 Checking Out The Depth Chart
posted by Scott Hood, 6/29/2007 11:00:00 PM
Summertime depth charts are similar to pre-season college basketball polls. They're fairly meaningless because they typically don't take the incoming freshman class into consideration. But they're worth a quick look anyway. USC released a depth chart a few day ago that, in my opinion, contained few surprises. But it did provide a mouth-watering preview of several fierce position battles expected to spice up fall camp. The most hostile fight may come at outside linebacker where incumbent Rodney Paulk must hold off Marvin Sapp and Cody Wells to remain the starter. Paulk started 10 of 13 games last season as a true freshman, earning SEC All-Freshman honors. Ironically, Sapp was the backup for most of last season despite finishing with more tackles (51) than Paulk (36). But Sapp underwent surgery a couple of months ago for an ankle injury sustained in the Garnet and Black game. He's in the final stages of recovery and should be ready to compete for the job when fall camp begins. The third candidate, Cody Wells, missed the final three games last season with a torn bicep muscle. He's 100 percent now and he hopes his experience will provide him with an edge in the three-way fight. While Jasper Brinkley will start at middle linebacker, you can be sure fiery backup Dustin Lindsey won't concede the position to him. Lindsey is still rehabilitating from ACL surgery but should be close to 100 percent when camp opens. Captain Munnerlyn (36 tackles, 2 interceptions in 2006) and Stoney Woodson (team high 3 interceptions), two of the fastest players on the team, will skirmish to win the starting cornerback job opposite Carlos Thomas, who should beat out Chris Hail. The strongest competition in the secondary could come from heralded recruits Jamire Williams or Akeem Auguste, or possibly someone else. Not surprisingly, the addition along the defensive line of five talented newcomers, four of whom are freshman, means all four positions in USC's standard 4-3 defense are up for grabs. The best battle should come at defensive tackle where Ladi Ajiboye, close to unblockable in the spring, is listed ahead of junior Marque Hall, the starter at the beginning of 2006 until he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia. Hall may be USC's best overall lineman but he'll have to beat out Ajiboye to prove it. Hall has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so the Ajiboye-Hall tussle could last well into the 2008 season. The defensive end positions should feature spirited battles between Eric Norwood (starter) and Travian Robertson on one side and Jordin Lindsey (starter), Jonathan Williams and Clifton Geathers on the other. Only one of those five players (Lindsey) is a senior. And the current depth chart doesn't even factor in Cheraw's Cliff Matthews, one of USC's top recruits. Matthews vowed this week when I spoke with him to make a run for a starting job. Nathan Pepper started 12 of 13 games last season but he'll have to hold off mammoth redshirt freshman Kenrick Ellis (6-foot-5, 327 pounds) to retain his spot. Offensively, the position battles to watch will come at wide receiver and the offensive line. Kenny McKinley and Moe West are listed as the starters at receiver with Mike West, Jared Cook, Larry Freeman and Freddie Brown listed as the backups. But things could, and probably will, change between now and the opening game Sept. 1 against Louisiana-Lafayette. The only receiver who has a position secured is McKinley, who has 76 career receptions. With highly-touted recruits Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes, Joseph Hills and Dion Lecorn ready to come on board in July, it's possible the depth chart at wide receiver when the season opens could be dominated by freshman. The offensive line will feature hard-fought fights at both guard spots. That's not unexpected considering Steve Spurrier pronounced both jobs "wide open" when spring practice concluded and throughout the Gamecock Club tour. Nothing has changed in that regard. Sophomore Garrett Anderson is listed as the starter at one guard position with Matt Raysor, Seaver Brown and Pierre Andrews behind him. James Thompson, playing his final season with USC, will try to hold off converted defensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre, one of the hardest and most dedicated workers on the team, and Kevin Young. What would have been the odds a few months ago that the starting guards for the season opener would be Matt Raysor and Lemuel Jeanpierre? The college football gods are acting up again. MOST WATCHED POSITION BATTLESPOSITION STARTER BACKUPS
Def. End Norwood Robertson
Def. End Lindsey Williams, Geathers
Def. Tackle Ajiboye Hall, Campbell
Outside LB Paulk Sapp, Wells, Wright
Cornerback Munnerlyn Woodson
Wide Receiver M. Brown Cook, F. Brown
Guard Anderson Raysor, S. Brown, Andrews
Guard Thompson Jeanpierre, Young
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Summer Conditioning Going Well
posted by Scott Hood, 6/29/2007 10:00:00 PM
I interviewed strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith for nearly 45 minutes Monday morning in order to get an in-depth update on the summer conditioning program. Smith provided a glowing report, saying this summer is a "100 percent" (his words) improvement over the first two summers when he had trouble convincing some players to workout. In fact, things got so bad last summer in terms of participation Spurrier felt compelled to hold a late June press conference to call his players out. Well, it seems to have worked. Smith explained the players are beginning to understand the commitment level it takes to win in the SEC. They believe the Gamecocks have a chance to win the conference championship in 2007, the goal established by Spurrier this past spring. Two of the leaders in the movement towards full participation have been Jasper and Casper Brinkley. This is their final season of college football and they want to go out on top. The players will work out Monday and Tuesday before taking a week off as mandated by NCAA rules. Most of the newcomers will arrive July 5 for orientation. Classes for the second session of summer school start July 11th.
