Lee and I had a great time at the Media Golf outing at the Woodcreek Farms Country club. It's always interesting to meet new people and hear different opinions about the Gamecocks. Here are a few things I walked away with from the tournament:
Quarterback
Tommy Beacher is the quarterback, however I would expect Stephen Garcia to be in uniform come Friday. One name that was barely mentioned was Chris Smelley (however there was a reference to another quarterback that had a tendancy to take long sacks. I don't believe the number 12 is going to be retired any time soon in Columbia). Coach Spurrier is hitting the reset button on the QB position and starting with fresh faces this year.
Play Calling
Coach Spurrier Sr. is still in command, however the administrative work will be put on Steve Jr. This entales weekly meetings, and organization. It's still Dad's show on Saturday though.
Offensive Line
This unit keeps coach up at night. He feels he has the talent, but feels that they can be coached better (along with a few other positions on the field). This is concern number 1 for USC.
Confidence
Coach Spurrier was back to his old self last year and set the bar high. In retrospect, he had every reason to. The Gamecocks were closer than what their record indicated to being in contention in the East. No such confidence/brashness this season. The schedule strength was brought up, along with his conclusion that they aren't a great team. No predictions of championship contention as Spurrier knows that if the Gamecocks slip once this season, it could be the team's first losing season since 2003. Spurrier would rather stay under the radar, win the games the Gamecocks are supposed to, catch an upset against LSU or Tennessee at home, and surprise everyone with a decent 8-4 season.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Put the Garnet Kool-Aid down
Over the past twelve months, I've grown to appreciate the in-state rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina even more. Being around Williams Brice for the Kentucky game on a Thursday night along with feeling the atmosphere before the Florida game enhanced my appreciation a lot for the folks down in Columbia.
However, our latest fan poll has been split about 50/50 to who would have more wins this season, Clemson or USC. At the time of this report it is 53/47 in favor of Clemson. In my opinion, this is still too close.
Too many Gamecock fans didn't want to see Clemson win this poll because in their minds it equated to Clemson having a better season. This is simply not the case. Clemson could go 9-3 this upcoming season and that would be an absolute disaster in Tigertown if that record didn't include a trip to Tampa in December. However, on the same note Carolina could end the season at 8-4 and all would be merry in Columbia.
So when you really think about it, given the SEC schedule USC has to deal with, and the cakewalk Clemson has in the ACC, could anyone look themselves in the mirror after saying South Carolina will have more wins than Clemson this year?
However, our latest fan poll has been split about 50/50 to who would have more wins this season, Clemson or USC. At the time of this report it is 53/47 in favor of Clemson. In my opinion, this is still too close.
Too many Gamecock fans didn't want to see Clemson win this poll because in their minds it equated to Clemson having a better season. This is simply not the case. Clemson could go 9-3 this upcoming season and that would be an absolute disaster in Tigertown if that record didn't include a trip to Tampa in December. However, on the same note Carolina could end the season at 8-4 and all would be merry in Columbia.
So when you really think about it, given the SEC schedule USC has to deal with, and the cakewalk Clemson has in the ACC, could anyone look themselves in the mirror after saying South Carolina will have more wins than Clemson this year?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Random Thoughts
On Sunday Lee and I had a great time with Rolling Thunder, raising money for veterans in the area along with awareness for the POW's and MIA's out there. This group was a fun crowd at Therapy Now and it was a privalege to be involved with them.
Home Run Derby/All Star Game
How about Josh Hamilton last night. The only thing missing was a trophy for him at the end. His story is an honorable one. Anyone that comes back from an addiction to crack to lead a decent life is pretty remarkable, but to see what Hamilton did last night was pretty inspiring. Drug addiction continues to be one of our nation's biggest problems, and hopefully Hamilton gives hope to those battling with the disease.
It's a shame to see an Americana Event like the All Star game diminished to nothing more than baseball's version of the NFL Pro Bowl. More is made out of the voting than the game itself. Imagine if the Pro Bowl was played in week 8 of the NFL season, and decided what team hosted the Super Bowl. This is how clueless MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig are.
Brett Favre
Doesn't it seem like Groundhog Day in Green Bay? It's been a four year retirement ceremony for Favre. It's time for him to follow the way of Johnny U, Namath, and Montana by ending his career with another team. The Ravens have said no thanks, and I think the Jets aren't competitive enough. Tampa Bay is a good bet.
