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Friday, July 22, 2011

Saban and Miles on the same day?

From Mike Lough subbing in for Seth here on the final gathering of SEC Media Days:

Nick Saban is done reminding us that predictions are silly, as thus, are those who make them.

Vanderbilt's James Franklin is the latest Commodore coach to bring the enthusiasm and fresh air to the little program that's smarter than everybody else and keeps on chugging.

Houston Nutt wasn't quite the sermonator, but the Ole Miss boss still likes talking in front of a lot of people.

And next - drum rolllll - is that grass-eatin, hat-wearin, logic-killin Les Miles. We are all strapped in.

Stream of (un)consciousness from the first three rounds of the final day:

The requisite crowd jammed the hotel lobby hoping somebody from Alabama might sweat on them after coming down the escalator from where the conferences are. Hollywood has the red carpet, the Wynfrey one day a year has the Crimson carpet. ...

Trent Richardson has two children, and is still clearly moved by the thought of parents during the tornado in Tuscaloosa having Mother Nature just snatch children out of their grasps. ...

Saban said other teams have returnees, but they have quarterbacks back. No doubt he was talking about LSU's Jordan Jefferson. Tiger fans aren't really relishing that as an option. ...

UGA's offensive line has a first-team and second-team all-conference pick. Those other three fellers shall have some heat on them. Just be decent SEC O-linemen and stay healthy - time to ban scooters for the O-line? - and Georgia's a player. ...

"How did Jefferson make third-team all-SEC QB?" That's my impersonation of an LSU fan before happy hour. ...

The SEC now brags about how much media shows up. Listing 1,050 for this year, a record. Not quite, Scooby. There are probably 300 or so print media in this big ballroom - 12 rows, about eight per row, three sections - and there are NOT 700 TV and radio people here. Granted, there is the smell of makeup and the sound of ridiculous questions, but not to that tune. Even throwing in print photogs - which quadruple when Alabama's on hand - roaming around, it's not that much. ...

Teams go to 13 rooms during their time here: main media, radio/internet, TV 1, TV 2, CSS, Fox Sports, CBS, ESPNU, ESPN SEC, ESPN, SEC Digital Network, SEC radio network and Sirius XM radio. They must be counting employees of the networks and conference to get 1,050, as well as really stretching the definition of 'media.' ...

Rates at the Wynfrey are fixin' to go up. This big ballroom is freezing, and you walk into the hotel room, and almost every appliance is on and it's 65 degrees. ... That's an observation, not a complaint. ...

Les Miles is now 13 minutes late. His hat must've been late getting back from the dry cleaners. ...

Is it really that bad to expect some level of higher-education ability from those in higher education, ala college? Then again, GPA is quite arbitrary. Then again, there are few options for measurement. You can't go by how many tattoos, you knows, whatevers and cliches comprise a person to measure a grade. ...

Other than reactions to what Mike Slive might bring up or to whatever the latest major controversy is, Media Days don't offer much headline stuff. It's not like anybody's going to break down and admit anything.

Of course, it's the dream of such a potential meltdown or tirade that keeps everybody coming back. ...

Clearly Les's time management is better on Saturdays in the fall. ...

Now I get it. The Wynfrey is bringing football weather to us on the inside. I can deal with that. ...

Not sure how Ole Miss can be picked sixth - and clearly so - in the West and get two first-place votes. Yes, this gathering has as many homers as a weekend softball tournament. ...

OK, time to loosen up for The Hatter, and will check back in later.

2 comments:

FisheriesDawg said...

That was quite difficult to read/comprehend.

Seth Emerson said...

Was sort of stream of (un)consciousness while waiting for the grass-eatin Cajun coach to show up.
Also had another story for down the line to track down - and dodge Bammer fans in the lobby.
Forgot to sort of clarify that and add the requisite ellipsis, which will do now and then depart for a scenic 245-mile country drive home.
More later and tomorrow.