It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I ask for your questions on RebelGrove.com and Twitter. I asked. You delivered. So, here we go...
From eafinsup: When does Sy make a final decision? Who is the next football commit? Luke said we have 1 initial left for 2019. What do we do with it? Does he give it to a walk on? Do we take a transfer?
Khadim Sy could make a decision at any point. Attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful. He's not posting on social media and sources close to his recruiting aren't saying much.
I have no idea on the next football commitment. I really don't. As for the final remaining initial, my guess is Ole Miss either takes a grad transfer who hits the market late (unlikely) or saves it for December.
From Grovin1551: What kind of tequila and mezcal are you using to make margaritas? Salt on the rim or no salt?
I use Casamigos mezcal. I really like it. I use a variety of tequilas, but one I used the last couple of weekends was Altas. I enjoyed it. I prefer my own simple syrup and fresh-squeezed limes but there is a low-sugar mix I found that does the trick pretty well. It's called Tres Agaves. It's organic. It's solid. And yes, a margarita isn't a margarita without salt on the rim.
From RebRow: How many retweets does it take to get a recruit to commit to your school?
At my school? Well, ULM doesn't need retweets to get elite athletes. Mortal schools need 35,500 retweets to get in the mix for a top prospect.
From Deucemccluster22: Who is one celebrity or famous person that has passed that made u literally feel sick/ upset When learning of their passing? And who is one celebrity or famous person that is still alive that will....or you anticipate feeling that way when you learn of their passing?
I got upset when Prince died. I have no idea why, but it impacted me for a few days. I remember getting upset when Ronald Reagan died. My grandmother loved Reagan, so maybe that made me really think of her. I honestly can't think of a celebrity or famous person alive today who would impact me in that way. I'm not a really big pop culture guy.
I've heard rumored numbers, but I haven't seen an "announced number." I think it's safe to say they're down. To what degree, I simply don't know. It's no secret attendance is a major driver, so if it's low, the administration will notice. Bottom line: I think it's imperative for Ole Miss to look much improved early. That doesn't have to be wins; they just need to look better. If numbers are really low all season, obviously, the administration will have a decision to make.
I haven't heard of any plans to that degree, but we'll ask Ross Bjork next time we visit with him. I would think they'll add some sort of temporary seating like they did for the last NCAA regional if the Rebels are awarded a host site this season.
I think there were concerns about his ability to stay healthy and his subpar performances in the three-cone and shuttle drills. However, I think it worked out for Metcalf. He's a perfect fit in Seattle and he couldn't have landed with a quarterback more suited for his skill set than Russell Wilson.
I'm not the person to ask, but I inquired with others on this question. I was told it's not expected to be a problem. They've been more closely monitored this spring than they were a year ago in high school, I'd suspect.
From jasongreer: Any insights on this? Did this contribute to the slip down the draft board? https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/what-dk-metcalf-learned-49ers-interview-nfl-scouting-combine
I don't think so, Jason. That impacted him with one team, but I think all in all, there were other receivers on the board who were safer picks. Metcalf has his detractors. For example, Neil Stratton of Inside the League has never been sold on him. Some simply view him as a one-dimensional receiver.
From North Tampa Rebel: Over/under years left for Orgeron at LSU now that Aleva is gone. 2.5 years?
My instinctive answer is under. However, the guy is recruiting like gangbusters right now, so I'd have to hedge on that bet.
From MgoldReb10: What if my dog's poop is unscoopable? It's more of the lava consistency....
I'm no dog poop expert (thank God), but if you live in Oxford, I'd send something to scoopers.oxfordpetwaste@gmail.com and inquire. Todd can probably help you.
From TX via TN Rebel: If you took a 1 year sabbatical, what would you do with your time?
This one is easy. I have two novels running around in my brain, one that really has my attention. I dream about it. I'll be standing in the shower and I start writing a chapter. However, I don't have the time or resources to write a book, not to mention I strongly question whether I have the talent. Hint: I don't.
However, if I had a year off, I'd get up early every day, work out, take a shower, fix a cup of coffee and write. I'd have the time to research and develop characters and the like. The book wouldn't be worth a damn, but I would likely enjoy the process.
No, the book isn't sports-related at all. I have zero interest in writing anything resembling a memoir of my career. My career is boring; no one would read that. My own children wouldn't read that.
From Levi275: Who has the best NFL career out of the following: Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Drew Lock or Dwayne Haskins?
I'm cheering for Lock, and I won't be surprised if it's him. I'm fascinated to see how Murray does in Phoenix. I want to cheer for Jones because of the heat he took, but I do worry that every NFL guy I know doesn't think he's special. Haskins has a high ceiling but a low floor. So my answer is Lock, I think.
From CityRebel: Can the NCAA really just continue to ignore all the stuff coming out about the college basketball? All the top schools are paying players. All the top coaches are doing it. How can the NCAA sit back and do nothing? At what point do you think they have to step in? Do you think Duke, Kansas, Zona, LSU, etc. go on probation? Do you think Coack K, Self, Wade, etc. get coaching bans from the NCAA like they deserve?
Can they ignore it? Yes.
Will they? I'm guessing no. The evidence is overwhelming and damning. I do wonder if they have the manpower to investigate everyone, so the cherry-picking will be fascinating. I think they'll go after Arizona and LSU. I think they'll look hard at Kansas. Do coaches get bans? I wouldn't want to be Sean Miller or Will Wade right now.
Yes, you did, and yes, those were ghosts. If one sits on you in the middle of the night and tells you to relax, she's just having fun, holler. We'll commiserate. That slutty old woman ghost scared the hell out of me. Why can't I get the hot slutty ghost instead of a 90-year-old woman? Life, even as it pertains to ghosts, isn't fair, I suppose.
That would certainly be fascinating if the NCAA spent that amount of time and energy digging into Alabama and/or Clemson. I just don't think those schools would have aided the NCAA the way Ole Miss did, and I don't mean compliance or the athletics department. I'm referring to some of the boneheaded things that happened regarding the coaching staff at pivotal moments in that case.
I'm so glad I'm here for you, young Benjamin. Also, know I was braced for a different question today. And the answer to that question is, as we contemplated Sunday, beans. Specifically, the answer is red beans. The answer is not dongs, though that guess was good for a fantastic laugh.
To answer today's query, you see, young Benjamin, some planes in the sky leave trails that persist and spread, and other planes leave short-lived trails or no trails at all.
These trails are actually called contrails, short for “condensation trails." They are not smoke from the engines, Bennie Boy. Nope, they are formed when the water in jet engine exhaust (and there’s quite a lot of it, like car exhaust on a cold day) mixes with wet cold air and condenses and freezes into ice crystals. Contrails are actually a type of cirrus cloud. When the air is wet and cold enough the trails can stay around for a long time, and sometimes spread out.
This difference between trails that fade away, and trails that spread, is often used as evidence of the “chemtrail” theory, which states that the longer lasting trails (or some of them) are being deliberately manipulated for some reason.
According to contrailscience.com, this is wrong. Contrails can fade away, and contrails can persist and spread. It depends on the air they are formed in.
There are two main reasons why some planes leave trails and some nearby planes do not. The less common reason is that different planes have different engines. Some engines will leave a contrail in the air where another engine will not.
You were a punter, right? I'm getting worried about you. Come over soon. You can pet Gus. I'll get Laura to boil you some peanuts. I'll grill you a burger. Let's talk. I'll show you where the ghost woman accosted me.