It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc., Realtors, Edition 110.
I asked for your questions on RebelGrove.com and you delivered. So here we go...
From Travist56: Pros and cons (if any) for someone interested in buying a Peloton bike? Add any other info you want also.
I love mine. The pros are these:
1. You have an excellent piece of cardio equipment in your house. There's no excuse not to use it.
2. No matter your musical preference or time limits, there are classes for you. If you want to do a 45-minute country ride, they have those. If you want to do a 20-minute hip hop ride, they've got those. If you want to do a 30-minute 80s ride, yep.
3. If you want to compete, you can. If you don't, there's no one forcing you to. Most of the time, the leaderboard motivates me. Sometimes, I turn it off.
5. You can clearly see your progress -- or lack thereof -- in your metrics.
6. There are limitless other workouts available to you on the app. It doesn't have to be just a cardio machine.
7. There's a wide variety of instructors. If I need my ass kicked, I will do an Alex Touissant ride. If I need some motivation, I'll do an Ally Love ride. If I just want chill, I'll do an Emma Lovewell ride. There is a ton of variety.
Cons:
1. It's not cheap, I guess.
2. If you require tons of human interaction, I guess it doesn't provide that, though on my 1,000th ride, Kendall Toole seemed to get quite a kick out of my username.
That's about it.
From DeuceMccluster22: If you could have one random talent what would it be? For ex, i wish I could dance like Michael Jackson
Mine would be musical. I wish I could play the piano or play the guitar. If I had a life do-over, I would have learned one of those at an early age and stayed with it. I really like classical music. It's calming. I would love to have a talent like that.
From nas5108: What is the most overrated Holiday?
Valentine's Day.
It's a total Hallmark holiday. It's a sham, and with social media, it's a competition. Oh, look, everyone! Hubby/boyfriend sent roses to work! Let's see how fast I can put this on Instagram! Facebook, even!
Meanwhile, restaurants have those planned meal things that typically are quite average. Here's my thing: I'd rather give a gift on a random day that shows I actually care than a gift that has no originality on a day that was predetermined by someone. This does not include Christmas, as that's a religious holiday, or birthdays, which are, at least in some ways, uniquely special.
Valentine's Day, if we're all being honest here, is a holiday forced upon us. No one would miss it if it disappeared -- with the possible exception of florists.
From nas5108: If South Carolina continues to struggle do you think they fire Muschamp or will he get a pass since it is a crazy Covid season and everything?
His buyout is like $13 million. I'm telling you, no one has that lying around these days. That doesn't mean he won't get canned if things fully fall apart, but it does mean, especially given the uncertain nature of the 2021 season, people are going to be really, really reluctant to sign off on those types of decisions right now.
From Easy Plateau: I’ve heard several national sportswriters rectnly speak/write about Michigan’s poor recruiting, and unorganized recruiting over the last 3 to 4 years. Is Partridge as good as we all think he is, or is he part of the reason Michigan’s talent level is deemed to be inferior to that of their blue blood peers?
I know no one in college football who doesn't swear by Chris Partridge's recruiting abilities. I have no idea what has happened or is happening at Michigan, though if it's going poorly, one must put that at the feet of Jim Harbaugh. It's his program, and he's a high-profile guy. I'm not a recruiting junkie, so I can't break down their classes with any level of expertise.
As stated many times, we won't know what kind of recruiting staff Ole Miss has or doesn't have until the dead period is lifted and we can actually see this staff in action.
From OrangeBeachReb: If this years Liberty team were in the SEC and playing a hypothetical schedule that is the same as Ole Miss’ schedule except Liberty plays Ole Miss instead of Vandy and vice versa. What would you project Ole Miss and Liberty‘s win/loss record to date and where would you have Liberty and Ole Miss ranked, to date, in your 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander SEC ranking?
I got lost in that.
If Ole Miss had Liberty's schedule to date, the Rebels would be 7-0, in my opinion. If Liberty had played Ole Miss' schedule, the Flames would have losses to Florida, Alabama and Auburn, at a minimum. I do think Liberty could win at Kentucky and at Vanderbilt. Frankly, I think Liberty would lose at Arkansas, but we're splitting hairs now. On a neutral field, I think Ole Miss beats Liberty, likely easily.
