Monday, January 31, 2005

Coach O Denies Rumors

Tonight on the Rebel Yell Hotline, Coach Ed Orgeron denied the rumors about his first team meeting. Rumors has been floating around the email world about some pretty rough language that he gave during his speech. First of all I think it was wrong for the person who originally wrote the story and emailed it to people. What happens in the lockerroom is supposed to stay in there, can you imagine what the world would be like, if someone reported what was said in every lockerroom around the country. But anyway, Coach O denied the story, although he said it was high energy, the reported story was taken way to far out of context. Personally I do not care what he says to the team as long as we win.

Dogs Tumble

After losing to LSU on Saturday, Mississippi State has fallen out of the top 25, quite possibly for the first time in two seasons(not sure on that though). A team that was expected to go to the Sweet 16, will now have to fight to get back among the nations elite.

Sunday, January 30, 2005


Coach O in His New Hummer

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Ole Miss Assistant Resigns

Newly hired Ole Miss linebackers coach Charlie Camp has resigned citing personal reasons. Camp who came to Ole Miss from Oregon State had been on the job for less than one month. I have no idea what happened and why he resigned, will try to find out some information.

Vandy Whips Ole Miss

Vanderbilt defeated Ole Miss this afternoon 73-51. The Ole Miss basketball program has gone downhill this season real fast, their record is now 11-10. Kendrick Fox led all scorers for the Rebels with 13 points. The Rebels two leading scorers Londirck Nolen and Tommie Eddie accounted for a combined 10 points. Ole Miss shot a miserable 35% from the field. The bright side of today's events was that LSU defeated MSU. Ole Miss returns to the court on Wednesday to take on Auburn.

Friday, January 28, 2005

Tiger High on Labor Day??

Ole Miss A.D. Pete Boone has given the go ahead to move the Ole Miss-Memphis game to Labor Day. Both teams have told ESPN they are willing to move the game. If the game was moved it would likely be a 3:30 or 4:00 game. A poll done yesterday on an Ole Miss sports unofficial website resulted in 75% of those that voted being in favor of the game. From a student's perspective I think it is awful, but am interested in your feedback. Please tell me what you think.


A Great Ole Miss Product

Cook Meets One of His Favorite Players

My good friend Robert Cook and I had a great conversation with a former Rebel great and good friend of mine Stewart Patridge at the Library Bar and Grill. Patridge who played quarterback from the Rebels is a former Pillow Academy great. Cook approached Patridge about his experience in the Alabama game, when he came in to play because Paul Head was sick. It was great to see Robert Cook finally converse with one of his childhood heroes. For those of you that do not know Stewart, he is a great guy and is always willing to talk about his football days at Ole Miss. Patridge is now in pharmaceutical sales in North Mississippi. Stewart was in town to visit his friend and current Houston Texan Todd Wade. Wade appeared to grow even more since the last time I saw him. Long live #1.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005


We've Seen This Look Before

Your Already Know The Headline: Rebels Blow It Again

I am sick and tired of this. The Ole Miss Basketball team blew the game again. Ole Miss lost to LSU tonight 70-60. This team does not know how to finish a game. The Rebels were winning by ten at one point, before finding their usual way to lose the game. LSU went on a 21-5 run for ten minutes in the second half. Someone on our team needs to learn what a time out is, when the other team goes on a run. The Rebels were led again by Tommie Eddie with 15 points. Londrick Nolen continued his same old performance by fouling out after contributing 12 points. A surprise of the game for the Rebels was Freshman Brian smith who played 18 minutes and had six points. A big discrepancy in the game was free throws. LSU was 23-30 from the line, while Ole Miss was only 4-5. I knew it would be a tough game when it was announced Doug Shows was a referee. Well, we move on. This team really had many fans behind them, many are beginning to lose faith on this team. Someone on the team has got to step up and take the game into their hands and fight for this team to win. Ole Miss travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Rebs Travel to the PMAC

