It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I solicit your questions here and on Twitter.
I asked. You delivered. So, here we go...
From Grovin1551: Did you or did you not call the hogs when you were in Fayetteville last week?
I can honestly say I didn't call the Hogs last weekend. I halfheartedly called the Hogs at orientation back in June, but that's been the extent of it. I did, in an attempt to show support to Campbell, buy an Arkansas polo and wear it to move-in day. Jeffrey Wright made fun of it and others joined in, saying I looked like a football coach. I was asked if I would wear an Ole Miss polo if Caroline chooses Ole Miss. The answer is yes. I'm already looking forward to the MSU Twitter reaction to that one. The #notafan meltdown would be epic.
From larryjoe1979: What irks you more, misspelling your first name or mispronouncing your last name?
The mispronunciations of the last name used to just drive me nuts. I don't even react internally anymore -- unless it's someone who should know better and they just kill it anyway. Neal was my mother's maiden name, so and I know Neil is a very common spelling as well. So that doesn't bother me and never really has.
From VibinReb45: Everyone seems to be optimistic that the defense will be improved largely on the fact that they’ll be in position this year. But the 2016 team was where the issues started on defense and Dave Wommack seemed to be an experienced DC that had his players in the right place. How big of a difference do you think it makes?Also is Kermit just hellbent on getting this program to the Final Four? It seems like this staff is setting up visits with recruits every other day. Seems like they're going to have a shot at landing Brakefield and Daeshun Ruffin.
I don't remember 2016 that well. I thought injuries were the biggest problem for that team. It also didn't have the depth needed in the SEC, as so much of the recruiting emphasis was on offense. Anyway, I do think this defense will be well-coached. I'm still a talent-first guy, but I think coaching matters.
As for Davis, yes, he's hell-bent on winning big. He's quickly building a dangerous roster. I believe Ole Miss will sign Brakefield in November or April, and he's a difference-maker.
From RebYell: When is Saban retiring and who's going to take his place?
Saban, I've decided, isn't mortal. He's going to live forever. He may never retire. If he did, don't be surprised if Jeremy Pruitt is the guy. I just don't think Dabo Swinney takes the gig.
From As I Lay Dying: What's up man? How are you?
Well, aren't you kind? I'm good. Carson has a tournament in Jackson, Tennessee, this weekend, so we're waiting on his schedule. Laura and Caroline are going to Fayetteville Friday for Saturday's Bid Day. Sorority rush has occupied the week here at the house. I'm still trying to find a sponsor for Neal's Picks. That's about it. I'm trying not to get overly invested in the Cubs' quest for the National League Central. In other words, it's just another week.
From WildEagle06: The powers-that-be at WNSP call you up and tell you they'll double your salary and give you your own afternoon drive show, where you'll have complete editorial oversight and you can talk about whatever you want, granted that the ratings stay healthy and advertisers happy. No reporting, no writing, no podcasting. Are you taking the bait?
No.
Just no.
Hell no.
I wouldn't trust those people for even an instant.
I wouldn't even consider it for a split-second.
From North Tampa Rebel: You have to guess Mazlahn's fate this year. The football gods will tell you what happens in one of their games, which game do you choose and why?
Great question. I think I'd want to see Auburn's results on Sept. 21 at Texas A&M. Their schedule is brutal. If they're going to get off to a good start and silence the naysayers, they likely need to win in College Station.
From DeuceMccluster22: You have two teenage daughters, so I ask... when did crocs make this sudden return to popularity? They never went away and have been around for the past 15ish years but yet have taken over our youth. (And still the worst piece of fashion ever invented!)
Crocs are popular? Campbell did buy some Crocs rain boots that she was pleased with, but otherwise, I never see them.
From Trump Train: If Matt Luke got sick and was forced to miss two weeks in the middle of the season, would Rich Rod or MacIntyre be named interim head coach?
That's an interesting scenario. I think Rodriguez would be the de facto interim coach, but I'm not sure much would truly change in terms of the running of the program.
From Patrick C Timoney: Rate the following from best to worst:1. Popeye’s2. Chick-Fil-A3. Raising Cane’s4. Zakby’s5. KFC6. Church’s7. Bojangles
OK, I have never been to Bojangles and I've never had Raising Cane's or Church's, either. I haven't had KFC since I was in junior high school. Laura said Raising Cane's is better than Zaxby's, so I'll take her word for it. I don't touch fried chicken, so I'm not the guy here, but I'll guess:
1. Popeye's
2. Church's (just a guess)
3. Raising Cane's
4. KFC
5. Zaxby's
6. KFC
7. Chick-Fil-A (it's too sweet)
From $WithARebelYell$: What's the record if Corral does the following?Passes for 3,000 yards, 22 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also rushes for 750 yards, 6 touchdowns and fumbles 3 times.Do you think this is realistic?
