Crooked Letter Sports: Recent Episodes
Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland
Mississippi-centric sports talk and stories with Hall of Fame columnist Rick Cleveland and Scorebook Live senior reporter Tyler Cleveland. Produced in Jackson and made by Mississippians, for Mississippians.
In Tyler Cleveland's absence, 51-year Mississipppi sports writing veteran Billy Watkins joins the podcast to co-host with Rick Cleveland, who has been covering Mississippi sports for 60 years. They have a few memories.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame's induction weekend is this weekend and the Clevelands discuss all of the Class of 2026, including former Mississippi State and NFL great Glen Collins. Collins joins us in studio to discuss his career, which began at at Whitten Junior High, continued at Jim Hill High School and then State. His second year at Mississippi State coincided with Rick's first year at the Clarion Ledger when Rick was the Mississippi State beat writer. They share some poignant memories
The Open and the World Cup have been put to bed, so now it's time for SEC Football Media Days. Let the cliches begin.
The Clevelands discuss British Open favorites with Jackson golf magnate Ray Watkins and they also talk about Addilyn Stephens, the 10-year-old from Patrick Farms won won an international junior golf championship in Paris.
The Belgians hand the USMNT a reality check at the World Cup, Chris Gotterup cements his place in golf's top ten players and Joey Chestnut eats a disgusting amount of hot dogs.
As the World Cup moves to the Knockout Rounds, we take a look at the most exciting games so far and pontificate on the USA's chances. Plus, Scottie Scheffler finishes second (again) and Rick picks his favorite Mississippi courses.
Today's show features wrap-ups of the CWS and U.S. Open, with veteran Mississippi soccer coach Dean Joseph joining the pod to discuss how the tournament is shaping up and the wizardry of Lionel Messi.
The show welcomes back guest Randy Watkins to discuss this week's US Open at the notoriously tough Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Plus, Ole Miss bows out of the CWS as the World Cup heats up.
Ole Miss heads back to Omaha for the College Baseball World Series, the Knicks take a two-game lead in the NBA Finals and Rick and Tyler reflect on their epic trip out west.
Mississippi State and Ole Miss will both face familiar rivals in NCAA Baseball Super Regionals; this weekend. State plays at Georgia. Ole Miss plays at Auburn. The two winners advance to the College World Series. The Clevelands also discuss what happened to Southern Miss, which is what happened to so many national seeds in NCAA Regionals last week. Today's show also touches on the NBA championship series,, the College Softball World Series, the legacy of Vic Purvis, and Pearl River Community College's national championships in both baseball and softball.
Softball joins baseball in the Mississippi sports spotlight this week. Mississippi State stunned proud Oklahoma to reach the College World Series for the first time. Belhaven won its Super Regional and will play in the Division III World Series. Southern Miss, State, and Ole Mis all play in NCAA Baseball Regionals this weekend. All that and lots more, including a visit from Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain who is on the NCAA Baseball Committee.
Today's Crooked Letter menu has several flavors: college baseball, the Ferriss Trophy, Aaron Rei's much-deserved PGA Championship victory, another remembrance of Charlie Rugg, the NBA phenom named Wemby and much, much more.
Ted Turner was a multi-talented force of nature and one of the best things he ever did was hire Bobby Cox back a few years after he fired him. Both men died last week, leaving so much to discuss. Also on today's agenda: Lane Kiffin running his mouth, the last week of the college baseball regular season, and a blitz that includes a memory of Doug Hutton and one of the most memorable days in Mississippi sports history.
Hancock High's basketball playing brothers Max and Israel Makoka are back home after temporary detention by ICE. Rick tells the story and opines on SEC baseball, a little football and those red-hot Atlanta Braves.
The NFL Draft is in the books, college baseball heats up and Ole Miss golf wins its first SEC title in four decades. The Cleveland boys discuss it all and welcome in Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame director Andrea Patterson.
The Clevelands take a look at what the 2026 NFL Draft might look like for Mississippi's top prospects, and what the New Orleans Saints need to do to continue their rebuild. Plus, baseball heats up as the Big 3 get back on track and the Braves jump out to a truly remarkable start.
Belhaven softball coach Kevin Griffin, father of Konnor, talks about his Pittsburgh Pirate son, who just signed a $140 million contract at 19, and his softball team, which has won 11 straight and is nationally ranked. The CLevelands also discuss The Masters, college baseball ups and downs, and more…
It's Masters Week, which means Randy Watkins, Mississippi's Mr. Golf, is joining the podcast to discuss The Masters, which truly is a tradition like no other.
So much to talk about: Mo Williams to Kentiucky, Mississippi State's baseball excellence, Tiger Woods' errant drives, Warner Alford, the Final Fours, some Saints news, and Rick's gumbo.
This is a Mississippi baseball fan's delight, highlighted by a three-game SEC series matching State and Ole Miss at Oxford and Opening Day in the Major Leagues. So much to discuss.
World Series Game Seven winner Jay Powell, the former Mississippi State great, joins the podcast to talk Mississippi college baseball, the World Baseball Classic and Konnor Griffin.
The Cleveland boys recount the first days of NFL free agency, which have brought wholesale changes for the New Orleans Saints. Plus, Rick gives his take on the high school basketball championships and the first month of college baseball in Mississippi.
Mississippi State has lost only to the No. 1 team in college baseball. Southern Miss has lost only to the best pitcher in college baseball. Ole Miss still has a Top 10 RPI. The Clevelands discuss all that and bring in a special guest, Millsaps women's hoops coach Jeff Wilbur who is taking his newly crowned conference champs to the NCAA D-3 Big Dance.
State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss are off to amazing starts in the young college baseball season. So much to discuss, including the Golden Eagles' impressive seep through the prestigious Round Rock Classic.
Pittsboro, Mississippi was the site. It was nowhere near neutral, as was evident when the proceedings began with a prayer asking for an one-year extension for Trinidad Chambliss, the Ole Miss quarterback. The prayer was answered. The Clevelands also talk about the opening weekend of college baseball season, the Winter Olympics and a whole lot more.
It's time to talk about what Mississippians do best, which is play and support college baseball. Mississippi State is a consensus top 5 team. Southern Miss is consistently a top 25 team and Rick says Ole Miss is underrated.
Rick Cleveland has watched all the 59 previous Super Bowls, 30 in person – always in pursuit of all the Mississippi angles. His memories are many.
They don't play Super Bowls without a Mississippi angle and this year's will be no different. Seattle left tackle Charles Cross of Laurel and Mississippi State leads a list of several Mississippians who are part of the Seahawks and New England Patriots. The Clevelands also talk college basketball, college baseball and Scottie Scheffler.
The Clevelands break in a new studio with commentary on the national championship game, Ole Miss' highest final national ranking in 63 years, Trinidad Chambliss, SEC Basketball, the coming baseball season and reigning NCAA golf champion Michael La Sasso joining the LIV golf tour.
Recorded the morning after the game, with Rick in Scottsdale and Tyler in studio, the Clevelands dissect what happened to end the most eventful season in Ole Miss football history.
It's only the biggest football game in Mississippi history: Miami vs. Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. Miami is favored, but should it be? The Clevelands discuss that – and a lot more.
The question on everyone's mind: Does Ole Miss have a shot against mighty Georgia. The answer: Of course they do, but the Rebels will have to play their best game and hope Georgia doesn't. The Cleveland boys also discuss the New Orleans and Duke's Mayo bowls and the resurgent New Orleans Saints.
We talk Tulane-Ole Miss, the Blake Anderson hire at Southern Miss, Coach Larry Ladner's legacy in Mississippi basketball, and the New Orleans Saints and their new franchise quarterback.
It may or may not be the biggest sporting event in Mississippi history, but we know for certain Ole Miss is hosting Tulane and you can sell your car and rent a room in Oxford. The Clevelands also discuss USM coaching vacancy, the high school championships and a whole lot more.
Egg Bowl reduxe, Kiffin leaving, Golding elevated, SWAC Championship, state high school football championships, Southern Miss review, SEC Championship, FBS playoffs.
The stage is set for another classic Egg Bowl, but the stakes have been raised substantially for both Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Cleveland boys discuss scenarios for the game and the future of Ole Miss football should Lane Kiffin leave for Baton Rouge.
The Clevelands discuss the Lane Kiffin situation, Southern Miss's crash to earth and how an underappreciated kid from the southwest Mississippi community of Oma has entered the national college football spotlight with a 300-yard rushing performance against Mississippi State.
Rick calls in from New York to discuss all the latest in Mississippi football, including the sixth-ranked Rebels claiming their latest victim, the Golden Eagles' improbable run and Delta State's opponents simply chickening out. Also, the Cleveland boys run down the 2025 Mr. Football winners and the first round of tge high school playoffs
Nobody knows more about today's college football landscape than Ross Dellenger and he has plenty to talk about these days, including the stunning in-season coaching changes happening all over the country.
