Eh, go through Starkville on a weekend. There are still plenty of people out and about. We went a couple of weekends ago on a non football weekend and I was amazed at all of the people that were out shopping/eating/doing things.

The construction boom that we had seen from 2009-2017 probably won't be quite the same especially with all of the condo sales etc. But local restaurants and businesses should survive and be fine if that weekend was any indication of what it will continue to be like.

It still blows my mind that people wanted Mullen gone/fired. Half of our fanbase didn't realize how good of a coach he was for us. I had heard he was on the chopping block regardless in 17 if he didn't put a decent season together. That is asinine. He was a huge part of the reason Starkville blew up with new construction etc. No telling how much he made for the Starkville businesses and communities.

There isn't a number you could have paid him that would have been too much compared to the gross income he was drawing for all of these businesses simply by putting a decent product on the field. From what I have come to understand he was job hunting due to pressure from the fanbase and our administration. I don't know how much truth there is to that but it came from someone I genuinely trust that typically doesn't just say things to say them, he said that the ******* actually enjoyed being in Starkville and weren't necessarily looking to leave every year.