re: Benito Jones Landmassed Alabama

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The one thing Bama can't offer MS kids is the most obvious thing...the ability to rep their own state.

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So now you guys are doing the whole "kids should rep their state" thing like LSU fans?

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The one thing Bama can't offer MS kids is the most obvious thing...the ability to rep their own state. Jones grew up a Bama fan. This is no surprise.

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To be honest, I'm not sure how much of a motivation that really is. I mean, it's a beautiful state. I love Mississippi (not unconditionally because -- let's be truthful -- some aspects really do suck arse.) But I never really noticed a huge amount of state pride in the sense that you mean. When I did see it, it was mostly the white guys with the whole 'us against the world' attitude. Most of the black Mississippians I've known have been more about the Delta, or the food, or pride in family than about the state itself. And, really, who can blame them, given the complicated history of the region?

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This is such a cop out. I guess it's fine for the kids from out-of-state that sign with Ole Miss, but if the shoe is on the other foot...?

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It isn't a cop out. The guy asked why a kid would choose one of the instate schools and not Bama being that Bama has all these things to offer. I simply answered his question.

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Well I'm black and I rep the state every chance I get and I live in Texas now. Pride in where you come from is nothing new.

Tell Cody Prewitt, Tony Conner, Chris Jones(MSU) and some of those guys that repping the state isn't important. Prewitt mentions it all the time, and Conner mentioned it as one of the reasons he chose Ole Miss over Bama.

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Huh. That's odd. I guess you don't know black people as well as I do.


Seriously, though, I'm only speaking from personal experience. I grew up in Vicksburg and that was the impression I came away with in regards to my friends. I'm not saying they didn't love Mississippi. Obviously that's far too general a blanket statement. I'm just saying the people I knew seemed to value other, more personal things than the arbitrary lines (well, arbitrary except for the river, of course) that formed the state. I actually admired that. It was the difference between standing up for your family and standing up for the ground your house happened to be located on. You have your own value system, and that's what informs your perspective. Vive la difference and all that, right?

I got the joke. I don't get why you tried to speak for black people in MS.

Look Mississippi guys. My wife is from Ocean Springs and her whole family is from Harrison County (Saucier) They are all big Southern fans and I am from Fairhope, AL (mobile) I can confidently say that someone repping their state isn't necessarily the best investment on making a career out of all the hard work you have put in over the years. Alabama has made their MO on that. Lucky for us, when it comes to football, you really can't go wrong with playing for Alabama because you dont have to be torn to go play elsewhere because Bama is the state school and they are the greatest college football program ever. When it comes to Mississippi, your schools may not be the best for a certain highly recruited athlete because he excels at a certain position and another school is better at NFL development at that position. Look at Marcus Dupree. That son of a bitch was better than herschel walker and it isn't close. Only reason he isn't the greatest RB to ever live right now is because his roots fricked him.

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Give me some names of Mississippi players that you developed into NFL talent over the years. I'll wait

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KEVIN NORWOOD
ROD WOODSON
ANTHONY STEEN
ALONZO LAWRENCE

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Jamal Peters is 2015 and

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Alabama already has a commitment from Leo Lewis in the 2015 class. Jamal Peters would be their 2nd Mississippi commitment in the 2015 class if they get him. I assume that is what the poster was talking about