Eagerly Awaiting The SEC Network

After a long summer dry spell in the sports world during the past several months (of course not meaning any disrespect to the suddenly-rabid bandwagon soccer fans who have flooded my Facebook and Twitter news feeds during the last few weeks), the arrival of SEC football players and coaches in Hoover for the beginning of Media Days Monday signaled that college football is finally just around the corner. That, of course, means that all will soon be right and good in the sporting universe.  Then I can finally stop desperately drowning myself in pigskin preview magazines.

SEC officials were expecting the largest media turnout in the history of the frenzied event this week, and I certainly would have loved to have been in the middle of all the madness. A couple of weeks ago I actually applied for Media Day credentials for both this site and also for the Tuscaloosa-based publication that I regularly write sports articles for.  Ultimately I was denied for both by the powers-that-be in the SEC office.

The power to select who may obtain credentials for the event is of course the SEC's prerogative, but it is also a little disappointing.  Just from having attended the event in the past, I know that passes are given to some longtime attendees because they happen to be a part of the "old boy network" that definitely exists in the SEC media culture.  They are also typically issued to wannabe journalists who simply show up each year to grab free souvenirs and participate in the golf event associated with the festivities without actually listening to any of the speakers or talking with the players.  I was, however, hoping for the opportunity to actually cover the event for a growing publication in one of the SEC's most prominent markets, that being Tuscaloosa.  I mention all of that not intending to take a shot at SEC officials, nor to whine about not being allowed the golden ticket to attend the proceedings at the Galleria, but to emphasize just how increasingly strong the demand is for any access to the nation's most powerful conference, especially when it comes to college football.

The huge media throng at Media Days, and the presence of ESPN cameras and personalities to once again chronicle much of the event, only serves as yet another exclamation mark to the statement that yes, it is largely an SEC world, and this will not be changing anytime soon.  

As has been the case in previous editions of Media Days, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive kicked off the first day of the event with his annual state of the conference address.  This allows the opportunity for Slive to speak with obvious pride (and perhaps a little bit of justified downright arrogance) about the accomplishments during the past year by various conference teams and athletes, both athletically and academically, and to also update the assembled scribes, analysts and other media types on developments that are occurring within the SEC or changes that might be on the horizon.

I cannot say that Slive is always a riveting speaker by any means, but he can display a dry wit at times and he usually expresses his sentiments in a very eloquent manner. He obviously is a very gifted historian as well, as his comments on Monday included quotes from Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela among other notable figures.  Much like former SEC leader Roy Kramer, whose main legacy will always likely be the SEC Championship Game, Slive is an innovator, and the SEC Network which debuts on August 14 will likely be just one of the main feathers in his hat when his overall tenure and sheer legacy is considered.  

The network, which is a partnership with ESPN, a major contributor to the growth of college football over the years, will likely shape up as perhaps one of the conference’s greatest jewels, especially during the reign of Slive. Slive was also a key contributor in the development of college football’s new playoff system by the way.

Obviously for those of us who eat, drink and breathe college football once the pigskin is first kicked off in August, just the thought of the network and all of its possibilities is enough to cause major salivation.

I suspect that many of you share my opinion that there can never really be enough football (and by that, I mean football and not futbol), and providing that all of our respective cable providers reach agreement to carry the SEC Network in the very near future, I cannot foresee a lack of good college football ever being a problem again. Thanks to the new network, and the agreements that the SEC already have in place with CBS and the existing ESPN networks, we will be able see every SEC team play on a weekly basis, which is always a good thing, and of course we will also still be seeing plenty of big games from other conferences on other networks every week, so the options for viewing will be pretty much limitless.

If being able to plop down on the couch or in your recliner with your food and beverage of choice, and to watch a huge number of college football games is not enough of a treat each week, the SEC Network will also serve up a veritable gridiron smorgasbord that includes numerous studio and discussion shows, live pre-game and postgame discussion shows, highlight shows and even airings of classic SEC games which date back as far as the 1960s. I am personally pretty pumped up about seeing some of those vintage games, considering I am such an avid historian of college football anyway. Imagine turning on the new ESPN channel during the week at various times and being able to watch a Florida/Georgia affair during the 1980s when Herschel Walker was still rambling between the hedges in Athens or tuning in and seeing an Alabama/Auburn game from the 1970s.

I am also looking forward to seeing how some of the network newcomers such as former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy and former Florida great Tim Tebow blend in with some of the ESPN analysts already in place. This includes the legendary Paul Finebaum, who has already cemented a solid presence at ESPN with his bold candor and acerbic personality. He has been one of my favorite analysts and writers for as long as I have loved sports and The Paul Finebaum Show should also be a great fixture for the network.  McElroy and Tebow have engaging personalities, and that should blend in well with the likes of Jesse Palmer.

Besides what the SEC Network will mean for college football, I think it will also prove to be a boost for basketball, baseball and softball and even sports which are not seen on television quite as much, such as volleyball, track and even swimming.  The conference has had plenty of powerhouses and even dynasties in some of those “other sports” too.

If that was still not enough for you, the SEC Network package will also include the always-interesting SEC Storied documentaries, which to me are always fascinating and well-conceived. Some of the previous ones have included the touching film about the Manning family and the riveting one concerning the intense gymnastics rivalry between Sarah Patterson’s Alabama program and Suzanne Yoculan’s Georgia program. Upcoming films will include what is sure to be a tear jerking one about Ole Miss legend Chucky Mullins.

I think the network will be a win-win situation for anyone who loves Southeastern Conference sports in general, and will no doubt only serve to confirm why the SEC is king, and also why jealousy reigns among the other conferences who keep unsuccessfully attempting to knock it from its throne.  I think it will also be a shining tribute to Slive.