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The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, Edition 31

The Westin Jackson
The Westin Jackson

It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I ask for your questions from RebelGrove.com and Twitter.

As always, you delivered. So here we go...

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From larryjoe1979: Let’s say, you just became the new AD at ole miss. Luke quits, Bianco retires, and Kermit quits. Who are your first call realistically for each job? Who is your “make him say no” call?

Oh, gosh, I don't think I'd make a very good athletics director. My social anxiety disorder would have me in trouble within hours of taking over the job.

However, I'd make Dan McDonald say no to the baseball job, fully expecting he would. Then I'd call the baseball geeks like Chase Parham and Kendall Rogers and get a list of young, up-and-coming coaches. In basketball, I'd go after Ryan Odom, Porter Moser and Earl Grant. I'd feel good with any of the three. In football, at the risk of this being incendiary, I'd take a hard look at Pete Golding. Many believe he's a star in the making.

From Grovin1551: Could you be convinced to start at the beginning and watch all of Game of Thrones?

Yes. In fact, that's a plan for the summer. I have far too many people who know me who tell me I'd love it. I'll have to give it a shot.

From CityRebel: From a recruiting standpoint, if we fire Luke after this season and hire a known name (Leach, Kiffin, etc.), would it be a positive or negative in recruiting? Seems me to that worst case is no change and best case is big improvement. Luke is signing classes ranked at the bottom of SEC West. A new coach can’t do any worse than that, right? I know you are on record as saying he is guaranteed 2020 and maybe even 2021, but I’m hopeful the new chancellor will look at ticket sales and trajectory of our program and decide to make a change.

I just don't see a scenario where change occurs,. I mean, if Ole Miss were to go 2-10 and have less than 20,000 in attendance at the New Mexico State game in November, I'd change my tune. However, I don't see that happening. As for guarantees, I don't think anyone is guaranteed anything. A new chancellor could walk in and sweep the deck. That would be, however, a very expensive proposition.

From OrangeBeachReb: I have a potpourri of quickfire questions:1) How much does a guy like AK make as a TV guy for the SEC Network? I assume it'll be an educated guess.....2) Rate the SEC towns in terms of culinary strength of schedule. Assuming, Nashville is #1 as it's one of the burgeoning culinary cities in the south.....3) What's your audio setup for the podcast? Brand of microphone, etc? I hear the multi-directional Heil Sennheiser is the standard. You also mentioned you're considering building a sound studio at your home.. what does that entail?4) Worst irritant: (1) Lack of/improper use of punctuation, (2) grammar (loose/lose) or (3) your weight creeping up despite your best efforts?

1. I have no idea what Kennedy's SEC Network package is. I'd guess he's getting $200,000 or so a year. If he were promoted to ESPN, he'd make much more than that.,

2. I had one of the best meals I've ever had in Auburn at a place called Acre. I think Oxford is great. So is Fayetteville. I had a couple of fabulous meals in Columbia, S.C., last month. Baton Rouge has some cool places. I've never been blown away by Tuscaloosa or Starkville. I don't know enough about College Station or Columbia, Mo., to judge. Lexington is cool. I've never been wowed by Knoxville or Gainesville. Yes, Nashville rocks.

3. We have a pretty simple set-up. We need to upgrade and we're talking about that. At some point, I'm going to have to turn my office into a studio for better sound.

4. I hate bad grammar, but I hate my weight much more than that. I fight it. I really do.

A suite in The Westin Jackson
A suite in The Westin Jackson

From Deucemccluster22: Condiments and such have always been a discussion on the pod... what you put on certain foods, etc. but it's always Bugged me when People put jelly on a sausage and biscuit which doesn't seem right to me. It's a pork... you wouldn't put jelly on a hot dog or BBQ. So what is or is there an appropriate condiment for a sausage and biscuit or should it be eaten plain? What do you eat on yours... IF you even ever consume a S and B.

My dad always puts jelly on his sausage biscuit. I remember that from being a kid. I never understood it. I have never put jelly on a sausage biscuit. As for now, I haven't had a sausage biscuit in a long time. I doubt I have one anytime soon, if ever. That's far too many calories for me.

