Friday February 23, 2007
Friday E-Mail Bag
Friday's E-Mail Bag
On Fridays we publish your comments and questions. To submit an e-mail, I can be reached at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com. Also, if I have not answered your e-mail yet please stay with me. I am behind because of the high volume but I am trying to get back to everyone of them. Thanks.
Hi, Mickey,
Just wondering if you could comment on Markish Jones' "unusual situation" as TDP called it. Does this mean he is coming to Clemson against his will because he is legally bound by the LOI process? Did his decision to change to FSU have anything to do with his supposed academic troubles and Clemson's AARC? Is there doubt he will qualify? Just wondering what's up.
Thanks for all the great blogs.
Brent
Brent,
I have not followed his story closely but I understand he wants to come to Clemson. Some think the addendum to the NLI was a factor. When some of this smoke clears I will do some research on Jones.
Mickey:
I am disappointed in the team after the loss to Duke. Josh Roberts' drive to the basket in the late stages of the game verify one of two things -- our players are not smart enough to learn from the past or the Coach cannot teach them to learn from their mistakes. NO ONE SHOULD DRIVE FROM END-TO-END ON YOUR TEAM --- PITIFUL!
Who knows? Maybe the golf team will win another NCAA Tournament? Go Tigers!
Kirk
Kirk,
I thought one of the biggest factors in the game was the fact that Duke played smarter than Clemson. Their guys made better decisions. Larry Penley is excited about his golf team and I think they may be national title contenders again in the next couple of seasons.
Mickey,
I am the student who was kicked out of the game last night for yelling "Coack K Sucks!" and "Duke Sucks!" Here is what I wrote on Tigernet last night when someone brought it up. "All I said was "Coack K, You Suck"...the security guy pointed at me to stop whatever...he proceeded over to the police officer and told the officer he wanted me out. I yelled at him that I was a student at this game and I was doing nothing more than taunting the opponent. Then, I yelled out DUKE SUCKS and he came and got me and told me that from down where he was he told me not to say the word "suck". I asked why and he said here talk to the officer, the officer said "This guy is kicking you out or you can go back with me and I'll take you to jail."" Here's the link to the Thread on Tigernet...
http://www.thetigernet.com/forums/message.jspa?messageID=4105205
I will not go quietly about this. I want to take action because on the ticket, it states: "Profanity, racial comments, and intimidating actions directed at officials, student-athletes, coaches, or fans will not be tolerated and individuals may be removed from the stadium". And I feel like what I did should not have been considered grounds for removal. I was sober, had not had a drop in me. Just a fan of basketball, a student who hates Duke and wishes that the security would get the stick out of their @$$ and lighten up. If you find anything profane, racially offensive, or somehow could be taken as an intimidating action, I will stop whining about this and admit I was wrong. However, if you cannot, and I don't believe you will, then I would like to know who I should take this up with. EPI Security, Clemson University??? If you have contact info. for me for either of those or if there is anything you could do in support of me I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks Mick and I hope to see you soon.
Ben
Ben,
I did not see it happen but I too was wrongfully accused of of an incident a few weeks ago. A newspaper columnist even wrote a story about the incident in which a ref thought I was talking to him after the game. The newspaper guy said I was escorted out of the tunnel after chasing down an official and yelled at him. I called the athletic department the next day and asked them to clear this up. They investigated with the officials office and talked to all witnesses and I was cleared of any wrong doing. I asked the individual who allegedly escorted me out if he actually escorted me out and he said no way did that happen. In summary, I did not chase down a ref and did not yell at him. My advice to you is to stand by your conviction but do it behind the scenes. You will get a lot further if you handle your personal matters in private with those who accused you.
Mickey,
I just got home form the game (more on that in a second) and I got to read the statement from Barker. At first I was a little hesitant about reading it, expecting the worst of course, but I am honestly stunned, shocked and speechless!! Now that was a little more like it and I think most Clemson fans can agree with that initiative for sure. I sure hope it gets everyone from the administration and the athletic department on board and focused on what it will take to get us on a level playing field at least recruiting wise. Kudos to President Barker for at least acknowledging we have a problem and he is serious about fixing it!! At least that is what it appears to be to me!!
Now for the game, you cannot beat anyone playing one half of basketball, not going to happen so despite some typical Pro Duke calls tonight we lost that game, with no real controversy! Now for something I have to comment on is another Barker initiative, the "sportsmanship" initiative. I saw a student (I was in section 102 row A so I had a good view of it) get thrown out for saying Duke sucks, twice?!?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!?! I can understand we want a family environment but get a clue people, the last time I checked "suck" is not a derogatory term, it is slang, but not derogatory and how is it we somehow have this moral high horse designated by a purple shirt and a chest microphone who determines what is and is not derogatory!! I guess I shouldn't expect too much and frankly would rather them toss a student than keep the AARC in its present form but that is a little over the top in my opinion.
What do you think about that and what about the significance of the changes it appears Barker is ready to make to the AARC?
Steve
Steve,
We all will watch this group very carefully. I am optimistic but very cautious. I hope their suggestions will go into effect. I agree that the sportsmanship videos and movement may have gone too far. As one of my buddies says every time after seeing the sportsmanship video at football games, "Man we must have been real jerks before this because they went out of their way to tell us to be nice."
