Friday Email Bag

by Mickey Plyler - Radio Host - Fri Sep 16 10:53:15 GMT-04:00 2016

Friday Email Bag

Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions, please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Mickey,

Well, after we returned home from the game, I decided to wait a day to display my disappointment in another lackluster Clemson win and wait until after the polls came out to see if I was wrong in my thinking. Without a doubt, I was not wrong and the performance by Clemson the first 2 weeks does not come close to the performance that was needed. Clemson won against Troy and fell in the polls, Georgia beat whoever Nicholls is and fell worse than Clemson and it is very apparent that just winning is not enough despite what Dabo continues to say. In the age of playoffs, each week is a beauty contest and if you forget your makeup even 1 week it could cost you in the end.

Ok, the season just started and you can't win them all if you don't win the first 2, but let's be honest and call the performance against Troy as quite simply, not very good. I have no doubt that even as positive as he is, Dabo has a different message inside the locker room than he has in the press room. The results of the poll would support that he needs to have a different message. Certainly it is way too early to panic but as I told people near us in the stadium, there is a problem if in the first series, the number 2 team in the country does not think they can run on a 3rd and 2 against Troy and then does not come close to completing a pass. Did last year spoil us as fans, did it spoil the players, have opposing defenses caught on to what Clemson is trying to do The sense of urgency must start now because bad habits are hard to break and if anyone thinks Georgia Tech, Louisville and Florida State and all the other teams coming are up not heads and shoulders better than Troy, I hope the sand their heads are stuck in allows them to breathe. The beauty contest continues.

Andy

Andy,

I don't know for a fact, but I have heard Dabo's message got the team's attention. He has not been happy with the focus, and I think this was expressed very clearly.

You are right about the beauty contest. The eye test has not been passed so far.

It is too early to say how good this team is. Ask me after the Louisville game. I don't think it is the scheme. I agree with Herbstreit when he says Clemson is sleepwalking right now.

Let's hope we don't look back in October and say we should have seen the losses coming.

Mickey,

I very much enjoy the blog and your insight. DeShaun seems to be playing tight which seems to be a result of all the outside expectations and the pressure he is putting on himself to be perfect. Given all that is on his plate (student, athlete, team leader, etc) what do you think of limiting or eliminating him speaking with the media? He has plenty of other things to do and this might give him a mental break.

Look forward to your response,

California Tiger

California Tiger,

I think Deshaun addressed this clearly this week. I never would want to limit his interactions unless he requested it. That would have to be his choice. Let's see if his press conference Monday made a difference this week.

Mickey

I was listening to your response to the public outcry against some of Dabo's statements, and first of all I wanted to commend you on being such a positive spokesman for the community. You are spot on all the negativity out there.

I also wanted to give you a somewhat similar perspective, but still acknowledge all the darkness and negativity. I've written blog posts about it before, and I am a police officer, so it is hard to be oblivious to the negative. I'm not saying you are oblivious by any means. But I think for some, such as police officers, military men, and pastors - those that have to fight on a certain battlefield, either spiritually or morally and physically, we would be doing the public a disservice if we didn't acknowledge and warn against the negative and the evil out there.

That being said, I think people like you and Coach Swinney can be the opposite. Instead of warning against the darkness and the threats, you're pointing to the one thing that defeats darkness. You, with your radio show, and your fun blog posts to read, and your focus on Clemson sports, can point to the light shining from all the good things you see. And Dabo, with the remarks he said yesterday, and with the role modeling he puts on when he wears his coach's hat, can point to the light that beats it all...Jesus. That was the point he hammered on the most, and yet the NATIONAL media 'missed the mark' on his whole message, by focusing on the supposed negative, that some college professor was able to cite with his wisdom and resources, by not having to answer an off the cuff question.

These were just my thoughts as I enjoyed listening to you guys talk about it on the show this morning. Wanted to make sure you knew you've got listeners out there who hear you; we support you; and we appreciate you trying to turn the negative into a positive, instead of the opposite...which is what so many of US want to do out of human nature.

Thanks for making my mornings on the way to work a little more enjoyable...and GO TIGERS!!!!

God Bless

Jason

Jason,

Thanks for the very kind words. I can't imagine the stress and pressure y'all face every day. Thank you for making our communities safer. Thank you for your bravery and selflessness.

