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TigerNet Talk #129: 2/10/12

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:59:35 -0500

Clemson loses another close game in conference play to Maryland. Plus, we get your responses to the question of a fair analogy for watching Clemson basketball this season.

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TigerNet Talk #129 (24 MB)

Friday Email Bag

Mickey Plyler — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:01:40 -0500

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,
What is the significance of the number 23 on the jacket Danny Ford wore on the sidelines ?

Max

Max,
I heard there was no significance. I heard it was just an unclaimed number one year and the equipment manager just gave it too him. Maybe someone else has heard something more exciting.

Mickey,

Just wanted to send you a quick note about Randy Anderson. I was at Clemson starting in 1981 and graduated in December 1984. I worked at Redfern, the student health center while I was in school. Randy got injured in practice in what I guess must have been his freshman year. I think it was a knee injury but I cant find any record of that. Anyway, he had to spend a couple of nights at Redfern either prior to or after his surgery. Obviously, he was the big name on campus and I spent a bit of time talking with him. All I can remember is what a great guy he was and what a genuinely nice guy. When I walked into his room, he was reading his Bible and we just started chatting about his injury and life in general. Even though he was the big new football recruit, he was just as interested in me as the next guy. Although I was never a "friend" of his, I will always remember what a great guy he was. He was truly a guy that lived his life with a purpose and one that Im sure has heard "well done good and faithful servant." I look forward to seeing him in eternity one day.

David

David,
Thanks for sharing. I continue to hear the same type of stories about Randy. Thanks for adding to the story.

Mickey:

I read each and every one of your blogs posted on TigerNet. I love it. You are a true Tiger, but could you please use the spell check or proof read your work before pressing the Send button. As a journalist, you owe it to yourself and your readers to spell words correctly. Every other blog has a misspelled word. The most recent was in the Randy Anderson piece. You wrote his "wive and daughter". Wive is not a word...wife is correct. Again, I love your work and your passion for Clemson. Please just clean up your spelling.

I'm just saying...

Walt

Walt,
I know no one believes me but I read each blog four or five times before I put it up. I am not a good typist and have a ton of typos. But proofing your own writing is terribly difficult. I read it the way I meant it instead of the way it is written. It is something that a lot of people have a hard time with but I am the worst. My word processing software is the best offered on the iPad and it still misses so many words. I apologize. Believe me I wish I didn't have the issue.

Mickey,

I only heard a few minutes of your show this morning and was astounded at what parts of it I caught. How could any sports fan not have been excited about the Duke-North Carolina game last night. I am a huge, huge Clemson fan from the time of growing up and going to Dan's to eat before football games and remember being in Charlotte to see the memorable Pistol Pete verse Butch basketball game but I can tell you with me turning 60 this year, I will never live long enough for Clemson to have the basketball tradition and history that either Duke or Carolina have.

Sport is something that brings people together and unfortunately, it also pulls people apart. I hope one day Clemson will have half the banners that Duke and Carolina have hanging but even without that, I hope you will enjoy the spectacle that the games in Durham and Chapel Hill are because for basketball fans it does not get any better than that even for those of those that prefer ORANGE to either shade of blue.

Andy

Andy,
I despise both of those teams and can't make myself get excited about either. The shooting last night was great but the defense was awful. Duke is last in the league in field goal defense. UNC kept cutting under screens and gave up wide open looks. Give them credit for hitting open shots but the defense was atrocious.

Mickey,

I remember the ACC adding an extra year to Clemson's probation largely rumored to be lead by current ACC Commissioner Swofford. I believe that perception has lead to immense dislike for the man among Clemson fans. I am curious to your opinion: is he really that machiavellian about Clemson? Or will he pursue an additional year (if placed on probation by the NCAA) for Miami and UNC in the spirit of fairness? Your thoughts?

Maestro

Maestro,
Swofford is a Tar Heel and will be a Tar Heel. That is where his loyalty lies. He would never lead a charge to give UNC any extra sanctions. He is not a fan of Clemson because he was tired of Clemson kicking the Tar Heels' butts every year in football. That is my opinion but me I am sure others will disagree.

Mickey,
Let me say first and foremost that I think Coach Brownell is doing a great job as our head coach, we are definitely heading in the right direction with him. Now as to why I am writing today. That interview with our AD was ridiculous! Did Terry Don Philips really call out the Clemson fan base as being "bandwagon" fans!?! Really!?!?! Clemson fans are hands down one of the, if not THE most loyal fan bases in the country and for this man to lay the blame out our feet is ridiculous. It is way, way, WAY past time for this guy to GO! Did he really say WE are the reason for Oliver Purnell leaving because of our "negativity", what?!?!! Must have been those "Are you down with OPP" t-shirts that everyone was wearing, that negativity, right??? What was his problem with he crowd the other night, the size, it is the middle of the week, what did he expect, we aren't UNC or Duke, we aren't gonna sell out a midweek game, GET A CLUE! From what I could tell from the TV it sounded like it was loud and behind the team until the end, what was negative about the Clemson fans!?!?! In case TDP has been asleep, which apparently , he has, we haven't exactly been bringing in the championship trophies recently but they sure haven't stopped asking for MORE money! So this is how he expects to get people to donate more, calling them out as negative and bandwagon!?!! Shut up Terry Don and do Clemson a favor and resign, you are a disgrace! Am I wrong, Mickey, am I off base? Because after watching us get hammered on national tv in the orange bowl I sure as heck don't want to hear my AD call me out as being "negative" and "bandwagon"!