Ole Miss(11-8,2-4) will travel to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to take on LSU(9-6,2-2). This is the first part of a two game road series for the Rebels. Senior Tommie Eddie(12.2ppg) takes his Rebels into a harsh environment, full of uncivilized people. The Tigers of LSU are led by sophomore forward Brandon Bass who averages 16.9 points per game. The Rebels have lost two straight games to top 25 teams. In both of these games, the Rebels led for a good portion of the game, but both times let the lead slip away. A road game at this point in the season is a big psychological test for the Rebels. They will have to dig deep and find a way to fight pass these two previous losses. The Tigers lead the series at the PMAC 71-25. For the Rebels to continue to keep their fans interested, they need to win at least one of these two road games. Tip-off is at 7p.m. and can be heard by clicking here http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/mbf/#

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Diamond Rebs

The pre-season ranked 16th team in the nation has started off winter practices with two straight scrimmages. The Rebels under Coach Mike Bianco have been swinging the bats at newly renovated Swayze Field. By no surprise, Brian Pettway and Stephen Head have taken advantage of the fences being moved in. They hit back to back homeruns in today's scrimmage. Many young pitchers are getting a chance to prove themselves. Spectators say Chris Moffett looked impressive today. Also taking the mound today was Michael Wakefield. We will hopefully take an in depth look at the Rebs before the season starts.

News from the DogPound

Official Release.........Mississippi State junior offensive tackle Richard Burch (Brandon, Miss.) was suspended from the Bulldog football program Tuesday for violation of team and university policies, head football coach Sylvester Croom announced.Burch, a 6-5, 315-pounder, started all 11 games for the Bulldogs at left offensive tackle in 2004. He has played in 30 games during his MSU career, earning 25 starts on the offensive line.No further comment will be made on Burch's status at this time...........rumor has it is was drug related and that one or two more may become suspended.......looks like Coach Croom is really turning this place around(HA!)

Monday, January 24, 2005

Ramblings

Several notes out of the Ole Miss football program...........Chris Herring has quit the team and transferred to Arkansas Tech, this guy has some real mental problems, ...............TE Slate Amos has quit the team, ..............still no decision on a Strength Coach, looks like they will be changing the whole department up,......................weekend recruiting looks like it was a big success, next weekend is a big recruiting weekend.............look for a story later this week on a member of the Harlem Globetrotters who graduated from Ole Miss

Saturday, January 22, 2005

O Addresses the Crowd

New Ole Miss head football coach Ed Orgeron addressed the crowd at half time. Orgeron was very energetic while giving his speech. He spoke to the whole crowd addressing much of his attention to the student section. The coach said the team goal was to go to the Sugar Bowl. He also said we were "going to kick some butt." It was a great motivational speech for the Ole Miss fanbase.

We Lose Again

Ole Miss let its lead get away again. The Rebels(11-8,2-4) lost at home to Alabama(15-3,4-1) 66-58. Kennedy Winston led all Alabama scorers with 26 points. The Rebels played with the Tide for most of the game and led at half time and for a good portion of the game. Ole Miss was led by Tommie Eddie with 16 points and Cavadas Nunnery with 13. Londrick Nolen only contributed five on one made field goal. If he wants to be the go to man, he better step up in a hurry. Once again the opponent played a zone defense against the Rebels. Ole Miss had some open shots but could not get them to fall. For the past two games Ole Miss has had the opportunity to win and blown it. Once again we move to a zone defense and they shoot us out of it. Once again another team steps up and some poor decisions were made in the last two minutes. This team and coaching staff has to do some searching and decide what type of team they want to be. Although they are out matched athletically, many are sick of the good effort excuses. Ole Miss goes on the road to Baton Rouge to take on LSU on Wednesday.

Friday, January 21, 2005

Hail to the Victor?

Rumors are flying about a possible matchup between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Wolverines of Michigan on the gridiron. This matchup would take place about three or four years from now. Who know if this will happen.

