| Friday, November 10, 2017 |
| Vietnam veterans honored at Welcome Home Ceremony at Mississippi State | |
 | The Mississippi State University Center for America's Veterans and State Veterans Affairs Board honored Vietnam War Veterans in a Welcome Home Ceremony Tuesday morning at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex at MSU. While introducing the program, MSU Center for America's Veterans Interim Director Lot. Col. Brian Locke said a welcome home ceremony was 40 or 50 years overdue for many veterans. "You and your family will no longer have to wait for that welcome," Locke said. "Our purpose for today is simple: we want to honor you, we want to honor your service and sacrifice, and most importantly, we want to say 'welcome home.'" MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum introduced the guest speaker for the ceremony, Lieutenant Colonel Richard "Gene" Smith. "This is a day of welcome home to all of our veterans who served our nation so valiantly in the Vietnam War," Keenum said. "I'm proud to be here among you." |
| Bulldogs gear up security for upcoming Alabama game | |
 | The Bulldogs are gearing up for one of the biggest football games this year against number two ranked Alabama. It's a sold out game, expecting more than 60,000 fans plus tailgating. "A big crowd a big loud, sellout rowdy crowd supporting their Bulldogs," says Leah Beasley, Senior Associate Athletic Director. Campus will be beefing up security and making it as easy as possible for fans to find their seats and keep their mind on the game. "We'll have our maps out there," said Beasley. "We'll also have more parking attendants to direct traffic as well as shuttles. More security will be here to protect your safety. You can check online at the MSU Athletics website for the size of purses and bags you can bring. |
| New Mississippi State mural placed near Main Street | |
| Mississippi State University's Athletic Department and the city of Starkville joined together to create a new art destination on Main Street. There is now a mural, which features the MSU women's and men's basketball teams. The mural is on the exposed wall of Restaurant Tyler on South Washington Street. There is also a reference to both Starkvegas and Starkville's slogan, "Mississippi's College Town." The idea for the mural sparked from Daniel Watkins, the director of marketing and ideation for MSU athletic department. Watkins said he got the idea from a professional women's soccer team in Orlando where they had small murals when they made a playoff run. Members of the community helped place pieces of the mural onto the wall. These people included Starkville Police Chief Frank Nichols, Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Eddie Peasant, MSU women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer, MSU men's basketball head coach Ben Howland and many more. |
| Mississippi State Hosts Men's Symposium | |
 | Male students from campuses across the Southeast arrived at Mississippi State for the 2017 State Of Black Men Symposium. This year's theme is Transcending Stereotypes and Breaking Barriers. The symposium is held once every two years. The conference is designed to address issues African American men face on a regular basis like racial discrimination, incarceration rates, lack of healthcare access and unemployment rates. Organization Vice President Blake Lewis says he hopes students take valuable information back to their schools. |
| Four bids received for Partnership School | |
| A new step was made toward construction of the Partnership School Thursday, when bids for the project were opened at the Greensboro Center. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District received bids from four firms. Base bids are: $28,586,000 from the Tupelo-based Century Construction and Realty Inc., $27,866,000 from the Brandon-based Flagstar Construction Company Inc., $28,200,000 from Thrash Commercial Contractors, also of Brandon and $26,450,000 from West Brothers Construction Company in Columbus. "Our architect will look at the bids that we received, and put together the packages for us, and he'll present these to us at sometime later," said Superintendent Eddie Peasant. Peasant said the district would evaluate the bids and see where they fell in relation to the project's budget. |
| Mac McAnally wins Musician of the Year for ninth time; plays MSU tonight | |
 | Friends and well wishers reached out to Belmont native Mac McAnally the day after he was named the Country Music Association's Musician of the Year for the ninth time. "I've gotten quite a bit of calls, emails and texts and such as that and social media notices that I'm going to have to hire some younger person to access for me," he said during a phone interview from Nashville. "I do feel a whole lot of goodwill coming from all angles. It's a mighty fine thing." During Wednesday's CMA Awards, McAnally found out he had tied the legendary Chet Atkins, who also had nine wins. He was scheduled to drive from Nashville to his studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Thursday, and then drive to Starkville for a 7:30 p.m. concert today at Mississippi State University's Bettersworth Auditorium. It's a fundraiser for the MSU Department of Music. |
