Thursday April 23, 2009
Thursday Ramblings
Thursday Ramblings
As this week winds down and with tomorrow’s blog being the e-mail bag blog, I had a bunch of thoughts running through my mind that I wanted to touch on quickly.
Clemson Basketball
*ACC/Big Ten Challenge-I like the idea of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in theory. However, I could not care less about who wins it and what team wins except for Clemson. In fact, I actually pull against Duke and North Carolina in the event. I was interested to see Illinois visiting Clemson this December. Both teams appear to be on the rise and this should be a very good matchup. The rest of the basketball schedule is set to be among the most difficult in the country again this season.
*McKie to Wake-Clemson and Wake Forest battled for 6-6 wing Travis McKie of Richmond, VA but yesterday he committed to the Demon Deacons. This was a nice pick up for the Deacs but it is nice to see Clemson battle top notch basketball schools for talent now. I am hearing positive news on the recruiting front for others the staff has targeted.
*Ellington, Lawson-North Carolina’s Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson will announce their intentions today. My guess is that both will head for the NBA but some Tar Heels are talking like Ellington may return. What does it matter really? North Carolina is going to be loaded no matter who comes back. Unlike some schools where this could make or break your program, at UNC they will just reload with a ton of talent. Does it really matter if Heidi Klum decides to throw away the blue bikini and goes with the red one?
Clemson Baseball
*South Carolina-I told someone recently that the hard part about watching Clemson lose the first two games of the South Carolina series this season was the thought that in my opinion Clemson was the better team. I got a strange look then but the last two decisive Clemson wins over the Gamecocks prove my point. I feel the Tigers are more talented than the Gamecocks this season and have a better NCAA resume at this point.
*I wonder what the hecklers that pounded Kyle Parker in Columbia think about him winning the Bob Bradley Award for the MVP for Clemson in the series. I wonder what was said about his towering blast in Columbia last night.
*Coastal Carolina Walk-off-I must admit I left early and did not see Jeff Schaus’ blast Tuesday night. Unlike others, my departure had nothing to do with the score. I received a phone call from a friend that required me to leave in the seventh inning. I did enjoy Don Munson and Dan Scott’s radio call of the blast. Schaus’ bomb had to remind most Clemson fans of Tyler Colvin’s walk-off grand slam against Oral Roberts to send the Tigers to Omaha.
*Georgia Tech-It seems every week the stakes get higher but last week’s disappointment in Blacksburg make this weekend’s series with Georgia Tech even bigger. The Tigers have some impressive wins in recent weeks against the likes of Miami, Coastal Carolina and South Carolina. I think winning a series against Georgia Tech might be the best looking part of the Clemson NCAA resume’.
Clemson Football
*The Running Game-I wrote a blog this week to be published later concerning the Clemson running game. I was very surprised to see the correlation between the running game and wins. The Tigers have struggled to run the football against good defenses and it has cost them. Look for that blog in the next week or two.
Clemson Rowing
*Earlier this week we had Richard Ruggieri on the radio show. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the ACC Coach of the Year in his sport. I learned more about rowing and how the NCAA regionals will work. However, I was more impressed with what he had to say about young people and how you have to coach today’s youth. I am a fan of all Clemson athletics but became a bigger fan chatting with Ruggieri.
Clemson Golf
*I heard a little Larry Penley’s interview on Dan Scott’s show this week and you could tell how disappointed he was. The Tigers came so close to winning the conference tournament and the hurt was still there. I did get a chance to briefly speak with assistant golf coach, Jordan Byrd, yesterday. Byrd said the Tigers are very fortunate to have two more shots at redemption with the upcoming NCAA regionals and nationals. The format has changed to match play in the finals and the Tigers are currently ranked fourth in the country. Could National Championship number two be in the cards for the Tigers this season?
Tigers
*I saw where the Atlanta Hawk’s live hawk mascot, Spirit, would not return to the handler and spent much of the first quarter flying around the arena. This might deter some from having live mascots but I have to admit I am jealous of Colorado, Texas, Georgia and especially LSU. A live Tiger lust outside of Death Valley would be awesome. Not gonna happen but it would be great.
Merging Highways
Just a quick reminder about the program Friday night at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville. The free event starts at 6:15 and should be over by 8. For more information call Brad Hughes Allstate at 864-292-3001. See you guys there!
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, William Perry.
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it does matter if heidi throws away the blue and goes with the red because that implies she has to take the blue one off, and i doubt anyone will have a problem with that.
