Friday July 16, 2010
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,
Thanks for your blog about Steinbrenner and referencing his leadership style... I wanna make a comment about something you mentioned at the beginning of the blog. The quotation that "Championships Begin With Scholarships" is the biggest load of crap I've ever seen. It makes me want to vomit every time I see it. (forgive my colorful description, but it makes me that angry...) Since when did we miss out on winning a championship because we lacked the funds to give a scholarship to any particular athlete or group of athletes? Back in the '80s when we were winning national and conference championships, was it the fact that we were fully funding our scholarship offers or was it because of men like Coach Ford, Coach Ibrahim, Coach Penley, Coach Kriese, the AD leadership, etc.. etc.. ?
I'm sick of it. If our administration thinks that this slogan is what's going to generate revenue, then they are sadly mistaken. Please forward this on to anyone in the AD that you think even remotely cares. I'd be happy with a leadership change, if the change was a move in the right direction... Always a risk, but new blood in the AD is definitely needed if they think that "Championships Begin With Scholarships" should be their tag-line... Where are my championships!? Where is the accountability!?
Respectfully,
Ian
Ian,
Thanks for the e-mail. I understand the idea of what they were trying to accomplish with the slogan but I also understand your point. They were trying to make a point that your money goes to young people and their opportunity is a valuable one. They were trying to say that IPTAY should not be just about tickets and parking and they wanted to point out that it is really about the student-athletes. However, donors do want to win and want to know when the championships will follow these scholarships. It’s funny how some are held accountable to standards and others are not though. I thought you made a few very valid points. Thanks for the e-mail.
Mickey,
I saw where we offered and received a commitment from a linebacker from Charlotte, NC...why, when we are in on big time linebacker commits? Do the Clemson coaches evaluate prospects better than rivals, scout, espn, and other coaching staffs in the southeast...(that's a whole scholarship--haha)
Thanks,
J
J,
I do think each staff in the country evaluates every player they are recruiting and each board is different from the recruiting experts. It is such an inexact science and both sides will make mistakes. There are a bunch of examples of players that Clemson has liked that others did not that turned out to be terrific players and many that Clemson did not like that also turned out to be outstanding players. In this case, I can see this young man turning into the next Chad Diehl and become a valuable H-Back.
Mickey.
Enjoyed your “Clemson’s Steinbrenner” piece on Wednesday, and it got my wheels turning. I don’t think there’s anyone in the CUAD who is even capable of coming close to Steinbrenner (they’ve more than proven that), so replacements would have to be in order.
In light of TDP’s supposedly bad health and looking into the future, I pondered replacements: Dwight Clark (exec for two NFL teams after his playing days) or Mark Richardson (instrumental in creating the Panthers franchise), or perhaps Jeff Davis who I think is far and away the best internal candidate. What I don’t know is if they could lead the CUAD in a Steinbrenner-esque way like McClellan did, but they would definitely be perceived as upgrades and generate major buzz for the most part. Thoughts? Because nowadays with the utter lack of support by university officials (unless you count talk), it would take a “Big Stein” type to take on the university brass and truly champion and defend the football program instead of being a milquetoast yes-man.
And if he can fire people like it’s a bodily function while enjoying eggplant calzones and cooking jerseys, well that’s just a bonus. :)
Marc
Marc,
I don’t know enough about who would be interested and who would be qualified. I would agree with you in that the next AD needs to stand up and fight for what he believes in and fight for his department. When funds continue to get cut in any big business with multiple departments, often it is the managers of the departments that fight for support that end up benefitting the most. A magnetic personality would help in that fight. A passionate person would also help. I think the next AD at Clemson will be crucial to the success of the department because of the new environment he/she will face.
Mickey,
What did Trevor Booker receive from Washington Wizards? I heard he signed. Any news on CJ and when he will sign?
Gerald
Gerald,
I saw where Booker signed but I have not seen the terms. In the NBA, the contracts are different. Because he is a first-round pick, he is guaranteed a roster spot but his salary is tied to his draft spot. I have seen where the top draft picks in the NFL are just now sitting down and getting serious about signing. I think we will see Spiller get inked and get ready before training camp begins in a few weeks. I know he does not want to hold out and miss any camp time.
?Mickey,
In regards to guys coming back to Clemson I know you can't remember everyone, but don't forget Charlie Bussey.
Have a good day.
Keith
Keith,
Like so many other former players, Clemson became a better place when Mr. Bussey came home. He continues to work hard for the place he loves.
Hi Mickey.
Based on what I've read from Dabo, et al, it seems that senior QB (and all-around warrior) Michael Wade has a pretty good "grasp of the offense", but Wade doesn't possess exceptional physical talent, whereas redshirt freshman Boyd possesses exceptional physical talent, but (as of spring) didn't yet have a grasp of the offense. In fact, it sounds like there was concern from the coaches that Boyd's grasp of the offense in spring 2010 lagged Parker's grasp in spring 2009. Is that an fair assessment?
I think there's not much that Wade can do to improve his physical talent. But it seems that Boyd could do a lot over the summer to improve his grasp of the offense. What has Boyd been doing this summer in that regard? How much time each day, if any, does he spend watching game film, studying the playbook, etc? How much time does spend practicing with his teammates (and do the defenses deliberately provide different looks for him to recognize)? Is he working with any outside coaches?
Keep up the great work!
RazzMaTazz
RazzMaTazz,
While it is hard to simplify each issue in the development of quarterbacks, I do think your assessment holds water. I do know that Boyd is a tireless worker who puts in a lot of time in preparation. If Parker is gone, I think the starting quarterback situation might come down to the fact that Wade will have to be much better than Boyd in camp if he wants to win the job. If it is close, I think the staff goes with Boud because he is a freshman and has a higher ceiling.
Mickey,
Isn't there some way that you can keep ignorant Coot fans (Bacnblk) out of the Friday email bag? We were all dumber for having to read through both of her emails.
I also have a recruiting question...let's say that KP leaves, which is likely. Can you enlighten us on what the coaches are thinking and saying about the depth (or lack thereof) at quarterback? In 2010, we will have Tajh Boyd and Mike Wade, with two walkons behind them. In 2011, we will have Tajh, a true freshman in Tony McNeil, and the same two walkons. That's alot of pressure on Tajh not to get hurt or struggle with the offense. Is there anyone on the recruiting board at QB for 2010 or 2011 that the Tigers have a good shot at landing to help depth?
Thanks for all of your work on the blog! I read every day!
Chaz
Chaz,
First, I don’t think anyone envisioned Kyle Parker having the kind of baseball season he enjoyed and becoming a first round pick. Also, they think McNeil is talented and I would look for the staff to sign one more quarterback in this class. It is hard to sign enough quality quarterbacks because of the situation they faced. Many prospects were scared off because they thought Willy Korn would be the man at Clemson through 2011 but then Parker won the job. Many prospects thought Parker would be the starter through 2012. Now they see Boyd as the potential starter through 2013 so it is hard because of how young they are there.
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Posted by Mickey Plyler
@ 08:13 AM EDT
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