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SEC Media Days: Press Conference Masters

Jul 24, 2008, 7:00 PM UTC

Spencer Hall is at SEC Media Days. Why this isn't the death of modern media, we'll never know. â†µ

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â†µPR Ninja, Volume One. Being the coach of a team for sixteen years must imbue you with a certain amount of indestructibility, or at least a complete lack of fear for what might happen to you. About three questions into the press conference someone asked the Tennessee coach about the subpoena, a question which beforehand the reporters in the room had been giddily tossing around like an explosive potato. ("You ask it." "No, you ask it.") Fulmer replied without flinching, calling the subpoena "B.S." and then smoothly moving onto the next question. â†µ

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â†µâ†µFulmer also pulled the “yes, that’s a dumb question but please continue” move of the day when he was asked about Jacques McClendon, the lineman who bench-pressed a record 645 pounds this week. â†µ

â†µâ†µReporter: “Wanna tell us a little bit about him” â†µ

â†µâ†µFulmer: (pauses, looks at reporter.) “He’s strong.” â†µ

â†µâ†µYou don’t get that kind of press-conference-fu from the rookies. That’s veteran stuff there. â†µ

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â†µFashion Notes: Among the players, the white suit with dark shirt and tie seems to be the mode for 2008. Robert Ayers of Tennessee looked particularly swanky in his. â†µ

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â†µPR Ninja, Volume Two. Mark Richt, in between deflecting reports that he can do the entire Soulja Boy dance, is now in full stride in a Bobby Bowden imitation. By that, I mean a proper, fearsome, windbreaker-rocking Bowden in his prime, but with less gubernatorial huckstering about him. He seems like a man completely and totally at ease with himself. Snake charmers envy his hold on a room. â†µ

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â†µCuddle with it, son: Houston Nutt says running back Cordero Eason "had to sleep with the ball a few times" to improve his ball handling. Nutt works a room in a very different manner than the other coaches: if Fulmer curmudgeons along and Richt holds a warm, personal church group meeting, Nutt is a backslapping politician type who shakes hands, points and smiles, and does a very, very good Jerry Jones impression. It's hard not to imagine Big Daddy Drew writing his dialogue. â†µ

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