OXFORD, Miss. – CBS journalist Harry Smith got a taste of Oxford and
Southern hospitality on Friday morning during a live broadcast of “The
Early Show” from the University of Mississippi Student Union.
Ole Miss alumni and fans set up a “mock tailgate” for the show’s final
segment, which aired from the Student Union Plaza. The tailgate display
was set up in typical Grove style – tent and all the trappings – and
included food items ranging from garlic cheese grits to barbecue to
bread pudding.
“We’re here at the center of the universe for tailgating,” Smith said at the beginning of the segment. Around 200 people crowded around to watch the broadcast and give “Early Show” viewers a feel for what football Saturdays are like on campus. Smith even led the crowd in a Hotty Toddy cheer, getting them started with the familiar “Are you ready?”
Dan Murff, a UM alumnus from Oxford, made a pot of chicken and andouille gumbo, as well as a pot of chicken etouffee for Smith to try on the air. An avid tailgater, Murff often entertains guests in his tent by “cooking up something hot.” “I think I’ve got the best gumbo in the world,” Murff said. Smith’s reaction suggests that he agrees.
“(He) asked for a bowl of my gumbo to be out before the show, and he had a bowl after the show,” Murff said. “He had a bowl of etouffee, too. I didn’t have any left.”
Pulled pork and ribs were provided by Kin Kinney. “We enjoy tailgating and we have a good time doing it,” he said. “The crew enjoyed the food – or else, it seemed like it. They all hung around after the show and visited with us.”
Bob Rosson made a pizza dip and his daughter, Sally Kate Walker, made cornbread salad.
“After the spot was over, (Smith) and the rest of the crew stayed around, and they ate their fair share,” Walker said.
Murff hopes the segment gives the nation a positive view of the Grove and the university as a whole. “The Grove is something that our alumni are proud of – the camaraderie, heritage and Southern hospitality,” he said.
“I wanted to give a glimpse into something that we all love,” Walker said. “Nobody else understands the extent of the effort we put into our tailgating.”
“The crew seemed to be impressed by the hospitality of our group and our university,” Kinney said.
The segment capped off a morning of segments that aired live from the Student Union, which was packed from 5:30 a.m. with hundreds of Ole Miss students and Oxford residents who came out to participate in the broadcast.