Steve

Steve,
I think Terry Don has gotten much better in the past year. He saw that his job was being evaluated and has since picked it up. However, the one thing a coach or AD can't do is criticize the fan base. That is something I am sure doesn't mean. He needs the fan base.

Mickey,

I know that conference realignment is a hot topic right now, but I realize that all that we hear is speculation and rumors until actual moves are made. I came across this post the other day and just wanted your opinion of whether or not this seems like a reasonable possibility, or just another rumor with little to no chance of happening.

http://www.tigernet.com/forums/message.jspa?messageID=11901206

A.B.

A.B.,
I have followed this expansion thing closely for a couple of years. I have talked to everyone I know to talk to but still have no idea of what will really happen. Tony Barnhart of CBS said it best when he said, "On this subject, you can be 100 percent right and breakfast and 100 percent wrong at lunch." I don't think anyone really knows where it is headed.

Mickey,
I really enjoy your radio broadcast when I am in the upstate, unfortunately I have been working in Charleston for the last year and a half and really miss the 104.9 broadcasts. I took off last Friday and learned the new line up on WCCP did not include Dan Scott show anymore. I know he got the new job at Furman. Is this the reason he isn’t in the new line up or was his show just cut from the line up due to lack of sponsorship?

The next question I have concerns your expertise and that’s recruiting. I know Clemson tried to get Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley in this year’s class and both of them signed with UGA which really puzzled me why Gurley went after Marshall had committed with the Stable they have down there. Had Ellington not come back for his senior year we would be hurting at RB and could be anyways if he has another injury plagued year. Do you think Clemson will put Zac Brooks at RB since we are short at the position and please expand on who you think Dabo and Chad will target in next years signing class at the RB position.

Thanks Mickey and I really enjoy your blogs as well!

Brett

Brett,
Our general manager made the decision to make a change but I am not sure of what he considered in his evaluation. I am not part of management and have no input.

Behind Ellington is Bellamy, Howard, McDowell and Brooks. Bellamy is the wildcard. He can be as good as any back in the league one day but he still has work to do on the field and off. Howard is solid. Brooks will have a transition to make but this spring will help. He is a terrific athlete but has never seen a college reactive field yet.

So far Clemson has offered Wayne Gallman of Loganville, Tyshon Dye of Elberton, Peyton Barber of Alpharetta and Tyren Jones of Marietta in Georgia.

In North Carolina they have offered Marquez Grayson of Lexington and T.J. Logan of Greensboro.

Clemson as not offered a running back from South Carolina yet.

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 email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie and Austin Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jeffords Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson.

Randy Anderson

Mickey Plyler — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:59:53 -0500

Randy Anderson
Losses hurt. Some losses hurt more than others.

In my lifetime Clemson has lost 195 football games.

Since I started really following Clemson football in 1974 Clemson has lost 157 football games. I can remember almost every one of them. They all hurt. Some of them hurt more than others.

Clemson has lost some recruits. It has lost some scholarships. It has lost some money.

But none of those losses ever hurts like it does when we lose a Tiger.

When former Randy Anderson passed away this week, we lost another Tiger.

Some Tigers are more significant than others and some made bigger impacts but every time a Tiger passes it hurts.

When we lost our leaders like Dr. R.C. Edwards, Frank Howard and Bill Wilhelm it really hurts because they lead us to become better Tigers.

When we lost Clemson legends like Bob Bradley, Banks McFadden and Jim Phillips it really hurt because they were a part of us and played such a huge role in us becoming Tigers.

But those gentlemen lead good, long, productive lives and gave everything they had. We miss them but they gave as Tigers for a very long time.

What really hurts is when we lose young Tigers who are taken from us before we ever expected it to happen.

Saying goodbye to a former Clemson player hurts and this week we had to say goodbye to former Clemson quarterback Randy Anderson. I think 46 is too young but God didn't ask me.

So we will have our memories of Randy and his days as a Tiger. I remember Randy being a highly recruited quarterback from Broome High School. He could have gone almost anywhere he wanted but he chose Clemson. He chose to be one of us.

When he did some criticized the selection because Randy was a pocket passer and everyone knew Clemson was not going to throw the football. Still Randy was a Tiger.

Randy was so good Danny Ford changed the offense for him. How many players could you say that about?

Clemson named Randy the starting quarterback in 1985 and became a passing team to start that fall. The transition was not smooth and turnovers set the offense back. The staff decided to go in a different direction and his days as a starter were limited but he remained a Tiger.

There were injuries and accidents. I remember the day he got locked out of his dorm room and tried to go in through a window. Randy suffered a serious injury that day when he cut his arm on the window. That injury and back problems held back his developments but he remained a Tiger until the day he passed.