There's so much going on in the sports world, including an epic World Series, a memorable Mississippi college football season, an incredible turn-around at Lanier High School and so much more. All that and the Clevelands, in a generational argument, disagreeing on Shohei vs. the Babe.
That was the situation facing Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby Saturday at Florida. Lebby chose to run another play and Florida intercepted a pass to sew up a two-point victory. The Clevelands discuss the pros and cons of the strategy – and a whole lot more college football, high school football, the Saints and college golf.
We've got a huge week in Mississippi sports coming up. Ole Miss, State and Southern Miss all have huge conference football games and the three schools are hosting a huge college tournament at Fallen Oak on the coast this weekend and Monday.
The Clevelands discuss last weekend and the one coming up, including what appeared to be a routine quarterback sack by the Saints’ Carl Granderson of the Giants’ Jaxson Dart that was somehow called roughing the passer. The Saints, believe it or not, won anyway. Also, the conversation turns to what might have been the last Sanderson Farms Championship and the upcoming weekend in college football.
Ole Miss and Southern Miss are off this weekend and Mississippi State is on the road, but the Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi’s only PGA Tour tournament returns to the Country Club of Jackson. Today’s discussion includes golf – both a Ryder Cup review and a Sanderson Farms preview – and a Mississippi college football season that keeps getting more interesting.
Our resident golf expert Randy Watkins breaks down the Ryder Cup. Our discussion also includes LSU-Ole Miss, Mississippi State-Tennessee and a whole lot more.
Ole Miss and Mississippi State move to 3-0 and Southern Miss picks up a pivotal win over Appalachian State, plus the Saints finding new ways to lose and one singular high school performance that tested the record books.
An eventful week in Mississippi football is highlighted by Mississippi State’s huge, exhilarating victory over No. 12 Arizona State.
The 2025 football season is underway, as both Ole Miss and Mississippi State moved to 1-0 with opening game wins. Tyler talks high school upsets and Rick breaks down the Bulldogs’ win over Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. Plus, how many commercials is too many commercials?
Football starts this weekend, but it’s not every day we have a world champion in Mississippi. That’s what 17-year-old Rachel McAlpin of Brandon is after the world junior swimming championships in Romania last week. Of course, there’s also a football discussion, including the big State-Southern Miss game in Hattiesburg and what T.C. Taylor has in mind for an encore at Jackson State.
Lance Pogue has coached Mississippi high school football teams to 246 victories and 71 defeats, an incredible winning rate of 78 percent. He has won five state championships and one national championship. Now, he takes on another challenge at Brandon High School.
Hard to believe the Mississippi football season opens later this month. Not so hard to believe is that the Clevelands have looked ahead at the schedule and picked the five most interesting high school and college football games on the schedule. A hint: You don’t have to wait long for one some of the most intriguing games, both high school and college.
We are in that period of the sports calendar when baseball is winding down and football talk is heating up. The Clevelands discuss Saints pre-season camp, the college football preseason rankings, the lowly Atlanta Braves, and much more.
Rusty Hampton was the sports editor at the Clarion Ledger for 11 years and worked there for 25 years in two different stints. He talks about some of the highlights, including Mississippi State’s amazing run to the 1996 Final Four.
Also discussed: a salute to Ryne Sandberg, the SEC preseason football poll, and Konnor Griffin, the newly elevated top prospect in professional baseball.
Derrick Nix played much of his college football career, hindered by a life-threatening kidney problem that sapped his strength and ended his playing career prematurely. Dexter McCluster spent much of his career with coaches and talent evaluators telling him he was too small. Eventually, Nix became McCluster’s coach at Ole Miss. Saturday night, they go into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame together.
Randy Watkins returns to the Crooked Letter pod to discuss The Open, where the weather will be wet, windy and coolish at Royal Portrush. Scottie Scheffler will be the betting favorite, but the Europeans, including Rory McIlroy, definitely will have a home-course advantage. The recent Major League Draft also will be discussed.
The MSHOF will induct eight new members on Aug 2. Rick Cleveland has covered them all and he and son Tyler talk about what makes them all special.
Before he became a Hall of Fame football coach and won 297 games, Mike Justice played on Mississippi’s first integrated high school football team in Fulton. Justice talks about that and a lot more.
We begin a series of podcasts with Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, which will be inducted the first weekend in August. First up is highly successful baseball coach Scott Berry, who won big first at Meridian Community College and then at Southern Miss.
This week’s pod touches on a number of subjects: the grit of J.J. Spaun, Cam Akers to the Saints, the College World Series, the NBA playoffs and tomato pie.
With the U.S. Open returning to diabolical Oakmont, Jackson’s Mr. Golf, Randy Watkins, returns to Crooked Letter to discuss what golfers will face. Watkins, who once played in the US. Open at famed Winged Foot, knows a thing or two about high rough, slick greens and fairways only slightly wider than hallways. The Clevelands and Watkins also discuss the college baseball phenomenon also known as Murray State
So much to discuss, including bitter endings Monday night to the Ole Miss and Southern Miss baseball seasons, a new baseball beginning with Brian O’Connor at Mississippi State, the SEC’s surprisingly poor showing in NCAA regionals, and the success of the little guys (Murray State, UTSA, Little Rock, Wright State, etc.) Also, a salute to LSU-Shreveport and a 59-0 season…
La Sasso becomes the second Rebel ever to win the NCAA golf title, which qualifies him for the U.S. Open in two weeks and next April’s Masters. Also, the Clevelands discuss how Mississippi’s baseball coaches should address pitching in the upcoming NCAA Regionals.
The best baseball teams in Mississippi, high school and college will be busy in post-season tournament play this week. Meanwhile, Davis Riley was pretty busy and pretty successful last weekend.
Griffin talks about his Blazers team, which enters the NCAA softball championship tournament this week, and about his famous son who is killing it in his first season of professional baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization. The Clevelands also size up Mississippi teams entering the final week of college baseball season and also discuss next Monday’s Ferriss Trophy presentation.
Abadie, who might be the busiest man in Misssissippi sports, is always especially when the high school, junior college and college baseball seasons move into playoff mode.
Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.
The Clevelands take a comprehensive look at this weekend’s NFL Draft, assessing Mississippi prospects and what the New Orleans Saints should do with the ninth pick. Many experts believe the Saints will take Ole Miss quarterback Dart, but the Clevelands are not so sure. It would not be the first time the Saints have taken an Ole Miss QB in the first round as Rick remembers and recounts the circumstances.
Has a sporting event ever produced more drama than the 2025 Masters? Has any network ever displayed it better than CBS? No and no, say the Clevelands, who also opine on the sad case of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, Mississippi’s college baseball teams, and what the Saints should do at quarterback.
Former SEC golf champion and PGA touring pro is Crooked Letter’s resident expert on all things golf. He’s back with us to tell us who might win this week’s Masters and why.
The Ole Miss basketball season draws to a close in the Sweet 16, just as college baseball (and the weather) heat up. Rick opines on how the season is shaping up, while Tyler wonders whether the Braves will ever win.
Former college and NBA coach - and friend of the pod - Tim Floyd joins the show to talk about Ole Miss’ success in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
We cover a busy Mississippi scene in both hoops and hardball with a little Jaxson Dart to the Saints projection thrown in for good measure.
One of the state’s top basketball coaches, Tadlock overcame the loss of all five starters from last year’s championship team and losing his leading scorer this season, to win a second straight state championship and the seventh in school history. Tadlock talks about how he works with a 40-man basketball roster and maintaining a remarkable winning culture at Raymond
Germantown, Ridgeland, Canton and Raymond all won State Championships, showing how the power has shifted in Mississippi high school hoops. Plus we get up to date with college basketball, college baseball and the amazing Konnor Griffin story.
Southern Miss and Ole Miss got some welcomed news as both joined Mississippi State, giving the Magnolia State three teams in this week;s college baseball poll. Otherwise, the college basketball grind continues and the best high school basketball teams converge on Jackson for the annual MHSAA boys and girls state tournament.
Mississippi State makes a statement with a quality win over Ole Miss, improving their NCAA Tournament resume. Rick pontificates on the importance of the Dawgs win, as well as the opening weekend of college baseball and the direction of the new Saints regime.
Charles Huff left the Sun Belt championship Marshall football program to take over the job at Southern Miss, which finished last. He talks about the difficult task ahead of him in his Crooked Letter debut. Also, the Clevelands discuss the Super Bowl, college basketball and the up[coming weekend of college baseball.
What do the Super Bowl and Jackson’s own Noland Smith have in common? Both got their nicknames from Lamar Hunt, for whom the Super Bowl winners’ trophy is named. Super Gnat, all 5 feet, 6 inches and 154 pounds of him, took the NFL by storm in the last 1960s with his blazing speed and quickness on kick returns.
