SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was asked on Monday if the SEC has a PR problem.
Why? Because Mississippi State freshman defensive end Jeffery Simmons was allowed to enroll despite video surfacing of him beating a woman. Tennessee settled a sexual-assault case, paying eight women a total of $2.48 million.
And among Georgia’s eight offseason arrests, one just this past weekend, the second alcohol-related one for Jonathan Ledbetter
Oh, and lest we forget, Ole Miss is facing a far-reaching infractions case that Hugh Freeze for some reason sought to explain to ESPN’s Marty Smith the week of SEC Media Days, not at SEC Media Days. And, in April, Alabama parted ways with a coach Bo Davis over an inquiry into possible recruiting violations.
Commissioner Sankey waxed poetic about all the good things being done in the SEC, which there are many, yes, but ended by saying that scrutiny is a byproduct of the microscope these players and coaches are under, not the actions of both.
“Everyone in the SEC must understand the high expectations for their conduct and the high level of scrutiny their conduct attracts,” Sankey said.
At the exact moment these words were being uttered, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn told a listening audience that four of his players won’t be suspended after being arrested on misdemeanor possession of marijuana charges.
Malzahn backed up the decision by saying the four guys “made a mistake, we punished them and they won’t miss any time. That’s behind us. They are four fine young men, and they made a mistake. I’m confident they won’t make any more.”
They got arrested for possession of an illegal drug, they didn’t sleep through class: one should result in a suspension, the other running stairs; apparently Malzahn is confused as to which is which.
Moreover, didn’t something similar happen to Nick Marshall and a defensive back in 2014? Marshall was cited for marijuana possession in Georgia, Jonathon Mincey (the defensive back) was arrested for possession of marijuana in Alabama. Both were suspended for a game…but wait, Auburn was opening up with Arkansas in 2014 and this year they open with Clemson, so that explains it #sarcasm.
The SEC revealed a new tagline Monday, “SEC: it just means more,”
I think they may have missed the boat though, so how about “SEC: Nothing to see here.”
A couple of bullet points from Day 1:
- Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is “just a good dude,” and the reason I can quote that is because that’s what he said to me when I wondered on to an elevator with him. Everyone was reverently silent on said elevator, which was strange to me, so I had to break the ice (even though I didn’t know any of these people and they weren’t looking each other in the eyes). I looked around the elevator, saw coach Mason (who was the only one looking up) and said “well hello…now I see why everyone was being so silent.” He replied with a big smile and an “I’m just a good dude.” I swear, y’all, it was like I crashed a funeral wearing a hula skirt and blowing an airhorn.
- Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network gives incredibly incensed looks when you wonder on to his set…I mean, so I was told yesterday and stuff.
- Young whippersnappers out there clamoring to sink your teeth in to the world of sports journalism, first, don’t take my job; and secondly, should you come to cover SEC Media Days be prepared to rub elbows with both those who have no teeth, and those who have veneers (and,yes that's hyperbolic and a metaphor). And be aware that the latter are more forgiving with their territory due to not HAVING TO GET GUS MALZAHN’S AUTOGRAPH “COACH, COACH, COACH, COACH.”
- Guys in suits with shiny heads are everywhere
- Everyone who works for the Hyatt Regency-Birmingham should get a raise
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/7/421898/sec-media-days-day-1-no-pr-problem-here-and-other-musings