Rebel Roundup - May 18, 2011

Smith Returns To Lineup, Helps Rebels Down SEMO 10-6 | OleMissSports.com
It seems like a broken hand was exactly what Matt Smith needed (I keed), as the Rebel senior returned from surgery to go 4-for-4 last night with three RBI. The Rebels defeated SEMO State and Smith earned his 183rd run batted in, tying Logan Power for most RBI all time at Ole Miss.

21st Players Death Is NCAA's #1 Problem: Wrongful Death Lawsuit | RealSportsNet
Yesterday's filing of the Bennie Abram lawsuit marked the 21st such occurence since 2000. This has led many to question current NCAA practices, guidelines, and requirements to make sure that they are keeping the health and interests of the athletes in mind. While I would argue that, in several cases, coaches and institutions are negligent in the injuries and deaths of their athletes, such isn't the same for Abram. It is tragic, no doubt, but not due to the negligence of our school or coaches.

From Monday’s Ole Miss football news, looking at the pertinent numbers | Ole Miss sports
We in the Cup aren't really fond of the manufactured controversy surrounding oversigning. We think it's a bit played out, for starters, and also don't find anything particularly tragic with the practice or any of its offshoots. This is why we found it particularly annoying that many folks knee-jerkishly proclaimed that Houston Nutt's dismissal of Delvin Jones and Clarence Jackson were the result of a need to make room for roster positions due to oversigning. That's totally bunk for two reasons. First, those guys were on the two deep with Jackson slated to start at WLB, making them players you don't just wantonly dismiss. And second, Ole Miss now stands at 76 projected scholarship players for the fall, nine under the 85-scholarship limit imposed by the NCAA.

To many, the whole demon of oversigning has become a convenient way to hackishly denigrate Houston Nutt, Nick Saban, or a whole host of other folks who don't even need the practice of oversigning to draw legitimate criticism, and it has become such to the point that people will believe it is taking place even when there is legitimate cause to believe otherwise.

BYU opener: Checking in with Ole Miss | College Football Nation Blog - ESPN
Andrea Andelson, an ESPN college football blogger, looks at the BYU season opener and concludes, like most, that BYU should be the favorite come opening weekend. But our Rebels have a fighters chance, despite a depleted, inexperienced defense and a still to be determined passing offense.