Will they love State again?

[bully99]

Who will be the first person to "make up" with Mississippi State. These were big time supporters of State, but have little or nothing to do with State anymore.

1. Ron Polk
2. John Grisham
3. Rick Stansbury
4. None of the above

I'm saying none, because there's lots of bitterness by those guys toward State.

[Political Hack]

Grisham has part of the library named after him and raves about the LFL. I think he just has to split his alliances between us and OM since he went to law school there.

Of the other two, Polk... without a doubt. His issue was with the Ninja. Stan's is with the grasshopper and his paw-in-law.

[SDDawg]

The only one I'd want back is Polk, he made some great contributions and laid the foundation for the success we have today. Grisham is a hack that is in love with the myth of Oxford and Stans I could take or leave. Stans was always style over substance and over-hyped imho.

[Todd4State]

I would say Grisham.

I think Polk would come back if/when Cohen leaves and Polk is still alive at that time. Heck, Polk still hasn't forgiven the NCAA for Title IX.

Grisham was a situation where we shunned his kid- but he probably understood at least to a degree since Grisham was cut a Delta State when he went out for their baseball team. I think his instance was more about supporting his son's new school (Virginia) as opposed to dislike for MSU.

Stansbury- I don't know much about his situation.

[Todd4State]

The only one I'd want back is Polk, he made some great contributions and laid the foundation for the success we have today. Grisham is a hack that is in love with the myth of Oxford and Stans I could take or leave. Stans was always style over substance and over-hyped imho.

I think MSU baseball is better with Polk as a part of it, and I would love to have him back. But that would be in a perfect world. As long as he is bad mouthing Cohen, he doesn't need to come back.

[PassInterference]

Picture: Grisham Stadium

[Thick]

Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like an Ole Miss fan, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

[SDDawg]

Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like a rebel bear, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

But he did it all with STYLE! LOL

[SDDawg]

I think MSU baseball is better with Polk as a part of it, and I would love to have him back. But that would be in a perfect world. As long as he is bad mouthing Cohen, he doesn't need to come back.

Todd, 100% agree. No argument that Polk would need to man up and give Cohen his due. It would be worth him doing it to have him back and be part of what we have going in baseball, it has the potential to be very special over the long-term.

[OldFatDog]

Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like a rebel dildo, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

Shit like this makes this board almost unreadable.

[K9 Avenger]

Shit like this makes this board almost unreadable.

What was wrong with that?

[coastdoglover]

You look more like an idiot every time you discuss MSU basketball. Stans never ran off Stan Jones, he left to go back with his buddy, Leonard Hamilton at FSU. If smoke and mirrors is what we had with Stans, then it sure looks better than the crap we are watching now. You guys who have hatred for him are sick individuals. He has never done anything to hurt MSU athletics and I have yet to hear him badmouth MSU or Rick Ray. I would suggest if he were involved in any way, our basketball would be better off because we sure as hell aren't recruiting now. You remind me of the Democrats still blaming George Bush. Get over it and the people you have mentioned have all given 1 million more things to MSU than you could ever dream of doing.



Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like freeze's butt cheeks at Kimchee's house, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

[Coach34]

You look more like an idiot every time you discuss MSU basketball. Stans never ran off Stan Jones, he left to go back with his buddy, Leonard Hamilton at FSU. If smoke and mirrors is what we had with Stans, then it sure looks better than the crap we are watching now. You guys who have hatred for him are sick individuals. He has never done anything to hurt MSU athletics and I have yet to hear him badmouth MSU or Rick Ray. I would suggest if he were involved in any way, our basketball would be better off because we sure as hell aren't recruiting now. You remind me of the Democrats still blaming George Bush. Get over it and the people you have mentioned have all given 1 million more things to MSU than you could ever dream of doing.

Thick gave quite a bit for State on Scott Field Saturday after Saturday

[hailmari]

What was wrong with that?

Go ask the ole miss football team.**

[CadaverDawg]

Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like an STD on a hooker from Memphis on an Ole miss recruiting weekend, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

Is this the clapping you are referring too?

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121125074454/adventuretimewithfinnandjake/images/e/e9/Clap_Emma.gif

[I seen it dawg]

Why would Stands be wanted back? Our success in basketball was basically built on smoke and mirrors, he clapped like a hoity toity loafer wearing pink short sportin' BMW leasing jizz stain of a human from oxford, his best assistant, Stan Jones, he ran off, he allowed the program to be run into the ground, and he BUTCHERED the English language!!

I love you Thick.

[Five-tool Poster]

What the hell is wrong with you people

[Raytoraid83]

What the hell is wrong with you people

No point to even argue with the crowd on this thread

[bluelightstar]

This thread started off good, but the Stansbury bashing took it south. And quickly.

This is from someone who definitely wanted him to "retire."

[preachermatt83]

Shit like this makes this board almost unreadable.


Got an awesome solution for ya when your ready...

[bully99]

Interesting responses. I don't think Ron Polk has a lot of love for stricklin, because stricklin was Byrnes right hand man and was as responsible for Cohen being at State as Byrne. No love lost there.

John Grishams love of the leftfield lounge and MSU baseball ended a long time ago. He didn't even show up for the super regionals in his own backyard in Virginia. Spare me his conflict with Virginia baseball. The stuff he wrote about the lounge was written 25 years ago. When was the last time grisham attended a game at Dudy Noble. Ten years or more. This is a guy who has private jets and could fly into golden triangle airport and attend and support MSU baseball at the drop of a hat. He doesn't.

Stansbury was fired so I understand his situation.

[MSUMatt]

Polk will probably never get over it. Grisham maybe.

[Pollodawg]

Polk will probably never get over it. Grisham maybe.


I just want to know. Are you Matt Wyatt. lol

[OldFatDog]

Got an awesome solution for ya when your ready...

Is the word "almost" a little too complicated for you? I'm assuming that you didn't see this thread before it was edited. But, then again, you might have.

[hells bells]

None. Polk hates Cohen but backed off to keep his name on the baseball stadium. Grisham already built a baseball field in Oxford. Stansbury still working on a workout video with fat ass. Check 4.

[bully99]

Read an article written after Cohen was hired. I had forgotten just however nasty Polk was. That wad vicious stuff.
Grisham built Virginia's baseball stadium.
Which fat ass are you talking about. Those are a dime a dozen in Mississippi.

[drunkernhelldawg]

The smoke and mirrors comment is pure idiocy.

[Pollodawg]

Grisham could be a great ambassador with his finances and fame.

[CadaverDawg]

Grisham could be a great ambassador with his finances and fame.

Yea, we always find a way to screw those relationships up.

[engie]

Of the other two, Polk... without a doubt. His issue was with the Ninja.

If that was the case, why did he make NO comments or appearances in our deep postseason run -- while staying FAR away from the program and showing no actual support whatsoever?

No -- Polk deflected his wrath to Byrne publicly -- but his ultimate problem is with John Cohen. He did more on the front end to sabotage Cohen's success behind the scenes than most people will ever know. Still is trying -- to the best of my knowledge -- it's just falling on deaf ears now that people have learned to love Cohen and the success he's bringing us. Totally hates him for whatever reason -- and despises the fact that Cohen processes players that don't perform. Of course, Polk would NEVER admit that holding dead weight simply because you offered them out of highschool hurts all the kids that were good enough but never got their one chance to play for MSU equally -- and obviously hurts the true depth and success on the team tremendously.

I love how Cohen has played it though. Professes love and respect for Polk, gives him great credit for everything, and basically continually worships him publicly. The obviously open door Cohen has kept for Polk reduces Polk to a babbling fool the longer it takes him to walk back through it(if he ever does)...

[messageboardsuperhero]

Ron Polk might be the most stubborn man on the face of the earth.

I wouldn't count on Polk ever coming back- and I hope he doesn't until he publicly apologizes for all the shit he's put us through. Polk claimed to love Mississippi State, but at the end, all he did was hurt us with his hatred of Cohen/Byrne.

I'd love to have Polk back on board, but he'll never be able to swallow his pride.

[Political Hack]

Polk has some ill will still for sure, but he's older and people tend to think a little more about their legacy and how they want to be remembered. If he shits on State, his legacy become irrelevant and faded quicker than turtle necks in the 90's.

he may be stubborn, but he'd have to be stupid to ruin his own legacy. That said, he's one of the few State coaches in the modern era that I've never met so he may very well be willing to tank his own legacy.

[Will James]

Ron Polk might be the most stubborn man on the face of the earth.

I wouldn't count on Polk ever coming back- and I hope he doesn't until he publicly apologizes for all the shit he's put us through. Polk claimed to love Mississippi State, but at the end, all he did was hurt us with his hatred of Cohen/Byrne.

I'd love to have Polk back on board, but he'll never be able to swallow his pride.

Wonder if the new stadium will hasten his "comeback". The name on the new stadium doesn't have to include Polk.

