Tuesday September 15, 2009

Game Times

Game Times
I understand the world does not revolve around what I and the readers of Tigernet think but sometimes we all love to voice our opinions. So yesterday I knew the TCU game time was going to be announced but had no idea what the announcement would be. What I did know was that it was going to be a topic of conversation for the rest of the day.

Like many of you, I was surprised a television network did not pick up the game but I was almost as surprised the Clemson athletic department chose 1:00 PM as the starting time.

Last night I contacted an athletic department official to get the reasoning behind the 1:00 PM start time and he said he thought it might have been an attempt to get back to the old tradition that all Clemson home games used to be at that time.

For those that are too young to remember college football before television dictated game times, Clemson played all of its home games at 1:00 PM. There was only one national TV game and there were no cable networks. There was no ESPN, ESPN 2, Lincoln-Financial, Big Ten Networks, Versus, Mountain West Networks, Fox Sports, etc.

The Tigers played their home football games at 1:00 PM. There were no Monday announcements of six day windows. In fact, Clemson did play home night games until 1992. So one o’clock it was.

Obviously times have changed. Television has changed. The fan base has changed. The stadium has changed.

Tigernet has taught us that all Clemson fans cannot agree on every issue and we all have our individual preferences. Personally, I will be there if they played at 1:00 AM but I understand others might not agree.

The market is different today because you have over 80,000 seats. The fan base is more spread out than before but there are also more hotels in the area than ever.

You have the local crowd, the upstate crowd, the midlands crowd, the low country and the Pee Dee crowd. Atlanta has more Clemson fans now also. So, many people are traveling from farther away each year.

You have to consider the soccer moms and dads in the upstate that have Saturday morning games that prefer the 3:30 or night games.

You have the college kids that want the night games because they like the atmosphere at night plus it gives them more time to get “prepared” for the game.

You have the coaches and players that like the early starting time because they can spend more time with their families after the games.

The university would rather play earlier too because it is cheaper to play at noon and one o’clock. They don’t have to pay all of the support people that man the parking lots as much and the lights are not needed.

The highway patrol and traffic coordinators like the 3:30 games because they don’t get the jams in the morning that an arriving crowd for a noon game or the disaster of the departing traffic at night after an evening game.

These are just a few segments of those with interests in the starting times. This is not a complete list of issues either. In summary, there are three basic starting times (early afternoon, mid-afternoon and evening) so here is a quick look at what I perceive as the pros and cons of each:

An early afternoon starting time (Noon or 1:00 PM)
Pros:The players and coaches like this time because they get to spend more time with their families after the game. The game is less expensive because security is not needed as long.
Cons:Recruits have less time to get to Clemson. People from farther distances have a more difficult time getting to the game. Incoming traffic is a mess. It seems like most of the game is played in the heat of the day which is a factor in September. Families with Saturday morning activities have a more difficult time making it to the game. Some students don’t make it because of how early the game is played.

A mid-afternoon starting time (3:30 PM)
Pros:Traffic is a major improvement on the incoming and outgoing because there is not the rush on either end. Local families can still do Saturday morning activities and make it to the game. Long distance visitors have more time on both sides of the game to get to the game and home.
Cons:Heat can still be a factor in September. Coaches and players have a little less time after the game for families.

An evening starting time (6:00-8:00 PM)
Pros:There is a better atmosphere in the stadium at night. The temperature should give a little relief in September.
Cons:Traffic after the game is an issue. Security costs and lights cost more. Long distance travelers require hotel rooms. The coaching staff and players have less family time.

The bottom in is that I will be there no matter what but I live less than two miles from the stadium. I have compassion for those who have other issues each Saturday. I would probably have more of a preference if I lived in Charleston or somewhere where I had to travel several hours to get to Clemson.

Personally, I love night games in Death Valley. The stadium looks awesome at night and I think a louder stadium means more of a home field advantage. In the event where the school gets to pick the time to play like we did with Middle Tennessee or TCU, however, I think a compromise of 3:30 probably makes the most sense.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Ann Fallaw, Bob Pollock.