Ole Miss Football: The State Of Rebel Nation and Ole Miss Football
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see there is something wrong with Rebel nation and Ole Miss football. However, it could be worse.
If Ole Miss football could be any worse it would be nightmare status and we wouldn’t wake up. Not since the Brewer era has there been as much turmoil in Oxford. Yes, things are bad. In fact things are very bad for Rebel nation. There is an obvious plot to ‘take down’ Ole Miss and everything associated with the Flagship. Before we start passing blame, let’s look at ourselves.
There is also a noticeable change in attitude among Rebel faithful. While some of Rebel nation feel as though they’ve been duped, there are others who feel a sense of relief. After giving up a lifetime to Ole Miss and a pound of flesh many feel the worst is behind us. Things have to get better for Ole Miss when it really couldn’t get much worse. At least that is the stance this Rebel fan is taking.
Divide and Conquer
Ole Miss Rebels Football
I can remember the worst of the worst as a Rebel fan. I remember my first game as Rebel and I remember my last. I also remember just about every game in between Archie breaking his arm against Houston and my own cardiac failure last year against Memphis. Thanks to Baptist-Oxford I’m here today.
When you get down to the brass tacks there is just us. There is a perception of Ole Miss which haunts us and makes people hate us. We are loathed because of tradition.
Colonel Reb, the ‘flag’ and ‘From Dixie With Love’ are things of the past. They are long gone. Even the gray uniforms were labeled ‘racist’ because they were associated with Ole Miss. How many teams in the south wear gray? Smh. Are the Dallas Cowboys racist too? No.
We are persecuted for something none of us had anything to do with. Yet there are schools throughout the United States, both North and South, which were built upon the backs of slave labor. Think of UVA and UNC. However, they had rather pick on us. And although we think the world is against us, our own worst enemy is us. A nation divided is a nation conquered and now we are divided. Rebel nation has been torn in two and it’s our own fault. We have allowed it to happen.
This Too Shall Pass
Of course, all things eventually get better. However the problem with Rebel nation will only get better when we rise again. No, I’m not talking about the south will rise again. I’m talking about Rebel nation taking our school back. In a day and age where we can’t call female athletes ‘ladies’ and a rogue rival media member can still cost a man his livelihood despite his own transgressions, enough is enough.
This is also the world in which we live. Mass social media runs everything and Ole Miss is being drug through the mud. It may cost me in the end to say it but Ole Miss sports/publicity officials have handled this entire thing the wrong way. There has been no communication between Ole Miss athletics and the ‘friendly’ media other than the occasional NCAA update/hostage video. Everything we’ve received was by rival media or what we’ve amassed of our own accord. Thank God some of us made it positive.
The UM powers that be should have had something anything to combat the negative media coming from TSBU. If they had gotten off their cans and combated it 4+ years ago, we might not be where we are today. Hopefully, Ole Miss has learned something from all of this. Hopefully Rebel nation has learned something from this. Some of us older Rebels have been here before and we’ve seen just how bad it can get. Don’t worry it will get better. Eventually there will be a fight from Ole Miss. Eventually. Smh.
In Closing
Oh I’m going to still bleed red and blue and have my own opinion. I’m not going to hate or pass judgement on Hugh Freeze or Rosebowl. However, there is no more ‘Mr. Nice-guy’. If we have to give up everything we are and we still have to deal with ‘perception’ then it’s time to fight. I’m going to fight for what is and always will be right. Always red and blue. One thing which is always constant, always true. She is Ole Miss. Rebel nation will be alright. Hotty Toddy!