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Published Dec 7, 2019
McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander
Neal McCready  •  RebelGrove
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1. Welcome back to relevance, Ole Miss. People are going to hate you again. People are going to talk about you again. People are going to accuse you of cheating.

Isn't that fun?

Not that anyone wants my advice, but here it is anyway: Enjoy it. Don't fight back when Pat Forde or Dennis Dodd or Dan Wolken implies that Ole Miss is cheating every time it lands a four- or five-star recruit.

Instead, smile. That means you matter again. The national media, or at least that segment of it, wants you to be a cute little 4-8 program that plays on Thanksgiving night in meaningless games that devolve into soap operas. They want to celebrate your piano-playing quarterback but they enjoy your having no real chance to make any noise, musical or otherwise, on the national stage.

Lane Kiffin is going to shake things up in Oxford. His hiring was national news Saturday. The spotlight finds Kiffin, which means it'll find Ole Miss now. He's going to hire name coaches. He's going to crash some recruiting battles.

He's going to try to shake up the Southeastern Conference, too. He was doing it Tennessee when he bolted for Southern Cal. He did it at Alabama as an offensive coordinator. My bet is he'll do it at Ole Miss, too.

People won't like it. They'll make accusations. There will be innuendo.

Enjoy it. Bask in it. It means you matter again.

2. While I'm dispensing advice, here's some more:

You're the Rebels. Own it. You're the school that won on Gameday and carried the goalposts to the Square. Katie Perry crowd-surfed at Funky's. The Grove is famous throughout college football. You're known for tailgating and partying and general craziness. You're known for over-dressing for football games in 95-degree weather. People make fun of you for your thinking you're superior. Embrace it.

Kiffin is perfect for Ole Miss. In my opinion, he's an absolutely perfect fit. He's going to put on his ear buds, his visor, his aviator sunglasses and look cool. He's going to tweet some barbs, have a little fun, stir up the rest of the league. He's not a traditionalist. He makes the game fun and makes opposing fans mad. So again, my advice: Put two fingers up, embrace your enemy status and have fun.

Ole Miss football won't be boring anymore. It doesn't need to be. Kiffin, once the wunderkind 32-year-old coach of the Oakland Raiders, changed his reputation when he bolted from Tennessee to Southern Cal in 2009. The Trojans left him on the tarmac years later. He rehabbed his image in Tuscaloosa, getting cussed on occasion by Nick Saban.

He turned FAU into a winner, boosting enrollment just by being himself.

In some ways, he's become college football's crazy villain. Personally, I think that's perfect for Ole Miss.

So, again: Own it. It's a fun role to play. Everyone doesn't have to like you. You can be the life of the party and the party crasher all at the same time.

3. We've written this a lot already, so I won't belabor it, but Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter emerged from this search as an absolute winner.

Carter not only got one of the top two targets on his board but he also did so without letting his search turn into a circus and without bowing to 24 hours of pressure from a sect of the fanbase with reservations regarding Kiffin's hiring.

In just a couple of weeks, Carter has absolutely cemented himself as a man of conviction, an A.D. who isn't afraid to make tough decisions and a competitor who has a burning desire to win.

In short order, Carter, whether intentionally or not, sent a message to the rest of the league, the rest of the country and to the alumni/fanbase he represents that he won't settle. It often takes years for people in his position to approach that level. The fact that Carter did it in less than a month is astounding.

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4. Understand this, Rebel fans: This is still a rebuild. Effective today, while you're super happy and your food tastes better and your drinks go down smoother, this is still very much a rebuild. You've got a proven coach. He's going to pour himself into this job, but it might take some time. My advice: Have some patience.

5.The Kiffin hire is an absolute game-changer on the recruiting trail. A father of a top 2020 prospect, a man I've known for more than 15 years, called me Saturday morning, pumping me for information. His son, who hadn't been interested in Ole Miss previously, suddenly couldn't stop talking about the Rebels. That's the Kiffin effect. Kids who weren't going to consider Ole Miss previously will absolutely. do so now.

"I like Kiffin as a coach," Rivals.com director of recruiting Mike Farrell said. "He has a very good offensive mind and he’s excellent at game-planning. As a recruiter he’s effective as well because he’s recruited at the highest levels and knows what it takes. He’s a bit quirky for sure, and he will ruffle some feathers in the SEC, but Power Five is where he belongs and I can’t think of a better hire for Ole Miss at this stage. Fans are going to love his passion."

"I don’t know how he’ll do on a macro scale, but he’ll be able to recruit Florida kids to Oxford," Rivals.com Southeastern recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy said. "The guy has really made an impact in South Florida since going to FAU and not just with players, but with coaches. The Miami public school coaches in particular love him because of how willing he is to show his face in the halls and get involved in the community. Uncle Luke (yes that Uncle Luke) is a high school coach in Miami and lobbied HARD both publicly and privately for Miami to hire Kiffin when the Hurricanes made their change last year.

