SEC Media Days Day #3: Nick Saban is Like Hitler

((ht: al.com))

The circus known as SEC Media Days has officially come to an end. Nobody was injured in the scrum, at least that we were aware of, but several slightly odd things came out of an event that is uniquely Alabamian.

Where as Day #1 featured Florida coach Will Muschamp taking a few thinly veiled swipes at former coach Urban Meyer and Meyer's new school Ohio State, Day #2 was highlighted by Javedon Clowney with a wink and smile telling the assembled masses that most of the SEC's quarterbacks and Clemson's Tajh Boyd are all afraid of him.

And then there was Day #3.

Among the highlights. Our favorite, Les Miles, going all-Les on a variety of topics:

((thanks XOSSports))

 

And Georgia QB Aaron Murray who, along with Coach Mark Richt, found Clowney's comments pretty funny:





And then the quote of the day courtesy of the huddled masses waiting for the star of the day, Alabama Coach Nick Saban. When asked about his coach, an Alabama fan named Lee Allen made a bit of an unfortunate analogy, comparing him to "Hitler", telling AL.com reporter Jon Solomon; "He's kind of like Hitler, he's a dictator. He brought us back to the top and I figure we're going to be here for awhile"

Read Solomon's entire article on the goings on RIGHT HERE

Having worked SEC Media days several times over the course of our career, nothing that comes out of it is surprising. With over 1200 huddled media members and hundreds of fans crammed into a small portion of the Winfrey Hotel, the event is literally like a traveling circus with both media types and fans falling all over each other trying to see or talk to their favorite coach or player.

If you've never been and are a football fan, we recommend going at least once. It's a sight and experience you just can't get anywhere else. If you want to see a slice of the U.S Sports Nation these days, there is no better place then outside Birmingham, Alabama. If you want to see the theater of the absurd in the same place, you can easily kill two birds with one stone, right there...

SEC Media Days Day #1: Will Muschamp Fires Back

For those of you unaware, the football season is just about upon us. And one of the events that makes college football fans...and in particular SEC Football fans heart go aflutter--Media Days.

The SEC's official/unofficial 2013 Season Kickoff began in Hoover, Alabama Wednesday afternoon. The event, which now draws over 1,000 accredited media types and hundreds of fans is a bit of a circus, 16 coaches with 2 players each taking turns shuffling between multiple media "Group" rooms and individual network interviews.

Batting leadoff today--Florida coach Will Muschamp, who while optimistic about his team, was a little less than thrilled at some shots taken by "Another Program" not in the conference.

That program, Ohio St., led by former Gator coach Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes are alleged to have alerted the NCAA twice to alleged recruiting violations---neither of which were proven and at least one of which may have cost Florida a recruit. Meyer claims it was his schools compliance department that turned the Gators in. And he knew nothing about it.

Read more about those allegations RIGHT HERE

Muschamp took a minute during an early side session and fired back, saying in part; "We appreciate our friends from Ohio educating us on NCAA rules. They certainly know a thing or two about them"

Oooohhh....burn.

And a little later in the main session with writers, he took a very indirect shot at Meyer and the heat Meyer has been getting regarding discipline when he was in Gainesville.

Q- "How much is a head coach responsible for the off-the field behavior of its players? Can a head coach know everything that's going on and control that?

A--"Well, you're 100% responsible. When you sign an athlete to come to the University of Florida, I look at his parents, guardians, whoever is important to him in his life, tell them it's my job to be an extension of what's already happened at home. But you're a hundred percent responsible for the young man. Everything that happens."

"I can't possibly know everything that happens every single night with our football team. You also can't stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is okay either. You need to be very aware of the kind of guys your guys are hanging out with....But you are 100% responsible for every student-athlete on your football team"

Ess-E-Cee Media Day 3: Saban, Richt, Dooley, Freeze...

It was the biggest four crowds for the larger names in the conference for Day 3 at the Wynfrey Hotel in suburban Birmingham...

Coach Saban wants to, pretty much, be anywhere else other than answering silly questions from Media Folk... but he gave a few funnies and nuggets otherwise...
((HT: WVTM-TV))


Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze will learn that, today, people were nice to him...
After today, however, the opposition will want to make a point that the new guy from Arkansas State, Lambuth, and the "Other Side" will be made an example of...
((HT: WVTM-TV))


Derek Dooley wants a little less talk and lot more action from his Volunteers in a pivotal year for him on campus...

