The SEC Media Days circus and what Nick Saban will and will not say
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football coach, Nick Saban will only highlight one session of SEC Media Days. Saban’s shadow will loom over all the other coaches, no matter what he says or doesn’t say.
The annual love-fest known as SEC Media Days begins Monday and continues until Thursday afternoon. Alabama football coach, Nick Saban will not be the scheduled center of attention until Wednesday. Wrapped around Nick’s attention devouring media foray, every other SEC coach, not named Mason, Stoops, and Odom, will be forced to measure their team against Alabama football.
The other coaches will not like it. They will ignore, deflect, or re-direct every question about the dominance of Nick Saban and Alabama football. Such inquiries may elicit a profane response from Ed Orgeron but no one will be able to decipher it.
Kirby, Jimbo and Will will try to one-up Nick in some way. All will fail. Jeremy will try to be respectful and belligerent, at the same time. Gus will jump to fleeting or purported mastery he has over the Crimson Tide. Chad Morris and Matt Luke will give responses so boring, they will be tuned out before the end of their first sentence. Joe Moorhead will be so confused by the entire event, he may resort to ringing a cowbell rather than answering questions.
The most masterful counter performance to a Saban/Alabama reference will come from Dan Mullen. Mullen will ramble through a wandering response with two purposes. The first will be to show he has no fear of Nick Saban. He will be loquacious, hoping to wear down the attention of the media before anyone brings up his zero-for-a-career record against Alabama football. Mullen, the master of long-winded nothingness, will probably succeed.
What Nick Saban will say
Nick Saban will say something good whenever asked about another coach, SEC or not. He will praise the strength of the league. He will compliment the CFB Playoff Committee.
Saban will be the most candid when talking about any recent or proposed NCAA rules changes. He will bemoan the youth and lack of depth on the Alabama football defense.
Nick will deflect any suggestion or observation that he is different from the other coaches. He will not say anything about a future retirement from coaching other than exactly what he has said multiple times before.
Saban will say more than once how much he appreciates the work by people in the media. A joke or two will be made with Paul Finebaum and Marcus Spears. He will say Miss Terry told him to say or not to say something. Grandchildren will be discussed.
If he gets a chance, he will talk about how much SEC football championships should be valued.
What Nick Saban will not say
Nick Saban will not discuss the future results of a starting QB competition. Nick Saban will deny he and his coaches have a depth chart. He will not admit any disappointment in the 2018 signing class. He will predict no wins and guarantee no CFB Playoff berths.
At the end of the week, SEC football fans will have learned nothing new about Nick Saban or Alabama football. We will follow it intensely nonetheless. It is ritual and it marks the start of another college football season.
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If we have been unkind to any coach not named Saban, our defense is simple. It is just so easy to do and it is almost all in jest.