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 Hannitized: How many "We the North" t-shirts does Carson have? Why does our society thing this is "cool" to not talk in sentences? So horrible...I am obviously NOT in the Hip-Hop Nation...are you? If so how long have you been a part of this and who is in your posse? Jeffery, Jay G, AND Chase or just Chase? @Jay G. Tate I am so ready for the Raptors to choke....AGAIN! GO BUCKS!!!!
Carson is for the Bucks. He's been into that team for a couple of seasons now. We went to see them in Memphis this year the night before we left for the Cubs Convention.
As for sentence structure, no, my friend, I'm old-school. I like words. I like proper grammar. I hate the acceptance of misspelled words. I don't have a posse. I wouldn't know where to begin in the assembling of a posse.
From TX via TN Rebel: Does @Jeffrey Wright make the first sturdy branch on the @Neal McCready journalism tree? What will your tree look like at the end of your career?
I don't know that I can take credit for Jeffrey. I'd say Geoff Calkins gets that credit, not me. The Neal McCready Journalism Tree is a lot like the tree in the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I don't really think it has any branches. I don't believe my career has been impactful for others.
From MemphisRebel82: Do Ross and Matt realize that the "this feels like year one" narrative is just pissing off a lot of fans? Or do they know that and just not care?It seems like for two years they went around begging for support saying that even though there was no postseason to play for that the games still mattered to the team and players. Now the message is that none of that counted because Luke was too nice to fire the coordinators? It sure doesn't feel like year one to a lot of fans that sat through some horrendous football.Fan interest is so low there are almost entire sections available in Vaught Hemingway... is anyone thinking through the messaging over there?
First off, I've never asked either of them about that narrative, in large part because I've never really heard either of them claim the 2019 season is Year One.
These things are complicated. Luke was the interim coach in 2017, inheriting a mess that he basically babysat. Yes, he wanted the job badly, but after losses to Arkansas and then Texas A&M, there was no way he thought he was getting it. It's my educated opinion Luke thought he was going to be a major player for the job at South Alabama. Then he beat Mississippi State, Vitter happened and you know the rest.
Suddenly, he had the job and he didn't think he could look the kids and staff in the eye and say, "Hey, we all fought like hell, against all odds, really, to get to this place. Now that we're here, you're fired."
I mean, being a human, I understand that. I also see your side of it. I personally believe Luke looks back on that decision and believes it to be a strategic mistake.
Here's what undeniable: This is the first year the program is clear of chaos in quite some time. This team is bowl-eligible. He has upgraded his staff. That said, fan interest is down. Ticket sales appear to be down. Again, it's complicated.
As for the messaging, I have lots of thoughts on that. However, I'm more than willing to grant that the people in charge of messaging haven't exactly been handed a great hand to play.
From roccoreb: give us your thoughts on the following 3 things about NCAA recruiting (expand as you see fit)1. the good2. the bad3. the ugly
I'm not really sure I understand the question. There are a lot of good stories in college football recruiting. There are kids who work their butts off to earn scholarships, often the first person in their family to have the opportunity to go to college. There is also a lot of "filth" in college football recruiting. There are handlers, go-betweens, long lost uncles and the like. There are bidding wars. There are out-of-control boosters. There is a lot of sliminess.
I've seen how the sausage is made. I'm immune to the smell. There's no story you could tell, no dollar figure you could drop on me, that would surprise me. I personally believe there are ways to alleviate some of that sliminess (not eliminate it, mind you), but I don't think the NCAA is ready to go down that path right now.
From OleMiss1982: To the best of your and/or Chase's knowledge, have back channel discussions begun with prospective baseball coaches or their agents regarding the OM job or is Ross waiting on the season to be over.
No. I do think Bjork, like any good athletics director, has a list ready to go in the event of a vacancy, and I suspect he's done some homework on certain coaches. However, Bjork is a do-it-the-right-way guy, and there's no chance, in my opinion, he's going behind Mike Bianco's back and conducting a job search while games are being played and Bianco is the coach.
From Levi275: Does Brooks Koepka's historic run (winning 4 of the last 8 majors) do anything to peak your interest in golf? (Perhaps a bigger picture question) You've mentioned coaching youth baseball. Have any of the kids on your team talked about it? Is there any interest in golf among that age group related to the rise of a new, "athletic" PGA star?
It's funny. So, my team is comprised of twelve 11- and 12-year olds. My team has 10 whites and two blacks. I'm biased, but they're fun kids. It's one of the most fun teams I've coached. Our season ends next week, and I'm going to miss this team.
Anyway, no, I've never heard them mention Koepka or golf. Not once. At practice, they talk a lot of NBA, some NFL and some college sports. When they pick up balls after batting practice, they pretend to be NBA players. Interestingly, we had a game the night of the NBA draft lottery. When they learned the Pelicans had the first pick, there was all sorts of talk in the dugout about Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis. They all know about Williamson. He's a big deal in their world. When they learned Memphis had the second pick, they were talking about Ja Morant and whether the Grizzlies would trade Mike Conley.
We play baseball, but I've never heard them mention a Major League Baseball player by name.
From JTMP: In your opinion, if Ole Miss happened to win a regional somewhere but got ran out of a super regional in embarrassing fashion, do you think Mikes job would still be safe?Embarrassing = going 0-2 and not really being “in” either game
No. It's my opinion Bianco has to win a regional to be safe. However, if he does win the regional, he's safe, in my opinion. How do you fire a coach with his record after he reaches the baseball equivalent of the Sweet 16? Given Ole Miss' financial situation, I just don't think you could.
From TSUN11: 3 sporting venues you haven’t visited, that you’d like to see.What is something that Ole Miss and Auburn fan bases/athletics have the most in common and something where they’re completely different?
