It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors, Edition 180.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From chattreb: Last week I ask if you would encourage your son to take a multimillion dollar NIL deal to a school that you may or may not like, and you astutely commented that it would be hard not to accept life changing money while playing a violent sport. Now, as you and many others are reporting, this out of control NIL market is unsustainable. As I see it, there are two ways to fix this, either by legislation or a market correction. To be honest, I see no way how NIL can be legislated because this is not a salary we talking about. My question is for the market to fix this, something very bad needs to happen as a result of NIL to shake the market up and bring it to its senses. In your opinion, what do you think that would be?
I completely agree with you, though I will repeat what I've said for a while now. I do not believe there will be congressional support to legislate -- in other words, limit -- NIL earning opportunities for college athletes. Now, I do expect, at some point, a market correction, but for now, this is the world of NIL. This wasn't what it was intended to do, but the passions around college athletics have fueled something that, as you said, is almost certainly unsustainable.
To answer your question, what's coming is two things. One, some of these guys getting the big NIL deals as high schoolers are going to bust. They're just not going to be as good as the projections say they'll be or -- and this is an absolute certainty -- they won't be ready to be a star right away. That will lead to ridicule and regret. Two, one of these guys getting the big NIL bucks is going to do something stupid. He is going to get arrested for something or -- and let's hope this doesn't happen -- commit a violent crime. The fallout coverage of that incident is going to include references to his NIL deals, causing some to reconsider just involved they want to publicly be in the process.
ThePunter87: How much for a controlling interest in MPW? Would you be willing to stay on 3 years as an employee and assist with establish contacts and brand as part of the transaction?
We can certainly discuss business. It's something I've obviously and openly thought about. I'm obviously not willing to have those conversations in a public venue, but I have given considerable thought to what my stake in MPW Digital is worth, knowing that I have invested a tremendous amount of time, capital and intellectual capital into the venture.
And to answer the last part of your question, yes, that's something I would be amenable to. I assume you know how to reach me.
From philwauke: How do you get the contact info to get in touch with recruits? Is it mostly through Twitter?
Different ways. Sometimes, Rivals or someone within the Rivals network has contact information. Sometimes, I get numbers from other sources. And sometimes I contact them through Twitter or Instagram.
From Rebelfan20: This may be a tough question to answer b/c you and Chase have interviewed this guy numerous times throughout the years and kinda know him on a personal level; so if you’d rather not, I would understand. Do you have any level of concern for the well being of Chad Kelly at the moment? I’m sure you’ve read the stories/threads that have been posted on the board the last couple years of how he’s conducted himself in public, and I’ve even had an interaction with him that wasn’t all that pleasant. I don’t know if he’s struggling to come to grips with his football career being over but just doesn’t seem like he’s in a great place.
I don't know that I know him well enough to have those thoughts, but sure, I always have concerns for young guys after their playing careers end when it appears they're hanging on to what might be unrealistic hopes. It's part of the football machine, I suppose. You give the game damn near everything from seventh grade through college (when it's literally your entire identity and it eats up so much of your free time) and then it's over. It just ends. Obviously, most guys are fine. They move on and are successful. But some hang on to it, trapped in a way. My interactions with Chad, specifically, were good last season.
From North Tampa Rebel: A lot of reports that some scouts didn't like Matt's pro-day. It seems Matt's pre-draft strategy has been one miss after another. Playing in the bowl game, though I agree he should be able to play if he wants, didn't help him. That knocked him out of any post-season all-star games. Then not throwing at the combine. Add on a mediocre pro-day. In your experience, does this stuff really matter that much or could have he actually improved his draft stock if had taken a different path (or different advisors)?
The biggest issue he's had, from what I've heard, is screwing with his release some. The period between the end of the season and the draft is so heavily scrutinized, especially for a player who doesn't check all the boxes. In the end, I don't think playing in the Sugar Bowl will count against him. In fact, it's probably a check in his favor, though not playing in the Peach Bowl hasn't hurt Kenny Pickett at all.
In the end, it's not going to matter. He's going to get drafted and he'll report to an NFL team and go through minicamp and training camp and all of that. He's going to get an opportunity to live his dream. The draft won't matter a bit after this weekend.
From Kylethehoss: How big of a tv is to big? The house we just bought has a 85 inch that was left in it. I’m sure the Clark Ford Studio has 5 this size….
It's not for me to say. I love some of the super big screens now. The technology is amazing and if you're like me and you love the idea of holing up in a room by yourself and watching a game, they're awesome.
As for the Clark Ford Studio, I've got two televisions in there. Both are around 36-40 inches, if I recall correctly.
From OrangeBeachReb: What are the one (or two) potential stories, during your career, where you had a big scoop but didn’t pull the trigger because you wanted to get more sourcing, and didn’t run the story, and you ended up getting scooped? Ie: the one that got away.
It's funny or a sign of dementia, I suppose, but I don't really remember a lot of career stuff. I've always just tried to work really hard, do the best I could and then move on. I do remember in 1998, I had just started on the Auburn beat and a source told me he'd heard Terry Bowden might step down that week. I hadn't been on the beat but two months and I just didn't have enough sourcing to dig very deep at that point. That Friday, when Bowden did indeed quit, I had some real pangs of regret. It was that moment, however, that taught me about the need to be relentless as a beat writer -- certainly in that era. Over the next month, I damn sure got more sourced in and around Auburn.
There have been some others where I knew something that wasn't on my beat but I didn't really pursue it. I guess, in hindsight, that was sort of stupid. I knew about Houston Nutt to Ole Miss before anyone on the Ole Miss beat mentioned it, but at the time, I was consumed with another story. I remember sitting at the Iron Bowl that Saturday in Auburn asking my editors in Mobile what, if anything, they wanted. I don't remember the answer. I do remember, however, driving back to Atlanta that night and catching a 6 a.m. flight to Charlotte for a Saints-Panthers game.
