The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, Edition 17

The holidays are over and gone.

That can only mean one thing: The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, is back.

I asked for your questions on RebelGrove.com and Twitter. You delivered.

Here we go...

I'll pay more attention this season. However, I have zero doubt Matt Luke will make it a priority to include former players from multiple eras. People joke about it, but the man does truly love the program and value its traditions.

I've been going with 24, as that would likely be Bryce Harper's uniform number if he were to sign with the Cubs. Sadly, that's looking less and less likely, so I'll be searching for a new number soon. I'm open to suggestions.

Ask me again Saturday afternoon around 2:30. Right now, I'd have to say it's the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. If that happens, Kermit Davis is national coach of the year.

Yeah, we were just talking about that the other day. Neither of us know him or know his family. My daughter, Caroline, knows his grandson, and I think our wives know people in that family. So we'll reach out and see if he's amenable.

Levi, don't you know, NBA talk isn't allowed here.

Kidding, of course.

No, I wasn't surprised Thibs was fired. They can't sell tickets up there with Thibs; he's hated. Saunders' son will help from a PR standpoint.

I'm of the opinion Butler was never going to sign a long-term deal in Minnesota, so yes, I generally like the Covington and Saric move. However, the Wolves allowed Thibs to make that roster so old (Rose, Gibson, et. al), and that's now how I would have built around KAT and Wiggins.

As for the Finals, look, Denver is really, really good, but you're crazy right now if you're picking them over Golden State. Further, if you told me a team not named Golden State represented the West, I'd have to go with Houston, just based on the way Harden is playing lately. As for Toronto, they're very good. But are the Raptors better than Milwaukee? Are they really better than Philly? Or Boston? I'm not completely sure.

Bottom line is this: The NBA Playoffs are going to be more entertaining this year than in recent memory. There are a lot of capable teams.

In football, I loved Bert Jones first. He was from Ruston and his dad, Dub, did work at our house one time. I also got Bert's autograph at Howard Johnson's in Monroe. I thought that was so cool.

When I was a little boy, my uncle, Alton, lived in Denver, and the Broncos were good. So I cheered for Craig Morton and Steve Foley and Rob Lytle and those guys. Then I cheered for the Bears for a few years when they had Walter Payton and Jim McMahon and William Perry and Gary Fencik and Co.

In baseball, I my first favorite player was Ivan DeJesus, the Cubs' shortstop. Then he got traded for Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg came up to the Cubs when I was 12. I tried to do everything like him (with no real success, mind you). I wore No. 23 in high school football because of Sandberg. The guy was awesome.

In basketball, I was nine years old when Michigan State defeated Indiana State in the national championship. I was a Magic Johnson fan his whole career. All of my friends cheered for the Celtics because of Bird and McHale and Ainge, but I cheered for the Lakers because of Magic.

So much. It's such a perfect analogy. Thanks for the laugh. Damn, I miss that show.

No. Come on. Logically, an Omaha-or-you're fired approach is ridiculous.

Come on, my man. Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. I would've stayed and celebrated in the rain for hours on end. No joke, outside of the birth of my kids and watching them achieve things, it was the happiest moment of my life, as pathetic as it is to acknowledge that.

It's hard to say. Does Bicknell leave? What happens with Sumrall? There could still be a decent amount of change or the changes could be complete.

I did indeed pass this one off to Parham. Here's his answer:

I was asked this question last year, and the easy answer was Thomas Dillard for multiple reasons. First, he’s the most dynamic offensive player on the roster, and Ole Miss had to have a catalyst to greatly improve from its pretty dismal hitting year in 2017. Second, I trusted the pitching staff, as all three starters returned, and it was a near certainty that the Rebels would pitch well enough to do major things in the regular season.

Dillard delivered, leading the team regulars in OPS (1.002), walks, total bases and also stole 17 bases. That catapulted Ole Miss to the SEC West title and helped the Rebels to the best regular season in school history.

I trust most of the offense this time around, but the pitching staff will have a plethora of new roles, as all three weekend starters are gone, and inexperience — at least in the needed niches — is laden throughout the available arms. Ole Miss is loaded in most areas and will be a top-15 team in all major polls, however if I had to nitpick, the question mark of a dominant arm to lead the rotation is a relative concern.

