It's time for The Mailbag, presented by The Westin Jackson, where I answer your questions from RebelGrove.com and Twitter.
I asked. You delivered. So here we go...
From nas5108: What is your greatest Kobe memory?
For me, it's a personal memory. It was Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals. The Lakers needed a win to eliminate Indiana and claim the title. Just as the game was to tip off, Laura came out of the bathroom with bloody panties. She was near the end of her first trimester. We panicked, called the doctor, described everything and set an appointment for the next morning.
Deep down, I think we both knew the next day was going to be horrible. Somehow, Laura fell asleep. I watched the game. Shaquille O'Neal was dominant, but Kobe Bryant had a beautiful game, scoring 26 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out four assists. He had a couple of blocked shots and a steal, playing 45 minutes.
I loved the Shaq-Kobe days. They were so dominant, and on that night _ Shaq went for 41 and 12 _ they were an unstoppable force -- and a desperately-needed distraction. So that's mine.
From nas5108: How many more players do you think Kiffin and company ultimately end up signing on the upcoming signing day?
Total stab in the dark -- I'll guess they sign eight additional guys Wednesday, saving some room for the grad transfer market. That guess could change dramatically by the end of the weekend.
From nas5108: How many new additions besides Joiner and Murrell do you think will be added for next season’s OM basketball team?
I'll guess two more. Anything more than that feels sort of extreme and would require a ton of attrition.
From $WithARebelYell$: No names needed but do you think we sign a DT grad transfer?
I'm sure they'll try. Just keep in mind any decent player at that position is going to have a plethora of suitors.
From WBurns42: Kobe’s death is one of those moments where we will always remember where we were when we found out. What are a few other moments in history that stand out in your mind that you can always remember what you were doing when you found out?
I'm surprised it's impacted me as much as it has, but it truly has. The answers that come to mind, as crazy as it is to be this impacted by the death of a sports figure, are:
The attempted assassination of President Reagan (I was in Mrs. Leachman's class at Hillcrest Elementary and remember getting home and watching CNN)
The death of Len Bias (I had been hitting ground balls to my little brother at Cedar Creek and heard it on the radio when I got in the car to drive home)
The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger (I was at Ruston High and I slipped into the Air Force ROTC room and watched TV coverage)
Columbine (I was in our living room in Birmingham and remember being shocked at the scenes of the kids trying to escape the school; we're no longer shocked when school shootings occur, which is tragic in and of itself)
9-11 (I was in a hotel in Auburn writing a story on Reggie Torbor)
The start of the battle of Baghdad in 2003 (I was in Tampa, covering Auburn vs. St. Joe's in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament)
It feels like I'm missing something, but that's what comes to mind.
From Fabius: It is obvious to any SEC fan willing to use his or her brain that Missouri should be in the SEC West. Besides common sense and basic fairness, IMO Auburn going to the East would provide a real shot in the arm to that division.So the question for Neal-- is the hold up on such move Alabama's wanting to preserve the vastly overrated "Third Saturday in October" game? And what does that say about the conference?
The rumor is the league is indeed wanting to protect the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry, but that's just non-sensical. Moving Auburn to the East makes so much sense, and the only casualty would be Alabama-Tennessee. There has to be more to it than that, but I don't know what it is. It's my understanding Auburn is all for the move, as the Tigers would like to play Florida on an annual basis.
From OM_PhysicalTherapy: What do you think of Wilson Love and what have you heard from people in the industry say about him?
I've heard nothing but good things so far. I've also heard a lot of comparisons to Scott Cochran at Alabama. However, it's way too early to make any judgments of Love at all, one way or the other. He's clearly shaking things up, which, in my opinion, was needed.
From GrindCityReb: If you were Kermit Davis and could land a 5-star Top 10 player, from say...Texas...but you had to hire his dad on staff...would you do it?
Would I? Hell, yes. However, a five-star, top-10 player is a one-and-done, and I doubt Davis wants to shake up his staff at this point. They're in on a ton of kids; it's just a matter of breaking through. Anyone who thought this would be a quick climb to perennial contender status was kidding himself/herself.
From Tdualm: Do you think Lane and staff are finding it’s harder to recruit to OM than they anticipated going in, or is it too early to tell with this transition class?
It's a transition class. We'll all know more in December. No matter what happens Wednesday, this is a transition class.
