Finebaum: Don't buy into hype of Rebels

[BamaFreak]

Friends, SEC fans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come not to bury Ole Miss, but to praise it.....

http://www.al.com/sports/press-register/pfinebaum.ssf?/base/sports/124756293522280.xml&coll=3

[hogfan064]

If I was an Ole Miss fan I'd either shoot myself or Finebaum after that article

[BamaFreak]

Many people have wanted to shoot Finebaum; I know I have.

[The Hogfather]

HAAAAAAAAAAA!  So true, though, especially when you add in Nutt's propensity to choke at the mere hint of higher-than-normal expectations.  They're doomed!

I just hope we can beat them.

[ark525]

The only thing I didn't like about that article is that it gives Nutt the perfect excuse for why his OM team eventually fails- that he couldn't recruit good players to a racist school LOL

[Coach Obvious]

Can't stand 'em, but:

"Ouch."

[rebelbruiser]

If I was an Ole Miss fan I'd either shoot myself or Finebaum after that article

That's only if you actually believe that Finebaum believes what he writes or says.

This article and every article or statement he makes is after one thing and one thing only, ratings.  And he's one of the best at it.

I can just about guarantee that Finebaum probably had two articles written for today, one picking us to go 12-0 and one predicting a collapse.  Picking something middle of the road doesn't get ratings.  He's smart enough to know that.  If you've ever listened to his show, you can tell that everything he does is to try to stir up attention or calls.  I can actually appreciate it because he's really good at it.

[selfexplanatory]

My favorite part of the article..

Have you ever seen the book: "Greatest Moments in Ole Miss Football History" at the bookstore? No, and there's a reason. They've only had two. When Archie Manning signed his letter of intent and when Eli followed suit 32 years later.

[Pyotr Tchaikhogsky]

Finebaum is correct.  Just a little misguided....

But the reality is Ole Miss HOUSTON NUTT has a history of choking and this year will be no exception. They'll blow a game or two that keeps them home watching the SEC title game. Last year, Ole Miss lost to Vanderbilt and South Carolina at home. Vandy was before the Florida game. South Carolina came the week following. Typical Ole Miss HOUSTON NUTT.

[rebelbruiser]

My favorite part of the article..

Have you ever seen the book: "Greatest Moments in Ole Miss Football History" at the bookstore? No, and there's a reason. They've only had two. When Archie Manning signed his letter of intent and when Eli followed suit 32 years later.

And that part proves that Finebaum is writing to stir the pot as always.  He's been around long enough and he knows enough about the SEC to know that neither Manning was a part of any of our 6 SEC titles.  However, he knows that the masses (especially the Alabama masses) like to think that the Mannings are the only tradition we have, and that we've never won anything without a Manning.  He's going to get plenty of calls into his afternoon show today about that article echoing exactly what he wrote in the article.  He hit pretty much all of the talking points for the Bama fans to get them going in the afternoon.  He even threw a minor jab at Auburn saying it's bad when Auburn is your toughest road challenge.

The whole article is brilliant if you ask me.  He knows how to work his audience better than most.

[cosmodrum]

Man, Finebaum did a number on Ole Miss in that article. I think he's right about not living up to expectations, but he doesn't really give a good argument for it, he just says, "because it's Ole Miss." We all know the Dale factor will be the reason they'll fall short of expectations, not just because they're from Oxford. Then again, the creampuff schedule sets them up beautifully, even for Hootie.

[bigarrazorback]

i can't believe it i actually liked his article

[Killean]

Finebaum is correct.  Just a little misguided....

To be fair, Houston Nutt has been to the SEC Championship game twice in 10 years.  Ole Miss hasn't been yet period if I'm not mistaken.

Don't forget that Nutt is actually BETTER than the coach they had before him.  It's when you know your coaching career is ultimately over, you start slipping down the rungs, one by one.  Nutt is headed towards progressively less prestigious jobs unless he gets out of Mississippi this next year.

[WilsonHog]

That was a woodshed beatin'.