From robert90: Who is the starting second baseman on your team. Pete Rose or Jose Altuve?

I love Altuve. I love everything about his game. I'll take him, and yes, I remember how good Rose was.

From RebRow: Hypothetical:Do you marry your high school sweetheart and have three children and a happy life.OrDo you accept the lead singer role in a world famous band and travel the world famously for 15 years

You'll make fun of me, but the road sucks. I love home. I love family. I'm sure there are some cool trappings to being a rock star, but when I picture it, I see a very lonely, empty life.

From REBNUT: Would it be neat if Ole Miss hosted a basketball tournament?

I guess so, but I don't really know what the point would be. Ole Miss is much better off going to Brooklyn or Puerto Rico or Hawaii for its tournament than playing bad teams in Oxford.

From KevinBRebel: So has enough time passedFor what a short story about what happened in Tupelo?

We've told this story on the podcast multiple times. Here's the Cliff's Notes version:

Carson had a soccer tournament in Tupelo. One of Campbell's best friends, now a freshman at Mississippi State, lives in Tupelo, and she and Campbell were planning to hang out on Saturday morning. So we went to Tupelo on Friday night, went to Carson's soccer game and then went to eat. We were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, the same hotel where Ole Miss was staying the night before the Rebels played Alabama in Oxford.

That evening, we got on the elevator to retire to our room for the night. The man who fired me in Mobile, Ken Johnson, happened to be in the hotel at the same time. He's a big Alabama booster, heavily tied in with other big Alabama boosters. Keep in mind I made a.lot of money for Johnson, and he didn't have the courtesy _ or the balls _ to fire me in person. He had his drug-addicted program director do it for him -- over the phone.

Anyway, Johnson and his girlfriend/fifth wife./hired date started trying to make conversation with Carson, and the guy had the unmitigated gall to put his hands on my son's shoulders. I resisted the urge to kill him. Campbell noticed the intensity of my emotions, and we had a conversation about it when we got to our room.

The next day, I was the victim of an identity fraud scam. It was a long weekend.

A suite bathroom in The Westin Jackson
A suite bathroom in The Westin Jackson

From seminole817: Since I haven't followed college basketball recruiting (or the sport in general) recently, what level of talent do you believe KD can recruit to Ole Miss. Are we talking about top 15 level? What program is a realistic comparison?

Ask me in two weeks. We're about to find out.

From OleMissGuy: What is behind the "stay the course no matter what" attitude at Ole Miss? Other SEC schools don't do that. If a coach, after being given a reasonable time, is not winning they have no fear of pulling the trigger and giving someone else a shot. Why can't we? Why do we have to wait until the program has burned all the way to the ground before we take action?12 years for AK, 19 for Bianco, Luke is getting at least two more seasons. Bjork after totally mishandling the NCAA thing and LOIC...... Why do we do that over and over? Is booster Access our problem?

Respectfully, I disagree with the overall sentiment of this question. I think Kennedy deserved the time he got. The same holds for Bianco and Bjork, at least in my opinion. Yes, I think the boosters' desire for access is an issue at Ole Miss, but I'm not sure it's THE issue.

From ChargerRebel: Is there an event that you've covered that you say "man I wish I could go back and do that over again knowing what I know now" (for learning something new purposes, I'm going to say the first Ole Miss investigation doesn't count)How do you keep your bottom from hurting on the peloton?ETA: I know it's their job, but do you think recruiting people continuing to cover coaches giving out scholarships to high school freshmen and younger kids helps promote that lunacy?

Sometimes, on the Peloton, my stuff goes numb. However, I'm 49, so stuff going numb isn't a big deal. If I lose feeling in my stuff for a few hours (or years), no one cares. As for my bottom, to this date, it's unaffected by the Peloton.

As for recruiting, I don't think we should cover "offers" to freshmen or middle schoolers.

