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Changing the Culture of Ole Miss Athletics The original Air Kiffin shirt is available here

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RCR Mailbag: The Disorderly Edition!

We're not sports experts, but you know what would be fun? If you guys asked us a bunch of questions on Twitter under the assumption that we were. Here are the answers to those questions...

By Whiskey Wednesday, The Ghost of Jay Cutler, and Juco All-American
Joe Murphy/Getty Images

WW: Short answer: no. Long answer: expecting national championships out of a coach is a little unrealistic, even given a decade or so to do it. Almost everything has to go exactly right. As you’re aware, things don’t just "go right" for Ole Miss all of the time. I expect that Freeze will put us in a decent position to win a national title, and that’s more than you can say for any coach since Vaught.

Ghost: Nope. I reserve the right to be wrong.

Juco: No. Major historical powers win national championships. Ole Miss isn’t one of those. Also, it’s just insanely difficult to win one.

I guess it’s possible. Things change over time. I just don’t think it’s very likely, given difficulties in recruiting that Ole Miss inherently faces, being in a small state and having the "you don’t want to visit there" vibe.

WW: It’s hard for me to objectively say whether or not Ole Miss football has a discipline problem right now, or not. OPD is no help, but a few embarrassing things have happened. Still, think past this most recent incident, and then past the Kelly stuff: what was the last thing that happened? Sammie Epps got caught with some kush, and Senquez Golson was caught Existing While Black in Pascagoula or whatever. Is it possible that we’re more sensitive to discipline issues when the team is actually knocking on the door of relevancy?


Ghost: Take a group of 120 male Ole Miss students. Now take a group of 120 mostly black and male Ole Miss students. Look at how many of them have arrests - in Oxford or elsewhere - for shit like "disorderly" conduct or nonsensical drug charges. I bet it’d close to mirror the football team’s numbers.

When I say I want a well-disciplined program, I mean I don’t want people committing heinous crimes (getting drunk and making an ass of yourself is embarrassing, but it’s far from legitimate criminal behavior) and I want players to do what is expected of them, i.e., do well in school and work your ass off on the field. I think Freeze has done wonders in that sense, at least when compared to his predecessor.

Juco: No. Also, I swore to myself I’d say something derogatory about Ghost’s mother in an answer. His actual mother is nice. His fictional mother I’m developing solely for this answer doesn’t need to have the door locked in order to stay in a room after hours with our football players if you catch my drift.

Ghost: Hey! I asked that! As Whiskey Wednesday and Smeargle can attest to, I make bad ass pork carnitas. The secret: Coca-Cola as a base for the braising liquid. They come out spicy, meaty, a bit sweet, and juicy as shit. Basically it’s a bold Mexican pork sensation from coast to coast, forever and ever amen, you guys.

Another fun trick, just in time for the Superbowl: use your slow cooker to keep your chicken wings hot for the duration of the game.

WW: Slow cookers are versatile as shit, but I don’t use mine enough. Some of my favorites are chicken (or turkey) tetrazinni and pot roast-based chili. It’s also damn handy for heating up hot ciders and punches.

Juco: Chicken thighs. Always chicken thighs. I usually just make coq au vin (about every other week) with the thighs, wine, vegetables, and a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Do it.

Ghost: Shit man, I dunno. The NCAA’s rulebook is confusing and their decision making process is arbitrary and capricious as hell. Let’s say it’s not. Make your billions, grossly tall Bruno Mars knockoff. You can probably buy your way out of an NCAA violation at this point anyway.

WW: I’ll answer your question with a question. Is it possible that Saiz’s biggest weakness as a big man is his disarming good looks? Centers and tall forwards are supposed to be ugly as all get-out, not have deep, chocolatey eyes that you can lose yourself in…