Alabama Football: SEC Media Days – ‘Let the Show Begin’
By Ronald Evans
Every July, SEC, and Alabama football fans celebrate ‘SEC Media Days’ as the opening act of the college football season. What to expect in 2017.
Alabama football fans love SEC Media Days. Fans are tired of slogging through the interminable offseason and starved for Alabama football news. The SEC Network will put on a great show during 30 hours of programming.
Paul Finebaum, Dari Nowkhah, Laura Rutledge, Peter Burns, Greg McElroy, Booger McFarland, Marcus Spears and Jordan Rodgers will energetically inject established storylines as though they are breaking news.
Commissioner Sankey will gush about the greatness of the SEC to a broad chorus of ‘Amens.’ Every Athletic Director will attest his program is on an upswing and express confidence in their coach.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football
Coaches will talk about filling positions of need in recruiting, having great springs and how 2017 will be a banner season. Players will talk about Zen-like team chemistry, how much they respect their coaches and their teams ‘turning it up in preparation.’
The greatest thing about SEC Media Days is everybody is undefeated.
Inside the sea of optimism, there will be some degree of dissonance. Bombarded by media questions, some coaches will lower their guard allowing candor to escape. We will all pounce when it happens.
Details of the full schedule are at the end of this post. For Alabama football fans, the big day is Wednesday when King Nick descends. Ignore the national media rumors that Alabama football fans will camp overnight in the Winfrey Hotel parking lot, awaiting Saban’s morning arrival.
The other big day will be Thursday. Hugh Freeze will be pressed about NCAA sanctions. Gus Malzahn will be pressed to deny he is on a coaching hot seat. Monday will be a fun day with Bret Bielema, Ed Orgeron and Butch Jones. Tuesday will have a memorable quip or two from Jim McElwain and Derrick Mason gushing about another Vandy bowl season.
SEC Network – SEC Media Days Schedule (all times C.S.T.)
Monday; 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM – Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee
Tuesday; 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM – Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt
Wednesday; 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM – Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M
Thursday; 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM – Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina
At the end of the extravaganza, the media will predict Division standings and the SEC Champion. The results will be widely reported even though past results indicate the media will be wrong.
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Three regrettable things about 2017 SEC Media Days. There will be no syntax defying sentences from Les Miles. Kevin Sumlin will be asked how many wins will it take to save his job. Butch Jones will not be asked if the 2017 Vols are good enough to be Champions of Life.