The Tide Rolls Into Oxford

The Ole Miss Rebels(11-7,2-3) take on the Alabama Crimson Tide(14-3,3-1) Saturday afternoon at 3p.m. The Rebels just came off a disappointing loss to Kentucky on Wednesday. Ole Miss led the game for 37 minutes. On the other hand, the Crimson Tide are coming off a massacre of MSU. It was the worst loss in Mississippi State history. The Rebels continue to be led by Londrick Nolen with 12 points a game, while the Tide are led by Memphis native Earnest Shelton with 17.9ppg. When the Rebels and Tide get together at the Tad Pad it is usually a tough fight till the finish. Look for Marvin Moore to come off the bench again and contribute for the Rebels against his home state school. This game could make or break the Rebels. Another plus about this game is that the new Rebel football coaching staff will be introduced at half time. The matchup will be broadcast live on Jefferson-Pilot Sports.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Site Hits 1,000

In less than a month, the WorldClassGlass Blog has reached the 1,000 views mark. I consider this an accomplishment and motivation to post more often. Thanks for those of you out there that read the site. I will try to post more.

Another to Notre Dame

Ole Miss Head Strength and Conditioning coach Ruben Mendoza is leaving to take the same position at Notre Dame. Mendoza will join former head coach David Cutcliffe and former offensive coordinator John Latina are both at Notre Dame already. It is very interesting that the Irish would take on three former coaches from a dwindling program at Ole Miss. It is rumored Coach O already has someone in mind from Idaho.

Blog has not been working. I have written 8 different stories about the Kentucky game. So I will sum it up. We lost.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Lunch With Tubby

I just returned from a Tip-Off club meeting in which Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith was the key speaker. Smith commented alot about how he had respect for Rod Barnes. Smith, whose son Brian is a member of the Ole Miss team, likes the way Barnes treats his players. He later spoke of changes he would like to see made in college basketball. Smith did not agree with the 5-second defensive rule, he also believe we should shorten the shot clock. When asked who the best player he ever coached was, Smith answered with Detroit Pistons star Tayshaun Prince. Overall it was a pretty good luncheon and good to see how coaches in the SEC have respect for each other. Although I could almost guarantee you no coach would have done this for Rick Stansburry.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Where Has Yancy Gone??

Does anyone know what has happened to OM Spirit recruiting guru Yancy Porter. Information is not flowing from Yancy like it used to be. Rumor has it that the new Rebel coaching staff is not releasing information like previous staffs. Is this a good or bad thing?

Big Blue Preview

The madness of Kentucky basketball will invade the Tad Pad tomorrow to take on the Rebels. Ole Miss (11-6, 2-2) takes on the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats(12-2,3-0). This will be by far the Rebels toughest opponent thus far. The Wildcats come into the game with a 3 game SEC winning streak. Kentucky is led by Keleena Azubuike(you try to spell that without looking it up), Chuck Hayes is also a main conributer to the Wildcats. The Rebels are led by Londrick Nolen and Tommie Eddie. Marvin Moore played a great game against Auburn and will hopefully be able to contribute more. This feline opponent is alot tougher and more talented than our last one. It is always fun to watch Kentucky basektball. I can remember coming to a game many years ago, when there was snow all over the place. The Rebels went on to beat Kentucky in front of national t.v. with Dick Vitale himself calling the game. It was one of my most fondest Rebel basketball memories. You never know if the Rebels might pull off another upset like this one. Tip-Off is at 7p.m. and will be broadcast on Jefferson-Pilot Sports.

An O Introduction

Ole Miss will announce their new football coaching staff this Saturday at the Ole Miss--Alabama game. Coach Orgeron and his staff will be introduced to the Ole Miss family at halftime during the game. Ole Miss usually plays well against Alabama at home. For those that live within a driving distance of the Tad Pad, there should be no excuse if you are not there.

Monday, January 17, 2005


Ole Miss New 4-Star Recruit

Rebels Land Top Recruit

The Ole Miss football team picked up a big commitment on Monday. Michael Oher an Army All-American Offensive Lineman from Briarcrest High School in Memphis committed at 2p.m. today. The internet message boards were over-flowing this afternoon. This was a big pick up for Coach Ed Oregeron.

