From: swanger@ducvax.auburn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Subject: Pat Dye autobiography out
Date: 23 Aug 92 04:21:55 GMT
Organization: Auburn University, AL

The autobiography of Auburn Head Football coach Pat Dye, titled "In The Arena",
went on sale this week.  Proceeds from the 288 page book will be split 50-50
to establish scholarships for families of Auburn Athletic Dept. personnel
and for use at (ex bama player) John Croyle's Big Oak Girls Ranch in
Springville Alabama.

I have read three reviews of the book, two positive and one mixed/negative.

The following is from Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News:  

Scarbinsky thinks the book's title could be "I Not A Cheater" or "In My 
Defense".  Dye says he is not a cheater on page 4 and page 5.  The words
cheater, cheat and cheating appear more than a dozen times in the first 17
pages of the book.  These 17 pages appear to be Dye's response to the Eric
Ramsey story.  Not guilty...never been found guilty...never accused, not by
an official body.  Is this the autobiography of Pat Dye or Richard Nixon? 
Dye quotes Shakespeare in the book.  (Scarbinsky says) "Methinks he does
protest too much."  Dye tells stories designed to cast shadows on the
character of Ramsey, his wife, Twilitta and their attorney, Donald Watkins. 
He takes the mud that's been splattered on him and slings it back.

The book tells of Dye's life story from his childhood in rural Georgia to
his coaching birth under Bear Bryant to his move to Auburn and the trials
and triumphs of 11 years there.


Paul Finebaum, Birmingham Post-Herald, is more positive.  He says:

"There have been a number of ghastly ghost-written autobiographies to come
down the pike in recent years"..."there is no doubt that Pat Dye's recently
published book In The Arena ... are the actual words of Auburn's head
coach."..."I don't remember reading a book of this sort that sounded more
like the main character"

"In the book, Dye not only denies the allegations put forward by Eric Ramsey
but also seems to paint a picture of the former defensive back and his
motives."

"As for Donald Watkins, the Ramsey attorney, Dye writes: "Donald Watkins
doesn't give one damn for the kids, black or white on our football team.
...Donald Watkins is full of hogwash.""

"Dye claims Ramsey called some individuals up to 150 times asking for
money, including team chaplain Bob Baggett."

"You have to wonder why Dye didn't simply throw Ramsey off the team."

Speaking of Bear Bryant and his drinking: "He describes a plane ride back
from Memphis with Bryant after a charity golf tournament."

""From time to time, Coach Bryant would go on the wagon.  But he wasn't on it
that day.  He drank a fifth of vodka from Memphis to Tuscaloosa," Dye wrote. 
"He could sober up at will when he had to.  I can tell you this, he was a
sobering sight for an opposing coach across a football field.""

"Dye states that Ray Perkins, the former Alabama coach and the man who
replaced Bryant, actually tried to get the Auburn job in 1980 after Doug
Barfield was fired.

I wonder if Perkins still would have gotten the Alabama job if that little
gem had been publicly known."  

(Dave insert - Perkins seemed to really, really, really hate Auburn.  I used
to think that, sure, it came with the territory, but that he took it to
extremes.  I wonder, if he actually was turned down for the Auburn job, if
that was the real reason he was so bitter towards Auburn)

"Dye has high praise for FSU coach Bobby Bowden and says, "I think Alabama
screwed up when they didn't hire him.""

Finebaum finishes with:

"...I can't help but admire Pat Dye more after reading his own book, in his
own words and from his own heart."


The Lee County Eagle has an author-less article that reads like a press
release from the publishing company (ie: it is poorly written and highly 
praises the book).

More stuff later...
-- 
David Swanger,   Auburn University, Alabama,   swanger@ducvax.auburn.edu 
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college