Much to the dismay of Meridian Star staff writer Will Bardwell, Rick Stansbury will be on the sidelines tomorrow in Columbia, S.C.
Bardwell, a Mississippi alum, attacked Stansbury and challenged SEC Commissioner Mike Slive to suspend in Sunday’s paper.
On Monday, Slive issued a reprimand, but no fine or suspension.
Bardwell inaccurately depicted the events of Saturday, from the play where two Rebels knocked Timmy Bowers to the floor, to Stansbury’s reaction. He even misrepresented what went on in the postgame press conference.
He must have missed a few lectures in journalism ethics.
I liken this situation to the movie “Pulp Fiction.” Stansbury is Marsellus Wallace, a character normally cool, calm and collected.
In 180 games, Stansbury has five technicals. Two came Saturday from an official who rarely calls SEC games.
Karl Hess, who normally calls the finesse games of the ACC was unprepared for a game with hard fouls early.
Hess called nothing when Bowers got mugged. Then, by default, he called a travel. He also called both offensive fouls on Branden Vincent.
Bardell is Brett, the Big Kahuna Burger-eater who does Marsellus Wallace an injustice.
That leaves me to be Jules, the messenger who repays injustices.
Bardwell said Stansbury “seemed to suffer a head injury.” He later complained, “Stansbury joked about it … No apology. No regret. All pompous.”
Bardwell also called Stansbury an idiot and a jerk before saying, “You (Rick) might want to think twice about pulling a stunt like that again.”
Well, allow me to retort.
Stansbury is the head coach of a team that has players worth protecting. When his point guard gets mugged and is lying motionless, he is going to react.
Stansbury didn’t joke about the incident because the Rebels had already become the punchline of the day.
Fact of the matter is that Stansbury briefly answered questions about the incident, then redirected the focus to the job his team and assistant coaches did.
Those quotes were in the Meridian Star’s other article.
Bardwell also claimed, “The media has been good to Stansbury this season. Web sites have published feature stories on the Bulldogs and national magazines have also spotlighted the team.”
Generally speaking, Top 10 teams get national recognition.
Bardwell called the Bulldogs “scrappy” and capable of “playing with anyone.”
Actually, the Bulldogs are less than three seconds from having beaten everyone.
“Playing with” and “beaten” have different meanings.
After the game Rod Barnes called it the weirdest UM/MSU game he’d ever coached or played in.
It wasn’t that weird at all. The No. 6 Bulldogs (19-1, 8-1 SEC) forced a season-high 23 turnovers by the undersized, less-talented Rebels (11-9, 3-6) for a 34-10 advantage in the scoring column.
A better team won, despite Mississippi’s efforts to undercut the legs from Bulldogs that jumped in the air.
The Dawgs won again because it is not about one person in Starkville.