| Trustees OK CEO Richard Hilton to gather information on affiliation | |
 | OCH Regional Medical Center CEO Richard Hilton will contact three hospital system CEOs to see if the hospital should consider an affiliation. The county owned hospital's board of trustees unanimously authorized Hilton to contact the systems during a Wednesday special-call meeting. Hilton said two hospital system CEOs approached him last year over a possible affiliation with the hospital. However, he never brought the matter to trustees because county supervisors were ramping up for a possible sale or lease of OCH. "I didn't see any sense in continuing any discussions not knowing exactly ... whether or not there would be enough of a drive from the petition standpoint to get a referendum called," Hilton said. "As we know, history has seen all those things did take place." A third system CEO approached Hilton about eight weeks ago. He said they were not interested in buying OCH, but only in affiliation, should the hospital remain county owned. |
| Supervisor Orlando Trainer delays OCH board appointment to avoid 'a mess' | |
| The OCH Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees is going to ask a county supervisor to fill a board post that's been vacant for three years. Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to send a letter to Board of Supervisors President Orlando Trainer, who has not put forth a new board member to replace Fenton Peters, who died in 2014. Peters represented District 2 on the board of trustees -- the same district Trainer represents as a county supervisor. OCH Board Chairman Linda Breazeale said Trainer has, in the past, said he did not plan to appoint someone to the board, particularly with the ongoing debate over whether to sell the county owned hospital. With a referendum on the hospital's sale now finished and the majority of voters siding against the sale, Breazeale suggested reaching out to Trainer to request an appointment. |
| Joe Max Higgins: State needs to get creative on economic development to stay competitive | |
| At a luncheon of the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said Mississippi would have to get creative to compete with surrounding states like Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas. "Some of the neighboring states have got a little more vision than we have at the time, and they have implemented some programs that are making them more competitive," he said. He mentioned losing a $700 million project to Georgia earlier this year. "Two hundred fifty-one jobs paying $61,000 per year," he said. "Those of you that are out there scoring, that would have been outright second place in the Golden Triangle behind the steel mill and ahead of PACCAR." While some of the reason for that is taxation laws, he said, those states are also better at displaying their workforce to companies that could potentially employ hundreds of workers. |
| State education board approves $14.1 million for 21st Century grants | |
| The Mississippi State Board of Education approved today the distribution of $14.1 million in federal funds over a three-year period for 21st Century Community Learning Center grants to eligible school districts and organizations. The 21st Century grants provide federal funding for the establishment of community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for students, particularly those who attend high-poverty, low-performing schools. Typically, these programs are offered after school. In the grants awarded, 15 new community learning centers received funding totaling $10.4 million and 23 centers received continued funding at $3.7 million over three years. Four Northeast Mississippi public school districts will receive 21st Century grant funding. Mississippi State University will also receive some funding to facilitate programs for the West Point School District. |
| Senate confirms US attorney for northern Mississippi | |
 | The U.S. Senate has confirmed a new chief federal prosecutor for the northern half of Mississippi. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker issued a statement Thursday congratulating Chad Lamar of Oxford for becoming the new U.S. attorney. Lamar has been an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District since 1991. He is currently the chief of the Criminal Division. Lamar earned degrees from Millsaps College, the University of Mississippi Lamar School of Law and the Boston University School of Law. |
| Senate GOP's tax bill points to nasty fight ahead | |
