2016 Tiger Mailbag: 22nd Edition
Each week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. If you missed this week's mailbag, keep an eye out next week or send your question to Gabe at powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's entries.
mexicojoe asks: 1) Any chance you can get your dad to do a guest column once a week?2) Is the new softball stadium construction on schedule?3) Do you anticipate JMac, Spoon, Golden, etc to "drop by" the Night at the Zou?4) Interview with Beiser?
GD: 1) You can ask him. But I doubt it. I tend not to want to work for free. I bet he's the same way.
2) So far as I know, yes
3) I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the more famous alumni drop by
4) No clue at this point. There's enough turmoil going on over there that I'm not sure many people at Mizzou will be available. I honestly haven't asked specifically for Bieser. I have been trying to get some other guys, including his recruiting coordinator, without luck so far.
MizzouAllDay85 asks: May have been asked before, but who do you think has the biggest "break out year" for both offense and defense?
GD: It was asked last week. I know I chose Emanuel Hall on offense. Can't remember what I said on defense, but today I'm going with the combo of Cam Hilton and Thomas Wilson at safety. Might be contradicting what I said a week ago.
SEC EAST X 2 asks: Do you have the ability to move "other topic" threads to the "other topic" forum?
GD: Yes. It takes only slightly longer than it would take someone not to open them and read them.
SEC EAST X 2 asks: Is it just me or does it seem PM members think the AD role should be more prominent than normal. I have always thought the AD is a more behind the scenes guy. For example everyone knows who the Ohio state football coach is but I couldn't tell you the AD?
GD: When Mack Rhoades was hired, I talked to Bob Stull, who was Rhoades' boss at UTEP. He told me (paraphrasing here) that if fans are paying attention to who the AD is, that means things aren't going very well. If you're winning games (especially in football) very few people really pay attention to the AD. There are two things at play here: First of all, things are not going well at Missouri. At all. Second, this message board isn't a cross-section of Mizzou fans. It's the diehards. They're ALWAYS going to know who the AD is and be more analytical and critical of the job he is doing. Most casual fans probably don't.
throwingoranges asks: Based on what you all are hearing, likely or unlikely...(questions listed below)
GD: Foley drops the "interim" ahead of Chancellor. Likely
Wren Baker is the next AD. Not likely or unlikely. Too soon to tell.
Assuming the answer to 2. is "unlikely," the next AD will be someone who has coached for, worked for, played for, or attended Missouri in the past. Likely
Mizzou has a new basketball coach after next season. Highly possible, but I'm not going to say likely yet.
Mizzou has a new softball coach after next season. Unlikely
The South Endzone project is back on the table with the departure of Rhoades. Unlikely (from what I've read, Odom is on board with not splitting the football team from everyone else. The South End Zone deal was more a Pinkel wish I think).
Harold Brantley manages significant playing time in at least 6 games this season. Likely
Nate Crawford manages significant playing time in at least 6 games this season. Unlikely
Rhoades lasts fewer than four years at Baylor. Very unlikely
TnMizzou asks: You going to Night at the ZOU? How many Mizzou fans do you think will show up for this? Take your best guess.
GD: Yes, I will be there covering the event and will talk to as many people as I can. My best guess for attendance? I would be shocked if it gets to 500. Honestly, I'd be surprised at half of that. This isn't a shot at Missouri fans, though I'm sure some will take it that way. What I've learned over 13 years of doing this is Mizzou fans don't tend to be incredibly interested in the process of recruiting. They're interested in who Missouri signs. The high profile guys, they'll follow the process. But 95% of the time it's just "Who are we looking at? Who is visiting? Who did we sign?" Some fanbases I know eat up the video of a kid at practice or every interview along the way. Missouri fans in my experience aren't like that as much. Again, that's fine. I'm not trying to insult anyone. Just passing along my observations.
mark1960 asks: I am tired of the off season, when does football start?
MagicMarkus asks: When do you think you'll hear any feedback on the freshmen, esp Jacoby Kemp, and how they are playing at this point in practice and scrimmage? For us to have a good season it's critical they do well so any news is appreciated.
GD: Probably on the tour of Italy. The simple fact is, we're two weeks from the start of football camp. That and recruiting is our major focus. Basketball takes a back seat for me at this time of the year.
MU_Biggie asks: Congrats Gabe you are in charge of hiring the next AD at Mizzou. You have a blank check, who are you going to hire?
GD: I'll give two answers here. The first will assume I can hire anyone I want and I know they will take the job. Given that, I'd hire Joe Castiglione. He knows Missouri and he's a very, very good athletic director. But I have no expectation he would take the job. So of the realistic candidates? Hell, I don't know. I'd probably stick with Wren Baker through the football season until I get the rest of the issues around the University ironed out and full-time people hired and reassess in January. My third category is what would be the most fun? In that scenario, I'd hire Ned Yost and Mike Matheny as co-AD's to watch the heads of every fan in the state simultaneously explode.
BayAreaTigr asks: Which road game are you personally going and looking the most forward to?
GD: Pete will be at every one. The only one I KNOW I'm going to is West Virginia, so I guess that's my answer. It would probably be my answer anyway because I like going places I've never been before (and I know I am NOT going to LSU).
MIZUVA8512 asks: Do you think it's a mistake to hire an AD before a permanent Chancellor and/or President? If you were in charge of making that decision, which position would you hire first knowing what you know?
