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Photo: University of Virginia School of Law | Charlottesville, Va.
Friday, December 31
Berkeley Blues, and Texas Justice
Not since George W. Bush was reelected President has their been so much whining in Berkeley.
What a bad couple of months if you're a Cal-Berkeley fan. In November, the ultra-liberal campus is crushed by the news that Senator John Kerry has been narrowly defeated in the presidential polls by (who they consider) an unqualified and dimwitted Texan.
One month later, they receive the news that their beloved Cal Golden Bears football team, 10-1 and ranked No.4 in the country, has been narrowly defeated in the BCS football poll by (who they consider) an unqualified team coached by a dimwitted Texan.
Cal's quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, possibly the first JUCO player admitted to Cal-Berkeley in school history, goes on the news and whines about the system and Mack Brown's campaign for votes in the coaches' bowl.
Cal Coach Jeff Tedford, contained and classy, doesn't say much, but intimates the system is broken.
The mainstream sports media, a story-starved lot in late autumn, start complaining about Cal's snub because it's that time of year for them to get on their well-worn soapbox and preach about the victims of the inequitable BCS and the bowl system.
Cal, who endured a rigorous PAC-10 schedule (Hint: sarcasm), is anointed by the media as the latest victim and Texas, who endured a rigorous Big 12 schedule (Hint: not sarcasm) as well as Arkansas, is seen as the inferior club. The outraged mainstream media, in a protest to the BCS, pulls the AP Poll out of the BCS computations and sports columnists renew cries for a playoff. A few even advocate the old-school bowl system, a setup they derided more fiercely than they criticize the BCS today.
So Aaron Rodgers talks about how they'll show the world in The Holiday Bowl how they deserved a place in the BCS by thrashing Texas Tech, a no-name school in the middle of nowhere with an annoying fight song.
Only one problem: Texas Tech beat the arrogance out of them. Texas Tech routed Cal 45-31 in the Holiday Bowl and was up 21 until the waning moments of the game. Texas Tech ran up nearly 600 yards and throughly embarrassed the mighty and passed over Cal.
After the game, Aaron Rodgers thought it was a stupid question when reporters ask about his game week boasts.
Me? I thought the question was great and was a nice final jab at the overrated, overhyped, media creation that was the 2004 Cal Football Team.
Fantasy Football Championship
The beginning of 2005 is also the final act of the fantasy football season. (Dang, that sounds like a lame Clarion-Ledger sports article lead)
Bardwell's Kilt, the rags-to-riches powerhouse led by ASB President Gordon Fellows and named in honor of the kilt Will Bardwell wore to Haydn Roberts's pre-wedding lunch in Macon, collides with The Memphis Playas, an upstart expansion franchise managed by Ernst & Young CPA Gabe Roberts.
Bardwell's Kilt, 14-2, advanced after a drubbing of Alan Bean's Shock & Awe, and The Memphis Playas, 13-3, easily dispatched of Dickey's Sissies, Jake Dickerson's hard luck franchise that made the playoffs for the third consecutive year but left empty-handed.
Ironically, Fellows and Roberts were the last two teams added to the league for this season. Fellows was even booted from the league for poor performance after a woeful 2-13 campaign in 2003 in which Fellows started an injured Kurt Warner at quarterback for almost the entire regular season, but was reinstated by the commissioner after promising to update his roster.
Both teams entered the season expected from their peers in the league, but got the last laugh over the league's more established franchises.
Fellows has relied on excellent luck from the computer-generated draft, picking up Daunte Culpepper, Tiki Barber, and Isaac Bruce. He's made very few free agent acquisitions, but the ones he has made, like the recent signing of Buffalo's Lee Evans, have been bold and brilliant.
Roberts, meanwhile, has built his team from shrewd waiver wire gambles, like Kansas City's Larry Johnson and Denver's Reuben Droughns, and an imaginative blockbuster trade with Drew Snyder's Pinball Wizards that brought Peyton Manning to the team in return for Marc Bulger and a 2005 1st Round Pick.
All season, Fellows and Roberts have been the league's best teams. Fellows has a better record, and I can't remember who won the head to head matchup between the two teams (I'm pretty sure Gabe did). Gabe holds a significant advantage in number of points scored.
Both teams are driven by statistical superstars on bad teams who will probably most of the games and keep their offenses wide open, though Gabe's star, Peyton Manning, might have only an average game if the Colts get a commanding advantage early. Gordon, though, picked up the Saints defense off the waiver wire this week, normally an indicator that an owner is trying to intentionally lose the game. Yet Gordon's previous moves have been just as baffling and surprisingly effective. Gordon could pick up Ricky Williams and he'd come out of retirement, or pick up Todd Marinovich from a dingy, low-rent apartment complex in The San Fernando Valley and have him come out and throw 500 yards and 5 TDs for the Raiders the next Sunday.
I'm still predicting a victory for The Memphis Playas and their visionary general manager, but Bardwell's Kilt, the league laughingstock turned juggernaut, keeps silencing doubters. One more win and Gordon Fellows will complete a truly Cinderella season.
'Collateral': Best Crime Drama in Years
I used to joke around with Thew and Ben Moffett about Tom Cruise. We said Cruise was typecast as a young, brash {insert occpuation here} who overcomes adversity to triumph in the end.
Examine Cruise's roles over the last few decades and you too will spot the pattern, if it's not already gratingly obvious. Yet in spite of the predictability of his films, they are consistently entertaining, and Cruise is one of the few A-list Hollywood leading men who earns his California-sized salary each time he goes on screen.
But in Collateral, Cruise steps out of his pretty boy role to play Vincent, a soulless, silver-haired assasin with a stubbly beard and a long hit list. For a actor accustomed to portraying young and brash, Cruise plays a polished sociopath to near perfection.