From kmreb: Regarding Alleva/LSU reinstating Will Wade at LSU, what do you think is the more likely reason for doing so?A. Alleva and LSU officials couldn’t find anything to prove Wade broke NCAA rules.B. Wade, behind closed doors, threatened to burn it down if they did not bring him back and they are going to let the FBI investigation run it’s course.C. They are telling the NCAA we don’t care and you have to prove it.D. None of the above (why if so)

In my opinion, Will Wade is done at LSU. However, I think the school is just covering its proverbial butt right now, waiting until it can fire Wade with cause. Maybe I'm wrong. We'll see,

I'm a red wine guy, but I researched white wine a bit. Here's what I got:

Is this a real thing?

And yes, McMahon hates you. I figured you knew that by now.

I assume this is a Marlins attendance joke. However, I'm attempting to break my Cubs habit, so I haven't watched in a few days. They're trying to suck me back in, but I'm strong right now. I've unfollowed all Cubs-related accounts on Twitter and I'm not watching, listening to or following their games. I have noticed, however, that they're winning.

Ours is a caustic relationship. We need to let each other go, but it's hard. It's kind of like a Mitchell Tenpenny song or a Dan and Shay song.

Why am I listening to so much country music? And don't give me the crap about new country versus old country. I don't care. You like what you like. And I've never liked country music. Now, I kind of like it. Is it because I'm driving a truck? Good news is I still haven't backed into a parking space and have yet to have a problem.

This has been therapeutic. Thank you for the question.

This is a disgusting choice to have to make, but I'd rather have oil and egg yolks come from my pores than have feces escape my nose.

I once was so sick covering an Auburn-Florida football game that I had mucus in my eyes. I had to throw my contacts out and wear glasses. I basically drank a bottle of NyQuil that night when I got back to the hotel. That Sunday was miserable. I gutted through it and then slept all day Monday in the hotel. I mean, all freaking day.

Ah, young Benjamin, you come seeking guidance. You come seeking assurance. I will, as an esteemed alumnus of waterskiing power/golf power/academic powerhouse ULM, provide such guidance and assurance.

Planet X, Benjamin, is pseudoscience. It is a hoax.

For those not in the know, The Nibiru cataclysm was a supposed disastrous encounter between the Earth and a large planetary object (either a collision or a near miss) that certain groups believed would take place in the early 21st century. Believers in this doomsday event usually refer to this object as Nibiru or Planet X. The idea was first put forward in 1995 by Nancy Lieder, founder of the website ZetaTalk. Lieder describes herself as a contact with the ability to receive messages from extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli star system through an implant in her brain. She states that she was chosen to warn mankind that the object would sweep through the inner solar system in May 2003 (though that date was later postponed) causing Earth to undergo a physical pole shift that would destroy most of humanity.

Ms. Lieder, young Benjamin, is not talking to little green men. While I'm sure she's lovely and she's someone's daughter, Ms. Lieder is insane. She's a nut. She's Looney Tunes, Ben. She's crazier than Bo Bounds after a couple of shots of whiskey and a cigar poolside at a radio remote.

The idea that a planet-sized object will collide with or closely pass by Earth in the near future is not supported by any scientific evidence and has been rejected by astronomers and planetary scientists. Such an object would have destabilized the orbits of the planets to the extent that their effects would be easily observable today. Astronomers have hypothesized many planets beyond Neptune, and though many have been disproved, there are some that remain viable candidates such as Planet Nine (also called Pluto). All the current candidates are in orbits that keep them well beyond Neptune throughout their orbit, even when they are closest to the Sun.

I've seen photos of Ms. Lieder. She's lonely. I'll leave it at that.

Rest easy, young Benjamin. You're going to do one sad day, but it won't be due to Planet X. Mark that one off your worry list.

World Heavyweight Champion Benjamin Craddock and hotel magnate Joseph Simpson spend some time together at The Westin Jackson with a father of a Georgia Bulldogs running back.
World Heavyweight Champion Benjamin Craddock and hotel magnate Joseph Simpson spend some time together at The Westin Jackson with a father of a Georgia Bulldogs running back. (Some Lucky Guy In The Presence Of The Champ (and Evander Holyfield))
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