The Mailbag, pres. by Whitney McNutt/Tommy Morgan Inc Realtors: Edition 113
It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors, Edition 113.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From where: Kind of a hard question (if not impossible) to ask but with the last game at VHS it got me thinking to next year. What do you think games will look like next year? Attendance limitations? Grove? Just curious to hear your thoughts and if you’ve heard anything from the school/conference
I'm not incredibly optimistic stadiums will be more than half-full. I'm not incredibly optimistic there will be non-conference games. I've not really thought about The Grove, as that's just not something that I ever do, but I'd be surprised if it's an option for tailgating. I hope and pray I'm wrong on all counts. However, I think, if we're reading the tea leaves, it's obvious that these health officials and schools are going to be super conservative even after there is a vaccine.
From DrBobLoblaw: Let’s pretend Ole Miss hired LK instead of Matt Luke after the Freeze debacle. How different does the program look? Or did we need Luke to “weather the storm” and somewhat stabilize the program before Kiffin could come in and rejuvenate the fanbase?
That's a great hypothetical. I think Kiffin is a terrific coach, and I think he would have done damage with those offensive weapons. I think he would've recruited better as well. So, in short, as I wrote in November, 2017, hiring Kiffin would have made a ton of sense at that time.
From Still Magnolia: 5 True or False questions:1. Lane Kiffin wins at least one SEC championship at Ole Miss.2. Ole Miss builds a new on-campus stadium prior to the 2031 season.3. Matt Corral has more than 50 NFL starts.4. Ole Miss plays at least 5 combined CBS 2:30/7:00 or ESPN prime time games in 2021.5. Nick Saban is the head coach at Alabama for the 2023 season.
I'll try.
1. True
2. False
3. False (that's a bunch of starts, going under is the safer bet)
4. False (again, that's a big number)
5. True
From DeuceMccluster22: 1. If you think Oswald acted alone, what was Ruby's motive in killing him?2. How much do you know on the D.B Cooper case and your general thoughts?
I just think Ruby was a bit of a weird guy who believed he would be viewed a hero if he killed Oswald. He was upset about Oswald taking away a husband and father.
I had never heard of D.B. Cooper until this question. Thank you. I'm already going down that rabbit hole. Fascinating. No way he survived, right? I'm just getting started.
From pinntrust: Much of the grumbling I hear regarding LK is going for it on 4th down. What are your thoughts when in FG range? If you made assumptions on FGs made/missed how has he fared?
On Day One, Kiffin said he would often go for it and forego field goals. He's done just that. Look, he has a suspect kicker and a bad defense right now. Years from now, when those two situations have been remedied, I might judge with a more precise lens. For now, it's fun. Why not?
From Tdualm: Crootin question - what’s the most likely ultimate breakdown by position of new numbers in this year’s class?(current commits 2 kickers, 3 receivers, 2 O-linemen, 1 DT, 2 DE, 1 LB, 4 DB’s)
As many good players as they can get. Simple as that.
From RebelCommodore: Over/Under 5 years of Kiffin at Ole Miss
Look, there's a scenario where this is short-lived, but I'm going to gamble a bit and say Ole Miss goes all-in on facilities and dorms and whatnot. In that scenario, I think the stars align and he's in Oxford a while. So I'll say over.
From nas5108: If you are the Vandy AD who are your top 2 realistic candidates for the HC opening and why? On a related note why would Jeff Fisher want that job which seems almost impossible?
.I'd offer it to Jamey Chadwell and Will Healy. I mean, someone has to do it, right? It's hopeless.
Fisher is in Nashville and would love to get back into coaching. He thinks he could assemble a pro staff and make a run at it. Frankly, why not?
From nas5108: How many games do you think the basketball team actually plays this season?
20?
I'm just not super optimistic about an uninterrupted basketball season. I have real doubts. I hope I'm wrong.
From SigReb: Who is Jason from the postgame show?
If I told you, I'd have to kill you.
From FuzzyHuddleston: How/why do NFL people still believe Mitch Trubisky is an NFL talent?
They don't. I hate the people that could've drafted Patrick Mahomes and didn't.
From HaysMoreland: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, What are you thankful for this year? What positives are you taking away from a year of trial?Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
I'm thankful for family. I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful for my wife. I'm thankful for football season, for this community, for the advertisers who stuck with us through these difficult months.
I learned a lot about myself during the last nine months. I learned I'm resilient. I learned I'm tough. I learned that I can learn. I learned that my family needs me and that I have to be a fighter.
