Shepard Smith Wants Ole Miss to Stop Singing the Words, “The South Shall Rise Again”
1-liner, College Football, Music, Race November 4th. 2009, 12:00pm“The South Shall Rise Again”: Those are the final few words to “From Dixie with Love,” a fight song at Ole Miss. A movement is afoot to either change the ending of the song, or drop it altogether. (For background on the culture at Ole Miss, this is a strong read.) Fox News anchor and Mississippi native Shepard Smith has gotten into the debate, recording this message to students. If your computer can’t play it, here’s the summary: “The song sends the wrong message. A distorted message.” Couldn’t agree more. There should be no debate about this, and students shouldn’t be singing it. For unrelated reasons, we’ve become fascinated with Ole Miss and SEC shenanigans during this college football season. We’re attempting a September road trip in 2010 with friends to this magical placed called The Grove. Perhaps for the Vanderbilt game. [Andy Staples Twitter]
76 Responses to “Shepard Smith Wants Ole Miss to Stop Singing the Words, “The South Shall Rise Again””
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November 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
good for shep smith.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
We’re attempting a September road trip in 2010 with friends to this magical placed called The Grove
Got room for one more?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
i agree. sheps parting shot at lsu was awesome.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
A certain bloc of TBL commenters will feel very conflicted about agreeing with Shep Smith. After all, he works for evil Fox News.
/heads begin exploding in 3…2…1…
November 4th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Vandy and Ole Miss (post Jevan)? Might as well go to a Rutgers game.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
The Grove has never mattered, and even after a top 5 ranking this year, still doesn’t.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Who cares about the football? SEC Poon vs Jersey Trash.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Shep was great in Volcano. Can’t say a bad word about the guy.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
A guy could get lost in that site, Bear
November 4th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Thankfully, it’s blocked at work.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Here I side with Ole Miss, as the likes of Shep had “gone Yankee” and propaganda parrot long ago and he was summarily dismissed by Southerners except of course for those who still support the likes of Darth Cheney to this day.
It is Ole Miss’ right to tout their lame-ass Southern-fried candy ass bojack douchebag loser horns about their awful state of woe all they want and talk about the “good old days” never to return of antebellum Mississippi.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Smith saying this will cause a certain number of Ole Miss students to become more in love with this song and its lyrics.
I’d put the over/under at 40% of students would sing it regardless of whether the University is playing/endorsing it or not.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
+10 in Paolo points
November 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Shame on you TBL Godfather. If there is as is commonly used by smug and dismissive asshole New York types with the “ad hominem” technique, “no debate,” why does one exist? C’mon get back to real like usual again. There is a debate no matter what side one takes.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
The Grove has ALWAYS mattered, and always will. Tailgate nirvana. I don’t see how any SEC fan can disagree, even Ole Miss haters like my namesake.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I’m still angry that I never went in a suit to an ND game… one of my big regrets about college.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Ok, this I don’t know why I bother, but here goes.
Yes, it is their right to tout the Confederate flag and the rise of the South and all that crap. Nobody is saying that they should be forced to change. The point is that it sends the wrong message, and they should change it of their own volition out of respect for the millions of US citizens who died in the civil war.
Just because I have the right to do something, doesn’t mean that I should continue to do it.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I’m guessing all of the effete liberal snobs still believe the Civil War was about Slavery and not States Rights.
/sits back and waits for the explosion.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
If you did that when I went to school there, you would either be one serious dork, some alumnus or other rich wannabe, or some real bigshot would be chaffeured and hardly spotted with VIP access to the press box.
And heck should I ever gain such status as VIP, I sure as heck am NOT wearing a suit to the game.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@anybody in the south…what is the ONE single tailgate that you have to experience? Is it Alabama-Florida game or should I try and get to the Grove or perhpas LSU?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
But why?
Oh, right, because of your buddy Straw Man Liberal Moneywaster Wussy. Such a handy way to handle nuance.
It’s like your thought process is fixed on a track, and can only roll forward or backward.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I like Shep, I think he’s actually fair and balanced. This is the same arguement as the confederate flag arguement in south Carolina
November 4th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
i can’t stand ole miss, but the grove is a magical place. sure it’s full of smug, tie wearing douchebags, but the eye-candy is non-stop.
i was at the Arkansas-ole miss game a couple weeks ago, and couldn’t hear when they yell the south will rise again. from what i have read it is mostly the students that sing it, and like most cheers where half the crowd knows the words, you can barely hear it.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
what about all the hillbillies w/ a gun rack and a confederate flag in the back of their pickup? we have laws for a reason, and if some texan want to show his daughters atm, then that is his business.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,570445,00.html
November 4th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
No, it was about the North’s abrogation of the unwritten foundation of the constitution that there would be an equal number of slave and non slave states thus giving the South an effective veto on any legislative attempt to outlaw slavery.
