Rebels to retire Mullins' No. 38

The Memphis Commercial Appeal ^ | 7/25/06 | Press Services

[Sybeck1]

ping the Missippy list please!

I was at Ole Miss right after this happened and will be attending this game. Time does fly by, I am glad they are not forgetting Chuckie there.

[Sybeck1]

Chucky that is.

[Sybeck1]

Ole Miss ping, Dawgs and Eagles are welcome.

[WKB]

Dawgs and Eagles are welcome.





Why go and ruin a perfectly good thread??:>)

[Pukin Dog]

Okay, I guess someone has to do it, and I'm sure to take a lot of flak for this, but other than breaking his neck, and sadly dying, what did this person do that stands with the accomplishments of Archie Manning?

This kind of sentimentality only cheapens the accomplishments of others, and while I don't want to come off as unfeeling over the tragedy, I don't like this kind of thing.

When we start honoring people simply for not collapsing into victim-hood after incurring horrific events, what does that say about us as a people? Are we not supposed to go on when bad things happen?

Archie Manning was a football legend at Ol Miss, and Mullins played one year and broke his neck. Call me a bastard, but someone had to say it?

[Texas Federalist]

I agree with you. They should have some other form of rememberance than retiring a number, which should be limited to on the field accomplishments.

[Warren_Piece]

Well, considering Archie's pro career - was he really THAT good? (Somebody had to say it) :)

[Warren_Piece]

I agree with you. They should have some other form of rememberance than retiring a number, which should be limited to on the field accomplishments.

Do you feel the same way about Pat Tillman?

[Pukin Dog]

What a stupid comparison. Tillman LEFT sports to defend his nation! Are you going to compare Tillman now to some guy who broke his neck and eventually died?

[dixiechick2000]

"Dawgs and Eagles are welcome.

Why go and ruin a perfectly good thread??:>)"


LOLOL!

My congrats to Chucky!
Thanks for the ping!

[Pukin Dog]

Why tear down Archie Manning? Why cant this be about Ol Miss?

[dixiechick2000]

Considering his pro team, yes he was.
He would have done much better somewhere else.
But, he wanted to stay close to his home and
family, and wanted his own family to be stable.

So shoot him...

[Texas Federalist]

Do you feel the same way about Pat Tillman?

That's a tough call. He obviously should be honored by his team and football in a very special and esteemed manner. But if his number is retired, shouldn't the numbers of every major league baseball player who left their teams to serve in WWII be retired as well? There would be no numbers left.

[Warren_Piece]

C'mon, Pukin! The post I was commenting on contained this line:

"...which should be limited to on the field accomplishments." .

I totally agree with you about Tillman. But that means we honor (even by retiring a jersey) for accomplishments off the field.

If you want to argue that Chuckie Mullins didn't accomplish anything worthy of honor off the field, that would make sense. I would disagree, but I have a personal bias (a close family member who is very disabled and IMHO, very courageous).

[Warren_Piece]

Actually, I LOVE Archie (even though I hate his son - the one who isn't Eli). Just ribbin' ya.

BTW, I think we ought to retire Mullins' number, if anything, to help give some closure to Brad Gaines. I've never seen such a tortured soul in all my life. I don't know if it would help, but my heart just hurts for Gaines.

[Pukin Dog]

Okay, okay. Since we are admitting personal bias, I know the Mannings. There is an old training airbase outside Tennessee I used to visit. Its a long story. Sorry for my bad mood, but this San Diego heat has forced me indoors.

[Warren_Piece]

Let me tell you, as a Vandy fan (yeah, I know, I know), I look forward every year to the Ole Miss game. The two teams are mediocre year-in and out (Vandy for the most part has been downright bad), but the Ole Miss/Vandy game every year is a barn-burner. Wish I could go to Oxford this year, but I probably wouldn't wear my black & gold - Rebel fans are still smarting from us (barely) beating them last year. Plus, we've lost probably the best QB we'll ever have, and it's time to slip back down to the bottom of the conference again.

[relictele]

I'm afraid I mostly agree with you. A 'Chucky Mullins Award' would be a better memorial. The #38 jersey used to be issued as the award (though I'm sure there was a post-season trophy or plaque also). Retiring #38 requires at least a cursory review of Mullins' football career which was short-lived and unspectacular (he wasn't even a starter was he?). As you say, when a school has only a single number retired to date and it belongs to an individual synonymous with Ole Miss (18 mph speed limit on campus, etc.) in Archie Manning, the comparisons are inevitable.

U of Miami utilizes a Ring of Honor rather than retiring jerseys, but Marc Buoniconti (paralysis) and Jerome Brown (killed in car accident) are not yet enshrined.

Comparisons with players killed in the line of military duty aren't really valid. We all like to joke about taking football seriously but the Pat Tillmans and Nile Kinnicks are a world apart for obvious reasons.

There's no easy way to resolve the issue. I was touched by Mullins' plight and post-injury struggles (having been seriously injured myself two years ago) but a cynic might wonder if this is pre-season emotion-stoking on the part of the AD/SID.

[dfwgator]

You sure had us sweating in Gainesville last year.