SEC Media Days: The only thing that could trump the NFL in the south

SEC Media Days 2008/Courtesy: Me

Arguably, whatever portion of the Sports Media world isn't in Atlanta today, is in Birmingham, Alabama.

Why you ask? Because it is the Daytona 500 of the SEC season, the kickoff to all that is southern in football, it's SEC Media Days.

For those who don't know, Media Days brings together oh, say, about 1000 members of the SEC media to pepper, cajole and tweak SEC football coaches and players for three days about the upcoming football season.

To say the event is somewhat chaotic would be being polite to the word chaotic. The reason: Those 1000 media types are in a ballroom area, roughly the size of a good sized Chili's restaurant. And yes, there are media people falling all-over each other to get the "Money" shot....coaches and players "Walking".

So you ask, how do you know so much about this event? Well, that would be because I covered it for several years. And you'll have to take my word for it that I'm probably underselling the chaos.

Anyway, day 1 featured one of our favorite coaches to quote, the ever quotable "Ol' Ball Coach", Steve Spurrier.

Here's what he said about his quarterback Stephen Garcia, who though suspended, is expected to run his team this year. "I guess we just don't want to kick him out for stupidity."--Nice

From Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino: "It's good to be here in Birmingham again for Media Days. I always wonder when I say that how to keep a straight face."--What's with the humor dude?


Al.com qutoes Mississppi State running back Vick Ballard after being asked about the day being the most talking he's ever done. "Yes, it is. My jaws are tired."


And this quote from Florida quarterback John Brantley on coach Will Muschamp who has associations with Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Alabama coach Nick Saban. "We don't really speak about those stories too  much. We just try to think about when he was growing up in Gainesville, and we'll leave it at that."


And Muschamp was asked this, "How does it feel being a Georgia guy coaching at the University of Florida? I'm a Florida guy."


In lieu of digging up someone's TV report, enjoy a music accompaniment: