It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Whitney McNutt of Tommy Morgan Inc. Realtors, where I answer your questions from RebelGrove.com and Twitter.
I asked for questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From RebCJ:Â How surprising is Evans to TCU among recruiting circles?
Not very surprising. Nothing he could have done would've surprised me. Let the record show that multiple SEC programs simply didn't chase him that hard. There likely was a reason, and the SEC isn't the bastion of morality when it comes to football recruiting.
From nas5108: I can’t get enough of The Last Dance! What are you general takeaways after watching the latest episodes?What are your thoughts on Pippen refusing to go back in the game when Phil drew up a final play for Kukoc?
I've loved it. I can't believe it's almost over. We've gotten such insight into what made Jordan tick. We've seen his passion.
Pippen made a horrible mistake. His teammates called him out on it and he owned it and responded. He never lived it all the way down. Also, people forget how good Kukoc was.
From nas5108: What did you do for Mother’s Day? Normally I see my mom every year so it was very weird to not get to see her this year due to COVID
We had my parents over. We stayed outside. I smoked a brisket and Laura made a slaw (no mayonnaise) and black bean and charred corn salad (it's like a dip) and we drank wine (Sorry, Jay). My family is losing its coronavirus discipline.
From nas5108:Â What is the worst SEC football team you have ever covered? Do you think that the SEC will play a conference only schedule this season?
The 2011 Ole Miss team is easily the worst team I've ever covered. It's not close.
As of today, I'm still betting on a full schedule, but the SEC-only schedule is gaining momentum.
From M.O.B. Rebel:Â 1. Does Ole Miss play Baylor in Houston to open the season?2. Will Vandy try/succeed the Peabody route with Romello White?3. Do you think Kermit shakes up his staff in the near future?
1. I'll say no.
2. Yes, they'll try. I suspect they'll fail.
3. I'd be surprised.
From TX via TN Rebel:Â You are old enough to answer this... as I don't suspect your family subscribed to the movie channels when you were a kid, did you watch HBO and Cinemax scrambled on your tv just to see if you could see boobs?
You guessed correctly. Mom, if you're reading this, I'm sorry to admit this but yes, I would sometimes stay up late on the weekends and hope for a Cinemax error that would lead to a glimpse of nudity. I live in the same house with a middle school boy. That's a frightening thought. He doesn't need scrambled Cinemax.
From Fabius:Â I will preface my question with two facts, Neal. Tommy Tuberville was publicly displeased during 2 a days in August 1998 with not having the promise that an indoor practice facility would be built soon, and he became the Auburn coach the day after the Ole Miss regular season ended.If Robert Khayat had told Tuberville while he was still at Ole MIss that the football facilities would be brought up to par, how likely is it that Tuberville would have stayed?
I am pretty well sourced on this. Tuberville absolutely would've stayed. Now, the LSU job would have come open a year later, and he would've had a real shot at that. He would've taken it. He flirted with it after just one season at Auburn. Things likely worked out for the best for everyone.
From DeuceMccluster22:Â Do u ever feel people ask the same questions every single wk and get bored w/ a lack of orginality?Do u answer these all at once before publishing or do u answer them when u find time here and there til Wednesday when published?
No, I don't ever feel that way. I typically answer a bunch at once and come back and finish up later.
From Reb Yell:Â does Arch Manning play for Ole Miss?
No, he plays for Isadore Newman in New Orleans.
How's that for a punt?
From Bro Wallace:Â If the candidates stay the same, who will you vote for in the upcoming election?
I certainly couldn't vote for Biden, especially given his mental state and the likelihood that he puts a radical on his ticket. I'm not a big Trump fan, either. His behavior is borderline reprehensible at times and beneath the presidency. That said, I'd vote for Trump today.
From larryjoe1979: You ever come up with a product or business idea that you know will make millions but it’s kind of crazy so you feel discouraged telling people about it? E.g. a store that only sells items for midgets called SmallMart
No, I don't know that I'm smart enough to come up an idea that would have mass appeal.