Rebs Win on the Road

I celebrated MLK day a day early and was not able to post yesterday, so here is the report from the Auburn game. The Rebels pulled off a 79-72 win over the Auburn Tigers. The Rebels were led by Marvin Moore with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Moore, who came out of nowhere to play good in this game, looked impressive against Auburn. Moore matched up good against Auburn because the Tigers are a small team and Moore handled them in the post. Londrick Nolen also contributed 21 points, 18 of which came in the second half. The Tigers were led by SEC leading scorer Toney Douglas with 22 points. Coach Rod Barnes elected to start Marvin Moore instead of Londrick Nolen, it turned out to be a good move for both. It was good to see Londrick Nolen get back into his rhythm and to know Marvin Moore can actually score. Hopefully the Rebels can carry this momentum into the Kentucky game on Wednesday. More info on the UK game this week.

Friday, January 14, 2005

On the Road Again

Ole Miss(10-6, 1-2) will travel to Auburn(9-6, 0-2) on Saturday. The Rebels come into their game after beating Georgia for their first SEC win of the season in an ugly game. The Rebels have received strong play lately out of their sixth man. Todd Abernathy has come off the bench in the past 10 games in which he has posted six double digit scoring games. Auburn is led by freshman guard Toney Douglas, who leads the SEC with 19.7 ppg. Under first year coach Jeff Lebo the Tigers have been developing their team. The Tigers surprisingly played a close game against Florida before losing in overtime. Two members of the Ole Miss program were a part of the Auburn Tigers last year. Assistant coach Tracy Dildy was a member of Cliff Ellis's staff and transfer Dwayne Curtis played in 19 games for the Tigers last year. This would be a great win if the Rebels could pull a road win off, we really need to win this one. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports South at 4:00 with former South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler providing color commentary

Gator Busted

University of Florida basketball assistant coach Major Parker was arrested for selling cocaine on Tuesday. Athletic Director Jeremy Foley has suspended Parker from his coaching responsibilities indefinitely. Many of you may know Parker as a former player under coach Billy Donovan, he has been coaching with the Gators for a little over a year. This is typical Florida, always in the news for someone going to jail.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Yoste on Daily Show??

I heard yesterday that Maj. Geoffrey Yoste, an Oxford Board of Alderman Candidate, was seen on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Can anyone confrim this and tell me what happened?

Diamond Rebs

The Ole Miss baseball team ranked 8th in the NCAA last year in total home attendance with 122,382. Over 35 games the Rebels averaged 3,491 a game, which ranked 12th in the NCAA. Coach Bianco's Rebel's finished the season 39-21 after hosting its first ever NCAA Regional. The baseball team opens up February 15th against Arkansas State.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

An Ugly One

In one of the ugliest games I have seen in a while at Tad Smith, Ole Miss wins 59-54 over Georgia. Ole Miss did not play to well tonight, kind of played to the quality of their opponent. Ole Miss was led by Todd Abernathy with 13 points, Marvin Moore surprisingly contributed 10 points. The Bulldogs were led by Steve Newman with 19 points. The key for the Rebels win was holding Georgia standout Levi Stukes to a game low 4 points. A scuffle broke out late in the game in which two players from each team were given technical fouls. Londrick Nolen and Just Johnson both fouled out in the scuffle. Nolen committed two technical fouls against the Bulldogs. The commissioner of the SEC Mike Slive was in attendance at tonight's game accompanied by SEC staffer and former Ole Miss football player Jamil Northcut. Let's hope the SEC does not review the fight and suspend Nolen or Johnson. Ole Miss moves to 10-6 and 1-2 in the SEC. The Rebels will take on Auburn Saturday, in a game that could go either way, but would be a big time win for the Rebels on the road. The game will be televised by Fox Sports South and is a 4:00 tip-off.