Collateral, without question, is one of the best crime dramas I've seen in years. And not surprisingly, the man behind the camera is Michael Mann, the acclaimed director of Heat, The Insider, and Miami Vice. Like in Heat, Mann shoots the films in hues of blue and green, making a L.A., a commonplace and typically boring setting for a film, into an edgy, eerie urban jungle.
Not until the closing credits was I reminded that Mann directed this excellent film, though I was reminded of Heat through most of the film. I enjoyed that movie a lot more than most, so my high praise for Collateral is far from a guarantee that you'll consider it greatness.
Hollywood hasn't given us many excellent mainstream movies in the new millennium, and part of Collateral's charm may be the result more of lowered expectations than cinematic genius. But for me, this film is a showcase for Mann's mastery of crime drama, Cruise's newfound versatility, and a studio's ability to produce a film that's action-packed and intelligent.
Broadcasting the 70's
I picked up Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy from Hollywood Video today. At times, this film was wretched at a level of stupidity rivaled by Hulk Hogan's Suburban Commando. But most moments of Will Ferrell's latest movie are hilarious. And after a late night viewing of Jim Carrey's Bruce Almighty, I was reminded of just how funny Anchorman was.
If you haven't seen it, do so. While it's not Old School, it still sheds a positive light on polyester and male chauvinism, and makes you think about what we'd look like in 1970's style, almost enough to make me wish I could grow a mustache and long sideburns for something other than a halloween party.
Mystery Watercolor
As you may have noticed, I'm running low on blogging fodder. So I have added a photoshop-enhanced picture. Try to guess who the celebrity is.
UPDATE: The mystery has been solved in less than 24 hours. The man in the photo is none other than Russ McNees, the JA and MSU graduate who is currently in his second year at Ole Miss Law School. This picture was taken at Cozumel Mexican Restaurant in Clinton, Miss. in the Summer of 2004. Congratulations to "Ted DiBiase" (real identity unknown) for solving the puzzle.
The Grizzled Godfather
The last time a Pacino character was in Italy, he was the blind, weathered, and broken Michael Corleone, dead in the courtyard of his ancestral Sicilian home. Now, Pacino returns to a film with Italian connotations, but Shakespeare, not Puzo, was the scribe of this story.
Pacino plays The Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a role that hopefully be better received than his bit part in the horrific Bennifer vehicle, Gigli.
Wednesday, December 29
Blocked Shot
A sad story of the life of Yinka Dare, a basketball prodigy from Africa who showed unlimited promise as a shot-blocking superstar at George Washington but became one of the biggest (and tallest) flops in NBA history. He was attempting a comeback when he died of a heart ailment.
Student and Blogger, Anonymous No More
Jeremy Blachman, a third-year Harvard Law student and renowned blogger of Jeremy's blog, apparently has a third job, as The Anonymous Lawyer. His identity was revealed in another excellent piece from The New York Times.
Coach February Wins Big
Mack Brown, affectionately known as 'Coach February' by this sports blogger for leading Texas to a top ranking during recruiting season but never during the real season, was recently rewarded with a whopping $10 year, $25 million dollar contract in what ranks as the biggest heist in Texas since A-Rod swooped in and pulled $250 million from the Rangers.
Things are supposedly bigger than Texas, but this super-sized contract is more bloated than Jerry Jones's ego. Why Texas trustees, still smarting over another defeat to Oklahoma -- the 5th in a row -- would give Brown a contract of this magnitude is baffling. While Brown is unquestionably a better coach than previous Longhorns head coach John Mackovic -- who's not better than John Mackovic -- he's more known for the games he doesn't win than the games he does -- namely, the games that matter.
Texas, to Brown's credit, assembles the most talented blue chips in the country. But arguably no region has more talent than Texas, and fewer universities have better facilities and more money. Texas recently was named the best job in college football. I don't think anybody would name Mack Brown the best coach. But obviously, someone is impressed -- to the tune of $25 million dollars.
Abortion Options Fading in Mississippi
In Mississippi, the emotional debate over abortion continues to rage, as state legislation and other strategies have turned Mississippi into the most abortion-unfriendly state in America.
Mullets: 21st Century Style
As a transplanted Mississippian in Virginia, I've missed out on some of Mississippi's special features -- most notably, sweet tea and Sonic. But I've missed something else, too -- the mullet.
Now don't get me wrong, this isn't the backwoods, Joe Dirt-type mullet featured on country rock legend Billy Ray Cyrus or mulletsgalore.com, but a more modern mullet -- a mainstream mullet -- a look that some might even call the "frat mullet."
This mainstream mullet is usually accompanied by long bangs in the front -- the type of bangs you might see on a 14-year-old girl, but instead, they are on 17-25 year old males, often swept to the side, sometimes nearly reaching the eyelids. But what distinguishes the frat mullet from just long bangs is how the hair becomes real thick, and extremely curly in the back -- disproportionately so.
This type of mullet is most common among suburbanites, and is usually accompanied by a swagger, a pickup truck or SUV (usually, a large, polished recent model), and a very attractive girl -- typically one who is unseasonably tanned, extremely blonde, and several years younger.
Now, I'm the last person who should give fashion advice, but this mullet seems to work, and it's far more preferable and a better statement than the spiky short hair with gelled tips. When going with a retro look, the 1980s frat mullet beats the late-1990s gelled look any day. Somehow, in the south, this form of mullet transcends time.
However, it's only an expression of youth. I don't see many professionals with the look. Due to the inevitable receding hairline, and the aversion of bosses toward the flowing manes, the hairstyle seems to vanish on most Jacksonians soon before reaching gainful employment. But should you venutre out this holiday season to a local eatery where individuals with questionable age credentials are served alcohol, look for this mullet, gawk at girl sitting next to it, and consider growing one of your own.
At 72, Wolfe Becomes a College Man in Full
I read, no -- devoured -- Tom Wolfe's latest novel, I am Charlotte Simmons, a 676-page novel -- 676-page novel? Who writes that much? Sounds like an encyclopedia! -- about the college student's lust toward athletics, elevated status, and most passionately -- one another.