As crazy as this sounds, I'd love to go to Wimbledon. I've never been to England and will almost certainly never go, but I've gotten into the English Premier League a bit the past couple of years and I'd like to see a lot of those places as well. I've never been to Cameron Indoor Stadium. I think that would be cool. And of course, my life won't be complete without a game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa.
In common: Both Ole Miss fans and Auburn fans think the league is working against them. I think that paranoia is commonplace.
Completely different: I don't know. It's been a long time. Auburn is really wrapped up in its traditions. Ole Miss, on the other hand, is trying to establish new ones.
From Deucemccluster22: Lets play word association with the following people. Just one word...1. Hugh Freeze2. Houston Nutt3. Mike Bianco4. Kermit Davis5. Matt Luke6. Sean Patterson
Why not?
1. Actor
2. Paranoid
3. Tough
4. Focused
5. Driven
6. Unhinged
From rebsrockem: If you had to pick a song, a movie (can be a documentary if that fits better) and a book that would best describe your life - what would those be? And, why?
I gave this a lot of thought and came up with nothing at all. I truly don't know. I asked Laura and she came up blank. Either I'm too complex to easily describe or I'm so boring that it's indescribable.
From Samminish: November 2019: OM finishes the season 7-5 after an emotional win over CowBellU ~ The defense was pretty OK, never looked terrible & EALY led the team in rushing (986Y) .. ..December 2019: The telephone rings .. ..??: Hello, Ross?RB: Yes??: It's PETE .. .. PETE GOLDING .. ..RB: Yes?PG: We had a decent year here, but I now regret turning you down last fall .. .. I'd like to talk about becoming DC again .. .. Same terms as last year will be fine and some current players here and 2020 recruits would now find Oxford a legit stop .. ..WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??
In that scenario, I think Bjork would laugh at Golding and the conversation would go nowhere.
In reality, I think the only scenario in which Ole Miss and Golding flirt again is if there's a vacancy at the top of the program, not the top of the defense.
From PowderBlues: As this athletics year draws to a close, how would you rate the success of “Year of the Fan”?
You'd be better equipped to answer that than I. That's not a cop-out either. I simply don't know. I haven't been to an Ole Miss football game without a press credential since 2001. My brothers and I went to the Arkansas seven-overtime game that year. Auburn had an open date. I went to a NCAA baseball tournament game when Ole Miss lost to Western Kentucky shortly after my parents moved here. I just don't know. I don't and can't see it from a fan perspective, and I don't really know that many fans. Those I do know seem frustrated right now, especially about football, and they're excited about basketball. I know that's not answering your question, but it's the best I can do.
From North Tampa Rebel: Who has a longer tenure at OM, RichRod or McIntyre?
I'd have to guess MacIntyre, though I think both will be head coaches again. I'd bet on Rodriguez landing a gig before I'd bet on MacIntyre.
From dwreb: If you had the power, how would you like to see the format of the SEC baseball tournament changed?
I wouldn't change much. I think it works where it is and how it is. I mean, I might experiment with it in Memphis or Nashville or play it at a major league stadium in Atlanta or St. Louis or whatever, but if it's not broken...
From celinareb: Not a question, but always ABC.Always BeCam
Hahahaha. Indeed. You knew, at the end of Monday's episode, Hannah was giving the final rose to Cam. That's all she's going to give him, but he's going to hang around a while. Once that story line is played out, he's gone. I'd have a better chance with Hannah as a fat, bald, married 49-year-old with kids than Cam has. I will give the guy credit for having confidence. He has no basis for it, but he believes in himself.
From Cooley Bird: Now that the coaching carousel has (seemingly) finished for the cycle, how would you rank the SEC basketball coaches? Can either be overall (factoring in recruiting, etc) or just specific to coaching ability/X's and O's, whichever you prefer.
I think there are tiers, as ranking the coaches 1-14 is really not fair, given the differences in the programs they run. The top tier clearly has John Calipari, Bruce Pearl and Frank Martin -- men who have taken their current programs to the Final Four. Then there's a second tier of coaches _ guys like Kermit Davis, Ben Howland, Mike White, Rick Barnes, Tom Crean, Eric Musselman, Cuonzo Martin and Buzz Williams _ who have proven their chops as coaches and recruiters, either at the programs they currently represent or at previous stops. The next tier is the somewhat unproven. Nate Oats did a fantastic job at Buffalo before leaving for Alabama. Will his strong Midwestern roots translate to Tuscaloosa? Then there's Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt. He's got strong NBA ties and roots, but can he recruit to Nashville? Then there's Will Wade, who has apparently survived the rigors of an internal battle at Baton Rouge and a federal court case.
Bottom line: It's a loaded league, and now that the FBI is out of the picture (presumably), everyone's gloves are off.
From Rdowns1983: Do we land some more Memphis recruits after offering Jabari Small?
I think so. It's hard to believe Ole Miss can land recruits in Memphis without Maurice Harris, but lo and behold, I think the Rebels are going to pull it off. It's a miracle.
From VibinReb45: Do you think Kermit letting Rodney Howard out of his LOI is more of a good sign for landing Brakefield or a sign that Carlos Curry has really made some big strides?
Maybe both. Khadim Sy is going to play big minutes. Dude Collum and Curry are likely going to be in the mix for minutes as well. K.J. Buffen will get some minutes in the paint. If Ole Miss gets Brakefield to reclassify and enroll in August, he's certainly going to play. Howard was the odd man out. This wasn't a shocking development. It was always an option. There are only 200 minutes per night. It's a finite number.
I'm planning to visit very soon, yes. I'm in desperate need of a spa day and craft cocktails.
I'd be a Warhawk.
Duh.
If it happened in a Super Regional, I don't think Oxford would survive the aftershocks.
