Harvey Updyke has died

[81usaf92]

Tree poisoner dead

Don’t know where to put this

He was never a true Alabama fan in my books, but unfortunately he is forever tied to our history.

Peace to his family and I hope he found personal redemption for the actions he is known for. RIP

 

[Relayer]

RIP

 

[AUDub]

Peace be with his family.

And damn anyone with the temerity to consider this any sort of reason to celebrate.

 

[seebell]

May you find peace Harvey

 

[Go Bama]

I hope he finds peace. Honestly, I am not saddened.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Condolences to his family and hope he is at peace now.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Guy whom literally nobody outside his immediate circle would have ever remembered gained fame the way nobody wants it - basically, by being a jerk.

May he rest in peace.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Born and raised in LA and spent his entire adult life to retirement in Texas. Bama was just unlucky that his fixation happened to land on us...

 

[TexasBama]

Born and raised in LA and spent his entire adult life to retirement in Texas. Bama was just unlucky that his fixation happened to land on us...

He was a retired Texas State Trooper, which is a little scary., given I run the roads here a lot

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Born and raised in LA and spent his entire adult life to retirement in Texas. Bama was just unlucky that his fixation happened to land on us...

This is where we DO have a bit of righteous anger and the right to be more than a little ticked off. We have one lunatic who looks (on TV) like the worst stereotype, and the press eats it up.

I'm sure you remember Tom Yawkey, the racist Red Sox owner. More than once I've come across sources that say Yawkey was a "native of South Carolina" and "exhibited Southern racist tendencies" towards black players. Look, we had guys like George Wallace, and I make no attempt to mitigate his disastrous racism.

But Yawkey was NOT from South Carolina. He was from Detroit and raised in New York City. He graduated from Yale University and inherited millions at the turn of the Depression and bought the Red Sox. He had a summer home in South Carolina. Hence - in the media narrative - he was a racist because South Carolina.

I get sick of that kind of stuff. Yes, Harvey DID do something stupid, but let's be honest: if he would have come across on TV as an Ivy League educated son of privilege, he wouldn't have been on TV with the mocking stereotype near so often.

 

[81usaf92]

This is where we DO have a bit of righteous anger and the right to be more than a little ticked off. We have one lunatic who looks (on TV) like the worst stereotype, and the press eats it up.

I'm sure you remember Tom Yawkey, the racist Red Sox owner. More than once I've come across sources that say Yawkey was a "native of South Carolina" and "exhibited Southern racist tendencies" towards black players. Look, we had guys like George Wallace, and I make no attempt to mitigate his disastrous racism.

But Yawkey was NOT from South Carolina. He was from Detroit and raised in New York City. He graduated from Yale University and inherited millions at the turn of the Depression and bought the Red Sox. He had a summer home in South Carolina. Hence - in the media narrative - he was a racist because South Carolina.

I get sick of that kind of stuff. Yes, Harvey DID do something stupid, but let's be honest: if he would have come across on TV as an Ivy League educated son of privilege, he wouldn't have been on TV with the mocking stereotype near so often.

I hate how ESPN made it out like he is a typical Bama fan in that abomination of a 30 for 30. I know plenty of Bama fans from my hometown that have hated the tradition of rolling the tree. my hometown is less than an hour from Auburn. Literally no one has ever considered on doing something to those trees or that campus.

Updyke was a deranged fan who for a lack of a better term committed a terrorist act to try to destroy a tradition that our rivals love to do, and we get annoyed at.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

He was the best possible caricature for the national media, with his multi-colored crimson jacket and his ridiculous elephant's head cap. I was reading TI some when he was hinting around under the name of "Al from Dadeville" about what he'd done. He was dying for the public to know. Then, he was POed at Bama fans in general for not proclaiming him a hero. I wonder what kind of Texas State Trooper he was...

 

[DzynKingRTR]

He was the best possible caricature for the national media, with his multi-colored crimson jacket and his ridiculous elephant's head cap. I was reading TI some when he was hinting around under the name of "Al from Dadeville" about what he'd done. He was dying for the public to know. Then, he was POed at Bama fans in general for not proclaiming him a hero. I wonder what kind of Texas State Trooper he was...

If I had to guess he was a bad state trooper. I hate that he is forever tied to us. other fans all think he is typical. I have literally heard them say it. RIP.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I hate how ESPN made it out like he is a typical Bama fan in that abomination of a 30 for 30. I know plenty of Bama fans from my hometown that have hated the tradition of rolling the tree. my hometown is less than an hour from Auburn. Literally no one has ever considered on doing something to those trees or that campus.

Updyke was a deranged fan who for a lack of a better term committed a terrorist act to try to destroy a tradition that our rivals love to do, and we get annoyed at.

Look, admitting it occurred is fine.

Making it the central focus of "this is how insane this rivalry is" is not, which is what that show did.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Unfortunately when it comes to fan bases (especially college football), people come from all different "walks" of life to support the same team. You get a cross section of about every "type" of person that makes up our society. The bigger your fan base, the more likely there are people that represent the bottom of the barrel, middle of the barrel and the top. Ours was just broadcast to the globe. LOL!

 

[81usaf92]

Look, admitting it occurred is fine.

Making it the central focus of "this is how insane this rivalry is" is not, which is what that show did.

That’s my issue. They basically made him the spokesman of the Alabama fan base in that documentary. Basically it turned into Auburn good and honorable fans while Alabama fans are a bunch of inbred hillbilly jerks.

Yes Harvey unfortunately has a major chapter in the rivalry, but good grief there is far more to that rivalry than 2 years.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Yep, that ESPN doc is one of the worst sports docs ever made.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Over the decades, I've unfortunately known a number of LEOs who thought they were above the law. The number of murders and assaults committed by LEOs under a TRO are disturbing. IDK what the factor is. Is it the type of man (usually) attracted to wearing a gun? Is it the daily carborundum of seeing the absolutely worst humans? Or is it the extra bad press? IDK the answer to these questions, but, if you ask me if Harvey's status as LEO might have had some influence on his unlawful acts, then I have to say "maybe," given my experience and the context. I'll now duck for incoming...

 

[Tider n LA]

No doubt as a Bama fan, I don't like what Harvey did but It could be worse. Just ask Penn St fans.

 

[AUDub]

I hope he finds peace. Honestly, I am not saddened.

I am, but only because pity is about the only emotion I can muster. Imagine being so emotionally invested in a sport played by kids maybe a third your age that you do something so irrational.

He was mentally ill and took it beyond mere fandom, but, while I can hate the act, I do not hate him.