[The_Bionic_Pig]

Finebaum to Ole Miss =

[McKdaddy]

Finebaum had both chinstraps buckled for that one.

[linkshog]

Finebaum is correct.  Just a little misguided....

Exactly what I was thinking.  How many times did we lose the easy ones and win one we weren't supposed to? That's like trading away 2 easy wins to get one big one.  I'd take a close lose and 2 wins everyday.

[lookinupthehill]

"Since the '60s, Ole Miss hasn't been No. 1 in anything except throwing whiskey bottles."



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

[McKdaddy]

Exactly what I was thinking.  How many times did we lose the easy ones and win one we weren't supposed to? That's like trading away 2 easy wins to get one big one.  I'd take a close lose and 2 wins everyday.

True.  Prior to the '05 season someone posted on here that they wouldn't be surprised if we beat USC, but lost to Vandy.  Of course we lost to both and in the course of doing so TCTWF DIDN'T THINK FELIX AND DMAC WERE EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO TOTE THE ROCK AGAINST VANDY, BUT THEN THOUGHT THAT A WEEK LATER THEY WERE EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO GET 3X THE WORKLOAD AGAINST USC.  WTH?!!  ONE OF THE MOST BIZARRE AND UNEXPLAINABLE COACHING MOVES EVER.

Sorry about that sidetracking, back to my point -- after that poster said that, many responses were in agreement, that we wouldn't be surprised if we beat USC and lost to Vandy.

[The Hogfather]

He's been around long enough and he knows enough about the SEC to know that neither Manning was a part of any of our 6 SEC titles.

Nor any African-Americans....

The last of your SEC titles was 46 years ago.

[Albert Einswine]

The only thing I didn't like about that article is that it gives Nutt the perfect excuse for why his OM team eventually fails- that he couldn't recruit good players to a racist school LOL

"You know it's tough,  boy I tell you, it's tough... tough to go into those homes and sit down with mama and tell her you're going to take care of her young man when we've got all these rebel flags waving in the stands... tough to deal with... hard... tough."

[farmhawg]

He is still a tool. But he got it wrong, ole miss doesn't choke, motho does.

[cosmodrum]

"You know it's tough,  boy I tell you, it's tough... tough to go into those homes and sit down with mama and tell her you're going to take care of her young man when we've got all these rebel flags waving in the stands... tough to deal with... hard... tough."

You know, I've always wondered how you sell an African-American kid on going to a school that waives the rebel flag. Of course, I'm not saying Arkansas doesn't have racism now or in it's history...hell our own state flag is a manipulation of the stars and bars. Still, I wonder how many times a black parent brings this issue to the table at an in-home visit...

[rebelbruiser]

You know, I've always wondered how you sell an African-American kid on going to a school that waives the rebel flag. Of course, I'm not saying Arkansas doesn't have racism now or in it's history...hell our own state flag is a manipulation of the stars and bars. Still, I wonder how many times a black parent brings this issue to the table at an in-home visit...

Short answer, we don't wave the flag.  That's a common misconception.  We haven't had flags in the stadium since the mid-90s.  We have a handful of fans that try to cling to that, but it's not a whole lot different than most SEC fanbases.

[WilsonHog]

Short answer, we don't wave the flag.  That's a common misconception.  We haven't had flags in the stadium since the mid-90s.  We have a handful of fans that try to cling to that, but it's not a whole lot different than most SEC fanbases.

The Grove is a whole different matter.

Don't misunderstand - I've been to Oxford several times, and I love the atmosphere. Hearing the Ole Miss band play "From Dixie with Love" sends chills down my spine every time.

Too bad I don't think I'll be able to go back until Nutt is no longer the Rebels' coach.

[rebelbruiser]

As a side note, Finebaum picked Ole Miss to win the West just a few weeks back.  He did that to get a rise out of the Bama fans then, and he's picking us to have a train wreck now partly because his show recently began being broadcast in Jackson, MS, and he wants to get the Ole Miss listeners riled up and partly because he wants to get the Bama fans to chime in with how right he is this time.

