Some Morning Reading

Just to whet your appetites a bit before things get started with Media Days, here’s a few UGA/SEC-related links:

-- From Bleacher Report: Sure, I'm planning to ride David Ching and Josh Kendall's coattails with this gig, but that's nothing compared to UGA VII, who's already topping "best mascot" lists, despite the fact that he's yet to be on the sideline for a game.

-- Getting in a plug for my boss, here's a good column from the Telegraph's Daniel Shirley about the Dogs' and Tech's divergent preseason outlooks.

-- Chattanooga's Darren Epps offers 10 big questions in the SEC leading up to Media Days.

-- Opeilika Auburn News' Collin Mickle has a good story about Tigers defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks' wardrobe troubles heading to Media Days. Interesting side note from the story, Marks will be the first non-senior to represent Auburn at Media Days since Jason Campbell in 2003.

-- And finally, from Athens Banner-Herald: Sad to see the stumbling economy hitting UGA. I'm coming to this job from a stint teaching journalism at Eastern Kentucky University, and I know firsthand the effects these higher education budget cuts have on students, faculty and staff. Call me crazy, but troubled economic times seem to be a better reason than any to invest in education. But what do I know? I'm just a sports writer.