Oh wait, it was about slavery.
oops.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
The Grove cannot be beat for the tailgate experience, but NOTHING and I mean NOTHING compares to LSU, on a Saturday night.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
You managed to completely contradict yourself with this comment, St. Bear.
/never been to the south
//no desire to go either
November 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
that’s funny
November 4th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I’d respond to this if I had any earthly idea what the fuck you’re talking about.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Characters on Gossip Girl?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Groin: You seemingly imagine that every single person on the opposite side of your personal political spectrum thinks and acts as a bloc.
That better?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
+1
It’s pretty, but it doesn’t matter. Go to my alma mater instead.
Ole Miss had a chance to matter about 6 years ago and they blew it. They brought in Cutcliffe just to seal the deal with the Manning family, and then they dumped his ass 5 minutes after Eli’s eligbility was over and they didn’t need him anymore. Now Cutcliffe’s about to take Duke to a bowl game and they replaced him with a blithering idiot like Ed Orgeron (who might be a good defensive coach but isn’t head coaching material), and then compounded that mistake by replacing him with an Arkansas reject.
Ole Miss deserves everything it gets.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I don’t see how I contradicted myself. I think you missed my emphasis on the word forced. They have the right to say what they want, nobody is taking that away from them. However, just because you have a freedom of speech, doesn’t mean that it comes without repercussions. It is because of this that I think they should remove the lyric, out of respect of the soliders who died from both sides.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
couldn’t have said it better myself jay. i completely agree with everything you said. bravo.
November 4th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
“South” is an attitude as much or more than simply a region. There are various orders/levels of Southern: white trash, redneck, hillybilly, good ol’ boy, cajuns, standard southerners, and all sorts of combinations of those. Many of the Southerners clinging to the Rebel Flag are doing so for different reasons. Some are truly racist, some are truly rebellious and confrontational to “the man taking away their heritage” (a sentiment and cultural attitude that can be traced back to Ireland, Scotland, and England approximately 400 years ago), and some are simply clueless, ignorant followers.
Most (almost all) of my family falls somewhere within all combinations of the types of Southerners listed above. Some (including my younger brothers) embrace the Rebel Flag and don’t understand the significance of the symbol they embrace. Yes, embracing the Rebel Flag is embracing the history of the South and an area of early America that desired to be free from a large, controlling federal government. At the same time, those states wanted to be free from federal control to continue implementation of the slavery of other human beings.
I personally have spent what I would call significant time in all areas of the country (New England, Midwest, West Coast, Pacific Northwest, South, etc.) and find each to have its own unique qualities (just got back from Yosemite…unbelievably gorgeous, and we’re going back asap), but nothing compares to the unique beauty of the South, in my
biashumble opinion.I could probably write a 5000 word post giving my inside thoughts on all things Southern, but I might save that for another day at S&F. I know it’s popular to bang on the South…but try it out, you may expand your horizons and find it’s worth another visit.
/the mizerle06 Southern tourism bureau approves of this message.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I don’t think anything beats Neyland, but I’m biased as all hell and grew up going there. Vol Navy, Tailgating, Vol Walk. The best imo. All the Southern schools are great though (Oxford, Tuscky, Death Valley, etc.).
Jay hit the nail on the head too. How about Duke by the way? Cutcliffe rules.
Also, to the person who asked about the one game in the South to go to….Florida doesn’t regularly play Bama unless you mean the predetermined SEC championship in boring Atlanta.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
miz, you make some interesting points, but it’s much easier to say that the south is full of homophobic racists. So, I’m going with the path of least resistance.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
/(cue the scene in the movie where that one guy in the crowd stands up and starts clapping)
//that’s me
November 4th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Yes he does…and thanks to Ole Miss, he’s never leaving!