Mickey,

I was disappointed to hear that Nuk Hopkins said that Dabo was not allowed to have an opinion on the star spangled banner issue since he was white. I'm not as big of a fan of Nuk now, but my opinion doesn't count either. I'm really not sure anymore what I'm allowed to have an opinion on. Is there anything that Nuk Hopkins is not allowed to have an opinion on?

Thanks!-David

David,

I had two issues with Nuk's comments. First was the assumption that unless you have lived it, you should not speak about it. If that were the case, I would not have a show. I have never played college football or coached the game. Therefore, according to this line of thinking, I shouldn't talk about it. I have never held public office, should I not have an opinion about our politics? I never fought in World War II, but can't I read about it and watch documentaries to have a better understanding and form opinions. I have never lived a day as a woman, but can't I takes steps to try to understand issues that my wife, mom, sister and nieces face?

Second, he said don't speak when you have no idea what is going on. In my opinion, Dabo has enough contact with black coaches, players, parents, administrators, friends, neighbors, etc. that he has some idea of what is going on. Nuk is entitled to his opinion. I happen to disagree with two aspects of what he said.

Mickey,

There are about 14,000 high schools in the US that field a football team. Assuming each team has one punter, why is Clemson having trouble finding one?

Ken

Ken,

Last year they were shocked when Pinion left school a year early. This year they brought in a walk-on like most schools, but he has not beaten out the incumbent. To your point, though, punting has not been good and is something that needs to be addressed.

Mickey, been listening to talk of coaches and players and it is good to see a common theme of “we need to get better”. You can see a sense of urgency, which is what we need right now. It’s a good time to be bad, as they have an opportunity to improve to “the standard”. I agreement your comment that you can’t win a championship in September, but you need to come out of September with a high level of confidence and swagger. If we don’t play to “the standard” on Saturday, then doubt starts to creep into the picture. Personally, I think we will be just fine and the last two weeks has been what this team needs to propel them and remind them what can happen. It’s a good time to be bad, but the best is yet to come.

Stuart

Stuart,

In three weeks we will be saying one of two things, either, "we should have seen this coming" or "this team didn't peak too soon." I am hoping they will away from their sleepwalking session soon.

Mickey,

I have been a huge Clemson fan since I was a kid, and I never thought I would see the day where I would have to choose protecting my wife and children over supporting Clemson. Clemson has aligned itself with the ACC and NCAA in a frontal assault on the state of North Carolina over it's HB2 law which prohibits men from using the women's bathroom and vice versa. Apparently Clemson and the other members of the ACC don't care about protecting our women and children when they voted for boycotting the state of North Carolina.

Clemson has branded itself over the years as a "family friendly" university.

Thousands of families have supported them for generations and this is a slap in the face to every decent family to whom Clemson owes their success.

As much as I love Clemson, I must choose to stand for the safely of my wife and family and the families in North Carolina and boycott Clemson unless they cease to support the boycott of NC.

Can you provide contact information to the president of Clemson as well as any other departments in the school that are a part of this decision? Also can you provide us with contact info for the NCAA and ACC?

We the fans deserve to have our voices heard. I call on all other fans, alumni, and donors to contact the powers that be at Clemson, ACC, and the NCAA, and voice their displeasure and outrage and let them all know that unless they change their view that we will not be supporting them by going to games, purchasing merchandise, etc. In other words, if they will not change their minds in their boycott of NC, we will boycott them (including Clemson).

Maybe if they experience a loss of support and revenue, they will come to their senses. We have to choose the right and the protection of our families over football. They are forcing us to choose. Thanks for your blog.

-Isaac

Issac,

I don't' agree that Clemson doesn't care about protecting our women and children. Clemson cannot leave the NCAA and will not leave the ACC. That is impossible.

I don't think you have to choose between the safety of your wife and kids and Clemson. I would never put my wife in a dangerous situation, but she is going to games. I don't think there will be a significant impact of fans boycotting Clemson, but you have to do what you think is best. I totally disagree that I have to choose between family and football. The law wasn't around for the first 48 years of my life, and I have felt safe, and my family has felt safe. Clemson is a big part of my family, and there is no one forcing me to choose between them. We will agree to disagree.

The presidents' email address can be found at www.clemson.edu. The ACC's office addresses can be found at www.theacc.com. I am not sure who to contact at the NCAA, but their website is www.ncaa.org.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

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