It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I ask for your questions from here and Twitter.
I asked. You delivered. So here we go...
From MarvMerchants: what’s a good recipe for brisket tacos?
Man, I love smoked brisket tacos. Next-day tacos are awesome. I chop up some brisket, make a little vinegar slaw and keep it super simple. You can also skip the slaw and use a little cheddar cheese and sour cream. If you're asking for a brisket recipe, that's another topic altogether.
From FireFighterReb: Best four ingredient cocktail you have ever tasted. Last time you played a sport on a competitive team, (softball league, basketball legue, bowling league, etc). Would it be a wise move to push shark type attire, logos, emblems into our sport uniforms? Do you think we will end up with a redesign of the current landshark mascot?
Try the McQueen. Here's the directions from Food & Wine:
Mezcal and many Scotches share a smoky backbone, and both spirits are very much the product of their given locations, traditions and terroir. They mesh beautifully in this stirred cocktail, sweetened with just a bare hint of agave.
Instructions: In a mixing glass, stir together 1 ounce of mezcal, 1 ounce of smoky blended Scotch (like the Black Grouse), and ¼ ounce of agave syrup (light agave dissolved in an equal amount of hot water). Add a dash of orange bitters. Stir it all together thoroughly, and strain it into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Squeeze a big grapefruit peel over the top, then add it to the drink as a garnish.
Back to me. The simply answer for me for a four-ingredient cocktail is a margarita. Tequila or mezcal, Cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup never fails.
From MrSunglasses: How bad is it if Ole Miss loses by 14+ against Memphis?
Look, it'd be bad. It would. However, and I know this won't be popular, it wouldn't be surprising or the end of the world. I think it would hurt attendance and advance a narrative that I'm not sure has any substance to it at all, but a blowout loss on the road against a good team wouldn't be the biggest shocker in the history of sports or anything. Look, this Ole Miss team is really young. It's really inexperienced on offense. The quarterback is making his first college start. It's a new offensive system. It's a new defensive system. There are a lot of red flags, you know? So, yes, it would be bad, but they'd get right back to it the next day getting ready for Arkansas.
From randle4: Have you ever smoked your own bourbon??
No, but that looks really cool.
From Samminish: Best SPORTS MOVIES of all time? Mines?1. MIRACLE - Herb Brooks was the best US Head Coach in history, full-stop (Saban is #2)!2. SLAP SHOT - Spit-your-coffee-on-your-screen funny .. ..3. MAJOR LEAGUE I4. A SHOT AT GLORY - Robert Duvall's tribute to Scottish Football (soccer) culture5. RUDY or FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
1. For Love Of The Game
2. Bull Durham
3. Rocky IV (at me; I don't care)
4. Major League
5. Hoosiers
6. Creed II
7. Creed
1,000,000,000,009 Field of Dreams
From Grovin1551: Have you ever taken the Enneagram test? If not, will you and tell us your number? Inquiring minds and whatnot...
I took it this morning just for you. Here are my results. You'll have to tell me what this means.
You are most likely a type 3.
Taking wings into account, you seem to be a 3w2
Type 3 - 11.7Type 2 - 10.7Type 1 - 10Type 8 - 9Type 4 - 8.4Wing 3w2 - 17.1Wing 2w3 - 16.6Wing 3w4 - 15.9Wing 2w1 - 15.7Wing 1w2 - 15.4Wing 4w3 - 14.3Wing 1w9 - 11.9Wing 8w7 - 11.2Wing 8w9 - 10.9Wing 4w5 - 10.8
From ccbarnett: How's your mama?
Hey Hugh. It's been a while. She's great, very excited for another season of Liberty Flames football.
From Deucemccluster22: The intro to the OEP is LONG overdue of a upgrade.... any chance y'all would be willing for Jeffrey to redo one... or better yet, would y'all be willing to use the old Panic at the Disco "Ready to go" intro?
I have no issue with your statement or your request. I will put it in front of the MPW Digital Committee on Show Openings and get back to you.
From Tkarr17: I know the 2012 Ole Miss football team has been talked about numerous times on the podcast. Has it ever been discussed how close that team was to going 9-3 for the year? If the safety by Gross on Manziel is counted, they beat A&M at home. The refs clearly missed the 4th down call on Jordan Rodgers, which allowed Vandy to win. Finally, if Korvic Neat catches a punt, the chances of Ole Miss beating LSU in Baton Rouge seem more likely. Just something to consider there.
