Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
The lineup of teams and speakers on Thursday was by far the most underwhelming of the week. The big finale for 2025 SEC Media Days was Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. That was the Thursday lineup. Compared to other days like Tuesday UGA, Texas, Tennessee, and Auburn or even LSU, South Carolina, and Kiffin kicking off the week Monday, it was not super exciting.
Drinkwitz steals the show
I could’ve listened to Eli Drinkwitz talk for another 30 minutes about anything. I would’ve listened to anything, especially anything not football related. Drinkwitz had the best press conference all week. He was funny, gave a few jabs and jokes about the week, and even jokingly said all questions about the Epstein files and JFK conspiracy were off limits.
He gets the weirdest hate from other fans. I’m not sure if it’s because of his team, his hair, or his glasses, but more than likely, it’s because he beat someone’s favorite team during this two year stretch of 21 wins. Either way, his 30 minutes at the podium was my favorite all week, and he should be kicking off the event every year.
Tired and transparent
The middle part and meat of Thursday’s metaphorical sandwich was Kentucky and Arkansas. The entire vibe of each head coach felt odd from the beginning. Mark Stoops and Sam Pittman are two of my favorite interviews and personalities in the entire league. However, seeing those two talk after or during a season that ended in eight or nine wins is much different than when they’re both on the hot seat and speaking in front of a half full room of media since most decided to leave early instead.
Both coaches seemed a little more tired than usual. Not because of lack of sleep the night before, but because they seemed exhausted at the way things have been going. That’s purely speculation on my end, but it seemed to be confirmed a little after hearing Pittman talk about how inefficient and ridiculous having a second portal window in the Spring has been. He’s not wrong either, by the way. I’m sure that sentiment was however impacted slightly by his frustration of losing 41 players this offseason and 103 in the last three years alone.
Stoops was a little less restrained with his emotions, and it was refreshing as it was honest. While being asked about his struggles last season after losing eight straight games to end the season, not to mention his abysmal 3-32 record against SEC teams who finish the season with a winning record, Stoops had this to say.
“This s***’s hard.”
Can we have an honest conversation about Texas
Listen, I am not here to judge, and every SEC fanbase has their own sections of weirdos and diehards full of self-importance and delusion. But, can I just say what a lot of us are thinking?
Texas fans and media are so weird. They might not be weird the way Texas A&M people are, sure. They definitely don’t dress up like milkmen and do campfire sing alongs at midnight. However, besides the mean girls clique in high school, I don’t know if there’s a bigger collection of people that constantly need to be validated and told how pretty they are.
The ability they have to actively make things about Texas and Texas only is so constant that it’s almost impressive. But, I don’t know, maybe next year if someone like Clark Lea or Shane Beamer or the hotel employee checking on your bath towels is in front of you, maybe we can think of a different topic other than, “What do you think about Texas and follow up question, tell me how pretty I am.”
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