SEC Media Days are our league's little version of a tempest in a tea cup. You've got hundreds of well dressed reporters and radio stations packed into Birmingham, and 90% of them are writing the same stories. This means they all get to ask the same questions. Over. And. Over. And. Over.
Some coaches, like Richt, can hold their water all week. They can stay on message and never waver, and they bring kids who can avoid saying something ridiculously stupid. Other coaches and players get fed up and start saying nutty stuff to humor themselves. See Steve Spurrier as Exhibit A.
And my favorite...the coach that gets frustrated and to quote Nick Saban, they "don't have time for this shit." The smart money on cracking this year follows Les Miles. After watching him this afternoon on ESPN's new College Football show (3:30 PM EST), you could tell that he bristles at the very mention of Nick Saban. You can also tell that he hasn't found a graceful / honest way of answering any questions about Saban's return to the SEC.
Saban is totally in his head. Or to paraphrase Paul Finebaum tonight..."Miles is Saban's bitch."
The media will ask Miles a parade of Saban related questions. Eventually, he'll snap and say something dumb. The best part, he's too proud to just admit when he's wrong and too stupid to know how to avoid obnoxious media questions.
For instance, all Miles had to do when asked about the Southern Cal / Pac-10 comments a few weeks ago was to just laugh and say, "I was just hamming it up with our fans back in Louisiana. I seriously doubt that Pete Carroll cares what I said." Then there's no story. Instead of sort of denies that he said it. That's why almost a month later he still gets asked the question.
Of course, I look forward to Steve Spurrier poking some of his peers with a stick. Ideally, it will be Fulmer again.
I'm not looking forward to three days of questions for Houston Nutt about Arkansas fans. Nutt won't say anything honest or interesting the situation, and I'm not comfortable with questions that bounce around allegations of marital infidelity. Unless they are funny questions.
I'm also not looking forward to Urban Meyer and Tommy Tuberville as they navel gaze at their own personal greatness and monstrous achievements. Although, listening as Tuberville makes up stats and yardsticks that proclaim his dominance over the rest of the SEC is always fun.
What are you looking forward to this week?
PWD
10 comments:
I am looking forward to trying to figure out what Ed Orgeron is saying!
I'm looking forward to good reporting from you UGA blogs, since I'll have no TV and no other way of finding out anything about this for a week and a half at least. Keep us informed!
Stand by for the landslide of Auburn fans coming on here to inform us that, in fact, Tuberville does have the best record in the SEC over the last 5.75 years in night games played on grass in locations south of the 33rd parallel.
I only take issue with the part about the well-dressed reporters. I'm not sure I have ever seen a print journalist who didn't look like a slob.
This week will be about Saban. All the hype to date and it's in Bama. Every coach will be asked at least one Saban question. And, it appears many of them aren't fans of his. I want to see by who and how the jabs will come out. And who does Saban take pokes at other than Miles.
What a conference! Superior football, excellent melodrama...
Compare that to the Big 10 media days. Probally an excellent opportunity to catch up on some sleep.
Doug, please, we Auburn fans aren't that concerned with splitting statistical hairs, particularly since said hairs from 2006 suggest our team might have been just a touch fortunate to snag that 11-2 mark last year.
But you did mean the 34th parallel, didn't you?
Dawgnoxious - the well dressed line was irony in light of the photo above.
so i'm assuming pwd and dawgnoxious don't have that whole "we think alike and finish each other's sentences" thing going like other siblings.
Scott.. based on past performance, I think we all know that 'the O' will say the following..
"Rumble grumble blargh blargh WILD BOYS! Blargh rargh FOOTBAW!"
..of course, I have now sealed my own fate. Damnit.
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