"Players like Kiffin because he relates to them and coaches like him because he trusts and listens to them about recruits. For all the jokes people like to make about Lane, his reputation in South Florida football circles is impeccable. I have not heard a coach say a bad word about him here … not once.

" Ole Miss obviously can’t make its entire living recruiting in Florida, but i expect him to extract a handful of impressive players from the state each cycle. He probably won’t ever get the hyper-elite five-star kids to pass on Clemson or 'Bama or even Florida, but that doesn’t matter. Ole Miss can EASILY get the guys Louisville used to get. See Lamar Jackson or Tutu Atwell. There’s no reason it can’t get the guys that usually leave home to go to, say, Auburn. Having a pipeline to supplement your talent with guys like that is a nice boost for a school that isn’t located in a state with a super overwhelming level of high school talent. There are plenty of all-conference type guys that leave the Florida for programs just like Ole Miss every year. And with Lane there, I think the Rebels become that sort of player in the region right off the bat.

" Also, what Kiffin does as well as anyone is be honest with himself. The man is incredibly self-aware in every walk of life. Take a look at his Twitter if you need proof of that. He doesn’t waste time with players he can’t get. He and his staff are incredibly good at not chasing prospects they can’t sign. They work smart at FAU and won’t dump resources into some kid that is going to go to Florida or Miami or some other P5. It doesn’t seem like a big thing but it’s a quality a lot of coaches don’t have."

6. Former Ole Miss basketball coach Rod Barnes, who led the Rebels to the Sweet 16 in 2001, returned to Oxford Saturday afternoon with Cal-State Bakersfield. After the game, one in which Barnes drew an ejection with 12 minutes left, the former Rebels coach reflected on his time at Ole Miss and more.

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7. Ole Miss defeated the Roadrunners, 83-67. The Rebels are now 6-3. They're off until next Saturday when they host Kermit Davis' former team, Middle Tennessee, at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

After Saturday's game, Davis met with the media to discuss the victory and more.

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8. I'm going to guess some of you feel like celebrating. With that said, here's Jonathan Howard with the Drink of the Week:

What a time to be an Ole Miss Rebel. I grew up in Alabama and can remember cheering loudly and jumping up and down during the Alabama Sugar Bowl win over Miami in 1992. That fandom faded and when it came time for me to choose a college I picked Ole Miss.

I told my grandfather that played for Bear Bryant and he didn’t speak to me for almost a year. His only grandchild that went to college spurred the Tide. Even still, I didn’t consider myself an Ole Miss fan. I just went there. I would attend games to hang with my friends and look at the co-eds but that was about it.

However, without me knowing, I was growing an extreme love for my University and our team. On Nov. 11, 2002, the Eli Manning-led Rebels were hosting the Auburn Tigers. I don’t know if it was the combination of my love for my University and hate for the school I had loathed since birth or just the game, but when Eli found Chris Collins for a 12-yard touchdown to put the Rebels ahead, I found myself screaming and yelling just like I did when the Tide won that Sugar Bowl in 1992. It was confirmed I was not only a student, I was a fan.

I never missed another game during my college career. When we hosted LSU in 2003 with the SEC West on the line, I was one of the first four people in the stadium. I had a friend who was working the gates and let us in early. I was there to watch every down of the 4-7 season to follow.

I came back four times a year from NYC to see the Rebs play and never missed a game with our Alumni group for the first few years. Then apathy set it, and it was hard for me to watch. In my years as a fan and alumni and as a member of this board since the rebelsports.net days, I can say this week and this hire has excited me as a fan in a way I’ve only felt two other times -- when we hosted LSU in 2003 and when we beat Nick Saban and the Tide with Gameday in the Grove and Katy Perry on the sidelines.

Thank you, Keith Carter, for moving our University into the future and ushering in a NEW Ole Miss; we as a fanbase salute you. So with all that being said, I have decided to create a drink specifically for this occasion. So, the All Aboard is your drink of the week.

The drink should obviously be whiskey-based since I am sure we have all imbibed liters of it this week in both doubt and celebration. Bulleit Rye will do nicely as a base for its spicy cocktail friendly profile. Then I wanted to make something stern and steady in honor of our now beloved AD, so we are going to make a stirred drink that is a slight variation on a classic. Something we know, but is new and fresh.

The boulevardier seems a great structure. So we will add some Campari, then for the twist, a bit of temps fugit dark creme de cacao for some texture and added flavor. The vermouth here needs to be carefully selected to make sure you can balance out the added sweetness from the cacao, so we will go with Punt e Mes, which is known as a slightly bitter vermouth. Take all these lovely ingredients stir them up, strain over fresh ice and serve with an orange slice and a generous amount of fresh shaved chocolate.

