Ole Miss doesn’t want chant to rise again

Mississippi fans already have plenty to worry about, given their football team’s 1-2 record in the SEC conference this season.

And then, there’s the matter of the Ole Miss’ controversial fight song, “From Dixie With Love.”

For years now, fans have broken into the chant of “the South will rise again” during the song, which the Ole Miss band performs before and after games.

However, after Dr. Dan Jones was installed as Ole Miss’ chancellor last summer.

He told the school’s band director to modify the song after hearing complaints from alumni because they felt the slogan was too offensive and recalled the school’s past.

In 1962, James Meredith was admitted as Mississippi’s first black student and it led to riots on campus and federal troops were sent in.

“The phrase ‘the South will rise again’ is not part of our tradition or spirit, and it is inconsistent with the university’s values and what Ole Miss stands for -- a great university with a focus on the future,” Jones told the Associated Press.

The modified song, which ends before the chanting is supposed to begin, was first played during an Ole Miss’ loss to Alabama, 22-3, this month.

Problem is, some fans chanted, “the South will rise again” anyway.

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Trivia time

What made Wednesday night’s Game 5 of the National League Championship Series historically unique?

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Underwear from where?

Under the heading “You Can Buy Anything on EBay,” file this: Sports memorabilia peddler Phil Castinetti of SportsWorld has three pairs of Boston Red Sox “game-used” underwear for sale.

Yes, for the right price, you can be the proud owner of underpants worn by Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez or Hideki Okajima.

“We did great with what we had last year,” Castinetti told the Boston Herald. “We got between $200-$300 for A-Rod’s underwear, although we had some problems with Josh Beckett and we had to take his off EBay.”

How can the buyer be sure these really are Red Sox underwear and, ahem, game-used?

“They are so used, I’d rather not be handling them, to be honest with you,” Castinetti said with a laugh.

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Couldn’t bear to watch

A bronze statue of Knute Rockne, depicting the legendary Fighting Irish football coach with his hands on hips, was unveiled at Notre Dame this month.

“Good thing the sculpture wasn’t unveiled last October, after ND’s 3-9 season,” wrote Dan Daly of the Washington Times. “Rockne’s hands might have been over his eyes.”

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Trivia answer

It marked the first time in baseball postseason history that both teams hit home runs in each of the first two innings.

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And finally

Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, on the news that Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt are separating: “Typical Dodgers fan marriage: Get up and leave before it’s over.”

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