If football is the cat’s pajamas for an SEC sports fan, this may be the gloomiest time of year:
– 16 days until any SEC school begins spring practice (Alabama hits the practice field on Feb. 24th; Auburn begins on Feb. 28th, and the rest of the SEC doesn’t suit up until the first week of March or later)
– 206 days until SEC football begins (South Carolina at NC State on Thursday, Sept. 3rd)
– 359 days until National Signing Day 2010
The teams of the SEC do have some things going on right now, though. After the jump, a few of the current newsworthy happenings around the greatest conference in college sports:
Names of McFadden and Complainant Must Be on Case, Judge Rules
On February 3rd, a Fayetteville, Ark., woman filed an paternity suit against former Razorbacks player, Darren McFadden.
D-Mac Daddy
The original filing had “Jane Doe vs. John Doe” listed as the plaintiff and defendant, as is standard when a person seeks to maintain anonymity on the public record.
The judge ruled the names must be filed as they are and also ruled out other anonymous monikers, such as “John and Jane Smith” or “Joe and Sally Sixpack,” citing other possible complaints from Arkansas citizens who actually hold these names.
Tigers Still Awaiting Top RB’s Decision
Auburn head coach Gene Chizik pulled off an impressive first Signing Day, considering the circumstances.
Oku: Big chicks need love too?
And the recruiting success may not be over, as the Tigers are hoping running back David Oku chooses to commit to AU.
Oku originally committed to Tennessee, but something went awry along the way, and he backed out of signing with the Vols, delaying his official decision until an undisclosed day after all the 2009 recruiting buzz has waned.
Now it seems the Midwest City, Oklahoma, star may be leaning toward playing his college football on the Plains. His signature would be the cherry on top of a respectable inaugural class for Chizik and his staff.
Gators Still SEC, National Champs
In case you had forgotten.
UGA One of College Football’s Top ‘Family Atmosphere’ Programs
College Football Live released this prior to Signing Day, but we’re still laughing. Yes, bring the kids on down to Athens to join in on the value-enriched fun – an entire stadium full of people booty-dancing to a song about defiling young women when they’re too liquored up to care:
‘Kats Are Blue
Head coach Billy Gillispie‘s basketball team will slide into Tuesday’s matchup with Florida on tires deflated by a three-game losing streak. Star guard Jodie Meeks averages nearly a third of all the team’s points, and it’s evident that if he does not get going early, the ‘Kats are in trouble.
At halftime of UK’s loss to Ole Miss two weeks ago, ESPN’s Jeannine Edwards asked Gillispie what adjustments the ‘Kats needed to make for Meeks to get going.
“This is Kentucky…it’s not Jodie Meeks…this is not a one-man team, and that’s really a bad question,” Gillispie responded.
“I’m a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn…that’s what kind of man I am,” Gillispie added. “You’re just a woman with a small brain. With a brain a third the size of us. It’s science.”
Alexander Not Offended by ‘Wooderson’ References
More old news, but the NCAA granted LSU player Charles Alexander a sixth year of eligibility last week. He says college life has not changed much for him since he arrived in Baton Rouge so many seasons ago. He still enjoys “jamming out” to Montell Jordan‘s first album on his Walkman while walking around campus in his cargo shorts.
In fact, the defensive tackle indicated college life may be better for him nowadays than it was when he was a freshman. “That’s what I like about these college girls, man,” he said. “I get older…they stay the same age.”
“This Is an In. Ter. National. Altercation.”
Still interesting:
League’s Bost?
MSU Freshman Dee Bost in High School
The Bulldogs are playing some good basketball these days, and a lot of it has to do with point guard Dee Bost, who was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week for the second time this season following wins over Arkansas and Kentucky.
Against the Razorbacks, MSU set a school record for three-pointers made, 16, and Bost nailed six of those. The Bulldogs are 16-7 overall (5-2 in SEC ) and have won their last eight of ten games.
Spurrier Deems Former UGA Defensive End Not a ‘Lemon’
S.C. head coach Steve Spurrier is taking a chance on former Georgia player, Michael Lemon, who was dismissed from the Bulldogs after legal problems last summer. The big defensive end was arrested and charged with felony battery after repeatedly pounding in a fellow student’s face in June.
Lemon will walk on at S.C. for “an opportunity to turn his life around.”
Football Legend’s Son Interested in the Vols
Son of Joe Montana, not Joe Mantegna (above) may be interested in playing for Tennessee.
Former college and NFL star Joe Montana* has a son, Nick Montana, who will be a senior quarterback next season for his high school out in California. As Tennessee did not sign a signal-caller in either the ’08 or ’09 classes, the Vol coaching staff is targeting the younger Montana for next year’s class. Montana was in Knoxville this past weekend checking out the facilities, and he seems to like UT.
Former UT player, Casey Clausen, is an assistant at Montana’s school, Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif. Wayne Gretzky‘s son, Trevor Gretzky, will be a sophomore on that team and is apparently a pretty good athlete himself.
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*Not to be confused with Joe Mantegna, who played the role of Joey Zasa, the hot-headed back-stabber in The Godfather, Part III, and supplied the voice of Fat Tony on The Simpsons.
Going for the Gold
Head coach Bobby Johnson and his staff are targeting some pretty big names for the 2010 recruiting class. They’re really interested in this guy:
Joanie Loves Chachi, but does Chachi love back?
Yeah, we’ll bet he’s good at commodoring some vessels.
A Drug Called Tradition 