BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The ring of a cell phone Tuesday during the opening session of SEC football Media Days prompted Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson to wisecrack, "Is that Phil?"

The thinly veiled reference to Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer was greeted by raucous laughter by hundreds of media representatives. It was the lightest moment of the day as fallout continued from Fulmer's announcement Monday that he is skipping the annual event because of what he termed a "legal circus" related to his involvement in an NCAA investigation that led to Alabama's probation in 2002.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, who is an attorney, declined to say if he would have advised Fulmer not to come to Birmingham to avoid the possibility of being served a subpoena by Montgomery attorney Tommy Gallion, who represents former Crimson Tide assistants Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Williams in their suit against the NCAA.

"I understand coach Fulmer had to weigh all the advice he was given and make a decision,'' Slive said in the hallway at the Wynfrey Hotel. "I can't put myself in his shoes."

Vanderbilt's Johnson broached the subject again when he joked, "The border was open between Tennessee and Alabama. There was nobody stopping me. It's good to be here. So far, I haven't been served any subpoenas."

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville and Arkansas coach Houston Nutt chose to address the controversy in a more serious vein. Nutt came to Fulmer's defense.

"I have an awesome respect for coach Fulmer,'' Nutt said. "I was surprised when I heard it, but I don't know all the details.

"There has to be a legitimate reason for him not to be here. I think there has to be more to it than we know. Otherwise he would be here.

"I do know this. (Arkansas athletic director) Frank Broyles has always had a policy in place that if you feel like somebody is violating the rules, turn them in to the conference. That's the only way you are going to get it stopped."

In private conversations, Nutt said Fulmer voiced concern about attending the annual media event as long ago as May at the league's spring meeting in Destin, Fla.

"He didn't voice it to me but he voiced it in a (coaches) group and I had just walked in,'' Nutt said.

It is uncertain how long UT had been making contingency plans for Fulmer to address the media by teleconference. UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton did not respond to repeated phone calls and messages Friday seeking comment about rumblings Fulmer was going to skip Media Days. Slive said the issue began to heat up over the weekend, but added he wasn't sure that Fulmer would skip the meetings until Monday.

Slive said it was UT President John Petersen who requested that Fulmer be allowed to speak with the media Thursday via teleconference. In accordance with a league policy adopted this spring, the SEC is fining Tennessee $10,000 because of Fulmer's absence.

Tuberville said the legal maneuverings have detracted from the meetings.

"This is about college football players,'' Tuberville said, "It's not about coaches.

"We need to get the lawyers and all those people out of it and let these college football players enjoy going to school and enjoy playing college football."

Slive declined to divulge what was said during his discussions with UT officials the past few days. However, he made it clear that he was not happy with the events of the past 48 hours.

"In the best interests of the conference, we need to move away form these issues and the sooner we move away form these issues, the better off we'll be,'' Slive said.

"From (Fulmer's) perspective, he has a different take on it than I do. I respect that. I'm assuming that he may well avoid himself of whatever appeal (of the fine) processes we have in our conference."

In contrast to Tuberville's position, Slive said he endorses the involvement of attorneys in the controversy.

"I see lawyers on both sides advocating for their clients, trying to put their clients in the best possible position,'' he said. "That's the system. It doesn't matter what I think about it. That's the system. We've had that system for over 200 years and hopefully we'll have it for 200 more.

"I would rather we would be talking about who is going to win our football championship this year. But athletics in the SEC is not separate from the community in which we live."

Gary Lundy may be reached at 865-342-6274.