Ole Miss lost at Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon, just as the NFL's version of the Elite Eight kicked off in Seattle. Here's the first post-Ole Miss football season version of my 10 thoughts. I did my best to not veer too far off the beaten path. I can't promise it'll stay that way, but I'll try. With that said, here are my 10 thoughts (plus one) from the weekend that was:
1. I didn't make the trip to Starkville Saturday afternoon. In the spirit of full disclosure, I watched most of the game at Buffalo Wild Wings in Oxford, dividing my attention between Jeffrey Wright's harassment, the Rebels' quest for a win in Starkville and the NFC divisional playoff game between New Orleans and Seattle.
So I won't pretend to break down Saturday's basketball game, a 76-72 Mississippi State win. I know what I think I saw. I thought I saw an Ole Miss team that should have been better on defense without Marshall Henderson struggle to stop dribble penetration. Craig Sword lived at the free throw line Saturday, at times due to questionable whistles and at times due to lazy defense.
I thought I saw an Ole Miss team up four or five points late have an easy look at the basket and come up empty. The Rebels' inability to finish at the hoop, particularly the inability of its bigs to finish at the basket, has been an Achilles heel this season. It's inexplicable at this level.
Ole Miss out-rebounded Mississippi State by 10 and by six on the offensive glass but lost the turnover battle, 16-7. Mississippi State had six more assists than the Rebels. Without Henderson, Ole Miss still made 10 3-pointers, six more than the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State took 42 free throws, making 28. Ole Miss was 10-of-12 from the line. There's your ball game. Some of the calls, especially late, were likely difficult to accept for Ole Miss. Some were the result of the Rebels' inability on defense to stop Mississippi State's dogged determination to drive to the basket.
Bottom line through 15 games is the Rebels are 10-5 overall, 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference and developing an identity that is going to test Andy Kennedy's heart function and his patience.
"There's a pattern that's been formed," Kennedy said Saturday. "We're not going to blow many people out and we haven't been blown out. Our guys scrap and fight. It's not always the most pleasing to watch from any vantage point, but we stay in games.
"When it comes down to the stretch, we've got to make plays. The games in which we've made plays, we win."
It sounds cliche, but it's true: Coaches put players in position to make plays, and the players then have to make them. There's a lot of anti-Kennedy sentiment on this message board and others, and fans are free to have and express their opinions. On Saturday, however, Kennedy had his team in position to win late. SEC bigs can't miss uncontested tip-ins/dunks at the rim. SEC wings can't allow opposing guards to break down a zone defense with dribble penetration one possession after another. Both of these offenses were committed by Ole Miss on Saturday, allowing the game to be put in the hands of the officiating crew.
The guys in stripes weren't friendly to the Rebels late. The offensive foul call in the final two minutes was weak. The no-call on Jarvis Summers' drive to the basket was worse. It just shouldn't have mattered.
2. Henderson's three-game suspension is now over, and Ole Miss can move on. The Rebels went 2-1 in the three games Henderson missed, beating Troy and Auburn at home and losing Saturday at Mississippi State. Do the Rebels win in Starkville with Henderson? We'll never know. My guess is yes; yours may differ.
What was interesting was Thursday's pre-game video presentation at Tad Smith Coliseum. Much of the video, shown after Auburn's starting lineup was introduced and before Ole Miss' starters were announced, featured Henderson, including his on-court antics from a year ago. Henderson's celebratory jersey pop at Auburn, his Gator chomp in Nashville in the waning minutes of the Rebels' win over Florida and other moments were shown and seemingly celebrated.
It made me think that it was Ole Miss' way of sending a message to the league office in Birmingham. Maybe I'm wrong. I never asked school officials Thursday night, and I should have. But the message seemed to express some disdain at and displeasure for the ruling and perhaps a clue that the conference games missed were mandated by the league and not Ole Miss' idea.
3. D.T. Shackelford announced on Saturday that he plans to return to Ole Miss for his sixth and final year of eligibility. Shackelford missed two full seasons due to knee injuries, and his reemergence in 2013 was one of the real feel-good stories of the campaign. Shackelford had 44 tackles, two quarterback sacks and four quarterback hurries last season. He's already earned his B.A. and has almost completed his M.A. Shackelford could work on another M.A. or begin work toward a doctorate in the fall.
I was standing in what is now called the Manning Center, watching then-Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix put linebackers through individual drills, when Shackelford suffered a knee injury. I remember him slamming his helmet onto the turf. I was standing with Kyle Veazey at the time and I immediately told Veazey, "He tore his ACL." At the time, Shackelford appeared poised to emerge as one of the top defenders in the SEC. Two surgeries and two seasons later, Shackelford is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be.
Shackelford has changed some. He's hardened a bit. He's admitted there were some brutally frustrating moments, but he's been steadfast in his insistence that he never doubted he would one day return to the field. Early last season, Shackelford looked slow and stiff. Around late October, however, he showed signs of being his old self, exploding off the line of scrimmage once again and chasing down running backs in the backfield.
Shackelford's presence gives Ole Miss another versatile defender. More importantly, it gives the Rebels a leader with the unquestioned respect of his peers. Don't throw the cute and cuddly story angle at Shackelford, by the way. He said after the Music City Bowl that he hasn't given up his dream of one day playing in the NFL. He's had two ACL repairs, so it's difficult to imagine an NFL franchise not being cautious, but I've learned not to count Shackelford out.