From OrangeBeachReb: 1) What’s the deal with you having a “cage” on your microphone and Chase doesn’t? Does this have something to do with your tendency to rampage and all?; 2) Would you consider doing a HRG “Roundtable” at the end of fall football camp this year with: you, Chase, Jay, Ryan Brown, Gabe and maybe another Rivals SEC dude/dudette to discuss upcoming season as a whole in the SEC? All in split screens? That would be interesting.
1. It's a shock mount. It's designed to prevent vibration. Often, when I'm talking or reading ads, Chase is typing. He types hard. The mic shakes a bit. The mount prevents the listener from hearing the vibration.
2. That's a thought. However, that's a ton of screens and I don't think we've got the Internet connection to pull that off.
From DeuceMccluster22: What was your "diet "like when you were fat?
About what it was the last few weeks, where I'd have a couple of chips or a cheat meal once a week and sure enough, I've started getting fat again. The key for me, the only thing that works, is skip breakfast, eat a light lunch, run my ass off and eat a very smart dinner (grilled chicken breast, brown rice or baked sweet potato and roasted vegetables). I have to eat for fuel. If I eat for pleasure, the results are disastrous. The only thing that works for me to prevent becoming a total fat ass is to treat food as an enemy.
From rebinbrooklyn: Would you rather: Cover Houston Nutt with Yancy as your boss or have every Saturday be spent lurking in The Inn parking lot (everything else stays the same)?
Neither. Neither scenario would be survivable. Nope.
From BAUER1: What do you think happened with the Harris kid? Do you think he didn't measure up to posted physical stats or was maybe something done or said while on the visit? or something else
I don't know that anything "happened." My suspicion is Ole Miss had a limited number of spots at that position and filled up before getting to his slot in the pecking order. But hell, he could sign Wednesday and fool us all.
From kmreb: Covering recruiting doesn’t seem to be all that fun. You have had several cover it for you through the years. We know where a few have gone, but what do you think RGChad is doing now since he vanished after his tenure of covering recruiting.
I definitely wouldn't call it "fun." Frankly, it's kind of creepy at times and I think some in the business get stalky and let their considerable fandom dictate how they conduct themselves. I don't believe it warrants a full-time post. It certainly hasn't in recent years.
As for Chad, the last we heard from him, he was in a maximum security prison in New Mexico.
From B1G BEN: What’s the current atmosphere within the administration and academic community at Ole Miss and in Oxford? Seems like morale has been low with athletics down, Chancellor woes, Confederate history issues, and lower enrollment. Has the last few months saw a change for the better?
You're asking the wrong person. I'd say morale in and around the athletics department has improved dramatically, but I don't really have any contacts from a university perspective. I don't really know anyone at the university, per se.
From Cublicious_16: Aight. Just be honest with me. What is the floor for this Cubs team and what is the ceiling. I’m not feeling too optimistic. Hope I’m wrong
The floor is probably 75 wins. The ceiling, at least in my opinion, is probably 82 or 83 wins. I see no path to contention. Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee are better teams, perhaps by a considerable margin.
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My personal suggestion, before one took Mr. Devane's advice, would be to call Pinnacle Trust in Madison, Miss. Tell them you heard about Pinnacle Trust on the Oxford Exxon Podcast, on the Mind On Your Money Podcast or in this here column and you'll get 10 percent off your first year's fees.
I don't get Dent to choose from either? That hardly seems fair.
From Grovin1551: Did you know about 2live Crew’s infamous history in Oxford prior to this week?
Was that Randall Mackey fight night? If it was, and I think it was, that was just the beginning of the season from pure hell.
From wtcarr: If you could have anyone’s hair in the world automatically on your head instantly and for the rest of your life, but you have to start every question you have at every interview or press conference with, “Neal McCready, RebelGrove publisher and diehard Ole Miss fan...” would you do it?
Not a chance. I'm 50, overweight and well past anything resembling a prime. Even the most wonderful hair wouldn't help me now.
From TXviaTNRebel: If you ran across the Lane Train and he said he'd like to catch up over dinner sometime soon, where are you proposing to eat? Are you just in for dinner or the subsequent party that is Lane out on The Square?
First of all, these are not things that happen. In 12 years on the beat, I've never had dinner with a coach, and given the fact I've never met Kiffin, the idea seems far-fetched. However, my answer would always be St. Leo. It's my favorite spot in Oxford. As for post-dinner, no, I'm a firm believer The Square belongs to the young people late. There's no reason for me to be there.
I try to tell you guys. I'm boring.
