Monday April 20, 2009

Come On Rowing!; Merging Highways

Come On Rowing!
Never been a bigger rowing fan than I am today.

Clemson rowing goes for their first ACC title today and if they don’t win then baseball will be the last team with a chance to win an Atlantic Coast Conference championship this year. If both fail to bring home the title, it will mark the second time in the last five years and only the third time since 1971 that the Tigers failed to win a title in any sport.

Men’s golf gave it a good run yesterday. Georgia Tech won the three-day tournament with and 846 score, while Clemson was second at 849.

Clemson’s David May tied for first in the individual race with NC State's Matt Hill at 10 under par 206. He joins Parker Moore (1976), Kevin Johnson (1988), Danny Ellis (1992), Charles Warren (1997 and 1998) and John Engler (2001) as Clemson golfers who have won the ACC Tournament.

Clemson had three players finish in the top 10, the first time that has happed since 2004. Kyle Stanley finished eighth and Phillip Mollica finished 10th.

Women’s tennis had a disappointing weekend. The third-seeded and 11th-ranked were upset by number-six seed North Carolina, 4-2, on Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.

The other disappointment this weekend came from the men’s track team. Clemson finished the men's competition in sixth place with 69 points. Florida State and Virginia were co-champions with 141 apiece. On the women's side, Florida State took first with 160 points. Clemson was eighth in the final standings, with 44 points.

Jacoby Ford led a 1-2-3 sweep of the men's 100m dash Saturday to lead Tiger track & field at the ACC Outdoor Championships. It marked the first sweep of the three spots in that event since Clemson did it 2001 with Jacey Harper, Larry Griffin, and Sultan Tucker.

Men’s tennis lost to North Carolina in the first round of the ACC men’s tennis tournament last Thursday.

So this year Clemson did not win an ACC title in football, basketball, golf, soccer, cross country, tennis, indoor track, outdoor track, swimming, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s soccer, women’s swimming, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track, women’s outdoor track and volleyball.

We are now down to rowing and baseball. Today in Oak Ridge, TN the rowing team will compete in something called the Varsity 8 +, the second Varsity 8+, the varsity 4+ and Novice 8+ to determine the ACC title.

To be honest with you, I have no idea what the heck all of that stuff means. But I do know the Tigers are seeded second heading into the event.

I also know that time is running out on the Tigers Athletic Department in the 2008-09 academic year. Baseball is the last team to crown its champion but at this point I would not count on the baseball team this season.

I am just tired of losing and tired of watching other schools win titles. This year Virginia won men’s cross country, men’s tennis, men’s outdoor track (tied), men’s swimming and women’s swimming. Florida State won women’s cross country, women’s outdoor track, men’s outdoor track (tied), men’s indoor track and women’s outdoor track. Maryland won wrestling, women’s basketball, men’s soccer and field hockey. North Carolina won women’s soccer, volleyball (tied). Duke won men’s basketball, women’s tennis and volleyball (tied). Virginia Tech won football. Wake Forest won women’s golf. Georgia Tech won men’s golf.

So Clemson, Boston College, Miami and NC State have not won a title in 2008-09.

The ACC still has men’s and women’s lacrosse and softball titles to be determined but Clemson does not compete in those three sports.

Come on rowing!

You could say this past weekend was not very good for the athletic department. Men’s and women’s track, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s golf and only one really had a chance at a title.

The baseball team lost two of three at Virginia Tech as the offense struggled until Sunday. The losses put Clemson at 12-9 as the Tigers now trail Florida State (12-7) in the Atlantic Division.

Besides being relegated to pulling for rowing and baseball, I guess a Clemson fan can look to the future. The golf team still has a chance to win a national title this season. That would be awesome. The track teams have a chance to win some point and individual titles at the NCAA outdoor championship. Women’s tennis could do some damage at the NCAAs.

When you have years like this, I guess you look forward to next year. I think football is going to get better. Men’s basketball is on sound footing and could get better. I trust the men’s track program will be better. I am pretty sure baseball will be better. Golf will have to replace some good players but Clemson golf never has to rebuild.

On the women’s side of things, tennis, volleyball and rowing appear to be pretty solid. Women’s track improved this season.

Some of the other programs will have to get better soon. Women’s basketball has been down for a while now. Both soccer programs need to get better. Men’s tennis will have to improve also.

I know some get tired of me beating this drum but there is one way to stop it---win championships.

Merging Highways
I want to invite everyone to the Buncombe Street United Methodist Church this Friday, April 24 from 6:15-8:00 pm for a free concert and teen driver awareness program called “Merging Highways.” If you have teenagers I encourage you to bring them for a special message from my son Ryan. Brad Hughes All State Insurance is providing pizza for the kids and the event is free. For more information call Brad Hughes at 864-292-3001.

Below is a link to a promo for the event:
http://onlineworshiptv.com/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=26&task=videodirectlink&id=140

We will have a special video at the Merging Highways event which I will put on the blog next Monday. Hope to see everyone there Friday.

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, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Sandy Wright, 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, Edward Putman, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L.