It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors, Edition 144.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From Grovin1551: I want to know what you think was in the box? Follow up: how long would you have waited/would you have ever opened it?
I have no real idea what was in the box, but it damn sure wasn't olives. I can tell you the moment he freaked out like that, I would've opened that damn box. My guess is the box contained something criminal. I am somewhat in awe of his trust of her to not open the box after he lost his mind when she cleaned the fridge. He has to assume she's going to open the box now that he's returned it to the fridge she was cleaning, right?
From RebelCommodore: So a few Jordan questions first is there smoke there, if so how much, and secondly how big of a recruiting tool would that be?
Ole Miss is not switching to Jordan brand.
It would be quite a recruiting tool, but it's not happening. We asked Keith Carter on Tuesday's Oxford Exxon Podcast.
From Gatsby01: Clay Travis on a pod said that the reason Texas and OU could happen to the Sec was because of the contract negotiated when Mo and tamu joined. He said that the sec went to espn to renegotiate the Tv contract because of the expanded league and they refused. So when it was time to renegotiate, they required that it be written into the contract that a new contract would be renegotiated if the conference expanded, which basically forced their hand with Texas and OU. is it possible that other conferences don’t have a similar stipulation, and they are stuck with a contract that would pay the same regardless of expansion? And if so, would it mean the only way to get a bigger piece of the pie would be via joining the sec?
Yes, you just summarized what I've been saying for days. Sankey is an assassin. The new deal with Disney/ESPN is a pro-rata deal as long as the network approves of the expansion. It's why all eyes should be on the big boys -- Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. -- more than on the regional powers in the ACC.
From Raylon: What are the risks for Ole Miss to find itself in a position like those remaining in the Big 12?
Zero. There are zero risks of Ole Miss ending up like Baylor, Kansas State, et. al.
From North Tampa Rebel: If you had to take one trait from each of OMs last 5 head football coaches to build you super-coach, how do you do it?
I didn't cover Orgeron, so I don't know the guy.
Nutt was a great motivator, especially early. He just couldn't recruit.
Freeze was a great salesman. He just couldn't handle his celebrity.
Luke is a really good human. He would've been better off leaving after '17 and taking the South Alabama job.
Kiffin is an offensive genius. Now he has to elevate an entire program.
I'm not sure I answered your question.
From RebsRisingLFG: Would you rather fight one horse sized ant, or a thousand ant sized horses?And..If you were writing the conclusion to the saga, how did the @NJrebs10 wedding weekend end?
That's easy. Give me all the ant-sized horses. Their bite possesses no venom/poison. I could run away if need be. I could set fire to them with relative ease. I could crush them with my feet without worry about them getting to my ankles and legs. If they knocked me down, I could get back up with minimal harm.
A horse-sized ant would be quite formidable.
As for the saga, my guess is extreme jealousy stepped in, as it is apt to do, and ruined some relationships.
From walnutreb: Take just the average teenager who has all the work ethic in the world, but is just an average genetic guy. His only goal is to get a D1offer and be a starter on their football team by his senior year. Doesn't have to be P5 just has to be D1. What position do you think a kid could just work his way into being atleast good? *can't use kicker, punter, long snapper*
He should be a quarterback. Be super cerebral. Get tons of lessons and tutoring on footwork, drills, etc. Become a football savant. There will be programs that might give him a shot.
From kylethehoss: Do you think if the SEC goes to 20 teams, they will leave the ncaa?
Whether it's 18 teams, 20 teams or some 32-team mega-conference merger, I think a breakaway from the NCAA is inevitable at this point. It's a question of when but not if.
From OrangeBeachReb: Two parter: (1) You often say that coaches, when they take a job, are so confident they think they can win big at any school. You also say that Nutt didn’t think one could win big at Ole Miss. When Nutt initially took the M job did he think he could win big here?; (2) If Lane, on record, mentioned a recruit by name, would you report that he mentioned him? Ron Higgins (then of fhe CA) reported in a column the name of a player, quoting Billy Brewer, and Higgins was vilified but he always defended himself it was on-record. Thoughts on the latter?
1. I've never had that conversation with Nutt. By the time I got here, other media had convinced him I was evil. We never had a personable conversation.
2. In a private setting, where it was just us, and he let a name slip, even on the record, no, I would not report it. Contrary to once-popular opinion (see No. 1), I'm not out to get the program. If it occurred in a public setting with other reporters present, yes, I'd report it.
From BigDogSaint23: Odds on Lebby being back in Oxford next season? And has that changed since the Clements departure?
Lebby wants to become a head coach. I think his return or lack thereof depends on his ability to get a head coaching job.
From $WithARebelYell$: What freshman has the most impact this season?If ole miss has the 50th ranked defense what’s their record?
I've been told Braylon Brown "is a man amongst boys." I've heard Luke Altmyer is already head and shoulders ahead of Kinkead Dent. I've heard Hudson Wolfe looks really good now that he's healthy. A few sources have raved about a kid from Madison, Miss., named Rayf Vinson. They call him "The Unicorn." I hate preseason hype, though, because if guys don't pan out, the messenger gets shot. I've done this a minute.