It's all a show for Finebaum.  I honestly don't think he believes either prediction.  He just says and writes whatever it takes to get attention and ratings.

[The Hogfather]

Short answer, we don't wave the flag.  That's a common misconception.  We haven't had flags in the stadium since the mid-90s.  We have a handful of fans that try to cling to that, but it's not a whole lot different than most SEC fanbases.

Ha!  I found you!



• "Rebel Bruiser" - He looks kind of like the Colonel's bastard son. He's gone prematurely grey, is apparently pumped up on steroids and wears football pants, a fashionable Britney-cut bare-midriff shirt and a pimp hat. The Bruiser, I suppose, represents Ole Miss' traditions translated to the modern age; he's your typical Mississippi redneck wearing the pimp hat and goatee in a desperate attempt to cling to the glorious past of the Old South. In other words, he's a member of Kappa Alpha.

http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/ole-miss-gives-up-on-pc/

[RazorBassin]

That was rough, but hopefully it will all come true.

[The Hogfather]

The next few years of SEC football are going to be SO FUN to watch, for many, many reasons....

[cosmodrum]

Short answer, we don't wave the flag.  That's a common misconception.  We haven't had flags in the stadium since the mid-90s.  We have a handful of fans that try to cling to that, but it's not a whole lot different than most SEC fanbases.

True, but I'm still curious if the mascot/rebel thing is ever brought up during recruiting.

[dougieritch]

Thanks for posting!

Love how he calls Ole Miss "...the SEC's lovable little fuzzball."

[dqhog33]

Took one look at the guys pic and just closed it out.  I will not listen to anyone who looks like that talk about football.

[Sivad]

Everything Finnebaums said about OM is true, he just held out the biggest reason the Rebels will not live up to the lofty expectations this year....Houston Dale Nutt.

[GuvHog]

True, but I'm still curious if the mascot/rebel thing is ever brought up during recruiting.

I don't see anything wrong with Ole Miss flying Rebel flags at their sporting events
nor do I see anything wrong with the mascot "Colonel Reb" either as long as they're
not used to attack anybody racially. It's 2009, not 1945. It's time for some people
to quit living in the days of racial segregation and move up to 2009. I don't believe
the Ole Miss decline will start until next year after Sneed goes Pro.

[GrantMerrill]

If Bobby Petrino were the coach at Ole Miss, Finebaum would have bludgeoned him to death with his ink pen. But since his bald head continues to perform a daily colonoscopy on HDN, he kept him out of it. They all think he is a "great coach" that was sooooo mistreated at Arkansas.

Houston Nutt was right about one thing. The further you get from Fayetteville, the better a coach he is. Reason for that being is the further you get from Fayetteville, the less people you have with somewhat of an inside track to what his era was really like here... and the less people who can decipher which decisions were made by Nutt and which decisions were made by his massively insecure ego. 

[Bryan (CHF)]

There are some sorority powder-puff teams with a tougher non-conference slate than the Rebels: Memphis, USL, UAB and Northern Arizona. Are you kidding me? Do you think Northern Arizona will even bring a band? Cheerleaders? Do their players go both ways? The best players combined from those four couldn't hang with Vandy for a half.

So true...

[HognotinMemphis]

Ole Miss choked last year, in Nutt's first year. I know they went 8-4 and 5-3. But look at what they absolutely should have done: had Wake Forest beat on the road and choked at the end. Lost to Vandy and SC at home and in between those two games, went down and beat Florida. Perfectly confirms my theory that Nutt has no idea what he does to get his teams to beat a Florida. That's why he can't build on it and loses to a bad SC team the next week at home.

Further, they don't know Nutt like they think they do down in Oxford. At least not yet. Nutt loses home games. That's who he is. But by God, he can win you a big game on the road once a year. He chokes under the pressure of a home crowd. His entire staff and players sense his anxiousness and choke along with him. Hell, the man had a losing SEC record on his home field over his last 7 years at Arkansas!

