Nick's At Night

01/01/2024

Happy New Year.

10/06/2023

One of the first signs I made in the city of Hattiesburg was a quick, sloppy one for Nick that said, "We Support Tyndall" Hey, Donnie Tyndall had a hell of a run at USM... one game away from a NIT Final Four at Madison Square Garden.

09/02/2023

Pt 2: Nick Kolinsky saw the transition from Mississippi Southern College to the University of Southern Mississippi. He realized how much, and how little things had changed. He used his humour and restless work effort to push through all the obstacles and political barriers that continue to hold his chosen city down. Some didn't like that. Some admired him for that. He also knew the tricks of the trade. When I first told him, "I know how to play possum!" His demeanor changed, and his immediate response was, "I can remember coming down here to play football, and blacks couldn't do anything." He got it. I get it. But every new season there is a celebration along their 'Walk of Fame' and above it all us a banner that lists the Championship Seasons. Nick, a member of the MM Roberts Hall of Fame and member of the team of the Century at the University of Southern Mississippi was an integral part of one of those three listed years, and yet, has no such banner or commemeration...and I get that too. There is also a tradition of renewal that involves repainting everything yellow in the 'Hall of Champions.' I think this year they pressure washed the concrete and repainted it yellow. Perhaps that's fitting. But they sold over 11,000 seasons for the first time in a decade at the University of Southern Mississippi, so, yeah, Congratulations.

09/02/2023

It's game day at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Library is still named after the Dean that sent Clyde Kennard to Parchment Prison over 10 dollars of stolen chicken feed (a statement recanted by the key witness decades later) It was sure coincidence that Clyde Kennard was arrested minutes after leaving the Dean's office after his final attempt to gain admission to Mississippi Southern College. Clyde Kennard died just weeks after his release of cancer. He was refused a compassionate release by the Governor of the state of Mississippi. But at least USM President Rodney Bennett put up a historical marker and nice display inside the half-named hall on campus, Kennard Washington Hall. (The current mayor put up a small brown highway marker sign weeks before an election.) In their 'Walk of Champions' a banner is still there that lists the 'Championship' football years...I think there's three. I'm not going to bother to look that up...I've literally and figuratively moved on from the city of Hattiesburg. I'll simply type from bad memories and mention the fact that a man who is in the MM Roberts Hall of Fame, was on the team of the Century at the University of Southern Mississippi, and ran multiple, successful businesses as a member of the Hattiesburg Community over his lifetime with his wife, Carol Kolinsky, never received a mention by the Athletic Department or University of Southern Mississippi football program the year he passed away, or any season beyond. I asked Carol before she passed away too, and she shrugged it off as not really being that important. Maybe it's not. A couple drives down from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and leaves an indelible mark on the community probably deserves no respect or commemoration. They were ALWAYS outsiders. I discussed that too with Carol Kolinsky. I get it. Nick Kolinsky was there the year the University underwent the transition from Mississippi Southern College to the University of Southern Mississippi.

08/07/2023

Before it Burned...twice.

07/27/2023

07/26/2023