Sorry gang, I've been faking effort at the paying gig as of late and I've been on the road...
Let me start of by saying PLEASE go find a copy of Mississippi Sports Magazine. It's on its third issue this week, and those of you in the Maroon contingent will absolutely love my column on the 99 Egg Bowl. (no sarcasm, really, you will)
I agree that "Ole Miss" could certainly cause confusion. No doubt. But the devil's advocate could say that a nickname for one team should only continue to distance the two schools when referenced. Then AGAIN, you could also say that non-Mississippians are only more confused when they hear "Ole Miss," "Mississippi," and "Mississippi State."
My objective, if-I-still-worked-for-newspapers response is "You guys have a lot of valuable opinions that make good but conflicting points."
My non-objective, I-don't-work-for-papers-anymore-cuz-I-like-opinions response is that college football is the home and nurturing mother to inexplicable, bizarre traditions in sports, and this is no different than any of the other bizarre things like random statues for regular season games, strange fight songs and chants and dumb in-game actions (I'm looking at you, College Station) we tolerate.
And for whomever said that the USA Today gaffe was "just a mistake," it's a damn big one. Maybe it's bigger to me because I came up in journalism, but to me that's simply intolerable. For God's sake, if you're working the agate page (the page with box scores and previews and stuff) in the month of March, you'd likely know that MSU was in the damn NCAAT. It's not an oversight, it's laziness and low effort compounded by a natural confusion.
And the point of my column, and maybe I missed at this, was two-fold: Either MSU or OM (or 'M' if you prefer) needs to make a FF run or BCS appearance really soon, and then whichever one does that should roll out a strong and effective national branding campaign.
Now - let's all talk about how amazing Jerious Norwood is. Because he be verrry 'mazing.
Again, please support Mississippi Sports Magazine. And stop by my tent at the Egg Bowl.
Let me start of by saying PLEASE go find a copy of Mississippi Sports Magazine. It's on its third issue this week, and those of you in the Maroon contingent will absolutely love my column on the 99 Egg Bowl. (no sarcasm, really, you will)
I agree that "Ole Miss" could certainly cause confusion. No doubt. But the devil's advocate could say that a nickname for one team should only continue to distance the two schools when referenced. Then AGAIN, you could also say that non-Mississippians are only more confused when they hear "Ole Miss," "Mississippi," and "Mississippi State."
My objective, if-I-still-worked-for-newspapers response is "You guys have a lot of valuable opinions that make good but conflicting points."
My non-objective, I-don't-work-for-papers-anymore-cuz-I-like-opinions response is that college football is the home and nurturing mother to inexplicable, bizarre traditions in sports, and this is no different than any of the other bizarre things like random statues for regular season games, strange fight songs and chants and dumb in-game actions (I'm looking at you, College Station) we tolerate.
And for whomever said that the USA Today gaffe was "just a mistake," it's a damn big one. Maybe it's bigger to me because I came up in journalism, but to me that's simply intolerable. For God's sake, if you're working the agate page (the page with box scores and previews and stuff) in the month of March, you'd likely know that MSU was in the damn NCAAT. It's not an oversight, it's laziness and low effort compounded by a natural confusion.
And the point of my column, and maybe I missed at this, was two-fold: Either MSU or OM (or 'M' if you prefer) needs to make a FF run or BCS appearance really soon, and then whichever one does that should roll out a strong and effective national branding campaign.
Now - let's all talk about how amazing Jerious Norwood is. Because he be verrry 'mazing.
Again, please support Mississippi Sports Magazine. And stop by my tent at the Egg Bowl.