Now that the dust has settled
Somewhat at least.....here is my greatest fear and what I absolutely don't want to happen. And I've seen numerous people on here wishing it would. I do no want Hugh Freeze to get FIRED. I even heard Finebaum mention, that, yes, the administration is behind him today, but let the NCAA put a proposal on the table that we will lighten up on your penalties if you get rid of Freeze, and watch how fast they throw him out. Let's look at this entire situation closely.
Yes, it's been fun and games to this point watching our most hated rival being drug through the mud by outside sources. It's one thing for us to make disparaging remarks about them, but it's even better when someone else does it and makes fun of them along the way. It's been fun watching them make stupid decision after stupid decision and bumbling their way through this. It's been fun watching Chuck and Yancy reveal their true character and show themselves for who they are, and watch their sheep try and defend them, just because they wear the same colors. All of that has been great, but it's not the end result that we should want.
If the NCAA came in today and said, we'll accept your self imposed penalties; or even if they said, we're adding 5 more schollies to your self imposed if you get rid of Freeze; folks, that would be the most disappointing thing in the world to me. Just think if OM had done the right thing and gotten rid of him after the first NOA. None of the negatives that have happened after that time would have taken place. Tunsil would not have been asked if he took money while at OM; I don't know if we would have seen the gas mask or not. I don't know what that guy's motivation would have been at that time if there was no Freeze left to swindle money out of. (You just know that guy got paid to stop talking and go away. They didn't want any more of him). No reopening of the case and further investigation, no second NOA, no Nutt lawsuit, possibly no Rosie book. No lack of institutional charge, no failure to monitor charge. None of that would be on the table if they had put the university first instead of Freeze.
Folks, if Hugh Freeze is sacrificed for lesser penalties, they win. Read that again. If Hugh Freeze is sacrificed for lesser penalties, THEY WIN. I hope that is not what you want. Freeze is already damaged goods. The perception of him is at an all time low and will never get better. It will follow him all the days of his life from this point forward. He is the face of the University of Mississippi. He is the one they sent to the podium to represent them yesterday. You saw the results. That will never change as long as he is The face of their program.
As a matter of fact, I hope some of the fun we've had slows down some. Think about it. The NCAA has their case. They have all of the information they need to bury them for a long time. The time is coming that they get together and make their ruling....guilty as charged. There's no other outcome possible. The only question left to be answered is, what is the punishment going to be? Today, with Hugh Freeze as head coach, the penalty is going to be as painful as they can possibly muster. But what if OM sacrifices Hugh Freeze? What would the penalties be then?
I don't know about you. But I don't want to give up Freeze in exchange for what is going to do greater damage to their program in the long run. I am glad that they have stood by him all this time, and I certainly hope they continue to do so.
Hail State