The Clevelands discuss a familiar Super Bowl matchup and whether or not the Philadelphia Eagles – or anyone else – can block Chris Jones, the NFL’s most intimidating defensive player. The seesaw fortunes of Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the SEC basketball race, Jackson State basketball and Southern Miss are also part of today’s discussion, along with the still-open New Orleans Saints coaching job.
Lots to talk about on the days after the national championship game, but im Mississippi, especially in Oxford, much of the talk is about what might have been had Judkins stayed at Ole Miss. Also, the Clevelands discuss Egg Bowl basketball, the grueling SEC schedule, the NFL playoffs, and the John Wade’s saga at Southern Miss.
Don’t look now, but the Magnolia State has two ranked teams on a collision course for a Saturday showdown in Starkville this weekend. Rick and Tyler talk about what makes both Ole Miss and Mississippi State so solid, and check in on a JSU squad that is 3-0 to start SWAC play. Plus, Rick’s NFL playoff picks and a sneak peak at the CFB National Championship.
Following a holiday break, the Clevelands put a lid on the Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints football seasons. Also in the discussion are Southern Miss’s 25-player haul in the transfer portal, including 16 from Marshall. Rick also gives his memories of Magnolia State football heroes Jerald Baylis and Dontae Walker
The Clevelands review the year that was in Mississippi sports (and take a brief look forward to 2025).
Chris Beard has his second Ole Miss basketball team ranked No. 17 nationally in the latest Associated Press basketball poll. Beard, whose first Ole Miss team won 20 games, has lost only once and that by two points to Purdue, which lost in the national championship game last season. Beard talks about his team’s early success and what it faces in the SEC, which boasts five of the top seven ranked teams in college basketball.
So much to cover on this week’s podcast but Southern Miss’s surprising hire of Marshall coach Charles Huff tops the list, and USM athletic director Jeremy McClain joins the podcast to discuss. Also, a recap of the high school state championships, more college football and, in case no one has noticed, we have two Top 25 basketball teams in Mississippi.
Seven high school championship football games will be played Thursday through Saturday at The Rock in Hattiesburg. There are intriguing matchups, involving some of the top recruits in the state. Also, the Clevelands discuss last week’s Egg Bowl, the college football playoffs, the job vacancy at Southern Miss and violence in the NFL.
Ole Miss is a whopping 26-point favorite. A State victory likely would be the biggest upset in Egg Bowl history. As the Clevelands discuss, despite the old saying that you can throw the records out in a rivalry game, the better team almost always wins. The most memorable Egg Bowls are discussed at length.
Monday’s news that Mississippi College will become Mississippi Christian University and discontinue the sport of football caught everyone off guard, including the Clevelands. Fred McAfee, the most famous player in M.C. history, heard the news on the radio and said he felt like he had lost a family member. The Saints, Ole Miss-Florida, and college basketball are also discussed.
Mike Justice, who won state championships at Calhoun City, Louisville and Madison Central, joins the Clevelands to talk about his Hall of Fame career, Ole Miss-Georgia, the Saints, the high school playoffs and Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State program.
Yazoo City native and former Jackson sports writer Rod Walker, who writes his columns in New Orleans now, wrote last week that if the Saints did not beat Carolina, Dennis Allen would not keep his job. The Saints lost and Allen was fired. Walker talks Saints and also discusses Ole Miss’s chances against Georgia and the state of football at his alma mater, Mississippi State.
Highly respected and highly successful Hattiesburg High football coach Tony Vance, whose Tigers are 8-0, joins the podcast. Vance’s Tigers head to the metro area this Friday to face Terry. Hattiesburg is ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and led by quarterback Deuce Vance, Tony’s son. Tony will also coach Mississippi in the annual Misssissippi-Alabama All-Star football game.
So much to discuss with the great Mo Williams: His JSU basketball team, his marvelously talented sons, growing up in Jackson, his NBA basketball career, playing with Lebron, playing against Allen Iverson, NIL, the transfer portal … and so much more.
It was a lost weekend for Mississipp’s college football teams and the New Orleans Saints. Ole Miss lost in overtime to LSU. Mississippi State again showed improvement in a loss to Georgia. Southern Miss lost again at Louisiana-Monroe. And the Saints dropped a division game to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Tyler Cleveland: “Every team I pull for loses.” So, is there a fix in sight?
So much to discuss and dissect this week: Vandy toppling Bama, Ole Miss righting the ship and preparing for LSU, a banner Sanderson Farms Championship that now has new life, and how injuries killed the Atlanta Braves and are ruining a promising Saints season. All that and more…
The Sanderson Farms Championship returns to Country Club of Jackson, and Randy Watkins, who played in the tournament and later was the executive director, returns to the Crooked Letter Podcast. We also discuss Ole Miss’s first loss and perhaps Mississippi State’s best showing of the football season.
Undefeated and fifth-ranked Ole Miss prepares for its SEC opener, as Mississippi State and Southern Miss suffer increasingly frustrating losses. Plus, the Saints crash back to earth and the Braves head into the biggest series of the season against those who loathe some Mets.
Jeff Duncan went from the Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson on Saturday to Jerry World in Dallas on Sunday where he watched and wrote about the Saints’ total dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys. We talk about both events and also about what happened in high school and college football last weekend and what’s coming up this weekend.
James Earl Jones, from Arkabutla, Mississippi, leaves behind a body of work in film and theater that will be remembered for decades, if not forever. He has been part of the sound track our lives, whether he was Darth Vader, Hamlet, Mussafa or Terence Mann in Field of Dreams. Of course, football is always part of the September discussion in Mississippi. Question: Are the Saints as good as they looked Sunday?
The Clevelands review the first big weekend of college football and look forward to the second weekend, headlined by the Mississippi State visit to Arizona State. Brandt, one of the AP’s two national Major League Baseball writers, covered the Sun Devils’ impressive opening victory over Wyoming.
Both the high school and college football seasons open this week with a huge slate of games, including the top-ranked Brandon Bulldogs playing at always powerful Picayune. The Clevelands also discuss the Mississippi college football openers.
The Clevelands take their annual crack at forecasting the coming Mississippi college football season. Also, where to the Braves go from here (without Austin Riley). Also, there’s a discussion of the New Orleans Saints and Gardner Minshew.
Mississippi’s private schools kick off this weekend, the public schools are right behind. Scorebook Live’s Tyler Cleveland has been busily preparing for the coming season and gives us some predictions about who will be the best teams and players in the Magnolia State this season.
Kevin Griffin, father of Konnor Griffin, joins the pod to discuss the behind-the-scenes story of how his 18-year-old son signed the the largest Major League Baseball signing bonus in Mississippi history.
This weekend, Eli Manning joins his daddy in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Manning joins the podcast to talk about his latest honor, fatherhood and a whole lot more.
Today’s discussion involves The Open Championship, the Atlanta Braves hospital ward, next week’s big Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame celebration and the Paris Olympics.
Rick and Tyler are brimming with pride after two Jackson Metro Area prospects went in the Top 12 picks of the Major League Baseball Draft, and the Cleveland boys make picks for this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Jay Powell was teammates with such Major League stars as Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones and Todd Helton, but he says Konnor Griffin of Jackson Prep is the best athlete he has ever been around. Griffin, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, will likely be one of the first names called in Sunday’s MLB Draft Draft. Griffin and his dad, who has also had an eventful spring and summer, join the Clevelands.
Rick ducks into an abandoned Boston Logan Airport terminal to tell us about the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Fulton’s own “Dot” Ford Burrow, and the boys recount a fun weekend on the coast at the annual Mississippi Press Association, where Rick picked up some hardware of his own. Plus, Tyler rants about stoplights on Hwy. 49 and newly minted Texas Longhorns baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle
A veteran of 15 years in the business of minor league baseball, Tennessee native Chris Harris is experiencing perhaps the most unusual year of his career. We talk Mississippi Braves baseball, Atlanta Braves baseball and the College World Series.
For three rounds and 15 holes of the fourth round, Rory McIlroy made every single short putt he stood over. Then, he didn’t. And when McIlroy faltered, Bryson DeChambeau came through with one of the greatest sand saves in U.S. Open history. The Clevelands also discuss the SEC-dominated College World Series, the trials and tribulations of the Atlanta Braves and the NBA Champion Boston Celtics.
The U.S. Open will be played at Pinehurst No. 2 this week. It’s a golf course with which Randy Watkins is extremely familiar. Watkins says it will be a test, even for Scottie Scheffler. Today’s discussion also covers the College World Series, the bidding war the L.A. Lakers lost to UConn, and Hurston Waldrep’s debut with the Atlanta Braves.
NCAA Super Regionals are this weekend but Mississippi will not be represented for the first time in a while. Both Mississippi State and Southern Miss lost out in the finals of their prospective regionals. The Clevelands discuss all that, plus venerable Coastal Carolina coach Gary Gilmore’s parting words to college baseball.
