Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft are live from Day 3 of SEC Media Days! They are joined by John McDaid, Marty Smith, Roman Harper and Doug Amos.
Nick owns Media Days before arrival, even stumping Kiffin
On the second day of the annual SEC Media Daze, Nick Saban rolled all the conversation to Alabama … and he wasn’t even in the state.
He even surprised Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.
According to reports, Saban told the Texas High School Coaches Association’s convention on Tuesday that Young, a sophomore, is due to make “ungodly numbers.”
All of this comes, of course, the day before Saban makes an entrance into the gaggle of media people interviewing each other and breaking down each press conference like a playoff game.
The exact total of Young’s endorsements (or who’s paying the money) hasn’t been released but said the total compensation is “almost seven figures.”
And you thought my speculation about Arch Manning getting massive numbers a couple of years from now was off base.
“The guy hasn’t even played yet,” Saban said, according to The Athletic. “But that’s because of our brand.”
He’s honest about that. Winning championships and lots of games increases a school’s brand more than anything else. It also is tied in direct proportion to the overall enrollment at a school, but that’s another topic for a different day.
The news even caught Kiffin completely off-guard, who found out in a question-and-answer session on the main stage of questions.
“That number just blew me away,” Kiffin said after being stumped for a brief few seconds. “He’s made $1 million, and he hasn’t started a game yet. Wow.”
Really, that may be a low estimate. We’re still a few weeks away from starting to play games and that’s plenty of time to put together bigger numbers because we’re supposed to be just a couple of weeks into this whole NIL deal.
Young signed a deal to be represented by Creative Artists Agency on July 2, the day after the NCAA allowed athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.
With no rules or enforcement really in place, it’s going to be the wild, wild west in the world of college athletics and the Young deal may be the first big headline.
And if you think Nick let that accidentally slip out you’d probably be wrong. Things like that don’t happen with the Crimson Tide. It was likely a planned announcement that will have things spinning on Wednesday morning when Saban comes in. He was probably smiling when Deion Sanders popped off wanting to be treated like Saban at the SWAC Media Day that was primarily done online.
All of that drives the brand which gets the interest of recruits and usually the team with the best players wins the most games.
Programs that get good at this will probably win the most games. It’s been that way for the last 60 years or so.
Nothing that has happened in recent history disputes that.
Which means Bama will own the entire SEC-ESPN event, which is exactly the result that was planned by the best marketing school in college athletics.
And Nick wouldn’t have it any other way.
Deion not ready for prime time as coach after walkout
When Deion Sanders walked away from a Zoom interview at the SWAC Media Day in Birmingham on Tuesday it wasn’t his first overly dramatic performance but may be the most head-shaking.
Mostly it was because he made up his own set of facts to justify a performance befitting a spoiled brat more than a head football coach.
“You don’t call Nick Saban, ‘Nick.’ Don’t call me Deion,” Sanders told Nick Suss from the Jackson Clarion Ledger. “If you call Nick (Saban), Nick, you’ll get cussed out on the spot, so don’t do that to me,” Sanders later added. “Treat me like Nick.”
Well, Deion, that means we call you by your name. Saban has never “cussed out” a media member to anybody’s knowledge that’s come to my attention.
Either he was flat lying or (much more likely) has done zero research and is mouthing off again based on what he’s seen online in a soundbite.
In over 45 years working full-time in the media business the only two coaches I have ever called “coach” in interviews or just conversations are John Wooden and Paul “Bear” Bryant. That includes at least 20 other Hall of Fame coaches in various sports over the years.
Even Saban. He’s just a football coach. Probably the best in the history of the game, but he’s still just a coach … with a name.
Apparently I’m not in any particularly special club.
I don’t think that I’ve called him anything other than “Nick.” He hasn’t cussed me out.
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) July 20, 2021
JSU coach Deion Sanders walks out of SWAC media day after being addressed as Deion.
“If you call Nick (Saban), Nick, you’ll get cussed out on the spot, so don’t do that to me”
I covered Saban for 6 years. He was called Nick many times. He never said a wordhttps://t.co/nwrRIoRzTx— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) July 20, 2021
“When I interview people, I call them by their first name,” Suss said to the Clarion Ledger. “Whether it’s someone I’ve been working with for years or someone I’m talking to for the first time. This is true of the coaches and players on the Ole Miss beat, the coaches and players at Mississippi State and Southern Miss when I help out covering their teams and, as recently as January, even Sanders, too.”
Deion tried to clean up the mess with a social media post about the whole incident with a video and tried to say the other party was lying.