4. In September 2011, Vanderbilt whipped Ole Miss, 30-7, in Nashville. I remember that crystal clear afternoon in the Music City for two reasons. One, it was the day it became undeniable that Houston Nutt wasn't going to coach Ole Miss in 2012. Secondly, it was the first time I noticed Vanderbilt's energetic young coach, James Franklin. I watched him congratulate his team and assistants after the game and then observed his working recruits following some of his postgame obligations.
Two-plus years later, Franklin took his "dream job" at Penn State, one that comes with a $4.5 million-plus per year salary. Make no mistake, I think Franklin is a big-time coach. He led Vanderbilt to back-to-back nine-win seasons and wins in the Music City Bowl in 2012 and the BBVA Compass Bowl earlier this month. Franklin is a dynamic recruiter. He possesses a strong, fearless personality. To say he changed the perception of the Vanderbilt program is an understatement of mammoth proportion.
Still, a guy who directed a program to two Music City Bowls and a BBVA Compass Bowl just landed a massive payday. I'm a capitalist. I'm for coaches (and everyone else, especially sports writers) making as much money as is humanly possible. But damn, some of these coaches' salaries are rising to the level that one can't help but wonder if the common fan is about to priced out of the game.
Perhaps television rights contracts will produce so much revenue that $5 million deals with head coaches will be no stress on athletics department budgets. Perhaps the new playoff system (one I can't help but think will be expanded by a round sooner rather than later) will produce heretofore unimaginable revenues.
I don't know. What I do know is there's a real chance the cost of these exorbitant salaries is eventually going to be passed down to the ticket holder, many of whom are already financially stressed by the expense of making repeated trips to campus. It's about to be more imperative than ever for schools to enhance the game-day experience to the point where staying at home to watch on a 60-inch HD screen is simply insufficient.
5. Within 24 hours of Franklin's arrival in Happy Valley, Vanderbilt's recruiting class was falling apart. Kameron Uter, Mikale Wilbon, K.J. Carta-Samuels, Michael Sawyers, Chance Sorrels, and Lloyd Tubman re-opened their recruiting, with the latter two flipping their pledges to the Nittany Lions.
Replacing Franklin will be very difficult. To think otherwise is foolish. The man won 16 of his last 20 games. Some have tried to minimize the accomplishment, saying Tennessee and Florida were down during his tenure. Sorry, but that doesn't wash with me. The man is a star in the coaching business, and he forced opponents to respect the Commodores for the first time in decades.
I expect to see some interesting names on Vanderbilt's wish list over the next few days. Realistically, the Commodores must have a coach in Nashville by the Jan. 24 recruiting period. ULL's Mark Hudspeth, Colorado State's Jim McElwain, Clemson assistant Chad Morris, Michigan State assistant Pat Narduzzi, Stanford assistant Derek Mason, former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, San Francisco 49ers assistant Greg Roman and New York Giants assistant Perry Fewell are some names that have already popped up in connection with the gig.
Whoever lands the job inherits expectations ahead of what was already looking like a rebuilding season. Tennessee is recruiting at a very high level, as is Kentucky. South Carolina is on the cusp of being a national power. Florida, it stands to reason, will either improve dramatically next season or make a significant change. Georgia remains a strong program. Missouri just won the Cotton Bowl. Vanderbilt's annual SEC West opponent, Ole Miss, is on the rise.
Franklin changed the way we look at Vanderbilt; there's no denying that. However, it remains one of the two or three most difficult gigs in the league. Losing Franklin on Saturday reinforced that.
6. How powerful is Jimmy Sexton? The Memphis-based sports agent not only got former Tennessee and USC coach Lane Kiffin back into the SEC, he landed him an offensive coordinator gig at Alabama. The Tide's coach, Nick Saban, is, of course, another Sexton client.
Those scoffing now at Kiffin's hiring in Tuscaloosa could be eating their words soon --- or it could be yet another sign of an increasing level of desperation inside the Crimson Tide program. Either scenario is plausible.
For all of his rhetoric about his dislike of the no huddle/hurry-up offense, Saban has certainly noticed how effective it is and wants at least a taste of it in the Alabama offense. Before his struggles as a head coach, Kiffin was a dynamic offensive coordinator at Southern Cal. He'll inherit elite talent --- and very likely Florida State backup quarterback Jacob Coker --- in Tuscaloosa. What will be interesting will be how much Saban lets Kiffin cut loose on offense.
Speaking of Sexton clients, one can't help but wonder if Georgia makes a run at Alabama defensive coordinator/former 'Dawg safety Kirby Smart for the DC position in Athens. Georgia's most recent defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, just landed the same position at Louisville --- for $1 million (that's $1 MILLION) per season. The Bulldogs, it should be noted, ranked No. 78 in total defense in college football last season.
Louisville also paid big to bring Garrick McGee back to the Cardinals. Assistant coaches' salaries are soaring. It's great for the coaches; just remember what I said at the end of Thought No. 4. It's not monopoly money.
7. Colin Kaepernick led San Francisco past Carolina Sunday in Charlotte, giving the 49ers' quarterback more road playoff wins (3) than Peyton Manning (2). Kaepernick will go for playoff road win No. 4 Sunday in Seattle, the rubber match between the Niners and Seahawks. My money is on San Francisco, a team that is clearly playing the best football in the NFC right now. Seattle advanced to the conference title game with a Saturday afternoon win over New Orleans, but I wasn't overly impressed with the Seahawks against the Saints.
