Friday October 30, 2009
Friday E-Mail Bag
Friday E-Mail Bag
Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.
Dear Mickey,
I read your blog today, "Spiller - The Candidate." While I admire CJ Spiller as a person, a student, and a player, I think the following things need to happen before he will have a realistic chance of being invited to New York, much less winning the Heisman.
1. Clemson must win. We cannot lose another game. I just don't see someone winning the Heisman on an 8-4 or 7-5 team.
2. He must continue to do well on the field, especially his all-purpose yards per game. He must have an average of over 200 per game.
3. He must increase his rushing productivity. He will also be judged as a running back, so his current mediocre numbers hurt him. They must improve.
4. He needs about three more spectacular plays before the season ends - ESPN highlight stuff. Those kind of statistics
All of these things must happen or he will not go to New York. Good luck CJ and good luck Tigers!
Kirk
Kirk,
Thanks for the e-mail. I agree with your assessment. I never thought of the Heisman Trophy as the best player in a great team but that is what it has become. Seven of the last 11 winners have played for the national championship. The 200-yard average sounds so much better. I think he increase his chances if he averages over 200 all-purpose yards per game. It has a nice ring to it. Because teams will stop kicking to him, I agree that he will have to increase his rushing totals. I am not sure he can continue to keep coming up with this highlight reel stuff. It has been amazing.
Mickey,
Has Coach Swinney explained why he signals in the offensive plays? It looks like one of the Offensive staff guys could do it or Korn, Wade or Boyd. It would free him up to talk to guys as they come off the field or go over address the D if needed.
Thanks,
Michael
Michael,
I have very few criticisms of Dabo in any aspect he handles the program. I do wish he would stop signaling in plays or fake (dummy signals). It just makes more sense to me that he could be using that time and energy in something more vital. Signaling in plays seems like lower skilled labor compared to head coaching. In my uneducated opinion, his strengths could be better utilized in another area during the game itself. Like everyone else, this is less of an issue after a win. LOL.
Hi Mickey!
Thanks for your show. I listen every morning on my way to work between 7:15 and 8:00 and have even called in a few times with comments off the air. Let me begin by saying I know I am not a football expert, but at the same time even though I am just a mom, I do know what "holding" is, I know the positions and where they play on the football field. I even know things like what a "dime package" is and what a "pancake block" is. But, I guess I know more about being a FAN.
So,I'm writing today with just a few thoughts.
1. Regarding your discussion this morning on CJ as a possible Heisman candidate. I agree his stats are better than many and nothing would please me more than for him to be considered. And I BELIEVE he can be. But, for that to happen the MEDIA has to agree with that choice. The MEDIA decides the Heisman every year, just like the MEDIA elects our president. CJ will be my Heisman winner no matter what the voters say.
2. It's great to hear Tiger fans beginning to sound almost positive in their attitude toward their team. I've have been involved with sports all my life and very involved with Football and Baseball for the last 25 years (I have 2 boys). And what I have noticed over those 25 years is that fans are not so much fans of their teams as they are fans of winning. Start to lose and people start jumping ship. (I'm really glad my family and friends don't treat me that way or I would have been left alone years ago.) We all want to win. There's nothing more exciting than winning - but looking for someone to blame every time you don't win is a tragedy. Part of the problem with the Tigers at the beginning of this year was they felt no true support from fans. If they had come out 5-0 the fan base would have been screaming "I knew it was the right thing to do to hire Dabo" , "Those guys have been that good all along they just needed the right coach", "That's the best OLine I've ever seen." But instead the resounding words from the Tiger Fans were "I told you so." And these guys, because they have been through so much struggle in the last few years felt all the pressure of proving themselves--- to their own fan base. That should never be the case. You might have to prove yourself to other teams, but your own fan base should believe in you. I don't think this team has felt like their fans believed in them in a long time. I always believe my team will win because you're playing a game - any team can beat any other team on any given day. We've seen that this year with Penn State's loss to Iowa and App State's win in 2007 over Michigan. That's why it's called game not a guarantee.
So Dabo did a smart thing - he taught this team to believe in themselves. It takes more than an average coach to teach a young man to believe in himself when everyone around them seems to be putting them down. Dabo is more than an average coach and in the years to come when his winning record follows his leadership record I think people will see that. I'm not saying that we are going to win out the rest of the season (BUT I DO BELIEVE WE CAN), I'm just saying that there are some great things going on on the sidelines at Clemson and true fans will give this staff and team time to prove that because they believe in their team not just in winning.
Keep up your good work and don't let the whiners and complainers take you down.
Always believe we CAN win whether its Football, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Rowing, Tennis, Golf, Soccer, - tiddlywinks (you get the idea) because the Tigers are our team and WE BELIEVE!!
From a Believing Tiger,
SportsMom
SportsMom,
Thanks for your encouraging e-mail. Positive fans are out there and it is good to hear from them every once in a while. I know our readers will enjoy your positive outlook. Thanks for sharing.
Mickey:
Count me among the several who are less than enthusiastic about the manner in which our athletic department appears to be functioning (I tried to phrase this as nicely as possible). As a big picture matter, I am concerned about the apparent lack of concern from those in the athletic department who appear to be completely oblivious to the fact that two of our biggest recruiting rivals (UGA and SC) are getting more benefit & revenue from the SEC’s TV deals than our athletic department makes off of a football season – hence, we are behind the financial 8-ball before a down is even played. I have been to 2 games this season in Athens & every home game at Clemson (I am in a mixed marriage with my wife & her family being UGA fans and me being a ’99 CU grad). UGA runs advertisements throughout the game & they don’t necessarily take away from the whole gameday experience. For example, they have a game sponsor & the sponsor for that particular game is recognized in pre-game with the Athletic Director and the corporate representative who receives a football. Then there is the Rennai tankless waterheater “whose hot” segment that runs on the video boards once per quarter – identifying those players and teams in NCAA CFB who are playing well. There are a couple of other similar ads run during games – again on the video boards. These are not commercials per se – like you would see on the tv – they are silent ads.
I really don’t see the same things going on at Clemson & just wondered why? In today’s economy & with our athletic dept. apparently pinching pennies left and right – this seems like a simple way for the athletic department to earn revenue. Have any of these advertising ideas ever been explored? It just seems to me that we should be looking for any way possible to lessen the cavernous financial gap between Clemson and SC.
Just a thought.
Thanks.
Grant
Grant,
Thanks for your insight. We all know the economy has been difficult and athletic departments are feeling the effects. I think most athletic departments are trying to juggle the revenue and the game day experience. I think it is a fine line between creating advertising revenue and still doing it in a classy way that does not offend fans. I know our radio station always has the same concerns. I am willing to give the athletic department a pass on this one because there is no perfect balance. Thanks for the e-mail.
Hey Mick,
Do you think that the tigers will be in the ACC Championship game? I am glad to hear Ryan is doing good!!
Thanks,
Brian
Brian,
I think so. I think Clemson should be favored in its final three ACC games and I also believe Boston College has another loss in them just in case. There is still a lot of football left but at this point I would think Clemson and Georgia Tech will be in Tampa on December 5.
Thanks for the kind words about Ryan. He is amazing. God has blessed us. I did not write a blog yesterday because Ryan and I had some great opportunities to speak and we loved it. He is leading the team Chapel for the football team at Clemson today in what is a very big day for him. We are looking forward to a great day. Thanks again for the kind words.
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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, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Mike Kingsmore,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee.
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