This is how all of this started, I really Pray for all of us because this was something so minimal that was hilarious to me that you allowed a FOOLISH media outlet and person to play on your Preconceived notions. I’m all about Peace,Love,Work,Commitment,Sacrifice & Forgiveness. pic.twitter.com/ZjZPMVJVfj
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) July 21, 2021
It’s interesting to see what most folks find more hilarious: Deion wanting the same perceived respect as Saban (who has more than two championships) or who folks believe are lying.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin
Name, image, likeness playing role now in recruiting and will increase with Bama quarterback getting million-dollar deal Tuesday.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral
Knows he “messed up” in six-interception game against Arkansas, but has chance to correct that in coming season.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Ole Miss defensive back Jaylon Jones
Execution, lack of spring practice, part of problems for Rebels’ defense last year, but hoping it improves this year.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal
Wildcats have goal of getting to championship game, plus thoughts on name, image and likeness (with shout-outs).
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Kentucky offensive tackle Darian Kinnard
Changing blocking approach with new offensive coordinator and different direction for Wildcats’ offense this year.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Kentucky coach Mark Stoops
Knew last year a change was needed for Wildcats’ offense plus dealing with players getting covid vaccinations.
Musselman adds an All-American, former alum, to basketball staff
Former All-American and former NBA first-round draft pick Ronnie Brewer and Arkansas alum Jon Blake have been added to Arkansas’ men’s basketball staff, Eric Musselman announced Tuesday.
Brewer was named recruiting coordinator and Blake will serve as assistant director for basketball administration.
Brewer, the 14th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, spent 10 seasons playing professional basketball (2006-16). Brewer played three seasons (2006-10) with the Utah Jazz and played in the 2008 NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game.
He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in January of 2010. He then signed with Chicago prior to the 2010-11 season and spent two seasons with the Bulls.
Over the next two seasons, Brewer played with the New York Knicks (2012-13), Oklahoma City Thunder (2013), Houston Rockets (2013-14) and a second stint with the Bulls (2014). He ended his professional career playing one season (2015-16) with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
He scored 3,940 points in his NBA career with 1,427 rebounds and 828 assists.
Highlights include him playing and starting a career-high 81 games while averaging a career-high 13.7 points, in 2008-09 with the Utah Jazz and playing 81 games in 2010-11 to help the Chicago Bulls post the best record in the NBA (62-20) and reach the Eastern Conference finals.
After his rookie season in the NBA, he started the Ronnie Brewer Foundation in 2007 to support communities in at-risk situations while promoting education, physical fitness, and the importance of working together as a team.
He additionally organized annual summer basketball camps for the youth in Fayetteville and has created jobs in Farmington with his Brew Crew Transportation Trucking Company.
In 2009, Brewer was the recipient of the University of Arkansas’ Silas Hunt Legacy Award, which recognizes African Americans for their significant contributions to the community, state and nation.
After retiring from professional basketball and in addition to his Foundation and trucking company, Brewer has worked at Fayetteville High School with the boy’s basketball team and a communications teacher as well as coaching the Woodz Elite U16 AAU basketball team.
Brewer has also put his communications background to use by serving as host on sports radio talk shows in South Florida and Northwest Arkansas.
During his playing career at Arkansas, Brewer was a 2006 All-American, a two-time first team All-SEC selection (2005 and ’06) and a two-time All-District pick (2005 and ’06) by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Brewer ranks 16th on Arkansas’ all-time scoring list with 1,416 — trailing his father and fellow NBA first-round pick Ron with 1,440 points — in his three seasons with the Razorbacks.
He led the Razorbacks in steals in each of his three seasons, including leading the SEC in 2006 with 83, and ranks eighth on the school’s all-time steals list.
Brewer additionally led the Hogs in scoring, rebounding, field goals made and free throws made in both 2005 and 2006 while leading the team in assists and 3-point field goal percentage in 2005.
Born in Portland, Ore., Brewer grew up in Fayetteville and was inducted into Fayetteville High School’s Hall of Greats in 2017.
While with the Purple Bulldogs, he was selected Mr. Basketball in Arkansas as a senior in 2003. He broke Corliss Williamson’s conference scoring record as a senior and averaged 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists that season.
Although he only played three seasons for the Razorbacks (2004-06), Brewer received his degree in journalism from Arkansas in 2015.
Blake, a Springdale native and Arkansas graduate, spent the past season as associate director of football operations at Southern Cal. Before that, he was an operations assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and a graduate assistant in football operations for the Razorbacks for three seasons (2016-2018).
He was a membership advisor with the Fayetteville Athletic Club in 2015-16 after serving in the video operations department with Arkansas’ football team for the 2014 season. He worked in production at KNWA-TV and Fox 24 News for three years (2011-14).
He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Arkansas in 2015, as well as master’s degrees in sports management (2017) and physical education teaching and coaching (2019).
Blake played football at Har-Ber High School.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
SEC MEDIA DAYS 2021: Tennessee coach Josh Heupen
Transfer portal hit Volunteers before he took over, but he likes the eight players he added with “double-edge sword.”
