Cash settlements make a difference in today's Sports World. In the old days coaches would be fired with little money involved. Ed Orgeron will get a ton of money as he departs Ole Miss. A few years back Billy Brewer had to sue the University to get his cash after Gerald R. Turner handed him the blue slip.
Ole Miss got mad and is still mad with Billy Brewer for bringing a law suit against his alma mater. Billy could have helped and could still help Ole Miss raise money. He also should be in the Ole Miss M Club Hall of Fame as a memeber of the Centennial team an dthe coach who is second only to Johnny Vaught as Ole Miss' all-time winning head football coach.
The night of the Centennial dinner Vaught publically said he hoped that Brewer, his former defensive back, would be the Coach of the next Century of Ole Miss football.
Now, the new coach will have to hope that the announced Committments will stick. I rather doubt if the California lads will and hope i am wrong.
Orgeron sealed his own fate with his fourth and one call. He believed in his team to accomplish this mission and THEY let him down. The Offensive Line was supposed to be the strength of the 2007 Rebels. They could not open a hole against the determined Mississippi State defense when Oregeron gambled and lost. Leading 14-0 with less than eight minutes remaining Ole Miss still could have won, but didn't.
Ole Miss missed the boat when it did not sign Swayze Waters, who wanted to play college football in Mississippi. His grandfather Bucky Waters of the famed Waters sports family was excellent as a player and later as a coach. Swayze, who stars at UAB has Ray Guy-type punting ability and Paige Cothren-Robert Khayat type field goal accuracy. Noel Mazzone wanted the Memphis kicker rather than Wates, a major mistake.
I learned of Orgeron's dismissal while in Hattiesburg for the Southern's regular season finale with Arkansas State. I had made the trip to Starkville with Mitch and Steve Lavinghouse. When Ole Miss gambled and lost the first down play the Mississippi State crown got back in the game.
A few hundred Maroon fans had given up the ghost and headed for th parking lots before this happened, missing one of the best comebacks in recent Bulldog history. It took four years for Sylvester Croom to get his program moving in the right direction. Orgeron thought he had a five year assurance and was looking forward tot the 2008 season when he was terminated.
The deal is done. Ole Miss must hire and hire quickly. Paying a search firm is throwing money away. Athletic Directors should always have a short list of possible replacements. Ole Miss joins Baylor, Michigan, SMU, Texas A&M, and Nebraska as members of the coach search club. And there could be others after the final week of the regular season.
Ole Miss needs to retain as many commitments as possible.
In Hattiesburg after meeting new President Martha Saunders, I chatted with veteran pro scout Hamp Cook and P.W. Underwood, who played at Southern when I worked there as Director of Public Relations and Athletic Publicity with one student who could cut stencils for the publicity releases. I also helped recruit P.W. was one of the prize signees. I drove P.W. around town and then we sat under a big oak tree leading to the Grill where every every co-ed had to pass. I told P. W. that i knew he was a good football player and he would get the publicity, because i handled the publicity. I also told him that the co-eds and particularly the Dixie Darlings really liked football players and he replied: "Where do I sign?"
Later when he was a head coach his greatest win came when Southern beat Ole Miss, led by Archie Manning in 1969. Four husky football players picked Underwood up on their shoulders and carried him out to mid-field to shake Johnny Vaught's hand. The staggered as they approached the Rebel Coach and then dropped him because his weight was practically on the Ole Miss coach's foot.
Johny Howard Vaught looked Underwood in the eye and said: " You didn't expect two miracles in the same day did you?"
-------30---------
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
A Long Day in Oxford
OXFORD-----The Wild Bunch gathered for their final Grove Tail Gate of 2007. Missing were All American Fullback Charlie Flowers and Dr. Shed Hill Roberson. Shed was in Florida with his children and grandchildren. Charlie was battling a seizure of Influenza suffered on a vacation trip in Italy.