In the AFC, meanwhile, New England ran away from Indianapolis in the fourth quarter Saturday night while Manning and Denver moved to within one win of the Super Bowl with a home win over Phillip Rivers and his stupid Bolo tie.
Here are some leftover thoughts from the NFL playoff weekend that was:
A. I'm a big Drew Brees fan. He was a true pro to cover back in my days in Mobile, and he's obviously played a monster role in the Saints' renaissance in recent years. However, Brees' struggles in cold or inclement weather can no longer be avoided. For the Saints to get another Super Bowl title in their current championship window (more on windows in a bit), it appears they're going to have to do by being perfect at home and hosting playoff games. It sounds crazy, but the Saints likely need to provide Brees with some more offensive weapons this offseason. Chase Parham told me Saturday at Buffalo Wild Wings that there are rumors in New Orleans that the Saints will pursue free agent-to-be/former Ole Miss star/Kansas City Chiefs pro bowler Dexter McCluster in the offseson. That would make sense, as McCluster is dangerous in space and New Orleans coach Sean Payton is a genius when it comes to creating opportunities in space (see Bush, Reggie and Sproles, Darren).
B. Speaking of windows, the Indianapolis Colts are just now opening theirs. Saturday night was disappointing, I suspect, for Andrew Luck and Co., but the Colts were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter before the Patriots' experience and superior running game took over. When Luck gets another weapon or two, he's going to win multiple MVP honors. Further, given the weak AFC South --- Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville --- the Colts are going to be hosting playoff games in the near future. New England earned Saturday's win, but it's my opinion you were watching two ships passing in the night in Foxborough.
C. Manning said this weekend he's planning to come back in 2014 regardless of how Denver's playoff run ends. Manning seems like one of those guys who will have to be dragged off the playing field. Here's hoping that's not what literally happens. A storybook ending would be Manning winning the Super Bowl in New York and then walking off into the proverbial sunset. However, Manning is playing at such a high level the past two seasons that I understand his desire to continue playing, regardless of what happens in the next few weeks while he pursues his second Super Bowl ring.
D. How good is Jim Harbaugh? Before he arrived in San Francisco, the Niners were on a nine-year playoff drought. Since then, San Francisco is 41-13 and now playing in its third straight NFC Championship Game. Impressive.
E. With Cameron Newton losing on Sunday, Tim Tebow remains the only Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to win a playoff game in the last 26 years. That doesn't bode well for Johnny Manziel. Sorry, Jeffrey Wright.
F. Seventeen-year-old Sam Berns was going to serve as the Patriots' honorary captain Saturday night when the Colts came to town. However, Berns died Friday from complications related to Progeria syndrome, a genetic disorder that debilitates approximately one in 8 million children. Progeria syndrome stunts growth and creates rapidly advanced aging and deterioration of one's organs uncharacteristically early in life. "I love Sam Berns and am richer for having known him," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement Friday. "He was a special young man whose inspirational story and positive outlook on life touched my heart. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with him and to get to know his incredible family." Berns, a junior at Foxboro (Mass.) High School, was the subject of a 2013 HBO documentary, "Life According to Sam," about his family's search for a cure.
8. I could pile on and be the 1,387,652nd person to call the 16 voters who failed to vote for Greg Maddux for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame idiots, but I'm not the type to pile on. Instead, I'll simply heap praise on the greatest pitcher of my generation.
I loved Greg Maddux. Then he broke my heart. Then he made it whole again. Maddux came up a Chicago Cub, helped the Cubs to the 1989 National League Championship Series and won the first of his Cy Young awards as a Cub in 1992.
That December, despite his overtures to the Cubs, Chicago elected to save less than one million dollars and let Maddux walk. Chicago's loss was the Braves' gain. In Atlanta, Maddux won at least 16 games in each of his 11 seasons, leading the Braves to a World Series title.
I hated Maddux when he left and transferred that hate to former Cubs general manager Larry Himes when I learned he was to blame. For all of those seasons in Atlanta, I watched Maddux, trying to cheer against him but finding myself unable to do so. In 2003, Maddux started Game 3 of the National League Division Series against Mark Prior and the Cubs at Wrigley Field. I watched from a bar in Charlotte, N.C., as Prior outdueled Maddux in a 2-1 game. That game remains one of the most exciting contests I've ever watched. Every pitch mattered.
The following winter, Maddux returned to the Cubs. I was in Arizona working on multiple projects for the Press-Register, including a comprehensive take-out piece on then-Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who played college baseball in Mobile.
During my day at the Cubs' spring training complex in Mesa, I got a chance to interview Maddux about Hendry. My career has allowed me to meet a lot of high-profile figures. I've covered a presidential visit to Birmingham, an NFC Championship Game, an Elite Eight game, etc., but nothing made me as nervous as I was approaching Maddux in the home clubhouse at Ho Ho Kam Park.
Maddux couldn't have been nicer. We talked for probably 15-20 minutes, about a myriad of topics. It was one of the highlights of my professional career. Maddux won 16 games for the Cubs in 2004, unable to help a team that collapsed in late September. I spent that season daydreaming of a Cubs World Series with Maddux on the mound. It would have been a perfect ending. Sometimes the Hollywood ending doesn't happen.
Maddux will go into Cooperstown as a Brave, as he should. In my mind's eye, however, he'll always be a Cub --- the young gun with an unlimited future and then the seasoned veteran trying to trick hitters with completely different stuff. Everything in the middle, that decade-plus in Atlanta when he dominated baseball? I'll always wonder what could have been.