 | Yawning divisions have emerged between the House, Senate and White House over tax reform, raising doubts about whether Republicans will be able to achieve their most important political and policy priority before the end of the year. The Senate and House are split on some key issues, including the top tax rate and the timing of the corporate tax cut, and also at odds with President Donald Trump in many areas. Hard bargaining, battles between GOP factions and an onslaught of lobbying are the gauntlets Republicans will have to run to get legislation to Trump's desk by the end of the year -- and into their mailers and ads for the 2018 elections. If one thing unifies Republicans and makes the job easier than it might appear, it's the fear that they will have nothing to take into those contests after the failure of another marquee effort, repealing and replacing Obamacare. GOP leaders are talking with rank-and-file members to assess whether they have the necessary 50 votes to scrap the least popular part of Obamacare. "I'd sure like to do that," said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) "I think we're counting votes. It sure gives us a lot more flexibility." |
| Farmers move to defy Trump on NAFTA | |
| After spending nine months indulging President Donald Trump's desire to renegotiate NAFTA, agricultural groups representing farmers in Trump-supporting states across the heartland are now moving aggressively to save an agreement they consider crucial to their industry. The once-powerful agricultural lobby was somewhat muted in its warnings about losing a significant portion of the $17.9 billion worth of agricultural products exported last year to Mexico, the U.S.' third-largest trading partner, believing that the Trump administration would reach a settlement on other aspects of NAFTA while leaving agricultural trade alone. Now, with Trump threatening to issue a formal intent to withdraw from the deal, farming groups say it's clearer than ever that their pleas to save the pact are barely registering with a president intent on its destruction. |
| Woman says Roy Moore initiated sexual encounter when she was 14, he was 32 | |
 | Leigh Corfman says she was 14 years old when an older man approached her outside a courtroom in Etowah County, Ala. She was sitting on a wooden bench with her mother, they both recall, when the man introduced himself as Roy Moore. It was early 1979 and Moore -- now the Republican nominee in Alabama for a U.S. Senate seat -- was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney. He struck up a conversation, Corfman and her mother say, and offered to watch the girl while her mother went inside for a child custody hearing. Aside from Corfman, three other women interviewed by The Washington Post in recent weeks say Moore pursued them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his early 30s, episodes they say they found flattering at the time, but troubling as they got older. |
| U. of Alabama reopens buildings after chemical storage issue | |
 | Emergency teams responded to Shelby Hall at the University of Alabama at around 4:30 p.m. Thursday when a freezer storing a potentially hazardous chemical malfunctioned, according to a UA spokesman. The building was evacuated and people were diverted from the area while responders evaluated the situation. UA officials sent a campus-wide alert letting people know to avoid the area. There were no injuries and no damage to the building. Two adjacent structures, the Science and Engineering Complex Building and the McMillan Building, were also evacuated as a precautionary measure. Shelby Hall is home to the department of chemistry and UA research centers and labs. It houses more than 70 research laboratories. |
| Auburn University's Hospitality Gala raises $400K toward scholarships | |
 | Auburn University's annual Hospitality Gala raised $400,000 Thursday night for the school's hospitality management program. But that wasn't the only benefit students in the program received from the bash. "I've never done a big event before. This is my first one," said Catherine Pirani, a senior majoring in hospitality management. "I now realize how important every tedious detail is. People won't even notice it, but you have to put in all that effort. So I think I've learned how much work goes into these events. But actually being part of it, being here today and seeing it all come together, makes it all worth it." The gala has been the program's main fundraiser since 1992, welcoming ticket holders to a wine and fine dining event that also features a silent auction. Its home has been The Hotel at Auburn University for the past several years. |
| Family of LSU fraternity pledge, university officials trying to battle hazing | |
 | In a move to honor their lost loved one, Maxwell Gruver's family is taking a stand against hazing and urging young adults to be responsible and brave in the face of peer pressure. Rae Ann Gruver, Max's mother, said she isn't ready to speak to the media about the tragic loss of her son, who died from alcohol poisoning after police say the LSU student was forced to drink at a Phi Delta Theta hazing ritual in September. But she mailed The Advocate a family statement that describes her son as a caring, giving Christian. "Our beloved Max was a person who cared deeply about others. He took actions time and again to help others, especially if they were facing challenging circumstances," says the message from "Max Gruver's family." "In the giving spirit of Max, we are reaching out to the young people who have been blessed to have had their lives touched by Max." |
| John Bel Edwards reinforces stance against hazing after LSU alcohol death | |
 | Colleges and universities will always have new students, so Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards stressed Thursday evening (Nov. 9) that campus communities have to do their part in reporting and preventing instances of hazing in student organizations. The governor's comments came during a Baton Rouge news conference at his mansion, where university system presidents joined him for a discussion to promote a "safe learning environment" on college campuses statewide. Thursday's meeting comes more than a month after an LSU freshman died in what the university described as a "potential hazing incident." Maxwell Gruver of Rosewell, Ga., died Sept. 14 from "acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration," according to a coroner's report. Edwards stressed that hazing, as well as drug or alcohol abuse, is something that affects "every organization that exists at our four-year institutions and our two-year institutions." |
| Regents: UGA president, not faculty, to set academic calendars | |
 | University of Georgia faculty members no longer will be setting academic calendars. Under a new state Board of Regents policy, college presidents are now responsible for developing those calendars. At UGA, President Jere Morehead has designated Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction, with that task. The vice president should "consider" faculty advice, according to a memo Morehead sent Shrivastav. Under previous rules, the UGA University Council was responsible for developing and voting on academic calendars, though the UGA president still had final approval. Reaction to the change was mixed with the UGA University Council's executive committee, which had been scheduled to consider a recommended 2019-20 calendar developed by the council's Faculty Affairs Committee. |
| U. of Florida Housing theft case grows by $470,000 | |
 | A newly-discovered credit union account from which $470,000 had been withdrawn led to an additional grand theft charge against a former University of Florida housing official and a charge against his co-worker. UF police filed a sworn complaint alleging grand theft of more than $100,000 against Azfar Mian, 42. He was first arrested Sept. 18 on grand theft charges in connection with $180,000 in funds taken from UF. A grand theft complaint was also filed against associate financial services director Stina Schoneck, 38. This was the first charge against her. Both were arrested Wednesday. Three more UF Housing employees, Jennifer Andrews, a UF Housing executive assistant, Dirk Smith, a warehouse worker and stores specialist, and part-time worker Curtis Harris, have been fired after being placed on administrative leave in September. All of the employees involved have been fired by UF, spokeswoman Janine Sikes said in a prepared statement. |
| U. of Missouri creates scholarship to assist ROTC students | |
 | The University of Missouri wants to double the number of students with national ROTC scholarships on campus by providing free housing and meals, Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said Thursday. In a news conference with Lt. Col. Gary Kerr, department head for MU's Army ROTC, Cartwright said the $10,000 annual cost of the program would bring more top students with leadership qualities to the campus. "We want these young people here," Cartwright said. "They are just exceptional individuals who contribute to this entire community and really make the place a much better place to be." National ROTC scholarships cover tuition and required fees and also provide a book allowance and monthly stipend equal to $5,000 a year. |
| U. of Missouri Black Studies to host event reflecting on 2015 protests | |
 | The University of Missouri's Black Studies Department will host an event Monday to reflect on the race-related protests that took place in fall 2015. "Two Years Later..." will start at 5 p.m. in Jesse Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Student Union with a showing of Spike Lee's "2 Fists Up," a documentary that takes a closer look at the protests. The event is co-sponsored by the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center and the Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. The idea to host the event came from wanting to continue reflecting on what happened after the Black Studies Department hosted a similar event last year, said Stephanie Shonekan, who chairs the department. "What we do on Monday will be our chance to reclaim our time, reclaim our narrative, and remind ourselves that what happened was actually a good thing," Shonekan said. |
| Senate tax bill has some but not all provisions that have alarmed higher education leaders in House bill | |
