Well, folks, these are strange times we’re living in. But you don’t need me to tell you that. The COVID-19 outbreak has many of us confined to our homes, and those who don’t need to leave their houses shouldn’t.

So, what do we do to fill the time between now and when things (especially sports) presumably go back to as “normal” as possible? The SDS Mailbag is here to help!

Without further ado, here’s a look at your questions for this week’s edition of the Mailbag:

Robert:

What would you have missed most if your senior year of college had basically been cut off in mid-March?

I really feel for this year’s senior class. Yes, there are other, more important concerns facing society, but the second semester of senior year at Mizzou was one of the best times in my life.

My class load finally lightened up, the basketball team was good and I was living with some fantastic roommates in a great off-campus apartment. Plus, there were $1 quadruple-well drinks on Thursdays at a now-closed bar in Columbia.

I wouldn’t trade that time in my life for anything, so I feel really bad for those who now might not even get to go through a traditional graduation ceremony. The thing I would have missed most is all the connections I made, growing closer with friends who I still talk to on a daily basis and experiencing the collective “Mizzou” atmosphere. There are still times I wish I could go back for a week, even though my life has continued to go well since graduation.

Senior year is a special time for many people, but for now, it’s important that we get through this coronavirus outbreak so we can get back to having formative, collective social experiences, which very much includes college sports.

Rachel:

What’s your favorite cold open from “The Office?”

Oh man, there are so many good opening scenes. It’s really hard to pick. From Kevin’s chili disaster to fake Jim fooling Dwight to Dwight pretending to have Michael’s baby to nobody realizing that a card for Darryl was about his grandma dying and not for his birthday, you really can’t go wrong.

However, the best of the best is probably still the fire one. When I play trivia, our team name will often be “Save Bandit!” in honor of this scene:

It also leads into one of the best episodes of “The Office” ever, so it has that going for it, too. What a great show. I’m definitely going to be watching it over and over again during this quarantine.

@HReside:

Have any movie/TV/book recommendations for those losing their minds with boredom?

Since there are only so many times you can rewatch “The Office,” there have to be other ways to spend your time, right? Fortunately, there are endless things to watch and read out there. Here are a few pieces of culture I’ve been consuming recently to fend off the boredom:

  • Book: “Bearskin” by James A. McLaughlin
  • Book: “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa
  • Podcast: “The Jeselnik & Rosenthal Vanity Project”
  • Podcast: “The Saturday Down South Podcast” (Now 3 times per week!)
  • TV: “BoJack Horseman” Every season is on Netflix.
  • TV: “The Gang Gets Quarantined” episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
  • TV: My wife and I are rewatching “The O.C.” So much high school drama!

Hopefully those recommendations can get you through a week or 2 of quarantine! Please feel free to make your own book, podcast, TV and movie recommendations in the comments, friends.

@SChinni12:

Now that we can’t complete brackets this year, what should I spend my time filling out? Crosswords, Sudoku, BuzzFeed quizzes?

I’m always a fan of crosswords, so that’s a good hobby to pick up. However, if you’re desperate for brackets, we’re doing a bracket to determine the all-time greatest SEC basketball player here at SDS!

Keep track on Twitter @SDS and on Instagram @SaturdayDownSouth as we go through the 32-player bracket to determine a winner. I’ll give you a little preview of the No. 1 seeds:

  • Pete Maravich, LSU
  • Shaquille O’Neal, LSU
  • Dominique Wilkins, Georgia
  • Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Yeah, it’s going to be a fun bracket! So, when you’re done with your daily crossword, head on over to our social media feeds and cast your votes!

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.