Mohamed Massaquoi, Jeff Owens, and Mark Richt represented the Red and Black at S.E.C. Media Days yesterday. Also at the event, as you may have heard, Phillip Fulmer may have been subpoenaed. Hey, what can I say? You know your conference is hard-core when the league hosts its annual football media days in a town that is the namesake of a Drive-By Truckers song.
Here’s the run-down, starting with Orson Swindle Spencer Hall whoever the heck he is these days:
According to defensive lineman Jeff Owens...Mark Richt can do the souljah boy. Thanks to Jeff Owens for writing our first question of the day for the Georgia coach. We look forward to watching him crank that. . . .
Mohammed Massaquoi on Matthew Stafford's Arm Strength: Reporter: "What's the farthest you've seen Matthew Stafford throw the ball?" Massaquoi: "He could probably throw it here if you want him to."
Orson/Spencer also offered the only compliment you will ever hear him utter involving Bobby Bowden:
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.
Meanwhile, quite possibly blogging anonymously from the other side of the same room, C&F covered Coach Richt’s remarks in real time, quoted Owens as having said something that is not good news for the Gamecocks, and acknowledged:
C&F hates the fact that he doesn't hate Mark Richt. C&F is ashamed to admit that he actually kind of likes the coach of the spelling-challenged Dawgs.
In fact, now that Bad Richt has begun to sneak out a little bit, now that the once-choirboyish coach has developed a bit of an edge, it's even harder to hate the guy. Because even when he's not being classy, Richt has a dash of class about him. . . .
Richt, for his part, doesn't feel the need to back down.
"Now, how am I going to be this year? I'll probably be very much like I was from mid-season on. I'll be a little more free."
Florida isn't the only team hoping it won't work twice.
Leaving aside the fact that it’s Evil Richt, not Bad Richt (and that the "spelling-challenged Dawgs" line is getting a bit tired; really, C&F, they’re called phonetics), I like the way our rivals are talking about us lately. In the words of the aforementioned Drive-By Truckers, "Daddy used to tell me, everything comes down to what they say about you when you’re not around."
The full transcript of Coach Richt’s appearance may be found here.
Go ’Dawgs!