SEC Talk

Ok, I realize that just the other day I wrote about how things were slowing down in the SEC (Winding Down). After today’s events, I humbly take back that statement. In fact, if today’s news is any indicator, the off-season may be more interesting than anticipated.

Today let’s start with the goings on at the SEC coaches meetings, being held this week in Destin, Fla. Commissioner Mike Slive is none too happy with a few of the coaches. We all knew that Slive was unhappy, and was going to address the situation. But I think we underestimated just how unhappy the big guy was.

“I had all 5-foot-9, 175 pounds of me into every word I said. I can tell you that,” Slive said.

Reports say that Slive made eye contact with everyone in the room, forgoing the podium to walk around and make sure everyone was paying attention. And according to witnesses, Slive got the attention he wanted.

Perhaps the final nail in the coffin came just the day before, when South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier was told by a reporter, jokingly, that Lane Kiffin of Tennessee said he had never gotten an apology from the Old Ball Coach after Spurrier appeared to accuse Kiffin of illegally calling recruits prior to being hired at UT.

According to reports, Spurrier wheeled around and looked at Kiffin, who was waiting for an elevator, and said, “I didn’t accuse you of cheating. What I said was, ‘Was it permissible to call recruits before you were announced head coach and had taken the [recruiting] test?’ Now, you took the test online, and I didn’t even know you could do that. I thought you had to take the test on campus … and then start calling [recruits].”

Kiffin didn’t respond, although witnesses said he was red as a beet. Then the elevator doors opened and Kiffin, Spurrier, Kentucky’s Rich Brooks and Auburn’s Gene Chizik all piled in. As the doors closed, Spurrier again reiterated than he never said that Kiffin cheated.

Now let’s jump back to December. Here are Spurrier’s exact words:

“You’re supposed to have passed the NCAA test and be on board, I think. But maybe he was just calling him as an interested observer. I don’t know. But technically to be able to recruit you’re supposed to pass the NCAA test.

“I know when I was hired, after the press conference I took the test to qualify you to be a recruiter. I hadn’t taken it in three or four years. At that time I could start making calls. I don’t know if he was permitted to make that call or not. You’ll have to ask somebody else.”

Spurrier might not have come right out and screamed “CHEATER” at Kiffin, but I think the inference is pretty plain.

And, isn’t Steve Spurrier the same coach who enjoyed taking shots at other coaches while he was winning all those titles at Florida? Seems like age has thinned the Ole Ball Coach’s skin a bit.

At any rate, Spurrier marked his territory and attempted to reclaim alpha coach status in the SEC by allowing the media to goad him into confronting Kiffin.