Alabama coach Nick Saban wades through the crimson and houndstooth-clad crowd packed into the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier cracks a joke at the podium before making a comment, sending Twitter into an uproar.
LSU coach Les Miles goes off on one of his trademark rants and answers yet another question about his tendency to nibble on grass during games.
Although football-starved Southeastern Conference fans eagerly await previews of their favorite teams, the personalities of the league’s 14 head coaches and star players will be the focus when they step in front of the media starting Monday at SEC Media Days.
Every year, it’s the same story. Fans expect answers about quarterback battles, the development of incoming talent and, usually in LSU’s case, the fate of suspended players.
But even coaches don’t have these answers yet. With fall practice still almost a full month away, media days end up being centered on how the coaches respond to outside-the-box questions.
This is where the entertainment factor for fans comes in because media members have the opportunity to ask random questions to coaches they don’t usually cover.
For example, when asked about eating grass in 2014, Miles responded with an explanation that he only eats a blade of grass, “That’s it. It’s not like I’m having a meal.”
Another part of media days lies in the personal stories that emerge at random from behind the podium.
Normally, Miles opens up his news conference with a rundown of his family’s summer vacation. In 2014, he focused on his family watching the 2014 FIFA Word Cup.
“The summer was marked with FIFA action,” Miles said. “My son is truly a soccer player. He played high school soccer. He was so motivated after watching some World Cup that he bounced out to a pick-up soccer game for four hours.”
Along with sidebars, coaches can make a splash with football related comments, as Spurrier has proven time and time again.
In 2014, Spurrier ignited controversy when he called Saban “the greatest recruiter in the history of college football,” and then proceeded to add “fortunately, sometimes, the team that plays the best is the team that wins, instead of whose got all got the best players.”
Looking forward to the 2015 edition of SEC Media Days, Miles will be joined by sophomore running back Leonard Fournette, senior offensive tackle Vadal Alexander and junior linebacker Kendell Beckwith on July 16, day four of Media Days.
Although undoubtedly there will be questions about the suspension of junior quarterback Anthony Jennings, don’t expect Miles to give away any information about when he will return.
But as always, expect at least one question about Miles’ habit of munching on grass.
You can reach Morgan Prewitt on Twitter @kmprewitt_TDR.