that never set foot on any campus except for football games.
Charles
August 21st, 2012
9:58 am
There are three kind of people posting on this thread.
1. Auburn University Graduates
2. State of Alabama High School Graduates or Dropouts
3. Semi curious UGA fans that hate Auburn because it is such a close rivalry.
Which one are you?
All Bama Fans are Rabid
August 21st, 2012
10:02 am
RTR and the rest of the rednecks that dismiss or support Updyke are pieces of s-it. Updyke is the epitome of the Alabama fan. These same people dismissing this as ‘just trees’ go crazy when an actual prank (not a crime) is performed on their crooked coaches idolatry statues.
BobDog
August 21st, 2012
10:04 am
I talked to someone close to the situation yesterday. He said the trees are done and that the big decision to come is what organization gets the proceeds from the sale of the wood. That wood cut up into small pieces, plaques or whatever, will probably bring a large sum of money.
Who should get the money? The Athletic Department, the University, or charity?
G-Dawg
August 21st, 2012
10:06 am
Have some local artist carve the entire tree, and have it weatherproofed..the tradition could continue!!
king of mean
August 21st, 2012
10:22 am
I’m as Rabid a Bama fan as you’ll find – but doing something like this to those trees (or any particular symbol of college tradition found at any school) is reprehensible. I hope Updyke is held accountable and serves all of the time he has coming to him. He’s not a true representation of a mainstream Bama fan.
Roll Tide.
bruce mac
August 21st, 2012
10:25 am
You can look at the guy and tell he is mentally incompetent. I say let him off so he can go home and play with himself. RTR
SouthBama
August 21st, 2012
10:29 am
Have a big bonfire with the trees and charge admission, with the proceeds going to bobby lowder’s legal fund. He needs some money.
Tree
August 21st, 2012
10:36 am
While you all are referring to me as “just a tree”, I cannot simply be replaced. It took a hundred years for my height and branches to grow to the beauty they were. A “statue” can be replaced, it’s just metal. A shrub can be replaced, bushes grow fast. I hope a tree falls on your house.
Shrub
August 21st, 2012
10:41 am
Typical tree…thinking you are better than us shrubs or bushes just because some hayseeds like to throw toilet paper at you.
deserves jail time
August 21st, 2012
10:46 am
I’m not an Auburn fan, but he deserves a fine equal to everything he has (which probably isn’t much) and two years in jail. Yes – jail time for trees. Ideally should have to listen to the Auburn fight song over and over while in jail. Just a senseless act.
Charles
August 21st, 2012
10:49 am
Best article ever of why Alabama fans don’t understand or respect. After all, they have no tradition. Read it.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/612018-you-can-kill-auburns-trees-but-you-cant-kill-auburns-spirit
Funny...coming from UGA fans
August 21st, 2012
10:49 am
I get a kick reading UGA fan’s (some) insults to both Bama and AU. UGA…UGA! last NC in what? 1981? UGA calling out and Insulting the 2 programs that have: (just the facts) 3 NC, 2 heismans,2 undefeated seasons 3 SEC champs of the last 3 years? And no NCAA violations after an inquisition style investigation was thrown Really? The past few years, all UGA has done is gone from red panties, several playersjail, to preseason hype to well that’s pretty much it year after year.
sheepdawg
August 21st, 2012
10:58 am
this blog is a fine commentary on the state of higher education in the deep south….pitiful
On second thought
August 21st, 2012
11:01 am
there are a bunch of low life idiots on these blogs. Unless you are the player or a family member it’s just entertainment….
Please tell me none of the people who are crying about the trees are hunters or oppose universal heathcare
smoke Ham and BBQ beans
August 21st, 2012
11:02 am
Have you folks last fellow said auburn fans when beat alabama own campus n they rolled toilet paper lord..You will really open a can then then fellow who said poison n said did not..he go are someone will get saw n cut down the toomer tree to a stump….so please do not mess up bear bryant moument now….that silly folks all is a game well sorta like if Georgia ever beat alabama are they won here would tide fans steal hedges are get vince dooley painted crimson tide red!
Dogs>bama
August 21st, 2012
11:02 am
Take this to the bank–the dogs will win the east easily and upset bama in the title game. This Dog D may be the best in the country.
B
August 21st, 2012
11:07 am
Maybe Trooper Taylor can pay someone some cash to heal the trees.
Never Been There
August 21st, 2012
11:13 am
Is Toomer’s Corner actually, physically, located on the Auburn Unv. campus?
JRS
August 21st, 2012
11:15 am
Who gives a hoot what happens in America’s 2nd worst state and at its pathetic excuse for educational institutions? You Alabamans ought to be sending thank you notes to Mississippi every day.
Never Been There
August 21st, 2012
11:16 am
Who actually proclaimed these trees as “famed oak trees”? Been following college football for over 50 years and I had never heard of Toomer’s Corner of oak trees. Not a Auburn fan but “famed”. I guess it’s all in whom you ask.
