Zimmerman Exploring His Options |
CLEMSON - Now that Tymere Zimmerman knows attending Clemson this fall is out
of the question, he's spending the next few weeks exploring his options. Among them are prep school - most likely Fork Union Military Academy - and junior college. And, it appears, possibly coming to school in January. A source close to Zimmerman said Tuesday night that the Marlboro County standout wide receiver is toying with the idea of taking the SAT again in the fall. If he can make up the 10 points he lacked in his closest attempt this spring, Zimmerman would enroll in classes beginning in January. Zimmerman told the source if that scenario played out, he may consider trying to join Clemson's basketball team as a walk-on for the second semester. *** Call it payback. Clemson, which was forced into playing Wofford College after Tulane canceled its Death Valley date for Sept. 8, apparently has returned the favor. Tuesday's edition of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Clemson canceled its 2004 game with Tulane in the Big Easy. Now the schools appear to be wrestling over which of the two is responsible for buyout dollars guaranteed once the contracts were broken. According to the story, Clemson officials maintain they are owed the contracted $225,000 buyout from Tulane backing out of this year's meeting. There also was a $200,000 buyout clause in place for the 2004 game. "As far as we're concerned, the contract is null and void for the whole thing because they did not live up to the first part of it by coming here in 2001," Senior Associate Athletics Director Dwight Rainey told the paper. "But we'll see. Since they canceled the 2001 game, we've taken the 2004 game off the board. "If you're asking me, has the financial end for the 2001 game been resolved, no, it hasn't. We contend we're owed a guarantee for that. By (Tulane A.D. Rick Dickson) canceling 2001, as far as we're concerned, he's canceled both games." Rainey also seemed to indicate Clemson was contemplating different avenues of dealing with the situation, since Dickson reportedly has refused to answer phone calls or letters. "I don't know what he's thinking," Rainey told the paper. "It's hard to get something resolved when you can't talk to the other party. But we've been very busy, and I'm sure he has, too. We expect to hear from him sometime to get it resolved." *** While Clemson fans everywhere are giddy about the upcoming football season, it's basketball providing some water cooler fodder at the moment. As reported Tuesday, a pair of incoming freshmen, Chey Christie and Sharrod Ford, made the Team USA-Texas squad for the Global Games, which take place July 22-26 in Dallas. The team will face squads from Lithuania, Yugoslavia, Germany and Senegal, among others. The press release which accompanied the announcement spoke of "highlight reel" moments by Ford, and quoted Team USA-Texas coach Keith McKinnon as being "impressed with Sharrod Ford. He is going to make the coaching staff at Clemson very happy." Undoubtedly, head coach Larry Shyatt already is.
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