Beaux Ball, the best dancing football player in the Johnny Vaught Regime, was there with his bride, Bea, and son, Warren Jr. They are already planning their ski trip in Colorado next winter. Kent Jr. Lovelace and his bride Cheri were there. They are looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by their son-in-law Emeril LeGasse in New Orleans. They will also join Emeril and their daughter Alden in Pasadena for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Emeril is the Grand Marshal.
We asked Cheri how did she happen to marry Kent Jr. She said she was 10 years younger and when he called the Family home she answered and told him he must want to talk to her older sister. Kent Jr., who refused a Happy 70th birthday party suggested by Alden,said no, he wanted to talk to her.
At Wellington Mara's funeral Perian Conerly, Lulu Malvezzi Manness, and I had lunch at Jimmie Neary's with Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford. I told Frank that my pal Beaux Ball told me they had bought a house next to them in Colorado and were looking forward to being neighbors. Frank said this would be impossible since they sold their house shortly thereafter.
The All-American Football Foundation wants to honor and remember John Jewell Ball, hopefully at the Deep South Banquet of Champions in Jackson February ll. Beaux is checking to see if he can be there to represent his deceased brother. J.J. always looked forward to the LSU-Ole Miss game in Baton Rouge. He usually bought a new suit before the game and said that there were 60,000 fans observing him in his new suit.
Ed Wilburn Hooker and his family will again view the State-Ole Miss game in Destin. He is glad Ole Miss will allow cooking in the Grove next season so he can again prepare his delicious Brie Burgers, which Emeril had said that they were outstanding.
At this year's LSU-Ole Miss game the Rebels played well for a while against the nation's top-ranked football team going into Thanksgiving weekend. BenJarvis Green Ellis got his 1000 career yards but could not get vital yards from the one, fumbling and LSU recovering which hurt the Red and considerably.Later Ole Miss was on the Tiger three, first down, and got a delay in game penalty followed by a 1-yard penalty.
Next spring management of the clock should be stressed. I know some of the players had academic problems, but how tough is it to read a clock?
****
While some 20 players were involved in swiping motel towels this is nothing new in college athletics. When I was working at Mississippi Southern a huge married tackle came home from a road trip and his bride unpacked his bag and found two motel towels. She chewed the husky out and told him she did not marry a towel thief. Several weeks later on another road trip in Louisiana the players carrying their baggage were sorry to see the hotel manager racing out to the bus and telling Coach Pie Vann that his players had borrowed some towels. Pie told his gridders to unpack their bags and sure enough there were motel towels therein. Only one bag did not have a towel, the big husky whose wife had threatened to leave him. Pie said he was glad that he had at least one honest player while giving the hotel manager back his towels.
There was no suspension , however, just laps to run when the team got back to Hattiesburg.
-----30-----
Beaux Ball, the best dancing football player in the Johnny Vaught Regime, was there with his bride, Bea, and son, Warren Jr. They are already planning their ski trip in Colorado next winter. Kent Jr. Lovelace and his bride Cheri were there. They are looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by their son-in-law Emeril LeGasse in New Orleans. They will also join Emeril and their daughter Alden in Pasadena for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Emeril is the Grand Marshal.
We asked Cheri how did she happen to marry Kent Jr. She said she was 10 years younger and when he called the Family home she answered and told him he must want to talk to her older sister. Kent Jr., who refused a Happy 70th birthday party suggested by Alden,said no, he wanted to talk to her.
At Wellington Mara's funeral Perian Conerly, Lulu Malvezzi Manness, and I had lunch at Jimmie Neary's with Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford. I told Frank that my pal Beaux Ball told me they had bought a house next to them in Colorado and were looking forward to being neighbors. Frank said this would be impossible since they sold their house shortly thereafter.
The All-American Football Foundation wants to honor and remember John Jewell Ball, hopefully at the Deep South Banquet of Champions in Jackson February ll. Beaux is checking to see if he can be there to represent his deceased brother. J.J. always looked forward to the LSU-Ole Miss game in Baton Rouge. He usually bought a new suit before the game and said that there were 60,000 fans observing him in his new suit.