From coachnuke:Â What do you think the football schedule will look like for the Independents, Army, BYU, Uconn etc
I honestly fear those schedules are going to be non-existent in the fall. Momentum is not on those programs' sides today. I pray that changes.
From nas5108:Â Do you expect the NFL to be the first major pro sport to start playing?
No, I think the NBA will play. I also think Major League Baseball will play. If neither do, well, those of us who cover sports for a living are going to be panicking in August.
From zeus148:Â Multiple questions for you Neal.Why do you think that Wilt Chamberlain does not receive the credit that he deserves?I realize that it is a different time but Wilt's records at a level that no one that has ever played the game has come close to breaking. The younger members of RG probably never saw him in his prime. I will say this I watched both Jordan and Wilt in their prime, Wilt was a beast and without a moment of doubt I would pick Wilt to be my 1st choice as the all time NBA greatest player .61/62 - 50 4 pts. per game for a season.60/61 - 27.2 rebounds per game.He owns 72 all time records in the NBA and owns 68 of the 72 by himself.He also had a game where he recorded 55 rebounds and had the famous 100 point game.My last question to you is a repeat why isn't Wilt given the credit that he deserves ?Two Baseball questions. Do you think there will be another pitcher that wins 30 games in a season.Do you think that anyone will ever break Joe Di Maggio's 56 game hitting streak?
I never saw Chamberlain play. It's impossible for me to judge, one way or the other.
No, no pitcher will ever win 30 again.
No, with the way the game is played today, hitting streaks aren't emphasized. Power and walks are.
That was a long question. I need a drink...
From Hill Rebs:Â now that it is out there that obama admin spied on the incoming trump admin what should punishment be? will this be the standard going forward of political parties weaponizing law enforcement against each other?
Politics are dirty. They've always been dirty. They'll always be dirty. To me, that's the end of the discussion. Everyone cheats in politics. I didn't get worked up about Trump/Russia. I won't get worked up about Obama spying either. I just assume that stuff happens every day.
From ChargerRebel:Â Can we ever get a call in version of GPITS?Are y'all ever going to actually enforce the punishment on the loser of the Bowl pickem?
We're in three locations, so that's really difficult to pull off, but I know it's something we've discussed.
As for the punishment, once life returns to quasi-normal, we'll figure something out.
It would appear so. At some point, he's going to have to come out of hiding (I think). That's going to be interesting.
From WBurns42: First, I just want to say thanks for continuing to give us great coverage during this crazy time. Secondly, I hope you and your family are safe and doing well. I really appreciate you being so transparent with your family. It helps us relate. My question is what is one thing they do or one quality you really like about each of your kids? If that’s possible to narrow down to just one. Thank you again! Stay safe!!
What a nice question. Thank you for the kind words.
Campbell -- Confidence. College was so good for her. She shined. She grew up so much and became so confident in her potential. She's always been very independent, but in the last couple of years, she's become very organized, very driven. When she sets her mind on something, she gets it done. She has also shown an entrepreneurial spirit that likely will serve her well in life. It's tough out there, and it's about to get tougher.
Caroline -- Grit. Work ethic. She's a high-achiever. She's a fighter. That kid is going places. She has a dream to make a college dance team. I hope she sees it come to fruition but even if she doesn't, nothing is going to stop her from being a winner. She has a leadership quality people gravitate to. She's special.
Carson -- His empathy and kindness. We were in Chicago. We went to Eataly, his favorite place there. He hardly touched his dinner and asked the waiter for extra bread and a to-go box. On the way out of the restaurant, he gave his food to a homeless man on the street. Turns out that man had been on his mind the whole time. The man wolfed the food down immediately. He was starving. I tried to hide the tears. Carson''s a better man at 13 than I'll ever be. He's going to be a remarkable husband and father.
Thanks for letting me brag on them.