Ole Miss has lots of talent and lots of depth, but there’s no guarantee that the staff features a Bobby Wahl, Drew Pomeranz or Lance Lynn type of performer that gives UM a lot of juice on the opening night of each series. While Ole Miss should have an advantage over most teams late in series by the time bullpens and Sundays roll around, I do question Fridays a little bit.

For that reason, give me the numbers for Will Ethridge. The junior is expected to be the ace of the staff, and he’s worked hard to tighten up his offspeed and refine a few other things as his draft season approaches. Ethridge was a dominant reliever last season but struggled the second appearance on a lot of weekends. Giving him the ball to start games is a no-brainer, and he should be able to work relatively deep into games and keep the Rebels in it most weeks.

Is he just going to be serviceable on Friday or is he going to evolve into a dominant arm in the SEC? That’s what I want to know, and I think that shapes the season from really good as a floor to potentially very elite as a ceiling. Also, the SEC is young arms-wise this season, as only two SEC pitchers are projected first round picks in June compared to four position players. That’s not usually the case, and it’s a good thing for Ole Miss this season. Some years the lack of an elite guarantee on Friday would be a major deal. It’s not this time, but it’s still a thing that will dictate the season.

My second option would be Cooper Johnson. It’s time for the incredibly talented catcher to take control for an entire season. He showed a good attitude and leadership during the summer with Bourne, and his offense was a plus during the fall. This spring it’s all about defense and leadership, as Ole Miss’ best lineup features him behind the plate.

He needs to be a defensive force and help the pitching staff slip into the appropriate roles. Any offense is an extra benefit. The passed balls and lapses have to decrease. He has the ability, and it’s time to show it. Freshman Knox Loposer is likely the backup behind the plate, but this is about Johnson and his chance to fulfill the lofty promise he entered with as a freshman.

Kermit Davis and Co. certainly hope so. He's long and athletic, and there's a definite need at the spot, so he'll have every opportunity. Hunter's ceiling is very high, but he might be a little raw at first.

Interesting question. I'd be afraid I'd get really fat if I had an extremely good cook, though it's possible that would prevent me from getting fat(ter). I'd love a pilot if that meant I had a plane. (I feel ya, Mr. Vitter). Would I have the money to fly wherever I wanted and to stay wherever I wanted? If so, sign me up. I've got all the jokes running around in my head about the masseuse, so I'm surprising myself and leaning towards the cook.

1. You know, it's funny. I was just thinking how different the alphabet would be if K were in front of J in the order. You know, it would be cool if we sang A, B, C, D, E, F, G, ...H, I, K.J., ....you know the rest.

You know who's one hell of a broadcaster? Pat Hughes. Mr. Hughes is special. I can drive for hours listening to Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer call a Cubs game on the radio.

By the way, if you're ever searching for a sports agent, I'd be careful shopping in Maryland. Remember: I'm here to help.

I would suspect this person didn't get stitches, by the way, because he had more goods on Tunsil, and everyone just let bygones be bygones.

2. I was at the SEC Baseball Tournament and I looked in the mirror. I hated what I saw. (I mean, I generally still do, but then, it was really bad.) I ordered P90X and told myself I was starting as soon as the season ended. The day after Ole Miss was eliminated by Virginia (sorry for bringing up a bad time), I started. I did 182 straight days of P90X, mixing in a lot of running. I also really changed my diet. For example, I went from eating a lot to barely eating. Weight fell off.

As I've said, bald dudes can't carry extra weight. If I'm more than 10 pounds overweight, I look like a snowman.

I thought it showed just how much Matt wants to succeed. Hiring people who would be ready-made interim coaches if the wheels came off might not take stones, but it requires checking one's ego at the door.

The first thing that came to mind was the Kennedy assassination. Can you imagine in today's world? All of the video and the eyewitness reports and the technology would have been just overwhelming.

They like him a lot. He's getting bigger and stronger in his redshirt season, and, as Kermit Davis reminded us in a media opportunity the other day, he really should be a high school senior this year. If he were in high school right now, he'd be a coveted recruit. He should be one to watch next season, as he could provide some depth and, possibly, some impact on the low post.

You're not the first person to suggest that.

Sure, there's a chance of that. However, I think that's a lot of pressure to pin on Corral right now. He hasn't started a college game yet. He hasn't spent a week preparing to be the starter. At first, just handling the job should be the goal. But could he grow into one of the league's better signal-callers? Sure.