After one of the busiest baseball weekends of the year, Southern Miss first baseman Matthew Russo – one of the hottest players on one of the hottest teams in college baseball – joins the podcast to discuss the Golden Eagles’ Sun Belt Conference championship and upcoming NCAA Regional at Knoxville. There’s plenty more to discus, including Davis Riley’s PGA Tour victory.
The SEC Tournament is underway in Birmingham. The Sun Belt Tournament has begun in Montgomery. And, closer to home, the MHSAA State Tournament has begun at Trustmark in Pearl. The Cleveland boys have thoughts on all of it, but not before Tyler tells his dad, “See, I told you so.”
College baseball’s regular season is in its last week, which means baseball bracketology is a popular activity. State needs to finish strong to become a Regional host. Southern Miss probably has already punched its ticket as a 2- or 3-seed. Ole Miss, playing its best baseball presently, needs victories, period. Meanwhile, the State High School softball tournament is this week in Hattiesburg, and the state baseball tournament comes to Trustmark Park in Pearl next week.
We are into the second week of May, which means the college and high school baseball seasons have reached the point where every pitch matters. At present, Mississippi State is a likely 2-seed, Southern Miss is a 3-seed and Ole Miss is on the outside looking in. The Rebels, however, can change that this weekend in when No. 1 ranked Texas A&M comes to Oxford. Also, Tyler gives the lowdown on all the high school baseball playoff action.
It’s been a wild ride for Sarah Thomas since she first walked into a high school football officials’ meeting. The first woman to officiate a college football game, a college bowl game, an NFL game and a Super Bowl joins the show to talk about her career, the grind of working in pro football and the pressure of being a trailblazer.
Mississippi State baseball great Jay Powell won Game 7 of the World Series, among many other career highlights and then had his career ended by one of the most gruesome arm injuries in baseball history. Who better to talk about the alarming rate of pitching injuries in MLB and college baseball than Powell?
His Masters performance reinforces Scheffler’s role as golf's No. 1 guy, but watch out for Ludvig Aberg. Plus, Ole Miss baseball team shows that reports of its early demise were greatly exaggerated. And Kiffin shows what many of us have suspected all along: Spring football games are a waste of energy.
Former PGA Tour player and national junior champion Randy Watkins talks Masters favorites and joins in a discussion about the recent NCAA naitonal championship basketball games.
We’ve got two compelling Final Fours coming up this weekend and the women’s version might be the more interesting of the two. It certainly has more star power. There’s also plenty to talk about with college baseball, college baseball recruiting and a good week for Mississippians on the PGA Tour.
With both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments in full swing, it feels like the women are stealing the show. Caitlin Clark, Juju Watson and Mississippi’s own Madison Booker are quickly becoming household names nationwide. The Cleveland boys weigh in from Breckenridge, where it won’t stop snowing.
The Desoto County town of Lewisburg can lay claim to being the baseball capital of Mississippi. The defending state champion Lewisburg High Patriots, with a roster that includes 13 Division I baseball signees, currently rank No. 10 nationally and play a regional schedule of national powerhouses. Coach Rusty Cagle joins the podcast to discuss his team.
We’re at that time of the sports year when all sports seem to converge. In Mississippi, there are big doings in all three major sports.
Rick and Tyler recount the week that was at the MHSAA and MAIS state basketball championships and take a look ahead to the upcoming college baseball and basketball weekend
The MHSAA and MAIS State Tournaments are in the Jackson metro area this week and the Crooked Letter Cleveland boys are all over it. Every game is an emotion-packed passion play in which dreams are both realized and dashed. And that’s not all. This week’s discussion includes college basketball, college baseball, and the amazing story of Jackson Prep baseball phenom Konnor Griffin, who could be a multi-millionaire soon after he turns 18.
With their sneakers planted firmly on the NCAA Basketball Tournament bubble, the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs meet Wednesday night for Round 2 of Egg Bowl basketball. The game is always important, but this one really matters to each team’s post-season hopes. Also, the high school basketball championship tournament heats up and college baseball is officially underway.
Patrick Mahomes was the MVP and the cameras were often on Taylor Swift, but there was plenty of Magnolia State on display at the Super Bowl. Mississippi State alum Chris Jones dominated for the victorious Chiefs on the defensive line. Jackson State’s Sonic Boom made a surprise halftime appearance with Usher, and there was more. Also, all hail Patrick Williams, Pro Football Hall of Fame-bound.
It was a bad weekend to be a Mississippi college basketball fan, and it’s a bad week to be an NFL fan, if you hate Taylor Swift, as apparently many do.
The Clevelands recap the NFL conference championship games and look ahead to the Super Bowl, plus some college basketball thoughts. Father and son agree on two things: Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game, and all the fuss about Taylor Swift is comical.
Just-turned-20-year-old amateur Nick Dunlap shot 29 under par this past weekend to win the PGA Tour’s American Express Classic in the desert this past weekend and Jacksonian Wilson Furr had an up close and painful look at history being made. Randy Watkins joins us to discuss the achievement and also Furr’s medical issues in his first event as a PGA Tour pro.
The arctic temps in mid-Mississippi bring back some memories, plus a college basketball update, a look at the NFL playoffs, an homage to Nick “The GOAT” Saban, the college coaching merry-go-round, and Wilson Furr’s PGA Tour debut.
Most college football teams play an offensive style that pundits have started calling basketball on grass. They spread the field, go fast, and throw it constantly. But Michigan showed Monday that old school smash mouth football, on both sides of the ball, still can win games and championships. The Michigan offensive and defensive lines mauled Washington. The Clevelands also discuss the Saints winning – and losing – on the same day and a promising college basketball season in Mississippi.
Like most of America, we watched college football all day and all night on the first day of 2024. The takeaway: Washington quarterback Michael Penix stole the New Year’s Day show. Meanwhile, Ole Miss will be in the hunt in 2024.
For sports writers, sometimes the trips to cover the games are more interesting than the games themselves, especially for two sports writers named Cleveland with classic cases of attention deficit disorder.
The high school football season is in the history books, which means it’s time for the best, biggest, and fastest to decide where they are going to play college ball. The Cleveland boys discuss National Signing Day, as well as Saturday’s Ole Miss-Southern Miss basketball game at Biloxi, the New Orleans Saints’ playoff hopes (yes, they still have some), and a whole lot more.
We’re nearing Christmas and Ole Miss basketball is undefeated. Nevertheless, Mississippi State, with freshman sensation Josh Hubbard, is ranked higher despite two losses and Southern Miss is playing better with two straight victories. Meanwhile, Mississippi will be a decided underdog in the Mississippi-Alabama high school all-star game Saturday in Hattiesburg.
The Oak Grove Warrior defeated Starkville in an exciting Class 7A State Championship game to cap a huge weekend of high school football. Warrior coach Drew Causey, who hasn’t slept much since, joins to discuss the big game and his second state title. The Clevelands also discuss the college football playoffs, the Ole Miss-Penn State Peach Bowl matchup and a whole lot more.
This might be the most newsy week of the football season, so the Cleveland boys have plenty to cuss and discuss.
The Egg Bowl Thanksgiving night headlines a huge week of football that also includes Delta State going for its second win in the DII championship playoffs, Southern Miss hosting Troy, and the semifinal games of the State High School playoffs. And then comes the C Spire Conerly Trophy, which the Clevelands see as a two-person race.
Last Saturday night, Texas A & M slaughtered Mississippi State 51-10. On Sunday, Texas A & M announced it was firing head coach Jimbo Fisher, who the Aggies will have to pay $76 million not to coach. On Monday, Mississippi State fired Zach Arnett. The Clevelands discuss college football’s crazy season, the upcoming weekend games, and the high school playoffs.
Tenth-ranked Ole Miss plays at top-ranked Georgia on Saturday in the biggest game involving a Mississippi football team in years. The Cleveland boys take a look at the game from a historical standpoint and at the various matchups. When it comes right down to it, how do you pick against 42 and 1? Other topics include Southern Miss and Mississippi State football, as well as the Saints and the high school football playoffs.
The Mississippi high school football playoffs, which will wind up in Oxford later this month, are underway. The Clevelands talk about all the possibilities in play this year and who some of the favorites are. We also talk college football and the local Fox affiliates' decision to not show the New Orleans Saints. Hint: We did not like it.
Volleyball is on the rise in Mississippi, as witnessed by the state high school championships this past weekend. Ole Miss and State get big football victories and look for more. And both the World Series and the basketball season are upon us. And maybe, just maybe, Covid is behind us in the Cleveland family.
Jackson, Mississippi’s own Wilson Furr recently became one of the 30 newest members of the PGA Tour with his play over the last two months on the Korn Ferry Tour. Furr joins the podcast to discuss what it feels like when a life-long dream comes true. The Cleveland boys also discuss the college football season and pivotal matchups this Saturday for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
The Ole Miss Rebels are 5-1 at the midway point in the season, climbing as high as No. 13 in the national polls. With Rick on vacation, Tyler is joined by WJTV sports anchor Blake Levine to discuss the Rebels’ rise, the Saints’ latest win and the Atlanta Braves’ post-season prospects.
