For the past three years, we’ve brought you post-Media Days grades for each of the SEC’s 12 coaches.  For kicks, we grade each on

1.  Personality — Is he friendly?  Or does he seem combative or condescending?

2.  Speaking Skill — Is he boring or entertaining?  Was he interesting?

3.  Honesty – Is he evasive?  Does he answer questions or redirect them?

We use a 1-5 scale in each category.  Below are this year’s scores:

Hardly scientific, I know.  I’m guessing the fans of each school though their guy was a 15.  And that’s fine.

But I’m typing away trying to follow their answers.  I only care if they’re interesting or boring, honest or evasive.

Here’s the breakdown:

Steve Spurrier — Funny what winning will do.  Last summer Spurrier was lifeless.  This time around he was upbeat, funny, not afraid to disagree with the commissioner’s proposal.  He had more than one good line.  And he wasn’t snippy with anyone.  The Ol’ Ball Coach is back and better than ever (’cause he wasn’t snippy with anyone).

James Franklin — It was easy to see why Franklin has been winning fans and recruits over.  The guy is sharp.  He’s focused.  He was the best first-time coach I’ve seen run the Media Days gauntlet.  In the end, I was left wanting to hear more.

Derek Dooley and Mark Richt — Dooley got a boost in the honest category because he didn’t dance around many topics.  He’s an entertaining speaker and he’s intelligent.  Richt once again got a top grade for personality.  The guy would be the best neighbor ever.  Richt danced around the hot seat question just a bit.

Dan Mullen – In his third year, Mullen seemed more comfortable than ever.  But the guy can take a 10-word question and turn it into a 500-word answer.  He’s also a fast-talker in Seinfeld-ese.

Les Miles, Will Muschamp, Houston Nutt, Bobby Petrino, and Nick Saban — Miles was friendlier than normal but he still has a tendency to ramble around.  It’s better to hear him than to read a transcript of him.  Muschamp wasn’t ugly, but he wasn’t the warmest guy either.  There’s a bit of Saban in him.  Saban took some shots at the media and let his guard down only once.  But his answers regarding the Iron Bowl rivalry were perfect.  Nutt was himself.  Part coach, part evangelist, part used car salesman.  He was friendly, but he redirected one MSU question after another.  Petrino was more affable than he usually gets credit for being.  But he’s got a monotone voice that prevents him from being a real good listen.

Gene Chizik and Joker Phillips — He might have had good reason to be a block of ice, but Chizik showed little warmth.  He also must do a much better job in living rooms and locker rooms than he does behind a podium.  Pretty bland speaker.  But we’ll credit him for not losing his composure while dancing around NCAA questions.  Phillips seems like a very likeable fellow.  He’s just not much of a public speaker.  I didn’t mourn his exit from the stage.

Earlier today, after asking Alabama and Auburn fans to show more respect to one another, Nick Saban was asked specifically about a Tide fan attending Media Days who was wearing an “I HATE AUBURN” t-shirt.  Saban said that he would tell the man, “I would tell him it’s not personal, that it really isn’t personal” and that “That is not really the way that we should respect the opponents that we have.”

As soon as Saban’s media session ended, the press members raced to the lobby to find 28-year-old fork lift operator Eric Blackerby.  When told of Saban’s rebuke, Blackerby said that he “felt this big,” holding his fingers an inch apart. 

“It’s like I went to church and God told me He didn’t approve.”

As Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News writes — perfectly, I might add — “Only in Alabama.”

So will Blackerby become a household name like Harvey Updyke?  If so, it won’t be because he’s poisoned trees.

“I’m not going to poison no trees.  I don’t agree with that.  I wrote a blog condemning the destruction of any landmark at any university.  It’s not cool.  I’m just extremely passionate.  SEC football is a religion, and that’s the difference to me.”

Ah.


(UPDATE — Originally we attributed the above column to Kevin Scarbinsky.  Our apologies.  It’s been a long week.)

