I wonder if Ole Miss believed the Laremy Tunsil story would shrivel up and go away last Saturday when Hugh Freeze issued a statement to media, saying he was proud of his All-American left tackle for defending his mother against his stepfather during an alleged domestic dispute on June 25.
Nine days after that statement, however, the Tunsil narrative has taken on a new life of its own, begging a number of questions about the characters involved, the people reporting the story, Tunsil’s future and more. My thoughts on the matter, Shea Patterson, NBA free agency, baseball’s halfway point and more follow here, thanks to Oxford-based RE/MAX agent Harry Alexander. Check out his website, www.harryalexander.com and click on the properties and neighborhoods tab. No one knows the residential and condo market in and around Oxford better than Harry Alexander.
1. Late Friday, the (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger dropped a bombshell of sorts: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...e-miss-questions-tunsils-stepfather/29676631/
The newspaper reported the NCAA was in Oxford late in the week to talk to Lindsey Miller (more on that in a bit). The C-L said Miller, Laremy Tunsil’s stepfather, met with NCAA director of enforcement for football Chris Howard for approximately three hours Friday.
This story came one day after the Clarion-Ledger reported Miller told the newspaper that he is aware of violations that occurred during Tunsil’s recruiting, including falsified academic records and gifts made by the university.
Throw in Miller’s claim that his physical altercation with Tunsil came after he confronted Tunsil about his dealings with agents and Ole Miss is in a heap of hurt, right?
Well, maybe. Then again, maybe not. I’ve got a world of thoughts on the matter, so many that I’m not sure where to begin.
2. Let’s begin with the legal portion of the story. Miller pressed charges against Tunsil, which resulted in Tunsil turning himself in on a misdemeanor simple assault charge. Tunsil, in turn, pressed similar charges against Miller. You know the details by now. Simply put, it’s a he-said/he-said deal with biased witnesses supporting different participants in the incident. We like predictions at RebelGrove.com, so here’s one you can take to Las Vegas: No one is going to jail as a result of that heated Thursday night in Lafayette County. The odds are overwhelming that there aren’t many court appearances after the one coming up on July 14. Let’s hope not. From a legal perspective, no one was seriously injured and no property was truly damaged. There’s got to be a better way to spend taxpayer dollars than hashing out a domestic dispute between two grown men.
Tunsil’s side of the story came out in Freeze’s statement distributed to media (more on that in a bit) and it certainly appears Miller turned to the Clarion-Ledger (or the C-L found him; that’s semantics) to distribute his version of the events.
Earlier this past week, photos of Miller showing bruising and swelling appeared on TMZ.com (http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/02/colle...al-post-fight-pics-in-alleged-stepdad-attack/
I’m just guessing here, but it’s a guess I feel good about: TMZ compensated Miller for the use of those photos. Good for TMZ, I suppose. I can’t say I never look at the website. That said, Miller’s credibility was more than a little bit damaged when he sold those pictures.
I’m still inexperienced as it pertains to fighting 6-foot-5, 315-pound NFL prospects. However, I’m guessing if I were punched 6-8 times by someone Tunsil’s side, I’d look worse for the wear than Miller does in those photos. Further, RebelGrove.com talked to a source with direct knowledge of the medical attention offered to Miller at the scene. The source said an ambulance was called to the scene of the dispute but Miller refused transportation. According to the source, Miller had redness on the side of his face, but there was no bleeding and no signs of trauma.
Again, I’m no Matlock, but this is going nowhere, at least not in a court of law.
3. That leads me into Miller’s motives here. According to sources (hell, this might even be reported at this point; I’m just not sure), Miller and Tunsil’s mother, Desiree Tunsil, are splitting up. Divorce can be an emotional topic, obviously.
Miller’s willingness to battle through the press and then sell the aforementioned photos to TMZ certainly makes him appear angry and vengeful. It’s not a stretch to interpret those actions as those of a man who feels slighted. Let’s face it: Tunsil has been considered an elite NFL prospect for the better part of the past two years, if not longer. Now, some 10 months away from what could be a 10-figure payday, Miller is being squeezed out of Tunsil’s life.
Miller claims that the dispute with Tunsil came after he argued with Desiree Tunsil about the left tackle’s dealings with agents. Sources have told RebelGrove.com that Miller had previously been active in vetting prospective agents. Regardless, it’s not a stretch to think Miller had determined he was no longer part of that process and he saw his share of Tunsil’s upcoming windfall going the way of the Jacksonville Jaguars in their chase for the Super Bowl.
