It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I ask you for your questions and then thoughtfully give you answers. I asked. You delivered. So here we go...
From North Tampa Rebel: What are the odds Ser Brienne of Tarth survives the battle of Winterfell?
Well, according to The Verge, "Brienne fills a similar role as her forefather on Game of Thrones. After the death of her lord Renly Baratheon and the downfall of his house, she doesn’t look for a new, cushy job where she can serve with comfort. She doggedly works to protect the Stark girls, return Sansa to her family, and bring justice to those who have been wronged, serving the people of Westeros instead of serving a lord.
Now, with her official knighthood, she’s just as much of a knight of the Seven Kingdoms as her ancestor, Ser Duncan, once was. The words Jaime speaks over her — the same words Martin ascribed to Ser Duncan — say everything about her purpose and her honor."
I haven't watched. I'm going to. There's lots of fighting, death and sex, best I can tell. Insert marriage joke here.
From JTMP: Is Theo Epstein still with the Cubs in 2020?
You know, it's funny. I haven't watched the Cubs much at all this season. They got off to a horrible start and I just decided I wasn't ready to commit the usual emotional investment. Immediately, they started winning. I'll be curious, if they're in contention in July, if ownership backs off the tight-wallet stance and lets Epstein and Hoyer improve the bullpen and add a bat for the push. If they do, my answer to your question is yes, Epstein is still with the Cubs in 2020. If not, my guess is he decides to take on a new challenge and turns the controls over to Hoyer. It's too early to really know. I do think he wants to win another title in Chicago badly.
From Patrick C Timony: Is Theo’s misevaluation of Yu Darvish over Jake Arrieta his greatest mistake? Also, as a Phillies fan, thanks. Would you rather have Machado or Harper?
Yeah, it was a major error, though Darvish has been a little better this year and shows some signs of being solid again. I loved Arrieta. The Cubs don't win a World Series without him in Games 2 and 6. He was phenomenal. And, my God, in 2015, his run was epic.
As for Machado vs. Harper, while I know Machado is a more versatile player with an incredibly high ceiling, I love everything about Harper's game. I always have. He has a presence about him and incredible hair that I'm so jealous of.
From TX via TN Rebel: Which team has a better post-season... OM women's golf or women's softball? Would your answer have been different in last week's mailbag?
I'll still say softball, as I knew nothing about Ole Miss' women's golf team prior to last weekend. I still don't, really, except that freshman girl must be one hell of a putter. I'd be afraid of her skills on the Pirate Course.
From Deucemccluster22: Lets say the 2017 football team takes your suggestion and leaves the egg bowl trophy on the field after the victory.... hypothetically, what is Mississippi states reaction and where would the rivalry and trophy itself gone from there into the future?
Wouldn't that have been epic? I still think it's a brilliant idea, though I know Ole Miss will never do it. They possibly get another chance this November. If it appears to be viable, I'll recommend it again. It really upset their fans, er, media.
What would have happened? I think they would've been baffled, frustrated and hurt. They would've said inflammatory things about Ole Miss, which would have made them look very small. Then they would have had to take the trophy and probably thrown it in a closet somewhere.
The next step is Ole Miss stops calling it the Egg Bowl, stops talking about the game in some romantic light and just moves on from it. Again, it will never happen, but Mississippi State is dependent on that rivalry. Ole Miss, I'd argue, isn't. Maybe it will change with a new chancellor, but the two schools themselves are very different.
I know the rebuttal: Just beat them on the field. I'm not saying that shouldn't be part of Ole Miss' strategy. It absolutely should be. I just think if, after winning the game, Ole Miss would just act like it had just beaten Louisiana-Lafayette, it would hurt the Bulldogs and their fans that much more.
From williamfaulkbear: HOT TAEK REQUESTif ole miss closes this 2019 class with khadim sy, how far can the 2019-2020 basketball team go?
It's hard to answer in a total vacuum, but if the Rebels sign Sy, they're going to be a much more athletic team next season. I think Devontae Shuler is going to be a star next season. The backcourt is going to be deeper. Blake Hinson and K.J. Buffen should take big steps forward. I'd like, for Ole Miss' sake, to see them add Jaemon Brakefield, but his decision to reclassify or not simply hasn't been made yet. So, to answer your question, I'd say it's an NCAA Tournament team again, albeit a deeper one better poised to do damage in March.
From shmcleod17: If Ole Miss misses Omaha and MSU makes it, that will make four different coaches who have gotten State to the CWS during Bianco’s tenure at Ole Miss. If that happens and you are Bjork, how does that sit with you?
