Friday March 30, 2007

Friday E-Mail Bag

Friday E-Mail Bag
Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Mickey,
I enjoyed the comments from you and Roy this AM about the talent level of baseball in the state over the past few years and agree 100%. Gone are the days when Florida, California and Texas ruled the baseball world. Here's a couple of points I'd like to add:

Kevin

Kevin,

We are not the best at many things so we really need to promote the ones that we are. I think the baseball people across the country truly get how good Winthrop, CofC, Coastal and others are but most average sports fans do not.

Mickey,
I'm a die hard Clemson fan and I had a question after reading your latest blog on t-net today. What are the free throw percentages of the 3 recruits you listed in your blog today (cashmere wright, ...). As we all know free throw shooting is a problem for the basketball team so I was wondering if these guys can make the free points. I've looked all over the internet for these stats but I cannot find them. Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Nick

Nick,
I am not sure of the percentages and have not heard anything on Grant’s ability in that area but Oglesby and Stitt are considered excellent free throw shooters.

Mickey,
It frustrates me very much to see the comment of “to the likes of Western Carolina and Maryland” mentioned in your blog. I am a WCU alum, as well as an avid supporter of the WCU baseball team (the only solid sport that WCU really has). Western Carolina is not an easy win anymore. WCU is a strong team this year going 3-0 against ACC teams (all which were ranked at the time of their wins, with GT at #14, NCSU at #25, and Clemson at #6). They have also played a ranked Pepperdine and ECU team losing 3-1 and 3-2, respectively. With the addition of transfer Drew Saberhagen in the pitching department, as well as transfers Kenny Smith and former Tiger John Ingram slugging it out offensively, WCU is vying for the top of the Southern Conference. I do understand that Clemson has not come around as far as their offense goes, but, WCU is not a pushover, and didn’t get lucky in their win either.
Beth

Beth,
I apologize for offending you. I am a catamount fan. My dad played football at Western Carolina for Coach Bob Waters and I have always pulled for WCU. I have great respect for their football and especially their baseball program. I spent the first two years of my life in Cullowhee. My step daughter went there as a freshman before transferring to Clemson. I love WCU! But my point is that Western and Maryland are not the kind of pitching that Clemson will see this weekend against Miami or what they will see from most of the ACC or in the regionals, super regionals and World Series if they make it that far. Again, I hope you will accept my apologies.

Mickey,

Kirk,

Kirk,

I am not sure about the other legacies but need to check with some former players to see if Tree, Stan Rome or Dale Davis have some coming along. Since your e-mail the offense seems to be coming around in baseball so maybe the blog karma is working.

Mickey,
In answering Randy's Clemson/Georgia rivalry comments on 3/23/07, you mentioned that Herschel Walker only lost one regular season game and that was at Clemson. I am having trouble proving my memory to be accurate but I am almost certain that although Herschel, who is one of the two or three greatest college players ever, never scored a touchdown against Clemson during those three extraordinary years. Given his ability to score almost at will, that would seem to have been a near impossible feat. By the way, as a Tiger in Los Angeles, I greatly enjoy following Clemson from your perspective. I plan to attend my first spring football game in a few weeks.

Thanks,
Ed

Ed,
Clemson fans took a lot of pride in the 1980s of the fact that Herschel Walker and George Rogers never scored a touchdown against the Tigers so you are correct on that. Thanks for writing and stop by and see us when you get in town for the Spring game.

Mickey,

Steve

Steve,
Thanks for the e-mail. Ultimately the coaching staff will always be held responsible for wins and losses. My point is that it is hard enough to win when everyone is rowing in the same direction. I think most would be shocked if they knew the true attitudes of some of the administration. That is my opinion and the opinion of several close to the situation. They want you to believe them and want your money but some have really hurt athletics in recent years.

I see your point about the talent being there but can you ever have enough talent? Clemson is not good enough to where they can turn down talented players that could have helped them. It is a fact that the AARC hindered things. Everything I wrote in those pieces were facts. I wish they would win more and I wish the staff had made better decisions. But I also know how tough it is when they don’t have full support of the administration.

If you want me to be what Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, etc. are then please give me the support I need to get it done. If not then you are asking for unrealistic goals of your employees. I know that is not fair. Many of the top powerhouses like those huge schools have built in advantages so Clemson can’t get to that level without full support. If a kid can get an LOI to Notre Dame, Georgia, USC and North Carolina then he ought to be able to get one from Clemson.

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