With the fall in full roar, it’s hard to touch on everything going on in the Mississippi sports world, but the Cleveland boys will try. Ole Miss picks up a huge win over LSU, the Sanderson Farms Championship returns to Jackson and Rick reflects on his late friend Willie Morris and his induction into the Southern Miss Alumni Hall of Fame.
It was a dark Saturday for Mississippi’s Big School football teams. Ole Miss, State, and Southern Miss all lost, but Todd Cooley’s Delta State Statesmen won again to move to 4-0, headed into the meat of their Gulf South Conference schedule. Patrick Shegog leads the way for the high-scoring Statesmen.
From a big night of high school football on Friday night, through the Saints victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, there was plenty to cuss and discuss on a huge football weekend. And guess what? The Saints are 2-0 for the first time in 10 years and the Ole Miss Rebels are 3-0 headed to Alabama.
David Eckert, the Clarion Ledger’s excellent Ole Miss beat reporter, and Rick Cleveland both attended the Ole Miss-Tulane game in New Orleans Saturday. Tyler C. watched on TV. The three discuss the Rebels’ closer-than-it-sounds 37-20 victory and what the future might hold for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels.
The Oak Grove Warriors last weel became the first Mississippi football team to ever knock off perennial Alabama powerhouse Hoover. Oak Grove coach Drew Causey joins the podcast to talk about the victory and his talented Warriors. Also, the Cleveland boys remember Jimmy Buffett, the Mississippian who parleyed his passion and his talent into billionaire status and made people smile all along the way.
The Cleveland boys watched their first high school football games of the season last week and head full throttle into college football this coming weekend. At first glance, Oak Grove and Picayune look like powerhouse teams, which is nothing new for either.
Best-selling author and Nautilus publisher Neil White joins the podcast to talk about the book he co-authored with Rick Cleveland. The book celebrates the most memorable players, teams, games in the rich football history of the best football state in the country.
Mike Justice coached in north Mississippi, central Mississippi and south Mississippi. He coached tiny schools and big schools. One constant: Wherever he went, wherever he coached, he won and won big. With the 2023 season fast approaching, the football coach-turned-champion golfer and bass fisherman joins the Clevelands to talk football.
A sure sign that the college football season is upon us: The USA Today Coaches poll is out. The question for today: How accurate will it be? Well, last year it wasn’t accurate at all. Seventeen teams that were in the 2022 preseason poll were not in the post-season poll. And many of the preseason picks went on to have losing seasons.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have set the odds on how many football games college and NFL teams will win this season. The Cleveland boys discuss whether the Mississippi teams and the New Orleans Saints will beat the odds.
This will be Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Weekend here in the Jackson area, and Class of 2023 inductee Paul Maholm joins us to help celebrate. Maholm, one of the most decorated pitchers in Mississippi State Diamond Dog history, was a three-year ace of the State staff and then won 77 games as a Major League pitcher for five different teams, including a memorable stint in 2012-13 with the Atlanta Braves.
If no news is good news, then all the news is good at SEC Football Media Days, where hundreds of media types gather to hear much ado about very little. The Clevelands discuss what’s going on this week in Nashville where SEC football coaches aren’t about to give away any top secrets. They could use a little Steve Spurrier to pump things up this week. Also, The Open (formerly known as the British Open) begins Thursday and Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are the favorites.
Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer and former Mississippi State and NFL football great Tyrone Keys was part of the same signing class as the late Johnie Cooks and they played together on some of State’s greatest defenses. Keys remembers his late friend and some of the greatest games in Bulldog history.
Yazoo City native Rod Walker, a Mississippi State-educated engineer, switched careers and became an award-winning sports writer, first at the Clarion Ledger and now at the New Orleans Times Picayune. His bank account’s loss was the sports world’s gain. Rod joins us to talk New Orleans and Mississippi sports
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame executive director Bill Blackwell joins us to talk about a huge month of July at the shrine, the Watermelon Classic, a big induction weekend, and since Bill his a baseball guy, the College World Series that was.
For the first time in recent memory, the Crooked Letter state doesn’t have a team in the College World Series. Rick, displaced to New Orleans by the recent power outages, and Tyler, in studio, discuss the Mississippi-less CWS, Mississippi State’s recent hire of a pitching coach in hopes of getting back to Omaha, the U.S. Open, and Scorebook Live Mississippi’s all-sports awards.
Mother Nature and Tennessee rained on the Southern Miss baseball parade that had seemed headed for Omaha and the College World Series. But anyone who was in Hattiesburg Monday night will not soon forget the sendoff 6,000 fans and Tennessee’s players and coaches gave retiring Golden Eagle coach Scott Berry.
When Hill Denson became the Southern Miss baseball coach, the USM program had never been to the post-season, had never charged for a ticket, didn’t have stadium lights and amenities such as luxury suites were a pipe dream. This weekend, Southern Miss will host Tennessee for a Super Regional at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.
Is there anything better than post-season baseball? The Clevelands have plenty to discuss with Southern Miss a No. 2 seed in the Auburn Regional, William Carey University threatening to win an NAIA national championship and the Mississippi High School State championship series taking place at Trustmark Park. There are so many story lines in Pearl, at Auburn and in Idaho where Carey coach Bobby Halford got his 1,300th victory Monday night.
The golf season is in full bloom, and Randy Watkins, Mississippi’s Mr. Golf, joins us to talk PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka, who won, and Michael Block, who stole the show (and has a Mississippi connection). We also discuss Wilson Furr, the Jackson native, who has played his way into the spotlight on the Korn Ferry Tour.
With Tyler softballing down in Hattiesburg this week, long-time Mississippi sports writer Billy Watkins joins Rick to discuss about 100 years combined of writing Magnolia State sports. Favorite players, favorite games, favorite interviews are just a few parts of a wide-ranging discussion.
Southern Miss currently holds the nation’s longest winning streak at 10 games and has moved into position to possibly host an NCAA Regional. Berry’s USM program has been a model of consistency since he took over for the legendary Corky Palmer.
The Cleveland boys review the NFL Draft, Mississippi State’s pitching coach change, Southern Miss’ chances to host, the red-hot Atlanta Braves and what Mississippi lost with the death of the great Ralph Boston.
What Mississippi and the world don’t need is another NFL mock draft. There have been hundreds upon hundreds in recent weeks. Instead, the Cleveland boys examine past New Orleans Saints drafts: the good, the bad and the downright ugly. They also look at what Mississippi guys are likely to go early, looking at you Emanuel Forbes and Jonathan Mingo.
Only in Mississippi would you find the last two college baseball national champions playing a regular season game that draws more than 16,000 in attendance for one game and more than 43,000 for a weekend series. The Clevelands discuss the weekend’s Egg Bowl baseball series at Starkville, USM’s weekend sweep of James Madison and more in college baseball. As a bonus, Tyler tells Rick about the football spring games, which Rick was all too happy to miss.
It was John Rahm’s wet and windy world at The Masters and nobody could keep up with him. In college baseball, Ole Miss and Mississippi State get ready for their annual three-game series that the Rebels haven’t won since 2015.
The college basketball season is in the books after another exciting Final Four, but the focus this week is on Augusta National and the 2023 Masters. The Cleveland boys break down the favorites, and Rick gives his perspective from years of playing the course and covering the tournament.
On an otherwise pleasant Mississippi Monday, Rick visited Amory and Tyler headed to Rolling Fork. Those two tornado ravaged towns, 159 miles apart, face a long recovery and rebuilding will include new baseball fields. In Amory, Rick visited Joe Burrow’s grandparents, who rode out the EF4 tornado in the storm cellar they built beneath their home of 60 years.
Rick’s gone golfing in the great Southwest and the Ole Miss women are dancing their way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Tyler’s joined by guest co-host and WJTV’s own Blake Levine, as they break down the Rebels’ stunning win over top-seeded Stanford, their Elite 8 matchup with Louisville and try to shake the early-season baseball blues. Plus, Blake explains how a Los Angeles native and Syracuse-educated broadcaster ends up in Mississippi.
The USGA and the Royal and Ancient, the two governing bodies of golf, want to change the golf ball and thus the game of golf. The modern ball goes too far – at least it does for elite golfers and the powers that be want to scale that back. If that happens, it will reduce the distance that pros and top amateurs can hit the ball. Randy Watkins, a former touring pro and a golf course owner, joins us to talk about what the changes might mean.
Thirty-six basketball games in six days. That’s the task facing Scorebook Live’s Tyler Cleveland this week at the MHSAA State Basketball championships at Mississippi Coliseum. The Clevelands discuss the basketball bonanza that reaches a crescendo with four championship games each on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There’s also plenty of college basketball and baseball to discuss.