Oh, wow, that would be an 8-4-type team. No, I don't think that's particularly realistic. That's likely north of best-case.
From Hannitized: If you COULD go all out "Restaurant Impossible" on any place in Oxford what would it be? AND if @Chase Parham and @Jeffrey Wright were your design team who would do all the work and who would be the pointer?Also if @Jay G. Tate were allowed to help out would he be drunk on Old Forester the entire time...and zero help?
This won't be popular, but I think Boure is highly overrated and living on reputation alone. There. I said it.
I'm not sure I'd trust either of them to do much manual labor, but I think Jeffrey would roll up his sleeves before Chase. Getting Chase off his phone would be a task in and of itself.
Jay has a pretty solid work ethic. He'd actually do pretty strong work, I'd guess. Then he'd get drunk and that would be that.
From Rogertheshrubber: Several years ago I saw results of surveying people in their 90s asking what they would do differently and a consistent answer (may have been #1) was "eat more ice cream." Do you ever feel you might be too rigid on your diet "rules" (such as zero fried stuff) and might some day regret it?
No, I won't regret it. As a guy who has battled weight much of his adult life, I hate being fat. As a bald guy who's not good looking even when he's fit, when I'm fat, I'm fairly miserable if I'm around a mirror. And mirrors are difficult to avoid. Trust me; I've tried.
I don't care much about food; I really don't. I can eat for fuel and be fine. So, no, I won't regret it. I truly don't think, if I live to be an old man, I'll look back and wish I'd eaten more.
From REBNUT: How much of an impact to the offensive line is Alex Givens ? I know he's a senior but is his back up just as good ?
Givens is good, versatile and experienced. On an offensive line that lacks depth and experience, he'd make a huge difference. His replacements are talented, but they're true freshmen.
From Rdowns1983: How big of a get is Chase Rogers for Ole Miss?
Rogers is a nice pick-up. He needs to get his foot well, but next season, he should play a big role at tight end.
From Fabius: Is it totally off base to think the national media are being a bunch of lemmings over Texas A&M? I know that they have recruited very well recently (real hard to guess why), but they lost the vast majority of their defense as well as a really good RB and I don’t think they were that great last year. If Scottie doesn’t get hurt we probably beat them. What are your thoughts on them for 2019?
No, I don't think you're totally off-base, but I'm not ready to pile on the lemmings just yet. Jimbo Fisher is a good coach. He's at a place with tons of resources, a commitment to winning and a desire to do what it takes to get it done. I think the media is getting ahead of itself, but I do think Fisher will eventually win pretty big in College Station. I wouldn't be surprised if they disappoint a bit this season, however.
From nas5108: What is your early projection for Kermit and the OM basketball team next season?
I've got them going 12-1 in the non-league and 11-7 in the SEC. So I've got them comfortably in the tournament when they get to the SEC Tournament. I think they have a chance to be a second weekend team.
From kernelrebel: I hate to ask, well not really, y’all heard anything about the tutor in Starkville? How many calves did this guy or gal birth on behalf of athletes?
I really haven't. There's probably no school in the SEC where I'm less connected.
From DENTUREMAN: 1) Why are we not hearing more about the happenings of tutor gate in Starkville by other media sources such as the Clarion Ledger or even yahoo sports? Wolken and company have a huge story for the taking that could rip into the NCAA if they turn their backs on the blatant academic fraud across multiple sports. There is current precedent set at MO. There were stories about UM almost daily speculating on what we were being investigated for and predicting our punishment. This went on for years which did more damage than the actual punishment in my opinion. Why is this being overlooked or ignored?Could you or Chase dress as a recovering crack head sex perv and general creep go on a sports talk radio and beat the this topic until the old horse is dead ground into dog food. Don't forget to be smug and vague with your innuendo as to not get in trouble.2) Neal, Do you have a Hoka story? I will always have hazy memories of some late night drinking with Berry Hannah and Willie Morris. One particular night Barry and Willie were bickering pretty heavy next thing you know two old fat dudes have lost their shirts and are ready to go in the middle of the Hoka. Plus several good and really bad dates that started or ended there. Give us your story. Names would make it more interesting
1. See above. As for why national media aren't on the story, I simply don't know. I'll ask Chase to dress as a recovering crack addict/pervert, but I don't know that he is obsessive enough to take that to the next level.
2. I really don't have a Hoka story. I liked their nachos back in the day and I went to a couple of movies there, but I don't really have a great story. My college experience was pretty boring.
From letsgowave: Is it nice to have a bit of access to the true freshmen? How has this staff/pr been different in the handling of access to newcomers?
Yes, I'll give Matt Luke a ton of credit for abandoning Freeze's ridiculous freshman policy. We're a pretty tame media corps, and giving the players opportunities to speak to us is good for us and good for them. Luke's accessibility policies are admirable. I have zero complaints.
