There is a fine line between arrogance and stupidity. I’ll be damned if I can figure out on which side of the line Ole Miss falls.
Take, for example, the information that Dan Wolken provides about the school’s “remain calm, all is well” campaign early on.
The minute that 2013 class was signed with star recruits Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss knew the whispers of impropriety were never going to stop. Skepticism from rival coaching staffs and close scrutiny from the NCAA was a given. Meanwhile, Ole Miss and Freeze very carefully cultivated media allies to help build the narrative there was nothing to hide.
What does “cultivated media allies” mean, anyway?
Done out of ignorance, or merely a cynical attempt to sign a class, either way, it’s blown whatever credibility Bjork and Freeze had with the media. Combined with the inept attempts on social media to appear casual about the investigation, and these guys look like a national joke. That it happened because they hadn’t done their due diligence or simply because they didn’t give a rat’s ass makes you wonder what those guys were thinking. Or even if they were thinking.
That’s not the weirdest thing I’ve come across so far, though. Here’s a tidbit dropped by the guy who publishes the Rivals Ole Miss site:
Ole Miss, per multiple sources, possesses a recording, and has given the SEC a copy, of Lewis’ mother asking Ole Miss for money and detailing incentives she received from other programs, including Mississippi State.
Ole Miss is secretly taping recruits’ parents? Holy shit. Aside from the legality — and I have no idea whether Mississippi state law requires consent to be recorded — the optics of that are horrid. Can you imagine the negative recruiting field day some rival programs are going to have with that? Yet, if that allegation is to be believed, apparently someone with the program thought that was a good idea. The big question about that is why that might have been the case. Arrogance or stupidity? You tell me.
Get The Picture 
Blackmail
LikeLike
How about conspiracy
LikeLike
Ole Miss might just turn this into a criminal investigation with secret no consent recordings. Imagine what a grand jury and subpoenas could uncover. Pass the popcorn please.
LikeLike
Freeze trying to save face so he can at least go back to a Christian high school program when the crap finishes hitting the fan. His testimony will be one of persecution.
LikeLike
Like any of this would be bad enough for one of those schools to pass on him.
LikeLike
That was a minor piece of his comment. Just another bigoted, cheap shot.
LikeLike
Hugh Freeze is basically the Jimmy Swaggart of college coaches. Yeah, I’m going to enjoy watching that sleazy hypocrisy crumble and watch people try to excuse it.
LikeLike
Totally agree, you won’t ever hear me defend him, sleazy is a good adjective. But his individual character, or lack thereof has nothing to do with his former employer. Every type of person, from excellent to sleazy, exists in any sizable sub-group.
LikeLike
Mississippi
Date:
August 1, 2012
Summary of statute(s): Mississippi bars the recording, interception, use or disclosure of any oral, telephonic or other communication by means of any mechanical or electronic device without the consent of at least one party to the conversation. The state also prohibits the recording and disclosure of images intercepted in violation of its hidden camera laws. Violators can face both civil and criminal penalties.
In-person conversations: A person can record an oral communication to which that person is present and participating, or in circumstances where consent to record is given by at least one of the parties, unless the interception was accompanied by a criminal or tortious intent. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-531(e).
Electronic communications: The statute prohibits the willful interception of any wire or other communication unless that person is either a participant or has the consent of at least one party to the communication. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-531(e). Because the provision of the statute dealing with “wire communications” specifically includes within its definition not only traditional landline telephones, but also “cellular telephones, any mobile telephone, or any communication conducted through the facilities of a provider of communication services,” consent may likewise be required to disclose the contents of text or e-mail messages sent between wireless devices. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-501.
Hidden cameras: The state prohibits secretly photographing, filming or producing any images of another person “with lewd, licentious or indecent intent” without that person’s consent while in a fitting room, tanning booth or area where there would be a reasonable expectation of privacy. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-29-63.
Criminal penalties: Illegally intercepting communications can be punished as misdemeanors with jail sentences up to one year and fines of up to $10,000. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-533. Disclosing the contents of such intercepted communications is a felony punishable by up to five years imprisonment and up to $10,000 in fines. Id. Filming a person in violation of the state’s hidden camera law carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine, but the maximum jail sentence doubles if the subject being recorded is a child less than 16 years of age. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-29-63.
Civil suits: Anyone whose communications were intercepted, disclosed or used in violation of the state’s wiretapping law can seek damages through a civil suit and may recover both actual and punitive damages, attorney fees and litigation costs. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-529.
Disclosing recordings: It is a felony for anyone who is not a law-enforcement officer to disclose the contents of intercepted communications for any reason other than testifying under oath in a governmental or court proceeding. Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-511.
LikeLike
My reading of that says it’s okay then because the Ole Miss person doing the recording would have consented. Unless it was recorded without either party’s knowledge…
LikeLike
If the statute’s like Georgia’s which it seems to be, then recording with one party consent (i.e. I’m talking to you and you don’t know I’m recording it, as opposed to intercepting two other persons conversation) is generally fine.
I would also add that they most likely knew of the nature of the call before taking it, hence the recording. There’s always the chance Ole Miss has the kind of phone system that automatically records and keeps all calls for a short period of time so you can go back and get them if they turn out to be useful, or they roll off and get deleted after a period of time. Most likely, though, they knew why she was calling.
LikeLike
Correct. Is Mississippi’s a “one-party state” like Georgia and most others, the recording was legal. Sleazy and scummy as hell, but legal. I learned that in the Grady school.
LikeLike
Tell me the difference between stupid and illegal and I’ll my brother in law arrested.
LikeLike
But was it worth it? Well, it was the best run Ole Miss has had since Archie Manning so probably yeah. Mission accomplished.
LikeLike
Man, that 4th and 22 Arkansas converted is going to hurt for a long time…
LikeLike
The school has offered up every SEC football championship we have won in the past 50 years.
We believe this to be appropriate compensation and are awaiting their response.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Arrogance or stupidity?” Why not both?
LikeLike
stupigance
LikeLike
It was the writers developing their script for The Blind Side II.
If you have a problem with this, text us. Amen.
LikeLike
“The big question about that is why that might have been the case. Arrogance or stupidity?’
As has been noted, it probably isn’t illegal although we don’t know enough details to be sure. Still, as the Senator has noted, the optics are horrible. Just imagine what is going through the mind of a parent on an official visit wondering where the cameras and microphones are, and whether they will have a ‘code’ for things discussed.
Arrogance or stupidity? In my experience it’s been mostly paranoia and and the desire of wanting to have something in your back pocket in case you need it. But it’s stupid to let it out right now.
LikeLike
Maybe it’ll be brought up.. haven’t seen it yet.. but I don’t see Ole Miss going down without bringing as many other schools with them as they can (them taping the interview shows they have the ammo). There will be mud slinging everywhere (most likely at SECw teams thankfully), similar to that that broke up the old Southwest conference.
I gotta imagine Ole Miss is telling Sankey that they will literally burn up the whole conference if the NCAA doesn’t take let this go.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When the designer of the Titanic was on the ship and all was well, I am sure he was arrogant.
That arrogance went down(pun intended) and him with it.
At what point he realized his design stupidity, one does not know.
Kinda like Ole Miss, when does one realize, as the stupid has started.
LikeLike