Alabama staffer fired for mocking Cam Newton with songs (UPDATED with video evidence)
Here's Cam Newton, not leading the Auburn crowd in "Son of a Preacher Man."
(Check for video at end)
It turns out that there’s a limit to what’s acceptable when it comes to making fun of Cam Newton — in Tuscaloosa, of all places.
Alabama has fired an employee who mocked the Auburn quarterback with songs he played over the public address system before their game Friday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, according to TideSports.com.
The songs of choice?
“Take the Money and Run” by the Steve Miller Band and “Son of a Preacher Man.” (Reports don’t make clear if it was the Aretha Franklin or Dusty Springfield version of
“Preacher Man.” But I’m guessing it doesn’t matter, even if Aretha is the queen of soul.)
As you no doubt have heard, Newton and his father, the Rev. Cecil Newton, are under NCAA investigation for possibly soliciting payment from one or more potential universities for Newton’s services prior to the player transferring from a Texas community college. Hence, the background music during the pre-game.
Alabama’s part time DJ presumably passed on the Beatles’ “Money,” Pink Floyd’s “Money,” AC/DC’s “Money Talks,” the O’Jays’ “For The Love of Money” and of course Donna Summer’s “[He] Works Hard For The Money.” (Sorry. Just had to go there.)
Seriously though, this from Alabama public relations director Debbie Lane: “Our processes require that all music and videos played in the stadium prior to and during every game be carefully scripted and approved by a senior administrator in the Athletics Department. The former staff member deviated from the script that had been approved for the game with Auburn, and the University took steps to immediately terminate his contract.”
Alas, there is civility in perhaps college football’s most vicious rivalry.
Is the firing just or is it overreaction?
♦
(Here’s pre-game video, via YouTube. Fast forward to about the 9:35 mark to hear the two songs over the PA. Thanks for tip from Tweeter @JaxStateFan)
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
517 comments Add your comment
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:19 am
Auburn Redhead
True and I just love the sour grapes from the UGA losers as well.
Auburn Redhead
November 30th, 2010
9:19 am
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:17 am
“LOL!!! That explains the lack of morals and sense of entitlement!”
Bama has had fraternities openly wear KKK outfits to parties.
*****************************
You mean they can spell KKK?
...and with the 215th pick in the 2011 NFL draft
November 30th, 2010
9:19 am
The Cincinnatti Bungles select $cam Newton from the Awwwwwbarn Tiggers.
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:20 am
“You mean they can spell KKK?”
Doubt it. Most of them can’t read let alone spell.
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:21 am
“The Cincinnatti Bungles”
Hey, whatever happened to Matt Stafford?
Best of the Blogs | MrSEC.com
November 30th, 2010
9:21 am
[...] Jeff Schultz of the AJC has video proof of the Alabama song selections. [...]
"The money was just too much".............
November 30th, 2010
9:21 am
= DEATH PENALTY
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:22 am
“= DEATH PENALTY”
I have a song for you.
Dusty Springfield – Wishin’ And Hopin’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycbgHM1mI0k
Auburn Redhead
November 30th, 2010
9:24 am
Will join the party later. Got to be somewhere in 30. Bammers and Puppies, you are in the best hands possible with Forrest.
Auburn Redhead
November 30th, 2010
9:25 am
Forrest…save me a front row seat for when I return.
Dawg_Mike
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
Please keep the hits coming. I am ROTFLMAO
atltiger15
November 30th, 2010
9:27 am
AU fan here, saw nothing wrong with arch rival playing those songs, if you didnt think something like that woould happen you’re crazy. The AU/Bama rivalry is like no other and each team will do whatever to get under the skin of the other at all cost..Great game Bama folks
Forrest Gump was the most famous Bama grad
November 30th, 2010
9:29 am
“Forrest…save me a front row seat for when I return.”
Will do.
Eric
November 30th, 2010
9:36 am
Im an Auburn grad and this is a major over reaction. Whomever played the music maybe should have been “admonished” if the Bama media people thought it bad tasted, but Im not sure anybody at Auburn cared. Especially after the victory!