9. Speaking of bad endings, Alex Rodriguez was hit with a 162-game suspension over the weekend, meaning the Yankees' third baseman won't play at all in 2014. It very likely marked the end of what could have been and should have been one of the greatest careers in the history of baseball.
My God, Rodriguez was special when he first came up to the Seattle Mariners. Long, lean, graceful, athletic and powerful, Rodriguez emerged as the most talented, most special player of his generation. When he signed with the Texas Rangers for $225 million, eyeballs popped at the dollar figures but very few thought then-Rangers owner Tom Hicks had overspent. Rodriguez, so many of us believed, was going to re-write baseball's record books.
Instead, he'll be remembered as a cheater. I find his story to be a sad one. He was vilified Sunday night on CBS' "60 Minutes," and I understand why. However, I wonder if Rodriguez, worried his career was going to be derailed by Mother Nature, tried some human growth hormone and/or steroids in an attempt to bounce back each day and put on the same show he had in his 20s. Once he fell into the trap, I suspect, there was no way out.
Regardless, years from now, if my son Carson is a baseball fan, he'll ask me who were the best hitters I ever saw in person. I'll say, "Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez." Neither will be in the Hall of Fame. I guess I'll have to explain why. For the life of me, I'm not sure what I'll say. They were great players. They cheated the game. But they were great players. Like so many others who love the game, I'll wonder why. More compelling than that, I'll wonder what if. I bet they will too.
10. His team is awful, 15-21 and headed toward the NBA lottery fast, but very much under the radar, Anthony Davis is emerging as one of the top three or four players in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans' center is averaging 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, but that doesn't begin to tell the story of his development. The former Kentucky star is incredible in the high-screen pick-and-roll, a great rim protector on defense and a dynamic offensive force.
I suspect if NBA executive were surveyed, only three --- and maybe just two --- players would go before Davis if every team was stripped of all its assets and a fantasy draft of sorts were implemented. Lebron James would go first; of that, there is no doubt. Kevin Durant would be the second selection. Again, that's a no-brainer. Who would go third? Probably Indiana's Paul George, but there would be a strong temptation to take Davis in that spot. His upside is that high. Five years from now, when James is 34 and Durant 30, he could very well be the best player in the game.
Other thoughts from the week that was in the NBA:
A. Phoenix was emerging as the Cinderella story of the NBA. Then Eric Bledsoe went down with an injury to his right knee, one that could end his season. Suddenly, the Suns look like a team that will fight just to make the playoffs. Goran Dragic will likely replace Bledsoe's point guard numbers. However, the Suns' bench will be exposed, as Ish Smith likely won't be able to produce enough offense with Phoenix's second unit to keep winning in the ultra competitive Western Conference.
B. Watch out for the Golden State Warriors. They recently went 6-1 on a road trip, proving again that they're a completely different --- and dangerous --- team with Andre Iguodala in the lineup than when they are without his versatile services. In the West, a conference that has the Suns (Bledsoe), Thunder (Russell Westbrook) and Clippers (Chris Paul) reeling with injuries that might or might not derail their seasons, Golden State just might be the toughest out come late April.
C. Chicago unloaded Luol Deng to Cleveland in a deal that looked like the beginning of tanking. Could Joakim Noah (to Oklahoma City if the Thunder can unload Kendrick Perkins' contract) be next? What about Mike Dunleavy (Oklahoma City and Houston can make room and both desperately want a shooter)?
D. Along those lines, Milwaukee is looking to deal Gary Neal before the trade deadline. Neal is the ultimate 3-and-D player, a perfect fit on several contenders. Unlike Andrew Bynum, who might sign with some team soon and either help or be a total waste of time, Neal figures to be able to help a contender.
E. Brooklyn beat Miami for the second time this season on Friday night to improve to 15-22. If the season ended today, the Nets would be the No. 8 seed in the East. The bet here is Brooklyn climbs to as high as No. 3 in the East (Detroit, Washington, Chicago and possibly Atlanta will have a difficult time holding the Nets off, in my opinion). They could be a real headache for the Heat in a seven-game series, weakening them just a dash and perhaps setting up Indiana to knock them off their perch. Brooklyn, for all its flaws, presents matchup issues for the Heat.
F. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told Lakers.com late last week that the upcoming draft class might be the best since 2003, when Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and others were introduced to the league. The Lakers aren't tanking, Kupchak insisted, but don't be surprised if no one associated with that organization pushes Kobe Bryant or Steve Nash to hurry back from injuries.
11. Proof that good things happen to good people: Former Ole Miss graduate assistant Kane Wommack, the son of defensive coordinator Dave Wommack, was hired by new Eastern Illinois coach/former Ole Miss assistant Kim Dameron as his defensive coordinator. Other than being a Cardinals fan, Wommack is a great guy and a rising star in the coaching ranks. The bet here is he'll do big things at Eastern Illinois. Here's hoping he and Dameron have a lot of success there. Along those lines, former Ole Miss cornerbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn was hired by next Texas coach Charlie Strong Saturday night. I won't make this personal; it's not worth the grief I'd get for doing so. However, I'll always have a very soft spot for Vaughn. He and I shared a lot of deep talks about adversity, fatherhood and the pursuit of dreams during his four seasons in Oxford, four that just happened to be my first four in this job. I've always considered him a friend. I was thrilled for him and Marquette late Saturday. They're wonderful people. Austin is lucky to be welcoming them to town. Finally, Bryan Cranston rocks. I don't know what award he won on Sunday during the Golden Globes (best actor in a television drama, I think), but seeing him and staff of "Breaking Bad" on the stage of the Beverly Hills Hilton reminded me of how happy I am that I watched one of the best television series ever.
