Jumbo Package: SEC Media Days schedule, attendees announced

Happy Thursday, everyone. Sorry so late, the site had some technical issues this morning that kept us down. We learned yesterday who will be joining Saban at SEC Media Days next week.

Alabama (Wednesday)

Head coach Nick Saban

Phidarian Mathis, DL, Senior

John Metchie, WR, Junior

As always, it will be interesting to hear from veteran players who will assume leadership roles this season. Since Metchie is going, let’s take a moment to remember this spectacular wallop, shall we?

That had to hurt.

ESPN has an interesting piece for you about Geoff Collins, the nation’s first Director of Player Personnel. Are you surprised to learn that Saban’s first order of business in Tuscaloosa was poaching him away?

Meanwhile, Nick Saban was in the process of leaving the Miami Dolphins for Alabama, and one of his top priorities was building an NFL-style personnel department. He believed he could create the biggest impact advantage over other programs in recruiting, so he poured resources into it. He wanted someone in charge who had an understanding of the college game, so he called Collins.

Collins accepted the job, and began putting together a room of student volunteers, graduate assistants and anonymous support staffers that would serve as the machinery in Alabama’s larger recruiting operation. They were young and hungry. They worked, quite literally, in darkness: a windowless office that they staffed around the clock in rotating shifts.

Collins left after only one season to get back on the field as a coach, but it he was instrumental in building the first army of analysts that have had an immeasurable impact on the team’s success.

Bob Bowlsby was pushing players toward vaccination at Big 12 media days.

Back in June, just after NC State found itself eliminated from the College World Series by COVID, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said this:

But, much like the NFL isn’t making its personnel get vaccinated but is more than happy to make life difficult for those who aren’t, the SEC will be much less sympathetic and accommodating toward covid outbreaks in 2021 than they were in 2020.

“That limits some of our strategic steps to enhance the vaccination numbers. But what we can do is remove our roster numbers from last year — if you recall, 53 available players, a certain number of offensive linemen, defensive linemen, quarterbacks — and say, ‘You’re responsible to have a healthy team and be present at the scheduled time on the scheduled date to play.’ That very clearly says you’re going to have to adjust your thought process, your operations in order to make sure you play.”

First off, fair warning: anyone who turns the comment section into an argument over vaccines, masks, etc. will get an insta-ban. Nobody here is interested in your opinion on the matter, and you aren’t going to change anyone’s mind. It is tired at this point.

The bottom line is that with vaccines available, the powers that be are going to have little empathy for locker room outbreaks. Teams who are unable to show up and play will likely be facing a forfeit.

Last, this has to be the most Auburn thing ever.

They just make it too easy, don’t they?

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.