JACKSON -- It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, Edition 16. I asked for your questions on RebelGrove.com and Twitter, and as always, you delivered.
I'll likely take next week off and come back with a Mailbag on Christmas Eve.
Here we go...
From OxonianReb: Should retaining Maurice Harris past Thanksgiving make fans question Matt Luke's judgment as a head coach?
Look, I would've moved on as well. Perhaps there's more to it than that. So I'll answer this way: If he's still on the staff in March, I've got major questions about everyone's sanity. Perhaps the person Luke is eyeing to replace Harris is tied up right now and can't leave where he is just yet. That's my theory.
From wamfom: I've heard yourself and @Chase Parham speak over 4-ish or so more coaching changes coming roughly around after NSD. I guess this is a 2 part question. 1. Is it understood these changes are coming via strong sourcing, or is it a guess on a likely number based off your experience around various football programs in the past.2. If you do know of some definite defections, are any of them coaches that would unexpectedly set Ole Miss back and have to scramble to fill a crucial position of need, whether it be closing the recruiting class or in maybe Bicknell's case, find someone able to handle a unit the way he has.I know it has been said Bick would like to get back to the NFL. Is this something that is actively being persued by his camp, or would he just be intrigued if something came his way? Same for Sumrall and Peeler.
1. Strong sourcing indicates changes are going to take place.
2. There is concern that Bicknell will look to return to the NFL. January will likely be a bit stressful as that's when the NFL coaching carousel turns. I haven't heard real concern about Sumrall or Peeler leaving, but it only takes one phone call.
From williamfaulkbear: what have you heard/remember about mike macintyre's previous tenure at ole miss? coaching style, recruiting reputation, etc.
I haven't heard much. That was long before my time. I've had people tell me his departure from David Cutcliffe's staff was a major blow for Cutcliffe, one he never really recovered from.
From larryjoe1979: What is some things that people do on the message board that irk you the most? e.g. sarcastic posts, cussing, gifs?
Oh, this is easy. I hate when people sabotage every thread with the same thing. I don't mind the sarcasm. In fact, I like it. I don't mind the cussing, except when it's just over the top. I like gifs. I like boobs. I am not a fan of the people who push the envelope, so to speak, over the edge of the mountain in that regard. The girl in the bikini is fine. I love girls in bikinis. The girl spread-eagle and unclothed usually results in me having to delete threads and apologize to people. Life is about moderation, you know?
From JTCIII: It’s still early, but through eight games, have your expectations changed for the basketball team compared to what they were coming in to the season? Also, what has precipitated Breein Tyree’s perceived improvement this year?
Before the season, I projected Ole Miss to go 10-2 in the lead-up to SEC play. I'll stick with that. Before the season, I projected Ole Miss to go 7-11 in the league. I'd adjust that to 8-10 based on what I've seen from the league to this point. That Iowa State game next month in Oxford is going to be tough. So I'd project an 18- or 19-win team, not in the NCAA Tournament, but one hell of a fun ride for fans to follow.
From rebels810: How do you think Kermit Davis and his staff will address the post play in recruiting? Do you think they try and grab out of the grad-transfer market, JUCO or take another chance on a high school kid? How many do you expect them to take?
Davis said Tuesday night they'll look hard in the post-grad market in the spring. I think they'll look to add a veteran if it's at all possible. As for numbers, I'd guess two.
From ChargerRebel: Do you know of a grad transfer PG to keep our eye on for next year?If you hadn't become a journalist or were to start a 2nd career tomorrow, what would you do?
Too early for names at this point, but they're scouring the country.
I likely would have gone into law. I think it's fascinating. I also would have loved to help run campaigns. I find politics to be incredibly interesting on multiple levels.
From pjayallen.ph: If Ole Miss doesn't sign Nakobe Dean that will mean that it has missed on Dean, Jeffery Simmons, and Cam Akers. Three 5 stars from the state of Mississippi. What can the staff do to make sure that Ole Miss signs McKinnley Jackson?