You're right. That team damn near overachieved by historic margins. It remains, to this day, one of the best coaching jobs I've ever witnessed. It was Freeze's Mona Lisa.
From um98rebl: Have we seen the end of schools, "cooperating" with the NCAA?Based on Forde's article regarding AU basketball Sunday, is the NCAA using favorable writers in the media to "scare" schools into cooperation with threats of cooperation.
I read that story Tuesday. It was interesting, and I wouldn't feel good if I were an Auburn basketball fan today. As to your question, I believe schools should never cooperate, but yes, I do believe the NCAA absolutely has some writers who carry their proverbial water in an attempt to scare schools into cooperating. I kind of doubt Auburn takes the bait.
From larryjoe1979: I have 2 questions. Who is in charge of depth charts for this site, and we can we expect their firing?
Anthony Chase Parham is in charge of depth charts. I can't comment on personnel matters other than to tell you his firing is in the appeals process and he's expected to appear before the RebelGrove.com subcommittee on depth charts later this month. A decision should be rendered by that subcommittee and sent to the appellate committee in 8-12 weeks, at which point the appeals committee will take 4-6 months to make a decision regarding Parham's employment. Those times are just guidelines, mind you. Sometimes, the committee needs more time, at which point that time is granted.
From Patrick C Timony: Any recommendations on a new Xbox game? Just finished AC Odyssey (so good) and Division 2. I generally prefer open world, third person adventures / rpgs. You may consult with Carson, if necessary.
I'm certainly no help here. Carson has a PS4 and all he plays is FIFA and NBA2K. He also plays MLB The Show. He's an outfielder for the Indians. He's working diligently to become a free agent.
From GrindCityReb: Neal McCready is running for President in 2020 as an independent (god help us). What platform do you run on?
Oh, wow.
Well, I'd never win, as I'd offend the evangelical right and would likely be labeled as a conservative (which means they'd call me a racist) by the left.
I'd run on economic sensibility, first and foremost. I'd want sensible borders. We can't afford wide open borders. Many of the things Trump is trying to do at the border were once campaign promises made by Clinton and Obama.
I'd reform welfare. Able-bodied people should work. Period. So I'd find ways to incentivize trade schools. I'd give tax breaks to corporations and small businesses who hired, trained and retained people who were previously unemployed. I'd put limits on how long an able-bodied person could collect welfare without working. Darwin was onto something.
We'd have strong national security but we wouldn't go actively seeking to change cultures overseas. It's not our country's place to force-feed our values elsewhere.
I'd legalize marijuana and tax the hell out of it.
I'd make background checks more comprehensive and mandatory. I'd seek to find ways to prevent people from having magazines that can fire dozens of bullets in mere seconds. I wouldn't take a dime from the NRA.
I'd hold insurance companies liable and do something about the soaring cost of healthcare and medicine. I'd also, in clear English, state that socialized medicine won't work in a country this big. I'd incentivize health. Take me for example. I'm much healthier at 203 pounds than I was at 265. I made better food choices and exercised. Perhaps I'd find a way to incentivize that behavior in more Americans. Walk around Walmart, any Walmart. We have a health crisis in our country. I'd hold food companies responsible for some of the products they're producing. It's reckless.
Have I offended everyone enough yet? I'd have no chance. My platform would be one of common sense. That doesn't work in our country anymore.
From GrindCityReb: Gimme the 3 names you think have the best chance of being named chancellor at Ole Miss
This isn't my category and I shouldn't answer. Also, we have no real idea who's actually applying. Just because some people come out publicly wanting the job, it doesn't mean they are or are not candidates. With those caveats being laid out...
Gerard Gibert
Bobby Robbins
Greg Harper
Glenn Boyce
From kernelrebel: Without being a homer, give us your take on comparing focus/intensity of practice compared to last year. Is there a noticeable difference to the football layman?
Yes, it's noticeable. There's more intensity, more confidence, more fire and, at least in my opinion, more organization. This team has a personality. It's openly attempting to develop an edge. What will that mean? We'll see, but yes, it's different -- in a positive way.
From larryjoe1979: Neal, how are you doing? No one ever seems to just ask you that.
I'm good. Thank you. Life is good. I'm happy. I'm trying to enjoy each day. I'm a little sad about Campbell leaving, but she's ready and I'm excited to hear about all the developments that will soon happen in her life. I'm excited for Caroline's junior year, looking forward to time with her looking at colleges and exploring her future. I'm excited to watch Carson play soccer again this fall. So, yeah, I'm really good. Thank you for asking.