 | The Senate tax reform proposal released late Thursday night includes an excise tax on large private college endowments that has been strongly opposed by higher ed groups. The tax is similar to one in the House of Representatives bill. Private college leaders say that the tax would effectively punish colleges that have built up endowments that support student aid, research and other functions of higher education. And while the tax would be applied only to the wealthiest colleges, many fear a precedent in which the assets of colleges -- traditionally exempt from tax -- are taxed. The Senate plan would also eliminate the deduction on state and local taxes, in a measure that is similar but not identical to the House plan. Public higher education leaders are very concerned about any change in that deduction, which effectively encourages states to invest in public colleges and other state institutions. Eliminating the deduction could increase pressure to cut state spending. But the Senate proposal appears to largely leave untouched many education tax credits and tax exemptions eliminated in a House GOP tax bill. |
| Study suggests it's not just students who have difficulty understanding free expression | |
| Numerous incidents on campuses, along with national surveys of students, have led to complaints that college students don't value free expression. Pundits and politicians complain that students are so sensitive that they refuse to engage with ideas that make them uncomfortable. Many of the comments lament what is seen as a problem with the current generation of college students. But a new survey suggests that the general public may be as conflicted and inconsistent about free expression on campus as students are. The Bucknell University Institute for Public Policy commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of the public about campus speech, and responses were analyzed from a nationally representative sample of 1,200. The results were very similar to studies of students: broad support for the idea of free speech on campus, but also willingness to curtail some kinds of protected speech. The results were the same for Democrats and Republicans, but those of differing political views would permit speech on different topics to be restricted. |
| To Help Combat Racism, Kansas State U. Will Cancel Classes (for 2 Hours) | |
 | Kansas State University has seen such a steady stream of racially charged incidents this semester that administrators are taking the unprecedented step of canceling all classes and closing campus offices for two hours on Tuesday to encourage people to attend an event promoting diversity. Administrators said they wanted to do something positive, to take control of the conversation. Participants will first take part in a Unity Walk to Anderson Hall, the main administrative building, and then participate in KSUnite, a diversity program to discuss inclusion, race, and race relations. "We want to lead the narrative," said Jeffery B. Morris, vice president for communications and marketing. |
| In Trump country, a university confronts its skeptics | |
| The University of Michigan's most legendary president coined what's become an unofficial mission statement for one of the nation's first public universities: to provide "an uncommon education for the common man." Michigan, he declared, would be an antidote to aristocracy. Angell's words are still a part of life at the Ann Arbor campus these days, but the spirit is missing: Today's University of Michigan includes more than its share of blue bloods and people with inherited wealth. Like many other flagship state universities that were founded to provide a leg up for the common man, Michigan has become a school largely for students with means. Americans, meanwhile, are increasingly losing faith in higher education. |
| Dick Hall leads charge to fix our roads | |
 | Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: "Dick Hall has earned his gravitas after 24 years in the Legislature and 19 years as central commissioner for Mississippi's Department of Transportation. A Republican from way back, nobody questions his conservative credentials. Yet Hall is completely at odds with the Republican triumvirate running our state government. He will tell you it's crazy that we won't raise the state gas tax to properly maintain our roads. In the last five years, 26 states have raised the gas tax, but Mississippi hasn't raised the tax in 35 years. I recently heard Commissioner Hall speak at the Stennis-Capitol Press Luncheon. He makes a persuasive argument for raising the tax." |
SPORTS
| Saban not overlooking talented Mississippi State team | |
| No. 1 Alabama enters the weekend riding high with a perfect 9-0 record and have won every game by two scores or more. The Crimson Tide have had little trouble with Saturday's opponent Mississippi State of late, having won nine straight in the series and blasted the Bulldogs 51-3 last year. However, it isn't in coach Nick Saban's nature to overlook any team, much less one as talented as this year's MSU squad that is ranked No. 18. "This is going to be a challenging game for us," Saban said. "They're doing a great job this year. They're very effective on offense with what they do. Their quarterback has played very well for them and they've got great balance." |
| Mississippi State improving its aerial thievery | |