Wolfe, who writes -- or types, or composes, who actually writes anymore -- in a rambling, stream of consciousness prose (Wolfe would use a French word instead of prose -- or is prose a French word) bolstered by an array of exclamation points and italicized words, is best known for The Bonfire of the Vanities, a grand, sweeping commentary on the greed of 1980's Manhatten, A Man in Full, a grand, sweeping commentary on the greed of 1990's New South Atlanta, and now Simmons, a grand -- and you guessed it -- sweeping commentary on the greed of the 00's elite universities.
Wolfe's novel is set at fictional Dupont University, one of America's finest insititutions of higher learning -- ranked No.2 in America by that pathetic second-tier publication U.S. News & World Report. Located in a run-down part of fictional Chester, Pa., Dupont seems to blend Princeton, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the University of Alabama, but the way he portrays the characters -- as mindless, soulless, selfish cads -- what an antiquated word, cad. -- makes the reader think this student body could easily be on spring break in Panama City, or even worse, on the set of MTV's Real World, but not on the pristine campus of one of the world's most presitigious universities.
I'll spare you a plot summary and a lenghty review. The book, despite its girth, predictability, and plot deficiencies, is a stunningly and disgustingly accurate look at the worst aspects of the nature of collegians. The depiction is hardly realistic, and critics have chided Wolfe for making the characters into this hideous, one-dimensional stereotypes -- but even though the exaggerations and the stereotype make this book a caricature rather than a portrait of college, there are a few nuggets of truth mixed in, and described in a way only one of America's best contemporary writers could convey.
Wolfe is 72, a near half century removed from his days as a pitcher for Washington & Lee University and as graduate student at Yale, but he still manages to capture the crude vernacular, the narcissism, and the vulnerability of the 21st century college student better than writers half his age, or even America's brightest students -- the ones actually experiencing the "college experience."
He's been criticized for addressing a hackneyed topic -- the decadence of American youth. But Wolfe has done it in a way no one else can. This may indicate Wolfe's brilliance, or maybe the lack of interest of other great writers who could more vividly and profoundly and eloquently (is that a word) expound on the topic, but would rather use their energy on more ambitious projects -- i.e. usually junk that no one wants to read about except stodgy book reviewers and the intelligentsia.
I think it may take an old man to write a book about this, because college students -- and even an aging graduate students like myself -- are too ingrained in the culture to realize that the way we speak, the words we use, the aspirations we set -- can be so primitive.
If you have plenty of free time and an urge to remember the morally reprehensible aspects of college culture, pick up this book.
Tuesday, December 28
Recommended Reading?
Can anyone suggest any particularly excellent books that I have to read over the Christmas break?
Post-Christmas R&R
There's not too much to say -- and I don't seem the man to say it -- this holiday season.
I'm discovering in these days following Christmas, I'm a voracious reader, and not an aggressive writer. Apologies might be in order for the intermittent blogging, but that's essential what blogging is -- stream of consciousness rants that come and go with the mood of the writer.
The lazy days are lovely. When the most demanding activities of a person's day are getting a haircut, browsing the bookshelves at Barnes & Noble, and meeting high school classmates for lunch, you have to appreciate your place in the world, at least for the time being.
I was told by several people that I would lose any interest in reading after a semester of law school in which almost all I did was read. But after suffering through arcane case law from August to December, leisurely reading becomes far more pleasurable. It's nice to skim over a slow passage and not to worry about missing the crux of the argument, which seemed to often when I read Contracts, though less regularly as the semester wore on (I suppose a sign that I had begun "thinking like a lawyer")
I still owe the readership the story of my return to Jackson, but the memory of it is still traumatic, and for now, I'd prefer reading good writing.
Saturday, December 25
Saban Delivers Gift to SEC West
Pundits can debate whether new head football coach Ed Orgeron is a spectacular gift or a lump of coal for Rebel fans this holiday season.
However, Ole Miss received a Christmas miracle late this evening, when Nick Saban, the diabolical coaching genius who led LSU to two SEC titles and a national championship, accepted the head coaching job of the Miami Dolphins.
This offer, to control personnel moves and coach one of the NFL's most storied franchises while living in Miami and earning a reported annual salary of $5 million, was too enticing for Saban to pass up.
He'll take over a horrendous team in one of the NFL's strongest divisions, but patient Dolphins ownership will give him time to build the team, and though prominent college coaches have recently struggled in the transition to the NFL game, Saban seems like the guy who will end the trend.
The move has only a minimal impact on the NFL for the time being, but sends tremors of seismic proportion through the SEC, immediately transforming the competitive landscape of the SEC West.
Unquestionably, LSU will remain a strong program with deep coffers, an even deeper talent pool, and a huge, rabid fan base. But Saban was the one of college football's best coaches. He will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
LSU will undoubtedly seek a replacement with head coaching experience and impressive credentials. Mike Archer, Curley Hallman, and Gerry DiNardo need not apply. The apparent frontrunner would be Butch Davis, the former Miami (FL) and Cleveland Browns head coach who resurrected Miami in the mid-1990s and toyed with taking the LSU job after DiNardo was fired.
As a recruiter, Saban had begun effectively raiding South Mississippi's best high school talent, and monopolized the state of Louisiana. But more than a talented recruiter, Saban developed the blue chips prospects into bona fide stars.
Under Saban, LSU started consistently beating Ole Miss again, and brought stability to the top tier of what had been the wild SEC West for years before his entrance. Saban's departure is a joyous moment for Ole Miss fans.
With Louisiana native Ed Orgeron coming to Oxford, hopefully the Sportsman's Paradise will become a more level recruiting battleground and LSU will again become beatable on a Saturday night in November. It probably just means Mack Brown starts getting more top players from Louisiana for his his Texas team, but during the holiday season, it's ok for Ole Miss fans to dream big.
