INLET BEACH, Florida — Hello from sunny Florida. I’m mostly out of pocket this week, enjoying vacation time with my family.
It’s the first time in years we’ve all gotten together at one place for some extended time together, and given the reality that we’re just weeks away from an empty nest, I’m savoring the time.
Still, I’m keeping an eye on things, as Ole Miss is likely adding some football commitments here in the next few days. The dead period is upon us, but decisions are now right around the corner. Further, I don’t think it’s fair to Sego Wealth Management, who has been a superb partner here at RebelGrove.com and also at MPW Digital, to take too many Sundays off without first publishing 10 Weekend Thoughts.
Speaking of…
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1. My colleague at MPW Digital, Chase Parham, asked ChatGPT to project the Ole Miss football season.
I’m not an AI guy — I tried to replicate the project and couldn’t get ChatGPT to project the right season; it kept doing the 2024 season — but Parham’s computer crunched the numbers and projected the Rebels to go 10-2, making the College Football Playoff and ultimately losing in the quarterfinal round to Michigan.
Is that bullish on the part of ChatGPT? At first blush, I think so, but then again, I don’t know what the other rosters around the country and Southeastern Conference look like.
In Parham’s experiment, ChatGPT had the Rebels losing at home to LSU and then at Georgia before running the table and making the CFP. In the CFP, Ole Miss won a home game versus LSU before losing to Michigan in Atlanta.
That season, if it played out in reality, would represent a major success for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. And frankly, if you told me Ole Miss lost two and only two games in 2025, I’d predict LSU and Georgia. The computers know more about the other rosters than I do, especially in this overtly transient era of college football.
If ChatGPT is right, it’s going to be a wild fall in Oxford.
2. Heralded attorney Tom Mars posted on X Friday that “the NCAA spent more money on lawyers last year than Walmart - the world’s largest company, which also has the largest inventory of active litigation in the United States - and still managed to lose most of its cases.”
However, the NCAA might have picked up a win of sorts by accident Friday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Trump vs. Casa.
“Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in Trump v. Casa brings an end to nationwide injunctions (aka “universal injunctions”) like the one entered by a Tennessee federal district court early last year, which prohibited the NCAA from enforcing its NIL rules,” Mars posted on X.
I spent Friday driving, and in a compromise of sorts, our radio was tuned to 80s on 8 or The Highway on SiriusXM Radio. Josh Gerstein of Politico, recapping the SCOTUS ruling, wrote this in Politico:
“The Supreme Court has handed President Donald Trump a major victory by narrowing nationwide injunctions that blocked his executive order purporting to end the right to birthright citizenship.
“In doing so, the court sharply curtailed the power of individual district court judges to issue injunctions blocking federal government policies nationwide.”
“The justices, in a 6-3 vote along ideological lines, said that in most cases, judges can only grant relief to the individuals or groups who brought a particular lawsuit and may not extend those decisions to protect other individuals without going through the process of converting a lawsuit into a class action — a special type of litigation that requires challengers to clear procedural hurdles.
“‘The universal injunction was conspicuously nonexistent for most of our Nation’s history,’” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in the majority opinion.
“The ruling Friday came in connection with three lawsuits in which judges granted nationwide injunctions against an executive order Trump signed on the first day of his second term, seeking to deny American citizenship to children born in the U.S. to foreigners on short term visas and those without legal status. The judges said the order is patently unconstitutional because it conflicts with Supreme Court precedent and the text of the 14th Amendment, which says that ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.’
“The Supreme Court did not rule Friday on the underlying constitutionality of Trump’s executive order. The three liberal justices, in dissent, said the president’s directive is clearly illegal.”
So, who knows, maybe the NCAA picked up a huge win that will allow the recent House settlement to actually go into effect for an extended period of time. Everyone in college athletics — sans future athletes, of course — hopes so. Most believe the House settlement would (will?) calm college athletics and perhaps lead to less activity in the volatile transfer portal. We’ll see.
3. Hobert Grayson was a star at Ouachita Baptist. He won’t be one at Ole Miss.
Still, the athletic 6-foot-4 forward, originally from Gonzalez, La., believes he can play a role for a winner in the SEC.
“I think one of my biggest goals growing up was to play at the Division I level, …but the SEC is the highest level.”
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard, who has coached at the junior college level — Grayson began his career at a juco — and at the lower levels before moving up to Division I, is invested in Grayson’s opportunity.
“He just established himself as a really good player,” Beard said. “I think it's personal for me as well. My Division II background, seeing Incarnate word, Abilene Christian, McMurray, Angelo State. I'm proud. I'm proud to be associated with Division II basketball, some of the best players and the best coaches that I ever competed against and competed with.