| Mississippi State had an interceptions problem as the calendar turned from September to October: it only had one in five games. At the time, it was tied for last in the nation and spent the bye week charting opportunities and otherwise searching for answers. On Oct. 14 against BYU, when MSU safety Brandon Bryant ran in front of a pass on the goal line and intercepted it to seal the game, he didn't necessarily fix the problem in one play. But he did kick off the series of events that did. After struggling to intercept opponents early in the season, No. 18 MSU (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 College Football Playoff) now finds itself tied for second in the conference and just shy of the top 50 nationally with eight interceptions. The only team in the conference with more interceptions than MSU is this week's opponent, No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC, No. 2 CFP), which visits the Bulldogs 6 p.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. |
| No. 18 Mississippi State gets its shot at top-ranked Alabama | |
| Mississippi State has slowly raised its profile as a very good Southeastern Conference team during coach Dan Mullen's nine-year tenure. But there's always been one consistent roadblock: Alabama. No. 18 Mississippi State (7-2, 3-2 SEC, CFP No. 16) gets another chance to beat the top-ranked Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0, CFP No. 2) on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State has lost nine straight to the Tide, including all eight under Mullen. Mississippi State enters the game on a four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs' only two losses this season came in September in back-to-back games against Georgia and Auburn. "We are not going to underestimate Mississippi State," Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans said. |
| Former Bulldogs recall last victories against Crimson Tide | |
| Sylvester Croom knew about Alabama football better than most. Croom was a player and an assistant coach at Alabama for 14 years, so his players at Mississippi State knew Croom meant it when he said they were better than Alabama. "He would tell us, 'We're more Bama than they are. They ain't the real Bama. We Bama,' " former Mississippi State running back Anthony 'Boobie' Dixon said. Croom said those words to his 2007 MSU team before it beat Nick Saban's first Alabama team in 2007. The 10-year anniversary of that victory will be Saturday, when No. 18 MSU (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 College Football Playoff) plays host to No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0, No. 2) at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN) at Davis Wade Stadium. |
| Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat tough tandem up front for Bulldogs | |
| On a second down against UMass, the Mississippi State defensive front was aligned in no special way: Jeffery Simmons directly over the center with Montez Sweat as the end to his right, Braxton Hoyett as the tackle to his left with Gerri Green outside of him. At the last second before the snap, Simmons shuffled to his right. Simmons only moved a couple of feet, but that couple of feet was all MSU needed to wreak havoc on the UMass offensive line. That shift put Simmons and Sweat on the same side of the line, which creates a disastrous situation for an opposing offensive line to react to. With Simmons and Sweat in the top 20 in the Southeastern Conference in tackles for a loss, MSU's opponents aren't thrilled about leaving one blocker to handle either of them, but putting them both of the same side of the line forces that exact scenario. MSU's best way of tackling opposing offenses in the backfield is by putting that duo next to each other and No. 1 Alabama can expect to see plenty of it as it travels to Davis Wade Stadium Saturday. |
| Mississippi State coaches feel changes to targeting rule will be discussed | |
| Dan Mullen and Todd Grantham agree Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram made helmet-to-helmet contact with Massachusetts quarterback Ross Comis in the fourth quarter of their game Saturday. Mullen and Grantham also agree the targeting call that followed was justified. The ruling on the field was confirmed by video review so quickly that official word came before the television broadcast could show a replay of the hit. The only thing Mullen and Grantham don't like is the suspension that comes with the hit -- and not just because Abram's absence in the first half will hurt No. 18 MSU (7-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 16 College Football Playoff) at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN) when it plays host to No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 6-0, No. 2) at Davis Wade Stadium. |
| Alabama has to make good decisions defending Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald | |
| Another game, another 100 rushing yards. That's how it's been for Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald the last four times out. His 13 total 100-yard rushing games are most ever for a quarterback in the SEC, but he can sling it around, too. He has accounted for 68 career combined rushing and passing touchdowns, including 25 this season. Fitzgerald's talents will present a challenge for Alabama on Saturday in Starkville, Miss. The Crimson Tide hasn't faced anyone quite like the 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior from Richmond Hill, Ga., who averages more than 250 combined passing and rushing yards per game. "Nick Fitzgerald is one of those actual dual-threat quarterbacks," UA linebacker Rashaan Evans said. "He has shown a lot of times he can get outside the pocket and be able to extend plays." Mississippi State's Dan Mullen coached Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at Florida when Mullen was offensive coordinator. Alabama coach Nick Saban sees a lot of similarities with Fitzgerald and Tebow. |
| Does Mississippi State own the best backcourt no one is talking about? | |
 | Quinndary Weatherspoon joked before a recent Mississippi State preseason practice about how his brother Nick used to hide in the post when the two last played together on the same Velma Jackson team in 2015. "That's a true story," Nick Weatherspoon said. "It's very true. Then teams recognized I couldn't shoot. So I had to get into the gym and get behind the 3-point line until I got comfortable." Nick then transformed into a five-star prospect as a point guard, signed with the Bulldogs and has since shown Quinndary how much he has changed. "I hadn't seen him play in two years so I'm impressed," Quinndary Weatherspoon said. "He's a lot better than when I played with him. Anything inside the three, I have real confidence in him knocking it down. I think our guard play ... can be pretty good this year." |
| Bulldogs hope to stay at top after run to national title game | |
| Vic Schaefer and the Mississippi State women's basketball program have been in the news just about every day for the last month. That's bound to happen when you knock off four-time reigning national champion Connecticut as part of a school-record 34-win season and the program's first trip to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. MSU capped its best season with a 67-55 loss to South Carolina in the national title game. It's easy to remember the electricity in the American Airlines Center on an evening when many of the fans rooted for the Bulldogs to complete their journey and capture the program's first championship. Sports Illustrated even got into the act this week. Its Nov. 6 issue features a story titled "Morgan William's Giant-Killing Shot Is Still Shaking Up Women's Basketball." |
| RIP, Joe Fortunato: a Hall of Fame guy | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Long-time Natchez resident Joe Fortunato, who died Monday at 87, out-lived most folks who would remember him as one of the most outstanding defensive players in the NFL, much less as an All American at Mississippi State in the early 1950s. Today, on the day he is buried at Natchez City Cemetery overlooking the Mississippi River, he should be remembered. How great a football player was Joe Fortunato? ...Fortunato's name went up on the stadium at Scott Field last month in State's Ring of Honor. He is the seventh Bulldog selected for that honor, following Johnie Cooks, Jack Cristil, Kent Hull, D.D. Lewis, Shorty McWilliams and Parker." |
| LSU AD says House GOP tax plan could be 'disastrous' for college sports | |
| LSU officials are worried the proposed House GOP tax reform bill would be "disastrous" for college athletics, with one key provision that would hit a more than $50 million-per-year revenue stream at the university. At issue in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is one obscure but significant clause that gets rid of a tax break for people who donate to colleges in exchange for seating rights. LSU, like many other schools throughout the country, requires a donation for people to obtain most season tickets. Currently, people who make those donations can write off 80% of the gift on their taxes, something LSU officials say is a vital incentive for fans. "It's impossible to tell how people would react but potentially it really could be disastrous to intercollegiate athletics in the form we know it now," LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva says. "I don't have any way of making that money up." |
| Ole Miss opens, closes internal review in response to FBI's investigation into college basketball | |
| An internal review of Ole Miss' men's basketball program launched last month has been closed with no "red flags" being found, athletic director Ross Bjork said. Ole Miss began the review shortly after a federal investigation into the sport resulted in 10 people, including assistant coaches at Auburn, Oklahoma State, Southern Cal and Arizona, being arrested on corruption charges in September for allegedly accepting bribes to steer players toward certain agents and financial advisors. The NCAA sent out a memo shortly after the news broke directing programs to conduct an internal review, but Bjork said Ole Miss didn't wait on that order to start. Bjork said last week there were a few more things to look into but confirmed Thursday the review was over. |
| U. of Arkansas board meets as AD Jeff Long sits out | |