Mickey,
Hello, I am a Clemson graduate and current grad student. I also am an employee and patron of the Esso Club. We are currently in the process of researching the History of the Esso Club to compile a book. I believe Candice Bell, an Esso Manager, has contacted you several times already about the matter. We would like your help to gather personal accounts and past experiences of alumni and sports fans about the Esso. We would like to have stories ranging from the present to as far back as Tigernet patrons can remember. We would appreciate it if you would help us advertise our call for stories in some fashion. We figured Tigernet would be a good place to find the personal stories of patrons since it does have a chatroom called The Esso Club. Please contact me with any information you could give me on whether or not it is possible to do this. We would greatly appreciate it.
David
mdbrown@clemson.edu
P.S.- The Cheap Seats and the group between them and the batting cage will be fully accounted for at today's game. If you have not heard yet, most of the different groups have gone to the University to obtain Temporary Building permits. This is why the school shut them down in the first place, so that they would bring their structures up to safety code. Over the course of the weekend they slowly began to finish. The Cheap Seats have finished and the "Bush Pigs" ,as they are called, plan to add one more taller scaffolding structure between the bushes and the batting cage.
David,
I have published your e-mail on the blog. I hope you receive a good response. Please keep me up to date with the progress. Also, thanks for the update on the Cheap Seats and Bush Pigs.
Mickey,
I turned the radio on this morning around 7:30 and I caught part of the
debate as to whether the fans are in control of the enthusiasm in the
stadium. You cited the Maryland football game as an example. You may
have already made these points before I was listening, but...
Clemson University was on fall break during the weekend of the Maryland
football game. In even numbered years where there is an election, the
school seems to schedule fall break for the Monday and Tuesday in early
November. I have always suspected this is the University's way of not
giving us an extra day out of school. They are stingy with their holidays
if you ask me. According to President Barker's email a month ago, the
University will still be in session on Labor Day. The fans were not there
in spirit during the Maryland game. Since I am a student, I probably give
more credit to the student section than I should. However, if the
students are there and into the game, it seems to me that the rest of the
stadium uses the students energy to fuel their own cheering efforts. In
three years of watching football games, I have noticed that teams have a
tough time when they are pinned inside their own 20 yard line in the East
Endzone (as opposed to the West Endzone).
I am a junior so this is the second time I have experienced this
occurrence. If you can jog your memory to the 2004 N.C. State football
game, I recall a similar atmosphere. If it weren't for a defensive stand
in the East Endzone in front of the half full Hill, we very well could
have lost that one as well. I think the players fuel off their own
student's energy as well as their own desire to win.
However, I think the relationship is cyclical. The students feed off good
football plays on both sides of the ball. This season our defense got in
a funk. A prime example is when the South Carolina offense picked apart
our zone defense for almost 500 yards. Even though we had some great
plays (many which will ultimately be forgotten due to the final outcome),
the sluggishness that was prevalent on defense rubbed off on the fans.
For reasons that are probably out of the control of anyone I know, the
Clemson football games are almost always at 12:00. I think night games
give the fans a chance to get "lubricated" which equates to a rowdy crowd
and a tough venue to offer opponents (i.e. Texas A&M). If we could
schedule more night games, or even 3:30 ones, I think we would see an
increase in fan support and intensity, even if the team has hit the skids.
This applies in basketball. After the Boston College game this year,
Jared Dudley was quoted as saying, "It was so loud we couldn't even hear
ourselves talk." When the students chanted Mar-shall, I really think we
got into the head of an excellent basketball player. This isn't some
run-of-the-mill Division I-AA school; this is a top tier ACC contender.
That is the best example of fans affecting the outcome of a game that I
can think of to date.
Given our record on the road in both sports, I think we need to do as much
as possible to keep making Clemson a tough place to play. I don't know
what can be done about the scheduling of fall break or time of football
games, but I know it really affects the atmosphere in the stadium when the
students are gone. I hate to see this happen, especially with the effect
football has on this community.
Thanks for writing the blog and doing the radio show. Please let me know
what you think about this.
John
John,
Thanks for the insight. I think I am right by saying that Fall break is scheduled long before the football schedule is finalized. Outside of that I agree that everything must be done to take every step to make it thought to play the Tigers in Clemson. Thanks again.
Mickey
I know there is much talk about the AARC and recruiting, but I was wondering if you could change gears and give me an update on Etta Etta-Tawo. I know that he had some medical issues that was assumed to end his career. Is his career truly over? He was becoming an asset to the defense and would have helped the injury ridden defense at the end of the season greatly. Thanks for the update.
Austin
Austin,
It is my understanding that Etta Etta-Tawo's football days are behind him. I think the risk was too high.
Mickey,
Can you tell me why the ACC does not split the conference into 2 divisions in basketball as they do in football and in baseball? I noticed that the SEC does use the split in basketball. My guess is that it wouldn’t be fair for Duke or UNC. Whatever, the reason, if the truth was known, it would have to somehow involve those 2 schools. God, it’s easy to hate both of those teams.
Regards,
Bill
Bill,
Perhaps the main reason is it would be too simple and it makes too much sense for the ACC office. That would result in fans actually having consistency in their viewing.
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