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One commissioner, three coaches, 14 players and over 1,200 members filled up the Wynfrey Hotel Hyatt Regency in Hoover, Alabama for the first day of SEC Media Days.
Here is the best from day one.
It is the dawning of a new age in college football as the College Football Playoff gets ushered in. The most powerful man in college athletics, SEC commissioner Mike Slive, got trumped to begin the festivities. The unveiling of the College Football Playoff trophy – a slick, modern-looking trophy compared to the BCS crystal ball – took center stage.
New @CFBPlayoff Trophy. #BringThePlayoff pic.twitter.com/jKFbAXxs5w
— Saturday Down South (@SDS) July 14, 2014
Once the commissioner took the podium, he bragged about the conference’s athletic accomplishments of the last year. Slive spent most of time raising the flag for Power 5 autonomy one more time before the August 7 vote. He showed his knowledge and passion for history, quoting Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Nelson Mandela (three powerful men who advocated change) to advance the rights of students-athletes. At times it seemed as if Slive were delivering a political campaign speech.
“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” –Eisenhower
“Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.” –Mandela
“Continuous effort is the key to unlocking our potential.” –Churchill
Gus Malzahn of the SEC champion Auburn Tigers was the first coach to take the podium. Instead of talking about who was with him, the majority of the conversation throughout the day was about who wasn’t with him. Malzahn made an 11th hour decision to keep starting quarterback Nick Marshall on The Plains because of his off-the-field troubles. That left Malzahn, center Reese Dismukes, defensive lineman Gabe Wright and tight end C.J. Uzomah to answer all the Marshall questions.
Props to Uzomah’s mom, Stephanie, who drove two and half hours to get her son a suit so he would look dapper. Props to her son for wearing the best socks.
Socks definitely a hot topic at #SECMD14. CJ Uzomah’s. pic.twitter.com/pTrDUnvONG
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) July 14, 2014
Embattled Florida head coach Will Muschamp took to the mic next and he is embracing the hot seat talk. In fact, of his almost 2000-word opening statement, it took only 117 words before he said the word “hot seat.”
Muschamp’s response to dealing with the pressure in Gainesville: just win.
“The way you combat that is having a winning football team and winning football games, which is what we’re going to do,” said Muschamp. “I got a lot of confidence in this team and staff. This is probably the most complete team we’ve had since I’ve been at the University of Florida in all three phases.
If he can avoid it, Muschamp never wants to encounter a night like he had last season.
“A rock bottom moment? We’re getting ready to play, late in the season…on a Tuesday night,” recalled Muschamp. “It was about 9:30, 10:00 at night. I’m in the defensive staff room preparing…for the next day. Our trainer Paul knocks on the door. I come to the door; he’s usually not there at 10:00 at night. ‘What do you want?’ I say. He says ‘Tyler Moore just wrecked on his scooter and broke his elbow.’ I can’t tell you exactly what I said, but it wasn’t good. That was (the) point where asked him ‘You got to be kidding?’”
It was easy to give out the best-first impression-of-the-day award. That goes to new Vanderbilt head man Derek Mason.
There are some people that look awful in a bow tie; Bruce Bowen being one of them. There are others that look good in them. Mason looked good Monday.
And when a man in a bow tie hands you a business card that is made of metal that is an absolute walk-off home run.
Jimbo’s is crystal. RT @McMurphyESPN: Derek Mason is also only SEC coach w/metal business card pic.twitter.com/H5nRQLgFBy
— Jeff (@saintwarrick) July 14, 2014
Until tomorrow.
Worked in online, print, TV and radio. Bobby Valentine once wore a pair of my socks for 8 hours. In an awkward exchange, he handed them back to me to which they were immediately deposited in a trash can.