I learned that petting a Labrador retriever's big block head reduces stress.
From DallasReb972: Been getting more into whiskey/bourbon What are your three favorite sipping whiskeys? I drink them neat as well
This is simple: Like what you like. I love Four Roses single barrel. I love Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare. Just try different things. You'll figure out what you like.
From NeckTech: My question is for the Dr Phil portion of the mailbag:So I can’t stop checking out college girls when I go to Oxford... It’s kinda like the problem I’m having with my golf swing... I know what I’m doing wrong but for the life of me I can’t stop doing it! My wife has noticed it on many occasions & is past the point of just laughing it off... Surely I’m NOT the only 40 year old man who has encountered this problem!Any suggestions short of chemical castration or the real thing like Jackie Sherril once demonstrated in an attempt to motivate a football team would be greatly appreciatedThx
OK, so I'm 10 years older than you. I certainly appreciate a beautiful, fit female. Always have, since the days of Cheryl Tiegs in the Sears catalog to the incredible Kathy Ireland gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue (Kathy taught me a lot about myself). And if I think about it, I suppose, 10 years ago, I still noticed them.
However, I now live with two of them and therefore, I know lots of them. And while they're beautiful, they're also REALLY, REALLY, REALLY YOUNG. So, my suggestion would be to just go up to a group and try to strike up a conversation about, well, anything. You'll realize two things: 1. The reference to their aforementioned youth and 2. They think you're REALLY, REALLY, REALLY OLD. You'll realize you have no shot in hell and you'll focus more of that attention on the wife there, which, in the end, will perhaps lead to more of a payoff.
If it doesn't, those photos of Kathy in her prime are still available here on the World Wide Web, and now they're hot with a side of nostalgia.
From RebCJ: By the time this is published, Ole Miss will have been off probation for two days. Hugh Freeze appears to be well on his way to a return to the SEC. Are the two related or coincidence?
I'm not sure I agree with you regarding Freeze's imminent return, but no, I don't think the fact that his return is more of a possibility today than it was a year or two ago is coincidental.
From Ignatius9: On a recent podcast, you and Chris were discussing Orgeron’s ill-advised post coital pictures and it was said he probably had drank too much. It was my understanding that Orgeron stated many times that he had quit drinking (not that I ever believed it) years ago and that made him a better man. Was he lying?
I don't know. Chris certainly implied that Orgeron had perhaps enjoyed a couple (of drinks) before that photo was taken. I have no issue with it, by the way. He's single; he can do what he likes. But if he's going to make those sorts of headlines, he'd best win.
From walnutreb: If you could bring back one player from the Freeze years to add to this team who would it be and how much do you think they'd effect the Win column for the year if they were added?
I know the right answer is another dog on defense. I know the right answer is Mike Hilton or something like that, but I'm selfish. I want A.J. Brown I want to see Lane Kiffin have Brown, Elijah Moore and Jerrion Ealy as weapons at the same time. I don't know how many 67-63 games Ole Miss would win or lose, but as a neutral observer who has developed an affinity to Kiffin's offenses, I know I'd never miss a game.
From Rebel-97: Does the football roster get to have more than 85 schollies next year with this year not counting toward eligibility? If so, how many?
No one knows how that's going to shake out just yet. Most believe it'll still be capped at 85.
From MBA-Rebel: What is the latest on TD? Do you think things will be final before the season starts?
The Raptors are still waiting on the NBA to make a ruling, but it appears they're giving him the benefit of the doubt for now.
From docz786: Haven’t heard anything lately on Sabatini. Is he a take at UGA? Sometimes when y’all go silent on a kid the writing is on the wall...
If I go silent on a kid, it's because I have no idea. My advice is to follow Zach Berry's recruiting chiks. I know, having talked to Zach a lot, that he's trying hard to put quality over quantity and trying to give substance to rumors/reports before advancing them.
From petervenkman: With Twitter and Facebook censuring anything but content that they agree with, will you make the move to Parler?
I've set up an account there, but I've never posted and I don't go there. I have a Facebook account but really only because a decade's worth of photos are there. And I hate Twitter, but I have found, to date, I can't do my job well without it as a reference.
From OrangeBeachReb: If UT hires Freeze how do you think his recruiting in Memphis MSA goes? I recall the Memphis coaches “disliked” Freeze due to, among other things, their jealousy and his “hypocrisy”. I may be misremembering but I think that was the case.
Time heals wounds, but Freeze is going to have to be careful if and when he returns to the Southeast and begins recruiting highly-ranked prospects. He just is. The whole "Coach Swag" reputation is one he needs to get past. The "Swag," by the way, is a reference to televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. It's not a compliment.