Attn: @russelljohnson
From matfen56: Do your sources get Christmas gifts from you guys? Bourbon, cheese, socks, etc.
I'm thinking here. I don't think I've ever given a gift to a source. That would be weird. Then again, maybe that would be a good idea.
From TX via TN Rebel: Does the USA need to standardize a grading scale for schools? When I was in HS, an 'A' was 95-100 but now the HS I attended has the classic 10 point scale where an 'A' is 90-100. My kids attend schools where an 'A' is 93-100. I'm guessing they are actually losing out on GPA averages vs. kids coming from schools with a 10 pt. scale. Something needs to be done IMO. You?
Man, I can't think past my three. I've got one with senioritis, another who is taking all advanced classes and just trying to find a few hours to sleep and another who wants to go to Northwestern or Vanderbilt. Your kids and everyone else's kids are on their damn own.
From mad_4therebz: If Longo doesn't find a head coaching gig and thus far, it's not looking promising, what will Matt Luke do? Fire him? Retain him? (NFL scouts sure have trashed Longo's simplistic play-calling on Twitter. I don't see how Matt could afford to keep him based on his red zone performance.)
See, as I told Ben Craddock weeks ago, there is a Santa Claus.
His name is Mack Brown.
From Samminish: Pick one to join your KATHY IRELAND/CINDY CRAWFORD cage fight from these OLE MISS alum or MISSISSIPPI natives:LACEY CHABERT (Hallmark Goddess)CYNTHIA GEARY ('Northern Exposure')FAITH HILLKATE JACKSON ('Charlie's Angels')
I had never heard of Cynthia Geary before this and now I'm a couple of image pages into that search. I would've said Faith Hill prior to this research, as once, Laura dragged me to a Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert in New Orleans. Another guy let me borrow his binoculars during the Faith Hill performance. Her vocals didn't do much for me. Her white pants did. However, in this particular contest, I'm going with my new friend Cynthia.
From Swag4Heisman: Will we win again?
I'm not Nostradamus, Swag. I'm just a guy running a potato log podcast.
From RebRum72: Not to stay on the Freeze subject, but has there ever been another former coach or assistant coach in any sport that the SEC Commissioner worked this hard to keep out of the SEC?
No, probably not. It tells you something, doesn't it?
From justusrebs: You meet Tony Robbins in an elevator. After some motivational speaking, Tony finally cuts to the chase and offers you the same powers he bestowed upon Hal in “Shallow Hal” but with one twist.You can now choose between having the ability to have people’s looks be manifested by their inherent good or bad as Hal did in the movie OR you can choose to have an inherent newfound self confidence of your own appearance. You won’t appear different to the outside world, but you will think you are Brad Pitt meets Scott Eastwood.
This is a great question. At first blush, I wanted the self-confidence. Then I started thinking deeper. I'm completely, 100 percent adjusted to my own self-image viewpoint. I've turned it into something that motivates me. Yes, I'm horrible to myself in terms of what I say to myself, but that negative motivation pushes me to actually achieve, if that makes sense. If I suddenly had all sorts of confidence in my appearance, my appearance might actually get worse, if that's possible. So I think I'd go the Shallow Hal route and see people for their inherent goodness or badness. That would lead to good business decisions, good life decisions, etc.
From olemissrebels73: Will OM73's questions and pearls of wisdom be heard and answered by Neal?
Sure. I'm just sitting here waiting.
From Grovin1551: If someone offered you $5 million but you had to eat a banana every day for the rest of your life, would you take the money?
Come on! For $5 million dollars, there's not much I wouldn't do. Bring on the bananas (and the anti-nausea medicine, please).
From bob4apples: What do you think was more of a factor in taking the Ole Miss DC job for MacIntyre: The fact that he's guaranteed $1.5M a year for 3 years and none of his $10M buyout would be impacted -OR-The fact that he knows he would likely be at the top of the list to be Luke's replacement should they let him go
Neither. He didn't want to get out of football. He's not angling for Luke's job. I suspect the money situation will make for a very merry Christmas in the MacIntyre household.
