SEC Football Media Days

THE BRASH, THE BOLD ANTHE BOGUS 

SEC Football Media Days, four of them to be exact, we’re conducted in Atlanta at the most appropriate background venue imaginable, the college football Hall of Fame. We heard from all 16 SEC coaches accompanied by 48 of the most celebrated players for the upcoming 2025 season. What did we learn? The answer, definitively nothing.

The proceedings began with the state of the SEC speech from commissioner Greg Sankey. The only significant thing emanating from his remarks were in reference to the stalled negotiation on the format of the college football playoff going forward after this season. There was a palace revolt at the leagues, spring meetings in Destin, Florida. SEC presidents, athletic directors and coaches delivered a loud and clear message to the commissioner that they were not in lockstep with Sankey‘s new BFF Tony PetitI of the Big Ten and his swell propose playoff format to begin in 2026, which would automatically lock in four guaranteed playoff spots for both the Big Ten and SEC. Perhaps the recent memory of last year‘s playoff committee choosing four big 10 teams to just three for the SEC was still resonating. The SEC had six of the top 13 teams in the rankings at the end of the season Sankey admitted that the negotiations had reached the stall point but exuded confidence that it would be worked out. He then added, and even if it doesn’t, he was perfectly satisfied to keep the 12 team format currently in place. That led television executives to consume whole bottles of Pepto-Bismol or a jar full of Tums. And let’s be real, the expansion to 16 teams which means more television and more Marquis squads in the equation, is going to happen. After all, the leagues may as well change names officially. From SEC and Big Ten to the ABC/ESPN AND FOX/CBS conferences.

The well oiled, highly organized/choreographed SEC presentation did not come off without a major, embarrassing, laughable hitch, that will be remembered for years to come.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was introduced for his segment before the media throng. He confidently took the stage and strode to the podium serenaded by the melodic sounds of the Texas A&M fight song. While every Longhorn supporter watching violently convulsed, their coach showed no reaction whatsoever immediately beginning his prepared remarks. It was the ideal time for a memorable one liner, but Sark was not up to the task.

The range of presentations from the 16 coaches was remarkably diverse in terms of information conveyed, confidence, exuded, public speaking skills, and the paradoxical strategic decision to offer substantive content or gravitate to basic coachspeak.

The coaches coming in holding seemingly the best potential winning hands, Smart, Sarkisian, and DeBour highlighted and confidently touted their teams from Georgia, Texas and Alabama. All three fell into the usual Coachspeak trap of reiterating how challenging it is to have great seasons. But that’s just par for the course.

Texas is loaded with top-tier talent and ARCHMANIA. there are major pieces that must be replaced on the fronts on both sides of the ball.

Defending champions, Georgia face major restocking of their front seven on defense. Also new signal caller Gunner Stockton must spearhead the Georgia offense to be more productive with the defense in transition. DAWGS have dramatically improved receiving corps. 

Alabama tries to bounce back from disappointing 2024 where they failed to make the playoffs. Return of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb should be a major factor. QB questions also in Tuscaloosa with Ty Simpson taking over behind center. Alabama has a favorable schedule.

Lane Kiffin was surprisingly low-key and somewhat soft spoken, Ole Miss has been forced to reload for the new season with another bountiful haul of the transfer portal. Brian Kelly of LSU spoke of having his best team in his fourth year on the Bayou. His presentation sounded like he was doing a FedEx commercial with 60 seconds of copy and a 30 second window. Highly polished, you had the sense that he would be better suited to be a public relations spokesperson for a pharmaceutical company than a major college football coach. Unfortunately, his first three years at LSU reflect that assertion.

Speaking of smooth talkers, Missouri, coach Eli Drinkwitz certainly should win honorable mention behind Kelly. His Tigers  had a window last year to take a big step up, but came up short. Now with their three best players departed, despite the coaches apparent confidence, it might be a rough year in. Mizzouland. Not only is the SEC schedule tough as always, Missouri resumes. It’s bitter rivalry with neighboring Kansas early in the schedule. Coach Drink is likely to be tipping a few back to cope with the upcoming season. Oh well, there’s always hopes he can be a snake oil salesman.

In the category of seemingly uncomfortable and be labored presentations, the awards go to Florida coach  Sun Belt Billy Napier, and hangdog “it’s never my fault” Auburn head honcho Hugh Freeze. Both were guarded and non-convincing of their collective, high hopes for the coming season. Napier stressed his teams togetherness while Freeze stress, the improvement of his roster, but did not express any particular assuredness of it translating to improving the record of the past two disappointing seasons. Auburn,  banking on Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, who frankly was a huge disappointment last year for the Sooners. And Florida hopes begin and end with the senses avocational returning starter DJ Lagway.