The 2023 college baseball season is officially underway, college basketball’s hunt for the postseason is heating up and Rick and Tyler are here for it. Fresh off a three-hour Springsteen show, the Cleveland boys break down opening day weekend and the latest in Mississippi hoops.
Starkville natives A.J. Brown and Willie Gay both went off on football’s biggest stage, but it was Gay’s Chiefs that pulled out the 38-35 thriller. The Cleveland boys discuss the game, including the “controversial” call that helped decide the game.
Mississippi annually has a presence in the Super Bowl, but never before quite like this Super Bowl Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles play for the NFL Championship. Eight native-born Mississippians dot the rosters of the Chiefs and Eagles. That’s more than any other state including much more populous Texas, Georgia and Ohio, which tie for second with seven. Tony Woolfolk, Fletcher Cox’s high school coach, joins us to talk about how Yazoo City, a town of 10,000, produced two Super Bowlers in Cox and his Eagles teammate Kenny Gainwell, and why Mississippi continues to produce so many of football’s greatest players.
In his 48th year of coaching high school basketball, Indianola native Richard Duease has more state championships than he can count on his fingers and toes. Duease discusses why he became a coach, his coaching philosophy and how he almost went into college coaching way back in 1982.
Local golf magnate and friend of the pod Randy Watkins joins the Cleveland boys to talk about the NFL playoffs, the Mississippi Golf Association Hall of Fame and the sudden rise of Tupelo native Hayden Buckley in the PGA Tour.
The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott made short work of Tampa Bay and Tom Brady Monday night and made Brady look like an old man in the process. Will Brady hang up his spikes? The Cleveland boys discuss Brady’s future, the NFL playoffs (and Prescott’s excellence), college football coaching changes, with some high school and college basketball added in.
The Georgia Bulldogs steamrolled TCU in the College Football National Championship game with the help of a couple of players and coaches with Mississippi ties. The Cleveland boys discuss the game, its meaning in the larger scheme of college football and where the two-time defending champs go from here. Plus, Rick wraps up a rough week in which we lost three important sports figures.
So many entertaining bowl games over the weekend, but then came Monday Night Football and the devastating injury to Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. For the Clevelands, the injury brought back memories of Chucky Mullins and was a stark reminder of the inherent dangers in the sport of football. With that as an unsettling backdrop, the Ole Miss and Mississippi State bowl games, the college football playoffs and Tulane’s magnificent victory are all discussed.
The Cleveland boys put a bow on another incredible year of Mississippi Sports by counting down the top 10 Mississippi sports stories of 2022. From Frank Gore Jr. to Mike Leach to Deion Sanders, it was a wild one.
After going 1-17 in Conference USA last season, Southern Miss coach Jay Ladner overhauled his staff and his roster, and has the Golden Eagles off to an 11-1 start this season. Rick and Tyler catch up with coach Ladner, talk about his team and the pressure of coaching the program he grew up rooting for.
Mississippi State – and, really, the football world lost a legend when Mike Leach died overnight. The Clevelands discuss Leach, his authenticity and his legacy. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger joins the podcast again to join the discussion.
Deion Sanders has left the building, the Mississippi High School Football Championships are in the books and the holiday bowl schedule is set. The Cleveland boys recap the wild ride that was championship weekend and take a look at where Mississippi’s college teams are headed for bowl season.
It’s high school football championship in Mississippi. The Rock in Hattiesburg will be the site of six championship games, including Saturday night’s 6A showdown of Brandon against Starkville. Starkville head coach Chris Jones, the former Jackson State standout and state championship coach at Kemper County, talks about the state championship, as well as his alma mater in the SWAC Championship, and his former Starkville quarterback Luke Altmeyer entering the NCAA portal,
Blake Pennock was the offensive coordinator at Clinton when Cam Akers played there. He is now the head coach at Ocean Springs with Bray Hubbard as his quarterback. This Friday, Pennock, Hubbard and the Greyhounds take on Brandon for the South State 6A championship. Pennock discusses Akers, Hubbard and the task at hand. The Clevelands also talk Egg Bowl, Lane Kiffin’s future, Southern Miss bowl chances and much, much more.
The high school football playoffs are in full swing as we head into the second round for most of classifications. The Cleveland boys discuss this week’s biggest matchups, and toss around ideas on the 10 Conerly Trophy nominees. Plus, for some reason, they keep bringing up the Saints.
The Alabama-Ole Miss betting line opened with 7-2 Bama a 14-point pick over 8-1 Ole Miss at Oxford. The betting line moved to 12 points, meaning most bettors were putting their money on the Rebels. The lopsided point spread caught the Clevelands off guard. This week’s podcast includes that discussion, plus much, much more football talk on the college, professional and high school levels.
College Gameday went off without a hitch in Jackson, but the big news in the Magnolia State over the weekend was Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen leaving for Auburn. The Cleveland boys discuss that move, recap last week’s action and look at what lies ahead for Jackson State, Ole Miss and Delta State, which are now a combined 24-1.
Younger Jackson State fans won’t remember it but there was a time when the Jackson State Tigers dominated the SWAC every bit as much as Deion Sanders’ Tigers are dominating now. Lewis Tillman, a hard-running halfback from Halehurst, was a huge part of that era, breaking many of Walter Payton’s JSU records. Last week, Tillman was front and center as the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2023. This week, undefeated Jackson State plays Southern University as ESPN’s Game Day comes to town. Seemed a perfect time for Lewis Tillman to join the podcast.
Ole Miss is 7-0 going into its annual game with LSU for the first time in, well, a long, long time. Ole Miss-LSU is important any year but there’s much more than usual at stake for the Rebels this time. Ole Miss has gone from favorite to underdog since oddsmakers posted the opening line. The Clevelands discuss this year’s game as well as the storied history of the rivalry known as the Magnolia Bowl.
The Atlanta Braves are one of baseball’s biggest success stories and radio play-by-play announcer Ben Ingram is a huge success story in his own right. Ingram, a Madison Central and Mississippi College grad, is like many of the current Braves in that he trained for his current job at Trustmark in Pearl and at ballparks around the Southern League. Ingram talks about this remarkable Braves season and the current post-season.
The Sanderson Farms Championship is in the books, the Braves are on the rise and the Saints are sinking, but the Magnolia State’s “Big Four” college football teams are all on the rise. The Cleveland boys touch on all of it, and discuss Deion Sanders’ future at Jackson State in a grab-bag conversation about Mississippi sports.
The Sanderson Farms Championship will be played this week at the Country Club of Jackson, and who better to discuss the field and the tournament than Randy Watkins, who once finished fifth in the tournament and then helped save it when it was being played at Annandale and was sponsorless. Sam Burns is the clear favorite but there are several Mississippians in the field who could win it. We also discuss big football games at Oxford and Starkville.
The Sanderson Farms Championship will be played this week at the Country Club of Jackson, and who better to discuss the field and the tournament than Randy Watkins, who once finished fifth in the tournament and then helped save it when it was being played at Annandale and was sponsorless. Sam Burns is the clear favorite but there are several Mississippians in the field who could win it. We also discuss big football games at Oxford and Starkville.
Undefeated Jackson State made short work of Grambling at The Vet, and Shedeur Sanders made a believer out of the elder Cleveland. The kid can play. The Cleveland boys also discuss Title IX and football at all levels – from high schools to the NFL with a lot of college football in between.
Undefeated Jackson State made short work of Grambling at The Vet, and Shedeur Sanders made a believer out of the elder Cleveland. The kid can play. The Cleveland boys also discuss Title IX and football at all levels – from high schools to the NFL with a lot of college football in between.
On a Saturday full of upsets, Sun Belt teams took down two Top-10 teams and took home a boat-load of cash in the process. Is this a new trend, or an anomaly? Also, the Cleveland boys talk about big games upcoming this weekend, whether or not the Braves should make a change at closer and the Saints’ come-from-behind win over the Falcons.
On a Saturday full of upsets, Sun Belt teams took down two Top-10 teams and took home a boat-load of cash in the process. Is this a new trend, or an anomaly? Also, the Cleveland boys talk about big games upcoming this weekend, whether or not the Braves should make a change at closer and the Saints’ come-from-behind win over the Falcons.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have the over and under on Saints wins at 8.5. Deuce, a former Saints Pro Bowler and current radio analyst, believes eight or nine victoires is the floor for the Saints and that the ceiling is much, much higher, despite a difficult late-season schedule. Deuce says a fast start is essential for these Saints.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have the over and under on Saints wins at 8.5. Deuce, a former Saints Pro Bowler and current radio analyst, believes eight or nine victoires is the floor for the Saints and that the ceiling is much, much higher, despite a difficult late-season schedule. Deuce says a fast start is essential for these Saints.
Ralph spent five years at the turn of the century as Mississippi’s AP sports writer, so he knows the lay of the land. He covered the Eli Manning years at Ole Miss and the hiring of Sylvester Croom at State. And he likes Mississippi State’s chances to surprise this season.
