1. This edition of 10 Weekend Thoughts is the last one being sponsored Oxford-based realtor Harry Alexander.
After seven years of sponsoring this content item, Harry is taking a little step back. He’s still going to be selling real estate, so if you’re buying or selling, you should definitely call him, but he’s going to be a little less visible and reap a few of the life rewards he’s earned over his distinguished career.
When I started 10 Weekend Thoughts, openly stealing the idea from Geoff Ketchum at Orangebloods.com, I had no idea it would become the site staple it has. I think Harry did. He agreed to sponsor it for a few months, and every three months for the past seven years, he just renewed. We never even had a conversation about it.
Harry has never pushed back about any content, never protested when I took a week off or didn’t publish until Monday. He understood that I, like he, was getting older and my priorities, like his, changed over time. Frankly, because Harry kept sponsoring, I kept writing, spending many hours on Sunday after Sunday, producing a content item that I have come to take a great amount of pride in.
So, thanks, Harry, for your friendship and your trust. I look forward to getting that beer together soon.
A new sponsor has already signed on to take over 10 Weekend Thoughts, and I’ll introduce them next week. But today is about my friend, Harry. I’ve always appreciated his advice, his insight and his support.
2. I was a guest on Ryan Brown and Co.’s new venture, Next Round Live, last week. Brown is preparing for SEC Media Days, which begin next Monday in Hoover, Ala. He was talking about where we would place Ole Miss among SEC West teams in a preseason ranking.
It’s interesting. I’ll try to do that next week in my preview of SEC Media Days, but I’d already been thinking about that a little bit before joining Brown’s show. I can’t make a legitimate argument for any team other than Alabama to win the division. The Tide’s roster is just stacked. There might literally be no area of even remote weakness.
After that, while I have some curiosity about what the Aggies will look like on offense, I think I’d have to place Texas A&M second. The Aggies’ talent on the lines of scrimmages make them the safest bet, outside of Alabama, in the West.
On the flip side, I can’t put Ole Miss sixth or seventh, either. Sam Pittman is doing a nice job at Arkansas. The Hogs’ recruiting is trending upwards, and he’s putting his stamp on the program. Arkansas knocked off Ole Miss last year and should’ve beaten Auburn and damn near beat both LSU and Missouri. Still, realistically, Arkansas is still very early in the rebuilding stages and this season, while the Razorbacks might be more competitive than many believe, there’s no reason to believe they’ll escape the division’s cellar. Let’s put it this way: If Arkansas finishes fifth or higher in the West, something went terribly wrong for Ole Miss, Auburn or LSU.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, is a bit of a wildcard. The Bulldogs should be respectable on defense, and there were signs late last season that Mike Leach’s offense was beginning to take hold in Starkville. However, I’m a bit cautious — and, therefore, not as bullish — about Mississippi State. I do think the Egg Bowl in Starkville is going to be a dangerous spot for Ole Miss, and I think the Bulldogs have a favorable schedule, but I have a tough time putting them higher than sixth in the division.
That’s where any sense of certainty stops, at least for me, as it pertains to Ole Miss. I can make a legitimate argument for Ole Miss finishing third, fourth or fifth.
3. LSU has a deep, talented roster, and insiders believe quarterback Max Johnson is going to bring consistency to the Tigers’ offense. Johnson threw eight touchdown passes, compared to just one interception, late last season, as his playing time increased over the last five games of the season. The Tigers’ secondary is elite.
Talk to anyone in or around Baton Rouge, however, and there are whispers of chaos inside the program. There are whispers of an imminent coaching search and of an administration willing to make coach Ed Orgeron a scapegoat for the program’s off-the-field issues if things don’t go swimmingly on the field.
The Tigers have an interesting schedule. They open at UCLA and play at Mississippi State, home versus Auburn and at Kentucky on successive Saturdays beginning Sept. 25. A poor start could lead to chaos, and the recipe for that isn’t easy to follow. However, LSU could also win those games, and if the Tigers are 6-0 at the end of the day on Oct. 9, look out.
4. Auburn, on the other hand, figures to benefit from a breath of fresh air. Gus Malzahn is now the coach at UCF, and former Boise State coach Brian Harsin is now leading the Tigers’ program. Auburn’s roster isn’t as stacked as LSU’s, not even close, but the Tigers should have a strong running game, a steady quarterback and some renewed energy.
Ole Miss gets LSU at home and must go to Auburn on successive weeks in late October. Tell me how those games turn out and I probably could give you a pretty accurate summary of Ole Miss’ success — or lack thereof — this fall.
I never did fully answer Brown’s question. I lean towards putting Ole Miss fourth in the West, behind LSU and ahead of Auburn, but I’m far from confident in that prediction. Fourth is the safest bet, I think, but I’m bullish on the Rebels’ offense and I could see Ole Miss winning some of the shootouts that it lost a year ago. Ole Miss will be better on defense this fall, possibly markedly so. Further, the Rebels could easily be 5-1 when LSU comes calling on Oct. 23, and momentum is a real thing in college football.