Ed Wilburn Hooker and his family will again view the State-Ole Miss game in Destin. He is glad Ole Miss will allow cooking in the Grove next season so he can again prepare his delicious Brie Burgers, which Emeril had said that they were outstanding.
At this year's LSU-Ole Miss game the Rebels played well for a while against the nation's top-ranked football team going into Thanksgiving weekend. BenJarvis Green Ellis got his 1000 career yards but could not get vital yards from the one, fumbling and LSU recovering which hurt the Red and considerably.Later Ole Miss was on the Tiger three, first down, and got a delay in game penalty followed by a 1-yard penalty.
Next spring management of the clock should be stressed. I know some of the players had academic problems, but how tough is it to read a clock?
****
While some 20 players were involved in swiping motel towels this is nothing new in college athletics. When I was working at Mississippi Southern a huge married tackle came home from a road trip and his bride unpacked his bag and found two motel towels. She chewed the husky out and told him she did not marry a towel thief. Several weeks later on another road trip in Louisiana the players carrying their baggage were sorry to see the hotel manager racing out to the bus and telling Coach Pie Vann that his players had borrowed some towels. Pie told his gridders to unpack their bags and sure enough there were motel towels therein. Only one bag did not have a towel, the big husky whose wife had threatened to leave him. Pie said he was glad that he had at least one honest player while giving the hotel manager back his towels.
There was no suspension , however, just laps to run when the team got back to Hattiesburg.
-----30-----
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Outstanding Scholar Athlete Class
LOS ANGELES------It was a pleasure to attend the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards Dinner in the historic Orpheum Theater while in town to have an early Happy 48th Birthday celebration with my eldest son Michael Sean McDowell who is the group's Chairman of the Board.
Seated next to Warren Beatty and his lovely wife Annette Benning it was a most enjoyable evening. After our introduction Warren asked where I was from. I replied: Mississippi. He said he thought the accent was familiar since he was originally from Virginia. I asked him whether he planned to enter the political scene since it had been rumored he might. He said "No."
My son, who is the Senior Director of Cultural Tourism for Los Angeles, Inc. and a graduate of the University of Virginia lives in Sherman Oaks. His neighbors include Lilly Tomlin and Loni Anderson. Had I been there I would have offered to trim Loni's hedges.
Los Angeles was always special to me, serving there in World War II at the Naval Armory located in Chavez Ravine, a stone's throw from Dodger Stadium, I was a Regular at the Hollywood Canteen where the guest hosts included: Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Haviland and one evening Rita Hayworth, who helped husband-to-be Orson Welles, an amateur magician, sawing her in half despite the protests of service men in attendance.
*******
The National Football Foundation's 2007 Scholar-Athlete Class is again outstanding.Fifteen seniors will receive $15,000 grants including Mississippian Michael Eubanks, a Pre-Med major from Delta State University. Look forward to seeing this group in New York Dec. 4 at the Waldorf Astoria.
Eubanks and Danny Woodhead of Chadron State are the two Division Two honorees. Erid Safran of LMount Union and Jake Weller of Illinois College are the Division 3 honorees. Nick Clark of Texas State University and Brandon Cramer of the University of Dayton are the Division l-AA selectees.
The nine Division 1-A honorees include: Heisman Trophy candidate Dennis Dixon of the University of Oregon, Alex Brink, Washington State, Paul Smith, University of Tulsa, Jacob T Tamme, University of Kentucky, Brandon Renkart, Rutgers University, Mike Klinkenburg, University of Iowa, J. Leman, University of Illinois, Dallas Griffin, University of Texas, and John Carlson, University of Notre Dame.
The best of this group will receive the Draddy Trophy in honor and memory of the NFFHF's great chairman Vincent DePaul, of whom I was associated with for 27 and a half years as Executive Director, Executive Secretary, Administrator of Chapters and Director of Public Relations. I traveled 262 days a year helping build the Foundation into a national organization and have two ex-wives to prove it.