Home for the Holidays
35 hours after leaving Charlottesville, I am back in Madison. The odyssey -- which I shall write about soon -- is complete.
Monday, December 20
Weekend Update
Two and a half hours until exam No.3. I'm neither nervous nor excited. I'm just ready to call it a semester.
The weekend, not surpisingly, was uneventful, given that I am in the midst of exam season. While I spent Saturday and Sunday reviewing mens rea and the model penal code, others had a memorable time.
The Clinton crew, led by their godfather, Thew Ingram, hosted a huge Christmas Party at the home of Lay, Thew, and Lassiter. I'm told 60 people were in attendance, and that the girl / guy ratio was shockingly good. I'm also told that Don Ehrhart's ankle is healed up after injuring it in Dallas last January.
I was distracted by my favorite pasttime (sp?), fantasy football, on Sunday. Withstanding a late comeback attempt by Nathan Cherry, my fantasy football team was able to advance to next week's championship in the "Lawhoo" league. Sadly, my fortunes in my other fantasy football league haven't been as good. With the Monday night game still to be played, I'm in danger of dropping to 5-10 for the season and 9th out of 10 teams. I would be banished to the cellar were it not for Thew Ingram's team, who is 2-12. Not an impressive year for Thew, but look on the bright side and remember, 2-12 for Dennis Erickson earned him a visit from Pete Boone and Robert Khayat.
Again, I seriously recommend reading the Eli Manning story in the NYT Magazine. One of the best sports articles I've read in quite a while. There's another good article in the magazine about "personal blogging" that's quite entertaining as well.
Congratulations are in order to Eupora's Lee Swindle. The versatile quarterback earned 1st team Clarion-Ledger All-State honors for his punting duties. Lee is the younger brother of one of my elementary school classmates. I'm glad to see that he's been successful on the gridiron.
I turned on the TV for 15 seconds a few minutes ago and President Bush was delivering a press conference. His delivery was as choppy as this blog post.
Later.
Saturday, December 18
The Eli Experiment
In tomorrow's New York Times Magazine, already available for viewing online, New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning is the featured story.
I've only read the first several paragraphs, but the NYT Magazine always does marvelous work. I expect we'll be treated to an insightful and entertaining read.
Quick Update
To answer the IMs in advance, I am returning to Jackson in the late evening on December 23rd. I'm flying Delta out of Baltimore, where snow flurries are rumored in the middle of the week. What painful irony if I was to experience my first white Christmas in an airport terminal in Maryland. I expect a possible delay at the airport, but I still think I'll arrive in Mississippi before Santa does.
Look forward to seeing everyone, sooner or later.
Two New Blogs, One with Staying Power
Tonight, confident of my understanding of the key elements of The Model Penal Code that will be tested on Monday's Criminal Law exam, I turn my attention to two blogs, WorldClassGlass and Rants and Cravings, released earlier this week. The economy may be stagnant, but the blogosphere is booming. In only a few years, blogs have risen from an obscure hobby of techies in California's Silicon Valley to mainstream form of internet expression used by Manhattan socialites, Baghdad merchants, and a variety of individuals across the world. Blogs are even taking off in Mississippi. Since I revived the Snyder News Network in the blog format last March, I've been joined by a slew of other acquaintances who are bold enough to put their thoughts and opinions on the world wide web. WillBardwell.com has been undisputably the most popular new blog for the recently graduated Ole Miss crowd. This witty and opinionated Meridian Star sportswriter for has kept some readers laughing with tributes to Sylvester Stallone and other readers fuming over his liberal political perspectives. Allen Thigpen's Live Journal has been around a while -- before I started using SNN as a blog -- and has a healthy cult following of people who can't get enough of his Celebrity of the Week sketches. Thigpen is a quality over quantity blogger. He doesn't update often, but when he does, you're in for a laugh. Other bloggers have been more sporadic. Marshall Rivers's blog was dormant for several months, but is now kicking again. Grant Gannon started a blog, but quit after a few posts to concentrate on his day job. If you want to read his work, go to Rebel Grove. Kyle Veazey tried his hand at blogging for a few days, but realized in working for The Birmingham News, he wrote enough. But some of the newest bloggers may be in for the long haul. Greg Little keeps his site regularly updated and is funny. Hardy Case's The Politico has plenty of updates and has become for me a condensed, slightly editorialized version of The Magnolia Report, an informative glance at the battles of state government for readers on the go. Just in the past week, two news blogs have been started by two prominent Ole Miss students. The first, ASB President Gordon Fellows's Rants and Cravings is a candid look into the life and loves of Ole Miss's top student leader, one of my best friends, and a man I predict has the potential to become the biggest political titan in Northeast Mississippi since Jamie Whitten. Apparently, the life of this Tupelo native is quite boring, as he's only managed to post three times since starting the site. Gordon has a unique sense of humor that could really provide him a special niche in the blogging world, but his personal obligations -- sleep, food, Saved by the Bell reruns, student government, and Sara Hart -- may keep this dynamic former Tupelo T-Rex mascot from realizing his potential as one of America's best bloggers. I fear that his blog, much like his fantasy football team from last season, could be neglected over the long haul. But another new blog exudes potential success. In a land of cotton fields, abject poverty, and Stewart Patridge, a new individual is primed to become one of Mississippi's best bloggers. Bobo Champion, a former Mr. Pillow Academy and new president of Sigma Nu Fraternity, has created WorldClassGlass, a blog focusing on Ole Miss sports and named after the legendary and versatile former Ole Miss forward Gerald "World Class" Glass. In just a week, WorldClassGlass seems to have the ingredients for success: a haloscan commenting system as opposed to the wretching blogger commenting system, a sense of humor, and most importantly, numerous posts. After reading his blog for several days, I hope World Class Glass becomes a permanent part of my daily internet reading routine, and isn't just an outlet for Bobo to pass the time in Greenwood over the Christmas holidays. As one of those few people that can bridge the gap between the unreformed internet junkie / thefacebook.com crowd and the technologically-averse "cool and tough" culture at Ole Miss that labels anything involving keyboards or self-expression as "cheesy," Bobo Champion's World Class Glass could draw a wide audience and renew appreciation for the best Ole Miss basketball player of the Ed Murphy era. Yet whether time judges these blogs old and new as fixtures or fads, for now, they are a convenient vehicle for writing, reading, and staying connected. UPDATE: Mistake of Fact -- Kyle Veazey still has a blog, but with a new address. Go here to check it out. My apologies to Mr. Veazey. Friday, December 17
New Website Rekindles Old Memories
As I mentioned in the previous post, the most notable improvement in the redesign of olemiss.edu is the series of new, caption-accompanied photographs in a rotating array on the frontpage.