Randy always turned adversity into a positive. When he lost his starting job as a quarterback he did not transfer. Instead he became a leader. When he found out he had cancer in 2006 he did not give up. Instead he started a children based ministry. That who Randy Anderson was.

Today we have his wive and daughter in our prayers. No one will ever be able to replace their husband and father. But we hope peace will find them and they will be able to tell great stories about the man they loved. They will be able to tell a story of a man devoted to his church and a man who fought a very brave battle with cancer since 2006. I know they will miss him but hopefully they will be comforted that he has to suffer no more.

His former teammates have been telling his inspirational story ever since they learned of his illness. They talked about Randy's grace and how he still lead his family and church.

Tigers passing away hurts the entire Clemson Nation especially when we think they are taking from us too soon. I am 43 and think 46 is still a young man. Some may debate that but there is no debating it when it happens to a man much younger than me like Gaines Adams. I still can't believe that day.

I guess the worst is when you lose a player that still a member of the team. It happened in 1985 when Marvin Montgomery died in an automobile accident before the season. Montgomery had as bright of a future of any player I can remember at Clemson but was killed before he ever played a college game.

It happened again in 2000 when Brandon Rouse died of a heart attack. Tommy Bowden's staff still talks about how hard that was on the entire program.

Losing Tigers is never easy. Young Tigers and old Tigers were still Tigers and are still missed.

Randy Anderson was a Tiger and a great one at that. He will be missed. Our prayers go out to his family and friends.

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 email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson.

Rewrite

Mickey Plyler — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 11:19:41 -0500

Rewrite
One of my favorite artist is singer/songwriter Paul Simon. I have most of his solo stuff and love his most recent album that came out last year entitled, "So Beautiful or So What."

A terrific song on the album is entitled "Rewrite." If you are a fan and have not heard it then I encourage you to download it.

The song is about a Vietnam Vet that is struggling financially because his work at a carwash is not paying the bills. The man is writing a screenplay but he wants to change the ending. We have to think the he is really talking about his own life when he says he wants to change the relationship a father had with his family.

The lyrics say:

I've been working on my rewrite, that's right
I'm gonna change the ending
Gonna throw away my title
And toss it in the trash
Every minute after midnight
All the time I'm spending
It's just for working on my rewrite
Gonna turn it into cash

I've been working at the carwash
I consider it my day job
Cause it's really not a pay job
But that's where I am
Everybody says the old guy working at the carwash
Hasn't got a brain cell left since Vietnam

But I say help me, help me, help me, help me
Thank you!
I'd no idea
That you were there
When I said help me, help me, help me, help me
Thank you, for listening to my prayer

I'm working on my rewrite, that's right
I'm gonna change the ending
Gonna throw away my title
And toss it in the trash
Every minute after midnight
All the time I'm spending
Is just for working on my rewrite, that's right
I'm gonna turn it into cash

I'll eliminate the pages
Where the father has a breakdown
And he has to leave the family
But he really meant no harm
Gonna substitute a car chase
And a race across the rooftops
When the father saves the children
And he holds them in his arms

And I say help me, help me, help me, help me
Thank you!
I'd no idea
That you were there
When I said, help me, help me, help me, help me
Thank you, for listening to my prayer

I don't know who writes the screenplays for Clemson basketball but I have seen the tragic endings too many times and am ready for a rewrite.

Last night Clemson was climbing back and fighting and clawing its way back into a game and finally had the small crowd back into the game itself. The Tigers had pulled to within three points in the final minute and the script had seemingly included a miracle finish. The Tigers missed two free throws inside the final minute that would have pulled them to within one point but the miracle was still intact when the teams best free throw shooter was fouled and was awarded three free throws.

We had seen this before this season. Tanner Smith had a chance to tie South Carolina but missed. Just this past Saturday K.J. McDaniels had a chance to tie Virginia Tech on the road after a frantic comeback but he missed.

But last night was different. This time Clemson had its senior point guard on the line. This time it was Andre Young who was shooting 88% from the free throw line. This was one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's best free throw shooters.

But I forgot. This is Clemson basketball. You know the rest. Young missed his first two and the Tigers lose another heartbreaker.

This is what Clemson basketball gives us so often.

I have seen this for 38 years. Many of you have seen it longer.

This is just hard to watch. Its hard to stomach. It is so frustrating.

The bad part is that almost everyone in the building knew he would not make all three. They had also seen this before.

I hate being pessimistic and hope that some day Clemson basketball fans can be rewarded for all of our frustration.

But for now we can just dream of sitting back and working on the rewrite. That's right. We so often want to change the ending.

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 email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson.

A Must Win

Mickey Plyler — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 16:13:11 -0500

A Must Win
I am perhaps the worst in America of being impatient when it comes to my teams and how much emphasis I place on the next game. I am guilty of putting so much into the next game because of what momentum comes with the next win. I always put too much into the confidence gained from the next win.

This basketball season I have had very low expectations for this team. I love Brad Brownell and this staff and think the future is very bright for the program but I have not expected much from this team. That is a good thing because this team has played hard at times but the results have been lacking and heartbreak has been the norm.

