AUBURN | That finish, that mighty fine finish in the days before and after the early signing period was a big step forward in the Bryan Harsin era.
To climb from 41st to 13th in the team recruiting rankings in such a short period was unprecedented for Auburn in the Rivals era — at least from my spotty memory.
Harsin can take another big step tomorrow by winning a bowl game for only the second time in the last six years and bringing to a halt the frustrating four-game losing streak that ended his first regular season leading the Tigers.
I’m not necessarily a believer in bowl wins building momentum for the next season. There’s so much time and development and roster building that goes on over the next eight months that it doesn’t seem all that relevant to what happens next September.
But in this case, going into Harsin’s second year, I think it means more than usual.
A win would build on the recruiting momentum as Auburn tries to add more pieces in the late signing period and transfer portal.
AU still has very important needs to fill, particularly on offense at quarterback, wide receiver and tackle. If it is to have any real chance to compete at a championship level next season, those needs have to be filled with quality players.
The confidence and momentum a win would bring would be a boost to those pursuits.
It would also be a shot in the arm to a fanbase that suffered through those four consecutive losses including a heartbreaking four-overtime Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Nobody associated with Auburn wants to spend the offseason hearing about a five-game losing streak.
And it would certainly say something about a staff that’s operating without an offensive coordinator and approximately a dozen players that are transferring out, injured or already declared for the draft, to engineer a win over No. 20 Houston under those circumstances.
The Tigers showed a lot of fight and put up a heck of a defensive performance against the SEC Champions four weeks ago. Add better execution on offense and Auburn can pull off a much-needed win Tuesday in Birmingham.
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In today’s musical journey, we go back 89 years to the opening of one of the greatest entertainment venues in U.S. history. On Dec. 27, 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City. With 6,200 seats and a 10,000-square foot stage, it was the largest indoor theatre in the world at the time. It’s hosted some of the greatest musical artists of all-time including Frank Sinatra, Pink Floyd, John Denver, Liberace, BB King, Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Tony Bennett, Sting, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, Prince, Michael Jackson, Adele, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. The Music Hall also hosts an annual Christmas special featuring the Rockettes, which are headquartered there, and hosted the U.S. debut of the Riverdance in 1996 and Cirque du Soleil in 2012-13. Television shows such as Hollywood Squares, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Late Night with David Letterman, Barney & Friends, the Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, Emmy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards have all broadcasted from the Music Hall. Sports have also been featured including the NFL Draft from 2006-2014, the WNBA’s New York Liberty for six games in 2004 and a couple of boxing matches including one that featured Roy Jones Jr. in 2000.
The property that Radio City Music Hall was built on was originally supposed to be developed as an opera house with the backing of John D. Rockefeller. The plans changed and the Music Hall was built as part of the Rockefeller Center in less than a year, setting several construction records at the time. It was designed in Art Deco style with the facade made of Indiana limestone. One of its first tenants was Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which inspired its name. The grand opening on Dec. 27, 1932 featured a number of entertainers but was panned by critics. The theaters design, however, was praised. It quickly became a venue for feature films and has hosted more than 650 premieres including King Kong in 1933, Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962, Mary Poppins in 1964 and Lion King in 1994. The Music Hall nearly went bankrupt in the late 1970s, but was designated a New York City Landmark in 1978 and restored. It went under another renovation in 1999. It’s been nicknamed the Showplace of the Nation.