Terry Brooks is standing on the top of the mountain to do his live shot...
((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))
And, finally, CMR got to share his funnies and talk about the bad idea that it was to bring Isaiah Crowell onto campus... ((HT: WVTM-TV))
The HQ thinks Jarvis Jones is a bad man and is looking forward to seeing how many people will want CMR's head after another bad start- especially if they lose to Missouri early on...

Ess-E-Cee Media Day Two: Another Five Schools Parade

((HT: WVTM-TV Birmingham))

Another five coaches decided to parade themselves in front of the more-than-1,100 media folks in suburban Birmingham...

Auburn head coach Gene Chizik was found wearing an orange-striped, pinstriped suit in front of all the lights there...

The HQ will give Chiz props for thanking everyone for doing their part on the incident in Auburn on June 9th. Here's some of his highlights...


Joker Phillips stood in front of the throng trying to make a poiont about drafting his future successes for the football team by using the obvious example- the UK basketball team...

MJ Perino has Joker's wild...
((HT: WLEX-TV Lexington))
LSU head coach Les Miles got to trot out new starting QB Zach Mettenberger- who the HQ knows all the way from his days at Oconee County High School. Miles had his pound of fun with the media, but he did not eat any grass or air clap in his suit... ((HT: WBRZ-TV Baton Rouge)) John L. Smith took the podium and wanted to reinforce his idea of taking an opportunity from Utah State to wander back and take over for Robert Petrino, Esq. He wants us all to know that he wants his players to make sure their piss is hot going into this season... ((HT: KTHV-TV/TodaysTHV.com Little Rock)) And, fifth and not necessarily last was Dan Mullen- the head coach at Mississippi State. He wants to make sure that his defense is the same- if not better and his offense behaves better than it did last year. ((HT: WJTV/Jackson, MS))

It sure doesn't look like Kevin Sumlin

Ooops

((ht: @markschlabach))

Quick hitter here.

Take a look at this photo currently making the rounds on Twitter.

It's from an unnamed newspaper in the state of Texas. And...according to the caption, is supposed to be a photo of Texas A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin at today's SEC Media Days.

Only it's not.

For the record, it's Ivan Maisel of ESPN who bears absolutely no resemblence to Sumlin.

And in deference to the Newspaper Editor who approved the photo, it apparently came from the Associated Press...who definitely knows better.

**UPDATE**--Apparently the photo was cropped. Sumlin is actually out of the frame, screen left. Somebody got a little carried away with the ol' photoshop software it appears.

Ess-E-Cee Media Day One: Spurrier Goes Funny...Everyone Else Survives...

((HT: WLTX-TV Columbia))

The OBC was in rare form on Day One of Ess-E-Cee Media Days in Birmingham-slash-Hoover...

"If I made the schedule, Georgia would be playing LSU and we'd be playing Ole Miss," Spurrier said.

Spurrier later apologized to Ole Miss...

Here's Spurrier at the Wynfrey Hotel's version of the Chuckle Hut...
Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel stood there at the same podium and said there's a perception that "we play a bunch of high school teams." He says the Tigers know they have to earn respect in the SEC. Pinkel says Missouri fans have gone beyond excitement over playing in the SEC and "have become fanatical about it." Good luck with that one, coach... Vandy head coach had one thought for prospective recruits: "If you're truly the best and the brightest where else would you go?" Franklin led the Commodores to six wins and their second bowl appearance since 1982 in his first year at the helm... The HQ is thinking 5-7 ourselves, losing to Wake Forest on the last game of the year... Texas A&M has a new coach in Kevin Sumlin and he's ready to play in a damn, tough conference... ((HT: KBTX-TV Bryan/College Station)) But Missouri wide receiver T.J. Moe was the quote machine for the day: "It's like a zoo around here. Look at you guys. There's 1,100 media members here, I'm wearing a suit and tie for some reason, and I got escorted to an elevator by security when I got off the bus here. There were 15 people waiting for an autograph, so it's just different. It's way cooler here."
They're just lucky that they may not be around tomorrow...
That's when Alabama speaks and the world rotates off-kilter...