For followers of the SEC, and SEC football in particular, the summer’s most significant event has just wrapped: SEC Media Days in Hoover.

The event is more or less considered the ceremonial party that let’s football fans know that SEC football is right around the corner. The media casts votes for all-conference teams. The coaches stand at podiums and spread their various messages of hope. And radio hosts sit in a dark hallway, waiting for the arrival of someone — anyone — other than another radio host.

And as usual, there were one or two “controversial” story-lines to feed the media frenzy. (Two years ago, it was Phil Fulmer and the subpoena. Last year, it was Tim Tebow’s chastity. This year it was agentgate.)

And as usual, there were a couple of new faces on the agenda, one of whom was still an assistant up until just a couple of weeks ago.

New Vandy coach Robbie Caldwell (Andy Bitter)

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As far as Auburn goes, this summer has been about as good as it gets. Which is to say, there haven’t been too many headlines. (Compare that with, say, news out of Knoxville or Athens or … Miami.) And heading into the season, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. (In fact, Auburn received the 3rd highest number of 1st place votes from the media, behind only Alabama and Florida.)

At SEC Media Days, Auburn players Lee Ziemba, Aairon Savage, and Josh Bynes all acquitted themselves well. (Had there been an award for Best Dressed, Savage definitely would’ve been in the running.) And Coach Chizik continued to be the steadying presence that the program needs.

Aairon Savage (photo, AP)

Aairon Savage (video, CBS 42)

Josh Bynes (audio, WJOX FM)

Gene Chizik (article, Birmingham News)

SEC Media Days (video, al.com)

All-SEC Tigers (auburntigers.com)

But to put things in the big picture, now that SEC Media Days are behind us, we can really start looking forward to the new season. Fan Day is scheduled for Aug. 15, and the first game is Sep. 4.

Until then … feel free to revisit this classic WarEagleTales post from Media Days ’08, in which I try to ease myself into the various SEC proceedings. And true to my word, I haven’t been back since!

John goes to Hoover (WarEagleTales)

War Eagle!

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WarEagleTales was in attendance at Auburn’s first round game of the SEC Baseball Tournament Wednesday morning — well, okay, to be honest, that’s only technically correct. The truth is we arrived more or less just in time for that most-beloved of baseball traditions, the 7^th-inning stretch.

Which knowledgeable baseball fans know means we walked in just as the crowd started singing that grand ol’ song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” or as was more appropriate in our case, “Take Me Out to the Long Line of Cars Winding at a Snail’s Pace through Suburban Hoover.”

Of course, we weren’t alone. I know this because there were approximately five thousand cars behind us as we’d been directed to park in a remote, grassy field. (Which I for one, didn’t even know existed in the highly-developed environs of Hoover; yet there we were, side by side with all the other frazzled drivers, bedecked in our colored, collegiate attire.)

Thankfully though, the field was within an excellent day-hike’s distance of the ballpark, because I’d been hoping to squeeze in a little cross-city trekking before that tiresome “sporting event.”

In any case, we did in fact witness the last few innings of the game, disappointing as they were. The atmosphere was terrific, but the on-the-field activity less so. And as the game proceeded to unravel before our eyes, I found myself oddly longing for that vast expanse of cars, this time heading home. (Hey, at least there, we’d had air conditioning.)

Oh, and in case, you’re looking for a moral to this tale, well, you may can find it here, on ESPN3.com. Which is exactly where I’ll be watching the next game. Check out Auburn vs. South Carolina. First pitch at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

War Eagle!

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WarEagleTales was in attendance on Wednesday at the Regions Charity Classic in Hoover, Ala. The annual golf tournament features two days of pro-am golf and normally includes an array of big-time sports names. Check out the pictures we took of Auburn legend Bo Jackson, along with a couple other sports stars. Thursday’s lineup promises another good turnout, with new basketball coach Tony Barbee scheduled to tee off with Charles Barkley. Should be a fun day!

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