But tonight is different. This season does not hold much promise but if anything can be made of this season then it has to start tonight.

How Clemson can ever be a seven-point favorite in any ACC basketball game is beyond me but the Tigers have a big opportunity starting tonight.

The Tigers enter tonight's game with a 3-5 record in the league at the ACC's mid point in the season. There is a huge difference between 4-5 and 3-6 which makes tonight's game extremely important.

A win tonight means the Tigers get to 4-5 and travel to Winston-Salem this weekend to face a bad Wake Forest team with a shot at getting to .500 in the league.

A loss tonight means three straight losses and they head to Wake Forest with a 3-6 mark with little confidence.

Clemson’s four road ACC losses have come by a total of 11 points, with the largest a four-point defeat against a ranked Virginia team on Jan. 31. But a confident group of Tigers would have a decent shot at winning on the road and pulling to 5-5 in the ACC this weekend.

Maryland and Clemson are tied for seventh in the league right now with 3-5 records but the Terps have to play five road games in the second half of the season while Clemson has only four. Thus Maryland gets only three homes games in the second half compared to Clemson's four. This is big because neither have won on the road in the league this season. In fact Maryland has not won any game on the road this year.

Clemson needs to win tonight in order to have the tie breaker over Maryland in case they are still knotted at the end of the regular season. A higher seed might help in the ACC tournament considering the league is not as strong as it usually has been.

The Tigers have been frustrating to watch this season because many of the upperclassmen who have experience have not had great seasons. At the same time several of the freshmen have been slow to develop.

K.J. McDaniels seems like he is athletic enough to build around as earned his first career start at Virginia Tech and responded with career-highs in points (14), minutes (28), rebounds (5), blocked shots (5) and assists (2). His athleticism has provided some hope for the future.

The next class coming to Tigertown will be higher rated also. Brownell's staff has not had great recruiting success so far but next year's class will be his best and will provide more hope.

However, the best thing that can happen to this basketball program is a win tonight and a solid start to the second half of this season. If the Tigers can find a way to get to 8-8 in the league the season will not feel like a huge step backwards. This team is not going to the NCAA tournament but few expected it too based upon the losses of a couple of very good starters lost from a season ago.

This team has lost to teams like Charleston, South Carolina and Coastal Carolina at home which is inexcusable. They have also lost those close conference games in a down league which also really hurt.

But again if they find a way to get to 8-8 and an NIT bid then the season will not seem like a big step backwards.

It all begins tonight though. I just can't find eight conference wins without a win at home tonight against a 3-5 Maryland team.

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 email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James.

Pulling A Kyle Stanley

Mickey Plyler — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 11:46:11 -0500

Pulling A Kyle Stanley
Six years ago Clemson got a commitment in golf from one of the nation's top junior players and had to go out to Washington state to do so.

Hall of Fame golf coach Larry Penley had built his program and won a national title by staying local and signing players from the state of South Carolina. So I asked Penley why and how he ended up recruiting a kid from Washington state?

His answer was simple, "When you see him hit it you won't ask that question again."

Like always Penley was right. Now we have another former Clemson player that is the talk of the PGA Tour.

Kyle Stanley won the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale, AZ yesterday and accomplished several things in the process. He secured his first PGA Tour win. He moved to the top of the PGA Tour money list and the top of the points list in the Fed Ex Cup. He even moved the streak of a former Clemson player winning on the PGA Tour to nine straight years, which is the longest on tour.

But Stanley accomplished so much more than what can be written or described in words. When he won yesterday he overcame an eight shot deficit which was tied for the third largest margin ever on the PGA Tour. Yet it was his comeback from the previous week that was the biggest story.

Last week Stanley was the punchline.

"Did you watch Tin Cup yesterday?"

"Did you watch Kyle Stan de Velde?"

"Kyle Stanley pulled a Clemson yesterday, huh?"

Stanley had an seven shot lead in the final round of last week's PGA Tour event in San Diego, CA but was leaking oil coming down the stretch. On the 72nd hole Stanley made an eight. A snowman. The triple bogey prevented a win in regulation and instead he was headed to a playoff with two-time winner Brandt Snedeker. Stanley three-putted on the second play-off hole to complete a major collapse.

After the round Stanley was embarrassed and heart broken. His family was there to watch him win his first tour event but ended up being his strength at a time where he needed them. Stanley said, "I am not sure what I would not have done if it were not for my family this week."

What he did was take one day off then get back to work. He went to work on the only thing he could control and that was what was directly in front of him.

Stanley played well but still trailed by eight heading into yesterday's final round. His comeback was helped by Spencer Levin's final round 75.

It is ironic that it took Levin's collapse to help Stanley get over his own collapse just seven days earlier.

Stanley is now the talk of the Tour and in many ways the sports world. His perseverance could be a lesson to us all.

In fact, I think we could use this as a tool to reference Stanley when opportunity arrises. Whenever things look down and hope is lost, we can try to pull "a Kyle Stanley."

The next time Clemson's football team might be accused of pulling "a Clemson," they can turn it around and look at the opportunity to pull "a Kyle Stanley."