Other possible SEC contenders in a very deep league include, Texas A&M, Tennessee, South Carolina and previously mentioned Oklahoma.

Mike Elko from Texas A&M seems to be the right guy for the job in College Station. He expressed a great deal of positive assuredness that his roster coming back from a solid 2024 season was going to be formidable.

Declared that the atmosphere in Declared the atmosphere Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, Rocky Top program, experienced off-season, turbulence, tried to take the positive slant on losing his starting quarterback, ultra, productive, top runner, and defensive holes to plug.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer exuberantly declared the atmosphere in Columbia is now conducive for the Gamecocks to become legitimate championship contenders. He highlighted productive replacements brought in into replace major losses to the NFL from his outstanding 2024 defense.

Brent Venables, spent most of his session talking about crippling injuries from the previous year and excitement with the infusion of the Washington State dynamic duo, coming to Norman. Quarterback, John Mateer, and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. It is a complete transition for OU offensively. Venables, and establish defensive mastermind, seem very excited about the onset of. Air Oklahoma for the coming season.

Perhaps the most inspiring presentation was delivered by Vanderbilt Coach Clark  Lea. The Commodores, the league’s predominant doormat. Historically, had one of their best seasons in decades in 2024 led by transfer quarterback, Diego Pavia. The signal collar is back after being awarded an additional year of eligibility.Lea delivered a inspiring personal account about the excitement of returning to his alma mater several years ago as head coach only to have the tremendous challenge of transforming that program. He talked about the lowest point being when his team trailed in the first quarter to Georgia 35–0. He said he felt like the team was not even competing and his first inclination was to blame his players and coaches. But then he related that a seminal moment in his life occurred, realizing he was responsible. His commitment and work ethic, fueled by dramatically, increased urgency, and responsibility was the path he needed to choose. He said that decision in that moment, redefined him not only as a coach, but as a man.

Embattled, popular Arkansas coach, Sam Pittman, seem to be trying to convince himself in his remarks of the potential competency of his squad. He said six times in his 12 minutes or so, “we are a good football team.“ With a brutal schedule and recent on field deficiencies, that assertion could certainly be challenged.

Jeff Lebby, second year coach of Mississippi State, did an excellent job of looking at the bright side of a program that was plunged to the bottom of the barrel with the untimely death of colorful Mike Leach in 2023 and ill advised naming of Zach Arnett as his successor for the 2024 season. The task to resuscitate thre Bulldogs program is daunting, but Lebby seems to be realistically, putting together the pieces on what may be an extended process.

And then there’s Mark Stoops and Kentucky. Stoops is the longest tenure coach currently in the SEC with a conference record of 28–63. He is the prime offender as far as utilization of coach speak, basically talking, but not saying anything substantive. Not much to be optimistic about coming into this season, but you wouldn’t know it from Coach Stoops. What he didn’t say is anything close to a 500 season would be worthy of celebration.

So who walks away from Atlanta and SEC?  Media Days the big winners? Well it is all of the so-called “experts“ prognosticators, bloggers, podcasts, etc. who now partake in the season that precedes the season. Speculating and predicting what we shall see on the field starting the end of August. Let’s just hope that when the teams come out of the tunnel and excitedly congregate ready to run onto the field, that the correct fight song will be played.

K4 Analysis Kentucky Derby 151

By Kip Keefer

Late Saturday afternoon, in Louisville, Kentucky, 19 three year-old colts will have an opportunity to etch their name in racing and immortality. Whoever crosses the finish line 1st, will be cheered, saluted and remembered always as the winner of the greatest, most significant race in the world of horse racing, this annual rite of spring, has become a worldwide affair with significant contenders coming from Europe, Japan, and the Middle East every year.

This race is characterized by the fact that up to 20 horses can go to the post. Saturday only 19 will lineup because of a training injury to Tappan Street, winner this year of the prestigious, Florida Derby. Another starter has also dropped out. Rodriguez, trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has won six run for the roses. Baffert, is back in the Derby for the first time in three years following serving a suspension for several positive tests on previous winners that have indicated banned substances. Rodriguez was removed from the race on Thursday afternoon with a minor quarter crack in one of his hooves. An alternate, Baeza runner up in the Santa Anita. Derby will replace his fellow California based competitor. Rodriguez also won a major prep race to qualify for the Derby, winning the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York.