While glancing at the screenshot of the website I used in the post about the new olemiss.edu, you may have noticed several familiar faces from the picture, one clear, and several blurred.
The photograph, captioned "Business Students Practice For the Real World," is a center-weighted shot of Ole Miss student J.B. Ward. In the foreground are the blurred frames of Alan Bean (to the right) and yours truly (to the left). In the background, you should be able to identify Paul Tucker, David Carroll, and Brad Hillman.
What's funny about this photo is the caption. You see, J.B. Ward is not a business student; he's an accounting major. I majored in business, but Alan Bean studied political science. We weren't dressed up for a project in our Investments or Managerial Economics class. We were campaigning.
This photo, taken in Feburary 2002, shows us trying to drum up support on Election Day for my bid to become Ole Miss's student body president.
Unless passing out push cards about yourself to apathetic students all day is practice for the real world, this photograph has been erroneously labeled.
Even so, for me, this is a sentimental snapshot of a bygone era, when college seemed as if it would last forever, when the outcome of a campus election seemed as if it would determine the fate of humanity, and when J.B. Ward would be willing to spend an afternoon burning cellphone minutes and panhandling for votes on the Union Plaza.
I can't decide if it feels like yesterday when this was happening or a lifetime ago. It sort of feels like both.
So next time you check out olemiss.edu and see that photo, you'll know the context.
And who said I never taught y'all anything.
With that moment of sappy nostalgia now over, we now return to regularly scheduled blogging -- sports, politics, and an upcoming review of blogs.
A Facelift for OleMiss.edu
A day after introducing the new face of the football program, Ole Miss quietly unveiled the new face of the its website.
The long-anticipated update of the university's homepage, www.olemiss.edu , marks the first major revision of the site since 2000 or 2001. In recent years, hard-to-please UM students and alumni had begun grumbling that the website was spartan and outdated, and in dire need of major change.
They got a major change, but it's a change that may fail to meet the expectations of many.
The renovation, most likely the handiwork of well-respected and talented UM Webmaster Eric Aitala, is visually more impressive than the former version, employing a rotating array of Robert Jordan photographs that will remain a nice touch if regularly updated and a new search feature that allows visitors to reach different sites on the UM web by clicking a letter of the alphabet.
The biggest problem, though, is the font. While most university websites use Verdana (like SNN) or Times New Roman, Ole Miss inexplicably uses a large, tacky Arial font as its default. The sufficient interface is hurt by scrunched up font on the navigation bars that prevents the frontpage from achieving a sleek, sophisticated feel.
Coupled the font problems with the coloring -- a shade of blue that looks to be a closer relative of lavender than navy, and you're left with a website that's new and improved, but fails to capture the beauty and majesty of the Ole Miss campus.
Sadly, those that were expecting The Lyceum of websites will have to settle for the Old Chemistry building.
Coming Up Soon
... A critique on the new Olemiss.edu website.
... SNN will give a review of two new blogs.
... Also, expects remark on Tim Brando and other sanctimonious sports pundits, the rigors of law school in the late semester, and the future of the "reality" television genre.
Thursday, December 16
Trump and Hiring Policy
How hard is it to run one of Donald Trump's companies? Trump is plucking people from a television show and inserting them into his corporation as top leaders (or so he says on the show). Most of the candidates, like Kelly, the winner of the 2nd Apprentice and Jennifer Massey, the San Francisco attorney and show's runner-up, are wildly successful and ambitious people who would likely excel in most professional environments.
But in January, The 3rd season of the Apprentice begins. At this rate, Trump is giving away 2 projects (he likes to call them companies on his show) annually. Trump is going to have to keep churning out projects or start outsourcing these Apprentice winners to other companies.This isn't like Survivor.
He's not giving away $1,000,000 bucks and the title of Sole Survivor. Trump is giving the control of his major real estate projects to these people.
This is another reason why America remains divided into two camps concering Trump. One camp considers him a brilliant business genius. The other sees him as a inconsistent egomaniac whose name is better than his bottom line.
Who's The Boss?
Did Ole Miss just hire USC Assistant Coach Ed Orgeron or former Gambino Crime Family Underboss Sammy "The Bull" Gravano?
Wednesday, December 15
Cutcliffe to Notre Dame?
Former Ole Miss Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe could be headed to South Bend.
Reports are surfacing that Cutcliffe will be hired as Offensive Coordinator under new head coach Charlie Weis.
Congratulations to Coach Cutcliffe. I hold Charlie Weis in high regard, and was especially impressed by the few minutes I was able to catch of his press conference two days ago. Weis speaks and looks like Bill Parcells, and learned from the man. I think after misfiring with Davie and Willingham, Notre Dame has hit paydirt with this hire.
Cutcliffe is a proven offensive coordinator and will be a great asset for Coach Weis's staff.
I hate to admit it, but for the first time in my life, I will be rooting for Notre Dame on most Saturdays.
What Do You Think?
Sound off on new Ole Miss Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron.
Search Is Over: Orgeron to Ole Miss
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi has hired Southern California assistant Ed Orgeron to coach the Rebels, Orgeron's father told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Ole Miss scheduled a news conference Thursday to introduce a new coach, school spokesman Langston Rogers said, though he declined further comment.