Clemson's basketball team is 11-11 and 3-5 in the ACC this season. Last week they lost twice in the final minute to Virginia and Virginia Tech on the road. Now they have an opportunity to pull "a Kyle Stanley."

The old tired phrase of, "when life hands you lemons you make lemonade," could evolve into, "when life hands you lemons, you pull a Kyle Stanley."

We may look back on yesterday as the turning point in a super star's career. CBS's Jim Nantz says Stanley can win big on the PGA Tour. Other golf announcers marvel at his abilities.

Penley told me this about Stanley one day last summer, "I was talking to Lucas (Glover) and Charles (Warren) and Jonathan (Byrd) and they say there are only two people on tour that tour players will stop and watch hit balls. One is Tiger Woods and the other is Kyle Stanley."

Penley has seen great players in his time at Clemson but he says that Stanley hit the ball it sounds different. He says this is a phenom that can win at the highest level and could be one of the Americans under thirty that can carry the PGA Tour.

But yesterday is what many will remember. Yesterday was bigger than golf. Stanley gave us inspiration to overcome adversity. He has inspired us to pull "a Kyle Stanley" when given the opportunity.

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 email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James.

Friday Email Bag

Mickey Plyler — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 10:03:00 -0500

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.

Hey Mick,
If you are placed in the care of a legal guardian and you turn 18 are you not considered a legal adult? You can vote and fight for your country at 18, right? Just curious if Josh Harvey-Clemons is 18 he shouldn't need the signature of a legal guardian, right?

Kevin

Kevin,
According to the NCAA website:
"A prospective student-athlete's parent/legal guardian must cosign the NLI with the prospective student-athlete if he or she has not reached the age of 21. Falsification of a signature or a signature by a party other than the prospective student-athlete and the prospective student-athlete's parent/legal guardian may result in a prospective student-athlete forfeiting the first year of eligibility at any NLI participating institution."

Mickey,

Ben Boulware TL Hanna LB 6-0 225 178 tackles as Jr., twice as many tackles as Tyquan Lewis or DJ Geenlee both Jr. or TJ Burrell who is only LB in this yrs class. Why hasn't Clemson offered? He grew up Tiger fan, parents IPTAY members, grandfather played at CU. What's the story??

Don

Don,
I have seen the Boulware boys play the last few years at Hanna and love their toughness. I know Ben has some big offers so far. I can assure you that the Clemson staff is very aware of him and has seen him and his film. I can tell you he is being evaluated at this point. I am not sure if the staff plans to offer Ben or not at this point.

Mickey,

For some reason it wouldn't let me post a comment on that blog. I believe you painted your chapel/masterpiece with that blog about the Commish and the football schedule. Is there really any truth to FSU and Clemson having talks with the Big 12? And if they did leave the ACC, would John Swofford sit on his crying couch and watch the Tigers and millions of football dollars run down the hill to a waiting OU or Texas Longhorns team? Meanwhile, Raycom could put on Swoffords self induced football game of the week, "Duke vs Syracuse," a game in which I'm sure would reach far corners of the U.S.A. "and or North Carolina," thrilling all 250 people in the stadium. I'll stop rambling on now. Just curious if there was truth to that rumor.

Thanks
Aaron

Aaron,
I cannot confirm that Clemson has considered the Big 12 or vice-versa. There is a lot of Internet talk but I have not confirmed any interest from either side at this point. I would remind you that it would cost any school $20 million dollars to leave the ACC at this point so I doubt that would happen anytime soon but that is just a hunch.

Mickey,
I love the idea of a new set of eyes watching over Clemson athletics. Who is on the Athletic Advisory Committee?

Thanks and Go Tigers!
Frank

Frank,
The Athletic Advisory Committee is Harry Frampton, Vail, Colorado; Steve Bond, Georgetown; Jim Bostic, Atlanta; Jim Brown, Florence; Ray Cash, Seneca; Tom Chapman, Atlanta; Charles Dalton, Pickens; Rich Davies, Charlotte; Helen Hill, Charleston; Rodney Williams, Greenville.

I am very interested to see what they think and how much influence they will have. This is one of the best ideas I have seen from the athletic department.

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

*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list.

Signing Day Impressions

Mickey Plyler — Thu, 2 Feb 2012 10:20:07 -0500

Signing Day Impressions
Like many of you, I was glued to the radio, internet, telephone and television all day yesterday. I came up with several impressions from everything yesterday.

Bad TV
There is a lot of bad television in today's world. We find ourselves watching Dance Moms, Swamp People, Parking Wars, Storage Wars, The Kardashians, Game Show Networks, DIY Networks, Tennis Network, Golf Channel, etc. You name it and it is on TV these days. But few things are worse than watching prospects get interviewed as they make their choice. ESPN does a lot of things well but Signing Day is simply bad TV. The coaches interviews were great but the players' skits to pick a school are bad.

No Drama
Clemson has seen more than its fair share of drama in recent years on signing day but yesterday was a fairly quiet day in Tigertown and the staff didn't mind that. The Tigers did not lose any commitments and added D.J. Reader on signing day. Again, no major fireworks but the lack of drama was welcomed by the staff.

