Friday November 27, 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.
Mickey,
I need to clear my head about two things that need to be said "NO!" to.
1. As you said there is no way moving the Clemson/Carolina game should be given serious consideration (especially by someone from outside the rivalry). Dr. Phillips could make that change today and be on the highway to some other school tomorrow. Any decision of that magnitude should only be voted on by some system put through the IPTAY registration process. The absolute only thing Dr. Phillips should be concentrating his efforts on regarding the football program right now is figuring out how to get Georgia back on the permanent schedule. Other than that the football program is in capable hands with Coach Swinney.
2. How. How! HOW! Do we stop Christmas before Thanksgiving. There should be absolutely no Christmas decorations, songs, or otherwise until after Thanksgiving. In my opinion, it cheapens the season by inundating the senses with "Jingle Bells," etc., etc. I know that America's economy rises and falls with the fat man in red, but please stop with the Christmas stuff right after Halloween. Wait until after Thanksgiving.
Unsigned
Unsigned,
I can help you on part one. The way to stop the talk or consideration on moving the game is to call and e-mail the AD. Your voice will be heard on this one. On the second part I can provide no insight. Christmas has become so commercialized and so many businesses depend on profiting from it. Therefore many want to start profiting earlier than ever. I think it is great to celebrate Christ everyday but the commercialization of Christmas instead of the real reason for the holiday has become an issue we can do little about.
Mickey
Thanks for the blog. Really enjoyed the Thanks CJ write up last week. I will enjoy watching him play in these last three games.
I think this is probably going to be a pretty unpopular take here on the Clemson vs. USC matchup…for the record, I’m a Clemson STH and life-long Tiger supporter who has never supported USC in any way. I just don’t understand why some Tiger fans continue to pour so much effort into this game as opposed to Maryland, Wake, BC…etc. I want to win every game…why is this game any different? Many have said this has a big affect on recruiting; however, in a recent quote by Dabo, he even acknowledged it doesn’t have a big affect on recruiting saying “we’ll get some and they’ll get some”. Are we that much more talented than USC having beat them 10 of the last 12? On CU’s list of football priorities…shouldn’t the pecking order be something like this:
1. National Championship
2. National Championship Game Appearance
3. Orange Bowl Win
4. Orange Bowl Game Appearance
5. ACC Championship
6. Division Championship
7. Bowl Eligibility
8. Winning Season
9. Top recruiting class
10. Beat USC
Beating USC if we’re 4-7 would be a great way to end an otherwise dismal season…but, is that what we want? To be 5-7 and have won our “rivalry game”. To heck with that…I’ll take ACC wins and titles (or at least shots at titles as we have this year) every day of the week and let the folks down in Columbia worry about our “rivalry game”.
Interested in your thoughts…thanks.
Aaron
Aaron,
I think you make some very valid points. I agree that titles are more important. However, winning against your rival is still important. It is important because you have to live with your rival next door. You recruit against your rival. Bragging rights are not as important as championships but they are still important. BTW-Saturday is the state championship and that is important. I grew up outside of Columbia as a Clemson fan so I am not the best to ask about the rivalry. To me this is the most important game of each season.
Mickey,
Here is my e-mail to Dr. Phillips.
Dr. Terry Don Phillips,
I am an IPTAY member who gives a lot of money every year to your Athletic
Department to support the fine young men and women who choose to come to my
Alma mater and have for over 25 years. I support IPTAY and Clemson
University with no regrets.
I am writing you to tell you that I was extremely disappointed in the
article I read in the South Carolina State newspaper about trying to move
the Clemson vs South Carolina Football game to the beginning of the year.
According to the newspaper, you said, "That's not a bad idea because, if
you think about it, you have a whole summer leading up to that game and
should you not win the game, you have the entire season to recover from
it."
This rivalry has been going on since before you and I were born and it has
been in November for over 50 years. It is always a good game for both sets
of fans. If you are worried about Steve Spurrier's desires and his concern about having to play Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and Clemson in the second half of the season, then maybe you need to go to work for the University of South Carolina. That is a joke, but
this one has me wondering who you really support because Mr. Spurrier said
he wanted to move the game and your head coach said this past weekend on
the television that he liked the rivalry game at the end of the season and
stated in the same newspaper, "That's hard for me to grasp hold of because
my background is the big rival game always has been at the end. Even when
I was in high school, the Pelham-Thompson game (in Alabama) was the last
game. Then it was Alabama-Auburn. That would be strange for me. I would
not be in favor of that."
It would have been nice to see you support your new head coach, who has
done more with his new coaching staff than anyone has done for the football
program at this university in 19 years, instead of supporting Steve
Spurrier and the University of South Carolina's Athletic directors wants
and desires. From what I read, I doubt that you even asked Coach Swinney's
opinion before making a quote to the State Newspaper that I believe is
wrong and will be disliked by most of the Clemson fans and IPTAY members.
Sincerely,
Steve
Steve,
I really don’t think the game will be moved but the only way to insure that it is to do exactly what you did. Clemson people are the stockholders here. The AD serves the Clemson people. Their voices count. Their voices should be heard. Thanks for writing me and the Clemson AD.
Mickey,
I was thinking of some things on my drive to work this morning and I hope you can enlighten me.
1. In your opinion, is Clemson's Atlantic Division championship an anomaly or an actual shift in terms of culture and mindset? In my opinion, I think we have to wait and see if they can repeat next year, which will be hard to do given the loss of such great players like Spiller, Ford, Sapp, etc.
2. Does the fact that we did not see Willy Korn for one snap in the UVA game tell us all we need to know about the future of Korn at Clemson?
3. Does Dabo get a contract extension for winning the Atlantic?
Go Tigers, let's beat the Chickens this weekend!
-Alex
Alex,
Thanks for the e-mail. I think Clemson should compete for the Atlantic Division in most years. I would be satisfied to win the division two or three times every five years. A lot will depend on FSU when Jimbo Fisher takes over but Clemson should win it more than Maryland, NC State, Boston College and Wake Forest.
Willy Korn is still not 100% but it also said a lot about Kyle Parker. What a terrific game he had. His freshman season has been a key to the division title. What a great season. Also Tajh Boyd has been very impressive in his redshirt season so Korn may have a tough time based upon where all three stand.
I know Dabo has qualified for a big raise but I am not sure what happens with the years. I think Clemson should want to get him in a better deal from a buyout standpoint. I hope he gets a longer and better long-term contract.
Mickey,
I read your blog this morning and had some comments. I suggest moving the usc game to homecoming (to become Frank Howard's "white meat on the schedule") and Clemson find a much more competitive rival. Spurrier is off the hook, usc fans have to find another excuse (not hard for them) and we get a decent rival. Alternatively, Mr. Morris needs to justify his worth at years end and this is his way of generating interest.
Bigatiger
PS is there any truth to the rumor that William Brice is going to be renamed Death Valley II?
Bigatiger,
I think Clemson’s rivalry with USC is just fine where it is. Something tells me there will not be any formal name changing of Williams Brice anytime soon.
Mickey,
I think that Spurrier is just trying to divert the attention away from the game at hand. He doesn't want to talk about Saturday, so he's already looking forward to next year. How very South Carolina of him.
Regards,
Jeffrey
Jeffrey,
I think Spurrier really would like to move the game but he also needed to change something. I also think he has been outspoken more this season about the importance of winning this game. He has actually been more honest about how important it would be this season. I think Spurrier knows he cannot have his team come out as flat as they did last season. He needs to win Saturday.
Mickey,
If TDP ever utters a single word indicating he would be agreeable to discussing moving the game to the first game of the year, he should be terminated on the spot, without question.
Spurrier wants the game moved because he can't win it on a consistent basis. We have won 10 of 12 and 29 of 40, for whatever reason, and whatever that reason is it way pre-dates SC being in the SEC. YOU DO NOT AGREE TO CHANGE THE DATE, FOR ANY REASON WHEN YOU ARE DOMINATING YOUR RIVAL. PERIOD.
