SmashMouth

The Alabama fan indicted for poisoning Auburn's famous oaks at Toomer's Corner apologized to Tigers fans in an emotional radio appearance Wednesday but still didn't admit that it was he who attacked the two trees.



Against the advice of his attorneys, Harvey Updyke Jr., who is awaiting trial on charges including criminal mischief and desecration of a venerated object, called into the Paul Finebaum Radio Network on Wednesday to say he was sorry to the "truly Auburn fans" but not the "haters."

“
I just want to tell the Auburn people that I'm truly sorry for all the damage I've done.
”
-- Harvey Updyke Jr.
Updyke, who has children named Bear and Crimson Tyde, pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial.

Updyke began the call by saying his attorneys had told him to no longer call into Finebaum's program. He said later in the call that his attorneys would probably drop him "after this gets made public."

"I'm extremely sorry for what I have been accused of doing," Updyke said.

Updyke, who has health problems, said he has been told to draft a living will and "get right with God."

"I just want to tell the Auburn people that I'm truly sorry for all the damage I've done," he said in the call. "I'm not asking for sympathy. All I'm asking is forgiveness. I want the people that's Christians to understand I've done a lot of good in my life. I've never intentionally hurt anybody ... until this."

When Finebaum asked if "this" was poisoning trees, Updyke said, "Paul, you know I can't say that."

Thompson: Life & Times of Harvey Updyke
In May, Wright Thompson sat down with Harvey Updyke Jr., the man accused of poisoning the iconic trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn, Ala. Story

With leaves mottled brown and yellow, the now frail-looking trees are getting special treatment from a university, town and fan base in hopes that they'll pull through. The trees at the intersection of campus and downtown have been made famous by Auburn fans heaving toilet paper into their branches after victories.

Auburn said this week in a statement on its website that it should know better by the spring if the two poisoned oaks will survive. It also said in the statement that there is evidence that poison has reached trees that are 20 feet from the oaks.

Auburn discovered the poisoning after taking soil samples on Jan. 28, a day after a man calling himself "Al from Dadeville," said he had used the herbicide on the trees in a call to Finebaum's show.

Updyke has admitted he is "Al from Dadeville," but hasn't admitted that he was the person who actually poisoned the trees.

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Crusader

This whole thing is just a sad story, The man seems deranged. Its one thing to have a rivalry and a little good natured hated for your foe but poisoning trees...?

SapperSaint

Listen, I love LSU. I mean it, I LOVE LSU!

I have enough LSU gear that I can wear LSU Shirts for two weeks and never wear the same one twice. I have more hats than I can count. By the way, I have them broken out for seasonal play. Football, Baseball, Softball and other...you get the point.

I found a stray dog hanging around my church. He is (No Joke), Tiger Striped. He has a purple collar and his name is...... you guessed it, "Mike" his full name is "Mike the Tiger". I will post a photo just to subdue the non believers.

Now, with all that said..... As much as I hate...HATE; Hate like a fat boy hates a diet...; HATE OLE MISS. I could never do anything remotely like that to The Grove. This guy is a scumbag and terminally sick or not needs to be punished to the full extent of the law.

"We are number one. All others are number two, or lower."
-The Sphinx
http://blackandgold.com/groups/28-ou...tsman-s-corner