Hoover, Ala. — The Internet at the Wynfrey Hotel crashed with all members of the media trying to update Twitter accounts, post stories on blogs and websites and check various email accounts during Wednesday’s part of the 2010 SEC Media Days.
“You are again part of one of the largest crowds we’ve ever had,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. “There are over a thousand of you here, including print media, electronic media, bloggers, Bowl representatives, corporate sponsors, as well as nearly 30 radio stations broadcasting live from Radio Row downstairs.”
And after a summer full of arrests, scandal and alleged NCAA violations, the head coaches at Alabama, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Florida cycled through room after room to answer question after question from the media zoo.
Talk of implementing policies regarding agent contact with athletes and eligibility being jeopardized came about because of these incidents:
Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus allegedly attended an agent’s party in Miami.
Former Florida offensive lineman Marquis Pouncey allegedly accepted $100,000 from an agent after last season’s SEC championship game.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban said the hammer needs to come down on those agents who cross the line in contacting players.
“I think if an agent does anything to affect the eligibility of a college football player, his license ought to be suspended for a year,” Nick Saban said. “That’s the only way we’re going to stop what’s happening out there because it’s ridiculous and it’s entrapment of young people at a very difficult time in their life. And it’s very difficult for the institutions and NCAA to control it and it’s very unfair to college football.”
And with two alleged incidents looming over two schools in one conference, Florida head coach Urban Meyer said the practice has gone on for years, though less publicized, and said policing agents would be extremely difficult.
“It’s an epidemic right now,” Meyer. “I think it’s always been there, from what I understand. I’ve been in coaching 20-plus years … I think we’ve reached the point of the size of college football, the magnitude of college football, is really overwhelming. I think you really have to keep an eye on it. You have guys like Mike Slive, (NFL) Commissioner (Roger) Goodell … that are going to be involved in this. We just have to do the right thing.”
But despite the leadership Meyer referred to, Saban became more and more fired up as he fielded questions on the issue during his news conference, saying “greed” is the driving force behind this “epidemic.”
“I don’t think it’s anything but greed that is creating it right now on behalf of the agents,” Saban said. “Agents that do this, I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp? I have no respect for people who do that to young people, none. I mean, none.”
Both coaches are dealing with a player or former player facing similar allegations.
Meyer said he went straight to Florida’s compliance office when he received wind of the issue, and then confronted Pouncey.
“I went to Marquis. He said that it didn’t happen,” Meyer said. “I have not been that concerned. I don’t like our pictures going across the ticker and everything else. If something happened, he should be punished severely. If it didn’t happen, then that’s nonsense.”
Saban, on the other hand, wouldn’t comment on Dareus’ situation in the head coach’s mile-long opening statement, in which he touched on every single topic but space exploration.
“Our compliance people are looking into it in conjunction with the NCAA,” Saban said. “We’re not really going to make any comments, nor do we have any information that he did anything wrong or he didn’t do anything wrong. But we’re going to find out with the due diligence that we look for.”
Though trouble could be a-brewin’ for Pouncey and Dareus, Saban doesn’t want to deny his players a future in the NFL by completely taking away opportunities to network with agents. He just expressed the “time and place for everything” approach.
“We’re not trying to keep our guys away from agents,” Saban said. “We’re just trying to keep what happens on the street corner from happening. We’re not trying to deny our guys access. We’re proactive in allowing them, the times that they’re allowed to talk to agents, get all the education they need about making a good selection when their season is over.”
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