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Despite all the hype, SEC Media Days can get a little dry.
The questions… the answers… sometimes it all starts to sound the same until someone walks through the fog and says something funny. A few moments like this dotted the Hoover landscape on Tuesday, and with Lane Kiffin’s batting cleanup, day two of media days came to a swift end.
Some of the most entertaining things were said on Tuesday as we reach the middle of the four-day event.
Kiffin speaks well
Ole Miss’s coach wasted no time hitting a punchline. After an introduction from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, Kiffin went right after.
In the presence of his son Knox, Kiffin made the connection between Sankey and the 12-year-old.
“The commissioner actually reminded me, when he saw Knox, came up and said hello to Knox, you know Knox has to win his scholarship because the commissioner did well last year,” Kiffin said. “I think I tweeted that the Knox college fund is gone, thanks to the fine there.”
The reference was to the $ 25,000 fine imposed by the SEC after Kiffin criticized the loss to Auburn last season.
Quavo cameo
The day started with Quavo. Kirby Smart referred to a text he received from the rapper and frontman of Migos when asked about the rules of image and likeness of the name.
“A lot of people in this room probably don’t know who Quavo is,” said the Georgia coach.
Bulldog Jordan Davis stepped onto the podium soon after and was asked about the Quavo benchmark.
“I think he and Quavo have a cool connection,” Davis said, “but I don’t think Kirby can name a song Quavo played on.”
Tebow… Urbain Meyer?
It wasn’t Kiffin’s first round at Hoover after making his 2009 debut as coach of Tennessee. A writer asked him about the week’s controversy 12 years ago when one of the league’s coaches failed to vote Tim Tebow as the All-SEC first-team quarterback.
“As usual, I was accused of this,” Kiffin said, laughing around the room. “So I brought my ballot to show everyone, to show Urban. What was the second part of the question? You did everything to me there. We’re back to Urban Meyer and Tebow and singing Rocky Top in The Swamp all night this part.
A wink from JLo
Jennifer Lopez’s six degrees SEC stopped at Kentucky’s Josh Paschal. The Wildcat defensive end has a well-documented history of his battle with cancer and the charitable work he has done to help those who have faced similar adversity.
This led to him at a time with an icon that transcended the world of sports. He was at an event involving J. Lo and their paths crossed.
“She walks up the stairs and I look up. I was looking at the stairs, I look up and we make full eye contact, ”Paschal said. “And she winked at me.”
That was enough for Pascal.
“I hope that wink was real,” he said, “because I’ve been telling this story since it happened. When I tell you that I melted, I melted.
Where Kiffin feels normal
Kiffin’s character does better when he accesses social media. He’s prominent on Twitter and has over 488,000 followers, though he said he originally joined in 2010 as a way to communicate with rookies.
It has since evolved as a lightweight forum for interacting with fans and enemies.
“I think it’s funny when I jump on it and read stuff and how people react to things or rumors people write,” Kiffin said. “So it just gives people a platform to say and do whatever they want. I guess sometimes I do too.
“So that allows me to be kind of a normal person there.”
Kiffin’s former employer is a common subject of tweets and a question on Tuesday. How does Nick Saban react to the messages Kiffin publishes about him?
“He’s definitely not on Twitter, we know that,” Kiffin said of the notorious Saban without Twitter. “Now Linda, his assistant, is probably printing them out, especially the ones he might not like. So he probably sees them.
But I think it’s all fun. I think you know there are quite a few of you covering us, how much I respect him, how grateful I am that he hired me and the three years with him and what it did for my career.
Respect from the podium
Watch the SEC Media Days long enough and it’s clear that Bob Holt is the star. The longtime writer of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Razorbacks is well known for his volume of questions, as well as his folkloric speech. It was featured on AL.com in 2014 and respect is just as strong in 2021.
After asking Kentucky’s Mark Stoops a multi-part question that ended with a reference to how difficult it is to maintain success at Lexington, the coach smiled.
“It’s really good to see you, I missed you,” Stoops told Holt. “I like to listen to your questions every day to every coach, however. I always catch you on TV having that airtime, so that’s good.
Holt smiles.
“I’m trying to grow my brand,” he said with a smile.
Lane’s Weight Loss Tips
One more from Kiffin to close things off. One question attracted a curious glance from trainer Ole Miss as she was dealing with her weight loss and whether it was to avoid local food.
“Weird question to ask a guy but…” Kiffin said, looking puzzled. “You are negative about Mississippi food. I am positive. It’s a Mississippi diet. I came to Mississippi, I kissed the food, but not a lot, and I have some portion control. So that’s not really what the diet was, but I’m going to be positive about the food in Mississippi. “
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on twitter @ByCasagrande Or on Facebook.
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