Another Dawg Team

Ole Miss(9-6,0-2) comes into tonight's game against Georgia with a two game losing streak. Ole Miss has lost two straight SEC games against Arkansas and MSU. While I hate the phrase "must wins," tonight is one for the Rebels. They must win this game in order to build their confidence in the second week of SEC play. Georgia(6-6,0-2) is also searching for its first SEC win. The Bulldogs are led by sophomore guard Levi Stukes who averages 17.2 ppg. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings against the Rebels. Londrick Nolen whose average of 12.7ppg has not performed well the past two games. Nolen must step up this game and Tommie Eddie who average 12.6ppg must play well also. Look for the Rebels to win this one and build their confidence. Tip-Off is at 7:00, click on the link below to listen to the game
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/mbf/#

Tuesday, January 11, 2005


Sacramento Kings Assistant
Elston Turner

A Coach Many Do Not Know

Many people are not aware of Elston Turner. Turner is an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings and has been doing so for 2 years. Prior to joining the Kings, he coached for the Portland TrailBlazers. Elston has been a part of professional basketball for 19 years as a player and then coach. Turner graduated from Ole Miss in 1981 and was a member of the 1981 Ole Miss team that made it to the NCAA Tournament. He was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks, and went on to play eight years in the league. Last year Turner was a member of the West Conference All-Star coaching staff. Could Turner be a front runner if a new Ole Miss basketball coach search comes up over the next several years?

Monday, January 10, 2005

Number 38

For those of you who did not see the touching story about Chucky Mullins on Sportscenter last night, I have posted a link below. It is not high quality but I hope it works.
http://home.comcast.net/~omrebel/Chucky2.wmv

Mr. Football Committs to the Tide

The Clarion Ledger's 2004 Mr. Football has committed to Alabama. Jimmy Johns a quarterback from Brookhaven made his decision while on his official visit this weekend. Johns cancelled his visits to MSU and Ole Miss. While Johns is a good player, I do not consider this to be too much of a loss. Plus in my opinion he was caught up in the moment at Alabama, and will change his mind.

Down Goes Frazier

Mississippi State announced senior guard Winsom Frazier will not play for the rest of the season. Frazier was injured in the first half of the Ole Miss game on Saturday. MSU second leading scorer will have screws put in his ankle. This is a major blow for the Bulldogs.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Sportscenter

Sunday nights Sportscenter did a special on Chucky Mullins and Brad Gaines. Look for it on one of the many re-runs of Sportscenter on Monday morning.

Spencer Update

Several sources are saying Ole Miss offensive lineman Chris Spencer will turn pro. If true Spencer will forgoe his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Please correct me if I am wrong but the last person I remember doing this is Rufus French. We all remeber what happened to the former tight end. Hopefully, Spencer will not make the same mistake.

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Dogs Bite Rebels

Ole Miss started the game hot and led the Dogs by double digits at one point. It was not enough to hold off the Dog's bite as MSU went on to win 87-76. The Bulldogs were led by Lawrence Roberts with 23 points. Coach Rick Stansbury made a great coaching decision and moved into the 2-3 zone midway through the first half. It was all downhill for the Rebels from there. Coach Barnes willingly let the lead get away from him when State changed defenses. No one knew how to break a simple 2-3 zone, as in previous years it was just pass around the perimeter. Ole Miss was led by Tommie Eddie with 17 points. Londrick Nolen contributed a disappointing 12 points(4 of which came in the last minute). The Rebels could not find the outside shot when they needed to. While Mississippi State is a very good team, Ole Miss does not have the talent on a consistent level to hang with a team like State. For the Rebels to win, Nolen has to be the go to guy every game, he just did not show as much energy as previous games. Former Pillow Academy great Michael Boler did see action in the game. Boler surprisingly went into the game midway through the second-half and played for two minutes. Any coach in the NCAA can see Ole Miss can not play against the zone. While I have not given up and the Rebels, if we continue this play, the chance of another last place in the SEC West looks like it will happen. The Rebels return to the action when Georgia comes to town on Wednesday.

Friday, January 07, 2005

Request:Tolbert Update

I looked into the whereabouts of former Ole Miss baseball player Matt Tolbert as requested. Tolbert was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the sixteenth round. He is currently playing in the Twins rookie league in Elizabethton, TN. Since July Tolbert appeared in 33 games and had a batting average of 3.08(3rd highest on the team) including 3 home runs.