“I think I'm accurate in saying this. I think maybe four Division II coaches got Division I job opportunities this cycle. And that doesn't surprise me. And so for us to get (Grayson) from knowing where he's been and the sacrifices that he's made, he played college basketball.
“He's got a little bit chip on his shoulder. We value that around here. He's a talented guy, pound for pound one of if not the best athlete on our team, just in terms of measurables and athleticism. I'm excited to coach him. He's got a huge ceiling. (We) only got one year with him to get that done. So I think we both build the urgency to to see if we can't work really hard towards him finding a role in this year's team.”
That role, of course, won’t be the one Grayson had at Ouachita Baptist, where he led his team in scoring and rebounding.
“I think in my opinion, on his previous teams last year he had a lot of responsibility,” Beard said. “I think at this level his role will be a little bit more defined. So we want to keep him aggressive. We don't want to turn him down at all. We want to see if he can do all the things he's done in the past, see if it translates.
“But at the same time, he doesn't need to press. He just needs to play the game and try to find a role for us that starts on the defensive end. And two weeks in, he's shown an ability to really try to embrace that. I've only been around him for a couple weeks but he seems to be a guy (who) you tell him what needs to be done and show him how we want it done and then he does his best to try to do that.
“So he could be a real factor on this year's team. We'll see how it all plays out. He brings great value and practice every day, just with his maturity in terms of physicality. He's a young grown man and for some of our other guys to build and be able to practice against him every day, there's value there.
4. Guard AJ Storr is going to play a huge role on Ole Miss’ team this season. Defining what that role may or may not be, however, begins this summer.
“ I just gotta play my game and within the offense or the style of how the coaches want us to play, do the things that (Beard) asked me to do on a day-to-day basis, or just rebound and scoring or just playing defense. The biggest thing is just staying the course and just playing my style of game.”
Storr began his career at St. Johns as “more of a catch and shoot shooter, a guy that just got out and transition, ran the floor, got easy baskets. I think now I'm just adding everything in that I learned from all my programs, taking my strengths and just keep building on themem and just looking at some of the things I can improve on and just applying it in my workouts every day.”
5. I mentioned commitments coming in the next few days.
I don’t do the crystal ball thing, but if I did, I’d predict Ole Miss lands a commitment early this week from Duncanville, Texas, defensive end Landon Barnes.
Barnes also took visits to Georgia, Arizona State, Texas and Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder is ranked by Rivals as the No. 154 player nationally.
Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman recently wrote that Barnes “has strong ties to SMU, which has been setting the pace in this recruitment for months. Ole Miss and LSU have come on exceedingly strong this spring and even more so this summer during official visits.
Texas, which put an offer on the table this spring, is also a catalyst in this recruitment moving forward.”
I’d also put in a prediction for Ole Miss to land tight end JC Anderson. The Mount Zion, Ill., product is announcing on Tuesday morning at his high school. Illinois is considered Ole Miss’ main challenger, but a contact covering the Illini agrees with me that Anderson will likely commit to Ole Miss at the ceremony. Auburn is also in the mix.
Spiegelman recently wrote that Ole Miss’ push for Anderson’s commitment “is really fueled by the football fit for Anderson with the mix of offensive coaches on staff. Kiffin has also taken a personal interest in Anderson, which helps.”
6. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship one week ago.
As a fan who has followed the team since its arrival in Oklahoma City in 2008, at first quite dispassionately and then quite passionately, it was both exciting and fulfilling. For the past several years, the Thunder have been the thing for my son and me. We’ve not only endured but also embraced the tank, gotten into the draft every year and then watched what was a remarkably fast build.
Two years ago, a stunningly young OKC team made the play-in tournament, beating New Orleans and then losing at Minnesota. Last season, the Thunder lost in six games to Dallas in the conference semifinals. This season, OKC won 68 regular season games, and while I worried about their youth and their sometimes disappearing outside shooting, the Thunder had a historically great defense.
More often than not in the playoffs, that defense carried the day, culminating in a Game 7 win over Indiana and a title. The Thunder’s roster returns in its entirety next season, and on paper, given expected development of young players and the assumed health of Chet Holmgren, the team figures to improve.
That guarantees nothing. Margins are thin at the top of professional sports. Denver is a threat. So is Minnesota. Dallas, with Cooper Flagg now in tow, figures to contend again. Recent history says dynasties are a thing of the past in the NBA, thanks to a second apron in the collective bargaining agreement that essentially serves as a salary cap, but if there’s a team that has a chance to win several titles over the next few years, it’s the Thunder.
Sam Presti built the team the right way, never taking a shortcut. The Thunder has a collection of draft assets and several movable contracts for when Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams and Holmgren move into max deals. At some point, difficult decisions will be inevitable, but as much as critics want to rush that point, we’re not there yet. Instead, the Thunder are a model franchise that arrived before anyone — self included — believed possible.