1. I didn't make the trip to Starkville Saturday afternoon. In the spirit of full disclosure, I watched most of the game at Buffalo Wild Wings in Oxford, dividing my attention between Jeffrey Wright's harassment, the Rebels' quest for a win in Starkville and the NFC divisional playoff game between New Orleans and Seattle.
So I won't pretend to break down Saturday's basketball game, a 76-72 Mississippi State win. I know what I think I saw. I thought I saw an Ole Miss team that should have been better on defense without Marshall Henderson struggle to stop dribble penetration. Craig Sword lived at the free throw line Saturday, at times due to questionable whistles and at times due to lazy defense.
I thought I saw an Ole Miss team up four or five points late have an easy look at the basket and come up empty. The Rebels' inability to finish at the hoop, particularly the inability of its bigs to finish at the basket, has been an Achilles heel this season. It's inexplicable at this level.
Ole Miss out-rebounded Mississippi State by 10 and by six on the offensive glass but lost the turnover battle, 16-7. Mississippi State had six more assists than the Rebels. Without Henderson, Ole Miss still made 10 3-pointers, six more than the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State took 42 free throws, making 28. Ole Miss was 10-of-12 from the line. There's your ball game. Some of the calls, especially late, were likely difficult to accept for Ole Miss. Some were the result of the Rebels' inability on defense to stop Mississippi State's dogged determination to drive to the basket.
Bottom line through 15 games is the Rebels are 10-5 overall, 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference and developing an identity that is going to test Andy Kennedy's heart function and his patience.
"There's a pattern that's been formed," Kennedy said Saturday. "We're not going to blow many people out and we haven't been blown out. Our guys scrap and fight. It's not always the most pleasing to watch from any vantage point, but we stay in games.
"When it comes down to the stretch, we've got to make plays. The games in which we've made plays, we win."
It sounds cliche, but it's true: Coaches put players in position to make plays, and the players then have to make them. There's a lot of anti-Kennedy sentiment on this message board and others, and fans are free to have and express their opinions. On Saturday, however, Kennedy had his team in position to win late. SEC bigs can't miss uncontested tip-ins/dunks at the rim. SEC wings can't allow opposing guards to break down a zone defense with dribble penetration one possession after another. Both of these offenses were committed by Ole Miss on Saturday, allowing the game to be put in the hands of the officiating crew.
The guys in stripes weren't friendly to the Rebels late. The offensive foul call in the final two minutes was weak. The no-call on Jarvis Summers' drive to the basket was worse. It just shouldn't have mattered.
2. Henderson's three-game suspension is now over, and Ole Miss can move on. The Rebels went 2-1 in the three games Henderson missed, beating Troy and Auburn at home and losing Saturday at Mississippi State. Do the Rebels win in Starkville with Henderson? We'll never know. My guess is yes; yours may differ.
What was interesting was Thursday's pre-game video presentation at Tad Smith Coliseum. Much of the video, shown after Auburn's starting lineup was introduced and before Ole Miss' starters were announced, featured Henderson, including his on-court antics from a year ago. Henderson's celebratory jersey pop at Auburn, his Gator chomp in Nashville in the waning minutes of the Rebels' win over Florida and other moments were shown and seemingly celebrated.
It made me think that it was Ole Miss' way of sending a message to the league office in Birmingham. Maybe I'm wrong. I never asked school officials Thursday night, and I should have. But the message seemed to express some disdain at and displeasure for the ruling and perhaps a clue that the conference games missed were mandated by the league and not Ole Miss' idea.
3. D.T. Shackelford announced on Saturday that he plans to return to Ole Miss for his sixth and final year of eligibility. Shackelford missed two full seasons due to knee injuries, and his reemergence in 2013 was one of the real feel-good stories of the campaign. Shackelford had 44 tackles, two quarterback sacks and four quarterback hurries last season. He's already earned his B.A. and has almost completed his M.A. Shackelford could work on another M.A. or begin work toward a doctorate in the fall.
I was standing in what is now called the Manning Center, watching then-Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix put linebackers through individual drills, when Shackelford suffered a knee injury. I remember him slamming his helmet onto the turf. I was standing with Kyle Veazey at the time and I immediately told Veazey, "He tore his ACL." At the time, Shackelford appeared poised to emerge as one of the top defenders in the SEC. Two surgeries and two seasons later, Shackelford is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be.
Shackelford has changed some. He's hardened a bit. He's admitted there were some brutally frustrating moments, but he's been steadfast in his insistence that he never doubted he would one day return to the field. Early last season, Shackelford looked slow and stiff. Around late October, however, he showed signs of being his old self, exploding off the line of scrimmage once again and chasing down running backs in the backfield.
Shackelford's presence gives Ole Miss another versatile defender. More importantly, it gives the Rebels a leader with the unquestioned respect of his peers. Don't throw the cute and cuddly story angle at Shackelford, by the way. He said after the Music City Bowl that he hasn't given up his dream of one day playing in the NFL. He's had two ACL repairs, so it's difficult to imagine an NFL franchise not being cautious, but I've learned not to count Shackelford out.
4. In September 2011, Vanderbilt whipped Ole Miss, 30-7, in Nashville. I remember that crystal clear afternoon in the Music City for two reasons. One, it was the day it became undeniable that Houston Nutt wasn't going to coach Ole Miss in 2012. Secondly, it was the first time I noticed Vanderbilt's energetic young coach, James Franklin. I watched him congratulate his team and assistants after the game and then observed his working recruits following some of his postgame obligations.
