We in the sportswriting business have a way of making up stories when we run out.It’s true. Why, just today I received my ballot to vote in the Alabama Sports Writers’ Association Preseason Top 10, an exercise in silliness because I know very little about any of the teams outside this area.
Still, I’m working on my ballot all the same, and the vote will become public knowledge next week when the preseason poll is released to what will no doubt be a chorus of howling fans all across the state.
(True story: last year, my preseason 3A poll had Munford just outside the top-10 in the state. I received an email from a concerned fan who was “disappointed” I didn’t have enough regard for the Lions to give them a single vote. Seriously, the season hadn’t even started yet! I’m getting off-topic, though.)
Nothing in sports personifies the story-making power of the press quite like SEC Media Days, which begin today in Hoover and will last through the end of the week.
Radio stations are setting up booths in the Wynfrey Hotel at the Galleria as we speak. Fans will mill around for autographs and memorabilia. Television stations (and writers galore) will stake out spots as early as they can.
But why, exactly, are they doing all this?
There are no games to be played this week. Practice hasn’t even started yet, and won’t for another week.
(Another true story: Friday night, I was in New Orleans listening to piano music at the legendary Pat O’ Brien’s, when the musician mentioned in between songs, “TRAINING CAMP STARTS IN ONE WEEK!” She then quickly launched into a version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” that included lyrics about them winning the Super Bowl. I wondered if Hell would freeze over if the Saints won the Super Bowl; then I remembered that, since 2001, the Super Bowl’s been won by the Patriots, the Buccaneers and Peyton Manning. So I guess anything’s possible. I’m getting off-track again.)
And it’s not as though these football coaches — who have, as one nearby writer suggested last week, achieved “rock star” status among their legions of fans — are going to say anything worth remembering this weekend.
Nick Saban will assuredly show up. So will Tommy Tuberville. And Steve Spurrier. And probably even Phillip Fulmer — assuming he doesn’t cower because of some imaginary threat on his life like he did three years ago.
But it’s not as though they’re going to do anything other than utter the same time-worn cliches.
They’re excited about the team coming together. They’re excited about practice starting. They all have a tough schedule and they’re all working hard this summer.
About the only memorable moment I’ve had at Media Days occurred in 2005, when Mike Shula talked to a gathering of print media members for more than 20 minutes without actually fielding a question. I’ve seen WNBA crowds more excited.
Obviously, we pay attention because we’re football fans, starved for some reason to get excited and believe the end of this dry summer is nearing an end. My wife doesn’t believe this, but there are actually more weeks in the year in which football is not played than ones when it is.
So we’ll watch every movement, dissect every pre-programmed response ... and we’ll know that football can’t be too far in our future.
Just don’t expect anything dramatic to come out of the next three days. At least, until Coach O walks in. Then all bets are off.