Frankly, what Mississippi State does or doesn't do shouldn't factor into Bjork's decision. That's letting emotion creep into what should be a pragmatic decision. Is the program stale? Does it need a new voice? Does it need new energy? Is there a hungry, connected coach out there who would take the job and take it to another level? Those are the questions, if I'm Bjork, I'm asking myself and others. I'm not thinking about what is or isn't happening in Starkville, any more than I'd be wondering what closet they had the Golden Egg trophy stored in.
From davidwil: I’m here in the heart of NASCAR country, I say the sport is dead in 25 years. Agree or disagree?
It's not already dead?
It'll just be more of a fringe sport in 25 years, in my opinion. If young people aren't going to watch baseball, they're damn sure not going to watch cars go in a circle for four hours.
NASCAR had a chance to become even more mainstream years ago. It blew it. NASCAR people know that. It will still have its niche, but that's it, at least in my opinion.
From gamtnreb: Has your thoughts about Rebel Rags case changed any in light of the MS. Supreme Court's most recent ruling against motions filed by Stricklin, Mullen, NCAA & Sheridan? It might be much ado about nothing but observing from a distance it seems that each judge who has been tasked with ruling on various motions re: this case have ruled in favor of RR.
Honestly, not really. I guess there's a better chance today that there will actually be depositions taken than there was months ago, but this case is still in its infancy. Is Warren going to pay these legal bills forever? It's hard for me to believe the children's books business is booming like that. Can he actually prove he's been hurt financially? I'm betting no. And there's another elephant in that room that I doubt he and his attorneys want to face.
I know that's an unpopular take, but it's what I think.
From rebnut: Give us your predictions on where each Ole Miss player ends up in the NFL Draft ?
OK, here we go.
DK Metcalf -- No. 24 overall to Oakland
A.J. Brown -- No. 32 overall to New England
Greg Little -- No. 62 overall to New Orleans
Dawson Knox -- No. 63 overall to Kansas City
Jordan Ta'amu -- No. 204 overall to Detroit
DaMarkus Lodge -- No. 245 overall to the New York Giants
From GrizzlyReb89: Do you miss @pizzamcrib a little?
I sense his presence each and every day.
From$WithARebelYell$: What’s the football teams position strength and the teams position weakness next year?Have you heard of a most improved player over the offseason or a player you are looking forward to seeing this upcoming season?
If Jerrion Ealy reports, running back is actually a strength. I think defensive line is a strength, at least to a degree. If I'm an Ole Miss fan, I worry about the lack of offensive line depth, the lack of an experienced quarterback in the room, the lack of proven linebackers and overall defensive secondary depth.
Most improved players this spring, per sources inside the program:
Offense -- Tylan Knight
Defense -- Austrian Robinson
I'm looking forward to seeing Matt Corral as QB1. Can he control his emotions? Can he handle adversity, within a game and from week to week? How much will Rich Rodriguez use him as a runner, knowing there's nothing but true freshmen behind him. I'm eager to see Lakia Henry and Sam Williams on defense. Can two junior college prospects come in and shore up some of the Rebels' defensive woes? Those are burning questions that, once answered, will tell us a lot about this Ole Miss team's chances in 2019.
You know, young Benjamin, no one gets out of ULM without attacking the mysteries of Stonehenge.
One enduring hypothesis for Stonehenge’s purpose comes from the initial observation, first made by 18th-century scholars, that the monument’s entrance faces the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice. For many, this orientation suggests that ancient astronomers may have used Stonehenge as a kind of solar calendar to track the movement of the sun and moon and mark the changing seasons.
New excavations, as you likely know, Benjamin, have unearthed a different theory based on hundreds of human bones found at the site, dating across 1,000 years and showing signs of cremation before burial. The presence of these remains suggests that Stonehenge could have served as an ancient burial ground as well as a ceremonial complex and temple of the dead.
As you remember, in 2010, archaeologists discovered a second stone circle located just over a mile away from the more famous landmark. Dubbed “Bluestonehenge” for the 25 Welsh bluestones that originally made up the site, this secondary monument provides more evidence that Stonehenge could have been part of a huge memorial complex where high-ranking individuals took part in elaborate rituals and ceremonies honoring the dead. Yet as no written records exist, this theory—like all those about Stonehenge’s purpose—can only remain a matter of speculation.
I believe it was built by Celtic high priests known as Druids, by the way.
God, I'm so thankful for my ULM education. Go Warhawks! Warhawks Forever and Ever and Ever!
Montreal is a certainty. That's happening. I'd guess either Portland or Las Vegas would get a team as well. After that, I'd bet on Mexico City and possibly Nashville. MLB wants to expand, so Montreal and Mexico City would be popular internal choices. The success of Las Vegas' NHL franchise likely has created some more interest about putting an MLB team in Sin City, and while Cincinnati and Atlanta would bitch about Nashville, the city is growing in such a way that putting a big league team there just makes sense.