1.  Expectations are high for Alabama in 2011.

2.  Gus Malzahn’s offense may make up for inexperience at Auburn.

3.  Freshman quarterback Kiehl Frazier is already impressing his AU teammates.

4.  This year’s Florida-Tennessee game will have an LSU feel to it.

5.  The value of recruiting services varies from school to school.

6.  Derek Dooley keeps UT fans laughing, but he’ll need to start winning.

7.  In case you haven’t heard, Mark Richt needs to win now.

8.  Could Auburn really go from first to worst?

9.  The MSU hoops team will play Baylor in Dallas in December.

11.  Ole Miss is about to kick off a major capital campaign.

12.  Charlie Weis says he’ll adapt his offense to fit John Brantley’s strengths.  (Too bad last year’s coaching staff didn’t.)

13.  Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel weighs in on Chizik’s plight in the Cam Newton affair.

14.  Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery was the SEC’s leading vote-getter on the media’s all-conference team.

15.  James Franklin says quarterback Larry Smith’s performance at Media Days won’t have much to do with his completion percentage.

LSU’s Les Miles told a Tiger booster club last night that the much-discussed DVDs his program bought from Willie Lyles did have value:


“What I need to have is film.  Because we make all the decisions ourselves on whether the guy’s good enough to play, nobody else.  As long as they give us the video, that’s all we need.”


The fact that some of the video showed players already enrolled at other schools is a bit odd, but it could just be that LSU paid for poor quality video and information.  Or the school might be willing to pay for any video at all, not caring about quality. 

Still, Miles will be asked about those DVDs and his connection to Lyles again and again at Media Days today.

Let’s get Day Three of SEC Media Days kicked off with some news and notes from around the league…


1.  Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com writes that the Cam Newton story just won’t go away… and that the court of public opinion will have the final say in the matter.

2.  Here are some highlights from Day Two of Media Days.

3.  Gene Chizik simply said, “Oh, Danny Sheridan… there you are,” when he ran into the accusatory oddsmaker in Hoover.

4.  There are still a lot of questions for Auburn’s Tigers.

5.  LSU’s Russell Shepard will miss Media Days today for “personal reasons,” and the school says he has not been suspended.

6.  Georgia’s Mark Richt validated Boise State yesterday.

7.  Now he needs to beat the Broncos to right UGA’s ship.

8.  Andy Staples of SI.com says the Longhorn Network is setting off “another Big 12 Missile Crisis”… and that a large chunk of the Texas A&M fanbase wants to move to the SEC.

9.  Aggie AD Bill Byrne commented on Texas’ TV network yesterday.

10.  Auburn tipsters have led OutkickTheCoverage.com to a possible Alabama rules violation involving star tailback Trent Richardson.

11.  There will be no entertaining monologue from Robbie Caldwell this year and that’s just fine with him.

12.  Crazy, but true: For just $12,000 Florida fans can by themselves a Tim Tebow statue.

Here’s a rundown of Tennessee coach Derek Dooley’s comments:

* Dooley was scheduled to begin his talk at 1pm ET.  Instead, he started at 1:40pm.  Such a delay is ridiculous.  If the SEC has invited so many people to Media Days that it can’t even keep players and coaches close to being on schedule, then it’s time to boot some of the fans who now attend the event while masquerading as journalists.

* Dooley said that about 70% of his team is made up of underclassmen.  “We’re not gonna allow youth to be an excuse for failure.  We’re not gonna do that.  I feel very good about the talent level of our young players and how quickly they become every-down, dependable players in the SEC will determine what our success is on the field.”

* “Because of our youth they’re not gonna show up the first game and be all-conference players, but if they have the right mindset of coming in everyday with a relentless pursuit of improvement then we’ll get Tennessee back to what the standard is.”

* “I do believe we lost our way a little bit in understanding what it means to play for Tennessee and what the Power T represents.  And so we have spent an inordinate amount of time educating our team, talking to our young people, our young players about what Tennessee stands for and what the standard is.”

* Dooley chalked up the West’s recent advantage over the East to natural cycles.