Two-plus years later, Franklin took his "dream job" at Penn State, one that comes with a $4.5 million-plus per year salary. Make no mistake, I think Franklin is a big-time coach. He led Vanderbilt to back-to-back nine-win seasons and wins in the Music City Bowl in 2012 and the BBVA Compass Bowl earlier this month. Franklin is a dynamic recruiter. He possesses a strong, fearless personality. To say he changed the perception of the Vanderbilt program is an understatement of mammoth proportion.
Still, a guy who directed a program to two Music City Bowls and a BBVA Compass Bowl just landed a massive payday. I'm a capitalist. I'm for coaches (and everyone else, especially sports writers) making as much money as is humanly possible. But damn, some of these coaches' salaries are rising to the level that one can't help but wonder if the common fan is about to priced out of the game.
Perhaps television rights contracts will produce so much revenue that $5 million deals with head coaches will be no stress on athletics department budgets. Perhaps the new playoff system (one I can't help but think will be expanded by a round sooner rather than later) will produce heretofore unimaginable revenues.
I don't know. What I do know is there's a real chance the cost of these exorbitant salaries is eventually going to be passed down to the ticket holder, many of whom are already financially stressed by the expense of making repeated trips to campus. It's about to be more imperative than ever for schools to enhance the game-day experience to the point where staying at home to watch on a 60-inch HD screen is simply insufficient.
5. Within 24 hours of Franklin's arrival in Happy Valley, Vanderbilt's recruiting class was falling apart. Kameron Uter, Mikale Wilbon, K.J. Carta-Samuels, Michael Sawyers, Chance Sorrels, and Lloyd Tubman re-opened their recruiting, with the latter two flipping their pledges to the Nittany Lions.
Replacing Franklin will be very difficult. To think otherwise is foolish. The man won 16 of his last 20 games. Some have tried to minimize the accomplishment, saying Tennessee and Florida were down during his tenure. Sorry, but that doesn't wash with me. The man is a star in the coaching business, and he forced opponents to respect the Commodores for the first time in decades.
I expect to see some interesting names on Vanderbilt's wish list over the next few days. Realistically, the Commodores must have a coach in Nashville by the Jan. 24 recruiting period. ULL's Mark Hudspeth, Colorado State's Jim McElwain, Clemson assistant Chad Morris, Michigan State assistant Pat Narduzzi, Stanford assistant Derek Mason, former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, San Francisco 49ers assistant Greg Roman and New York Giants assistant Perry Fewell are some names that have already popped up in connection with the gig.
Whoever lands the job inherits expectations ahead of what was already looking like a rebuilding season. Tennessee is recruiting at a very high level, as is Kentucky. South Carolina is on the cusp of being a national power. Florida, it stands to reason, will either improve dramatically next season or make a significant change. Georgia remains a strong program. Missouri just won the Cotton Bowl. Vanderbilt's annual SEC West opponent, Ole Miss, is on the rise.
Franklin changed the way we look at Vanderbilt; there's no denying that. However, it remains one of the two or three most difficult gigs in the league. Losing Franklin on Saturday reinforced that.
6. How powerful is Jimmy Sexton? The Memphis-based sports agent not only got former Tennessee and USC coach Lane Kiffin back into the SEC, he landed him an offensive coordinator gig at Alabama. The Tide's coach, Nick Saban, is, of course, another Sexton client.
Those scoffing now at Kiffin's hiring in Tuscaloosa could be eating their words soon --- or it could be yet another sign of an increasing level of desperation inside the Crimson Tide program. Either scenario is plausible.
For all of his rhetoric about his dislike of the no huddle/hurry-up offense, Saban has certainly noticed how effective it is and wants at least a taste of it in the Alabama offense. Before his struggles as a head coach, Kiffin was a dynamic offensive coordinator at Southern Cal. He'll inherit elite talent --- and very likely Florida State backup quarterback Jacob Coker --- in Tuscaloosa. What will be interesting will be how much Saban lets Kiffin cut loose on offense.
Speaking of Sexton clients, one can't help but wonder if Georgia makes a run at Alabama defensive coordinator/former 'Dawg safety Kirby Smart for the DC position in Athens. Georgia's most recent defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, just landed the same position at Louisville --- for $1 million (that's $1 MILLION) per season. The Bulldogs, it should be noted, ranked No. 78 in total defense in college football last season.
Louisville also paid big to bring Garrick McGee back to the Cardinals. Assistant coaches' salaries are soaring. It's great for the coaches; just remember what I said at the end of Thought No. 4. It's not monopoly money.
7. Colin Kaepernick led San Francisco past Carolina Sunday in Charlotte, giving the 49ers' quarterback more road playoff wins (3) than Peyton Manning (2). Kaepernick will go for playoff road win No. 4 Sunday in Seattle, the rubber match between the Niners and Seahawks. My money is on San Francisco, a team that is clearly playing the best football in the NFC right now. Seattle advanced to the conference title game with a Saturday afternoon win over New Orleans, but I wasn't overly impressed with the Seahawks against the Saints.
In the AFC, meanwhile, New England ran away from Indianapolis in the fourth quarter Saturday night while Manning and Denver moved to within one win of the Super Bowl with a home win over Phillip Rivers and his stupid Bolo tie.