[gravedigger]

Polk won't come back in my opinion because Cohen did what Polk wrote the NCAA and told them couldn't be done. Of course Polk was right in that scholarship limitations are unfair for baseball, but cohen's winning makes him look dumb.

Grisham. I didn't think there was a problem here but we need to really force his hand by continually extending ours. He could be a much better visible celebrity for state.

Stansbury is still in Starkville and just doesn't seem to harbor the disdain fans seem to hold onto toward him.

[bully99]

I asked earlier about when was the last time Grisham attended a game at Dudy. A long while. Besides Grisham's star has faded. He doesn't sell nearly the books he used to. Most young people don't have a clue about him.

[Ronny]

Who will be the first person to "make up" with Mississippi State. These were big time supporters of State, but have little or nothing to do with State anymore.

1. Ron Polk
2. John Grisham
3. Rick Stansbury
4. None of the above

I'm saying none, because there's lots of bitterness by those guys toward State.

...John Grisham has to "make up" with MSU?

After reading several of your posts I've concluded you are a 13 year old kid.

[bully99]

Just 12. After reading your posts I've concluded like most on here you are a certified DICK.

[gravedigger]

Ronny might be Dickish at times but I appreciate his posts. They are not blindishly supportive.

[slickdawg]

There is a better chance of Israel and Palestine making peace than there is of Ron Polk coming back into the State camp. We played for a national championship in June, A FREAKING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, where was ol' Ron? Exactly.

[bully99]

Like my posts are "blindishly supportive ".

[bully99]

Nor was Grisham, who supposedly loves MSU so much.

[gravedigger]

No, didn't mean that. I guess I just get his posts. There are those who's only intent is to be a dick. His aren't.

Funny, as much as I've read yours, they are about the same.

[bully99]

It was just a fun thread to get State fans thinking about people who might rejoin the family. Wasn't meant as some kind of philosophical debate.

[dawgoneyall]

Polk can go to hell. He won this destination from me when he quit on MSU in 1992. Hope he never set foot on the campus again. Napoleonic‎ bastard.

McMann is and will always be one of the biggest dumbasss in the history of MSU. Not letting Grisham's son walk is beyond stupid. Would hope he returns to his roots.

Was time for Stans to go but he had us relevant for longer than any other MSU coach. Hope he contributes something to MSU.

[maroonmania]

Polk was never about anyone but himself and his players. He never gave a rat's ass about the university. The most self-absorbed coach we've ever had and he has done way too much damage publicly and privately to our baseball program since his departure for me to ever want him to come back. He is VERY lucky his name was left on the stadium.

Grisham got his panties in a wad about his son not being allowed to walk on and so I think he is done with MSU and has no intentions of looking back. Not sure he ever made any public allegiance to MSU prior to that event anyway other than his writeup on the LFL and Dudy Noble from years ago. Seems to be much more in bed with VA and OM than us at this point. I would certainly welcome him back with open arms if he wanted to come back though.

Stansbury, in my book, is welcome back anytime. While I do believe it was time to make the change, Stans seems to be a good guy from all accounts who did accomplish a lot with our BB program during his tenure and who, as far as I know, has not done anything publicly or privately to sabotage Rick Ray and stepped down with his dignity intact. I'm sure right now though he is more focused on figuring out his career path forward than being an MSU basketball icon.

[bully99]

What angered me about Pat McMahon was that he came back to State saying MSU was his dream job and where he always wanted to be and 4 years later he hightailed himself down to Florida. I think Pat could have done great things at State and he wouldn't have been fired either.

I know Grisham owns a house in Oxford, but where is the evidence that he's some kind of big Ole Miss baseball fan.

[Todd4State]

Engie is right about Polk's problem being more about Cohen than Byrne, but he was still royally pissed at Byrne for undermining him. LT always had Polk's back and gave him almost everything that he wanted, and Polk was used to getting what he wanted from MSU.

It goes back to Polk wanted college baseball to be a certain way and played a certain way. I'll tell you- Polk hates Augie Garrido about as much as he hates Cohen. He doesn't like coaches that yell, play small ball, and push things to the limit to win. Polk wanted it to be about having a good college experience and wins and losses didn't matter as much as learning something that day did. If luck is on our side enough, we go to a regional. There's nothing wrong with Polk's philosophy if it's in it's place. But that place isn't the SEC- it's Mississippi College. Cohen is more like Garrido- he probably yells less and he has more power in his lineups, but Cohen is also big on pressure (ie- small ball tactics)- but Polk doesn't want us to have a coach like that because in his mind "it's wrong" and it's not what "we want".