*****
Look forward to also attending the presentation of the Conerly Trophy Nov. 27 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame to the outstanding Magnolia Player of the Year. I am waiting until the final regular season game to cast my ballot, after all of the returns are in. The same is true for my Heisman Trophy Ballot. The Heisman Dinner, which I have attended every year since 1962, is December 10 in New York.
Seated next to Warren Beatty and his lovely wife Annette Benning it was a most enjoyable evening. After our introduction Warren asked where I was from. I replied: Mississippi. He said he thought the accent was familiar since he was originally from Virginia. I asked him whether he planned to enter the political scene since it had been rumored he might. He said "No."
My son, who is the Senior Director of Cultural Tourism for Los Angeles, Inc. and a graduate of the University of Virginia lives in Sherman Oaks. His neighbors include Lilly Tomlin and Loni Anderson. Had I been there I would have offered to trim Loni's hedges.
Los Angeles was always special to me, serving there in World War II at the Naval Armory located in Chavez Ravine, a stone's throw from Dodger Stadium, I was a Regular at the Hollywood Canteen where the guest hosts included: Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, Olivia de Haviland and one evening Rita Hayworth, who helped husband-to-be Orson Welles, an amateur magician, sawing her in half despite the protests of service men in attendance.
*******
The National Football Foundation's 2007 Scholar-Athlete Class is again outstanding.Fifteen seniors will receive $15,000 grants including Mississippian Michael Eubanks, a Pre-Med major from Delta State University. Look forward to seeing this group in New York Dec. 4 at the Waldorf Astoria.
Eubanks and Danny Woodhead of Chadron State are the two Division Two honorees. Erid Safran of LMount Union and Jake Weller of Illinois College are the Division 3 honorees. Nick Clark of Texas State University and Brandon Cramer of the University of Dayton are the Division l-AA selectees.
The nine Division 1-A honorees include: Heisman Trophy candidate Dennis Dixon of the University of Oregon, Alex Brink, Washington State, Paul Smith, University of Tulsa, Jacob T Tamme, University of Kentucky, Brandon Renkart, Rutgers University, Mike Klinkenburg, University of Iowa, J. Leman, University of Illinois, Dallas Griffin, University of Texas, and John Carlson, University of Notre Dame.
The best of this group will receive the Draddy Trophy in honor and memory of the NFFHF's great chairman Vincent DePaul, of whom I was associated with for 27 and a half years as Executive Director, Executive Secretary, Administrator of Chapters and Director of Public Relations. I traveled 262 days a year helping build the Foundation into a national organization and have two ex-wives to prove it.
*****
Look forward to also attending the presentation of the Conerly Trophy Nov. 27 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame to the outstanding Magnolia Player of the Year. I am waiting until the final regular season game to cast my ballot, after all of the returns are in. The same is true for my Heisman Trophy Ballot. The Heisman Dinner, which I have attended every year since 1962, is December 10 in New York.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Great Spot for an Upset
OXFORD---Ole Mississippi, with just three victories, has Number Two national championship contender just where they want them. Last year the Johnny Rebs had the Bayou Bengals on the ropes,when LSU fumbled and a Rebel lineman, rather than falling on the ball, tried to pick it up and run with it and fumbled, LSU recovering.
The Tigers went on to score the winning touchdown. Ole Miss played both Florida and Alabama to the wire this year only to bow in the closing moments. LSU has to march into Vaught Hemingway Stadium over-confident on Nov. 20.
Can Ed Orgeron rally his charges to threaten the Tigers? First he must get his suspended players back on board, and LSU must do the same. Never in the history of college football have there been more suspended players--a sign of the times to be sure.
But Ole Miss has LSU just where they want them---over confident.
******
Mississippi State can clinch a bowl bid by beating Alabama this weekend. The Crimson could have a let-down after their fine performance against LSU. State had a week off to get ready for the Tide. Sylvester Croom, passed over for the head coaching job at Alabama, would like nothing better than trimming his alma mater.State beat Bama a year ago and will be trying to do it again. Do not sell the Maroons short.