* Asked how he’ll coach quarterback Tyler Bray — a player who likes to improvise — Dooley said: “It’s a little like parenting.  They don’t always do it the way you want, but then they do it, you go, ‘Well that wasn’t too bad after all.’  And that’s what Tyler was.”  Bray showed a “level of confidence that was rare for a freshman” and he would “aggressively” push the ball down the field.

* Asked about Mike Slive’s suggestion to up academic standards, Dooley said: “We’ve set some good base line standards (via APR scores) and we’ve met those standards in college football for the most part.  But now, I guess there’s criticism because we’re the lowest of the sports in APR and to me it raises the question, ‘When is the lowest good enough?’  We’ve set the standards — the minimum standards — we meet the minimum standards and now we’re not happy.”  Dooley admitted that he didn’t know the specifics of Slive’s plan.  That plan was not just a football-only plan.

* Of Will Muschamp Dooley said, “Will and I are good friends.  Of course we talked a lot — I know he told you guys that — prior to him getting the job at Florida.  We still stay in touch, not as much obviously.  We don’t talk about the same things we did before.”

* Dooley had big praise for interim athletic director Joan Cronan.

* Asked about Bray’s poor showing the Tennessee’s spring game, Dooley said: “I would rather him have played good, but I don’t lose sleep over what he did in the spring game given how we minimize it, how we divide the team, it’s just a very different dynamic. … We feel very comfortable with the progress he’s making.”  He added: “Does it concern me that the teams he played against (as a starter) didn’t have winning records?  Hey, I was happy that we went out there and were able to get four victories.  I don’t care what their record was because there was a point in the season where it didn’t look like we were ever going to win another game.  Now, he’s gonna have to go prove that he can do it against every team in the league.  So we’ll see if he can do that.”

* Asked for his feelings when Muschamp landed the job at Florida, Dooley said he had mixed feelings.  He said he was proud of him but he’d “rather him been at Texas ’cause he’s a friend of mine.  That’s just how it is.”  He doesn’t think their friendship will have any impact on Tennessee-Florida games.

* Losing Herman Lathers was “a real blow.”  Dooley said he doesn’t think the linebacker will be back “anytime soon,” which means UT will have only one returnee in its defensive front seven.

* Dooley said he is not involved in the AD hiring process.  “Nor should I be because he’s gonna be my boss.”

* “I do appreciate the way the Tennessee fans supported us all season (last year).  It’s the most unconditionally loyal group of fans I’ve ever been a part of.  And when we were sitting there at 2-6 on our heels a little bit, there was nothing more meaningful to me than getting off that bus on the Vol Walk with 30,000 fans going crazy and a 100,000 in the stadium.”

* “We’re doing our best to meet (fans’) expectations.  They’re high and they should be high.  You have every resource to succeed at Tennessee.  We’re gonna get there.  How quickly?  I can’t predict.”

* Dooley said a scholarship is a contract “and both parties have obligations to do things to continue the contract.”  Obviously, he’s not in favor of Slive’s suggestion that it might be time to give out multi-year scholarships.  “If a coach is just taking away scholarships and kicking people off the team, the market is gonna take care of it in recruiting.  Who’s gonna wanna go play for the guy?”

* Dooley — the ex-lawyer — is an engaging speaker.  He seems more comfortable this year than last, but that’s understandable as last year was his first taste of Media Days.  On occasion, Dooley can be a bit sarcastic if he’s uncomfortable.  Not today.

* Asked about the endings of the LSU and North Carolina games last year, Dooley said: “I told everybody I was 8-7 in postgame handshakes last year.  It was a remarkable feat.  (Laughs from the crowd.) … I told our team, once I was able to gather my emotions, if things don’t go your way — in life, in football — before you start pointing fingers, you better look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Is there anything we could have done better to change the outcome, is there anything I could have?’”