However, when you're ranking teams, you rank them on what they've done, not on what they would or would not have done had they had a different schedule. In fairness to Freeze and Liberty, they're winning impressively with a team-full of non-SEC athletes (with a few exceptions) and it's a fun product to watch.
From Converted Vol: In your opinion, what will MLB free agency look like this winter. Specifically what kind of market will there be for Yadier Molina?
A bloodbath. It will look like a bloodbath.
Franchises can't be optimistic about fans in the stands, and that's devastating economically. Ratings were way down, so TV partners aren't going to be eager to ante up. There's a labor issue around the corner, so long-term deals make no sense. Look, guys like Trevor Bauer will get theirs, but the market for veteran free agents, such as Molina, is going to be miniscule.
From nas5108: Who are your top 5 for MVP next season in the NBA? (I know it is early but the season is quickly approaching)
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
2. Anthony Davis, Lakers
3. Luca Doncic, Mavericks
4. Jimmy Butler, Heat
5. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
It's crazy. I haven't given the NBA a single thought. To the league's credit, they got a labor agreement done in an environment that required compromise. Major League Baseball should take notes. It won't, but it should.
From RebelEJ: I'm thinking about getting a smoker. I have young kids, so I need the most hands-off option available. I don't care if anyone makes fun of me for not having a "real" smoker. What would you recommend? Thanks
I have heard rave reviews of the Traeger and the Recteq. I have a Big Green Egg but it's kind of hands-on. If I weren't having to put two kids in college next year, I'd think about buying a Recteq as a toy. Don't worry, Laura, if you're reading this. I won't.
From RebelAccy95: If the current partisan media with its reach existed as far back as 1789 and the political climates at those time was as it was in those specific years, what would have been the most sensational item about a candidate that would have to be hidden/disputed/promoted most intensely? Jefferson’s progeny? Buchanan’s relationship with Rufus King? Cleveland’s illegitimate child? Pierce’s drinking? Harding’s philandering? Kennedy’s alleged syphillis? Also, how many duels would Jackson have had to fight?
Can you imagine? Jefferson was a Republican. Don Lemon would have crucified him. Kennedy was a Democrat. They wouldn't have asked him anything about Marilyn Monroe or anything else.
Seriously, the media is a joke. We've lost our credibility. Everyone is branching off and doing their own thing(s).
These next few years are going to be fascinating from a media standpoint.
From VibinReb45: Have you heard anything about when the league is going to announce next seasons in conference football schedule or is that not going to happen until the spring?
No. I think they're waiting as long as possible. Everyone is hoping vaccines and such make normalcy possible, but I don't sense a ton of optimism.
From Levi275: Why has Kirby failed to improve on what Richt built? They are identical in terms of record at this point. Richt & Kirby both won SEC titles. It's beyond me how a defense with that many blue chip players can struggle so much and why Kirby can't right the ship with all of the recruiting "advantages" he has.
This is going to sound like a smart-ass answer, but it's hard. Smart was an overtime from a national title. Getting back is difficult. Quarterback play is killing this Georgia team. Truth is, Dan Mullen is a better coach, and Smart's window might have closed a bit.
From nas5108: When will the Vols officially be “back”??
The truth?
Never.
I mean, one day they'll have a good season again, but their days of winning at an elite level year after year, I suspect, are over.
From Kylethehoss: What are the most overrated and underrated dishes for thanksgiving? What all will y’all be having at the McCready household?
Overrated:
Turkey. It's usually kind of dry. It is difficult to flavor. It's just sort of blah. If it was so great, we'd eat it more often.
Green bean casserole
Underrated:
Sweet potatoes with the praline topping.
Green bean bundles
We'll have turkey and ham, dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean bundles, rolls and wine. Lots of wine. My mom and dad host Thanksgiving usually, and she will make pies, but the guilt will kick in and I won't eat pie. I'll wake up Friday and kill myself on the Peloton.
From larryjoe1979: What is the one story that you wish you had wrote, you had the inside info but for some reason you did not write it?
I've had a few on coaching searches that would've been good gets, but it would've probably exposed some sourcing.
Is there one story I knew about that I sat on? Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I can't really think of one.
I once knew President Trump's trip to Mar-a-Lago was canceled due to the government shutdown before the media did, but only because I was in the West Wing at the time. I didn't try to report it, and I was in the same room with NBC's Peter Alexander and could've made him look really, really bad.
