Winners and Losers From A Hectic Weekend
posted by Scott Hood, Monday, April 27, 2009
WINNERS:
1. Kenny McKinley: For all he gave to the Gamecock football program over the last four years, I was hoping he would get a chance to make a NFL club. His fifth-round selection by the Denver Broncos was right on target with what the draft analysts had predicted he would land. McKinley fought the perception for his entire college career that he was too small or too slow to play major college football, but he went out and excelled, becoming one of only a handful of receivers in SEC history to collect more than 200 career receptions. I think he will have a solid NFL career as a second or third receiver.
2. Ryan Succop: Being ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ has its rewards. Like a free one-week vacation in late June to Huntington Beach, CA where he’ll be wined and dined for being the last player selected in the NFL Draft. But, more importantly, Succop was also picked by a team that he has a great chance to win a job. By all accounts, Succop has a much stronger leg than the current Chiefs kicker. If Gamecock Nation is any indication, I have a feeling that shirt sales among female Chiefs fans is about to go way up.
3. USC Men’s Golf Team: Next stop, the NCAA Tournament. USC registered its fourth team tournament win of the season this past weekend at the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va. It was the final tournament until the NCAA Tournament kicks off May 14 at various Regional sites throughout the United States. USC finished tied for fourth at the SEC Championships two weekend ago and head coach Bill McDonald was slightly disappointed at the showing when I spoke with him last week before the Gamecock Gala. USC has an outstanding team this year led by the Bryan brothers (Georga and Wesley) and is very capable of making a lot of noise in the NCAA’s. The Gamecocks have been motivated all season by the poor showing in last year’s NCAA Regional and they intend to get back to the form they showed two years ago when they captured the NCAA West Regional in stunning fashion.
Honorable mention: Stoney Woodson.
LOSERS:
1. Emanuel Cook: The last few months have not gone well for Cook. First, he was declared academically ineligible for the Outback Bowl. Then he performed, well, not so great at the NFL Combin and USC’s Pro Days. The result? Cook went undrafted this past weekend and will now try to earn a living as a pro football player the hard way: as a free agent. Obviously, whoever convinced Cook to leave school one year early gave him pathetically poor advice and should be chastised for it. But it was ultimately Cook’s decision and now he must live with the consequences. Let’s hope he finds a way to earn a spot with a NFL club. I’m sure if he could rewind the tape Cook would have stayed academically eligible for the bowl game and returned to school for his senior season. But it’s too late.
2. Jamon Meredith: When Meredith was interviewed last week on 107.5 FM The Game, he suggested poor word-of-mouth from USC coaches (he didn’t name names) had hurt his draft stock. Still, he believed he would be a first day pick. It didn’t happen. Meredith fell all the way into the fifth round, about two or three rounds later than most draft analysts had predicted. As a result, his signing bonus will be substantially less than what it would have been had he been a second rounder. The consolation Prize for being a little lighter in the wallet is he gets to play for one of the proudest franchises in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers.
3. The USC Baseball Team: Being swept at Florida was not what Ray Tanner had in mind on the heels of an embarrassing 12-2 loss to Clemson last Wednesday night at home. Little went right for the Gamecocks in Gainesville in any area - pitching, hitting or defense. USC is now 9-12 in the league and holds down the No. 8 spot in the race to qualify for the SEC Tournament. In that regard, they appear to be in good shape. However, for purposes of the NCAA Tournament, USC must win at least six of their final nine SEC games and finish 15-15 in the league to have a legitimate shot of making the 64-team field. USC must win five of six games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee over the next two weekends to avoid having to beat powerful Georgia two out of three to make it.
Honorable mention: Captain Munnerlyn.
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This past weekend was a buzz of activity with the NFL Draft, the South Carolina baseball team playing a key three-game series at Florida and assorted other happenings. Here is my list of the weekend’s top winners and losers:
WINNERS:
1. Kenny McKinley: For all he gave to the Gamecock football program over the last four years, I was hoping he would get a chance to make a NFL club. His fifth-round selection by the Denver Broncos was right on target with what the draft analysts had predicted he would land. McKinley fought the perception for his entire college career that he was too small or too slow to play major college football, but he went out and excelled, becoming one of only a handful of receivers in SEC history to collect more than 200 career receptions. I think he will have a solid NFL career as a second or third receiver.
2. Ryan Succop: Being ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ has its rewards. Like a free one-week vacation in late June to Huntington Beach, CA where he’ll be wined and dined for being the last player selected in the NFL Draft. But, more importantly, Succop was also picked by a team that he has a great chance to win a job. By all accounts, Succop has a much stronger leg than the current Chiefs kicker. If Gamecock Nation is any indication, I have a feeling that shirt sales among female Chiefs fans is about to go way up.
3. USC Men’s Golf Team: Next stop, the NCAA Tournament. USC registered its fourth team tournament win of the season this past weekend at the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville, Va. It was the final tournament until the NCAA Tournament kicks off May 14 at various Regional sites throughout the United States. USC finished tied for fourth at the SEC Championships two weekend ago and head coach Bill McDonald was slightly disappointed at the showing when I spoke with him last week before the Gamecock Gala. USC has an outstanding team this year led by the Bryan brothers (Georga and Wesley) and is very capable of making a lot of noise in the NCAA’s. The Gamecocks have been motivated all season by the poor showing in last year’s NCAA Regional and they intend to get back to the form they showed two years ago when they captured the NCAA West Regional in stunning fashion.
Honorable mention: Stoney Woodson.
LOSERS:
1. Emanuel Cook: The last few months have not gone well for Cook. First, he was declared academically ineligible for the Outback Bowl. Then he performed, well, not so great at the NFL Combin and USC’s Pro Days. The result? Cook went undrafted this past weekend and will now try to earn a living as a pro football player the hard way: as a free agent. Obviously, whoever convinced Cook to leave school one year early gave him pathetically poor advice and should be chastised for it. But it was ultimately Cook’s decision and now he must live with the consequences. Let’s hope he finds a way to earn a spot with a NFL club. I’m sure if he could rewind the tape Cook would have stayed academically eligible for the bowl game and returned to school for his senior season. But it’s too late.
2. Jamon Meredith: When Meredith was interviewed last week on 107.5 FM The Game, he suggested poor word-of-mouth from USC coaches (he didn’t name names) had hurt his draft stock. Still, he believed he would be a first day pick. It didn’t happen. Meredith fell all the way into the fifth round, about two or three rounds later than most draft analysts had predicted. As a result, his signing bonus will be substantially less than what it would have been had he been a second rounder. The consolation Prize for being a little lighter in the wallet is he gets to play for one of the proudest franchises in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers.
3. The USC Baseball Team: Being swept at Florida was not what Ray Tanner had in mind on the heels of an embarrassing 12-2 loss to Clemson last Wednesday night at home. Little went right for the Gamecocks in Gainesville in any area - pitching, hitting or defense. USC is now 9-12 in the league and holds down the No. 8 spot in the race to qualify for the SEC Tournament. In that regard, they appear to be in good shape. However, for purposes of the NCAA Tournament, USC must win at least six of their final nine SEC games and finish 15-15 in the league to have a legitimate shot of making the 64-team field. USC must win five of six games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee over the next two weekends to avoid having to beat powerful Georgia two out of three to make it.
Honorable mention: Captain Munnerlyn.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.