87,000 Game Balls: Auburn's Gene Chizik Thanks the Fans

Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik stepped to the podium in the press room underneath Jordan-Hare Stadium moments after his Tigers survived the West Virginia Mountaineers 41-30 on Saturday night. "First of all," Chizik said, "I wish I had 87,000 game balls." As Chizik uttered his wish, West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown wandered through the door looking for the Mountaineer locker room.  He was intercepted by Auburn security guards, marking the fifth time Brown was intercepted on the night. It's a joke, people. Seriously, Chizik's comment was intended as tribute to the tens of thousands of Auburn fans who suffered through a four-inch deluge that soaked Jordan-Hare stadium; who endured an hour-long delay that set kickoff back to nearly 8 p.m.; who maintained a full-throated roar even when the Tigers fell behind early; and who chanted "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger" as the clock crept close to midnight. "Our fans were a h...