From nas5108: Do you think Luke has a clear target or 2 in mind for the OC position if (when) Longo leaves or is let go? If so what style of offense do you see Luke wanting to have? Also, what style of D do you think Mac will implement?
I think he's got a list he's operating from.
As for MacIntyre's system, I just don't know. I look forward to visiting with him. He and I have never met. I'm sure he's already been told lots of wonderful things.
From bojolly: Many people believe Alabama would still be 13-0 and headed to the playoff without Tua under center. I think everyone would agree that Oklahoma would not be headed to the playoff without Kyler Murray under center. What gave Tua the edge in regards to your Heisman vote?
Imagine Tua's numbers had he actually played second halves. That's why I voted for him. I thought, for the balance of the season, he was better than Murray. Your question is a very good one, however.
From marvmerchants: Best eggnog recipe including spirit? Advice on purchasing BGE or alternative?Did Kevin McAllister get abused at the beginning of home alone? I mean hell there’s snow on the ground, and he is forced to sleep in a portly insulated attic by his mother.
Eggnog is not my jam. Yuck.
I'm a huge fan of the Big Green Egg. I am not familiar with the alternatives, but some people swear by them.
And yes, that was cold, pardon the pun, of Mrs. McAllister to do that to little Kevin. Plot twist: What if John Candy had heard about this abuse and promptly administered a spanking to Mrs. McAllister in the back of that van? Suddenly, Home Alone has a slightly erotic twist to it, right? I need more sleep.
From Deucemccluster22: 1. Has any recent announcements been made regarding the future or lackOf one for Tad Smith? 2. Happiest day of your life?3. Saddest day of your life?4. Recall the first meeting/ encounter you ever had with Chase Parham.
1. The aliens have not yet announced their intentions of taking their spaceship back.
2. Happiest day of my life?
All right, this is tough. I don't know that I can pick one day. Obviously, the day Campbell was born was wonderful, but that was an incredibly long day and Laura was so sick by the time Campbell arrived that it was really hectic.
Caroline's birth was so smooth that I actually got to deliver her. That remains the most incredible moment of my life.
The day we found out Carson was a boy was a shockingly joyful day. I just knew we were having a third girl, and I was perfectly happy with that. I had no idea how much I wanted a boy. That moment was almost out-of-body experience. I buzzed. I was so excited.
The day he was born was wonderful, too. He came early in the day. I didn't want him out of my arms. Taking the girls to see him that afternoon was a phenomenal experience.
The day I got married was a fantastic day. Can you believe someone willingly agreed to marry me? I'm still shocked.
And I'm not going to lie; the day the Cubs won the World Series, while not as joyful as the afore-mentioned days, was one of the happiest days of my life. My kids stayed up (even the girls), decked out in Cubs gear and cheering. We sprayed champagne in the driveway at midnight. They were so happy for me. The power of sports, man. I get teary-eyed thinking about that night, and it really has little to do with Ben Zobrist's double or Mike Montgomery's curve ball. It was my wife and kids hanging on every pitch. Cool stuff.
3. Oh, I'd have to say the day we learned Laura had had a miscarriage. We pretty much knew the night before. We laid there that night and hoped and prayed and hoped some more, but I think we knew. That ultrasound was brutal. We both cried. We got home and Laura went across the street to be comforted by friends who had been through similar experiences. I mowed the yard. I cried the whole time. Our Lab, Miller, normally would harass me during mowing. He'd always drop his frisbee in front of the mower so I'd throw it. On that day, as God is my witness, he didn't do that. Instead, he walked with me the whole way. He never once dropped a frisbee or a ball or something to make me throw it. He was just my friend. I'm weirdly private about religion and spirituality and stuff, but on that day, I'm fairly convinced God manifested himself in Miller the dog and comforted me while I mourned.