And then that goes back to when Cohen was a player. Cohen was brash, cocky, aggressive, said cuss words when he screwed up sometimes- and Polk doesn't like that. Tommy Raffo was his ideal player- very quiet, well mannered but he could also perform at a high level.

The problem is Polk is OCD about everything being the way he thinks it should be. Most people look for solutions. He wrote 65 page essays about how wrong the NCAA was. Most of what he was worried about with Cohen being our coach didn't happen. Cohen didn't cut all of Polk's players. He didn't end the Diamond Girls. Our pitchers don't throw 165 pitches against Blue Mountain College. Cohen doesn't cuss our players out incessently on the field for making an error or giving up a home run. Heck, our team GPA has increased under Cohen mainly because he tries to find players that can get academic scholarships to get around the 11.whatever rule and then we had an article written about how involved our team was with prayer and church. Cohen is doing the things that Polk was good at better than Polk- including finishing higher in Omaha.

Polk's lack of access to the outside world beyond Dudy-Noble Field killed him as well. Especially with recruiting.

[Todd4State]

What angered me about Pat McMahon was that he came back to State saying MSU was his dream job and where he always wanted to be and 4 years later he hightailed himself down to Florida. I think Pat could have done great things at State and he wouldn't have been fired either.

I know Grisham owns a house in Oxford, but where is the evidence that he's some kind of big Ole Miss baseball fan.

Pat got tired of people telling him what Polk would have done. I don't think McMahon would have done much better myself- we were already starting to trend down even under him. He recruited pitching well- but hitting, not so much. Raffo was the hitting coach under him, and I had concerns even then about Raffo.

If we would have hired Paul Manieri, we would have gone to the next level. But, we didn't.

[maroonmania]

What angered me about Pat McMahon was that he came back to State saying MSU was his dream job and where he always wanted to be and 4 years later he hightailed himself down to Florida. I think Pat could have done great things at State and he wouldn't have been fired either.

I know Grisham owns a house in Oxford, but where is the evidence that he's some kind of big Ole Miss baseball fan.

Believe at this point Grisham is just a Virginia baseball fan. He does maintain a residence in Oxford although I'm not really sure what level of support he gives to OM or MSU.

[bully99]

Come on Todd, you've used that Mississippi College analogy before and it's a bunch of crap. Polk like all people have good and bad sides. Pitching depth was always Polk 's problem in tournament. If Polk ran his program as ruthlessly as Bertman did, he would have national titles.

What's pathetic is that Polk could have solved all of this by retiring after he went to the cws. Larry Templeton would have hired Tommy Raffo and everything else would have been moot. People want to smear Raffo and he was nothing but loyal to State and doesn't deserve the crap said about him.

[maroonmania]

Come on Todd, you've used that Mississippi College analogy before and it's a bunch of crap. Polk like all people have good and bad sides. Pitching depth was always Polk 's problem in tournament. If Polk ran his program as ruthlessly as Bertman did, he would have national titles.

What's pathetic is that Polk could have solved all of this by retiring after he went to the cws. Larry Templeton would have hired Tommy Raffo and everything else would have been moot. People want to smear Raffo and he was nothing but loyal to State and doesn't deserve the crap said about him.

And thank God that DIDN'T happen or our baseball program would have continued into irrelevancy. I like Raffo but in no way do I believe he was the guy we needed to elevate our program.

[Bamboo]

Like my posts are "blindishly supportive ".

How could they be?

[bully99]

What the hell you talking about? And reading some of your past post, all I can say is wow. Predicting Mullen will be fired and you getting depressed reading this site. Real winner there.

[Johnson85]

Who will be the first person to "make up" with Mississippi State. These were big time supporters of State, but have little or nothing to do with State anymore.

1. Ron Polk
2. John Grisham
3. Rick Stansbury
4. None of the above

I'm saying none, because there's lots of bitterness by those guys toward State.

John Grisham will not be a state supporter like he was before. He basically has his name on a program at Virginia. No reason for him to split his resources between there and state. Grisham was plenty generous to MSU back in the day. It's all on Larry Templeton for screwing that up.

I think Rick Stansbury will be back first. I would hope that everytime a state fan sees Stansbury, they are telling him how much they appreciate his time at state (just like I hope people did and do for Jackie). It may be a while if Stansbury has ill will toward Stricklin (no clue if he does or not), but if he doesn't get back into coaching, and state fans show him the proper amount of gratitude (and the administration also once it can do so without potentially being seen as undermining Ray), surely he will enjoy being back around the program.