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Baseball Update
posted by Scott Hood, 6/29/2007 09:00:00 PM
As some of you know, USC first baseman Justin Smoak is spending the summer touring with the U.S. National team. The club recently completed a six-game swing through New England to start the summer. Smoak, batting primarily in the cleanup spot, is off to an impressive start with a .368 batting average, three home runs and eight RBI. He has two hits, a homer, and two RBI in each of the last two games. The USA team faces Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) tonight in the opener of a five-game series at Burlington, N.C. On the baseball alumni front, former catcher Landon Powell has been promoted by the Oakland A's to Tripe-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League. Powell played his first game for Sacramento last night, smacking a game-tying solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against Fresno. But the visitors eventually won, 8-7, in 16 innings. Powell was 2-for-7. Powell's promotion to AAA increases the number of former Gamecock players at the highest minor league level to seven. Three are with Sacramento. In addition to Powell, pitcher Steven Bondurant and second baseman Kevin Melillo are also playing baseball in the capital city of California. Billy Buckner (Omaha), Brian Buscher (Rochester, N.Y.), Lee Gronkiewicz (Syracuse) and Drew Meyer (Oklahoma City) are also one step away from the major leagues.
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Final Chapter
posted by Scott Hood, 6/29/2007 08:00:00 PM
USC finished 32nd in the 2006-2007 U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings with 602.75 points. USC finished seventh among SEC teams, four places ahead of rival Clemson. Stanford, which sponsors more than 30 intercollegiate athletic programs, won the trophy for the 13th consecutive year. USC improved 11 spots from last year's 43rd place finish. USC has finished higher than Clemson in the final standings eight of the past nine years. Not surprisingly, the spring sports led the way for the Gamecocks. . .USC volleyball head coach Nancy Somera has resigned her position and will be replaced by her husband, Ben, who was the assistant coach. Somera would say only that she was "exploring a business opportunity." Somera served as the volleyball head coach for two seasons after being hired away from Oregon State in 2005. Bizarre, to say the least.