"It's a done deal," Edward Orgeron Sr., the coach's father, said Wednesday in a phone interview from his home in Larose, La.
Athletic director Pete Boone was in southern California on Wednesday, but would not confirm the hiring of Orgeron. Boone met with San Francisco 49ers coach Dennis Erickson on Tuesday. Erickson withdrew from consideration on Wednesday.
"We spent a lot of time getting information and researching, and a lot of phone calls and talks," Boone said by phone Wednesday. "I'm extremely pleased with the way we went about doing it and the results that we got."
The younger Orgeron could not immediately be reached for comment.
Orgeron, a Louisiana native, has been the defensive line coach with the Trojans since 1998 and is considered a top-notch recruiter, but this will be the first head coaching position.
Orgeron's high profile and his ties to the Deep South made him an appealing candidate for Ole Miss.
He is considered a key recruiters at top-ranked Southern Cal, which plays No. 2 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the Bowl Championship Series title on Jan. 4. He won three national titles as an assistant -- two at Miami (1989 and 1991) and last year at USC.
He was interviewed by Ole Miss shortly after being contacted on Dec. 6.
The 43-year-old openly expressed his desire for the job during the past two weeks.
His hiring wraps up the school's 15-day search for David Cutcliffe's replacement. Cutcliffe was fired Dec. 1 after his first losing season in Oxford.
Several big-name coaches let it be known they were not interested in the job -- including Bobby Petrino of Louisville, Tyrone Willingham of Washington and Former Florida coach Ron Zook, who took the Illinois job last week.
Ole Miss is known to have interviewed Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, along with Erickson.
Cutcliffe, who made a reported $1.2 million per year, was fired after a difficult season in which he struggled to replace Eli Manning and refused to make major staff changes after his 4-7 season.
He was 44-29 in six seasons at Ole Miss, 25-23 in the SEC, and just a season removed from going 10-3 and finishing tied for first in the West with Manning at quarterback.
Rebels Running Out of Options
I woke up this morning wondering if today would be the day Ole Miss hired a coach with two national championships. A few hours later, I wonder if the program will be able to find a coach at all.
49ers head coach Dennis Erickson is staying put in San Francisco, leaving USC Assistant Head Coach Ed Orgeron, who might best be described as a poor man's Mike Tice, and Miami Defensive Coordinator Randy Shannon, a candidate who may not even be interested in coming to Oxford, as Ole Miss's top two choices.
I don't really know who is left. Expect an announcement of Orgeron as the head coach within the next few days, and expect that hiring to draw about the same amount of excitement as if Ole Miss had hired Tommy West.
Tuesday, December 14
Pedro Martinez
You have probably already heard the news, but I'll repeat it.
Pedro Martinez, the enigmatic right-hander who dominated major league baseball in the late 1990s and was an integral part of Boston's world series championship, will be playing for The New York Mets next season.
Martinez is signing a 4-year, $50 million contract with New York after Boston only agreed to give the aging Martinez a guaranteed three years. In the short term, the loss may seem devastating for The Red Sox Nation, who viewed Pedro as their most productive -- albeit most unpredictable -- pitcher and as the face of the franchise during the last several seasons.
But while Pedro's fastball has faded, his ego has not, and he chose money over loyalty. It didn't seem to matter that he was adored in Boston, or that management bent the rules and broke the bank for him. Pedro, like most coddled, mega-millionaire measured his value as a superstar by the amount of money in his contract.
Iconic status? That's cool to Pedro. But not when it means it prevents him from purchasing a longer yacht.
Unless the guy is planning on buying his native Dominican Republic, an extra year and a few million extra dollars shouldn't be worth more than respect and admiration. But it is.
In the long-term, Boston may benefit. The front office won't be limited by Pedro's enormous salary, and the team won't be held back by Pedro's antics. Now GM Theo Epstein can search for younger, hungrier talent.
Pedro's not hungry for wins or food. He looks like he's eaten half the chowder in Boston. Ever since the 2003 ALCS, when he tossed down Don Zimmer, Pedro has started resembling Don Zimmer.
He could be in for a renaissance in a new location, but if he expected a career rebirth, he picked the wrong New York team. Clemens, David Cone, Dwight Gooden, and Paul O'Neill -- all aging stars when they went to The Yankees -- found new life in the Bronx. But the New York Mets is where aging players go to kill off their careers, like Mo Vaughan and Tom Glavine. If The Bronx is the baseball's fountain of youth, the Queens is baseball's cemetary. The only time I drove through Queens I noticed graveyards. Everywhere. Fitting that the Mets should play there.
Do I wish Pedro the best? No. I can't root for the Mets. Maybe because they have so much money and still manage to be terrible. Maybe it stems from the franchise uprooting their Double A franchise from Jackson back in the late 1980s. Maybe I have this subconscious hatred of John Franco. Maybe because I think the Dodgers and the Giants have more New York in them than the Mets.
Hopefully, Boston can acquire Oakland A's pitcher Tim Hudson, but at his best, Hudson can't replace Pedro at his. I'm afraid in 2005 The Red Sox will reprise their role as the second fiddle of the American League, which means I'll have to refocus my baseball energies on my favorite NL team -- The Chicago Cubs.
And hopefully, they'll finally trade Sammy Sosa -- to the New York Mets.
Eli
You've got to feel for Eli Manning.
A rookie quarterback for a bad New York football team gets thrust into the starting lineup with the most formidable stretch of the Giants schedule ahead. He has a good running back, but his offensive line is the arguably the league's worst, and his wide receivers would not be starters almost anywhere else in the NFL.
Everybody knows the numbers Eli put up against the Ravens. 4 for 18 for 27 yards. 2 interceptions. 0 touchdowns. Those numbers are so bad Eli had a passer rating of 0.0. For a guy who some predicted would be as good as John Elway, Eli looked more like Babe Laufenberg against Baltimore. Or Heath Shuler. Or Todd Blackledge. Or Dan McGwire. Or Ryan Leaf. Or Akili Smith. Or {insert name of mediocre NFL quarterback here}.