4. On Friday, as mentioned earlier, the Clarion-Ledger reported Miller met with the NCAA in Oxford for some three hours. It turns out that meeting occurred in Memphis, but that’s semantics at this point. Ole Miss athletics director Ross Bjork told RebelGrove.com Sunday Ole Miss knew of the meeting but was not allowed to participate. Tunsil, a five-star prospect from Lake City, Fla., signed with Ole Miss in February 2013, spurning overtures from Georgia, Alabama and others.
“These are serious allegations by Lindsey Miller so we’ve got to do our due diligence and take it all serious,” Bjork said Sunday evening. “Lots of people to talk to.”
To say there have been hurt feelings in some quarters over Tunsil’s signing with Ole Miss is an understatement. Accusations of impropriety were flying before the ink was dry on Tunsil’s NLI. However, sources have told RebelGrove.com Tunsil was flown to Indianapolis last summer and answered extensive questions regarding his recruitment, apparently to the (at least temporary) satisfaction of the NCAA.
However, Friday’s meeting has to cause some renewed concern among Ole Miss officials. I’m speculating here, but it’s not difficult to believe Howard hadn’t been planning to meet with Miller on the day before the Fourth of July. What led him to schedule the meeting? Was it just a matter of determining if Miller was a loose cannon? Did he believe that Miller could provide information that would instigate/further an investigation?
Maybe Howard was already close by and a stop in Memphis didn’t disrupt his plans much at all. Maybe Independence Day isn’t a big deal to Howard. Maybe he needed an excuse to get out of Indianapolis. Maybe he hates barbecue. I don’t know. However, a three-hour meeting with the stepfather of an elite college football player and refusing to allow the school said player plays for to participate feels like a potentially big deal.
5. This is Monday morning quarterbacking, but I can’t help but think Hugh Freeze wishes he had that statement on June 25 back now. Freeze and Ole Miss, by proxy, came out awfully strong against Miller. The picture painted with that statement was one of a young man (Tunsil) defending his mother against an attacker (Miller). Freeze said Tunsil could’ve handled the situation differently, but he said he was proud of him for protecting his mom.
It was an all-in move by Ole Miss, and it pushed Miller into a corner. He’s come out fighting. I can’t help but think Ole Miss probably should have known that.
6. Much has been made about Miller’s allegations about Tunsil riding around in a car driven by agents. It’s just my opinion, but I think some of that was sensational reporting on the part of the Clarion-Ledger. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Tunsil going No. 2 in his latest mock of the 2016 NFL draft. I was writing about Tunsil’s NFL prospects during his freshman season, and I wasn’t alone. Agents and runners for agents have been beating on Tunsil’s proverbial door for 24 months or longer. That he’s had contact with agents isn’t newsworthy. So have Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell, Tony Conner, Dak Prescott, Chris Jones, Leonard Fournette, and hundreds of other NFL prospects currently playing college football. Big. Freaking. Deal.
Even in Ole Miss’ and Tunsil’s worst-case scenario, one in which it is deemed a minor NCAA infraction because Tunsil accepted transportation from an agent or a representative of an agent, it’s hardly a huge story. At worst, Tunsil would have to reimburse the agent or his/her representative for the transportation cost (think $10 or so) and he’d be suspended from the season opener against UT-Martin. Again, that’s all speculation on my part, but it’s hardly season- or program-changing stuff.
The agent portion of this story does shed some light on the pressure and microscope on Ole Miss this fall. This isn’t going to be a typical season in Oxford. The eyes of the national media will be on the Rebels from the beginning. There are four (and possibly more) first-round NFL draft prospects on the roster. Scouts and agents will be omnipresent.
In short, Freeze has by far his best Ole Miss team yet taking the field on Sept. 5, assuming Tunsil is eligible to play. However, the atmosphere will be full of distractions and minefields. Freeze has a boatload full of talent at his disposal, but make no mistake, his hands are full. Lindsey Miller has provided a stark reminder of that reality.
7. The nation’s No. 2-ranked prospect, Shreveport, La., quarterback Shea Patterson, appeared on the Oxford Exxon Podcast powered by RebelGrove.com on Wednesday. If you haven’t listened yet, you should. Here’s the link:
https://olemiss.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1779595&PT=4&PR=2
Patterson is a charismatic kid with no shortage of self-confidence. He talked about the other prospects he’s recruiting to join him in Oxford. He spoke of his approach to the travel schedule he’s undertaken this summer (Patterson flew to Oregon this weekend for the Elite 11 quarterback challenge, part of NIKE’s The Opening) and the mindset he’s taken to those opportunities.