Here are some leftover thoughts from the NFL playoff weekend that was:
A. I'm a big Drew Brees fan. He was a true pro to cover back in my days in Mobile, and he's obviously played a monster role in the Saints' renaissance in recent years. However, Brees' struggles in cold or inclement weather can no longer be avoided. For the Saints to get another Super Bowl title in their current championship window (more on windows in a bit), it appears they're going to have to do by being perfect at home and hosting playoff games. It sounds crazy, but the Saints likely need to provide Brees with some more offensive weapons this offseason. Chase Parham told me Saturday at Buffalo Wild Wings that there are rumors in New Orleans that the Saints will pursue free agent-to-be/former Ole Miss star/Kansas City Chiefs pro bowler Dexter McCluster in the offseson. That would make sense, as McCluster is dangerous in space and New Orleans coach Sean Payton is a genius when it comes to creating opportunities in space (see Bush, Reggie and Sproles, Darren).
B. Speaking of windows, the Indianapolis Colts are just now opening theirs. Saturday night was disappointing, I suspect, for Andrew Luck and Co., but the Colts were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter before the Patriots' experience and superior running game took over. When Luck gets another weapon or two, he's going to win multiple MVP honors. Further, given the weak AFC South --- Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville --- the Colts are going to be hosting playoff games in the near future. New England earned Saturday's win, but it's my opinion you were watching two ships passing in the night in Foxborough.
C. Manning said this weekend he's planning to come back in 2014 regardless of how Denver's playoff run ends. Manning seems like one of those guys who will have to be dragged off the playing field. Here's hoping that's not what literally happens. A storybook ending would be Manning winning the Super Bowl in New York and then walking off into the proverbial sunset. However, Manning is playing at such a high level the past two seasons that I understand his desire to continue playing, regardless of what happens in the next few weeks while he pursues his second Super Bowl ring.
D. How good is Jim Harbaugh? Before he arrived in San Francisco, the Niners were on a nine-year playoff drought. Since then, San Francisco is 41-13 and now playing in its third straight NFC Championship Game. Impressive.
E. With Cameron Newton losing on Sunday, Tim Tebow remains the only Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to win a playoff game in the last 26 years. That doesn't bode well for Johnny Manziel. Sorry, Jeffrey Wright.
F. Seventeen-year-old Sam Berns was going to serve as the Patriots' honorary captain Saturday night when the Colts came to town. However, Berns died Friday from complications related to Progeria syndrome, a genetic disorder that debilitates approximately one in 8 million children. Progeria syndrome stunts growth and creates rapidly advanced aging and deterioration of one's organs uncharacteristically early in life. "I love Sam Berns and am richer for having known him," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement Friday. "He was a special young man whose inspirational story and positive outlook on life touched my heart. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with him and to get to know his incredible family." Berns, a junior at Foxboro (Mass.) High School, was the subject of a 2013 HBO documentary, "Life According to Sam," about his family's search for a cure.
8. I could pile on and be the 1,387,652nd person to call the 16 voters who failed to vote for Greg Maddux for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame idiots, but I'm not the type to pile on. Instead, I'll simply heap praise on the greatest pitcher of my generation.
I loved Greg Maddux. Then he broke my heart. Then he made it whole again. Maddux came up a Chicago Cub, helped the Cubs to the 1989 National League Championship Series and won the first of his Cy Young awards as a Cub in 1992.
That December, despite his overtures to the Cubs, Chicago elected to save less than one million dollars and let Maddux walk. Chicago's loss was the Braves' gain. In Atlanta, Maddux won at least 16 games in each of his 11 seasons, leading the Braves to a World Series title.
I hated Maddux when he left and transferred that hate to former Cubs general manager Larry Himes when I learned he was to blame. For all of those seasons in Atlanta, I watched Maddux, trying to cheer against him but finding myself unable to do so. In 2003, Maddux started Game 3 of the National League Division Series against Mark Prior and the Cubs at Wrigley Field. I watched from a bar in Charlotte, N.C., as Prior outdueled Maddux in a 2-1 game. That game remains one of the most exciting contests I've ever watched. Every pitch mattered.
The following winter, Maddux returned to the Cubs. I was in Arizona working on multiple projects for the Press-Register, including a comprehensive take-out piece on then-Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who played college baseball in Mobile.
During my day at the Cubs' spring training complex in Mesa, I got a chance to interview Maddux about Hendry. My career has allowed me to meet a lot of high-profile figures. I've covered a presidential visit to Birmingham, an NFC Championship Game, an Elite Eight game, etc., but nothing made me as nervous as I was approaching Maddux in the home clubhouse at Ho Ho Kam Park.
Maddux couldn't have been nicer. We talked for probably 15-20 minutes, about a myriad of topics. It was one of the highlights of my professional career. Maddux won 16 games for the Cubs in 2004, unable to help a team that collapsed in late September. I spent that season daydreaming of a Cubs World Series with Maddux on the mound. It would have been a perfect ending. Sometimes the Hollywood ending doesn't happen.
Maddux will go into Cooperstown as a Brave, as he should. In my mind's eye, however, he'll always be a Cub --- the young gun with an unlimited future and then the seasoned veteran trying to trick hitters with completely different stuff. Everything in the middle, that decade-plus in Atlanta when he dominated baseball? I'll always wonder what could have been.
9. Speaking of bad endings, Alex Rodriguez was hit with a 162-game suspension over the weekend, meaning the Yankees' third baseman won't play at all in 2014. It very likely marked the end of what could have been and should have been one of the greatest careers in the history of baseball.