7. I did an interview with my friend Rylan Stiles, who covers the Thunder for Locked on Thunder and is part of a podcast, the OKC Dream Team, that I listen to regularly.
Stiles, a Tennessee fan, listens to McCready & Siskey, a show I am part of on the MPW Digital podcast network. We talked about how the Thunder served as a vehicle to build my relationship with my son, how special it was for the Thunder to win the title in the last year he’s going to be living full-time at home and more.
I won’t ruin his story, but we also talked about how fandom helps us do our jobs more compassionately. He’s not a Thunder fan, but his Tennessee fandom serves as a reminder to him that the people he’s writing and podcasting for are living and dying on every SGA shot and Williams drive during the playoffs.
As you probably know, I’m not an Ole Miss fan. There was a time many moons ago, after graduation, when I probably was, but that has long since passed. There’s no personal relationship remaining with the university. Throw in the fact that, right or wrong, I believe college athletics are headed in a dangerous direction, and I think I might have a difficult time relating to Ole Miss fandom if it weren’t for the Thunder.
Throughout the playoffs, a 2 1/2-month, four-round roller coaster, I reminded myself that the lows I felt after Game 1 losses to Denver and Indiana are the same lows Ole Miss fans felt after losing to Kentucky last football season. Those Game 6 losses to the Nuggets and Pacers, losses that put the Thunder a single defeat away from an inglorious end, are how Ole Miss fans felt after that loss at Florida last season.
I can’t relate to Ole Miss fandom any longer. I’m just not tied to the place in any real way. However, my day-to-day Thunder fandom helps me, serving as a barometer of sorts for how I should cover and talk about the team(s) you guys love.
8. It’s time to eat. This week, we get a double dose of our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb. Here’s Taste of the Place, Lesson Lesson 293 — Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Smoked Paprika and Garlic.
Inspired by the Spanish coast, these skewers are bold, juicy, and fast — perfect for hot weather and made to impress.
The Chef's Tidbits:
— Skewers: Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent burning.
— Marinade Magic: Let the shrimp marinate for at least 20 minutes — the paprika and garlic shine when given time.
— Cook Time: Shrimp cook quickly. Don’t walk away from the grill!
Things you will need:
Serves: 4 People
Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 20 minutes marinating)
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes
Utensils needed:
Mixing bowl
Grill or grill pan
Tongs
Wooden skewers (or metal)
Ingredients needed:
1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Lemon wedges, for serving
Mise en Place: Step 1: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water. Rinse and pat dry the shrimp. Step 2: In a bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Toss the shrimp in the marinade and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Cooking Instructions: Step 3: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Thread shrimp onto skewers. Step 4: Grill skewers 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp are opaque and slightly charred.
Final Step: Step 5: Remove from grill, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
9. And here’s Lesson 294 — Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho with Cucumber and Mint. A vibrant, hydrating twist on classic gazpacho. Sweet, savory, and cooling.
The Chef's Tidbits:
— Chill Thoroughly: Let the gazpacho chill for at least 2 hours for best flavor.
— Texture: Blend to your preferred smoothness — or keep it rustic with a little texture.
— Pairing Tip: Serve this alongside grilled shrimp skewers for a Spanish summer flair.
Things you will need:
Serves: 4 People
Prep time: 15 minutes
Chill time: 2+ hours
Utensils needed:
Blender or food processor
Mixing bowl
Fine mesh strainer (optional)
Ladle Ingredients needed:
4 cups watermelon, cubed (seedless preferred)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small shallot or red onion, chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh mint, for garnish
Mise en Place:
Step 1: Combine watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper, shallot, vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender. Step 2: Blend until smooth. If desired, strain for a finer texture.
Cooking Instructions:
Step 3: Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 2+ hours.
Final Step: Step 4: Serve chilled in bowls or glasses, garnished with fresh mint.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. Coverage is going to be a bit hit and miss this week, but I’ll keep up with recruiting while I’m away and then start getting ready for SEC Media Days later in the week when I return.
Here’s wishing all of you a happy, safe and fun Fourth of July. Personally, I think it’s one of the most underrated holidays on the American calendar.
Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
Pacers and Thunder provided an NBA Finals blueprint. Can other contenders copy it?
Thunder’s road to 2025 NBA title: A series of ahead-of-schedule jumps
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder on top (of course); offseason outlook for all 30 teams
NBA Draft grades for every team: Spurs, Hornets get A’s while Pelicans flunk
Achilles injuries have vexed the NBA. A Hall of Famer reflects, and doctors analyze
A’s Luis Severino complains about Sacramento ballpark, says it’s like pitching in spring training
What’s every NHL team’s toughest decision during 2025 free agency?
Lionel Messi has made Miami America’s new soccer capital. Will it last?