I’ve met Patterson in person on numerous occasions and talked to him multiple times. I always leave with the same impression I got on Wednesday’s podcast: If this kid lives up to his potential on the field, his personality is going to make him a national star in Oxford.
So that you don’t think I’m attacking the Clarion-Ledger in this space this week, here’s a story written about Patterson by Courtney Cronin. It’s really good, complete with a camera attached by Cronin to Patterson’s helmet in a recent 7-on-7 tournament in Madison, Miss.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2015/07/04/patterson-tirelessly-works-best/29724915/
8. The starters for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game were announced Sunday evening. Here’s who will take the field on July 14 in Cincinnati:
American League:
C Salvador Perez, Kansas City
1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit *
2B Jose Altuve, Houston
SS Alcides Escobar, Kansas City
3B Josh Donaldson, Toronto
OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
OF Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City
OF Alex Gordon, Kansas City
DH Nelson Cruz, Seattle
National League:
C Buster Posey, San Francisco
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona
2B Dee Gordon, Miami
SS Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis
3B Todd Frazier, Cincinnati
OF Bryce Harper, Washington
OF Giancarlo Stanton, Miami *
OF Matt Holliday, St. Louis *
* --- On disabled list
The fans did a pretty solid job, in my opinion. Here’s where I have a disagreement. Here’s who, at least in my opinion, should have gotten the starting nods.
American League:
1B Albert Pujols (replacing Cabrera)
2B Jason Kipnis, Cleveland
DH Prince Fielder, Texas
National League:
OF Andrew McCutcheon, Pittsburgh (replacing Stanton)
OF Joc Pederson, L.A. Dodgers (replacing Holliday)
Pitchers and reserves will be revealed Monday. I’ll pass out my midseason awards in this space next Sunday (I know you all wait with bated breath).
9. Lamarcus Aldridge will sign with the San Antonio Spurs, he announced Saturday. The news represented a seismic shift back to Texas in the NBA. With Aldridge joining Tony Parker, Danny Green, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs probably have the NBA’s strongest starting lineup.
San Antonio still needs to add depth, though the best organization in the NBA appears poised to take care of that in the coming days as well. Manu Ginobili is expected to return for another season, and free agent forward David West appears to be strongly considering taking the NBA minimum in San Antonio to chase a championship ring.
By the way, don’t blame Aldridge for leaving Portland. This was coming for at least half a season, and there were hints of it prior to that. The Blazers let ego get in the way, and it cost them. The Oregonian’s John Canzano agreed in Sunday’s newspaper.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2015/07/canzano_dont_blame_lamarcus_al.html#incart_related_stories
Assuming LeBron James returns to Cleveland, as expected, here are my winners and losers from NBA free agency:
Winners:
San Antonio – The Spurs made themselves an instant title contender and set up a smooth transition to a new era when Duncan, Ginobili and maybe Parker move on in the next couple of seasons.
Dallas – The Mavericks added center DeAndre Jordan and guard Wesley Matthews. If Matthews is effective post-Achilles injury (a big, big if), the Mavericks can now hang with the elite teams in the Western Conference.
Milwaukee – By landing Greg Monroe, the Bucks became a playoff team capable of making the second round. Monroe’s selection of Milwaukee over the Knicks provided even more proof that if the money’s even, players in their prime will choose winning teams/organizations over major markets.
Losers:
L.A. Lakers – The Lakers desperately wanted to add Aldridge to their roster, but the initial meeting between the two parties went poorly. Kobe Bryant will go down in history as one of the league’s greatest players, but his uncertain future is proving toxic to the franchise’s future. The Lakers did get a commitment from Lou Williams Sunday, so there’s that.
Portland – Aldridge, Matthews and Nic Batum are all gone from a Blazers team that looked like a title contender just a season ago.
L.A. Clippers – With Jordan gone and the West looking loaded with teams such as the Spurs, Thunder, Rockets, Mavericks, Warriors and Grizzlies, the window has slammed shut on Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Co.
10. Last week, I previewed the AFC West race. This week, it’s the AFC South, home of my man-crush, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. The Colts should finally benefit in 2015 from the weak AFC South to accumulate enough wins to force the playoffs to go through Indianapolis on the way to the Super Bowl.