All Bama Fans are Rabid
August 21st, 2012
11:19 am
Charles said:
Best article ever of why Alabama fans don’t understand or respect. After all, they have no tradition. Read it.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/612018-you-can-kill-auburns-trees-but-you-cant-kill-auburns-spirit
——–
Nice link Charles, so true.
Tree Dawg
August 21st, 2012
11:35 am
Fire Mark Richt!
that is no excuse
August 21st, 2012
11:38 am
“He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.”
all bama fans can claim that problem.
what other fan base has fans that do this and that perform and record sex acts on another helpless human being.
than we have the issue of their coach. a man who has rules named after him because rather than win fair he prefers to ‘almost’ cheat.
and these nitwits thump their chests and think they are the best in the land.
they are like the sprinter who is given a 10 yard head start against the rest of the field and wins the 100 m dash.
no amount of chest thumbing or trash talking will ever make that sprinter the fastest in the world.
the biggest cheater yes. the fastest ? never!
Buckeye
August 21st, 2012
11:58 am
If they transplanted the huge evergreen next to the 18th at Pebble they can transplant some large oaks at Toomers.
Sugar Hill Dawg
August 21st, 2012
12:00 pm
Tommer’s Corner refers to the intersection of Magnolia and College Streets. Toomer’s Drugs is on one corner, a bank is across Magnolia, a bar (used to be a bank, I guess, since its called “The Vault”) is across College, while the trees are on the corner of the intersection that is a part of the Auburn campus. Kinda like the Arch is across Broad Street from what used to be the Varsity (now a Five Guys?)
Charles in Reeltown, AL
August 21st, 2012
12:08 pm
that bammer should get them electric chair.
Dawgnlex is a complete tool
August 21st, 2012
12:11 pm
that aint no excuse… you bleed black and red.
Sorry your team has been poopy for 31 year.
Whatevs
August 21st, 2012
12:14 pm
@Never Been There – the oaks are physically located on the ground of the University at main entrance to the campus. The street intersection is affectionately called Toomer’s Corner because of the long-running soda fountain/drug store (named Toomers Drugs, open since 1896) diagonally across from the entrance.
http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html has a great picture of the oaks in and the main entrance to campus.
UGA = Yawn
August 21st, 2012
12:16 pm
Geesh – how long it take to get this to trial???
Educated bama fan
August 21st, 2012
12:19 pm
@sabanslifts… I don’t normally post on sites like this bc it’s a never ending comment war, BUT when I read your comment about wanting more tornadoes to come through Tuscaloosa I just could not let it go. How much of a low life douchebag do you have to be to say something so heartless. I understand your anger and emotions towards The lose of your trees, but honestly trees can be replaced, my friends and loves ones that lost their lives cannot. The lost lives and damage to our town/state does not even compare to toomer’s oaks. If I were an Auburn fan I would be repulsed at your tactless comment. Honestly what you really need is a life and punch in mouth. Karma is a bitch..
Rich Black
August 21st, 2012
12:38 pm
Alabama……no wonder the rest of the country makes fun of the south.
Derpmaster
August 21st, 2012
12:42 pm
Just look at his picture…..and say it. Roll Tide Roll.
Jason
August 21st, 2012
12:42 pm
The irony here is that Updyke thought by destroying the trees at Toomer’s Corner he was helping to glorify UA when what he ended up doing instead was cause incredible damage to the university’s image. Sadly other sidewalk fans like him won’t learn anything from this other than don’t run your mouth and get caught.
Derpmaster
August 21st, 2012
12:44 pm
And I love all you bammers that were acting like what he did upset you right afterwards. And yet here you are, showing your true colors. It’s just so pathetic being a Crimson Tide.
A-Town Antwoine
August 21st, 2012
12:45 pm
This nutbag was a law enforcement officer as a Texas state trooper…… Nuff said.
Harry Reid
August 21st, 2012
12:54 pm
I bet he’s a good ole Southern Democrat!
timthebrave
August 21st, 2012
12:54 pm
Isn’t Auburn a horticulture school. You think they would know how to plant new trees.
American Telephone & Tree, Inc.
August 21st, 2012
12:57 pm
Maybe they could replace the trees with a cell tower that looks like a tree.
Brenda
August 21st, 2012
1:03 pm
Where will they attach the nooses now?
TideToRoll
August 21st, 2012
1:03 pm
The Tide will be rolling again in 2012—BCS title game. Bama v. USC
Bama wins by 6!
RDT!!!
Robinhood
August 21st, 2012
1:30 pm
Its just a dang tree for crying out loud, there are thousands of tree cutting services everyday hacking trees down. whats the big deal?!?!?
The guy doesnt deserve any jail time, folks do a lot worse things than this and get 30 days probation which is what Im thinking he’ll get. Maybe a fine which of course will get paid by any one of the larger Bama boosters.
quit crying and go away warchickentiggerplainsmen