Eli won't be remembered as one of those quarterback. Anybody that saw him play in college and anybody that knows him knows he'll improve. If the Giants can give Eli time to develop, time in the pocket, and a couple of receivers that can catch, he'll turn out alright. John Elway, Troy Aikman, and Peyton all struggled in their first season in the NFL. Brett Favre barely even saw the field.
The combined record of the first five teams Eli will start against this season (including the Steelers on Sunday) is 46-19. Eliminate the Washington Redskins for that group, and he's started against teams who have a combined record of 42-10.
On the bright side, if Eli plays no worse against Pittsburgh than he did against Baltimre (could he possibly play any worse), he'll get to the season against the Bengals and the Cowboys, two teams that play really, really bad defense.
I hate all the comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. While I am not a fan of Big Ben and think Tommy Maddox would probably have the Steelers at the same record right now, I have to grudgingly admit Roethlisberger will be an outstanding NFL quarterback one day. But he's got a few things Eli doesn't. Hines Ward is one. Plaxico Burress is another. A good offensive line. And the Cleveland Browns on the schedule twice a season.
NFL franchise quarterback Eli is coming to New York. Just give it some time.
Sunday, December 12
I recommend that all of you readers go to The Jackson Free Press and fill out a list of Jackson's best. This huge list covers everything from Best Bartender to Best New Slogan for Jackson. (I know some of ya'll could come up with some creative ones for that -- but remember, be nice). The list is extremely long, but you only have to answer 20 of them. Here are some endorsements if you need help. Best Jackson Author: Scott Brunner Best Jackson Website: The Snyder News Network Best Bartender: Destin Dell Most Under-Appreciated Jacksonian: Steve Guyton Best Educator: Peter Jernberg Best Non-Profit Organization: Mississippi REALTORS Association Be sure to send in as soon as possible. Post on here if ya'll have other suggestions on who should win the different honors.
Finals Tomorrow
Blogging has been light, because beginning tomorrow, I will take the first of 4 first-year law school examinations.
Over the next 9 nine days, 361 of us will be asked to apply thousands of pages reading, class lectures, and common sense to questions of varying degrees of complexity. For some, the exams will be confusing, humbling, and frustrating, causing untold amount of anguish. For others, the exams will be a chance for people who act as if they know everything already to show off their brilliance to their professor, the one person that might rival him/her in intelligence. For others, the exams will be about survival.
Me? I'm just looking forward to the holidays.
The old, tired cliche is that in the first-year of law school they try to scare you to death. I don't know if this is completely true. I think "they" don't do anything. It's not them, it's you. You scare yourself to death. Not meeting one's expectations is a lot more frightening than the material you're asked to master or even the grueling cold-call from the intimidating professor.
I need to pick a better time to flesh this all out, and I'll probably still spare you of any additional rambling about law school.
Blogging has been called a "self-indulgent hobby" -- though I wonder if there are hobbies that aren't self-indulgent. If blogging is particularly self-indulgent, blogging about one's life is even worse. Since my life is not that interesting, with the exception of the 8-week excursion through Europe and any time I hang out with Granville, I try to refrain from too much self-reflection and journalizing on the internet. That's what diaries are for.
But anyway, I can't predict the level of posting you should expect over the next 9 days. I doubt I'll have the time or the brain power, but it is a nice respite as a pour such wonderful topics as collateral estoppel and FRCP 56.
Erickson at Ole Miss?
Dennis Erickson, the coaching vagabond who has a resume that includes a national title and the stain of NCAA violations, may be making his next coaching stop in Oxford, Miss., ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports..
Erickson is currently the coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, but his job status with the 49ers is in serious danger after the team stumbled to a 1-11 record.
Dennis Erickson's career has been experience a variety of highs and lows. He achieved national prominence when he led the Miami Hurricanes to a national title in the early 1990s. He bolted to The Seattle Seahawks, leaving Miami in the midst of a series of NCAA abuses, which ultimately left the Hurricanes on probation and Erickson's reputation tarnished.
After struggling in Seattle, Erickson took over as coach at Oregon State, leading the Beavers to The Fiesta Bowl and quickly turning one of the PAC 10's consistently worst programs into one of its most competitive.
In 2002, Erickson's name was linked to Ole Miss head coaching job when rumors began circulating on the Ole Miss Spirit Board that then-coach David Cutcliffe was either resigning outright or taking a head coaching vacancy at The University of Kentucky.
Cutcliffe stayed at Ole Miss, and a very reliable high level official told me soon after that hullabaloo that a man with Erickson's history of rules violations would never be a serious coaching candidate for Ole Miss.
We shall soon see. While Erickson is a proven head coach and a consistent winner on the college level, his teams Miami and Oregon State had bad reputations for being renegades.
Erickson has never stayed at one university long enough to know whether he just succeeded off the talented recruited by successful coaches that preceded him (Jimmy Johnson at Miami, Mike Riley at Oregon State) or he was the man that fostered that talent.
Still, Erickson might provide the bravado desperately needed for an Ole Miss program, and he seems to be a better choice than Ed Orgeron or Randy Shannon, two unproven commodities whose success seems more a product of talent-rich programs that innovative coaching.
But whether Erickson would even come to Ole Miss is the greatest question of all. He's still the head coach (for now) of the 49ers, and Terry Donahoe, the 49ers GM, has not indicated that Erickson would be fired until the end of the season. The relationship in San Francisco is obviously not working out, and the penny-pinching 49ers should go ahead part ways with Erickson and let the man move on with his career.
It would not be the splash a Butch Davis hiring would make. But Erickson at Ole Miss would be very, very interesting.
