never has “do what we do” been truer

last week, the sometimes-soul-crushing housing site that is tumblr crashed on me. again and again and again. i had posts written prior to the ole miss contest (which turned out to be a heck of a show); however, this site would not let me post a friday reaction column, a morning preview, or game day ratings. alas.

so here i am. back. and in lieu of a friday reaction or a game preview, my words hit the page for what i feel certain is going to present itself as a thunderous return.

(deep breath.)

cam newton has provided me with the most exciting and most memorable auburn season of my lifetime. that same sentiment — i’m guessing — could be echoed by thousands of fans that consider themselves part of the auburn family. on thursday night, newton — our relative in this adopted family — was accused of the biggest no-no in college football: taking money to play a sport at an amateur level.

did he do it? did his dad do it without him knowing? is this all the most convoluted fabrication in college football history? it feels as if there is an endless supply of questions regarding the situation. the answers seem minimal. and the truth? either integral or futile, depending on what side of the stadium you sit in at jordan-hare.

do i think cam newton had any association with this alleged “agent,” kenny rogers? no, i don’t. i firmly believe (and my gut is seldom wrong) that the outing of a scam artist will only slander the name of a kid who is trying to do right by the world. that’s where my opinion stops in this article.

if you’re reading this, it’s likely that some affection for auburn exists inside of you. please, embrace it. you and i have been spoiled this year by the play of a great team, even greater kids, a coach that some of us doubted but will now stand behind, and a quarterback who needed a fresh start in life and has flourished before our eyes. don’t let any of what’s developed in the last 72 hours force that affection to waiver.

i attempt, both successfully and unsuccessfully, to become the calmest guy in the room during any sliver of a moment of adversity. in this column space, i could throw urban meyer under the bus for his snitching. i could run that bus over hack writers such as clay travis, mike bianchi, or thayer evans who have embarrassed themselves with their absurd, poorly-researched opinions on the matter.

but i’m not taking punches at anyone in this column. the players in this fiasco are known and have been well documented on various sites and social media outlets. does it seem wrong and unfair that in a year in which our team is a frontrunner for a national championship and our quarterback is the deserving heisman trophy recipient that the rest of the nation seems primed to place a tiny asterisk on anything that happens, innocence or guilt be damned? it certainly does. i’m optimistic that the rational opinions will fall in auburn’s favor, but the irrational crowd will take swipes.

and you know what? let them punch, kick, scratch, and claw all they want. it’s time for auburn fans to be impervious to verbal abuse. it’s time for a team to focus on the task at hand (at 9-0, i don’t envision that being a problem). it’s time to put the blinders on. lock and load, and do what we do. ironic as hell, considering that was gene chizik’s hand-picked motto last season. the guy’s like yoda, but with muscles and some really sweet under armour gear.

do what we do.

here’s a quick inventory for you, auburn fans:

the best player in the country, so big and elusive that coaches and pundits are now trying to bring him down? check. newton’s the one wearing the navy blue #2.

according to mel kiper, the eighth-best pro prospect in the country? check. nick fairley is the gentleman in the #90 jersey, man-handling opposing quarterbacks on a weekly basis.

two of the most improved players in the conference that have led by example during their senior season? check and check. lee ziemba and josh bynes nearly drove me to urban meyer-sized breakdowns each of the last three seasons. now, they’re cementing their place in auburn lore.

mix all that inventory with two underrated running backs, a dependable receiving corps, an experienced offensive line, and a deadly special teams unit and you’ve got a team to be proud of.

focus on them and the joy they bring you as a fan. don’t worry about the outsiders that are attempting to prove that what you’re seeing is deception. concern yourself with the auburn family. do what we do.

@davidsmith28 @auburnjunglecat

the jungle cat is an online magazine dedicated to auburn tigers football, written by david smith, the creator of twenty8.