P.C. Strikes the Heart of Dixie
November 30th, 2010
9:39 am
[...] Strikes the Heart of Dixie A sense of humor is apparently no longer allowed in Tuscaloosa. Alabama staffer fired for mocking Cam Newton with songs | Jeff Schultz Illegitimis non carborundum Reply With [...]
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
9:39 am
“Take the money and run” could also be used against Nick Saban.
Either way, no skin off my back. WE WON!!
RAMMER JAMMER YELLOWHAMMER, GO TO HELL ALABAMA!!!!!!!!
Little Bo Beep
November 30th, 2010
9:42 am
A shout out to Tide Rising, 51ML and Bama Dude! Where are you ladies? Bryce Institution says it’s now time for your meds!!!
Emmysmom
November 30th, 2010
9:45 am
Herschel Talker, speaking of “filthy,” look in the mirror. What a mouth you have, my dear.
TommyJack
November 30th, 2010
9:49 am
The real laugh is hearing bamers talk about AU being dirty! What a hoot.
ramblin_wreck_ce
November 30th, 2010
9:49 am
GT did the same thing with Ted Roof. At the end of his last Duke game at GT, they played “The Roof is on Fire.” He was fired at the end of the season.
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
9:51 am
ramblin_wreck_ce
Yeah, and you guys are having a great season! LOL
LMAO
November 30th, 2010
9:55 am
BLAIR MISS PROJECT YOU ARE A MORON WITH A THIRD GRADE EDUCATION – YOUR SCHOOL SUCKS – YOUR FOOTBALL PROGRAM SUCKS – AND YET YOU BEAT UP ON THE
TECH PEOPLE- LMAO
Elvisinthehouse
November 30th, 2010
9:58 am
Newton is black so what do schultz and the rest of the negative commentors care.
Crimson Hide
November 30th, 2010
10:04 am
Oh come on Bammers, nobody heard “Workin’ On The Chain Gang” in Auburn last year. Have some class fans. But why fire him? You don’t have any more games this year in Tuscaloser, and nobody knows who is he anyway…
billcanoe
November 30th, 2010
10:07 am
I’m delighted that Alabama had the class to fire the guy.
Jake
November 30th, 2010
10:07 am
Herschel Talker- You’re just bitter because you got your proverbial ass handed to you by the Tigers. Usually, that’s a loser’s first line of defense is to call a program classless or a variation of that theme when they lose like that.
I hope your children have nightmares about Nick Fairley.
Crimson Lied
November 30th, 2010
10:10 am
And speaking of players who took benefits directly and lied about it, you have one that plays defensive end…short memory?
Crimson Tried
November 30th, 2010
10:14 am
…and failed. 28-27. Send Bama to the Cotton Bowl so Saban can check out his new digs…
Honky Talkin'
November 30th, 2010
10:20 am
Dawg fans never cease to amaze me with their extreme ignorance. Are they all unemployed living in their mother’s basement?
King's Queen
November 30th, 2010
10:29 am
Why don’t you Auburn and Bama fans go to an Alabama Newspaper blog and get off AJC ? This is a place where UGA & Tech fans talk about Auburn,Bama,etc. I’m tired of reading these blogs by people from Alabama. Get out your singlewides with bald tires and find a job !
cg
November 30th, 2010
10:36 am
Are you people who post dozens of comments sitting around all day in your boxers collecting unemployment? Get a real job and get to work. I know it’s hard, though, if you’re a UGA grad.
TomTiger
November 30th, 2010
10:37 am
Sounds like Aretha to me
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
10:42 am
“Why don’t you Auburn and Bama fans go to an Alabama Newspaper blog and get off AJC ?”
