This place is an absolute zoo. Southeastern Conference commish Mike Slive announced in his opening speech at about 12:45 Central Time that more than 850 people were in this hotel in the middle of Alabama. Approximately 750 of them are media members. That's quite a lot. The conference room here just for the print writers seems to be the size of a football field, complete with 10 rows of about 30 seats each. That's room for 300 print writers. There might be that many cameras in the building. And ESPN gets its own room.
Urban Meyer has been filmed walking down a hall, standing still while moving up an escalator and standing frowning on a lecturn. It's been quite a day.
Each team from the SEC - UF, Mississippi State, LSU and Vandy today - brings two players. Tim Tebow came out after Meyer and took the podium. Senior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein was available at the same time in a little nook of a room. I was one of five print writers who cared enough to interview him. Maybe the rest just couldn't find him. He was really good to talk to, actually. Check out my story in tomorrow's Alligator.
More fun stuff: all-you-can-drink Dr Pepper (an SEC event staple), two rows of radio booths that puts the Reitz Union Colonnade gauntlet to shame, a gigantic tarp with the SEC logo over it that runs from near the 20-foot ceilings in the ball room to the floor, 30-pound boxes filled with media guides of each team in the SEC for every credentialed media member, a fancy sit-down luncheon in an upscale ballroom, a complete tangle of a mess of wires everywhere and of course the microphone girls, who walk around the giant room giving wireless microphones to people who want to ask questions.
Other funny things: Meyer spoke for about 20 minutes, yet Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom spoke for about 40. Were people scared to ask Meyer questions? Also, each coach is asked to give opening comments. Usually those last about 30 seconds to a minute. Les Miles' opening remarks lasted about 8 minutes, 45 seconds. He was desperately trying to answer all the questions about his lack of a quarterback before the press could ask them. It didn't work.
Also from my interview with Phil Trautwein, something that won't be in my story tomorrow: I asked him who it was more fun to block for - Tebow or Percy Harvin. That was probably the hardest question he was asked all day. It took him at least 15 seconds to think about it before finally deciding Tebow was more fun to block for because he got to see Tebow crush people upfield. It's easier to block for Harvin, though, because he only has to do things for about a second before Harvin blasts by.
That's all for now. Check back for more SEC Media Days fun.
Tomorrow's schedule: Bama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