As if Robbie Faulk doesn’t have enough to do as sports editor of the Starkville Daily News and Mississippi State beat writer for 247 Sports, he is also the Mississippi voter in the weekly Associated Press college football reporter. As we learn, that AP poll takes a lot of time if you’re going to do it right.
The Clevelands discuss the upcoming college football season, specifically the over-and under on victories for each of the Mississippi schools. Oddsmakers have set the over-under on victories for Ole Miss (7.5), Missi:sippi State (6.5) and Southern Miss (5). Also, Ole Miss ranks No. 21 in the first AP poll. That’s the good news. The bad is that the Rebels are sixth among SEC teams. Also, we celebrate the life of Corky Palmer, the legendary Southern Miss baseball coach.
With high school football season about two weeks away, Tyler takes questions from Rick about the upcoming season. Who’s hot? Who’s not? And which players could contend for Player of the Year in Mississippi?
The MHSAA, the governing body of Mississippi public schools athletics, begins its 100th year of operations with the coming school year. Rickey Neaves, the executive director, joins the podcast to talk about where the MHSAA has been and where it is headed.
Tyler’s ready to move West after visiting the Pacific Northwest over the weekend, while Rick’s actually working. This week, he breaks down the 2022 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class, which includes household names like Eric Moulds and David Dellucci. Plus, can the Braves pull off the same trade-deadline magic the Cleveland boys spoke into existence last season.
Tyler’s ready to move West after visiting the Pacific Northwest over the weekend, while Rick’s actually working. This week, he breaks down the 2022 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class, which includes household names like Eric Moulds and David Dellucci. Plus, can the Braves pull off the same trade-deadline magic the Cleveland boys spoke into existence last season.
Continuing the conversation from last week, the Clevelands welcome old friend Tim Floyd to the pod to talk about all the issues facing college sports. Turns out, there are so many issues the one podcast turned into two. Floyd is outspoken on where college sports is headed with NIL and transfer issues. To be succinct, he doesn’t like where it’s headed and is glad he is retired.
The Clevelands welcome old friend Tim Floyd to the pod to talk about all the issues facing college sports. Turns out, there are so many issues the one podcast turned into two. Floyd is outspoken on where college sports is headed with NIL and transfer issues. To be succinct, he doesn’t like where it’s headed and is glad he is retired.
Finally back from Omaha and still recovering from a big 4th of July weekend, Rick and Tyler discuss what makes the Atlanta Braves Mississippi’s pro baseball team and talk about what makes this year’s team so good. Plus, Arch Manning signs with Texas and big money pushes USC and UCLA to the Big 10.
From Omaha, the Clevelands recount the Rebels’ amazing run to the national baseball championship. As Mississippi State did in maroon last year, Ole Miss fans painted Omaha red and blue as the Rebels finished an amazing run to the national championship. Tyler watched from the stands. Rick was in the press box working. They recount the scene and the Ole Miss heroics.
Coral Gables, Hattiesburg, Omaha.
The site seems to make no difference to the red-hot Ole Miss Rebels, who have now won seven NCAA Tournament games, mostly by lopsided scores. The Clevelands caught up with Mike Bianco, Tim Elko and Hunter Elliot to talk about the Rebels’ latest and most important conquest, the Monday night victory over Arkansas, which kept Ole Miss in the winners’ bracket and sent the Razorbacks to the losers’ bracket. Ole Miss is now three victories away from a national championship.
The only thing hotter than the temperature in Hades-burg was the Ole Miss bats and arms. Now the Rebels are headed to Nebraska for the College World Series. On this week’s pod, Rick and Tyler break down last week’s Super Regional and take a look ahead at what awaits the eight teams that have punched their ticket to Omaha.
The MHSAA baseball championships are in the books, now the attention turns to the NCAA Baseball Tournament, where Ole Miss and Southern Miss are both vying for that elusive trip to Omaha. Plus, the Cleveland boys discuss the proposed new SEC football schedule formats under discussion at this week’s summer meetings in Destin.
The MHSAA baseball championships are in the books, now the attention turns to the NCAA Baseball Tournament, where Ole Miss and Southern Miss are both vying for that elusive trip to Omaha. Plus, the Cleveland boys discuss the proposed new SEC football schedule formats under discussion at this week’s summer meetings in Destin.
You didn’t think the Cleveland boys were going to let the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher Wrestling Live on Channel Five-type war of words pass without comment, did you? Plus, a huge week of baseball tournaments will be challenged by seasonable Mississippi weather this week.
Northwest Rankin baseball coach KK Aldridge joins the Cleveland boys to talk about the MHSAA State Tournament in which his Cougars will face off with Desoto Central in a Class 6A showdown next week at Trustmark Park. The Clevelands also discuss college baseball and Ole Miss’s late-season surge.
Tyler tells the story of falling in love with baseball all over again at Pisgah High and breaks down the MHSAA playoffs ahead of this weekend’s North and South State Championships. Rick updates us all on the state of Mississippi college baseball headed into a crucial week for all of Mississippi’s big three schools.
Bobby Cleveland – Rick’s brother and Tyler’s uncle – leaves an amazing journalistic legacy, plus legions of fans and friends. Rick and Tyler discuss what made Bobby such an unforgettable character, using clips from a Christmas podcast in 2021.
As the college baseball regular season enters its final month, it’s time to play buy and sell. As in, do you buy or sell No. 4 Southern Miss as a national seed in the NCAA Tournament? Does defending national champ Mississippi State make the NCAA field? Does Ole Miss, once No. 1, make the SEC Tournament. Does Mike Bianco return to coach next year? The Clevelands answer – or guess.
As Mississippi fights a shortage of officials across all sports, incidents involving confrontations between fans, coaches and referees and umpires are becoming more and more common. The Cleveland boys chat with MHSAA and SWAC head of officials, Robert Holloway about how Mississippians can fix both problems.
Southern Miss, ranked as high as No. 11 in the nation in college baseball polls, is led by a pitching staff that ranks in the top three in virtually every major statistical category, including third in earned run average and second in strikeouts/walks ratio, Associate head coach and pitching coach Christopher (Oz) Ostrander, the wizard behind the numbers, joins the podcast.
This is it: The absolute best time of the sports year. The Final Four, The Masters, Major League Baseball season, college baseball conference races heating up. And spring is blooming everywhere in Mississippi. We talk about it all and are joined by Prime Shrimp’s Davis McCool to talk about what all is going on in New Orleans these days, which is a lot.
So much going on in the sports world, including on the golf course, where Chad Ramey of Fulton became the first native born Mississippian to win on the PGA Tour in 52 years. This week, we’ve got both the men’s and women’s Final Fours and so much high level college baseball. The CLeveland boys talk about it all in this episode.
From Deshaun Watson to Freddie Freeman and from Chris Jans to Mo Williams, there are new faces in new places in this crazy month of free agency and coaching carousels. The Cleveland boys talk about how Mississippi State and Jackson State made out in the hiring process, what to expect from the new coaches and what this upcoming season could look like for Braves and Saints fans.
This past weekend, the Mississippi Golf Association celebrated its sport with the annual Mississippi Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at Country Club of Jackson. Jim Gallagher, Jr. and Randy Watkins, two of the inductee join the Crooked Letter sports podcast to talk about Mississippi’s golf boom, their careers and fellow inductees Ben Nelson and Lou Weddington-Hart.
The MHSAA Basketball Tournament wrapped up Saturday in the most dramatic sense possible, with the Clinton boys overcoming a huge deficit late to beat Olive Branch in the 6A Championship. Clinton coach Leonard Taylor joins the Cleveland boys to talk about the win. Plus, Rick and Tyler discuss the college baseball landscape in the Magnolia State.
Basketballs are bouncing in Tyler Cleveland’s dreams this week with the State MHSAA Tournament going on at Mississippi Coliseum. There are eight semi-final games a day going on Monday through Wednesday in the six classifications before the championship round begins on Thursday in the Mississippi brand of Hoosiers. Also defending national champion Mississippi State comes toTrustmark Park Wednesday night to face Southern Miss, and the Cleveland boys discuss the matchup.
The boys welcome family friend, Mississippi native and Sports Illustrated national college football writer Ross Dellinger to the pod to discuss the ever-changing landscape of the NCAA, conference realignment and every coach from Billy Napier to Deion Sanders. Plus, Ross breaks down the differences between Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach, and explains why they aren’t so different after all.
he Super Bowl followed suit with an amazing string of down-to-the-wire NFL playoff games, giving pro football fans one final treat. Mississippians Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, Jr. helped the Los Angeles Rams outlast the Cincinnati Bengals. Even the halftime show gets the Cleveland stamp of approval. The Clevelands also talk about the opening of the college baseball season, the high school basketball playoffs and more.
