Jim Fyffe
Encyclopedia
James William "Jim" Fyffe (November 20, 1945 – May 15, 2003) was a United States sportscaster and radio talk-show host best known as the play-by-play announcer for Auburn Tigers football
and basketball.
, Fyffe became Auburn's
play-by-play announcer in 1981 and spent 22 seasons calling Auburn football games. His signature "TOUCHDOWN AUBURN" call was beloved by Auburn fans. During his tenure as the voice of the Auburn Tigers
, Fyffe shared the Auburn broadcast booth with three former Auburn quarterback
s. Pat Sullivan
, the 1971 Heisman Trophy
winner was the color commentator from 1981-1985. When Sullivan joined the Auburn coaching staff in 1986, he was replaced by Charlie Trotman, the Tigers
quarterback from 1977-1979. When Trotman stepped down after the 2000 season, Stan White
(the Tigers
quarterback from 1990–1993) replaced him and worked with Fyffe during his final two seasons in the broadcast booth.
Fyffe also called Auburn basketball for 22 years. During basketball games, Fyffe was known to say "hello" to an Auburn player's home town following a slam dunk
. According to Fyffe, this tradition started after Charles Barkley
asked him to say hello to all the people in Leeds, Alabama
, Barkley's
hometown. Fyffe told Barkley
that he would have to dunk the ball for him to do that. Barkley
did, and thus began a tradition that Fyffe continued throughout his years behind the Auburn microphone. Fyffe also hosted "Tiger Talk," the Auburn Network's weekly radio call-in show until 1998, when Rod Bramblett succeeded him.
Fyffe would end every broadcast by saying, "My time's up, I thank you for yours." He would occasionally alter the phrase to be, "Our time's up, we thank you for yours."
Fyffe was also the play-by-play announcer for the USFL's
Birmingham Stallions
, Birmingham Steeldogs
and Columbus Wardogs of the Arena Football League. He was also the public address announcer for Talladega Superspeedway
for 20 years, and was associated with the Blue-Gray Football Classic
in Montgomery
.
Fyffe was a pioneer in sports-talk radio in Alabama, hosting one of the first such shows in Montgomery in the 1970s.http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=company&id=332&pos=75,15,248&PHPSESSID=ef5e403804212fc97ca893a5d1cab25b At the time of his death, Fyffe hosted a sports-talk show on WACV
-AM in Montgomery, Alabama
.
Board of Trustees, the Alabama State Legislature, the Montgomery City Council, and the Auburn Alumni Association.
He was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
in 2005.http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=company&id=332&pos=75,15,248&PHPSESSID=ef5e403804212fc97ca893a5d1cab25b
Jim Fyffe suffered from diabetes during his life. Upon his death, the Jim Fyffe Diabetes Research Fund at Auburn University was created in his memory. The fund supports graduate students conducting diabetes research and provides funding for diabetes research projects. The fund was established by Auburn University
, the Auburn Network and Jim Fyffe's widow, Rose Fyffe.http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/fyffefund
was probably the call he was most known for, and he considered it the second greatest Auburn win at the time the book was written (1996). This call is on every collection of memorable radio calls released by the Auburn Network, and it was the call that Paul Finebaum
played to open his show on the day of Jim Fyffe's death.
Auburn was heavily favored in the game with Georgia Tech
, and this game was to be the last yearly meeting between the two rivals. But with 4:01 to play in the game, Auburn trailed 10-7 and needed to go 91-yards to score. The Tigers moved down the field behind the passing of quarterback Jeff Burger and, 16 plays later, were at the Georgia Tech
four-yard-line with only 29 seconds to play:
The pass from Jeff Burger to receiver Lawyer Tillman completed a 17 play, 91-yard drive and the PAT gave Auburn a 14-10 lead. The Tigers' Aundray Bruce
completed the scoring by returning a tipped pass for a touchdown
on the last play of the game, and Auburn won 20-10. Fyffe received some criticism from the call...mainly, he said, from Alabama fans. Some in the media criticized him, saying they couldn't tell what was happening. Of the call, Fyffe said, "Frankly, in listening to the replay of the call through the years, I've never thought it was my best. I probably did go too crazy, but I think the listener could tell what was going on without any problem. No matter what I think about it, Auburn fans still come up to me and tell me it was the best call they've ever heard. And that's what matters."