David
David,
I am glad the newspapers reported the quotes in advance. I wish we would have had some warning about Gamecocks dotting the “I” before it happened. Clemson people are expressing their opinions and I doubt it happens now.
Mickey,
In terms of fairness in the history of the rivalry, what about Clemson having to play the first several years in Columbia before alternating home field.
Barry
Barry,
Obviously I was not around for the Big Thursday games but Clemson did play well in many of those games. The game is better rotating to each venue though. The amazing part is that the Tigers have lost only twice in Columbia in the last 29 years so maybe it is not that much of an advantage.
Mickey,
Being a Clemson fan, the only way I would accept moving the BATTLE of the Palmetto state in the schedule is to just move the thing OFF the schedule. It's absurd to move it to the beginning of the season just because they are getting destroyed in the SEC. Shuffle that schedule, don't mess with a 100 year old rivalry game.
I mean, what are they really thinking? A few years back, they decided to move it to the weekend after Thanksgiving in order to get more national coverage. Now they want to move it COMPLETELY OUT of the spotlight by putting it at the beginning of the season. Do they think Michigan/OSU would dare move their game??
Quit your pitiful crying Gamecock nation. You're the nail, and we're the HAMMER and there's nothing you can do about it!
GO TIGERS!!!!
Billy
Billy,
Dang. I guess you are pretty passionate about this rivalry too. I just can’t see the game being moved but I also don’t want to drop the game either.
Mickey,
In case you don’t watch Bill O’Reilly’s nightly show on FOX News, he has a segment called “Pinheads and Patriots.” I won’t explain further but suffice it to say I emailed the show and nominated the officials – tossing a penalty flag on Dwayne Allen’s salute – as Pinheads while Mr. Allen was a true Patriot to recognize our men and women in service.
Go Tigers!
Bobby
Bobby,
While I agree with you, Dabo and tight ends coach Danny Pearman disagrees. They said the team was shown a video about what they can and can’t do at the beginning of the season and saluting was an example of what they cannot do. I still have a problem with it but I don’t make the rules and all players need to follow them.
Dear Mickey,
While I am quite sure it would only be a symbolic gesture, I hope the university writes a letter to the conference regarding the so-called celebration penalty during the game on Saturday. The officials should have known it was Military Appreciation Day and most definitely should have noticed that the player was directing his salute to the cadets on the hill behind the end zone.
Shame on the official!
Best,
Kirk
Kirk,
I wish common sense would have been used. The rule is to keep players from bringing attention to themselves. Allen is from Fayetteville and I would guess has an appreciation for the military. His salute was to his classmates who were in uniform as a part of the ROTC program. It would seem common sense would take over but I guess rules are rules.
Mickey,
Do you rest CJ, etc and rotate RB's in the USC game in prep for acc title? Don't think Dabo will, not his nature.
David
David,
No way. No how. C.J. gives Clemson the best chance to win this weekend and this game is important. I cannot see any scenario outside of a blowout where Spiller does not play. I think you have to play your best players who give your tea the best chance to win.
Mickey,
What is the story behind Byrnes running back Marcus Lattimore? He has shown no interest whatsoever in Clemson which surprises me since we seem to have a good relationship with Byrnes and recruiting from their program and we seem to be a program on the rise. With CJ showing that you can have a legitimate Heisman candidate at Clemson and the way the fans have gotten behind him and supported him I would think Marcus would have at least shown some interest after seeing that. Also Steve Spurrier has shown that he still prefers to pass first then run only out of necessity to keep the passing game going, why would he be interested in them? Is there some bad feelings from Marcus towards Clemson for some reason? Thanks and enjoyed your “Thanks CJ” blog and your radio show every morning.
Brett
Brett,
Lattimore grew up in a Gamecock family. His sister goes to school there. I think he has been set to go to USC for a long time. Some kids are just Clemson kids and some are just South Carolina kids. I would be shocked if he went anywhere but USC.
The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency
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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, Kaitlyn L, 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, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe.
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