/naive’d
November 4th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
younglefty - I should get sparty to “hire” you to coordinate the cliffnotes on all my S&F posts.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Jesus Christ, this shit has got to end somewhere. you know there’s too many people occupying Earth when a large portion devote the majority of their time to complaining about meaningless shit.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
You forgot about crunk and so so def.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Haha. I was on my way to responding to Badger with something along the lines of “why would you want to tailgate with a bunch of homophobic racists”, and I ran across your well put tome, and it was a better fit.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
yes, definitely forgot about those two.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
/miz is a redneck
November 4th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
but I might save that for another day at S&F.
Whore.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I was waiting for that…probably even better cliffnotes than younglefty’s version.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
get busy on your ACC preview. i want it for monday.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
guilty as charged.
/click on my name…
November 4th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Ohio State has the best stadium. Rocky Top has the second best.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
/the mizerle06 Southern tourism bureau approves of this message.Your belief system intrigues me. I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
@younglefty - made me laugh.
My wife is from the South. She is super left and liberal. Quite uncommon for the South. Family is old money. They couldn’t be nicer. They did call me a Yankee the first time I met them. I said “Still sour about that ass-whoopin, aren’t you?” Actually, no, I didnt, but I sure as hell thought it.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I don’t really know what you’re implying, but I’ll send you two issues for free anyway. cool?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I was just quoting Homer Simpson. I try to get to Texas once in a while. I know that’s not really the South but that’s probably as close as I’ll get in the forseeable future.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
True. In Ohio. Beaver Stadium. Best atmosphere in college. Not going to be a Happy Valley for Pryor on sat.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
miz’s newsletter.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Don’t flatter yourself. Until today, I didn’t even know you existed.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
@sparty - really, Monday?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Wow. The cover story says “Why we love Thomasville, GA”. My mom has family in Thomasville, and nobody, I mean nobody, loves Thomaville.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
dammit, younglefty, it’s the dogs…that’s why we love Thomasville, GA.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Well, that and the 4 bajillion year old oak tree is kinda cool.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Ill- we aren’t doing full previews, just giving you shit.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Stands next to Jay and claps. I too, have lived in various areas of out great country and there is good and bad everywhere. And as for redneck mentality, it starts somewhere just south of Fort Kent, Maine and works its way towards the Equator.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Ok, I’ll send you my Big Ten/ACC challenge recap after we smoke you boys, again.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
ha! not this year. the big 10 are the big bad boys on the block.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
b10 had a winning record against the acc last year. if only they won the challenge.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I like Neyland Stadium itself, but the tailgate scene leaves tons to be desired IMO. It’s just way too dispersed and spread out…there’s no central location, and there’s also way too much tailgating in parking garages.
Vol Navy is badass, but it doesn’t make up for a lot of the other deficiencies.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I try to get to Texas once in a while. I know that’s not really the South but that’s probably as close as I’ll get in the forseeable future.
Depends on what part of the state you go to. If you go east of Dallas, to the Tyler-Longview area and south towards Nacagdoches, and then to the Gulf coast around Beaumont and Orange, then that could be considered south. Everything from Fort Worth west is part of the west and southwest. The panhandle is kind of midwestern, the far west and the Valley are Mexico, and central Texas around San Antonio and Austin are pretty much unlike any other area.
Also miz, fucking brilliant. Standing ovation.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Do they have Brunswick stew in that area of Texas?
November 4th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
no idea what this is inferring but two places immediately spring to mind…
1. the shoe
2. tiger stadium
November 4th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Do they have Brunswick stew in that area of Texas?
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they do.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I can respect that. I mostly mean the entire gameday experience, but yeah, the tailgating is definitely far more spread out, but I like that. The strip is a lot of fun, the Vol Navy, the shit going on on campus. Good stuff.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Someone said Happy Valley? You’ve got a great student section there, no doubt - probably best in the country. But as far as the building? Looks like an erector set from the outside.
November 4th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
St. Bear, like PL, I thought as well that you contradicted yourself in the first comment because it was unclear just who “they” are who should do the “removing,” but now I understand your point as one that it should be done by the Ole Miss and Southern types out of moral concern.
They of course would counter otherwise and remind you of the Union’s banker morals and the like for the War of Northern Aggression and northern oppression ever since.
Sorry they are going to stand their ground to be what I called them above and that’s that — like the flag in South Carolina the song remains the same (no Zeppelin pun intended for you over 40 former metalhead types)
November 4th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Uh, guess now it’s my turn to be confused. Ah well. Try and explain yourself on the internets, see what it gets you.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
If Mississippi wants to separate itself from its regrettable history, they might want to start by not calling themselves “Ole Miss” anymore. Its a reference to slavery…