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The Mitchell Mystique
posted by Scott Hood, 6/28/2007 09:00:00 PM
Here's something you didn't know about South Carolina's Blake Mitchell – he has an excellent chance to leave USC after the upcoming season as the third best throwing quarterback in school history. The numbers back it up. Mitchell enters the 2007 season with 4,245 passing yards, seventh on USC's all-time list. He needs just 1,437 yards to move into third place. He was benched for seven games last year and still threw for 1,789 yards, so the No. 3 spot is a virtual certainty. Here's how Mitchell presently stacks up against the best passers in school history: 1. Todd Ellis – 9,953 yards 2. Steve Taneyhill – 8,782 yards 3. Anthony Wright – 5,681 yards 4. Phil Petty – 5,652 yards 5. Tommy Suggs – 4,916 yards 6. Bobby Fuller – 4,896 yards 7. BLAKE MITCHELL – 4,245 yards. If Mitchell stays healthy and averages 349 passing yards per game over 13 games (12 regular season games plus a bowl game; the SEC Championship game is a potential 14th game) during the 2007 season, a high number for sure but one that's not totally unattainable, he'll catch the legendary Taneyhill for second place. Think about that for a minute. Mitchell could leave Columbia with more passing yards than even the beloved Taneyhill, one of the most charismatic and popular players USC has ever had. It's possible, but maybe not probable. Mitchell averaged 313.5 passing yards over the last four games, and threw for 213 yards in one half against Arkansas. Obviously, that won't happen every week against teams with great defenses, but, if anything, the last 4-1/2 games of 2006 taught us not to discount Mitchell or the USC offense with Spurrier calling the plays. But when you're taking about a fifth-year senior quarterback entering his third full season in Steve Spurrier's highly sophisticated offense, it doesn't seem so far-fetched. I get the sense that a lot of USC fans don't know what to make of Mitchell. He can look brilliant one minute, awful the next. But, when it comes to the 2007 season, Mitchell is something else: indispensable. If USC wants to reach head coach Steve Spurrier's goal of winning a SEC championship, Mitchell must play, and play well. He has the most experience and knows the offense a lot better. The other quarterbacks simply aren't ready. Chris Smelley has promise but he's only a redshirt freshman after receiving a medical redshirt. He's the odds-on favorite to become the starter in 2008. Tommy Beecher saw limited action last season but, in my opinion, is third right now behind Mitchell and Smelley. Stephen Garcia, suspended for the spring, hasn't even taken a snap yet in practice, so I wouldn't count on him to contribute this season. He'd best be served by a redshirt season. Let's put in easy understandable terms: If Garcia plays in 2007, the quarterback position has major problems. Like any good quarterback, Mitchell can't do it alone. He needs an effective running game to keep defenses honest and an offensive line that knows how to block. Mike Davis missed the entire spring recovering from arthroscopic surgery and Cory Boyd missed several practices because of a class conflict. He also needs receivers who can catch the football. Spurrier often said this spring that Kenny McKinley was the only receiver who has showed he has the speed and skill to beat SEC defensive backs downfield. Right now, receivers like Moe Brown, Freddie Brown, Jared Cook, Mike West and Larry Freeman are adequate at best. Don't be surprised if true freshmen such as Chris Culliver and Jason Barnes overtake them on the depth chart. The offensive line? Well, Spurrier accurately described their performance in the spring games as dreadful. They were overwhelmed by USC's deep and talented defensive line. Conversely, the offensive line doesn't have enough depth right now in terms of playing experience to break the unit into two groups, as happened in the spring game. The product of the offensive line's poor play was predictable: Mitchell struggled mightily, completing just 13-of-39 passes for 150 yards. Unfortunately, that's the last time USC fans have seen Mitchell play and most, I'm sure, went away from the game with rancid recall. However, I believe the outlook will get a whole lot brighter in the fall with Davis and Boyd in the backfield and when USC settles on a starting five for the offensive line, which has plenty of potential that just hasn't had time to develop yet. As a result of the offensive line's poor performance in the spring game, people have quickly forgotten that USC surrendered just six sacks over the final five games in 2006. No quarterback will shine when he's laying flat on his back all the time. I've heard some people claim Mitchell's contributions to the season-ending three-game winning streak are "overrated." Okay, I agree that quarterbacks typically get too much credit or blame depending on how well the team does. But USC's outlandish offensive numbers over the last three games with Mitchell at the controls don't lie. The Gamecocks averaged 516.3 yards and 42.3 points against Middle Tennessee State, Clemson and Houston. The Tiger defense that was the pride and joy of the Upstate was ripped to shreds for 492 yards. Does Mitchell have his shortcoming? Absolutely. He panics too quickly when the pocket collapses and tends to rush throws at times. He also struggles against zones (the final interception against Arkansas is the best example) and suffers from a nagging case of "happy feet" from time to time. While fans can debate numbers all day long, there's really only one statistic that truly matters when you're evaluating a quarterback: win-loss percentage. In that regard, USC is 11-6 when Mitchell is the starting quarterback in his career. There is only one conclusion: Blake Mitchell is a winner. As I said, the numbers don't lie.
