The rivalry between Auburn and Alabama brings out the best and worst in people all at the same time. Every year when the Iron Bowl is played, the state stands still as bragging rights are on the line for a full 365 days.
Whether it be the action on the field or the antics off of it, fans of both sides have been involved in some amazing memories, from the Kick Six to the First Time at Jordan-Hare and everything else that comes with the greatest rivalry in college football.
Yet there is one moment that stands out to the rest of the nation that defines the rivalry: the poisoning of the trees at Toomer’s Corner.
In ESPN’s 25 most college football moments of the 21st century, Alabama fan Harvey Updyke admitting to poisoning the trees on the campus of Auburn University is second only to an Ole Miss player pretending to urinate like a bulldog after scoring a touchdown against Mississippi State. Let that sentence sink it and, if you know one, let someone from another country read it.
From ESPN:
The SEC's "it just means more" slogan is ubiquitous around college football, used both as a sign of respect and derision. To truly understand why the slogan can so easily fit into both categories, however, look no further than Alabama fan Harvey Updyke.
In 2011, Updyke -- using the name "Al from Dadeville" -- called in to Paul Finebaum's radio show to announce he had on his arch nemesis, Auburn.
This was just days after the Tigers had won a national championship behind star QB Cam Newton, and Updyke -- a rabid Alabama fan who had named two of his kids Bear Bryant Updyke and Crimson Tyde Updyke and was prevented from naming a third "Ally Bama" -- was angry. So, he told Finebaum, after his beloved Tide had lost to the Tigers in that year's Iron Bowl, he had driven to Auburn to commit a murder.
Updyke's weapon of choice: Spike 80DF, an herbicide used for vegetation control. He doused the famed oak trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner with the poison, setting up a slow death for the school's iconic trees.
Auburn tried to save the trees, but they were ultimately removed and replaced two years later. Updyke was sentenced to three years in prison for criminal mischief in 2012, though he served only a few months before being released to serve out his term under house arrest due to failing health. He was also supposed to pay $800,000 in restitution, but he turned over just a small fraction of that amount.
Updyke died in 2020 at the age of 71, but his legacy -- for better or worse -- lives on in the SEC.
While pretending to pee on a fire hydrant like a dog, while causing you to lose the game against a rival, is definitely worthy, we would like to think that a grown man doing everything above would take the cake.