If Ole Miss is No. 50 in defense, it went 9-3 or better. That's a huge jump. Massive. That's more than I feel comfortable counting on, even though I'm leaning 9-3 over 8-4.
From WBurns42: Was “The Nard Dog” Andy Bernard the most underrated sitcom character of all time?
The storyline of his character was emblematic of the genius of the writing of that show. From annoying to sympathetic to obnoxious and finally to beloved, the writers of that show led viewers through a roller coaster of emotions pertaining to Andy. Everyone cheered for him at the end after getting exhausted by him throughout previous seasons.
From um98rebl: Since it appears that it is when, not if, the NCAA falls apart. What happens to ongoing investigations (ie LSU, FBI investigation cases)?
I asked someone in Baton Rouge yesterday. He said, "Honestly, it's been quiet for a while. When LSU hired their law firm, they had to catch a new group up to speed. That's my assumption of what's happening now. But I have been told anything for a while."
From um010: when texas and ou start playing the sec schedule do they go to 9 sec games and if so do you think the sec will drop the required power 5 non conference opponent.it would also be Interesting if the sec teams have an out in the non conference contracts should the conference expand
Yes, they'll go to nine. I suspect they'll still play a Power-5 opponent. Everyone wants to get away from some of these buy games.
From Loanshark21: Will there be a 30 for 30 about Nick leaving SEC and Beyond?When can we expect for Chris Landry to be a guest on the OEP?
I've covered it here. I told everyone the truth. The show wasn't good, and I was getting embarrassed of it. I wasn't making money, and I'm in it for the money. I caught myself dreading the show, and that's not good for my mental health. My time matters to me. It might not matter to anyone else, but it matters to me. I didn't want to give that show any more time.
And never.
From olehosk: Now that we have more data on Bjork - please rate him as an AD from 1-10, with 10 being perfect - and of course why
Look, I like Ross. His story at Ole Miss is complicated, and at this point, everyone is dug in. He made mistakes. Big ones. But they weren't all his fault.
As for his job at Texas A&M, I simply don't know enough about it to have an opinion
From DgreenReb: What advice would you give someone that’s wanting to start a podcast? Where to start? Etc.
There are so many podcasts now. The market is flooded beyond belief. Are you wanting to make money? Is it just for fun? I need to know more.
From strong rebel: Regarding brand value. First, off 2018 numbers how is a Matt Luke lead Ole Miss sitting at number 22? What would Ole Miss be today? Where would Clemson’s and FSU’s brand value be if they were in the SEC? Back to my question from two weeks ago if the SEC expanded by two more teams they could go to 3 divisions of 6 teams, and have their own 4 team playoff? 4th team would be the highest rated non-division wild card. Is this more valid today than two weeks ago and how much more money could it bring each SEC team? $100m+?
My guess is Ole Miss would be slightly higher today -- likely around No. 20. Being in the SEC would enhance any brand, by the way. If you take nothing from the Wall Street Journal article, it's that. The SEC means everything to programs such as Ole Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas, Texas A&M, etc.
My guess is expansions will lead to four-team pods. Think NFL-style format. I think that's where we're headed.
From VINHENSEL: If you were single again for any possible reason... would you hit this???https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/19/entertainment/chelsea-handler-tour/index.html
If I were single again for any possible reason, I wouldn't hit anything, to steal from your somewhat adolescent vernacular. I'm 51 years old. I have three children. I'd focus on them. I wouldn't remarry, nor would I date. There would be no point.
From pcrebel: Can you rate the longer running MPW podcasts over the years in an arbitrary color code where we can assume blue is better than red, red is better than yellow? Are purple and orange allowed for those in between podcasts? Here are the podcasts I can remember:OEPGPITSSoft VerbalThe Jeffrey Dylan thingMind on my MoneyWhat am I forgetting? I’m not including Rippee’s stuff because it’s too new
OEP -- Blue
GPITS -- Shamrock
Soft Verbal -- Electric Lime
After Hours -- Purple Pizazz
Mind On My Money -- Shamrock
The Butcher vs. The Spin Instructor -- Razzle Dazzle Rose
Chasing The Ring -- Gold
The Beer Garden -- Atomic Tangerine
From MilneW: @Neal McCready - How ya doing, Neal? If you were to run another marathon, where would you like to run, i.e. New York, Boston, etc.? With the SEC growing to 16 teams, it's safe to assume that the Pac-12, Big-Ten and ACC will follow suit to complete 4 Power Conferences. With that, what happens to the bottom 64 teams that miss the cut? Does the emphasis on "The Big 4" eliminate the bottom 64 from any and all national attention...
I'm OK. Thanks for asking.
I'd run one with crowds all over the place. That distracted me. I might do Chicago again if I ran one. I don't think I'm running another one.
And yes, basically. If you're not in the top 64 or whatever number that gets settled on, you're screwed.