| When the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville board of trustees called out its agenda for its closed meeting on personnel Thursday, one title was never mentioned: its flagship campus's athletic director. But after nearly an hour and a half holed up in a room, the 10-member board emerged for sustenance. University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt corralled both Chancellor Joe Steinmetz and Athletic Director Jeff Long. Bobbitt and Steinmetz joined trustees in the closed meeting -- lasting almost another two hours -- while Long milled about just outside of the room, never going in. The personnel discussion came as the Arkansas Razorbacks (4-5, 1-4 SEC) are set to play against LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC) in Baton Rouge on Saturday in the annual Battle for the Golden Boot. |
| Tommy Tuberville on being Auburn's next AD: 'Don't think there's anyone more qualified' | |
 | Well, Tommy Tuberville is throwing is hat in the ring ... again. Last time, the former Auburn coach was testing the waters for a run as the governor of Alabama. This time, however, it appears the now-TV analyst is ready to help Auburn's athletic programs. Tuberville, who joined me on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 on Thursday, was asked if he would be interested in the Auburn's athletic director position. "I would love to help Auburn's athletic program," Tuberville said. "I don't think there's anyone more qualified than me. I know it. I know the people. I know the boosters, the alumni. I know the city, the community. I would love to talk to the president, whether I am a candidate or whether I can help." Last week, current Auburn AD Jay Jacobs informed Auburn University president Steven Leath he would step down on June 1, 2018, "or sooner if my successor is in place." |
| Proposed video board dropped from Friday's Auburn board of trustees meeting | |
| The Auburn University board of trustees will not be moving forward with a proposed $6.3 million video board for the north end zone at Jordan-Hare Stadium at its meeting Friday. University president Steven Leath decided to strike the item from Friday's agenda after a discussion in the board's work session Thursday afternoon. Athletics Director Jay Jacobs' announcement last week that he will be stepping down from his position effective June 1, 2018, or sooner, caused some members of the board to suggest pausing the project until a new AD is hired. "If the board had a real passion for this, I was fine with going forward," Leath said. "But the scoreboard's 20 years old. It doesn't really matter if it's 21 years old. It's not an emergency. It's not a crisis. If the consensus is you want to wait, we might as well." |
| Tennessee football: Butch Jones accused of 'bullying and mental abuse' | |
 | Volunteer for Life coordinator Antone Davis wrote in an email to the University of Tennessee that he was resigning due to "constant intimidation, bullying and mental abuse'' from football coach Butch Jones. In the email sent to athletic director John Currie dated Oct. 31 and obtained by the Knoxville News Sentinel through a public records request, Davis gave a two-week notice and wrote although he "enjoyed working for the University's athletic program" that his time with Jones was "one of the worst work experiences I have ever had." In another email to the AD, Davis wrote he felt Currie was "hostile" to him in a meeting earlier in the day. It's another unwanted distraction for the Vols (4-5, 0-5 SEC) under the embattled Jones, now in his fifth season. |
| More Significant Layoffs Are Coming to ESPN | |
| ESPN will lay off more than 100 staffers after the Thanksgiving holidays, multiple sources tell Sports Illustrated. The layoffs, which were described by a person briefed on the plans, will hit positions across ESPN including front-facing talent on the television side, producers, executives, and digital and technology staffers. The SportsCenter franchise is expected to be hit hard---including on-air people---given the frequency of the show has lessened considerably on main network ESPN. The network declined comment to SI on Thursday afternoon. Though hiring has continued and the network remains one of the great destinations for jobs in sports media, ESPN has experienced significant layoffs over the last two years. |
| UNC defended classes to the NCAA; now the accreditor has questions | |
| UNC-Chapel Hill's accreditor says it will look into statements the university made to an NCAA panel at an August hearing that showed support for classes at the heart of a long-running academic scandal that involved a disproportionate number of athletes. Those statements, made behind closed doors in August and recently disclosed by the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in its decision not to punish UNC, appear to contradict a promise UNC made four years ago to the accreditor that the classes would not be counted towards graduation. "It does raise the question of what did you really do?" said Belle Wheelan, president of the accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, of UNC. "... and at worst we should probably ask that question." |
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