Here’s a rundown of Georgia coach Mark Richt’s comments:

* Richt said it’s an “exciting time at Georgia” and then discussed Boise State and South Carolina, his team’s first two opponents.  “It has energized the program in a big way.  I think that everybody understands what it’s gonna take preparation-wise and I think everybody’s been willing to pay the price.  I say ‘everyone,’ but there’s been a few guys who’ve gotten off the bus, so to speak… a year ago, or in the last few months even, the last few days.  Some guys have chosen to move on and a couple of guys got a little help, but the guys that are still here are excited about the future and are willing to pay the price to play the kind of football that everybody in our Georgia Bulldog Nation expects.”

* Asked if quarterbacks Aaron Murry and Tyler Bray (Tennessee) might be on the verge of a Danny Wuerffel-Peyton Manning year-in, year-out duel, Richt said: “I hope they’re both that good.  I hope ours is better.”  That got laughs.  “Aaron is really a coach’s dream in how he approaches the game.  He understands preparation.  He understands team.  His motivation is for Georgia to win.  His motivation is to see his teammates have success.  His motivation is not to promote self.  And when you have a guy like that it makes your life so much easier.”  Richt also credited Mike Bobo for working with Murray on protecting the football.

* Asked about the decision to play Boise State in the Georgia Dome, Richt said: “Where we were at that time was a decline in our record.  A decline in how people perceived our program.  A place that I didn’t really like, I wasn’t really comfortable in, wasn’t used to.  And I said, ‘what better way to send a surge of energy into this program than to schedule a game like that.”  Richt also said, “There’s risk in playing a team that can whip your tail because they might whip your tail.  But in order for us to get back to where we want to be — which is highly ranked, highly thought of — we need to play this game.”

* Richt handles the media as well as any coach in the league.  While some Georgia fans are turned off by his ever-cool demeanor, it serves him well when dealing with the press.  Richt always seems to be in control of the room.  Let’s see what happens when the hot seat questions come.

* Richt is excited about his defense in Year Two under Todd Grantham.  Last year, his defensive players had to think too much about their assignments.  This year they’re able to focus on technique.  The coach also said he’s been able to recruit to the 3-4 now.

* Asked if Georgia’s Liberty Bowl loss to UCF was devastating to his program, Richt said, “Well, it wasn’t devastating.  I mean it hurt real bad.  I didn’t enjoy it.  But devastation means you’ve blown up the program and it’s beyond repair, so I don’t think it was devastating.  But it was awful, I can say that.”  He also said, “Coach O’Learly outcoached me.  They’re team played harder than we played.  And they deserved to win.  And we learned from that. … We learned to finish.  We’ll see how well we learned it.”

* Laughing, Richt said, “I think our depth is fine… as long as we don’t get anyone hurt.”

* “The passion of the coaches and the players and the fans especially” is what separates the SEC from other conferences. 

* Richt admitted that “right now” the West is stronger than the East right now.

* Sidenote — Worst thing about Media Days now compared to 20 years ago: You now hear “reporters” say “We” when referring to teams.  If you’re pulling for a team in the league, you’re not objective and you shouldn’t have a credential.  Period.  There’s no room for “we” at Media Days.  Just my rant.

* “College football is a grind.  It’s a grind for the coaches.  It’s a grind for the players.  We love it, we’re not complaining, but anytime you can have some fun with your guys I think it’s good to do that and to wear those (Nike Pro Combat) uniforms I think will be something they’re really gonna enjoy.”

* Asked about the hot seat, Richt said: “I know that if you walk in the Butts-Mehre Building there’s not one sense of doom or gloom.  There’s only excitement, only guys that are so thankful that we’ve got a new season and a clean slate and the ability to play some great opponents to start the year.  Expectations are just as high as they’ve ever been going into any season.  Our goal is to win the Eastern Division.”  Nice dance around the job security question.  “I don’t worry about all that.  I worry about enjoying the ride.  We’re in good shape.”

* “Six of our losses were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter (last year), we just finish better and we’ve have had a better season.  We weren’t getting blown out of the water, we just didn’t win.”