Prime Shrimp, a New Orleans company, joins as the podcast’s sponsor on a busy week in Mississippi sports. The Cleveland boys discuss the upcoming Super Bowl, Joe Burrow’s Magnolia State roots, a new head coach for the New Orleans Saints, Arch Manning, a busy time in Mississippi high school sports. Oxford native Davis McCool joins to talk about Prime Shrimp (and Ole Miss baseball).
The Cleveland boys discuss the departure of Saints coach Sean Payton, his legacy as a coach and what’s next for the franchise. Plus, NFC and AFC Championship talk — including Joe Burrow’s ties to Amory, Miss — and Ole Miss scores big in the transfer portal.
Rick Cleveland began writing for his hometown newspaper at the age of 13. Now, he is in his 57th year of covering Mississippi sports. On this episode, Tyler Cleveland asks his dad about some of the greatest athletes, greatest coaches, most memorable games and a lot more about a nearly six-decade career of writing about the games Mississippians play.
Mickey Spagnola, veteran NFL writer and former Jackson Daily News sports writer, joins the Cleveland boys to discuss the Dallas Cowboys and their devastating Sunday defeat in the NFL playoffs. Spagnola, who has covered America’s Team for 38 years, talks extensively about Dak Prescott, how the Cowboys lost, and about a series of Dallas playoff debacles over the last few years.
It was like a who’s who of Mississippi football personalities in Monday night’s National Championship, where Georgia finally got over the hump against Bama. Plus, Tyler gripes about the Saints’ playoff woes and Rick gives us his big takeaway from Ole Miss’ win over Mississippi State on the hardwood.
The Cleveland boys catch up from the Holiday break with thoughts on Ole Miss and Mississippi State’s losses in their bowl games, bid farewell to several notable players who have opted for the draft and look ahead at the future of both programs. Rick and Tyler also give predictions for the national championship.
Rick and Tyler welcome Rick’s brother and Tyler’s uncle, Bobby Cleveland, for a special holiday edition of Crooked Letter. For years, Bobby Cleveland produced an award winning Sunday sports section for The Clarion Ledger and also won awards for his unique writing about hunting and fishing in Mississippi.
The Saints, surprise shutout winners on the road against the Tampa Bay Bucs and Tom Brady leadoff today’s podcast. The Cleveland boys also discuss South Carolina State’s destruction of Jackson State in the Celebration Bowl, and look ahead to Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl,Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl and the college football championship playoffs.
What this world does not need are any more obscure college football bowls. We’ve already got Tony the Tiger, the Cheezit, and two bowls scheduled for Frisco, Texas.
The Cleveland boys also discuss recruiting, the Mississippi-Alabama all-star game and the Celebration Bowl.
Rick and Tyler recount their weekend trip to Hattiesburg for the MHSAA Championships and welcome Madison Central’s state champion coach Toby Collums to the studio. Plus, Jackson State is the SWAC Champion and the Rebels and Bulldogs are going bowling.
The Cleveland boys discuss the high school state championship matchups, the SWAC Championship matchup, the Egg Bowl that was, the C Spire Conerly Trophy and the silly season of so many coaching changes in college football.
Brandon High School coach and former Mississippi State receiver Sam Williams joins the Cleveland boys to talk about his Bulldogs’ bruising run in the MHSAA Playoffs and what it’s like to prepare to play in an Egg Bowl.
Yes, we need to protect the quarterbacks, but this is getting ridiculous, isn’t it? In a busy podcast, we discuss the roughing (or bumping) the passer call against the Saints, huge victories for Mississippi State and Ole Miss, a near-miss from Southern Miss, the Alcorn-Jackson State showdown, and the high school football playoffs.
Baseball is over (except for Atlanta Braves fans still celebrating), but high school football playoffs, college football’s crunch time, the yo-yo New Orleans Saints all have our attention. What’s more, the college basketball regular season tips off in the Magnolia State this week. There’s something for everyone, including ESPN GameDay coming to Oxford, Jackson State at 8-1 and Ole Miss, State and Southern Miss all facing Top 20 foes.
Rick and Tyler discuss all the latest developments in Mississippi’s high school and college football scene, as well as the Braves in the MLB World Series and the New Orleans Saints’ huge win over Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Rick and Tyler welcome Southern Miss Athletic Director Jeremy McClain to the pod to explain the jump to the Sun Belt Conference and what it means for Golden Eagle athletics.
Deuce McAllister, one of the busiest guys around, joins the Cleveland boys to discuss the football weekend that was and what is coming up this weekend.
The Cleveland boys discuss a huge college football Saturday, the yoyo Saints and the Greenwood Christian dilemma.
Recalling the true story of a football play that went the wrong way and then went viral before viral was a thing. This was 1988. David Lee Herbert, the coach at tiny Tishomingo High School in northeast Mississippi Hill Country, called a play that gained international renown. Here’s the rest of the story.
Golf professional and Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Randy Watkins joins the Cleveland boys to discuss the Ryder Cup and the Sanderson Farms Invitational, which is played this week at the Country Club. As it happens, all-time Ryder Cup match winner Sergio Garcia will defend his title, coming off the American’s record-setting victory over the Europeans at Whistling Straits. Watkins, an Ole Miss man, also has an opinion on Saturday’s Ole Miss-Alabama football showdown. You know the Cleveland boys do, too.
Rick Cleveland was present for Greenville Christian’s thrilling 48-41 victory over powerhouse Oak Grove and says it was no fluke. Plus, the Cleveland boys discuss the weekend in Mississippi college football – the Ole Miss run-away and the Mississippi State take-away – and what’s coming up next.
The college football season enters its third week with some really interesting non-conference, regional matchups, including Mississippi State-Memphis, Ole Miss-Tulane, Troy-Southern Miss and Jackson State-Louisiana Monroes. Plus, we take a look at the super-surprising New Orleans Saints and intriguing Oak Grove-Greenwood Christian high school matchup.
The 2021 season is off and running. Rick and Tyler discuss the opening weekend of college football and highlight some of the surprise teams making moves at the high school level. Plus two great teams scheduled a surprise high school game that has everyone excited.
Greenville Chrisitan coach Jon Reed McLendon talks about his team’s amazing story and the Cleveland boys discuss the prospects of the state’s college football teams.
The New Orleans Saints have played two preseason games, and it is becoming clear that Jameis Winston is the heir apparent to Drew Brees. Meanwhile, nothing seems really clear about Mississippi high school football, which would be having its first full Friday night slate of games this week if it weren’t for Covid.
Clinton football coach and friend of the show Judd Boswell stops by to share his insights into the 2021 high school season and what it’s like to head into another uncertain season.
After a 2020 Mississippi football season of mostly empty stadiums, schedule changes, postponements, cancellations and more, it looked as if we might have a more normal 2021. The delta variant has changed that and we may be in for a wild ride.
Fourteen athletes with Mississippi ties are competing in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and a couple of them have garnered headlines for very different reasons. Rick and Tyler share their thoughts, favorite memories from past Olympics and discuss the role Mississippians have played in the games over the years.
Oklahoma and Texas are headed to the SEC and college football, as we know it, faces a huge landscape change over the next few years. How does this affect Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss? What happens to the old Big 12, which was actually numbered 10 and is not only eight? What other changes are in store.
Because of Covid, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting two classes – the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 – the weekend of July 31 and August 1. Eleven new inductees, including some of the greatest athletes and coaches in Mississippi history will be inducted. Bill Blackwell, the Hall of Fame’s executive director, joins to discuss the plans.
Will Hall, at 41, is the new head football coach at Southern Miss and will lean heavily on the school’s storied tradition, which he loves to talk about. Hall, who addresses the Mississippi Association of Coaches this week in Jackson, talks about his recruiting successes, his love of Mississippi football tradition and his belief that better things are ahead for Golden Eagle football.
Local golf magnate and Cleveland family friend Randy Watkins talks about how the Mississippi golf business exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of golf in the Magnolia State.
It took 129 years of playing college baseball and 12 trips to the College World Series, but Mississippi State’s Bulldogs are national champions. Tyler Cleveland interviews his pops, Rick Cleveland, on State’s incredible run to a national title and what it means to the most passionate fan base in America.
Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Randy Watkins remembers winning the national junior golf championship as a 15-year-old and how that launched him to Ole Miss, an SEC Championship, the PGA Tour and a Hall of Fame career in golf.
Jackson native Janet Marie Smith, a Mississippi State-educated architect, designed Camden Yards in Baltimore, renovated Fenway Park in Boston, and most recently has renovated Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Her hardhat is in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, and she may be, too, some day.
We’ll catch up with former MSU Bulldog, reigning SEC hits king and the pride of the Binghampton Rumble Ponies, Jake Mangum, about his transition to AA ball and get his take on what makes Mississippi baseball so much fun.
Listen to this teaser episode of the Crooked Letter Sports podcast. Join Mississippi-centric sports talk and stories with Hall of Fame columnist Rick Cleveland and Scorebook Live senior reporter Tyler Cleveland as they discuss sports in the state of Mississippi.