Eight Early Enrollees
The latest trend in recruiting is to get players to graduate early and Clemson has its biggest group of early enrollees already on campus. Isaiah Battle, Oliver Jones, Patrick Destefano, Jay Guillermo, Bradly Pinion, Travis Blanks, Kevin Dodd and Zac Brooks are already on campus. This group will get a jump both academically and on the field as well. All eight players were at the recruiting event last night and this is a good looking group of big bodies.

Lines of Scrimmage
We hear coaches say the game is won and lost at the line of scrimmage. Clemson signed 20 players in this class and exactly half of those signees were offensive and defensive linemen. The Tigers inked four offensive and six defensive linemen.

Home Base
All coaches talk about your in-state prospects being the base of your classes each year. Clemson signed 20 players in this class and 11 come from the state of South Carolina. The Tigers signed four of the top 10 and seven of the top 20 players in the state according to rivals.com.

Playmakers
Last year's class brought in superstars like Sammy Watkins at the skill positions. This year the Tigers cold afford to be more selective in terms of numbers. For example they only wanted to sign one wide receiver and they got their man in a quick open field terror in Germone Hopper of Charlotte, NC. They love the versatility of Jonesboro, AR running back Zac Brooks. Jay Jay McCullough reminds the staff of Dwayne Allen and Chad Kelly is a dual threat quarterback that may be a perfect fit for Chad Morris' offense.

Position Move
We all have heard the rumors for weeks about defensive tackle Tyler Shatley and a potential move to the offensive line. That rumor became a reality Wednesday when Dabo Swinney announced Shatley would be moving to guard this spring. Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell and offensive coordinator Chad Morris have talked about the Tigers getting tougher on the offensive line next season. Shatley is considered one of the toughest players on scholarship and this gives the staff more options at guard. I don't think the staff made this move unless they thought Shatley could have a chance to start. This also leaves more opportunities for players like Tavaris Barnes at defensive tackle. Finally, this move may stick but if it does not then the staff could always move Shatley back to defense at any time.

Coaching Change
Clemson made a major coaching change when Dabo Swinney let Kevin Steele go and replaced him with former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables who is thought of as a great recruiter. Venables met with almost every defensive commitment and the Tigers held on to all of the players that committed to Clemson before the coaching change. Venables hit the road and saw several 2013 prospects as well but it was important that he went and visited the 2012 commitments and make them comfortable with the change.

Recruiting Wrap Up Show
Clemson does a lot of things well and has some attractive events for its fans. However few are as good as the Dabo Swinney Recruiting Wrap Up hosted in Jervey Gym every year. Coach Swinney talks about each signee and a highlight film on each signee is the focus if the event. If you have not attended I suggest you find a way to make it next season.

2013
Coach Swinney mentioned that next year the Tigers may be tight on scholarship numbers. Currently Clemson has 12 scholarship seniors in Andre Ellington, Jaron Brown, Brandon Ford, Matt Sanders, Dalton Freeman, Malliciah Goodman, Corico Hawkins, Tig Willard, Xavier Brewer, Jonathan Meeks, Rashard Hall and Spencer Benton. Swinney says at this time 11-16 spots are available for next year's class but that number is always fluid and I can see as many as 20 scholarships opening up before next February.

Early Commitments
Clemson received its second commitment for the Class of 2013 yesterday when D.J. Greenlee announced for the Tigers. Greenlee is a linebacker that is also the son of Clemson assistant strength and conditioning coach Larry Greenlee. The Tigers received a commitment earlier from offensive tackle R.J. Prince of Albemarle, NC.

Clemson received perhaps the biggest news of the day when 2014 future top 100 quarterback DeShawn Watson committed to the Tigers. The sophomore is 6-3, 180-pounder from Gainesville, GA had an amazing season this past year where he was 229 of 337 passing for 3,221 yards with 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Watson rushed 156 times for 1,073 yards and 16 touchdowns. He lead the state in touchdown passes and lead his team to a 12-2 record.

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

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum.

Eight That Made Signing Day Great

Mickey Plyler — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:20:11 -0500

Eight That Made Signing Day Great
I love recruiting and have followed it as a fan all of the way back to 1981 when the Tigers inked William Perry. Clemson has won a bunch of battles and lost some as well. The losses hurt in recruiting, especially when they turn out to be Hall of Famers.

Clemson has had great chances but did not sign players like Dan Marino, Herschel Walker, Tim Worley, Tony Rice and Tommie Frazier.

But the Tigers have also won their fair share of great recruiting battles in the end. I was not following it back in the mid-seventies but I am sure the day the staff got Steve Fuller was a big one.

In the last 25 years here are eight great signing day decisions that made Clemson fans jump for joy:

John Johnson
February 1987 was a time where things in recruiting were different than they were today. It was more like the Wild West were the rules didn't mean a whole lot.

Clemson and Georgia were battling head-to-head for a stud linebacker from LaGrange, GA named John Johnson. The future NFL linebacker ran more like a safety which made him a prize target. Some felt he was the top player in the Peach State in 1987 and the Dawgs don't usually lose players in South Georgia.