Posted by chewbb23 on April 23, 2009 at 12:29 PM EDT #
Running Game Blog- I'd like to see the correlation of rushing success IN THE FIRST HALF to wins. In the second half, you're not gonna run as much if you're behind, and gonna run more, with more success, if you're ahead. I would bet there's a very strong correlation between first half rushing production and wins.
Posted by NoIntroduction on April 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM EDT #
This is EXACTLY what I, Mickey, and others have been complaining about for a while now!!
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/04/23/clemson-memos-reveal-top-20-obsession/
Folks like JudgeKeller are foolish & naive to think Barker's comments about a commitment to athletics @ CU are anything short of lip service.
CU, under Barker, has lost its' way and is NOT the same school or family it was when I was there in the early 80s. Our long stated school "mission" is being abandoned & successful athletics are seen as a negative. For what? One magazine's ranking & one man's ego driven obsession.
UVa, UNC, Texas, & Michigan are the top public schools in America, yet they get it, and understand academic AND athletic excellence work together to make a better university. Sadly the current CU administration does NOT get it. And we haven't since the early 90s.
Posted by flatiger66 on April 23, 2009 at 02:16 PM EDT #
I want Clemson to be excellent in BOTH athletics AND academics. If the top schools in the country can make that commitment, surely Clemson can as well, but like any other goal, success starts at the top and is based on the will of those in a position of leadership.
If you think the shocking downward trend those numbers Mickey posted for Clemson ACC Championships in the 80s, 90s, and now 2000s, were a coincidence you are blind!!
This board is full of orange tinted zombies buying every bit of BS coming out of Clemson. Barker is defended as strongly as that fraud of a coach Tommy Bowden. Yet the minute TB was fired, those same people were ALL-IN with Dabo.
Open your eyes people. Clemson is FAR from perfect and blind loyalty, be it religion, politics, or anything else, is stupid & dangerous!
Posted by flatiger66 on April 23, 2009 at 02:25 PM EDT #
TYCO's homerun didn't win the series vs. Oral Roberts. He hit that HR during the 1st game of the series. Clemson had to come back in the 2nd game as well to beat ORU and go to Omaha.
Posted by panicfan on April 23, 2009 at 02:32 PM EDT #
Mickey you say you are surprised between the correlation between our running game against strong defenses and wins? Are you kidding me?, you do not need a stat sheet figure this out.
Posted by Tigerbalm1 on April 23, 2009 at 07:39 PM EDT #
It's not that Barker doesn't get it, many Clemson Alums don't get it. Barker has done a fabulous job inspite of insipid support from Clemson alums who claim to love Clemson, but contribute nothing. Here's where real commitment is;
Texas endowment: Number 4 (behind only Harvard, Yale and Stanford)
Michigan: Number 9
University of Virginia: Number 20
UNC: Number 54
Clemson: Number 160
We are losing ground to the schools mentioned above in Athletic giving as well.
We need to make the kind of commitment to Clemson that Barker is making. Once you reach that level, your griping gets some respect.
Posted by jimjohns3 on April 23, 2009 at 10:50 PM EDT #
Michigan might be a bad comparable for "getting it" when a lot of you complain about the amount of money paid to coaches and facility upgrades. Michigan in the last decade has been notoriously cheap in paying coaches' salaries and has fallen behind in facilities in a number of sports. Men's basketball is a primary example where they did not shell out for a prime basketball coach, such as when they had a chance for Pitino in 2001, and have subpar facilities.
Posted by CUhoopster48 on April 24, 2009 at 01:06 PM EDT #
Posted by Red Cyclone on April 24, 2009 at 01:08 PM EDT #
Jim, CU has never had the money other schools do, never will. Besides money doesn't buy success. Commitment doesn't necessarily equal money, but our administration has clearly decided sports are NOT important and Mickey has repeatedly reported the facts, as have others!! Making excuses for our admin, or sticking your head in the sand, does NOT change those facts!!
CUhoopster, you are woefully incorrect. Michigan's AD budget is well over $100 million and dwarfs ours!! And I think you obviously never saw the size of the contract given RichRod if you think Michigan is being cheap.
As usual, you apologists on TNet MISS the point!! The 4 schools I listed are 4 of the top 5 public schools in the country, yet sports is an integral part of their identity & huge priority for their administration, alumni, & fans!
Posted by flatiger66 on April 25, 2009 at 07:45 PM EDT #
IF CU truly aspires to be on their level, then excellence in sports should be a piece of the equation. Had we not won the '82 national championship, we wouldn't even be on the map and be having this conversation. A FACT our current administration would be well served in recognizing.
Posted by flatiger66 on April 25, 2009 at 07:46 PM EDT #