The Mailbag, pres. by Art Hays of Sotheby's Int'l Realty: Edition 278
It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Art Hays of Sotheby's International Realty, Edition 278.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go…
The Mailbag is presented by Art Hays of Sotheby’s International Realty. Are you thinking of making a move? Put the power of Sotheby's International Realty to work for you. As a licensed agent with Sotheby's International Realty and a supporter of all things Ole Miss, Art can help you buy or sell in your home town, or anywhere in the world, at no charge to you (seriously). Call and ask Art how. Call 612-805-5929 or email Art at Art Hays at arthur.hays@lakesmn.com.
From chattreb: Neal. I took a New England trip a couple of weeks ago, and one of my stops was to Fenway. My expectations were high and my experience watching the Braves beat the Red Sox exceeded my expectations. Between the nostalgia, the friendliness of the staff, the before game at the bleacher bar, I have not had that feeling at a MLB game since the last day game I saw at Wrigley about 25 years ago. Now my question is this, I have read that some of the players who couldn’t care less about nostalgia are not crazy about the two hundred plus year old ball parks, and their lack of 21st century construction. I also fear that this generation of fans who care more about modern gadgets may force the city’s of Boston and Chicago to break down and build another gadget filled ball park like we see springing up in other cities. I hope that I am wrong and please tell me why I am.
I'm not sure. I think a lot of players understand the history of the game and cherish the opportunity to play at places like Wrigley and Fenway. I was a Wrigley a couple of weeks ago and was really in awe of the job the Cubs have done to preserve the old feel while also adding amenities around the park. The Red Sox have done the same with Fenway. So, respectfully, I think you're wrong. I certainly hope you are.
From TupeloReb99: Do you view this 2024 season for ole miss as a “peak” or another raising of ceiling for the program? Obviously assuming it goes well… I think college football as a whole is headed towards an nfl model scheduling/conference wise. Meaning 2 major conferences, a set playoff format. With that, I don’t think we will have a hyped “rivalry week” much longer. I think those teams will possibly still play each other. But for example, I’m a chiefs fan, and they play broncos the last game of the year. More than likely that game will consist of a 11-5ish chiefs team and a 6-10ish broncos team where the chiefs have locked in the playoff spot. Unless there’s some other playoff ramifications, Patrick mahomes is not playing that game. I know they play twice a year, but I think we’re heading towards a team like ole miss could be entering rivalry week as a 9-2 playoff team locked in as a 4 seed. In that scenario, whoever the starting Qb is isn’t playing. Maybe they move those rivalry games around to keep them relevant. I use ole miss vs state as an example because that rivalry rarely has national ramifications. Auburn vs Alabama could be different. Do you think this is a possibility? Can you touch on this a bit? Gotta ask a food question. When cooking your wings, is there a specific barbecue sauce you like to use?
A peak? There's no way to know. It's a new era and there's more change coming, so it's impossible to say whether this is a "peak" or not. The same goes for "ceilings" and "floors," for that matter.
I agree with you about the NFL model and wonder what the fan reaction will be when rivalry games at the end of the season don't mean as much as they once did, at least in certain circumstances. I think the hard-core fan will get it, but I do wonder about the more casual fan. And trust me, the stadium is filled with more casual fans than you think. I believe, at a minimum, the playoff will expand to 14 teams fairly soon, setting the stage for even more "meaningless" games.
That doesn't hurt the NFL. Maybe it won't hurt the college game, either. I suspect the CFP will be every bit as huge as the NFL Playoffs are, and in the end, that's all anyone will really remember.
As for sauce, I really don't use one. I'm more of a dry-rub guy. My two favorite rubs are several of the Meat Church varieties and also several from Spiceology.
From ccreb1: Visiting Chicago in a few weeks for the first time. Got any restaurant/bar recommendations?
I think Au Cheval makes the best burger one can find. There are so many incredible Italian places there. One I love is Sofi, but there are so many great ones. You almost can't go wrong. There are also more elite steak houses than you can imagine. If budget isn't an issue, Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab is excellent. I personally love Frontera Grill and Topolobampo also, but it's been a minute since I've been.
From pcrebel: We know your aversions to food in general and your PTSD from picking peaches. Despite all that, can you rank your favorite summer fruits?
I know I'll be made fun of here, and it's probably deserved, but I really don't eat fruit. I don't like the texture of most fruit. I use a lot of lemon and lime in my water (along with Celtic salt), but I almost never actually eat fruit. I can eat an apple or some raspberries or grapes if I just have to, but I never seek fruit out. I must've had bad experiences as a kid or something, but I don't eat fruit pies or cobblers or any of that stuff. I'll just go hungry if it's my only option.
