| OT Ole Miss ITT, but it's more about Neal McCready and his view.

TerryP

Staff
(Starting off with this quick thought: he's still carry a lot of anger about the responses he receives (yes, receives) about an article he wrote over 10 years ago concerning Alabama football. I've always found it fitting he landed covering the Black Bears after essentially getting "run oft." He gets a true WTF today for his use of an underscore in place of em dash.)

Now, back to Neal. It's a bit of a long read, folks. (Odd title as well, an editorial column sponsored by a Real Estate agent, hrrmpphh?)

His apology to Bama fans:

(I’d like to take this opportunity to once again apologize to the State of Alabama for my criticisms of the idiot fans in your Iron Bowl rivalry. You’re nuts, Alabama. Your football rivalry has led to the killing of famous trees and pranks involving statues, but you’re 100 percent sane compared to this circus here in the Magnolia State. Again, I was wrong. Please accept my most humble apologies. I’ll never make fun of you again — at least not without the context of saying some of the people involved in this mess over here long ago went full potato.)

His take on Bjork:

However, I’m going to get one thing off my chest here in the final 10 Weekend Thoughts before we all see the actual amended NOA and the responses to it:

I don’t see how anyone blames Ross Bjork for this. He didn’t hire any of the people involved. He didn’t come up with the initial plan of response. He could only look on with frustrated helplessness when the situation got rocked by some outside force. This situation was not of Bjork’s making, and frankly, I’m not sure what he could have done differently.

Perhaps the communication to alumni and ticket holders could have been improved. I wasn’t crazy about the “hostage video” in February. However, Bjork has been a professional throughout this crisis.

On the SEC Meetings:

6. The Southeastern Conference held its annual spring meetings last week in Destin, Florida. My primary takeaway: Damn, football coaches bitch a lot.

...from five paragraphs earlier in the column.

I was talking to another journalist on Sunday. He doesn’t cover college sports and he doesn’t live in this part of the country. We’re friends, and we were catching up on life. I was telling him I’d had a trip planned to Chicago for this upcoming weekend since the Major League Baseball schedule was released last year. The tickets for the Cubs and Fire games were purchased months ago. What were the chances, I was lamenting, that Ole Miss’ response would come down around the exact same time?

He's bitching about covering the news while bitching about football coaches bitching while making plans to see the Cubs play in the offseason...pretentious little fella, isn't he?

There's really nothing to read past his sixth item (other than grammatical errors, and those damn underscore symbols) ...

RebelGrove.com - McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts presented by Harry Alexander



 
Never have I seen so much continued drama surrounding an upcoming NOA. Boosters are losing their minds, the entire University of Mississippi is taking stonewalling to new heights. Not sure what's to be gained from so much misdirection and threats coming out of the Magnolia State, but this is the week for truth and clarity and sometime this week, I'm sure at the very end of the week, maybe we will finally get to some of it.
 
Boosters are losing their minds, the entire University of Mississippi is taking stonewalling to new heights.
continued drama surrounding an upcoming NOA.

I believe some of the drama we're seeing is what we should be seeing. As an example, when UA received it's NOA years ago did we see any of this drama about what was contained within the letter? No. Were there writers for the Tuscaloosa News taking this stance?

I’m not sure I have the answer, other than the three boosters I am quite positive are named in the NOA are men with means and until those names are released by the university/NCAA, I’m not willing to put my neck out there. If those people are going to be filing lawsuits _ and I’m damn sure not betting against that _ let them sue Ole Miss and the NCAA and God only knows who else. I’ll save myself the legal fees, thank you very much.
Yet, we have the Clarion Ledger taking a back seat and avoiding in-depth reporting on what's going on at Ole Miss. We've got misdirection and subterfuge with their avoiding releasing the NOA. And, while we're sitting in the middle of another suit we're looking at reading a redacted version. There are no privacy rights here especially considering they're so willing to put the students and others out publicly.

maybe we will finally get to some of it.

Emphasis added.
 
I believe some of the drama we're seeing is what we should be seeing. As an example, when UA received it's NOA years ago did we see any of this drama about what was contained within the letter? No. Were there writers for the Tuscaloosa News taking this stance?

I’m not sure I have the answer, other than the three boosters I am quite positive are named in the NOA are men with means and until those names are released by the university/NCAA, I’m not willing to put my neck out there. If those people are going to be filing lawsuits _ and I’m damn sure not betting against that _ let them sue Ole Miss and the NCAA and God only knows who else. I’ll save myself the legal fees, thank you very much.
Yet, we have the Clarion Ledger taking a back seat and avoiding in-depth reporting on what's going on at Ole Miss. We've got misdirection and subterfuge with their avoiding releasing the NOA. And, while we're sitting in the middle of another suit we're looking at reading a redacted version. There are no privacy rights here especially considering they're so willing to put the students and others out publicly.



Emphasis added.

By law, under the freedom of information act, Ole Miss is mandated to provide access to this information. As far as suits go, I don't see the liability for Ole Miss in releasing the NOA. It's not their information. If the alleged guilty parties would like to sue, they would have to take it up with the NCAA.
 
By law, under the freedom of information act, Ole Miss is mandated to provide access to this information. As far as suits go, I don't see the liability for Ole Miss in releasing the NOA. It's not their information. If the alleged guilty parties would like to sue, they would have to take it up with the NCAA.

Liability is with the publishing. NCAA wrote it but if Ole Miss publishes it they are libel. With all the lawyering up going on I believe Hell will freeze over before Ole Miss does anything. Or is it Freeze will hell over?
 
Liability is with the publishing. NCAA wrote it but if Ole Miss publishes it they are libel. With all the lawyering up going on I believe Hell will freeze over before Ole Miss does anything. Or is it Freeze will hell over?

Don't see that happening, but the law is a fickled beast. The freedom act put's the liability on not making it accessible. If Ole Miss went further in their explanation of facts, maybe gave more specific detail on names and events not listed publicly in the NOA, maybe you got something, but that's probably the last thing that bunch does.

As you mentioned, doesn't mean that the universities lawyers won't try and delay the process though. Could also mean they're justing waiting more toward the weekend when they think folks are more distracted and air their dirty laundry.
 
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Don't see that happening, but the law is a fickled beast. The freedom act put's the liability on not making it accessible. If Ole Miss went further in their explanation of facts, maybe gave more specific detail on names and events not listed publicly in the NOA, maybe you got something, but that's probably the last thing that bunch does.

As you mentioned, doesn't mean that the universities lawyers won't try and delay the process though. Could also mean they're justing waiting more toward the weekend when they think folks are more distracted and air their dirty laundry.

It is my understanding the Ethics Commission is completely toothless. All bark and no bite. And that the lawyers for the boosters to be named have Ole Miss' full attention. IOW, the Ethics Commission is the least of their worries.
 
It is my understanding the Ethics Commission is completely toothless. All bark and no bite. And that the lawyers for the boosters to be named have Ole Miss' full attention. IOW, the Ethics Commission is the least of their worries.

And that's why the law is fickled. Watching these boosters panic at the thought of getting exposed does have a certain entertainment value to it. :)
 
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