In fact, Georgia was the place Johnson committed to just days before signing day. But Clemson assistant Tommy West had other ideas. He made the last minute push for Johnson. Legend has it that he had Johnson hide out in a LaGrange hotel for the final days before he signed with the Tigers so Georgia boosters could not get to him.

It doesn't happen often but the day Johnson switched from Georgia to Clemson was one of the best signing days in Clemson history.

Anthony Simmons
Few people knew anything about Anthony Simmons before his senior yearat Spartanburg High School.

Simmons is the best defensive high school football player I have ever seen. Twenty tackles was an average night for this speedy linebacker. In the state title game in Death Valley his senior year in high school Dave Gutshall was the opposing coach at Dorman. Simmons made almost every tackle in the first half and dominated the game. Gutshall told his offensive linemen to tackle Simmons on every play in the second half. He said they will call holding some plays but they won't on every play and we can't do anything without tackling him.

Everyone recruited Simmons but it came down to Clemson and FSU. When Simmons chose Clemson the Tigers knew they had something special.

Clemson head coach Tommy West told me Simmons was the first true freshman he ever had that was the best player on the team the first day he stepped on campus.

Antwan Edwards
That same year Clemson had another battle with FSU and this one ended in a unique way. The Tigers and Seminoles had both traveled to Pascagoula, MS to recruit one of the nation's top defensive backs.

Antwan Edwards was courted by everyone in the south but this time it again came down to Clemson and Florida State.

I received word from West himself that Clemson received the All-American's fax with his signature. Clemson fans were ecstatic.

There was one small problem though, FSU had also received a signed letter. Edwards had signed with both schools. Eventually Clemson was the winner and Edwards made a huge mark on Tiger football but not before a signing day scare.

Roscoe Crosby
The Tigers and Seminoles went head-to-head in February of 2001again but this time it was within the borders of the Palmetto state.

Few players created the buzz that surrounded Union's Roscoe Crosby. The wide receiver was also a high draft pick in baseball but everyone still stayed on him in football.

Clemson assistant Rock Stockstill recruited Crosby for three hard years and was eventually the difference. Crosby wore number 25 on his jersey and Stockstill wrote 25 hand written letters on why Roscoe Crosby needed to come to Clemson.

I remember Stockstill telling me at 3:00 AM the morning of signing day that this was going to be a special day.

Many of us still remember the roar of the fans in attendance when Crosby revealed a Clemson jersey at a ceremony at his school.

C.J. Spiller
February of 2006 might have been the sweetest moment for Clemson fans on signing day. This was the day that C.J. Spiller strolled to the podium at Lake Butler High School and in front of a heavy crowd of Florida Gator fans he announced he was going to Clemson instead of Florida.

No one at the school expected Spiller to say Clemson. His family was pulling for the Gators but Spiller became a man and did what he wanted to do instead of trying to please everyone else.

The impact of that announcement will be felt for many years to come in Tigertown.

Dwayne Allen
On signing day of 2009 Clemson won another huge battle against Georgia and again it was a switch on signing day.

Dwayne Allen had been a Clemson lean but committed to the Dawgs just days before signing day. Something didn't feel right about that one. On signing day Allen instead opted for his original choice and inked with the Tigers.

Beating Georgia is always nice but especially when the player goes on to become perhaps the best tight end in school history.

Stephone Anthony
Last February Clemson signed four five-star players but had only two heading into signing day.

Clemson needed linebackers but was behind on the best in the Carolina's just a couple of weeks before signing day. Anthony was not a prospect that liked the media attention and quietly went about his recruiting business.

When he chose Clemson on national TV it made the program look great and started one of the best classes in school history.

Tony Steward
Also last year we saw Spiller 2.0. When ESPNU's cameras cut to Tony Steward's high school speakers were playing the FSU tomahawk chop and the students were decked out in Seminole gear.

Like Spiller, Steward's mom wanted him to stay close to home. She wanted her boy to play in Tallahassee and had no problem telling people.

But like Spiller, Steward shocked those in attendance and chose Clemson over FSU. Interestingly enough Clemson's staff had prepped Steward by using Spiller as example of how to do the hard thing and be your own man at the press conference.

Four five-star players including three from the Sunshine State but none were as sweet as Steward's announcement on national TV.

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

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie and motivateLocke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, Tricia Hood, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum.

The ACC's Big Three Sports

Mickey Plyler — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:32:30 -0500

The ACC's Big Three Sports
I watched the the Wake Forest-Clemson basketball game replay this morning and I am still amazed that the Demon Deacons could fall as far as they have in the past two seasons.

When Wake Forest played here two seasons ago Al-Farouq Aminu, Jeff Teague, James Johnson, Ish Smith, Harvey Hale, L.D. Williams, Tony Woods and Chas McFarland got off of the bus. The Deacs were were ranked third in the country on that January 17, 2009 day and were as talented as any team I have seen in this league.

Two years later and the program has fallen to unbelievable lows. How can this happen?

Two years ago Virginia's entire athletic department was under scrutiny from its alumni base. Not all UVA alumni care about athletics but the ones that do were upset at the direction of the program.