***
Southern Mississippi looked like a different team in rebounding from its one-sided loss to Central Florida and throttling UAB in Birmingham. The Golden Eagles are getting some of their walking wounded back for the November encounters. The battle with Memphis is always a thriller.
Colonel Eddie Kauchick, the former linebacker in the 1950's , will entertain some 400 Camp Shelby soldiers with a pre-game cookout as he did a year ago. Next stop for these Soldiers will likely be Iraq. They appreciate what Eddie is doing. They will also be special guests at the Southern-Memphis football game
****
Millsaps, Mississippi College and Delta State continue to chalk up victories. So does Jackson State in its quest for a SWAC football championship.
****
The Jackson Touchdown Club's final meeting of the year will feature honoring outstanding college seniors from the Magnolia State schools. Under Ross Barnett's presidency this has been a banner year for the Touchdown Club. Vince Lombardi Jr. was an outstanding speaker. He has given the All-American Football Foundation approval to name its Outstanding Pro Football Coach in honor of his late Father. His Dad was Charlie Conerly's backfield coach with the New York Giants before he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Lombardi was stuck in the New Jersey high school coaching system for years before Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik hired him to come to West Point and help coach the Brave Old Army team.
We plan to again attend the Army-Navy game in Baltimore this year. I have attended every one of these games since 1962 with the exception of the game played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Going to Los Angeles this week to help celebrate my son Michael's 48th birthday. He is the Senior Director of Cultural Affairs for Los Angeles.
--30------
The Tigers went on to score the winning touchdown. Ole Miss played both Florida and Alabama to the wire this year only to bow in the closing moments. LSU has to march into Vaught Hemingway Stadium over-confident on Nov. 20.
Can Ed Orgeron rally his charges to threaten the Tigers? First he must get his suspended players back on board, and LSU must do the same. Never in the history of college football have there been more suspended players--a sign of the times to be sure.
But Ole Miss has LSU just where they want them---over confident.
******
Mississippi State can clinch a bowl bid by beating Alabama this weekend. The Crimson could have a let-down after their fine performance against LSU. State had a week off to get ready for the Tide. Sylvester Croom, passed over for the head coaching job at Alabama, would like nothing better than trimming his alma mater.State beat Bama a year ago and will be trying to do it again. Do not sell the Maroons short.
***
Southern Mississippi looked like a different team in rebounding from its one-sided loss to Central Florida and throttling UAB in Birmingham. The Golden Eagles are getting some of their walking wounded back for the November encounters. The battle with Memphis is always a thriller.
Colonel Eddie Kauchick, the former linebacker in the 1950's , will entertain some 400 Camp Shelby soldiers with a pre-game cookout as he did a year ago. Next stop for these Soldiers will likely be Iraq. They appreciate what Eddie is doing. They will also be special guests at the Southern-Memphis football game
****
Millsaps, Mississippi College and Delta State continue to chalk up victories. So does Jackson State in its quest for a SWAC football championship.
****
The Jackson Touchdown Club's final meeting of the year will feature honoring outstanding college seniors from the Magnolia State schools. Under Ross Barnett's presidency this has been a banner year for the Touchdown Club. Vince Lombardi Jr. was an outstanding speaker. He has given the All-American Football Foundation approval to name its Outstanding Pro Football Coach in honor of his late Father. His Dad was Charlie Conerly's backfield coach with the New York Giants before he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Lombardi was stuck in the New Jersey high school coaching system for years before Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik hired him to come to West Point and help coach the Brave Old Army team.
We plan to again attend the Army-Navy game in Baltimore this year. I have attended every one of these games since 1962 with the exception of the game played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Going to Los Angeles this week to help celebrate my son Michael's 48th birthday. He is the Senior Director of Cultural Affairs for Los Angeles.
--30------
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