The drink is the same beautiful beverage you know, but with more texture and added dimensions of flavor. So everyone, All Aboard! Its going to be one hell of a ride.

All Aboard

1.5 oz. Bulleit Rye

3/4 oz. Capari

1/2 oz. Punt e Mes

1/4 oz. Tempus Fugit Dark Creme de Cacao

Directions: Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass then stir until chilled, strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a orange slice and grate fresh dark chocolate over the top. Hotty Toddy!

9. It's time for a nice holiday-season meal. Here's Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 14: Pork Goulash

Let’s play connect the dots just for a few seconds….Budapest…Hungary…Paprika…Stew…Goulash. If you did connect the dots, this dish hails from the country of Hungary originally. I really like Budapest and it is an amazing city to visit, so do it. The paprika broth that you essentially start off with is wonderful. You then follow it up with meat, a little cream, and citrus….well that makes for a very delicious combination called goulash.

This will be a great break for yourselves since you have probably eaten leftovers these last few days. Disclaimer: No this dish won’t make you fall asleep, no this dish won’t get you an unsportsmanlike penalty for pretending to use the restroom, and yes it is very good to make with beef or veal instead of pork. It is that time again for the tidbits.

Tidbit #1: We are going to be stewing the meat in the paprika broth. If you ever wondered, stewing always means to cook in a liquid, on low heat, with a lid. When I first started cooking I didn’t know that.

Tidbit #2: When you grate the apple into the water, be careful to not go fast. The apple will be a little slippery because you peeled it. I don’t want you to cut your fingers or hand on the grater.

Tidbit #3: As you read the recipe ingredients below and see a quantity of say “1/2 Cup + more,” for the ‘more’ part, that means you will need to measure with your eyes. For us, it will be adding enough water to cover the pork to cook it.

Things you will need:

4-6 People who are probably ready for something new to eat

A bottle of Zinfandel that is rich and full body

A baguette of French Bread to accompany as well

Total Time for Preparation: 2 Hours

Time away from the Stove to do other activities: 1.5 Hours.

Equipment Needed:

1 Cocotte Casserole Dish with Lid

1 Box Grater

1 Vegetable Peeler

Measuring Cups of 1 Cup, 1/2 Cup, 1 Tbsp, and 1 Tsp

1 Cutting Surface

1 Chef’s Knife and 1 Boning Knife

1 Wooden Spatula

1 HandHeld Electric Immersion Mixer (MUST HAVE)

1 Slotted Spoon

1 Side Plate

1 Stove Top

1 Timer on your Phone

Ingredients Needed:

2 lbs. of Pork, Beef, or Veal Shoulder (Relatively In-expensive)

1/2 Cup of Water + More

1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1 Tsp Chili Powder

2 Tsp Salt + More

7 Turns of Black Pepper Grinder + 3 Turns

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2.5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

2 Bay Leaf

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Peel of that Lemon

1 Granny Smith Apple

3 Small Yellow Onions

1 Cup of Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup of Sour Cream

2 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Step 1: “Mis en Place” everything for yourself. Next begin by small dicing the yellow onions and while doing so, place your casserole on your stove top on medium heat.

Step 2: Add your oil to the pot and then your onions right after. Cook till light brown while stirring occasionally, near 7 minutes.

Step 2.1: Slice your pork into finger sized square bits using your thumb as your guide, while your onions are cooking. Once your onions are cooked, place your tomato paste, paprika, chili powder and 1/2 cup of water into the dish and let cook for 1 minute with stirring.

Step 3: Now add your pork to the dish and mix everything so that the pork is throughly coated.

Step 4: Add the “more water” to where it just covers the pork in the casserole dish. Once this is completed, put in your bay leaves, 2 tsp salt and 7 turns of the black pepper grinder. Cover with the lid and stew for 1.5 hours over medium low heat.

Step 5: After we have cooked that 1 1/2 hour mark, take your meat out of the casserole dish using your slotted spoon and place it on your side plate. Remove the bay leaf and put that into the trash.

Step 5.1: Peel the granny smith apple and then grate it into the casserole dish. Add to this the 1 peel of lemon first followed with the juice of that one lemon. And finally, add your flour, heavy cream, and sour cream. Bring to a boil.

Step 6: Once your mixture boils, turn off the heat. Use your electric mixer to mix everything for 1 minute. Now add your meat back to the pot carefully. Adjust for your salt and pepper preference…I added 1 tsp of salt more and 3 turns of the black pepper grinder for me. And if you haven’t guessed it….you just made your first goulash! I like to accompany my stew with some bread, just an fyi.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week. Now onward to colder weather and December. From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!

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