From Kylethehoss: What do you think are the top 5 podcasts for the modern man currently? Exclude MPW digital. There are already at the top.
I don't know. I listen to Rogan, Down To Dunk, Reasonable Doubt, The Old Man & the Three, Breaking Points, The Ryan Russell Podcast and occasionally The Bill Simmons Podcast. I'll also sprinkle in some NBA podcasts and I've gone way down the trail on a podcast called "JFK: The End of Innocence." I don't have time for much else.
From tlpierse: How much capital do you think LK would have if, god forbid, OM misses the CFB playoffs? I know OM has reached new heights and expectations under LK, which is great. I am thinking more in terms of OM's fans answering the call with NIL and support then to potentially not meet the expectations, I am assuming would have a compounding effect. However, I could be wrong, it could embolden the fanbase even more to pump more into NIL to ensure expectations are met.
I don't know. That's a fan thing. In a world where Ole Miss fails to make the CFP, I don't know how fans will feel. I've proven to be badly out of touch on this. On no personal level can I relate to it.
That's not a copout answer, by the way. I just have no way to know. I know there is concern at Ole Miss that losing will stop the momentum, but I've been so wrong on all of this that I'm sort of through guessing.
From Levi275: What is the compensation structure in place for the individuals that operate NIL collectives? Is the agent commission structure the same for negotiating on behalf of college athletes the same as professional athletes (1-3% of player salary + a range between 15% - 25% of endorsement money).
If you're asking what the people who run the collectives make, I don't know. Agents get different amounts. There's more uniformity among professional agents than what I hear about different deals involving the agents for college athletes.
From Visorthrows33: How much should a job take out of you?I’m in my mid-late 20s, and I’ve finally landed a job that is by no means life changing money, but far better than most in my area,and has the opportunity to turn into crazy money. I’ve been doing this for 6 months, and I really like what I do, I’ve been in this field before, I’m good at it. But it’s mentally draining, I work 55-65 hours a week pretty consistently, the turnover is crazy for non performers, and I just don’t know when the juice matches the squeeze or if everyone who kinda gets a big jump in position has to make a transition to being asked more of.
When I was young, I worked my ass off. It's what I had to do to keep my job, to move up, to make myself more marketable. I had to win. I had to break stories. My physical health suffered. My mental health suffered.
I take better care of myself now. Work isn't as important as it once was. I give myself free time.
Why? Work is never going to love you back.
That said, if you don't bust your ass, you likely will never achieve your career goals. But there's a balance, and I encourage you to find to try it.
From CountingReb: Hypothetically, in the next 2-3 years LSU impatiently parts ways with Brian Kelly. Ask Les Miles to serve as interim to potentially bring him up to .600?
Brian Kelly has tremendous job security. And I'm not betting against him, by the way. But no, they'd never circle back to Miles.
From _bHAMreb: What do you make of all the blowouts in the NBA? I’m a Nuggets fan and that series with the t-wolves was just bizarre with the 2 teams blowing each other out multiple times. It seems like it’s getting more common. What are your thoughts on why it’s happening?
Yeah, that series was weird, but I don't think it was the norm. Thunder-Mavericks was mostly close games, for example, ending with a dead even aggregate score.
The Finals had some blowouts for a number of reasons. One, the Celtics are an elite team, a worthy champ. Two, Jason Kidd gets out-coached here and there. Three, when the Mavericks are hot, as they were in Game 4, they sometimes win huge.
It happens. I just don't think it's a trend.
From JohnInOxford: In your opinion, when the SEC expands again, what are the two most likely schools to join? And are you hearing any rumors of it happening in 2025?
I'll stick with my prediction until I'm proven wrong. I'll go with North Carolina and Virginia. And while I haven't heard any real "rumors," per se, I wouldn't be shocked if it happened soon.
From ThePunter87: Who should the Hawks take number 1? Would you trade Young and/or Murray or see what the roster looks like with the No. 1 selection and health?
If I'm the Hawks, I'm taking a wing with upside at No. 1 in a weak draft. I'd likely take the Frenchman, Zaccharie Risacher. He's almost 6-foot-9 and he can stroke the 3-ball. I'd trade Young if I were the Hawks, but I have to get assets for him, and I question how much value Trae has. The other thing I'd consider is trading the top pick, move down, collect assets and possibly get a quality young player I could use in my starting lineup. It's not a great draft, so if you're going to trade out, this is the draft to do it.