* Richt pointed out that he’s getting commitments for 2013 and 2014 which shows people still have faith in Georgia’s program.

* One of Richt’s sons has the sickle cell trait and he says that’s led him to treat his players differently.  Some players who have that trait are pulled out of certain drills.  Interesting question from Rachel George of The Orlando Sentinel.

* On Will Muschamp, Richt said: “Well, I’m sure he’s gonna tell everybody in Florida that he’s Florida through-and-through and all that, but I guarantee you there’s a little bit of red and black in his veins.”

* Georgia center Ben Jones entered the writers’ room and was given a mic.  Richt laughed and looked at the podium in a “here it comes” kind of way.  “Do you trust the offensive line this year,” the player asked.  Richt smiled and said, “You weren’t in here when I was bragging on the offensive line.  (The writers) are worried about the depth on our line. … I think Ben Jones is the best center in America.  I think he’s going to win the Rimington.”  He drew laughs by saying, “Good question there, Ben.”

* Asked to talk about how tough it is to last 11 years at one school in the SEC, Richt said, “It’s not difficult if you win,” and then he laughed loudly.  “It’s not difficult if you know you win 9, 10, 11 a year, and win the Eastern Division every other year, and win the SEC every three or four years.  It’s not a problem at all.  It’s when you go 6-7, that’s when it’s a problem.  But greater days are coming, the best is yet to come.”

* Very, very hard not to like Richt.

1.  Meet the SEC’s most underrated players (according to ESPN.com).

2.  From a Florida perspective, here are some talking points as Media Days kicks off.

3.  Should Mark Richt’s job depend upon him winning the SEC East this year?  (No.)

4.  If you like blitzing, you’ll like Kentucky’s new defense.

5.  South Carolina’s opener against East Carolina will kick off at 7pm ET on September 3rd.

6.  Tennessee is having a tough time selling football tickets this year…

7.  Which is why UT has teamed up with Bristol Motor Speedway to sell a combo package of footbaw and racin’ tickets.

8.  Three Media Days storylines will involve the Vols.

9.  Here’s a list of five topics up for discussion in Hoover this week.

10.  Here are five more things you’ll likely hear about at Media Days.

11.  And here are five players you’re sure to hear about.

12.  Finally, who will be the SEC’s most dominant players this year?

1.  The SEC has “We Are College Football” t-shirts available at Media Days.  (The shirt is part of an “SEC on ESPN” apparel collection launched by the network… which really needed yet another revenue stream.)

2.  Kentucky basketballer Jon Hood tore an ACL during a pickup game on Monday night.

3.  Hood could be back in time for the season.  Good.

4.  Here are three storylines for Arkansas at Media Days.

5.  Running back Knile Davis brings flexibility and balance to the Hog offense.

6.  DJ McCarthy and Akiem Hicks “kicked dirt on LSU’s good name.”

7.  Here’s the full list of LSU’s NCAA sanctions.

8.  From a Magnolia State perspective, here are five questions heading into SEC Media Days.

9.  Ole Miss chancellor Dan Jones is showing support for embattled AD Pete Boone.

10.  Brandon Bolden and the Rebel football team are being snubbed.  (Can a team that went 4-8 last year really be “snubbed?”)

11.  Mississippi State has set a new record with $37.6 million in private funds donated in the last fiscal year.

12.  The only SEC West team that Dan Mullen has beaten is Ole Miss — the one that happens to matter most.

13.  MSU knows what it has in quarterback Chris Relf.

Twenty posts.  Forty-four links to other stories.  Our predictions for the 2011 SEC season.

Not bad for a Tuesday in July.

Football season is officially here, folks.  Tomorrow be sure to stick with us for wall to wall coverage of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama.

We’ll have up-to-the-minute information from the meetings, immediate reaction from around the conference and the nation, our own opinions on who’s saying what and why, and full coverage of all the non-Media Days news that’s sure to break out while the league’s media members descend on the Birmingham area.

The wait is over.  Football season is here.