From GreyReb: What other SEC program would you have liked to have covered over the last 10 plus years? And why?
I would've liked to cover Kentucky basketball when I was younger, just for the circus of it all. That's the one that comes to mind immediately. I would've enjoyed covering Mississippi State, too. My objectivity might have killed people.
From Zach Berry: who in this year’s backfield reminds you of noel devine? steve slaton? owen schmitt? and just for fun, pat white?
I guess Tylan Knight has a chance to be Noel Divine Light. I think Jerrion Ealy and Steve Slaton have some commonalities as runners. Was Schmitt the big fullback? Why are you asking me trick questions? There's no Pat White on this roster. Of course, I'm not sure there was a Matt Corral on that roster.
From Cobbrebel: In the podcast Monday you said that you were kinda excited to see what OM football does this year. How would you compare your feeling from last year (prior to season) about OM fb with your feelings this year?
I'm just super intrigued. I think this is going to be an interesting team to follow. It's young. It's inexperienced. It appears to be a hard-working group. It's going to be well-coached.
Last season, for example, I knew I was covering a very average team, one that was bowl ineligible and bad on defense. I didn't think it would be a particularly interesting season, and it wasn't.
I think this season is going to be pretty fascinating on several fronts.
From GreyReb: Have you guys thought about streaming your podcasts on YouTube? Live and archived?
Yes, we talk about it a lot. I think at some point we will do something along those lines. I won't be able to do the podcast naked anymore. I'll miss that.
From roccoreb: not a westin jackson question, but have a clark ford question.....i am waiting for the new FORD BRONCO with great anticipation.... would you happen to know anyone in the "biz" that could give a timeline on when that bad-boy is going to hit the market? i'd like to test the clark ford waters when it does
So, I spoke to a source with ties to Ford. Here's what he/she said:
The Ford source said he/she has never seen a more tightly guarded launch than the Bronco. The source believes there's going to be a 2020 version of the Bronco that's going to be on the mid-sized SUV-class frame, a vehicle that is going to be mass produced and have a variety of trim levels and price points.
When the new 2021 F-150 is launched, there will be, my source believes, an "O.J-sized" version that will be a limited run. Additionally, there will likely be a Bronco "Sport" that is offered with rebates and incentives and all of those things.
The 2020 version, according to a separate Ford source, is going to have a two-door and a four-door option. There will also be a removable-top option available on the higher end models.
You should definitely go to Clark Ford when the time comes. There's no better place to purchase a vehicle. Call 662-257-1900 and ask for Corey.
From tawilson03: What running shoes do you prefer for a marathon?
I have run four. I ran two in Asics and two in Brooks. I did some training with New Balance, but I think my favorite shoes were and are the Asics. Keep in mind I have flat, wide feet.
From ccbarnett: Based on what you're hearing, who would you predict to be the breakout player on offense? Defense?Glad things went well in Fayetteville last weekend. U of Arkansas is a really cool place, and I hope Campbell does well with rush and all that stuff. Just wanted to add that in.
I'd bet on Lakia Henry. He's a playmaker.
Thank you, by the way. She loves it so far.
From RickyTReb: I seem to recall you and Chase discussing how the lack of press access prevents fans from getting to know and/or developing an affinity for the players, which I agree is true. While the players and coaches may not be talking, I suspect family (moms in particular), friends, and former coaches, teachers, and local fans would probably be happy to talk about a former player. Why don't journalists write in-depth stories on players using those sources? Have you considered doing so?
It's something we should do more often. We've done it some, and yet, it's a strong idea.
From cebell65: Godzilla. King Kong. Who ya got?
Godzilla. Just personal preference, as I was into the Shogun warriors when I was a kid.
From Cahamil: Have you ever tried Orangetheory? Also, what's your go to running shoe?
I've never tried it. At my age, I'd be afraid of a knee or Achilles injury. It's wildly popular though. I answered the running shoe question above, but I love Asics for the actual run day.
Chase Parham got involved on Tuesday. I expect alcohol to be available by Friday.
I can't imagine Alabama losing two games, much less four. No way.
Sure. He's got NFL talent. Teams just have to believe they can trust him.
I think you're getting waaaaaaay ahead of yourself here. Mullen has a solid chance to be pretty good on the field this season in Gainesville, and there's a huge margin for error at Florida. Also, while I think Rodriguez is a hell of a coach, he's going to have to do something spectacular to get a job like Florida in the next 24 months, in my opinion.
I think he would've done well. I'm not sure he could've exerted the sort of power Saban has since arriving in Tuscaloosa, so some of the same pitfalls that got to Dubose, Franchione, Price and Shula would have remained in place for Rodriguez. Saban fundamentally changed the Alabama program in a way I'm not sure anyone else on earth could've.
I'd be this guy...