My God, Rodriguez was special when he first came up to the Seattle Mariners. Long, lean, graceful, athletic and powerful, Rodriguez emerged as the most talented, most special player of his generation. When he signed with the Texas Rangers for $225 million, eyeballs popped at the dollar figures but very few thought then-Rangers owner Tom Hicks had overspent. Rodriguez, so many of us believed, was going to re-write baseball's record books.
Instead, he'll be remembered as a cheater. I find his story to be a sad one. He was vilified Sunday night on CBS' "60 Minutes," and I understand why. However, I wonder if Rodriguez, worried his career was going to be derailed by Mother Nature, tried some human growth hormone and/or steroids in an attempt to bounce back each day and put on the same show he had in his 20s. Once he fell into the trap, I suspect, there was no way out.
Regardless, years from now, if my son Carson is a baseball fan, he'll ask me who were the best hitters I ever saw in person. I'll say, "Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez." Neither will be in the Hall of Fame. I guess I'll have to explain why. For the life of me, I'm not sure what I'll say. They were great players. They cheated the game. But they were great players. Like so many others who love the game, I'll wonder why. More compelling than that, I'll wonder what if. I bet they will too.
10. His team is awful, 15-21 and headed toward the NBA lottery fast, but very much under the radar, Anthony Davis is emerging as one of the top three or four players in the NBA. The New Orleans Pelicans' center is averaging 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, but that doesn't begin to tell the story of his development. The former Kentucky star is incredible in the high-screen pick-and-roll, a great rim protector on defense and a dynamic offensive force.
I suspect if NBA executive were surveyed, only three --- and maybe just two --- players would go before Davis if every team was stripped of all its assets and a fantasy draft of sorts were implemented. Lebron James would go first; of that, there is no doubt. Kevin Durant would be the second selection. Again, that's a no-brainer. Who would go third? Probably Indiana's Paul George, but there would be a strong temptation to take Davis in that spot. His upside is that high. Five years from now, when James is 34 and Durant 30, he could very well be the best player in the game.
Other thoughts from the week that was in the NBA:
A. Phoenix was emerging as the Cinderella story of the NBA. Then Eric Bledsoe went down with an injury to his right knee, one that could end his season. Suddenly, the Suns look like a team that will fight just to make the playoffs. Goran Dragic will likely replace Bledsoe's point guard numbers. However, the Suns' bench will be exposed, as Ish Smith likely won't be able to produce enough offense with Phoenix's second unit to keep winning in the ultra competitive Western Conference.
B. Watch out for the Golden State Warriors. They recently went 6-1 on a road trip, proving again that they're a completely different --- and dangerous --- team with Andre Iguodala in the lineup than when they are without his versatile services. In the West, a conference that has the Suns (Bledsoe), Thunder (Russell Westbrook) and Clippers (Chris Paul) reeling with injuries that might or might not derail their seasons, Golden State just might be the toughest out come late April.
C. Chicago unloaded Luol Deng to Cleveland in a deal that looked like the beginning of tanking. Could Joakim Noah (to Oklahoma City if the Thunder can unload Kendrick Perkins' contract) be next? What about Mike Dunleavy (Oklahoma City and Houston can make room and both desperately want a shooter)?
D. Along those lines, Milwaukee is looking to deal Gary Neal before the trade deadline. Neal is the ultimate 3-and-D player, a perfect fit on several contenders. Unlike Andrew Bynum, who might sign with some team soon and either help or be a total waste of time, Neal figures to be able to help a contender.
E. Brooklyn beat Miami for the second time this season on Friday night to improve to 15-22. If the season ended today, the Nets would be the No. 8 seed in the East. The bet here is Brooklyn climbs to as high as No. 3 in the East (Detroit, Washington, Chicago and possibly Atlanta will have a difficult time holding the Nets off, in my opinion). They could be a real headache for the Heat in a seven-game series, weakening them just a dash and perhaps setting up Indiana to knock them off their perch. Brooklyn, for all its flaws, presents matchup issues for the Heat.
F. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told Lakers.com late last week that the upcoming draft class might be the best since 2003, when Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and others were introduced to the league. The Lakers aren't tanking, Kupchak insisted, but don't be surprised if no one associated with that organization pushes Kobe Bryant or Steve Nash to hurry back from injuries.
11. Proof that good things happen to good people: Former Ole Miss graduate assistant Kane Wommack, the son of defensive coordinator Dave Wommack, was hired by new Eastern Illinois coach/former Ole Miss assistant Kim Dameron as his defensive coordinator. Other than being a Cardinals fan, Wommack is a great guy and a rising star in the coaching ranks. The bet here is he'll do big things at Eastern Illinois. Here's hoping he and Dameron have a lot of success there. Along those lines, former Ole Miss cornerbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn was hired by next Texas coach Charlie Strong Saturday night. I won't make this personal; it's not worth the grief I'd get for doing so. However, I'll always have a very soft spot for Vaughn. He and I shared a lot of deep talks about adversity, fatherhood and the pursuit of dreams during his four seasons in Oxford, four that just happened to be my first four in this job. I've always considered him a friend. I was thrilled for him and Marquette late Saturday. They're wonderful people. Austin is lucky to be welcoming them to town. Finally, Bryan Cranston rocks. I don't know what award he won on Sunday during the Golden Globes (best actor in a television drama, I think), but seeing him and staff of "Breaking Bad" on the stage of the Beverly Hills Hilton reminded me of how happy I am that I watched one of the best television series ever.
