<font size="4">Poll: Ole Miss is third most popular team in Mississippi; this must change </font>
<div><a><span></span></a></div>
Public Policy Polling, a polling firm out of Raleigh, NC, published results from a recent survey on a variety of Mississippi topics.
The results showed Ole Miss to be the third most popular sports team in
the state, behind Southern and with Mississippi State almost doubling
Ole Miss’s approval rating. Here's the question:</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.25in">Question: Is your favorite college sports team in the state Mississippi, Mississippi State, or Southern Mississippi?</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.25in">1. Mississippi State: 36%
2. Southern Mississippi: 27%
3. Ole Miss: 21%
4. Not Sure: 17%</p>
While losing the Egg Bowl is certainly a major contributor to that
factor, it is important to note that State has not had a stellar SEC
record itself. Yet, State almost doubles Ole Miss in support. Further,
football is but one sport, albeit the dominant one. And losing to
Southern?</p>
Such a blasting of Ole Miss is unacceptable, and there should be accountability for this result.</p>
Please reconcile the results above with the following happy statements made over the last year and a half:</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">[From IHL 2010 Agenda extending Boone’s contract] “James T. Boone; Director of Intercollegiate Athletics; Athletics; from contract period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2012; salary of $429,287 per annum, pro rata; Auxiliary Funds; to, effective July 1, 2010, contract extension through June 30, 2014” Minutes of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, Commissioner Hank Bounds presiding, August 19, 2010.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">“As a university, we are committed to
excellence in all things—including athletics. I regularly review the
performance of all those who report to me, including Mr. Boone.” Dan Jones, September 29, 2011.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">“I am grateful to Pete for his leadership
of athletics, including his selfless decision to announce his plans for
the future and facilitate the search process for a new head football
coach that considers his limited tenor. I am grateful that we will enjoy
his leadership a bit longer.”…
“We have a stable, strong athletic program going in a positive direction. Everything is very positive about this University.” Dan Jones, November 7, 2011.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">[Boone on Nutt after losing the 2010 Egg
Bowl] “But Boone said he didn’t demand any changes from his coach.
‘Would never do that,’ Boone said. ‘I’m not going to get into those
kinds of things. I look at the head coach to perform and he’s got to
make those calls. For me to tell him to change somebody then all of the
sudden I’m doing his job and I’m not going to do that.’ Clarion Ledger, November 29, 2010.</p>
Ole Miss needs to stop denying that there's a problem and face it
head on. We've taken some steps in that direction, but there's work to
be done. Ole Miss needs more accountability.</p>
<div><a><span></span></a></div>
Public Policy Polling, a polling firm out of Raleigh, NC, published results from a recent survey on a variety of Mississippi topics.
The results showed Ole Miss to be the third most popular sports team in
the state, behind Southern and with Mississippi State almost doubling
Ole Miss’s approval rating. Here's the question:</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.25in">Question: Is your favorite college sports team in the state Mississippi, Mississippi State, or Southern Mississippi?</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.25in">1. Mississippi State: 36%
2. Southern Mississippi: 27%
3. Ole Miss: 21%
4. Not Sure: 17%</p>
While losing the Egg Bowl is certainly a major contributor to that
factor, it is important to note that State has not had a stellar SEC
record itself. Yet, State almost doubles Ole Miss in support. Further,
football is but one sport, albeit the dominant one. And losing to
Southern?</p>
Such a blasting of Ole Miss is unacceptable, and there should be accountability for this result.</p>
Please reconcile the results above with the following happy statements made over the last year and a half:</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">[From IHL 2010 Agenda extending Boone’s contract] “James T. Boone; Director of Intercollegiate Athletics; Athletics; from contract period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2012; salary of $429,287 per annum, pro rata; Auxiliary Funds; to, effective July 1, 2010, contract extension through June 30, 2014” Minutes of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, Commissioner Hank Bounds presiding, August 19, 2010.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">“As a university, we are committed to
excellence in all things—including athletics. I regularly review the
performance of all those who report to me, including Mr. Boone.” Dan Jones, September 29, 2011.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">“I am grateful to Pete for his leadership
of athletics, including his selfless decision to announce his plans for
the future and facilitate the search process for a new head football
coach that considers his limited tenor. I am grateful that we will enjoy
his leadership a bit longer.”…
“We have a stable, strong athletic program going in a positive direction. Everything is very positive about this University.” Dan Jones, November 7, 2011.</p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT:0.5in">[Boone on Nutt after losing the 2010 Egg
Bowl] “But Boone said he didn’t demand any changes from his coach.
‘Would never do that,’ Boone said. ‘I’m not going to get into those
kinds of things. I look at the head coach to perform and he’s got to
make those calls. For me to tell him to change somebody then all of the
sudden I’m doing his job and I’m not going to do that.’ Clarion Ledger, November 29, 2010.</p>
Ole Miss needs to stop denying that there's a problem and face it
head on. We've taken some steps in that direction, but there's work to
be done. Ole Miss needs more accountability.</p>