Indianapolis needed to revamp its running game in the offseason and did so with the addition of veteran Frank Gore. Andre Johnson was added to a receiver corps that already featured tight end Coby Fleener and wide receivers TY Hilton and former Ole Miss star Donte Moncrief. Defensively, the Colts should be better, and again, certainly good enough to pile up wins inside the division.
Houston brought in Brian Hoyer to compete with Ryan Mallett at quarterback. The Texans have explosive weapons on defense in the form of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, but their offense doesn’t figure to be explosive enough to keep up.
Jacksonville remains a franchise in limbo. Quarterback Blake Bortles will be improved in Year 2 and he will enjoy former Denver tight end Julius Thomas’ presence in the Jaguars’ offense. Former Alabama star T.J. Yeldon should help the running game, but again, there’s not enough explosiveness to compete with the Colts.
Tennessee, meanwhile, figures to languish a bit in 2015 with rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota cutting his NFL teeth. The Titans look to be a bet to lose at least 10 games this season.
Here are some other links for your review and/or reading pleasure:
Chadd Scott doesn’t believe Oklahoma president Dr. David Boren is whistling in the wind about Big 12 expansion. I don’t either. His column recently about the subject caught my attention.
http://www.sportsdaynow.com/oklahoma-angling-for-sec-expansion-invite/
Former Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe has made Duke football credible in the past few years. How’s he done it? Rivals.com took an in-depth look.
Have a great week.
https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1780205
Speaking of the NCAA, Mark Emmert’s pay and the organization’s legal fees are on the rise.
http://mweb.cbssports.com/ncaaf/wri...rts-mark-emmerts-pay-ncaa-legal-fees-increase
The FBI’s investigation of the St. Louis Cardinals has transformed from an embarrassment for the organization to an air of sadness around Busch Stadium. Last week, the investigation claimed its first victim. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a brilliant accounting of how things went so wrong in one of sport’s best organizations.
http://m.stltoday.com/sports/column...57e3-a6a2-a73aa8f677be.html?mobile_touch=true
This piece by Jonathan Tjarks in RealGM.com is a bit dated, yes, but his point rings true. There’s still only one guaranteed way to build a winner in the NBA, and that’s through the draft and development. There’s only one LeBron James, after all.
http://basketball.realgm.com/article/238586/Piece-By-Piece-With-No-Shortcuts
When I was a kid growing up in Ruston, La., at least the way I remember it, I spent my summers outside. We wrapped Wiffle balls in black electric tape and did the same to plastic bats, creating a sport that required gloves on our hands but didn’t necessarily endanger the neighborhood windows. We played game after game of basketball in driveway after driveway. We played lots of football, too, usually playing tackle until someone got hurt and then using tube socks as flags. The boys in my neighborhood now play some soccer and occasionally shoot some baskets, but they never play any variation of baseball. Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer has noticed the same thing, and he wrote recently that’s not a good thing.
http://mobile.philly.com/sports/phillies/?wss=/philly/sports/phillies&id=311619431
Speaking of Philadelphia, Philly’s “own” Rocky Balboa will be back on the silver screen this fall. “Creed,” the story of Balboa training Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis, will be in theatres in November. I’ll be there when it opens, and I expect I’ll watch it three times or more by Christmas Day. The Rocky series is seminal for a lot of us.
Nine years ago, Rocky came out of retirement to fight in “Rocky Balboa.” Critics tore the film apart. I loved it. I left the theatre feeling good. Rocky had buried the demons of his past. He seemed to be moving on _ though hardly forgetting _ his late wife, Adrian. He and his son were on good terms finally. Sure, it was corny, but so what? I grew up with Rocky. I was happy to know he was going to be OK.
I love the potential storyline of “Creed.” That evil bastard Ivan Drago killed Apollo in the ring but Rocky avenged his death by going to Russia and beating Drago in front of the whole damn Kremlin. The Soviet Union was never the same after Rocky IV. It was just a matter of time before it fell.
Now, Rocky is going to go save Apollo’s kid and hopefully make him a champion fighter, all the while serving as a surrogate dad and teaching young Adonis some very important life lessons. Rocky Balboa is an American hero, with or without Oscars. I tear up watching the trailer to “Creed.” If the film wants to have Apollo come out of the cornfields or something to play a game of pre-fight catch with Adonis, I’m good. Screw the Academy Awards anyway. I don’t go to the movies for a social statement. I want to feel good. “Creed,” I can already tell, is going to do that for me.
http://www.esquire.com/entertainmen...sequel/?src=spr_TWITTER&spr_id=1456_202513586