Ole Miss vs. State

Ole Miss will take on its cross-state rival in their home opener of SEC play. The Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-2, 1-0) come into this game ranked eighteenth in the nation. Ole Miss needs to find someone other than junior forward Londrick Nolen who can score. Mississippi State will be led by pre season All-American Lawrence Roberts, who for some reason chose $tate to transfer after leaving Baylor. I will not lie, the Bulldogs are a good team and will put up a run for the repeat SEC Champs. Coming into the game Ole Miss holds a 74-39 lead in the series of games played in Oxford. If Tommie Eddie is allowed to play in this game, look for the Rebels to try hard and extend this record. If Eddie is not allowed to play, look for the Bulldogs to run away with the game, and for former Pillow Academy great Michael Boler to get some playing time. There will be an abundance of State fans at the game. The game will be televised by Jefferson Pilot sports. Game time is at 1:00.
(Update on Eddie will be published as soon as we know the answer)

Rebel Sports Update

Tim Brando, the sports announcer who dogged Ole Miss with the firing of David Cutcliffe, will be in Oxford on Saturday. Brando will be in Oxford to cover the Ole Miss - Mississippi State game. It will be interesting to see if Ole Miss fans will respond to his comments earlier in the year.............Ole Miss fans are awaiting a decision that will be decided this afternoon as to whether or not Tommie Eddie will be cleared to play. Eddie was held out of play against Arkansas for "academic concerns." If Eddie is not cleared to play, it could be an even longer season for the Rebels.....Chris Spencer is weighing his options of turning pro. The Ole Miss offensive lineman is rumored to be going pro, look for an announcement sometime next week........Preview of the State game will be posted this afternoon.

Thursday, January 06, 2005


New Special Teams Coordinator
Dennis Slutak Posted by Hello

New Special Teams Coach

Coach Orgeron brings one man with him from USC. Dennis Slutak will join the Ole Miss staff as the special teams coordinator. Slutak has been a graduate assistant for the past two years in charge of the Trojans special teams. He comes to Ole Miss with eleven years of special teams coaching experience. Slutak has coached at both Lehigh University and North Carolina State. The Rebels did not have a true special team coach last year.


New Linebackers Coach
Charlie Camp

New Linebackers Coach

Coach Ed Orgeron has named Charlie Camp as the new Linebackers coach at Ole Miss. Camp comes to Ole Miss after coaching linebackers for two years at Oregon State. Camp previously coached at Idaho, San Diego State, and Arizona. The New Orleans native played college at the University of Arizona. Camp has also worked for the Miami Dolphins and the San Diego Chargers. Camp is a young coach who brings even more energy to the staff.

New Coaching Staff Named

Coach Ed Orgeron has completed the search for his assistant coaches. The coaches have more than 150 years of coaching experience at the professional, college, or high school level combined. Head Coach Ed Orgeron will serve as defensive coordinator and Noel Mazzone will be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. George DeLeone will handle the offensive line, while Matt Lubick will coach the wide receivers. Matt Luke will stay on staff as the tight ends coach and Frank Wilson will coach the running backs. On the defensive side of the ball, Shawn Slocum will serve as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. Charile Camp will coach the linebackers and Joe Cullen will serve as defensive line coach. The special teams will be led by Dennis Slutak.(We have previewed all coaches but Dennis Slutak and Charlie Camp, look for profiles in a little while.)


New Wide Receivers Coach

Matt Lubick

New Receivers Coach

Matt Lubick is expected to be named the new wide receivers coach at Ole Miss. Lubick will also be in charge of the recruiting for the Rebels. Lubick is a known as one of the best recruiters in the western U.S. Lubick comes from Colorado State, where he did the same roles. He coached on the 99-00 Oregon State team with Dennis Erickson and has also coached at Cal-State Northridge and San Jose State before joining the Rams. Ole Miss is hiring coaches with proven recruiting success.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Baseball America

For those looking for some good Ole Miss sports news. Baseball America released its top 50 teams in collegiate baseball. Ole Miss is ranked number 16. This is the second poll in which the Rebels have been ranked in the top 20. MSU is ranked 28. Eleven of the twelve SEC teams are ranked in the top 50. The only team not ranked is Kentucky. Coach Mike Bianco and pitcher Michael Wakefield open up the season on February 15 in Oxford against Arkansas State.