, Auburn had reached the season ending game with Alabama undefeated at 10-0. The Crimson Tide was 8-1-1 and were the defending National Champions. Normally, a game of this magnitude would've been played before a national television audience. But Auburn was under NCAA
sanctions and were not allowed to appear on television during 1993. This was Alabama's second trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium
and, due to the magnitude of the game, the two schools setup a closed-circuit television feed to Bryant-Denny Stadium
in Tuscaloosa
. Jim Fyffe set the scene this way as he opened the broadcast of the game on the Auburn Network:
Auburn trailed 14-5 at halftime having mustered only a field goal and a sack of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker
for a safety. Mid way through the third quarter, the Auburn offense began its best drive of the game, moving from its own 30 yard-line to the Alabama 31. But three plays later, senior quarterback Stan White
was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. Rather than punt or attempt a long field goal, Bowden elected to send backup quarterback Patrick Nix
into the game with a fourth down play:
Fyffe's voice was noticeably hoarse during the call and, in his autobiography, Fyffe stated that his voice was noticeably weak at the start of the game, a game he considered one of the biggest of his career due to the magnitude of the game, and the fact the game wasn't on television. He continued, however, and watched as Auburn took the lead on a Scott Etheridge field goal, and, with 2:32 left in the game, Fyffe made his second memorable call as James Bostic sealed the victory:
The Tigers won 22-14 and finished 11-0 for the first time in the school's history.
announcer Cawood Ledford
as one of his favorites.
Fyffe's basketball calls are most likely less memorable due to Auburn's struggles in basketball during most of his career. That was not the case during the 1998-99 season as the Tigers dominated the SEC
in route to a #1 seed in the NCAA
tournament. On February 10, 1999, Auburn hosted Ole Miss
before a sellout crowd at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum and a national television audience on ESPN
. Fyffe called the game on the Auburn Network along with color analyst Joe Dean, Jr. Auburn started fast and led 18-4 when a missed basket by the Rebels led to an Auburn fast break. The result of the play provides an example of Jim Fyffe's slam dunk call:
The Tigers would win the game 95-66.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/news/1999/02/09/auburn_olemiss/
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
and basketball.
Career
A native of Paintsville, KentuckyPaintsville, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile...
, Fyffe became Auburn's
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
play-by-play announcer in 1981 and spent 22 seasons calling Auburn football games. His signature "TOUCHDOWN AUBURN" call was beloved by Auburn fans. During his tenure as the voice of the Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
, Fyffe shared the Auburn broadcast booth with three former Auburn quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s. Pat Sullivan
Pat Sullivan (American football)
Patrick Joseph Sullivan is an American football coach and former player. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 playing quarterback for the Auburn Tigers and then played in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. Sullivan is currently the head coach at Samford University...
, the 1971 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner was the color commentator from 1981-1985. When Sullivan joined the Auburn coaching staff in 1986, he was replaced by Charlie Trotman, the Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
quarterback from 1977-1979. When Trotman stepped down after the 2000 season, Stan White
Stan White (quarterback)
Stan White is a former American football quarterback.-High School & College:A graduate of W. A. Berry High School in Hoover, Alabama. He went on to play quarterback at Auburn University where he started every game from his freshman year until his senior year, a total of 45 straight games...
(the Tigers
Auburn Tigers
Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball...
quarterback from 1990–1993) replaced him and worked with Fyffe during his final two seasons in the broadcast booth.
Fyffe also called Auburn basketball for 22 years. During basketball games, Fyffe was known to say "hello" to an Auburn player's home town following a slam dunk
Slam dunk
A slam dunk is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air and manually powers the ball downward through the basket with one or both hands over the rim. This is considered a normal field goal attempt; if successful it is worth two points. The term "slam dunk" was...
. According to Fyffe, this tradition started after Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
asked him to say hello to all the people in Leeds, Alabama
Leeds, Alabama
Leeds is a tri-county municipality located in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of Birmingham. As of the 2009 population estimate, the population of the city is about 11,474.-History:...
, Barkley's
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
hometown. Fyffe told Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
that he would have to dunk the ball for him to do that. Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
did, and thus began a tradition that Fyffe continued throughout his years behind the Auburn microphone. Fyffe also hosted "Tiger Talk," the Auburn Network's weekly radio call-in show until 1998, when Rod Bramblett succeeded him.
Fyffe would end every broadcast by saying, "My time's up, I thank you for yours." He would occasionally alter the phrase to be, "Our time's up, we thank you for yours."
Fyffe was also the play-by-play announcer for the USFL's
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
Birmingham Stallions
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...
, Birmingham Steeldogs
Birmingham Steeldogs
The Alabama Steeldogs, originally known as the Birmingham Steeldogs, were incorporated in 2000 as one of the charter teams in the af2, the developmental league of the Arena Football League. Entering their eighth season as of 2007, they were the longest running of many professional football...
and Columbus Wardogs of the Arena Football League. He was also the public address announcer for Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
for 20 years, and was associated with the Blue-Gray Football Classic
Blue-Gray Football Classic
The Blue–Gray Football Classic was an annual American college football all-star game held in Alabama usually on Christmas Day. It was begun in 1939 and held annually through 2001 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The game was not contested in 2002 and was subsequently revived in 2003 in...
in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
.
Fyffe was a pioneer in sports-talk radio in Alabama, hosting one of the first such shows in Montgomery in the 1970s.http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=company&id=332&pos=75,15,248&PHPSESSID=ef5e403804212fc97ca893a5d1cab25b At the time of his death, Fyffe hosted a sports-talk show on WACV
WACV
WACV is a radio station in the Montgomery, Alabama, market owned by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. Since July 30, 2010, the station has broadcast a modern rock music format...
-AM in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
.
Death
On May 14, 2003, Jim Fyffe attended an Auburn Alumni meeting in Prattville, Alabama where he gave a speech opening for Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville. Afterward, Fyffe drove to his home in Montgomery, AL. Shortly after arriving home and greeting his wife, Rose, he complained that he was not feeling well, and collapsed within minutes. Rose called 911, who rushed him by ambulance to Montgomery's Jackson Hospital. Fyffe was immediately pronounced brain-dead with little expectation of revival. He was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and was pronounced dead at approximately 10 am on (May 15, 2003) without ever having regained consciousness. Immediately following reports of the death, sports-talk shows and Alabama TV newscasts were broadcast throughout the day allowing friends, fans, colleagues of Fyffe to share some of their favorite stories and voice grief over the loss. A public memorial service for Fyffe was held in Montgomery at Leak Memory Chapel, followed by a public funeral at First United Methodist Church. Fyffe is buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama. Fans visit his grave-site regularly, placing memorabilia such as Auburn shakers and game programs at the tombstone. Fyffe is survived by his wife Rose, his five children; twin daughters Jacquelyn and Jennifer Fyffe, stepson Kent Maddox; stepdaughters Karen and Kristy Maddox; 4 grandchildren; Kevin Maddox, Brett Haynes, Collin Sapp, Kaylen and McKenzie Mullikin, and also by a great-grandchild Alyssa Maddox. 10 days after his death, daughter Kristy gave birth to his 5th grandchild, Madison.Awards
Jim Fyffe was named Alabama Sportscaster of the Year nine times during his career, and received numerous honors from the Auburn UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
Board of Trustees, the Alabama State Legislature, the Montgomery City Council, and the Auburn Alumni Association.
He was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
in 2005.http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&view=company&srctype=display&back=company&id=332&pos=75,15,248&PHPSESSID=ef5e403804212fc97ca893a5d1cab25b
Legacy
Rod Bramblett succeeded Jim Fyffe in the Auburn broadcast booth.http://www.clarkecountydemocrat.com/news/2003/0626/Sports/077.html During each football game broadcast, Bramblett remembers Fyffe by using his signature "Touchdown Auburn" call at least once during the course of a broadcast.http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sponsorship/aub-footbl-radio-ads.htmlJim Fyffe suffered from diabetes during his life. Upon his death, the Jim Fyffe Diabetes Research Fund at Auburn University was created in his memory. The fund supports graduate students conducting diabetes research and provides funding for diabetes research projects. The fund was established by Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, the Auburn Network and Jim Fyffe's widow, Rose Fyffe.http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/fyffefund
1987: Auburn at Georgia Tech
In his autobiography, Jim Fyffe admitted that this call, from the October 17, 1987 game at Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
was probably the call he was most known for, and he considered it the second greatest Auburn win at the time the book was written (1996). This call is on every collection of memorable radio calls released by the Auburn Network, and it was the call that Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum is an American sports author, television and radio personality and former columnist based in Birmingham, Alabama. His primary focus is sports, particularly those in the Southeast. Finebaum was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee, where he received a...
played to open his show on the day of Jim Fyffe's death.
Auburn was heavily favored in the game with Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, and this game was to be the last yearly meeting between the two rivals. But with 4:01 to play in the game, Auburn trailed 10-7 and needed to go 91-yards to score. The Tigers moved down the field behind the passing of quarterback Jeff Burger and, 16 plays later, were at the Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
four-yard-line with only 29 seconds to play:
The pass from Jeff Burger to receiver Lawyer Tillman completed a 17 play, 91-yard drive and the PAT gave Auburn a 14-10 lead. The Tigers' Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Auburn University and professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders of the NFL.-College career:...
completed the scoring by returning a tipped pass for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on the last play of the game, and Auburn won 20-10. Fyffe received some criticism from the call...mainly, he said, from Alabama fans. Some in the media criticized him, saying they couldn't tell what was happening. Of the call, Fyffe said, "Frankly, in listening to the replay of the call through the years, I've never thought it was my best. I probably did go too crazy, but I think the listener could tell what was going on without any problem. No matter what I think about it, Auburn fans still come up to me and tell me it was the best call they've ever heard. And that's what matters."
1993: Alabama at Auburn
Under new head coach Terry BowdenTerry Bowden
Terry Bowden is an American football coach at the University of North Alabama. Bowden was previously the head coach at Salem University , Samford University , and Auburn University . Bowden is the son of former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden...
, Auburn had reached the season ending game with Alabama undefeated at 10-0. The Crimson Tide was 8-1-1 and were the defending National Champions. Normally, a game of this magnitude would've been played before a national television audience. But Auburn was under NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
sanctions and were not allowed to appear on television during 1993. This was Alabama's second trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Jordan–Hare Stadium is the playing venue for Auburn University's football team located on campus in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the University's winningest football coach, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn...
and, due to the magnitude of the game, the two schools setup a closed-circuit television feed to Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny...
in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. Jim Fyffe set the scene this way as he opened the broadcast of the game on the Auburn Network:
Auburn trailed 14-5 at halftime having mustered only a field goal and a sack of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker
Jay Barker
Jay Barker is a former professional American football quarterback, and a current Birmingham radio personality.- Football career :...
for a safety. Mid way through the third quarter, the Auburn offense began its best drive of the game, moving from its own 30 yard-line to the Alabama 31. But three plays later, senior quarterback Stan White
Stan White (quarterback)
Stan White is a former American football quarterback.-High School & College:A graduate of W. A. Berry High School in Hoover, Alabama. He went on to play quarterback at Auburn University where he started every game from his freshman year until his senior year, a total of 45 straight games...
was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. Rather than punt or attempt a long field goal, Bowden elected to send backup quarterback Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix
Patrick Nix is a college football coach and former player in the United States.-Player:Patrick Nix began his career at Etowah High School in Attalla, Alabama. Nix was a standout quarterback at Auburn University, where he came in for an injured Stan White vs. Alabama to help lead the Tigers to a...
into the game with a fourth down play:
Fyffe's voice was noticeably hoarse during the call and, in his autobiography, Fyffe stated that his voice was noticeably weak at the start of the game, a game he considered one of the biggest of his career due to the magnitude of the game, and the fact the game wasn't on television. He continued, however, and watched as Auburn took the lead on a Scott Etheridge field goal, and, with 2:32 left in the game, Fyffe made his second memorable call as James Bostic sealed the victory:
The Tigers won 22-14 and finished 11-0 for the first time in the school's history.
1999: Ole Miss at Auburn (Basketball)
Though he was most known for his memorable football calls, Jim Fyffe grew up loving college basketball. In his autobiography, Fyffe mentioned the legendary KentuckyKentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
announcer Cawood Ledford
Cawood Ledford
Cawood Ledford was a longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams...
as one of his favorites.
Fyffe's basketball calls are most likely less memorable due to Auburn's struggles in basketball during most of his career. That was not the case during the 1998-99 season as the Tigers dominated the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
in route to a #1 seed in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournament. On February 10, 1999, Auburn hosted Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
before a sellout crowd at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum and a national television audience on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Fyffe called the game on the Auburn Network along with color analyst Joe Dean, Jr. Auburn started fast and led 18-4 when a missed basket by the Rebels led to an Auburn fast break. The result of the play provides an example of Jim Fyffe's slam dunk call:
The Tigers would win the game 95-66.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/news/1999/02/09/auburn_olemiss/