This is a tough question. Let's break it down. Ok, I'm not a breakfast person, so I'm talking lunch and dinner, and that eliminates the places that focus primarily on breakfast. I would like some variety, also, so that eliminates The Blind Pig, which I think is one of the most underrated places in Oxford.

I've never had a bad meal at McEwan's, and I love the ambience and the food at Snack Bar. So I'm back where you probably figured I would go from the beginning -- St. Leo. I love their pizza, their Bolognese is always spot-on and they mix enough other seasonal entrees in over the course of the year to keep the menu intriguing, whether it be the pork chop or steak. Further, I could turn appetizers into a meal there, as I love the shrimp, the white beans, the farinata, the marinated olives and more.

Italian is sort of my go-to comfort food as well, so for me, St. Leo is the answer.

I think it would have been fascinating, for lack of a better word, to be on Air Force One on 9-11. You stole one of my answers with the Cuban missile crisis. It's morbid, but I'd be lying if I didn't mention the JFK assassination as something I'd consider, especially if preventing the history from happening isn't an option in your time machine/invisible scenario.

Of course, I would also have loved to be in Moscow on that Christmas Day when Rocky Balboa defeated Ivan Drago and delivered the speech that ended the Cold War. What a moment in world history that was. I would be glad to be invisible, as my tears of pride and joy would be embarrassing.

I kind of think Harper is going to be a Phillie. I'm sad now.

Newspapers are basically dead. Those that have survived have done so by producing amazing online products, but with the exception of a very small handful, those publications are cutting experienced staff and hiring mistake-prone kids in their place. Has that impacted journalism? Absolutely. I'll be honest; I'm concerned about local journalism. I'm concerned about the lack of watchdogs (journalists) in local and state government. There are huge issues facing Mississippi, for example, and precious few journalists to cover those issues. Who is holding local politicians accountable? Who is asking difficult questions and follow-up questions to inform the public about how their tax dollars are being spent? My fear is the answer to that is either A. no one, or B. no one competent.

I hate click-bait journalism. People write hyperbolic, dramatized stories designed to do nothing but get clicks, and I think the resulting turn-off has stopped people from reading legitimate journalism.

Most outlets are biased. Political coverage these days is disgusting. For example, watch Fox News one night and CNN the next and you could come away quite confused. There's very little middle ground, and it's not limited to television. Read The Washington Post and then read the Wall Street Journal and try to determine truth from bias. It's a challenge.

What can be done? I don't know. I fear we've jumped the proverbial shark. We, as a field, have lost the public trust. I don't know that that trust is retrievable.

Great question. Look, Nick Saban isn't getting any younger, but the machine is rolling there. Clemson feels like a more wholesome version of Alabama. Now, look, give them some credit. They both evaluate better than the overwhelming majority of their competitors. They get in on kids early, they put lots of kids in the NFL and they're wildly popular programs with 15-17 year-olds.

So, I don't know. Unlike many here, I think the NCAA would love to pop an Alabama. They'd love to walk away with that scalp, so to speak. They just can't get it. Odds are, other programs (Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, etc.) are simply going to have to catch them, and history says they will.

1. I heard about that. That's an interesting question. My guess is someone in his representation asked him to take it down. I doubt it it were anyone at Ole Miss. The last thing an NFL prospect needs right now is a reputation for being a loose cannon. A.J. certainly isn't that, but now is the time to be conservative and a professional. It's best-behavior time. Personality can come later, and A.J. has plenty of that.

2. Here's the thing, and I've pissed off people a bunch by saying this: The NCAA could dig into every one of those vehicles. I promise you, in every case, there's a perfectly logical explanation for how each player has the use of the car. Layers and legality. If an uncle, for example, finances a car with the proper paperwork and then gives it to his nephew, who happens to be a football player, that's not an NCAA violation. If that uncle never pays that note because someone else does or if he pays that note monthly because each month, the money needed to pay that note somehow ends up in his account, well, that's hard to prove.

Layers and legality.

I like to refer to the great philosopher, Andrew Kennedy, on issues such as these. Kennedy once said, during a discussion about advising children on potential career paths, that he told his daughters, "Money can't buy happiness, but broke can't buy sh*t."

Truer words...