SEC media daze, part II
We are past the halfway point on the magical mystery tour of interviews and cliches known as the SEC media days in Hoover, Ala.
Here were the highlights (and you can have easy access to five stories from SEC aces Downtown Patrick Brown and David Paschall as well as a column from some dude here) and some observations:
The Vols are very confident with what they are bringing to the table in 2016. Very confident. And media savvy. There was no player taking the bait about Florida or anything else. Butch Jones, and his endless buffet of energetic babble assuredly was proud.
Georgia's Kirby Smart handled his first SEC media date very well. His trio also was well-versed in their cliches - as Crash told Nuke, "You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends. Write this down: "We gotta play it one day at a time." - in front of the masses.
Dan Mullen stumbled when asked about Jeffrey Simmons, the five-star recruit who was shown on video punching a woman and was suspended for all of one game (against South Alabama, mind you). Mullen said the decision to admit Simmons into school "a university decision I wasn't involved as much." Say what? SEC head football coaches not involved involved as much? Since when? It's at best a gross understatement and at worst a lie. To counter that, Mullen did have a couple of very really clear quotes when pressed on the matter.
First he said that if something bad happens with Simmons after this mammoth second chance, Mullen admitted he's responsible, and added that he feels responsible for the actions of all his players.
Also, in a private interview, Mullen told a smaller group of reporters (via ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach): "Honestly, I'm very strongly against any violence. ... I think the video does not really define who that young man is. I would hate for anybody, for their life to be defined ... by 10 seconds of video."
And Texas A&M& was also here but those were the big story lines.
So there you go.
American League's Salvador Perez, of the Kansas City Royals, congratulates teammate Eric Hosmer, of the Kansas City Royals, for Hosmer's MVP award in the MLB baseball All-Star Game, Tuesday, July 12, 2016, in San Diego. The American League won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) All-Star meaning
In case you missed it, and judging by the numbers you probably did, the American League beat the National League 4-2 in the most meaningful exhibition game in all of sports.
Thanks to a couple of second-inning homers from Kansas City players, the AL will host the World Series.
Hooray. Yep, who cares about season-long accomplishments or fairness, let's let the fans vote for their favorites and put real value on it. Man, that's just plain dumb.
Watching the All-Star game in the background kicking back a few 'Co-Colas' last night we had a few baseball realizations:
We are moving beyond the halfway point, and we have watched less baseball this year than any of our previous 45 in which we can remember. And with football coming and work about to get busier, it's not like our baseball consumption is going to increase.
David Ortiz, who has announced his retirement at the end of the season but leads the majors in slugging and on-base percentages at 40, is the most beloved former steroid user of all time. That is all.
How crazy is the status of some of the best players in the game. Last night's All-Star game was hanging in the balance with Astros closer Will Harris (who was claimed off waivers two years ago) facing Cardinals hitter Aledmys Diaz (who was left off the St. Louis 40-man roster last year, meaning any team in baseball could have claimed him).
Thanks to the Fox broadcast for reminding me how great Ton Gwynn was with a bat in his hands. Baseball named the NL batting championship trophy after Gwynn, a classy move before the San Diego crowd. Also, did you see the stat of how Gwynn fared against the Braves trio of Hall of Famers? Gwynn was 30-for-65 (.462) against John Smoltz, 39-for-91 (.429) against Greg Maddux and 29-for-93 (.312) against Tom Glavine. He had four homers against the three guys - two off Smoltz, two off Glavine - and struck out a grand total of three times in those 249 at-bats, when he got 98 hits (that's a .394 average kids, again three first-ballot Hall of Famers). Read that again.
Marc Leishman of Australia plays out on a sand trap on the 18th green during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Wednesday, July 13, 2016. The British Open starts Thursday.(AP Photo/Peter Morrison) Golf contests
You know the drill. We have a few - we'll update them in the comments section later today.
Similar plan as before: Pick five golfers and the best four scores count. (If you pick the winner you get 1 point, the eighth-place finisher gets 8 points, etc. Combined low score is the winner.
This time, though, we're adding the extra curve of your list will also count for the PGA Championship later this month. Yep, a little major double play.
We have a few entries so far, but as in regard to pizza and dollars, the more the merrier.
Here's our picks: Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Scott Piercy.
Discuss, and play along. As always, don't cost nothin' after all.
This and that
- The Espys are tonight. In other news, there certainly is something on the Lifetime Network, as well. What do those have in common? We will watch about the same amount go each. That said, major props again to Knoxville's Zaevion Dobson, who gave his life for three classmates in a shooting last December. He will be honored at the Espys tonight, so there is one award worth paying attention to.
- Here's hoping the couple in Pennsylvania who had their check paid for by the police officers they didn't want to sit next to feel about the size of a flea's toenail. Here's the story, and man for their sake, here's hoping their name never surfaces.
- Also from the All-Star game last night, there was a rogue member of The Tenors - a Canadian pop group (yes, we had to look that up) - who sand "O Canada" before the game. And brother, let me tell you, there are few things as scary and out there as a rogue Tenor. OK, seriously, Remigio Pereira caused a hubbub by changing the words of the anthem and holding up a sign that sad "All Lives Matter." We get the beef about changing the words of the anthem - he sang "We're all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the great." The actual verse is, "With glowing hearts we see thee rise. The True North strong and free." - especially without telling his bandmates. But would he have been hailed a social hero if he held up a "Black Lives Matter" sign this morning? We'd lean toward yes.
- The testimony and details continue to point guilty fingers toward more and more folks at Penn State who allegedly knew of the terrors Jerry Sandusky was committing and did nothing about it. Earlier this week, unsealed testimony said one victim told Joe Paterno at a summer camp as far back as 1976 about Sandusky's sexual abuse of young boys. Paterno's response: "I don't have time for that. I have a season to get ready for." You stay classy Happy Valley. Happy Valley my tuchus. How about 'Head in the Sand' Valley.
Today's question
OK gang, we have spots open for the Golf challenge.
We also have mailbag spot available. As for today's question, today is National French Fry day. Let's turn two: Rushmore of best French Fries and Rushmore of best side items.
Go - and remember the mailbag and contest.