Orange Blooded [3105]

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Posts: 1666

Joined: 2/1/04

State of the Program '06 (kind of long)

Nov 26, 2006, 4:05 PM

First off, I am absolutely ashamed and embarrassed to have Tommy Bowden as our head coach. This horse died at about 3:30 yesterday, but I’m still going to take a few shots at it. Pulling Reggie Merriweather on the last drive, especially in the red zone, is unforgivable. Bowden has made some big mistakes in his tenure here, and I can normally forgive him when he gets our team back on track. Even if we were to win the ACC championship next year, I would still want another coach.

Bowden has shown an uncanny ability for throwing players under a bus and playing favorites. He contradicts himself by saying that he’ll go with whoever has the ‘hot hand,’ and then sending Reggie to the sidelines for the one RB who has been cold for the last 4 games. (That’s not a knock on James; he’s a great RB who has done wonderful things for this program and will continue to be a major part of this team) It reminded me of pulling James for CJ on the goal line against BC.

CJ and James are absolutely phenomenal athletes. Their raw talent goes unmatched. But sometimes you just have to line up and play smashmouth football, and the go-to guy in that situation HAS to be Reggie. Even if they stack 9 in the box, Reggie will get you 3-4 yards on every play. Had we been willing to put Reggie in when we got into the red zone against Maryland, we’d be playing for an ACC championship. I agree that he should not be the starter, but he should have definitely gotten more than 4 carries in the last 6 games of his senior season. Spence and Bowden turned their backs on one of the most passionate players Clemson has ever had.

I was a bit of a moderate Bowden supporter when this year began. I thought he had us on the right track. A very small part of me still does. But even with the injuries we’ve had this year, there is not ONE excuse to explain why we are not playing for an ACC Championship other than the fact that our coaching staff is not getting the job done. Even after the bad game yesterday, I still think I have more faith in Koening than any of our other coaches. They’ve left Proctor in when he should have been pulled (VT game; let him be the starter the following week, but send him a message and get him upset so he’ll come to practice fired up), they’ve pulled Reggie and James in situations where they should’ve been the go-to backs (BC and Carolina), and they’ve failed to put our outstanding and talented players in a position to win.

The loss to the Gamecocks stings, but no one should be ready to explode over it. They were the better team yesterday, and I give all the credit to the Carolina coaches. The loss to Carolina, in Death Valley, is just the icing on what has to be the most disappointing season in Clemson history. More disappointing than ’04, more disappointing than winning only two games, more disappointing than any other season I can think of. I’m not NEARLY as upset over the game yesterday as I am with the fact that the only two teams with winning records that we beat will be playing for the ACC Championship.

We have a coach that is afraid to get his hands dirty. He’s afraid of hurting players’ feelings. With some of the bone-head calls he’s made this year, I don’t think it’d be too much of a stretch to say he’s afraid of winning. I don't think he will never get us over this hump. I don’t care if Korn comes in next year and throws a billion touchdowns, my faith in Bowden will NEVER be restored. We should have won it this year, and it did not happen. Nothing we can do in the future will take away from the disappointment that was the ’06 season.

I don’t deserve better as a fan. The people who deserve better are the players, who bust their butts all season just to be let down by the coaches. Yes, they’ve had some games where they underperformed, but it’s the coaches’ jobs to have the players ready to play and to make adjustments when things aren’t going the way we planned. With the talent coming back next year, we could win 8-9 games. But would anyone really be satisfied with that? Should we not expect more, given the talent and facilities and the mere fact that Bowden has been here for 8 years? This has nothing to do with the game yesterday, either. Nothing that happened yesterday changes the facts in this post. I’m as upset now as I was at 11:00 yesterday morning. I will always pull for the Tigers, but this might be the most disappointed I’ve ever been in pulling for a team.

Go Tigers

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Your interpretation of my post may lead you to think that I am in some way trying to say "the sky is falling."

This is not the end of the world. But I think there is something wrong with our program, something that should be addressed by those who care for it and want to see it be the best it can be. For me to not state my opinion, for me to sit back and not say anything when something I care for seems to be harmed, would cast me in the lot of the 'losing culture.' If I thought that our problems could not be fixed in any way, I would be a part of the 'losing culture.'

I was hoping that some could reply to my post with their own ideas for how to fix the program, which is not beyond repair. We can and will persevere, but I do want to address some of the things that are holding us back.

State of the Program '06 (kind of long)

Oh my...another member of "Fairweather Fans Anonymous"***

just b/c somebody expresses displeasure with the state of

We're 8-4.

we beat two high school programs in Temple and FLA ATL

and we beat Wake And Tech-meeting next Sat.***

we sure have a lot to show for it...***

I sure hope that makes you feel better knowing we beat the

it does...The future is bright if we can keep the nuts @ bay***

I believe the future is bright.. but some could say about

Re: I believe the future is bright.. but some could say abou

I hear you. At least wait til the season and NSD are over***

exactly, and that sucks.***

Not exactly

I wouldn't go there....***

How did you get that?

right, cause the coaching staff isn't part of the team.***

Give this man some HOF votes!***

i'm ashamed and embarrassed of you

Yesterday's game is only one game, not the whole season

Re: Yesterday's game is only one game, not the whole season

I don't think I ever went that far in my post

i would like to see Korn throw a billion touchdowns***

me too***

Yes, that a contradiction. I see where you're coming from

not smooth, but not wrong either. losing culture here.***

I disagree with the 'losing culture'

You're already cast your lot***

YOU cast me in that lot

wait until the season and NSD are over.

Good point. I may have been a bit premature.

got it***

Grow Up!!!***

To question our coaches makes me a child?***

I Agree with most of it!***

Anybody seen my violin?***

You can find it at the lost and found

We don't define "expectations" in the same way

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