Literally, I’m sitting here typing this, talking myself into Ole Miss making a run for the No. 2 spot in the division. As I’ve said a few times this offseason, that’s one of the fun aspects of covering this Ole Miss team. There is so much variance in terms of potential outcomes.
5. While one can debate what Ole Miss’ season will look like this fall, there’s no debating the momentum the Rebels clearly have on the recruiting trail. Ole Miss picked up commitments this weekend from Tupelo defensive lineman Jacarius Clayton; Clearwater, Fla., offensive lineman Preston Cushman; Tylertown wide receiver/athlete Jeremiah Dillon and Houston offensive lineman Timi Gagophien.
"There’s got to be something in the water," Dillon said Sunday evening. "There’s something that Ole Miss has got that is attractive. I just kept the ball rolling. It’s the program. The head coach, the position coaches, it’s everything.
The Rebels now have 10 verbal commitments for the 2022 class, and they’re making one cut list after another. I’d argue that it’s way too early to even think about team rankings, but for those who wonder, Ole Miss is now up to No. 58 in the Rivals rankings. The Rebels won’t stay there.
Ole Miss clearly has real recruiting momentum in the first real summer under Lane Kiffin’s direction. Kids are making special trips to Oxford and they’re leaving with something to think about. There is still a ton of work to do, obviously, to close the gap between the more talented rosters in the league and the one in Oxford right now. There’s no way around that.
However, the Rebels are clearly recruiting to a size/speed formula, trying to build a deep, impactful roster that can compete at the highest level. Kiffin has repeatedly said he’s not worrying about commitments, nor is he pushing for early commitments. Kids are simply jumping in right now, a sign that they like what they’re seeing/hearing and that they sense something special happening.
6. Ole Miss will host the last big recruiting event of the summer on July 30. Much of the attention will be focused on New Orleans Class of 2023 quarterback Arch Manning, and that’s understandable, but there will almost certainly be many other coveted targets in town for the day.
That said, everyone is going to be talking about Manning, so we might as well address it. It’s significant Manning is making an unofficial visit to Oxford to spend time with Kiffin, Jeff Lebby and the rest of the Ole Miss staff. Sure, he’s been to Ole Miss a ton, having spent a lot of time in Oxford as recently as last summer. Yes, he’s more than familiar with the campus, town, football facilities, etc., but in-person time with Kiffin and Co. is absolutely worth noting.
There’s a lot of Texas buzz around Manning right now, as the Longhorns have replaced Clemson, at least for now, as the school being tabbed as the very early favorite.
I’ll say what I’ve said for a while, something I’ve been told from multiple sources: Ole Miss is absolutely in it and will be in it until the end. If you made me bet today, I wouldn’t bet on Ole Miss, but the decision won’t be made today.
I believe this is a critical season for Ole Miss as it pertains to the Rebels’ chances for Manning. It’s about winning, looking and feeling like a program on the rise, Manning’s sense that Ole Miss would be able to recruit the types of players around him that could win a championship and Manning’s/the family’s sense of stability inside and around the Rebels’ program.
All of that can’t be addressed in one July visit but ground can be made up and seeds can be sown. Lots will be written and said about Manning. He gets clicks, if you will. He draws eyeballs, and he’s a terrific player, one who could change the fortunes of any program, Ole Miss included.
Just remember it’s still really early and this recruitment could still go a number of ways.
7. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held Tuesday in Denver. The headliner will be Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani.
Entering play Sunday, the 27-year-old Ohtani is 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 13 starts as a pitcher. As a hitter, Ohtani is hitting .279 with 33 home runs and 70 RBI. He sports an OPS of 1.064.
In short, he’s having probably the best Major League Baseball season since Babe Ruth was a two-way star for the Boston Red Sox at the very beginning of his career. And frankly, few are noticing.
I’m not sure why that is. I attended three Major League games in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago, seeing the Reds play the Padres twice and the Cubs once. There were big crowds, including lots of kids watching every move San Diego’s exciting young shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., made.
Still, baseball just doesn’t generate the buzz it used to. The NFL gets headlines all year. The NBA Playoffs aren’t getting huge ratings, but they get tons of coverage. There are dynamic young players. In fact, one could argue the quality of play has never been better, and Ohtani is an unquestioned superstar, one with charisma, charm, good looks and a magnetic smile.
Baseball should be able to market Ohtani and build momentum on his presence alone. It is clearly planning to try, but if this effort fails, the leaders of the sport have to wonder what it will take to win back the proverbial “front page.”
8. The eyes of the sports world were on London Sunday. Early in the day, Novak Djokovic won his 20th major title by defeating Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in four sets to win the Wimbledon men’s championship. It was Djokovic’s sixth Wimbledon championship.
Djokovic also has nine Australian Open titles, three U.S. Open crowns and two French Open championships. The 20 major titles tie his primary rivals in the sport, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, who also have 20 titles each.
”I have to pay a great tribute to Rafa and Roger," Djokovic said during the on-court, post-match interview. "They are legends of our sport and they are the two most important players that I've ever faced in my career. They are I think the reason that I am where I am today. They have helped me realize what I need to do in order to improve, get stronger mentally, physically, tactically."