Oh, I know a funny one. I knew in the spring of 2004 (or maybe it was 2005; I can't recall) through a source very close to his family that then-Cubs pitcher Mark Prior had an injury that was more serious than was publicly known. I had no reason to write it but I can remember reading the Chicago media speculating and it feeling bizarre that I knew the truth.
From cctrey5: At this moment, do you foresee an Ole Miss-MS State battle for any instate recruits? I don't find any that immediately jump out when looking at the list of prospects but you'd know more than me. Thanks
I don't think so. There will be a few next year, I think, but for the most part, I don't think the two programs are recruiting a lot of the same guys this cycle. Ayden Williams is one of the only guys who immediately come to mind.
From coachnuke: Since you seem to be a big uniform guy, regarding baseball, do you like the pants all the way down to cleats no socks showing, the colorful team socks that are worn now ( I personally dislike them), or the pants ending at the knee with high socks? I liked the old time stirrups stretched long
We're from the same era, so I have a soft spot for the stirrups. Do you remember as a kid how difficult it was to get your stirrups right? You have them perfect and then when you put your cleats on, they'd slide. I hated that, but when you got them on just right, you felt something.
I don't mind the pants worn down to the shoe. In fact, I prefer that, but I don't dislike the colorful socks. I just really like uniforms. I think they're cool. I'll sometimes watch a couple of innings of a baseball game just to admire the uniforms. Yes, I know that's weird.
From walnutreb: You probably know Matt better (albeit you guys aren't bestfriends) than most on this board and you're not a fan of the team. Do you buy all the stuff about him A. I guess being a bad guy or immature or B. Being dumb.Trying to see these things without red and blue glasses, but the #1 QB in the draft was kicked off his college team and isn't really getting this stuff. Would you say smoke and mirrors or this stuff has some substance?
I don't buy Matt being a bad guy at all. Is he perfect? No. Who is? He's matured quite a bit over the past few years, and as a man who was once 22 years old, I suspect he's not done maturing.
As I've said repeatedly, I just think the draft is fertile ground for overanalyzes. Corral, it appears, is going to be a victim of that, combined with a lack of ability to have a complete draft process. But, as I said earlier, no later than Friday night, it won't matter anymore.
He'll either prove the one believer right or those who doubted him will be proven right, but that determination will be made in an NFL setting and not in boardrooms or on a Pro Day.
From rebel psychologist: I really enjoyed your conversation with Siskey concerning NIL and the pressure for coaches to play kids who have those large deals like the kid committed to TN. I immediately thought of the situation between Chris Simms and Major Applewhite at Texas in the early 2000s. If you inject NIL into that situation Simms would have had the big deal and publicity yet Applewhite clearly outplayed him and was the better college QB. There was pressure to start Simms without NIL so I can't begin to imagine how coaches handle pressure particularly from alumni backing the NIL deal to play certain players. Using the same Simms Applewhite analogy the locker room would become a factor if when it becomes obvious that the team responds or plays better with Applewhite in the game vs rich alumni wanting to see their investment in action. There is real potential for all sorts of chaos and team discord with out of control NIL. Your thoughts?
You said it better than I could. I'm not sure what I can add. You nailed it. Look, there is going to be a disaster of an NIL deal at some point. It's absolutely going to tear a locker room apart. It's unavoidable.
As for the pressure, I worry about it. The spotlight is already white hot. What happens to a 19-year-old when he fails and the heat is even hotter because of the NIL deals he's signed? What happens when some kid has a breakdown? As Tyler said on that podcast, there are guys who struggle with the move to the college level. There are guys who are overwhelmed. There are guys who take time. Do you get that time if you are making a lot of NIL money?
I'll simply say the way NIL is being implemented is not what people had in mind and there are going to be unintended consequences. Some of those are not going to be palatable.
From Levi275: Where do you think Emoni Bates ends up transferring and should he have gone to the G League instead? Jalen Green made me think differently about what player development the G league can offer to a guy that age
He was spotted with Michigan coach Juwan Howard recently, and he's from Ypsilanti, so maybe he's a Wolverine? I think it's more likely he goes the G-League Ignite route or even goes to Australia and plays in their equivalent. Memphis was the worst possible place for him. His father failed him. Simple as that. He's a talented kid. He needs to go someplace where he can actually develop.
From Samminish: President McCready, you have been thrust into office (aka Jack Ryan) and have named Kate Upton as your Chief-Of-Voluptuous-Staff >>> Mr. Putin is clearly ill and won't hesitate to fire off a tactical nuke (probably sooner rather than later) .. ..When he does, how does the McCready WH react, knowing full well that the nuke (in reality) did less damage than the Fukushima Nuclear meltdown after the Japan tsunami??Do we reach out through back-channels, or go bat-sh*t crazy and start carpet-bombing Russian military bases?MCCREADY/UPTON 2024
So I just read a lot about that disaster. Wikipedia can be a great launching point. However, Kate and I would have to spend a lot of time in the Oval Office just hashing out what we believed an appropriate response would be. I would need to clear weeks of my schedule to meet with Kate and really dive into mounds of material to determine the best course of action. This would not be a hastily made decision and I would listen to her recommendations and make her aware that I stood behind her moving forward. I'd like to think there would be no carpet-bombing of Russian military bases or anything else, but being new to the White House, I suspect we'd still be in the process of determining carpets and drapes and how best for those to match, if at all. Thank you for your support and God bless the United States of America.
