You see this Princewill Umanmielen thing, Ole Miss to LSU in the portal, and I just think about the 1993 Iron Bowl. Back then, a player transferring within the division was unheard of. You wore that jersey with pride, you bled for that school, and you sure as heck did not follow Lane Kiffin across the state line because he waved a bag of NIL cash at you. Coach Stallings would have looked a man in the eye and asked him if he had any honor left. Now it is just a business transaction.
And Archie Manning having to step in and defend Ole Miss from Kiffin and Sarkisian? That tells you everything you need to know about where this sport has gone. Back in the 80s, you settled things on the field, not through a press conference or a podcast. You did not have coaches taking shots at each other's programs to get an edge in recruiting. You lined up, you hit each other in the mouth, and you shook hands after the game. Now it is all about who can throw the most money around and who can get the last word on social media.
The SEC used to be about blood feuds and respect. The Third Saturday in October, the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, the Iron Bowl. Those games meant something because the players in them had been through the fire together and against each other for years. Now you got guys jumping from Ole Miss to LSU and nobody even blinks. It is a circus and I am tired of watching it.