I don't care how nicely the schedule sets up for Ole Miss this year. I will be willing to bet anyone right now that Ole Miss goes no better than 1-3 at home in SEC games. Further, they'll drop a game from last year in SEC play even though everybody is expecting Ole Miss to be 6-2 or better. I say 4-4 at best in SEC for OM this fall. Hogs will beat them in Oxford this year.

[McKdaddy]

If Bobby Petrino were the coach at Ole Miss, Finebaum would have bludgeoned him to death with his ink pen. But since his bald head continues to perform a daily colonoscopy on HDN, he kept him out of it. They all think he is a "great coach" that was sooooo mistreated at Arkansas.

Houston Nutt was right about one thing. The further you get from Fayetteville, the better a coach he is. Reason for that being is the further you get from Fayetteville, the less people you have with somewhat of an inside track to what his era was really like here... and the less people who can decipher which decisions were made by Nutt and which decisions were made by his massively insecure ego. 

+1

[WilsonHog]

Ole Miss choked last year, in Nutt's first year. I know they went 8-4 and 5-3. But look at what they absolutely should have done: had Wake Forest beat on the road and choked at the end. Lost to Vandy and SC at home and in between those two games, went down and beat Florida. Perfectly confirms my theory that Nutt has no idea what he does to get his teams to beat a Florida. That's why he can't build on it and loses to a bad SC team the next week at home.

Further, they don't know Nutt like they think they do down in Oxford. At least not yet. Nutt loses home games. That's who he is. But by God, he can win you a big game on the road once a year. He chokes under the pressure of a home crowd. His entire staff and players sense his anxiousness and choke along with him. Hell, the man had a losing SEC record on his home field over his last 7 years at Arkansas!

I don't care how nicely the schedule sets up for Ole Miss this year. I will be willing to bet anyone right now that Ole Miss goes no better than 1-3 at home in SEC games. Further, they'll drop a game from last year in SEC play even though everybody is expecting Ole Miss to be 6-2 or better. I say 4-4 at best in SEC for OM this fall. Hogs will beat them in Oxford this year.

Nutt won 75 games at Arkansas in 10 seasons. I know a few Ole Miss fans personally, and their position is that if he can replicate in Oxford what he did in Fayetteville they'll give him a lifetime contract.

But the Rebs are about to get their first taste of sour milk with the Right Reverend. It's all about expectations. It's one thing for a coach to do what Nutt did last year - no wonder the Ole Miss people were lifting Mint Juleps to him all over Mississippi. It's quite another, however, to fail to deliver on the expectations that surround their football team in 2009. If - when - Nutt fails to fulfill those expectations the grumbling will begin.     

[HognotinMemphis]

Nutt won 75 games at Arkansas in 10 seasons. I know a few Ole Miss fans personally, and their position is that if he can replicate in Oxford what he did in Fayetteville they'll give him a lifetime contract.

But the Rebs are about to get their first taste of sour milk with the Right Reverend. It's all about expectations. It's one thing for a coach to do what Nutt did last year - no wonder the Ole Miss people were lifting Mint Juleps to him all over Mississippi. It's quite another, however, to fail to deliver on the expectations that surround their football team in 2009. If - when - Nutt fails to fulfill those expectations the grumbling will begin.     

They would be celebrating you right now in Oxford if they had hired you to replace Oregeron. OM was 0-8 in SEC play in '07. You could have won a few SEC games as head coach last year. Nutt won 5 and should have won 7...easily. And even if Nutt had won 7 SEC games last year, you know what would have happened then: loss in SECCG and loss in bowl.

Nutt is already feeling the pressure. You know he is. I don't know what SEC game is their first home game but you can bank on an OM loss that game. If the line is 7 or less, I'll bet on the visiting SEC team in that first game. OM will be so falsely jacked up with Nutt leading the charge, they'll lose by 20.

[cosmodrum]

I don't see anything wrong with Ole Miss flying Rebel flags at their sporting events
nor do I see anything wrong with the mascot "Colonel Reb" either as long as they're
not used to attack anybody racially. It's 2009, not 1945. It's time for some people
to quit living in the days of racial segregation and move up to 2009. I don't believe
the Ole Miss decline will start until next year after Sneed goes Pro.

I'm not going to get into the whole rebel flag debate here. Suffice to say that I imagine that a large amount of black folks probably consider it a sign of hate and degradation, whether you, or anyone else, does or doesn't. That's why I wonder if the topic is raised in the living room of a black recruit.

[GuvHog]

They would be celebrating you right now in Oxford if they had hired you to replace Oregeron. OM was 0-8 in SEC play in '07. You could have won a few SEC games as head coach last year. Nutt won 5 and should have won 7...easily. And even if Nutt had won 7 SEC games last year, you know what would have happened then: loss in SECCG and loss in bowl.

Nutt is already feeling the pressure. You know he is. I don't know what SEC game is their first home game but you can bank on an OM loss that game. If the line is 7 or less, I'll bet on the visiting SEC team in that first game. OM will be so falsely jacked up with Nutt leading the charge, they'll lose by 20.

Vanderbilt has most of their starters returning on both sides of the ball and they play
Ole Miss in Nashville. I look for an upset here.

[CollinsvilleHawg]

"bald head continues to perform a daily colonoscopy on HDN"

Funny stuff right there!!!

[Mr. Hog]

I can't believe Finebaum did't include the Nutt factor!

[rebelbruiser]

True, but I'm still curious if the mascot/rebel thing is ever brought up during recruiting.

Definitely.  I'm sure it's brought up every year by coaches trying to get a leg up.  The reputation may keep a prospect or two from considering us every year, but for those that consider us and make a visit, it's not really an issue.  Once they get to campus and see a game and realize that the people and campus are no different than anywhere else, most of that disappears.

However, yes the perception of our campus I'm sure at least keeps a handful of prospects from considering us or visiting every year.  It's something we on occasion have to fight against in trying to make sure we get the kids on campus to at least take a look.

[Iwastherein1969]

Short answer, we don't wave the flag.  That's a common misconception.  We haven't had flags in the stadium since the mid-90s.  We have a handful of fans that try to cling to that, but it's not a whole lot different than most SEC fanbases.

the song that the band plays immediately after a home game and the fans are exiting is AMERICAN TRILOGY, which begins with what ? you got it, DIXIE !   now, personally, I love the song, but don't act like you guys don't fly as closely to the old confederate flame as you possibly can without burning your wings, American Trilogy is proof positive of this

[rebelbruiser]

They would be celebrating you right now in Oxford if they had hired you to replace Oregeron. OM was 0-8 in SEC play in '07. You could have won a few SEC games as head coach last year. Nutt won 5 and should have won 7...easily. And even if Nutt had won 7 SEC games last year, you know what would have happened then: loss in SECCG and loss in bowl.

Nutt is already feeling the pressure. You know he is. I don't know what SEC game is their first home game but you can bank on an OM loss that game. If the line is 7 or less, I'll bet on the visiting SEC team in that first game. OM will be so falsely jacked up with Nutt leading the charge, they'll lose by 20.

Our first SEC game isn't until October 10 against Alabama.  The only other home game we have before then is against SELA on Sept. 19.

[rebelbruiser]

the song that the band plays immediately after a home game and the fans are exiting is AMERICAN TRILOGY, which begins with what ? you got it, DIXIE !   now, personally, I love the song, but don't act like you guys don't fly as closely to the old confederate flame as you possibly can without burning your wings, American Trilogy is proof positive of this

Actually, the first time American Trilogy was played was after the Memphis game this past year.  It was played for only 2 or 3 games before we had to quit playing it due to some copyright issue.  Just another screw up feather in the cap of our athletic department.

[PorkSoda]

Being ranked so high preseason, the Rebels won't even need to bother with fall practice.  They might as well hang out in the hot tub and relax before breezing through thier cupcake schedule and on to the championship game.

[cbjagman]

"Since the '60s, Ole Miss hasn't been No. 1 in anything except throwing whiskey bottles."



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

That's a classic. The other comment I really loved was the "Fuzzball" remark. I think he was actually referring to their HC.