The 34-year-old from Serbia is now the only man since 1969 to win the first three major tournaments in a season. He can aim for a calendar-year Grand Slam — something last accomplished by a man when Rod Laver did it 52 years ago — at the US Open, which starts Aug. 30.
"I could definitely envision that happening," Djokovic said. "I'm going to definitely give it a shot. I'm in a great form and obviously playing well. Playing my best tennis at Grand Slams is the highest priority that I have right now at this stage of my career. So, let's keep it going.”
There’s no sign Djokovic is nearing the end of his winning ways. Sunday was his third straight Wimbledon crown, and he’s 21-0 in majors this year.
"He's writing the history of this sport," Berrettini said, "so he deserves all the credit.”
Djokovic is making his claim as the sport’s greatest player ever. He’s stunningly fit. His return game is the best in the sport. He can pound opponents from the baseline and cover amazing amounts of ground close to the net. And he’s relentless.
There were moments Sunday when Berrettini, 25, appeared to have momentum. The crowd, perhaps sensing an historic upset, rallied around him for a bit, but Djokovic’s relentlessness proved too much, and by the end, the crowd was cheering a piece of history.
"The last 10 years has been an incredible journey," he said, "that is not stopping here.”
Later Sunday in London, England and Italy met in the UEFA Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium. The scene outside the stadium was that of a madhouse. Thousands of fans appeared to storm through the gates and into the stadium without a ticket. Tens of thousands (and maybe more) packed the area outside of the stadium, just wanting to be close to one of the biggest soccer matches in England’s history.
They left disappointed, as Italy won on penalty kicks, capping an incredible tournament and an incredible final.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 94 — Red, White, and Blue Tart (Summer Berry Tart).
Growing up with strawberry shortcakes was a wonderful thing. They were quick to prepare and the tastes were easy to balance. Now, what if I said that this tart is better than that? Having learned a few things from the French, it is all about the layer
s of flavors.
Tidbit #1: I am going to go back to the dessert making the day before mindset yet, you don’t need to place the fruit on until the day of.
Tidbit #2: You can substitute pâté brisee(normal pie crust) for the pâté sablépâté sablé. Do not do puff pastry though, it will be too buttery.
Tidbit #3: To get a great shiny finish on the fruit, place 1/2 cup of apricot jelly in a microwave-safe bowl, warm. Using a pastry brush, brush the fruit before adding it to the top of the tart. (*French secret)
Tidbit #4: For the mascarpone, you will only need a spatula to mix in the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. No, you can’t substitute regular sugar for this part.
Things you will need:
5 People
Glass of Marsala
Preparation time - 15 minutes
Cook time - 12-15 minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and parring knife
Digital scale
2 medium mixing bowl
Rolling pin
Tart shell
Baking sheet
Oven
Spatula
Pastry brush
2 Spoons
Ingredients needed:
Pastry:
100 grams flour + extra for dusting your work surface for rolling
35 grams butter (cold)
35 grams confectioner’s sugar
1 pinch salt
1 egg
Cream:
250 grams marscapone cheese
60 grams confectioner’s sugar
3 grams vanilla extract
1 small container of blueberries
1 large container of fresh strawberries
20 grams blueberry jelly
20 grams strawberry jelly
Tart shell
Step 1: Set your oven temp to 350°F. Then add the flour and butter to your mixing bowl. Mix with your fingertips until the texture is “sandy”. After, add in the sugar and salt. Mix. Finally, add in the egg and mix the dough until combined. Put on your work surface with flour sprinkled on both sides. Roll out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Place in your tart mold cut off the excess and put in the oven to cook until golden brown. About 12 minutes.
Cream
Step 2: In the other mixing bowl, add room temperature mascarpone cheese along with the confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla. Mix with the spatula. Set to the side.
Assembly time
Step 3: Go ahead and cut your strawberries in half or quarters. Your preference. Have the warmed apricot jelly as well.
Step 4: Once the tart shell is room temperature, add the 2 jellies to the bottom and spread using a spoon. Next, pour into the center of the tart the cream. Spread to the edges. Now, brush your strawberries slices with the apricot jelly as you place each on top of the cream. Form your design on top. After, pour the blueberries over the top once the layer of strawberries is done. Enjoy immediately or place in the fridge until you’re ready to have dessert or a snack.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss football recruiting and whatever else may pop up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
Five-star Jalen Lewis, 16, signing with Overtime Elite: Sources - The Athletic
Alabama football: COVID, NIL may end Running of the Gumps, Fan Day
Ragin Cajuns' Billy Napier could be college football's next big thing — but on his terms | Toppmeyer
Untold stories of Ichiro: Wrestling with Griffey, All-Star speeches and ‘Ichi wings’ – The Athletic
A fan called Nats Park during a rain delay. Dave Martinez picked up the phone. - The Washington Post
KU settles with football player who reported teammate threats | The Kansas City Star
The West's cultural revolution is over - UnHerd
Spotify staff reportedly outraged by Joe Rogan’s show, insiders say
Four-day week 'an overwhelming success' in Iceland - BBC News
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