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Inside Ole Miss Sports



Camp Wilderness
by parrishalford
 Inside Ole Miss Sports
Jul 20, 2012 | 2059 views | 7 7 comments | 33 33 recommendations | email to a friend | print | permalink

For Hugh Freeze, the wildnerness theme continued at SEC Media Days. I don't doubt it's an accurate assessment of the current state of the Rebels, but I do wonder if players hearing the wilderness thing time and again might not begin to believe that winning is beyond their reach.

Freeze says no, that in-house the message focuses not on the wildnerness but on getting out of the wilderness.

It seems concerning that Freeze estimates that only 60 percent have "bought in" at this point. Mike Marry says buying in just takes longer for some. That seems to run counter to Charles Sawyer's take. He says unity on the team has gone from basically non-existent to a cup that runneth over.

Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette asked Donte Moncrief just how deep into the wilderness he felt the program was. "How far are you from a highway? Can you hear cars?"

Maybe Freeze and his staff can successfully seperate the message. Too many times hearing how the program is lost in the wilderness could lead to players giving up on the present.

Also, from today's print edition, our Ole Miss notebook from Media Days in which Freeze responded to Steve Spurrier's desire to add the Rebels to his schedule.

 

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Churn
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July 21, 2012
One of the Ole Miss mens sports or maybe two that has not got themselves isolated in the wilderness is basketball and Golf, I don't pay much attention to golf because at Tula we did not know what golf was, but basketball, all those community schools had basketball. Ole miss had a team in those days but was not too competitive, in a sense, but they played every game with importance and integrity. Coach Kennedy and some other coaches in this time and age, have brought the Rebels out of the wilderness and place their names among the best in college basketball. In the women's sports I think soccer, basketball and maybe the rifle team are all sharpshooters in their field and far from being in the wilderness.

So Mr Freeze was brought to oxford to win football games, and that is what he had better do or else he could become another werewolf or whatever wolf he came from. Just my opinion ranting on as I usually do making no sense and a fool out of myself. whatsoever!!

JB
Churn
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July 21, 2012
Churn

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July 21, 2012

Thanks deuce, I admire your posting as well and your honesty. I had high hope for the rebels in Eli days and coach Cutcliffe when he came to Ole Miss to take over the coaching job. Don't think Cutcliffe was given a fair chance. He did come in under not so good circumstance (health wise) and little time to prepare for that bowl game and win that season end bowl. Yes I have been with the Rebels since about 1949-50. Not many of us are still around from those days. I remember the first game that I went to, sit somewhere on the vistor's side and was in awe at that Ole Miss crowd, I had never seen so many people in one gathering. That crowd was in full support of the rebels, and the same years later until I went into the US Air Force and my game attendance was limitted thereafter, But always tried to find them on the radio and armed forces TV.

I get dishearted at times but remember that I am a Mississippian and will stand with my home state team.

JB

GO REBELS!!!!!

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duece
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July 21, 2012
You and I are much alike JB... we long for the Ole Miss we knew and loved growing up.... while my time was a little after yours we still managed to stay competitive and we were never the laughing stock of the league. Now, we feel unwanted and unappreciated after all of those years of support.... be that as it may....I still cant help myself from keeping tabs on the team that brought me lots of joy back then. I mentioned that over and over wilderness talk several weeks ago, I for one know that I wouldnt appreciate my leader continually telling others that "well, we arent really that good" give me some time and ill get it fixed. Screw that, no matter what your opinion you do have a group of dedicated players that that have kept their grades up, acted like responsible young men (notice not kids) and worked hard. Your job as a leader is not to make excuses or temper expectations, make believers out of your young men and lead them into battle. (while i also hate analogies relating combat to football that sort of fits) But I will tell you know one thing, I never once told my soldiers we could do nothing less than tear down the gates of hell if ordered to.

now Parrish I hope your right, like I also said before Im sure Coach Freeze is a much smarter man than me, may be he knows a secret.

JB..heres to Ole times that are not forgotten
Churn
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July 20, 2012
Someone please tell me why did about 1962-65 time frame Ole Miss decide to take a trek into the wilderness and was never able to come out of it. They have been basically loser ever since with exception of a few good years here and there. I am a Johnny Reb and proud to be one, and I believe there is space for comprise and forgiveness, but never to give away a tradition which made one a winner. Yes, We must love our neighbor, but when our neighbor is really not our Neighbor we must make a change to a neighbor that supports us and really is our neighbor.

JB
parrishalford
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July 20, 2012
Freeze is walking a difficult line, trying to present to the fan base what he considers a realistic view of the state of the program, then tell the players, "Yes, but here's the plan to get out of the wilderness."

When wilderness appears so much in media coverage, he will have to really have their attention in private to keep them believing.

It's my take that when considering the returning players, you have to look at the first nine games of last year. The last three were disarray. In the first nine they had legitimate chances to win against BYU, Arkansas, Kentucky. They were competitive for a period of time with Auburn.

It was interesting to hear Freeze in Hoover mention twice the possibility of "pulling a few surprises."

I think he's comfortable speaking and communicating to large groups, and I suspect he's balancing those two messages.
Churn
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July 20, 2012
Sorry to say, but ole Miss has been in the "wilderness" since "Political Correctness" took over, and they will probably stay there.

JB
WildRebel
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July 20, 2012
These players know they're in the wilderness. If being told that's where they are makes them give up, they may as well pack up and go home.