An IBM computer competed on Jeopardy … and won. A man in Cleveland picked up the wrong kid from daycare, and realized it wasn’t his 3-year-old grandson when he got home.

Northern China is in the middle of a horrible drought that could impact bread prices because of their extensive wheat crop. Sport’s writer Mike Wilbon referred to NBA All-Star Weekend as “Black Thanksgiving.”

America is more than $14 trillion in debt, and budget decisions in Washington are about to hit the fan.

In case you missed it, these are just a few of the big headlines from last week that went unnoticed by several living in the state of Alabama. Instead, our top headlines, conversations and Facebook statuses all swirled around Toomer’s Corner.

Friends became enemies with biting words and debate. I witnessed it first hand for three days straight. It only took one 62-year-old ignorant fan to cause an even bigger war between Alabama and Auburn fans that I had to roll my eyes about.

It’s a tree. Does anyone else realize this? Yes, it’s wrong, it’s symbolic, it’s tradition and it stands for something deeper than its roots, but in essence … it’s a tree.

We’re still at war. Egypt is still in the midst of problems. Our economic debt in this country could have major impacts on each one of us. But all anyone wants to talk about these days is how some guy poisoned a tree.

The situation is shameful. In no way will I defend the man who did it. I can also understand how this story made such headlines in a state where some put football on par with religion. But this is getting out of hand.

Just read some of the news articles on the subject. I’ve even seen some people commenting on the stories online that this guy deserves the death penalty or life in prison.

Seriously? Do they realize how ridiculous they sound? Do people understand how foolish they appear when they assume all Alabama fans are behind the man who committed this crime?

The United States is still active in the longest war in the history of this nation, and troops are dying daily. Now that’s a story. Gas is more than three bucks a gallon, and I commute from Madison three times a week. Now that’s a story.

Get over it. It’s a tree. They knock them down every day to build subdivisions and malls. Sure there’s history and tradition with the one that grows at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn, but can’t we find something better to talk about?