From Samminish: Uncle Neal, can I ask another question ? Just got thrown out of a JURY PANEL by both the Defense & Prosecution! I did notice that both sets of lawyers did not want anyone with strong, educated views on anything ... Another thing was that very few people had definitive answers ... Everything was 'I'll try' or 'I don't know' ... And, at least 1/3 of the people could not even follow explained procedure ... Are people becoming that hopeless, and dependent on others to their thinking and doing?!?!
We should get together for a drink sometime. I'm told I shouldn't lose hope in humanity, and here lately, I've gotten several signs, in various forms, supporting that philosophy. While I well understand how sitting in a jury pool can lead one to consider moving to a remote island with no human interaction to be had, I'd like to encourage you not to lose all hope.
But yes, a large segment of the populace is incapable of formulating thought without the input of media and whatnot.
From Rdowns1983: If you were betting, who would you take for the Ole Miss vs. Memphis football game? And why?
I'd bet on Ole Miss plus the points. Why? I think Ole Miss will win. I'll bet on the SEC team versus a Group of Five team that I believe is likely a tad overrated all day. Memphis is 8-8 in its last 16. This isn't UCF we're talking about here.
From nas5108: Do you think Lebron wins another NBA title before his career is over?Who are the teams he will have to get through to win in your opinion?
No, I don't think he wins another one. I don't think the Lakers are as good as the Clippers, Rockets, Jazz or Nuggets. Hell, the Blazers might be better. The Mavericks and Pelicans are intriguing. That's before you even talk about the Sixers or the Bucks in the East. The Hawks might have something special in a year or two. I think LeBron's windows is closing rapidly.
From nas5108: What is your favorite restaurant and meal to eat if calories were not a worry and you could eat without feeling guilty?
In Oxford? Well, if I don't have to think about calories at all, I'm probably going to Blind Pig. If it's anywhere, I'm going to get the biggest cheeseburger and fries at Au Cheval in Chicago and I'm drinking black and tans until I can't move anymore.
From TinPanAlleyReb: Ole Miss MVP for Offense and Defense 2019.. who ya got
Offense has to be Matt Corral. Otherwise, I'm just not sure it works.
Defense is a tougher call. The two names that come to mind are Jaylon Jones and Lakia Henry. Both have huge upsides.
From DougDougGoose: 1. Tupac or Biggie?2. Around what year and month did you realize Freeze was a fraud and did you believe his front in the beginning like everyone else?3. Could you have dropped the bomb if you were Harry Truman?
Tupac.
I was cynical because I'm always cynical. I started hearing stuff in the summer and fall of 2016.
And yes, Truman ultimately had no choice but to do what he did. It was the right move. It saved countless American lives. I can't imagine the emotions he felt making that call, however,
From Jasper AL Rebel: Now that most of the MLB season is over, are you glad the Cubbies passed on Bryce Harper? That signing isn't looking so good, in my opinion. I mean, it's not a terrible season, but for that money.....
Yeah, giving him the bank would've been a mistake. It's almost like Theo has a clue.
I didn't get to the beach. I love the beach, miss the beach, need the beach, and I failed to get to the beach. However, not going to the beach meant the plants got watered and poor Gus, who HATES being boarded, didn't have to spend a week at the vet. Also, the girls got to take their friends, and I suspect that was more fun than hanging with dad.
I'll go with Auburn. New quarterback, chance of chaos by that point in the season, etc. I could see a scenario where a confident, up-start Ole Miss team stuns a flat, dejected team at 11 a.m. on a sleepy Saturday on the Plains.
Table 7, my man. Feed that table right into my veins. Tables 5 and 9 would be fun as well.
Briefly. I was working at The Oxford Eagle, living alone in an apartment, kind of lonely, kind of broke and without the ability to get a date on a calendar. It was quickly evident it wasn't a great idea and I was going to get in trouble with my landlord, so I gave it away to a friend. It went on to have a nice life.
I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that Tyler Siskey's plan contains no references to the Clarion-Ledger.
The best quarterback in the NFL, Benjamin, is one Patrick Mahomes. The best coach in the NFL, my inquisitive friend, is Bill Belichick. As for who is going to win the Super Bowl, stay tuned for 10 Weekend Thoughts the next couple of weeks. My highly anticipated picks are coming.