Is This A Joke Or A Scam?

When this "news release" was forwarded to us, we couldn't decide if it was a joke or if AT&T was in the scam business of trying to get people to text message. It's hard to imagine even Vince Dooley voting for Vince Dooley over Paul Bryant as the best football coach in SEC history. In fact, how can this ballot not include, oh, say, Gen. Robert Neyland of Tennessee?

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Southeastern Conference has produced some of the most ingenious coaches in the history of college football, and now fans have voiced their opinions on the best of all time. It’s all a part of AT&T Inc.’s Best of 75 Years of SEC Football,” an 11-week program that allows fans to vote for their favorite players, coaches and traditions from the past 75 years.

University of Alabama coaching legend Paul W. “Bear” Bryant, is one of the three finalists for the AT&T Best Coach in the SEC.

Bryant is joined by former Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley and former Florida and current South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier.

Bryant compiled an amazing 323-85-17 (.780) record in his 38-year coaching career with stops at Maryland (1945), Kentucky (1946-53), Texas A&M (1954-57) and Alabama (1958-82).

Bryant won 282 games and 14 SEC Championships at Kentucky and Alabama.

He compiled a 232-46-9 (.824). record in his 25-year career with the Crimson Tide, including six national championships and 13 SEC titles.

“As the official telecommunications sponsor of the SEC and a presenting sponsor of SECSports.com, AT&T wanted to help the conference celebrate their 75th anniversary,” said Steve Sitton, regional president of the Southeast for AT&T’s wireless operations. “Fans can now make their voices heard on a topic we know they are passionate about, but they’ve got to get out there and vote if they want their favorites to win!”

Voting on the next category is already open, and this week fans will be voting on the best tradition of all-time. Choosing the best of all time will be no easy task – just check out the list of traditions below:

Game Day at Denny Chimes, University of Alabama

Calling Those Hogs, University of Arkansas

Toomer’s Corner, Auburn University

Singing “Boys From Old Florida”, University of Florida

UGA the Bulldog, University of Georgia

Singing “My Old Kentucky Home”, University of Kentucky

Mike The Tiger, Louisiana State University

The Grove, University of Mississippi

Singing “Maroon and White”, Mississippi State University

2001 Team Entrance, University of South Carolina

Vol Navy, University of Tennessee

Vandyville, Vanderbilt University

Fans can enter to vote on the “Best of 75 Years of SEC Football” after accessing SEC Mobile on their AT&T handsets by texting SEC to 234567. They will then receive a menu of options to choose from, which includes alerts, trivia, SEC video, news, downloads and sweepstakes. Voting began Sept. 4 and runs through Nov. 16 with results announced weekly.

AT&T customers can also prove their SEC football IQ by playing trivia on their handset, or they can get breaking news on their favorite teams by signing up for alerts, which include game previews. Fans will also be able to show their school pride all season by downloading school graphics, fight song ringtones, wallpaper, games and cool tools, and subscribers with 3G services can access college football video.

This is AT&T’s second year as the official telecommunications sponsor of the SEC and a presenting sponsor of SECSports.com.