From MrSunglasses: What do your kids want from Santa this year? I need ideas.
Money. They want money.
We've hit the point in the Christmas gift business where they all know what they're getting, with an exception here and there, because there's no way we could keep up with what's in style, cool, etc.
So it's clothes, jewelry, technology, etc.
Luckily, I know an elf personally, so I've got a couple of surprises up my sleeve.
From jlittle67: How would you feel if someone threatened Carson with a shotgun as Jay described on GPITS? I know Jay is just messing around but if someone said something like that to my son and brandished a shotgun I'd be a little upset.
Yeah, as you likely know, I'm not a gun guy (I have no issue with guns; I just don't own one yet), so that's not my style. My guess is the young man in question had an idea what was coming and got a kick out of it.
Knowing Carson like I do, I would think he wouldn't enjoy that routine and it would likely have a detrimental impact on his relationship.
But, like you said, Jay was just messing around. He's as big-hearted a guy as there is.
From RebYell: So, if we end up 4-6, then will still likely go to a bowl?
Yes.
From Sincityrebel: Who calls the offensive plays?
I think it's a Lebby-Kiffin combination. I really do. I think Lebby coordinates the offense throughout the week with Kiffin's input, and then I suspect Lebby uses Kiffin as quite the weapon on game day. The guy clearly sees things in real time that most don't.
From Little Mike Strojny: Rivals has done a great job evaluating 18-21 year olds through all the camps and challenges. How thrown off is this recruiting rankings this year? Is the hay already in the barn (they already figured out this class) or are there real sleepers here? If rivals evaluations are off how off are the coaches evaluations?
I'm going to do some podcasts on that topic during the holidays. Like you, I'm interested in how the rankings are impacted by the inability to do camps and all-star events and the like. To answer your question, evaluations are going to have a higher error rate -- both from Rivals and the coaches doing the recruiting.
From Loanshark21: Do you or Chase know Tom Luke well enough to have him on the podcast? That could be an interesting interview if he’s comfortable enough with you to talk honestly about his brother’s time as HC and his year with the current staff.
I know Tom well enough to do that, but Kiffin's assistants and staff aren't allowed to speak to media. I'll say this: Matt Luke is a hell of a good man. So is Tom. The Lukes are wonderful people. My Caroline has known Tom's daughter, Cayden, basically since we moved here. They've always been nothing but nice to Caroline and to us over the years.
From Bigde12: How obvious is the lack of talent on Defense now that Otis is on the field? Is he that much better or as a whole have we have fallen that far?
It's been obvious to me since the Florida game. Ole Miss needs a few more cats like Otis Reese.
From Btallyreb: True or false:Ole Miss will finish with a top 15 recruiting class this cycle.Thanks
False.
From Pants83: How do you stomach post game pc’s? Some of the questions are so dumb. Its more uncomfortable than Jan and Michael’s dinner party.
I can't say anything. We go right into Hand-Raise Guys, so I'm not on the post-game press conference.
I love the Jan and Michael dinner party episode.
From Grovin1551: Who is better at trolling on Twitter - Kiffin or Trump?
They're both very talented. Trump gets under some skins, and I can't help but think he does it intentionally. Kiffin is better, though; even the people he's trolling get a kick out of it.
From Irish Reb: If you were the Chicago Bears GM, what do you do with the QB position? Do you trade for a serviceable vet like Matt Ryan/Stafford? Move up in the draft this year for a Jones/Fields/Lawrence? If so who do you like to get it done in Chicago out of this years draft class? Wait till next year and draft our boy Corral? You got Lane to Oxford. Now we need your juju with regards to the QB situation in Chicago. #Bear Down
If I were the Bears' GM, I'd walk in and fire everyone, quite unceremoniously. I'm not trading an asset for Ryan or Stafford. If they're given to me, fine. Otherwise, I'm tanking for a year, getting to the top of the draft and getting the quarterback thing right. And I wouldn't take Howell. He might be fine, but I've had my fill of North Carolina quarterbacks. What a freaking disaster.
From Levi275: Will college basketball have a resurgence in popularity at some point? Does 1 and done hurt the appeal of the sport?
I think college basketball is now just a fringe sport -- except in a few locales. It's popular in March. I enjoy it, but I really like hoops. It's mainstream popularity has waned for a while now. I don't know that the one-and-done hurts or helps. I think kids should be able to go pro whenever they want, including immediately after high school.