Are you illiterate?
aumoosie
November 30th, 2010
10:52 am
I thought the musis was typical and didn’t reallt take offense to it. I’ve found it interesting how many of the fans of SEC teams are believing all the bloggers and vomiting out the crap I see on these boards. The fact is that you all so desperately want the alegations against the Newtons to be true, regardless of whether they are true are not. It says a lot about your character, or the lack of it. It it’s proven to be true then AU needs to be punished. Until then deal with the fact that you got beat. WDE!
mike
November 30th, 2010
10:53 am
So much hate for Cam on this site. The goober should have been fired for playing songs he was not authorized to play. All deejays know that. Hopefully Cam goes on to the NFL and you haters will still be writing this blog with your no effect words of wisdom. You people go out and elect crooks as your elected officials and you have a problem with some allegations about what someone’s father did or did not do. You folks need to get a life.
Willie Wonka
November 30th, 2010
10:58 am
Big Bama fan here, but they collapsed. I didn’t care if Auburn was rated #2, I wanted to beat them. But, since that didn’t happen, I hope they eat some fried chicken and roast duck their next two games.
Dawg Mom
November 30th, 2010
11:01 am
I am very improssed seeing the number of Students who arrived early and very enthusiastically supported their team.–All school’s student sections should be this full this early!
Dawg Mom
November 30th, 2010
11:03 am
The songs were funny enough (not necessarily in good taste, though) but the video show the huge number of students who arrived early and enthusiastically supported the Tide. All SEC student sections should be this large and loud and early! I am impressed!
J. Edgar Hoover
November 30th, 2010
11:06 am
FBI had the absolute best seats in the house for the Alabama/AU game. I have heard that they are very impressed with things at AU, just not with AU football.
AU won the mythical NC in 1957 and then saw it stripped from them for cheating. This legacy is the AU legacy. The entire world knows that AU has been terrible and all of a sudden, with some kid that has a very checkered past , as well as one or two others on that squad ……………… AU can win the NC? By the way, Oregon is one of the dirtiest football prgrams around and the TV jocks will be running all kinds of coverage on that game, if it takes place.
AU will be stripped of any titles, including the SEC. Time will prove this out.
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
11:13 am
J. Edgar Hoover was gay. No really, he was. He was also a cross dresser.
G
November 30th, 2010
11:17 am
Overreaction
UGATider
November 30th, 2010
11:24 am
If the barn were playing satan himself, I’d have to think seriously about pulling for the evil one. And you barners on here just make it easier. Quite frankly, it will be funny when the hell finally breaks lose to watch you all run like rats. How will you ever survive when dye, uncle milty, lowder, cecil, etc. get theirs? I hope the NCAA kicks you out and you have to end up playing NAIA ball.
Dawg Trainer
November 30th, 2010
11:26 am
Kicking it old school here:
“Money (Got to Get My Hands on Some)” – Fatback Band
“Money’s Too Tight to Mention” – Simply Red
And firing the PA guy? Overreaction to the nth degree.
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
11:27 am
UGATider
Could you hold my beer at the SEC Championship game? Oh wait, that’s right, you guys are not going to be there. Well, have fun at whatever bowl 6-6 teams go to these days.
Auburn fan (Aubarn to my Bama bretheren)
November 30th, 2010
11:28 am
“I hope the NCAA kicks you out’
Hope doesn’t work out well for UGA fans. Hasn’t worked since 1980.
Ann
November 30th, 2010
11:31 am
Leave making fun of players to the students, not the university. It’s a classless act! Auburn
didn’t play songs about Ingram’s dad being in prison when he played there last year. (And
that is a proven fact.)
MRucker
November 30th, 2010
11:32 am
You’re a joke schultz, find an honest living and try and make a positive impact please.
schmeckdawg
November 30th, 2010
11:33 am
How about Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock?
My DAWGS are down
November 30th, 2010
11:34 am
@AUBARN FAN
Guess you have NEVER been to an SEC Championship game. Unless you have access to a suite, no one will be holding anyone’s beer in the game… They don’t sell it
My DAWGS are down
November 30th, 2010
11:40 am
@AUBARN fan
And when did AU last win??? Being on probation doesn’t count and the fact you were shut out of the game several years ago sucks but doesn’t count either
Waiting