The NCAA investigation of the Ole Miss Athletics Department is over. Now Ole Miss football fans decide how to react to the news.
After an NCAA probe that has seemed have started eons ago, the investigation appears to be over (for now). The results were not great. Per the Sun Herald, the NCAA has charged Ole Miss with a “lack of institutional control”, which the university intends to dispute.
Disputed or not, this news was bad enough for the Rebels to immediately impose a self-initiated 2017 postseason football ban to accompany the prior self-imposed penalties resulting from Laremy Tunsil‘s incredulous NFL Draft interview. In addition to the ban, this will cost the Ole Miss athletic department $7.8 million in SEC postseason money which will now be forfeited.
Fans are ready to react.
I won’t rehash the particulars. However I will focus on the most pertinent thing, our reaction to all the backlash. As you can imagine our rivals and wannabe rivals are having a field day with the news.
Their sanctimonious chest thumping is in full force. It’s like Christmas in February for these schools. Even certain “unbiased” sports journalists and bloggers can barely hide their giddiness.
Therefore our reaction will set the trajectory of the mocking for the next year or more. Even I have wrestled with how to react. I’m determined not to weep over the outcome. It’s sports…not a bad medical diagnosis.
Another thing I know I won’t do is abandon Coach Hugh Freeze and the team. I’ve even have athletic director Ross Bjork’s back. We’re Rebels. Everyday. They’ve tried to create a winning culture built by love for team. We are not going to let this erase all the good they’ve done. I’ve been through 2-10. Yeah, we can handle this.
However REBEL FANS we can handle this one of three ways: