Shame on Hugh Kellenberger and the Clarion Ledger

This is an open letter to Hugh Kellenberger and the Clarion Ledger, the State of Mississippi’s largest circulated paper:

Shame on you. Shame on you for criticizing a man for a perfectly reasonable response to a question presented at the 2015 SEC Media Days. We all know that SEC Media Days is where all sorts of shenanigans happen between media and those of the football staff. Questions ranging from gameplaning for the season to wardrobe choices.

Even with that, however, there’s a sort of expectation that you don’t bring in politics to a sports discussion. Sure, if you want to ask the coach that question during one of the little press briefings, go ahead. But asking the coach about a political topic during the great media spectacle that is SEC Media Days is just uncouth.

That brings us to today’s article by your sports columnist, and former Ole Miss beat writer, Hugh Kellenberger. Now I use the term “article” very loosely here, as it more seemed like an opinion piece than a sports piece. Make no mistake, what Kellenberger did today is a joke of journalism, and puts a mark on the Clarion Ledger’s reputation as the state’s flagship newspaper.

First you have Mississippi State beat writer Michael Bonner ask Dan Mullen of his opinion about the Mississippi flag since the NCAA only limits pre-determined postseason locations from not being in Mississippi because of the current design of the flag. Mullen responded to the question in a way that many of the national media praised.

"That’s a lot for people in Jackson and for the people in Mississippi. I know — I don’t see it very often. We don’t have it on our campus up. I do know we’re the most diverse campus in the Southeastern Conference. I know the university embraces that diversity as a whole. I certainly embrace that diversity. We’re so diverse, they have a Yankee as the head football coach in the Southeastern Conference.I think it’s something that on a national level is getting an awful lot of attention right now, that people are really looking into how we can make things better in the state of Mississippi. And I hope as a university we’re out on the forefront trying to help make things better with the type of school that we have and the diversity we have in our school."

That sounds like a good response, right? According to Hugh Kellenberger, however, it is “meandering and weak, and Mullen never actually answered the question: What is your opinion on the current state flag?” I’m sorry, but Dan Mullen is the Head Coach of the Mississippi State University Football program, not a politician. We get it, you weren’t satisfied with his answer because he simply repeated the answer that was given in the press release weeks before.

So shame on you Clarion Ledger and Hugh Kellenberger. You weren’t satisfied with the answer you were provided, so you decided to sling mud at Dan Mullen’s reputation, and in turn alienate a base of your subscribers. My question to you is simple: If Hugh Freeze responds similarly on Thursday, will you write a scathing article like you did with Mullen, or will you say that it was a perfect response to the issue at hand?

I guess we will have to find out on Thursday, won’t we, Hugh.

Sincerely,

Maroon and White Nation