Hogs Roast Rebs

Ole Miss was defeated tonight by Arkansas 69-46 at Bud Walton Arena. The Rebels were down only 6 at the half. Ole Miss shot a miserable 12-47(25.5%) from the field. Arkansas converted 25 points off of Ole Miss' 24 turnovers. The Rebels, despite shooting terrible in the first half, played a good game for 20 minutes. In the second half, it all fell apart. Ole Miss was led again by Londrick Nolen who had 19pts. and 12 reb. Brandon Patterson contributed 7 points for the Rebels. Without Tommie Eddie in the paint, Arkansas out scored Ole Miss 34-10 down low. If the Rebels are going to compete in the SEC, which they are capable of, more people have to step up and score and Eddie must become eligible. The Rebels take on cross-state rival MSU on Saturday, check back later in the week for a report.


New O-Line Coach
George DeLeone Posted by Hello

New O-Line Coach

George DeLeone will be named as the new offensive line coach at Ole Miss under head coach Ed Orgeron. DeLeone has been coaching at the collegiate level for more than 20 years. He comes to Ole Miss with a wide variety of coaching experience. DeLeone recently coached at Syracuse where he served as both the offensive and defensive coordinator during his tenure with the Orange. He also served as offensive line coach for the San Diego Chargers. DeLeone and Orgeron coached together at Syracuse in 1995 and 96.

Eddie Out

Senior Tommie Eddie will not be participating in tonights game at Arkansas. It appears Eddie is on some type of academic probation. While the story is still unclear, it blows my mind we allowed this to happen. Surely somebody in Academic Support was watching his grades. This really makes me mad, he did not pass whatever course he had to. I do not know the specifics on how many hours an athlete has to pass to play, but I am positive it is not that many. Without a "big man" down low, chances do not look good tonight.

WOOOOOOOO PIG

Ole Miss opens SEC play tonight at Fayetteville against Arkansas. While this Arkansas team is not the "Forty Minutes of Hell" they were under former coach Nolan Richardson, they are pretty good. Arkansas(12-1) has only lost to top ranked Illinois. Coach Stan Heath's team is leads the SEC in several categories, and is led by sophomore guard Ronnie Brewer, who leads the team with 16.5 points per game. Coach Barne's Rebels come into the game riding a seven game winning streak. The Rebels continue to be led by junior forward Londrick Nolen with 12.3 points per game. This stat has dropped a little over the last several games. Nolen needs to be scoring more for the Rebels if they are going to win in the SEC. Ole Miss has one five of the last eight games in Bud Walton Arena. This is by far the toughest match up the Rebels have faced this season. Hopefully the Rebels will hang with the Razorbacks and keep this one a close one. Gametime is at 8:05, click on the link to listen to the game live:
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/teams/mbf/#

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Rebel Yell Hotline

Yours truly won a meal at Como Steak House by answering the trivia question on the Rebel Yell Hotline with Stan and Chuck. The question: Which former Ole Miss Basketball coach was named coach of the year in four different leagues?

Click below to listen to the show:
www.travisthomasdesign.com/replay/ryh_010305.wmv

Weltlich to Return to Campus

The Coach who led the Ole Miss basketball team to their only SEC Basketball Championship will return to Oxford on Saturday, not as a coach but as an author. Coach Bob Weltich will be at Square Books before the State game on Saturday signing his new book, Crooked Zebra. Weltlich coached Ole Miss from 1976-82. Weltlich was known for the emotion he showed while coaching his teams, never letting an official get away with a bad call. I would like to share two of my favorite stories that I have heard about him.

One night after the Vanderbilt game the team was on their way to Kentucky for the next game. Ole Miss had really not played well that night. When the bus driver pulled out of the coliseum, he turned around to ask Coach Weltlich where he wanted to the team to eat, Weltlich responded by telling him to keep driving. He was so mad at the team for their performance no one on the bus was allowed to eat all the way to Lexington the night after the game. The players absolutely starved that night.


