The Mailbag, pres. by Art Hays of Sotheby's Int'l Realty: Edition 279

It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Art Hays of Sotheby's International Realty, Edition 279.

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.

Great question. Yes, I think the Texas A&M-Texas rivalry is going to be something he has to govern. Texas has a way of destroying what it joins, and listen, the Big Ten talk from College Station isn't all bluster, in my opinion. They aren't happy about the 'Horns joining the SEC, even though it's likely good for their pocketbook.

I'm a big Sankey fan. He singlehandedly saved college football in 2020. There wasn't going to be a season if he didn't resist all of the calls for a shutdown. Remember, players were going to die. Blood was going to be on his hands. Fans were going to get sick and die. Coaches and trainers and ball boys and cafeteria staff were going to die. It was just irresponsible to push on and play. The Big Ten folded. So did the Pac-12. The ACC was ready to fold. The Big 12 would've rolled over. Sankey held strong and then others fell in line. You know the rest.

So, yes, he can handle this.

I don't know. I'm so disconnected from that world that I couldn't have a strong opinion. My guess is that branding wasn't accidental, but my next guess would be EA Sports was just trying to go as generic as possible on a game that is wildly anticipated.

My thoughts are nuanced. He's not ready for the NBA and probably never will be. He's a 6-foot-1 shooting guard. He's not a great player and he needed to stay in college.

That said, he is the son of a legend and the Lakers used a throw-away second-round pick to take him and put him at the end of their bench to appease the face of their franchise. Frankly, there's no harm. He's making money that doesn't even register on the Lakers' bottom line and he gets to "play with" his dad.

I don't really understand all of the angst, to be honest. Yes, it's nepotism, but nepotism abounds everywhere. I mean, look at Hunter Biden. The guy is now an accomplished diplomat, a Ukrainian oil executive, a Chinese diplomacy expert and a de facto White House chief of staff. I mean, most convicts with his history of addiction don't land those gigs.

Everything I've heard about Lockhart is he's headed to Mississippi State. I'm not sure who else you're referring to. Here's a list of the top prospects in the state from Rivals:

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2025/mississippi

I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I have no doubt Chase did a thorough job with the interview. He and Carter have a very good relationship, and I suspect they touched all the bases.

I haven't gotten that far yet. I'm working on some things for Sunday when I publish 10 Thoughts from Dallas. If you're referencing Ole Miss' win total, I have the Rebels winning 10 games, so six SEC wins.

I'm going with Georgia winning the national title until someone can give me a good reason I shouldn't pick them. The Bulldogs haven't lost a regular season game in three freaking years and that roster is loaded. Along those lines, I don't hate Carson Beck as the Heisman winner. Life is pretty good for him these days.

And yes, I'll consider that. The problem, to be honest, with Neal's Picks is I'm usually having to harass people to get their picks in each week. Adding another layer to it likely just means another headache for me in the middle of each week.

It's not my beat, so I really don't know. I have watched a lot of SEC baseball on screens, however, and I think there's a clear talent deficiency at Ole Miss. Others disagree, but that's what my eyes tell me. Is that evaluation or development? Both? I don't know. I just know that I told Chase three weeks into SEC play that the overwhelming majority of the league was more talented than Ole Miss and I was proven correct.

Kentucky was a well-coached, extremely motivated team, but the 'Cats had some real talent in that lineup. That was a veteran club with a lot of offensive firepower and a deep pitching staff. They also ran the bases extremely well.

I haven't been to a theatre in well over a year, unless I'm forgetting something, which is possible. I watched Napoleon on my way to Alaska. I thought it was excellent.

Both parties are dumb because they're being controlled by the extremes. One can't win a nomination without appeasing the extremes, and that leaves the middle -- which is where most of us live -- unrepresented.

I'll bet on Parrish there, just because of durability. As for our relationship, we've yet to speak. There's a lot of fence-mending to be done. :-)

I don't know. I'll have a better feel for that after talking to people and listening to people in Dallas. But look, you used the right word. At least one or two of those teams are going to be dangerous. Those games in Columbia, Fayetteville and Gainesville could easily get weird. You've watched SEC football a long time. You know that, just like I do.

I always reference that game at Arkansas in 2022. Yeah, there were distractions. Yes, Ole Miss was coming off a brutal loss. Yes, it was cold.

But Arkansas played an elite first half, its best, most inspired football of the season. Throw in a sloppy half for Ole Miss, a couple of questionable calls and all of a sudden, it was a mauling. Was Arkansas better than Ole Miss that season? No. Absolutely not. Hell, Ole Miss had two rushers over 200 yards that night. But Arkansas was much better for about 32 minutes and that's all it took.

You can bet that of those five games -- Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi State -- two are going to be nail-biters.

No, it's cyclical. Look, the East is already much better with the Knicks and Sixers making strong acquisitions. Cleveland is good. So is Indiana. I like East vs. West. I don't think that format has hurt the ratings, but maybe I'm wrong.

He's getting scouted. He doesn't have overwhelming stuff like Skenes, so I'm sure advanced scouting has noticed some trends and has adjusted to him. Now he has to adjust to those adjustments.

I still think it's a ways away, but it's about money. MLS has to grow into a big enough league that it can pay players the money it would require to get them to stay in the States. It's just not there now. The level of play in England, Germany, Italy and elsewhere is simply superior to MLS. That said, there's marked improvement and one can see it year to year. The sport is growing, no matter how much some try to dispute that growth.

I hope to one day feel as strongly about something as you do Texas and Texas A&M.