Actually, Sprints is staying at home. But your humble correspondent will be in Hoover next week for the annual convention/circus known as SEC Media Days. Plans right now are to live-blog the ceremonies as each coach takes the podium and then wrap each team's presentation up with a full post each night. There are also other goodies being planned, but we'll unveil more of those details as we get closer. (Better to go through that whole "coordination" thing first, you know.
Now, obviously, myself and Joel from Rocky Top Talk have to act like professionals while in Birmingham. So, I am open only to any reasonable question you might want to have asked. Just put your suggestions in the comments now or wait until the next post on this.
Finally, because of preparations on Monday and Tuesday and the obvious Wednesday through Friday, Sprints will not appear next week. I do hope to post a morning run-down of the MSM and blogger accounts of the previous day's presentations, but no promises.
Why is this the lead in Sprints? Take a look at what passes for "news" today. Aside from the first item, of course, there just ain't much.
[Your team's name] + 'fiery two-car accident' = Usually not good
Fortunately, Ole Miss' Greg Hardy and Dexter McCluster seem to be largely unscathed. Largely.
Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy will be in a walking boot for 7 to 10 days after reaggravating a foot injury during a car wreck over the weekend, but all things considered, he and receiver Dexter McCluster are fortunate just to be alive.
"Those two guys were really lucky," Mississippi Highway patrolman Chad Moore tells David Brandt. He also notes that it appears no drugs or alcohol were involved. Gentlemen, really -- is that any way to represent the SEC?
Houston Nutt weighs in ... well, through the medium you would expect him to.
In a text message, Nutt said the players were "Very lucky ... They're so fortunate."
Football impact: TBD, though Brandt points out that it's not good news that Hardy could be looking at injury trouble just a few weeks before practice begins. It is good news that both he and McCluster are alive, and that's no small consolation.
Um, do we have a Plan C?
Chase Rettig commits to Boston College, meaning Tennessee is now down to Jesse Scroggins or little-known prospect Crash N. Burn.
John Adams spins himself dizzy over the news in a column that becomes an instant classic.
USC and Florida each has won a pair of national championships this decade. UT has had two losing seasons in the last four years and hasn't won so much as a conference championship since 1998.
Such history suggests that UT fans shouldn't be devastated if Scroggins chooses USC or even Florida over the Vols. Instead, they should take heart from Scroggins' consideration.
He's not done. Scroggins' generous consideration of Tennessee ... well, let Adams tell you.
Scroggins' interest in UT provides compelling evidence that the Vols eventually will sign a quality quarterback -- though perhaps not as soon as they would like.
So the consideration (and possible rejection) of Tennessee by a quality quarterback is "compelling evidence" that such a quarterback will be signed, even though few such quarterbacks remain and several high-caliber signal-callers have already shunned the Vols? Huh?
Wait -- there's more.
As a former USC offensive coordinator, Kiffin will employ the same pro-style system at UT. Also, in an era where spread offenses are becoming more and more prevalent, the Trojans and Vols are bucking a trend. So, in a way -- competition aside -- they're in this together.
Words fail me.
(Would now be a poor time to note that the Clampetts, in fact, might not have been from Tennessee?)
Golden Tebow-palooza continues
The conference recently signed a $3 billion TV deal with ESPN and CBS. How much of that TV money was made possible because Meyer has turned UF into the most dynamic program in the country? How much extra did the networks agree to pay because of the intoxicating fervor surrounding Tim Tebow, a Meyer recruit who is the national face of college football and arguably the greatest player to ever play the game?
To paraphrase: Mike Bianchi appears to believe Tim Tebow is worth $3 billion. (HT: Blutarsky)
Mysterious
One of those things to keep an eye on.
Because it's LSU Week
Fan day is Aug. 9. But why wait -- you can watch Mike the Tiger live right now.
Low runs down the five likeliest mid-major upsets
Tennessee: Fear the might Ohio Bobcats.
2008 distilled to half a commercial
Rocky Top Talk trims down a year's worth of animated BlogPolls into 15 seconds. Why a Tennessee fan would do this, I have no idea.
The Mayor Uncut
Kyle lets us in on the rest of what he told The Rivalry, Esq., for their piece on SEC fans and Big Ten fans.
Love is ...
Having to tell fans that you have a vicious dog.