I'm going out on a limb here, but how about Buffalo? Green Bay was huge on JP Losman the year before they drafted Aaron Rodgers. Both Favre and Losman want out of their respective cities, and you allow second year starter Trent Edwards and chance to learn behind an all-time best. As a professed Bills fan, some would say this is wishful thinking but I think this would be the best scenario for both Favre and the Packers. He's on a somewhat competitive team in the AFC. We'll see.
Home Run Derby/All Star Game
How about Josh Hamilton last night. The only thing missing was a trophy for him at the end. His story is an honorable one. Anyone that comes back from an addiction to crack to lead a decent life is pretty remarkable, but to see what Hamilton did last night was pretty inspiring. Drug addiction continues to be one of our nation's biggest problems, and hopefully Hamilton gives hope to those battling with the disease.
It's a shame to see an Americana Event like the All Star game diminished to nothing more than baseball's version of the NFL Pro Bowl. More is made out of the voting than the game itself. Imagine if the Pro Bowl was played in week 8 of the NFL season, and decided what team hosted the Super Bowl. This is how clueless MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig are.
Brett Favre
Doesn't it seem like Groundhog Day in Green Bay? It's been a four year retirement ceremony for Favre. It's time for him to follow the way of Johnny U, Namath, and Montana by ending his career with another team. The Ravens have said no thanks, and I think the Jets aren't competitive enough. Tampa Bay is a good bet.
I'm going out on a limb here, but how about Buffalo? Green Bay was huge on JP Losman the year before they drafted Aaron Rodgers. Both Favre and Losman want out of their respective cities, and you allow second year starter Trent Edwards and chance to learn behind an all-time best. As a professed Bills fan, some would say this is wishful thinking but I think this would be the best scenario for both Favre and the Packers. He's on a somewhat competitive team in the AFC. We'll see.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Top Sports Stories of the Sports Calendar
First, let me say its great to be back. It was too long, and my dog was getting tired hearing my analysis of the AFC Divisional Playoff game.
Anyways, as we have discussed on the show the sports calendar does not coincide with the normal calendar (aparently the Romans didn't get the memo on how the world now revolves around a fifth season known as football). So to fill up this downtime before kickoff on August 28th, we've reviewed a few of the biggest stories of the last "sports calendar" year.
The choice to me is pretty clear. The Patriots losing the Super Bowl to the Giants is the biggest story not only because it was one of the biggest upsets we have ever witnessed, but also because it is just one chapter in the epic of "Spy Gate" which has seemed to just recently ended. Its a story that has paralleled Star Wars at certain turns. Belichick (Darth Vader) as the vilain who went to the dark side of the sports world after turning against his mentor, Bill Parcels (Obi Wan), to rule the NFL Empire until being brought down by another Parcels pupil, Tom Coughlin (Luke). This story has rippled the fabric of a Billion Dollar industry that we thought was invincible given the struggles of other professional leagues.
No offense to Tiger, Dale Jr., or even the in-state stories of USC's losing streak and Tommy Bowden flirting with Arkansas. The Patriots losing the Super Bowl was the climax of the biggest epic that calls into question the legitimacy of what we have seen in the NFL over the past 7 years.
Anyways, as we have discussed on the show the sports calendar does not coincide with the normal calendar (aparently the Romans didn't get the memo on how the world now revolves around a fifth season known as football). So to fill up this downtime before kickoff on August 28th, we've reviewed a few of the biggest stories of the last "sports calendar" year.
The choice to me is pretty clear. The Patriots losing the Super Bowl to the Giants is the biggest story not only because it was one of the biggest upsets we have ever witnessed, but also because it is just one chapter in the epic of "Spy Gate" which has seemed to just recently ended. Its a story that has paralleled Star Wars at certain turns. Belichick (Darth Vader) as the vilain who went to the dark side of the sports world after turning against his mentor, Bill Parcels (Obi Wan), to rule the NFL Empire until being brought down by another Parcels pupil, Tom Coughlin (Luke). This story has rippled the fabric of a Billion Dollar industry that we thought was invincible given the struggles of other professional leagues.
No offense to Tiger, Dale Jr., or even the in-state stories of USC's losing streak and Tommy Bowden flirting with Arkansas. The Patriots losing the Super Bowl was the climax of the biggest epic that calls into question the legitimacy of what we have seen in the NFL over the past 7 years.
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