So where do we start unraveling this extremely challenging puzzle in an attempt to forecast who might be wearing the roses on Saturday at race end.

All of these horses are three-year-olds, all of them are running further than they’ve ever been asked to run before 1-1/4 miles. none of these horses has ever competed against a field of this gigantic size. And of course, the estimated crowd of approximately 165,000 people, in the most supercharged atmosphere imaginable, is certainly something they have never seen. The name of the sport is HORSE RACING. But on this day, the significance of the other participants, trainers and jockeys, often times play a far more significant role in determining who ultimately wins.

So let’s start with trainers. The array of accomplished handlers is astounding as per usual. In analyzing this race. it always seems that a remarkable storyline is part of the plot year after year.

Bill Mott and Brad Cox, indisputably are two of the greatest trainers in the sport. Both have horses they’ve trained listed as Kentucky Derby winners however, both of these luminary figures in the industry, still desperately want to see their horse cross the finish line 1st. Amazingly, neither has witnessed that previously. Matt train the extreme longshot Country House the race winner in the most controversial Derby in the race is 150 year history. The runaway winner Maximum Security became the only horse in Derby history disqualified after a long deliberation by the Stewards, who ruled he had committed interference in the stretch, impeding other runners.

Matt, now and is 70s, was inducted in the Hall of Fame a number of years ago. However, his success in recent years has been amongst the greatest in his career. He will send number 18.Soverignty to the starting gate. This colt was the winner of the fountain of youth stakes at Gulfstream and runner up in the Florida Derby. His regular rider Junior Alvarado will be on board. His running style is rallying from behind with a powerful stretch drive. There is a great deal of our speed in the race that will make the pace very fast and set up a horse with closing stamina for a great chance of triumphing in the deep stretch.

Brad Cox, has exploded on the scene in recent years and has one several eclipse awards as the top trainer of the year. His derby winner. Mandoulin, also finish second behind Medina spirit from the aforementioned. Baffert barn. Unlike Mott, whose horse was declared the winner on Derby day. Cox horse was not declared derby champ until three or four weeks after the race when Medina Spirit was disqualified for having an illegal substance in his bloodstream

Cox, as mentioned previously, lost his top contender this week Tappan Street to injury. That leaves him with only. #3BigGambit, a considerable longshot. But don’t dismiss this late runner. His training sessions have stood out this week, and there are many whispers that this guy just might be a factor in the very late stages of the race.

The favorite will be a number 8 Journalism. he has been remarkable in California, but his competed in very small field races, including his win in the Santa Anita Derby against only four other competitors. In recent years favorites have not fared well. He certainly has the talent to come through as the top choice in the race, but the massive field may be a major detriment to a talented horse who has had wide open spaces to display his.wares on the West Coast.

Another intriguing runner is #9 Burnham Square. He is trained by veteran Ian Wilkes, making his first Kentucky Derby appearance after a distinguished lengthy career. His horse wants to come from way downtown with a late charge. He recently came from the clouds to somehow prevail in the bluegrass stakes at Keeneland in Kentucky, another major prep race for the Derby.

You may have noticed the trend of picking late runners to have the best chance in this Derby. That’s because there are speed burners, who figured to be highly competitive battling for the early lead. A torrid pace at this longer distance really sets the stage for runners coming from behind overtaking tiring pace setters. Three blazing speedsters figure to square off immediately after the start. #1 Citizen Bull, representing six time winner Baffert. Number 12 Lake Avenue and #20 Owen Almighty. Look for one of these contenders to have the lead as they turn into the homestretch in front of the roaring crowd. Very seldom do you see a front runner with stand the distance and lead in front running fashion all the way to the wire. We will see if 2025 has a different plot line.

The most exciting two minutes in sports. The run for the roses. As the late great singer songwriter, Dan Fogelberg penned in his tribute song to the Derby, Ron For The Roses, an anthem celebrating the greatness of these remarkable thoroughbred athletes…

“From site to site, it’s born in your blood, the fire of a mare and the strength of a stud. It’s breeding and it’s training and it’s something unknown. That drives you and carries you home.

Enjoy this great American tradition that started in 1875 when Artistidrs was the first winner. Little did anyone know 151 years ago what a traditional, magnificent annual spectacle this would become under the twin spires at Churchill Downs.