The other story is before a Mississippi State game one night Weltlich saw the officials in the locker room area before the game. Weltlich was so mad at this group of officials from the previous game he approached them by saying something along the lines of: "Hey, I hope you guys ref a better game this time than you did last time you guys were our officials." The referees response to this was giving Coach Weltlich a technical before the game even started. So Mississippi State started the game by shooting technical fouls. I hate I was not around to see those days, sounds like it was fun.

Clarion Ledger Story on A Lost Jewel

It was Christmas Eve and Valerie Johnson of Richland was spending it with family. The men were talking football, which normally would not have interested Valerie, who doesn't care for the sport.
"I've had three boys who played high school football, and I went to their games," she'll tell you. "I know two things about football. When our team has the ball, I yell, 'Go!' When the other team has the ball, I yell, 'Get 'em!' That's all I know."
But the Christmas Eve talk turned to the Sugar Bowl and that got Valerie Johnson's attention.
"What is this Sugar Bowl y'all talk about?" Valerie asked.
Brother-in-law Jim McClendon, Richland's fire chief, explained that the Sugar Bowl is an important college football game played every year around New Year's Day. Last year, he said, it determined the national champion.
"I've got an old watch that has Sugar Bowl on it," Valerie said. "My grandmother gave it to me years and years ago. Said my grandfather had found it."
Jim McClendon said he'd like to see it, so Valerie went and got it out of the drawer where she has kept it all these years. Sure enough, it was a 1953 Sugar Bowl watch, and McClendon figured it must be worth something. They got out a magnifying class and studied the inscription on the back. McClendon thought it said: "E. Montgomery, tackle, Ole Miss vs. Ga. Tech."
Connecting dots
Turns out, he was only slightly off.
So Jim McClendon told his buddies at the firehouse about the watch, and Tommy Malley, who was on that shift, said he knew of a man named Montgomery, who had lived in Cleary Heights, who had played football at Ole Miss long ago.
With further research they found that Charles Montgomery, who goes by Chuck, played at Ole Miss from 1949 until 1953. And that Chuck Montgomery now lives in Ackerman.
McClendon, a huge Ole Miss fan, reached Montgomery in Ackerman and started quizzing him about his Rebel days and asked if he had played in the 1953 Sugar Bowl. Montgomery said he had. So then McClendon told him about the watch.
"Oh my God!" Montgomery said. "That's got to be my watch. I lost it over 30 years ago."
It was — and is. The inscription "C. Montgomery" looked just like "E. Montgomery" because of a small scratch.
"I never thought I'd see that watch again," Montgomery said. "Please, please let me buy that watch."
Montgomery said he'd lost it in a scuffle late one night in the parking lot of the old Edgewater Landing at Ross Barnett Reservoir where he worked as the club's manager. Valerie Johnson's grandparents found it the next morning when they came in from fishing. The grandmother gave it to Valerie.
So McClendon called Valerie Johnson last week with the news about Chuck Montgomery and asked what she wanted to do.
"It's his watch," she said. "The right thing to do is give it back."
Tears flow
And she did so Monday, bringing 75-year-old Chuck Montgomery, who was a three-year starting tackle for the Rebels, to tears.
So many memories rushed back: Of the huge 1952 victory over Maryland, which led to the Sugar Bowl bid. Of the crowd of 82,000 fans at old Tulane Stadium to watch the first nationally televised football game. Of a controversial call that cost the Rebels dearly in a 24-7 loss. Of Coach John Vaught. Of so many dear teammates, some of whom have passed away. Of the Sugar Bowl banquet at the old St. Charles Hotel, where Montgomery and his teammates were awarded the prized wrist watches.
And of a life Chuck Montgomery says has turned around since that night in 1973 when he lost the watch.
"This watch means the world to me," he said, choking on his words. "I was living a bad life back during the time I lost it. I believe I was being punished. I thank God for changing my life and giving it back to me."
Chuck Montgomery planned to watch the 2005 Sugar Bowl Monday night. He planned to pull for Auburn, he said, despite Tommy Tuberville.
And, yes, he said, he would wear his watch more proudly than ever.

Monday, January 03, 2005

We're BAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKK

Now that we are getting things back to normal from being out of town for several weeks. Look for new posts over the next several days.