Tuesday August 08, 2006

Coach Speak; No Pads; Optimism; Two-Back; Sponsor News; Memorial Stadium; Tuesday’s Overdrive Radio Show

Coach Speak
I have not been to practice yet but have talked to people that have been to all three practices. I have not talked to any coaches yet but plan to this week. However, as far as I am concerned, no news is good news. If you have an experienced team, you should hope for a quiet camp. No injuries is the best news anyone could hope for out of this camp.

Other great news is that there is competition at every spot but there is not any glaring weakness where a freshman has to come in and play right away (maybe with the exception of the punting job).

One other quick piece of advice about news coming out of practice and the official practice briefs, don’t put too much into the coach speak. Sometimes what coach Bowden says is the truth and exactly right. But other times he may be getting another result through his comments. Often times this happens with personnel. Sometimes a coach will praise a second-teamer or move someone up the depth chart in August in an attempt to motivate another player. Also remember that the plays are scripted in scrimmages. A head coach can sometimes dictate if he wants the offense or defense to dominate a scrimmage by setting up certain plays against certain defenses.

No Pads
Just one other quick reminder about the reports so far from the information I have received. The people that I have spoken to that have been at every practice have raved reviews about this team. They rave about their conditioning (with the exception of a couple of true freshmen which is to be expected), their athleticism, their attitude and their work ethic.

I have heard good reviews so far on James Davis, C.J. Spiller, Andrew Diamonde, the condition of the offensive linemen, Gaines Adams, Rickey Sapp, Anthony Waters, Duane Coleman, Crezdon Butler and a couple of others. I am an optimist but also have seen enough of these camps to hold back my reviews until pads are on.

Optimism
I talked to two good friends in the past few weeks and they shared some good information concerning the 2006 Tigers. First was from a friend who knew Richie Wessman. Wessman is a former Southern Cal quarterback who was the back up to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinhart in his days as a Trojan. He joined the Clemson staff in the spring but has since left to go to the NFL as an assistant. Before he left, Wessman was very complimentary about the Clemson program. He said the way this staff is building this program and the way recruiting has been going, he said this program felt like Southern Cal right before they re-emerged on the national scene.

The other bit of optimistic review I had the other day came from a former administrative assistant that is still very close to the players and the program. He told me that he has never seen a team like this. He told me, “Mickey I have been around this program for seven years and I have never seen the players taking this kind of attitude. They hold each other accountable. They work every day. There is no animosity among any of them. They really feel like they have a chance to do something special.”

Two-Back
In talking to running backs coach Burton Burns a week or so ago, I get the sense that we will see continue to see multiple formations again this year and maybe different ones this season. I think you will see one-back under center, one-back in the shotgun, I-formation, split backs, split backs in the shotgun, empty backfield and empty backfield in the shotgun. They will continue to utilize one tight end, two tight end and three tight end formations also.

With the backfield formations I think we will see any combination of any backs. I believe we will see James Davis and C.J. Spiller in the backfield at the same time. I also expect Reggie Merriweather to continue to get his touches and look for Demerick Chancellor to see the football some as well.

Sponsor News
We have the best sponsors here on the blog including the title sponsor Tom Winkopp. I went by The Park at Valley Walk again today and it looks awesome. Check out the photos on the link from this page. The 100-year old oak trees are still standing and the sod is already in place. My family and I are looking forward to parking there and tailgating there this season and encourage you to do the same.

Also, another great sponsor, Mr. Knickerbockers is going full steam right now. They have moved their Greenville location from the Greenville Mall to the Shops at Green Ridge off of Woodruff Road. Everyone in Greenville should be familiar with the new developments on Woodruff Road in Greenville. Like everyone else, Mr. Knickerbockers has moved there. David Spearman tells me they have new shipments coming in everyday including the Nike Sideline apparel. Please support a long time Clemson tradition, Mr. Knickerbockers.

Memorial Stadium
In recent weeks I have been asked how the new West Zone would affect the capacity in Death Valley. According to the press guide, the capacity is 81,473.

Tuesday’s Overdrive Radio Show
I would love your feedback on my radio show “The Overdrive” today, Tuesday, August 8th from 3-5 PM on 104.9 FM. It can also be heard on www.wccpfm.com. Today’s topic is how many Clemson players could start at South Carolina this season, how many USC players could start at Clemson and if you formed one team between the two schools who would be the starters this season. I look forward to your calls or e-mails.

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