GD: I don't think it's a mistake per se. As I said above, I'd wait and hire a President and Chancellor first, barring a home run hire that I don't think Missouri is in a position to make right now. But I wouldn't necessarily say it's a mistake. The number one thing Missouri has to do is hire an AD and tell everyone else to get the hell out of his way and let him do his job. Brady Deaton was good at that. Most of the other administrators Missouri has had in recent times haven't been.
TgrWeir asks: To add to Magic's question. The players other than Kemp have been working out for 40 days or so. Who is looking improved? Who looks good of the new comers?
GD: I honestly don't really know. Back a few weeks ago when we talked to the guys, Willie Jackson seemed to be getting the best reviews. First off, as I said, the vast majority of our time right now is going to football and recruiting (and the AD). But honestly, in addition, I put little stock in what I hear this time of year. Everybody looks good. We heard it the last two years and none of it was true. So I'll wait until I see them myself to make any judgment.
mufootball1 asks: What did you think of the Channel 5 spot with your dad?
GD: Didn't watch it. I don't like watching myself, or people I know, on television. It's uncomfortable. A pro tip here too: If something consistently makes me angry, I quit doing that something. Just a thought, not necessarily specific to any one situation.
Sherm Stick asks: Will fall camp be closed to the media/public as well. I get not wanting to put stuff out there for your opponents but don't you have to give the fan base that's on the fence something to get excited about?
GD: We haven't officially been told what the schedule or the policies will be. I imagine it will be very similar to spring ball where about half the practices are open for 45 minutes, we're given a position group or two we get to talk to and we try to pack 10-15 interviews into every day we can do them. But again, I haven't been told that yet.
Kyle DeVries asks: Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, but what can fans expect to see at Night at the Zou? Is it just a camp that's open to the public?
GD: Given that this is the first one for everyone, I don't know for sure, but yes, I think it will be a pretty basic recruiting camp. Probably not as much pure testing because most of the kids already have offers and Missouri doesn't need to see their shuttle or 40 times as much. But I'm anticipating it will be similar to most Mizzou camps I've been to.
racerx401 asks: With multiple teams pushing the envelope on what is permitted, do you see recruiting evolving or devolving into a no-holds barred approach? I.e. Anything goes
GD: Recruiting is like drug testing: You're always looking for the next angle. You're always pushing the envelope. You can recruit well without cheating, but I don't think you can recruit well without operating in some gray areas. Every good coach is going to do everything he can that isn't specifically prohibited by the rules. And when that starts to happen, the NCAA and coaches will decide if new rules need to be put in place, just like they did with satellite camps.
racerx401 asks: On a scale 1-10 with 10 being like a lot. Rate how much do you like other posters answering questions for you?
GD: 10. I'm lazy in the summer. Every question someone else answers is one I don't have to. Why didn't anyone answer this one?
nohawks asks: Any thing on off season conditioning, especially how Rohrk Cutchlow has been doing ? What are the differences between him and how Pat Ivey conditioned the team in the off season ?
GD: I'd love to tell you. I asked to go to an offseason workout and the compliance office said I couldn't. I've been trying to get an interview with Cutchlow since approximately 24 hours after he was hired and I haven't gotten that either to this point. So the short answer is, good question.
Zona Tiger asks: Do you think that the University of Missouri is in a better place today than it was 15 months ago?
GD: In one sense, every day is one day further from what happened last November, so yes. But in reality, let's look at what's happened in those 15 months:
*International news for a football protest
*President is gone
*Chancellor is gone
*Football coach is gone
*Baseball coach is gone
*Softball coach under investigation
*Softball protest
*Basketball program under investigation
*Athletic Director left
*Five Curators up for renewal in January
But hey, at least J'Den Cox made the Olympics.
Tigertiger65251 asks: Have you seen any of the players and are they looking
GD: Yes, I've seen some of them. Not recently though. Saw Cam Hilton at the mall a couple weeks ago. Can't remember what he was looking at. Other than that, none of them have asked me to hang out since spring ball ended, which is probably good for them and me.
MIZsanity asks: Do you think Demarre Carroll meeting with Wren Baker (interim, no less) about getting more former Mizzou athletes involved with the Ath Dept will yield tangible results?Would you view a meeting like this as Bakers increased chance for permanent AD position? Or dumb luck that MR just happened to leave this week, and this meeting was already planned. Or did this meeting come to fruition after WB was placed as interim?
GD: I'd guess, but don't know for sure, that the meeting was set prior to Rhoades leaving. Could be wrong. I wouldn't think it says anything about Baker's candidacy either way. As far as the alums getting involved, I actually think that's something Mack did a decent job of. There were some baseball players recognized during the season and I heard more in the last 15 months about former players getting involved than I did prior. The next step is getting them involved financially.
Biker Bob asks: Who are you most disappointed in not interviewing in your time at PowerMizzou, Mack Rhoades or Kate Upton?
GD: Answer coming in the form of a gratuitous picture
hmd77 asks: 1) You and Gervino are citing sources who say the AD hire will happen more quickly than was initially expected. Any names or anyone in the lead right now?2) Should we expect the SID to proactively provide information on the basketball games in Italy? Scores, etc.
GD: At this point, I haven't really heard any names beyond what the media is speculating.
On the second question, I'd assume we'll get releases and maybe box scores which I will post on the site.
Ctopsmith asks: Any insight on which new players are standing out so far in summer workouts? Did any info on new players come out at SEC Media Days from the three players who represented the team?
GD: We've heard that Alex Ross has really impressed going back to the beginning of workouts. Not much on other new guys at this point. Honestly, the coaches haven't really even seen them do anything at this time, so it's probably a little early for that. As far as SEC Media Days info, Pete wrote pretty much everything he had in his 3-4 stories from Hoover.