Fast forward to the 2011-12 academic year and Virginia seems to be the biggest surprise in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers almost won the ACC's Coastal division and had a successful football campaign that included a win at Florida State and a Chic-fil-a Bowl bid.

In basketball Virginia enters tomorrow night's game ranked and is considered one of the top three or four teams in the league.

The Virginia baseball team is rebuilding but is doing so after a couple of seasons where they were consistently ranked in the top ten and made trips to Omaha.

It seemed almost impossible to dream UVA would be this good in the three major sports in the ACC (I put baseball in the top three. Others may include women's basketball).

Florida State is the only team in the ACC that finished the season ranked in the final AP football poll, is currently ranked in the AP basketball poll and is in the Baseball America pre-season baseball poll. The Seminoles finished 23rd in football, are currently 23rd in basketball and are 20th in the pre-season baseball poll.

Clemson and North Carolina are the only two schools in the conference that have teams in two of the three polls. The Tigers finished 22 in football and are 16th in baseball.

North Carolina is seventh in basketball and ninth in baseball.

Virginia Tech finished 21st in football.

In basketball Duke is eighth and Virginia is 19th in the current poll.

In baseball Georgia Tech is 12th and Miami is 18th.

NC State, Maryland, Wake Forest and Boston College are the four ACC schools who are not in any of the three polls.

If you look at it by sport, the ACC has five teams ranked in the pre-season baseball poll. This seems about right. Virginia has been a power but is down this year but UNC (9), Georgia Tech (12), Clemson (16), Miami (18) and FSU (20) are baseball powers. NC State is the only other team in the league that has the kind of support to compete on the national level. So this appears to be an average year for ACC baseball which is one of the top two or three conferences in the nation.

In basketball the Blue Devils (8), Tar Heels (9), surprisingly the Cavaliers (19) and FSU (23) are the four ranked schools this week. The ACC is down this year due to programs like Maryland and NC State having turnover and new coaches. The league has seen more than its fair share of coaching changes and powers like Georgia Tech is a great example of how instability hurts your program. The ACC should be better than this on the hardwood.

In football the ACC takes a back seat to the SEC and has only three ranked teams in Virginia Tech (21), Clemson (22) and Florida State (23). Miami and North Carolina have had their problems with the NCAA and the results have shown on the field. The conference needs schools like Georgia Tech and NC State to rise back up to their potential.

I would summarize the rest of the ACC in terms of each schools big three sports like this:

FSU-Basketball is surpassing expectations but its time for football and baseball to rejoin the elite. There is too much history and tradition in Tallahassee for both to not be in the top ten.

UNC-Basketball and baseball are national title contenders. Baseball took a step back the last two seasons but appears to strong again. Football has been rocked by scandal and firings. Facilities and support here are among the best in the country.

Georgia Tech-Football was hot early in Paul Johnson's tenure and early this season but the Jackets 15-14 in the last 29 games under Johnson. Baseball gets another high pre-season ranking but seldom lives up to it. I am amazed at how their basketball program can be this bad.

N.C. State-State should be better than this in football. The Wolfpack are 33-30 under Tom O'Brien. The problem is recruiting but they have terrific support for football in Raleigh. Basketball is a mystery as well. State has been down and has shuffled through three head coaches since they have been significant on the national scene. Baseball is middle of the conference but also has potential.

Duke-The Blue Devils care about basketball and it shows. They have tried to act like they care about football and baseball but have made little strides. I am not sure what they can do to get the football program to another level. There is just not enough interest there.

Wake Forest-The Deacon enjoyed the miracle pulled by Jim Grobe and his staff by winning 20 games in 2006-07. Since then they are 22-27. Baseball was another solid program at that time but has been bad as of late. I just can't figure out how basketball has gone from one of the best to one of the worst in the country in two years.

Virginia Tech-This is a football school and it shows. Tech has been extremely consistent under Beamer. They just at least 10 games for the eighth consecutive season. Basketball is somewhat of a mystery. The new practice facility is good but Tech just can't over the hump. Baseball has little tradition and support.

Virginia-Two years ago baseball was a power and football and basketball were dead. Now football has picked it up and basketball is ranked while baseball rebuilds. I say this is the biggest pleasant surprise in the league. Virginia has risen from the dead (unlike Jefferson).

Miami-I guess I can understand basketball being bad. They have no support or tradition. However, Miami football and baseball are national powers who have done nothing as of late. The biggest issue at Miami is support. People in South Florida just don't have a connection to Miami Hurricane athletics.

Maryland-The Terps get a pass for baseball. Weather is bad and no tradition hurts. Ralph Friedgen went 31-8 from 2001-04 but the Terps are 46-50 since then. They fired a guy that went 9-4 for a guy that just went 2-10. Basketball is still the biggest mystery. Gary Williams won a national title in 2002 but the Terps have done little since.

Boston College-This has been a big disappointment. BC was a solid program but turnover has hurt in football. They are just bad in basketball this season and have done little since joining the ACC. Baseball is scrappy but they don't have enough scholarships to compete. We were told about a big market but this is a pro sports town and people don't care about Boston College athletics.

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

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie and motivateLocke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, Tricia Hood, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum.