This isn't an argument to act like you've been there before, although you have and you should.

It's not a senior citizen screed to get off my lawn because it's not my lawn. Of course, it's not yours, either. In the emotional aftermath of a college football game, especially a rivalry game and particularly the Iron Bowl, that space belongs to the players and coaches.

No, this rant against Auburn fans rushing the field and Auburn officials allowing it to happen in the wake of that thorough 26-14 win over Alabama is the same song I've sung since I saw people get trampled in Knoxville in 1985 when Tennessee upset Bo Jackson and No. 1 Auburn.

Fans don't belong on the field, especially when opposing players have yet to vacate the premises. Otherwise, conditions are ripe for what happened between Alabama defensive back Tony Brown and an Auburn fan Saturday night. Or much, much worse.

From two different videos of the scene, especially this one at the 1:02 mark, it appears the fan may have said something to Brown, which incited Brown to stop in his tracks to go take a swipe at the fan.

Brown shouldn't have done what he did. He should be disciplined for his lack of poise, but he wouldn't have been in that position had Auburn officials done more than pay P.A. lip service to their obligation to keep the fans off the field.

What's it going to take for schools to get serious about this issue? A crippling injury? A fatality? The SEC's graduated series of fines isn't getting the job done. Auburn was hit with a $250,000 fine for Saturday night's field rush, its third violation of the SEC rule.

That's chump change given the checks the SEC hands out to each of its members every year.

While making my way through the scrum to get to Auburn's postgame interview room, I heard one student shout, "Let's get the goalpost." Fortunately, he couldn't enlist enough support, but the mass of humanity and the swirl of emotion was problematic enough.

It would be nice to see Auburn do better when it does well in the Iron Bowl, especially when it controls the game for the better part of 60 minutes as it did Saturday. Oh, and one more note to the future astronauts and engineers who sprinkled in a little more improv to the celebration.

Adding your own obscene lyric to Dixieland Delight in response to Alabama's obnoxious practice may make you feel good. It makes you look just as bad.