4. I just remember seeing his hair and being transfixed.
From daolebears26: Program impact (in context)Dean or NkemdicheCc: @roccoreb I assume we dont land Dean, but I dont know **** about his recruitment.
Here you go:
From ladyreb32: Favorite Christmas tradition?
So I know an elf at the North Pole. His name is Jimmy. He's my personal elf. Each year, at some point in the days leading up to Christmas, Jimmy makes the trip down to Oxford and delivers one gift for each of our kids, accompanied by a brilliantly-written note. When the kids were little, Jimmy would wait until they were taking baths or whatnot and that rascal would leave the gifts at the door, ring the doorbell several times fast and escape into the night before he could be seen. The kids got so excited. God, I loved that.
It's funny. The kids are obviously older now, and let's just say they're onto Santa, but they still ask if Jimmy's coming. That makes me feel pretty good. I suspect Jimmy will visit their kids one day. That'll be pretty cool.
From nas5108: Most overrated Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story. It's horrible. I'm willing to die on this hill.
From anesreb09: Y’all have said several times in the last few days about how “well run” the DC search was. What exactly was done so much better than the HC search that was run by the same people last year? Is it simply having Vitter out of the equation? Have you seen any signs that might indicate the OC search will be conducted similarly?
Sometimes people answer their own questions. You know what I'm saying?
Yes, I think Luke will do the offensive coordinator search the right way. He had a plan on the defensive coordinator search and executed it.
From hottytoddysports: Who would win in a cage fight ( of course for charity) Bo Bounds or Ben Craddock ? Also what are the odds Craddock KO’s little man out in less than 20 secs ? Neal?
Of course it's for charity. Of course. If the over-under on the Craddock KO of Bounds is 17.5 seconds, I'm going under.
I suspect it would take me longer than 17.5 seconds to accomplish the same feat, but I'd still like my chances.
For charity, of course.
From rdowns1983: Realistically, how big of a jump will we see in defensive ranking next year? Should we expect to be in the 80s or 90s? Also, if Longo does not get hired by another school, will Matt Luke pull the trigger and fire him? Do you think he took notice to the NFL draft manager’s Twitter comments?
It can't get worse, right? I would think a ranking in the 80s or 90s is realistic.
Had Longo not gotten another gig, Ole Miss was going to move on. It all worked out.
Let me say this: All Longo did was take a job that was offered him and run the offense he said he'd run. That whole thing is on Hugh Freeze. It just is. I'm glad it's over. I wish him well. I never got to know the guy, but he seems like a good person.
From youngreb3: If you were responsible for recruiting the impact defensive players in this year's class (Dean, Turnage, et. al.), what would be your pitch to them?
I've become a pretty big fan of KJ Buffen and Blake Hinson. They've both got advanced skills for freshmen and they're going to be impact SEC players at Ole Miss -- soon. They're still waiting for Miller to get completely healthy. Until then, it's a waiting game. As for Rodriguez, they just need him to get consistent, but I think they're generally pleased with what they've seen.
From tkarr17: Do Santa’s Elves get fired from their work? Do they have a buyout settlement where they get paid to not discuss the happenings at the North Pole? Does Santa “star-chase” and only go after the 5 star Jimmy Elves or will he go after the 3 star project that needs a redshirt year to beef up his/her Elf skills?
I'm basing this on the documentary "Elf" and on my conversations with Jimmy, but I gather Santa's Workshop is a pretty competitive environment. I think the higher ranked elves get their own houses (I know Jimmy has his own place, and it sounds nice), but the more common elves live in dormitory-style housing. It's like any other industry. If you produce, you move up and get rewarded. If you take forever to build a damn toy, you're going to have the ranking and salary that is commiserate with your abilities and production.
Santa Claus is a wonderful guy and all, but the man has no margin for error and I suspect he must run a tight ship to prevent a Christmas disaster.
