10 Thoughts on Day Two of the Big Ten Media Days

Sam Wenk was LIVE at the Big Ten Media Days.

After a relatively average Thursday, the second day of Big Ten Media Days had it everything a reporter wanted.

1. The Players and Coaches Interviews Are Awesome

The second day consisted of each player and each coach sitting at their own separate table with seven to eight chairs surrounding them. The media was given the opportunity to ask as many or as few questions as they wanted and could rotate from table to table at will, all within the two-hour time slot. This was the definition of media frenzy.

2. A Voice Recorder is a Man’s Best Friend

Without the ability to simply hold your own voice recorder while a player or coach is answering, you’re pretty much screwed. With dialogue being spewed so fast these days, it’s impossible to jot down a word-for-word a response to a question without missing something or misquoting someone. These recorders can hold countless hours of material and all you have to do is press “stop” and “record.”

3. James Laurinaitis is a Popular Guy

Ohio State was bound to get the most attention during the Big Ten Media Days, but on day two, their entire area never seemed to slow down. Senior linebacker and preseason Defensive Player of the Year James Laurinaitis had a constant stream of recorders in front of his face from beginning to end. By the final minute, one of the toughest players in the country was no doubt beat, mentally.

4. The Players Know How to Dress

From Marcus Thigpen’s salmon-pink suit, to Juice Williams' black-and-white checkered tie, to Javon Ringer’s all-black ensemble, the players sure didn’t disappoint when it came to style. Each player was wearing some sort of suit, and most came equipped with a tie showcasing their school’s colors.

5. Brit Miller is Hilarious

Being labeled as a prankster before the day began, Miller didn’t fail in living up to the hype of his highly-publicized personality. He was laughing and joking the entire time, and would even get serious when the question being asked required it.

6. Nothing is Off-Limits

I heard many different types of questions throughout the day, but one reporter thought it was a good idea to ask Laurinaitis about his religion; even going so far as to ask a follow-up question on how his conversion has gone and which specific church he attends. Give it to Laurinaitis to keep his sanity and answer whatever the reporter threw at him with a smile.

7. There's No Love for Iowa

Of the 11 designated areas, one for each school, Iowa was by far the least crowded of them all. Head coach Kirk Ferentz got the most attention, while linemen Seth Olsen, Mitch King, and Matt Kroul sat for sometime, just staring at each other.

8. Rich Rodriguez Needs a Vacation

The Michigan coach was surrounded by microphones for over the two-hour time frame.  Bombarded by questions regarding his storied offseason, Rodriguez must realize what finally forced former head coach Lloyd Carr to retire.

9. It’s a Long Day for Each Player

Yes, the media were forced to wake up early and be ready with our questions before 8:00 AM. However, the players were required to be all dressed up and ready to go at the same time, knowing they have two-plus hours of annoying questions, followed by an autograph session with several hundred fans.

Once they got through all of that, the famous Big Ten Luncheon was scheduled to begin immediately after. Talk about being blitzed. 

10. The Experience is Unforgettable

Having the opportunity to sit next to such high-profile names was truly an honor. If someone would have told me nine months ago that in July I would be sitting three inches away and having a conversation with names like Joe Paterno, Juice Williams, and Jim Tressel, I’d have called them crazy.

(Since the Big Ten has 11 teams…)

11. The Bleacher Report has Officially Established Itself

Everywhere I went, I made sure to mention our site, informing anyone and everyone what we are about and where to learn more. Before each interview, I would introduce myself as, “Sam Wenk from the Bleacher Report.com.”

With 2008 being the first year of granted access into Big Ten Media Days, I feel another step was taken in making Bleacher Report.com one of the best sports Web sites in the world.