Friday, December 10
Rankin County Schools
Recently, a young family told me they were moving to Rankin County and were interested in enrolling their children in one of the public schools there. They are deciding between Brandon, Northwest Rankin, and Pearl. Since we have some Metro Jacksonians in the area, what would you recommend?
Thursday, December 9
Here's to you Mr. Flip-Flop Wearing, Popped Collar-Wearing Frat GuyListen here
Wednesday, December 8
James Caan Declines Interview For Coaching Vacancy
Former Academy Award nominee spurns Ole Miss, will stay in television
SATIRE
Unreliable sources are reporting that James Caan, the celebrated actor who played fictional Eastern University Head Coach Sam Winters in the 1993 film The Program, has declined an interview with Ole Miss for its vacant head coaching position.
The 65-year old character Caan, who received an Academy Award nomination for his role as brash Mafioso Sonny Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy, will remain in his current capacity as the lead actor in Las Vegas, a moderately successful television drama.
Phone calls to Caan and the Ole Miss Athletic Department were not returned.
After failing to attract any of the coaching prospects that fit Pete Boone's criteria for head coach, Ole Miss tried to turn to Hollywood to find their fit.
"Caan accurately potrayed just the kind of coach Ole Miss is looking for," the source said. "The character Sam Winters was an established winner, a gifted recruiter, an proponent of exicitng but fundamentally-sound football, and a stern, yet compassionate mentor."
In the film, Winters coached such legendary football stars as quarterback Joe Cain, running back Darnell Jefferson, and linebacker Alvin Mack.
Also to the liking of Ole Miss supporters, Winters's Eastern U. team trounced Mississippi State University in the film's season-opening game, and despite the star quarterback's alcohol problems and a rash of injuries on defense, Winters led the team to a bowl bid.
Nevertheless, Winters might have brought baggage to Oxford. In 1993, he barely avoided an investgiation from the NCAA after former player Steve Lattimer was found to have abused steroids, and several faculty members at his former school denounced him for using his influence to prevent backup quarterback Bobby Collins from being expelled for cheating on a midterm examination.
"Well, it's time for another reshuffling, but man alive, we're running out of cards," a Rebel booster said. "If things don't turn around, we're going to have to hire an assistant coach from the local junior high school. Or if that falls through, we may have to -- heaven forbid -- hire Terry Bowden."
Non-smoking section?
Question: Since Richard Scruggs, a man who won millions suing the tobacco industry, may be funding Ole Miss's next head football coach, will the new head coach have to be a non-smoker?
Tuesday, December 7
With so many Americans out of work, you would think one of them might be interested in taking a job as Ole Miss head football coach.
Overpriced?
If Ole Miss is truly considered paying nearly $2 million dollars a season for a head football coach, I will be stunned, and somewhat disappointed.
Considering some of the coaches that have supposedly been considered -- Zook, Willingham, Petrino -- I'd have to seriously question the sanity of paying one of these three men that kind of money to coach our program. We paid David Cutcliffe 1.2 million, which was a rip-off, and now we're considering upping it to 2 million dollars.
I want to elevate the program as bad as anyone else, but is offering a coach that is either a relatively unproven commodity or has been recently fired by another program the most responsible way to do it?
College football is a big business where programs must pay to play. Still, that kind of money should be reserved only for proven winners in college football. It just seems like a shaky investment.
If, as so many people like to claim, a few plaintiff's attorneys are bankrolling our school, maybe they should divert some of those funds they were willing to toss a mediocre coach and put that money instead toward a new law school facility.
Football makes money for the school unlike anything else, and big money must be poured in, but throwing it around wildly does no one any good except the new head coach, his family, his maidservants, a few high-end clothiers, and the nearest Jaguar dealership.
Legal Case
Ok, mixing briefing and blogging here .....
brilliant minds at there .. let's see you at work.
Criminal law case. Since the case occurs in Mississippi, I'm actually interested in its outcome and the reasoning behind it. I know the answer, but I'm interested to hear what non-law students say because usually common sense trumps legal sense.
Defendant goes to woman's house and asks for directions. Defendant pulls out a handgun and then forces himself inside the house. Defendant orders woman to undress. The woman begins to plead with defendant not to, saying that she has a daughter who is coming home from school soon and that she is all her daughter has because the father is dead. Defendant tells the woman to turn around and leaves.
Is this attempted rape?
Monday, December 6
Snyder to the Rescue
Kansas St. Head Coach Bill Snyder is the man who can take Ole Miss to the next level
As Ole Miss students take their winter examinations this week, a high level Ole Miss administrator faces his biggest test yet. Athletic Director Pete Boone has the daunting challenge of hiring a head coach to replace David Cutcliffe, who was dismissed by Boone last week after Ole Miss went 4-7, the Rebels' first losing record in his six years as head coach.
Reports out of Oxford claim that the coaching flavor of the month, Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino, is not interested in the position, and former Florida Head Coach Ron Zook, a Midwesterner by birth, is headed to Illinois.
This leaves former Colorado and Washington head coach as the most prominent name remaining on the Rebels coaching search. Neuheisel, who played quarterback at UCLA, where he was a Sigma Nu, and who also picked up a law degree at Southern Cal, has a proven track record and a whole lot of baggage.
But one proven coach with no baggage has been largely ignored from this search. Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder, who may or may not be my cousin, turned a miserable Kansas State program into a perennial Big 12 contender. He understands how to recruit in the junior college ranks, he is familiar with the small town atmosphere, and he has the fire and the experience Pete Boone is searching for in a head coach.
If Snyder's not interested, there are other options I suppose. Michigan State's John L. Smith, Oklahoma State's Les Miles, and several top assistant coaches around the country should receive notice.
And if worse comes to worse, I hear Gerry DiNardo is looking for work.
Saturday, December 4
Skip Bayliss writes a great story about overrated former Notre Dame head football coach Tyrone Willingham. Though Stanford has an availability at head football coach, they don't want Willingham back. Ole Miss shouldn't either.
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