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Arrest In Richardson Case
posted by Scott Hood, 6/28/2007 08:00:00 PM
The Richland County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday morning that Ross Grant, 19, has been charged with stabbing Quintin Richardson seven times early Sunday morning. He attended Spring Valley High School with Richardson. At the bind hearing, Grant's lawyer offered a preview of coming attractions: Grant will claim self-defense in order to try to exonerate himself. It will make for an interesting trial when the time comes. The Sheriff's Department concluded from their investigation that Grant and Richardson fought in the parking lot of a Northeast Columbia apartment complex after Grant accused Richardson of "making advances" on his girlfriend. In fact, Richardson told Grant in a phone conversation where he was located. This case could have some twists and turns before the jury returns the final verdict. SHOT IN THE ARM FOR YARDCOCKS: If published reports are correct, the USC pitching staff will get a major shot in the arm with the addition of lefthander Steven Neff from Lancaster. Neff, a 26th round draft pick by Pittsburgh, sought a $400,000 signing bonus from the Pirates. Negotiations failed to produce a deal and Neff says he'll start classes at USC on July 10. Under the current rules, he won't be eligible for the draft for three years. Neff, who has reached 90 m.p.h. on the radar gun, fanned 117 and walked 29 as a senior at Lancaster High School. With the departures of Harris Honeycutt, Arik Hempy and Jeff Jeffords, and the expected departure of Wynn Pelzer, through the MLB draft, Neff will provide the Gamecock pitching staff with a much-needed boost. While it appears Neff will play for USC, the Pirates still have until the moment he attends his first class to negotiate with him. USC learned years ago in the Gavin Floyd case that sometimes teams wait until the last moment to put their best offer on the table. So, Ray Tanner isn't counting his chickens yet. If he sticks with his decision to attend college, Neff could certainly challenge for a weekend starter role next season, joining Mike Cisco, Blake Cooper, Will Atwood and, hopefully, Jay Brown in the group of contenders.
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Sustaining The Momentum
posted by Scott Hood, 6/27/2007 11:00:00 PM
With seven victories this season, South Carolina will accomplish something that has only been achieved twice in school history – four consecutive winning seasons. But another campaign over with an over .500 mark is important for another reason – sustaining the momentum generated from the first two seasons of Steve Spurrier's tenure as head coach. With one of the best freshman classes coming on board this year, this is no time for the Gamecocks to slack off. Recruits are watching closely. I'm sure they've been told over and over again by opposing coaches that USC can't win consistently over the long-term. It's time to torpedo that talk. The inability to sustain any amount of success has, in my opinion, been the ball-and-chain around USC's legs the last several decades. The year-by-year record is rife with examples. One of the best, of course, is the two years following the 1984 "Black Magic" season. The Gamecocks went 5-6 in 1985 and 3-6-2 in 1986. Later, after the back-to-back Outback Bowl seasons in 2000 and 2001, the Gamecocks took two steps backwards with consecutive subpar seasons in 2002 (5-7) and 2003 (5-7). As I've said before, there's a huge difference between rebuilding and reloading. USC has been guilty of residing in the former category for too long. It's time for the Gamecocks to move on up. Once they do, winning seasons, bowl trips and highly-ranked recruiting classes will become commonplace. The evidence points to USC doing just that. Now they need to complete the journey. If they don't, the typical two steps forward and two steps back routine will remain the norm, and USC will likely continue hover around the .500 mark in terms of its all-time record. The school's all-time mark is now a mediocre 515-517-44. The last time USC had four consecutive winning seasons was 1987-1990 when the Gamecocks went 28-17-1 over that four-year span. That's still a record for the most victories over a four-year period in school history. USC won 27 games from 2000-2003. Prior to 1987-1990, the last time USC had four straight winning seasons was 1931-1934. USC actually had seven straight winning seasons from 1928-1934 under head coach Billy Laval during the height of the Great Depression. Steve Spurrier recently raised eyebrows with a comment in Orlando, Fla., where he spoke to the Florida Citrus Sports Committee. Talking with reporters, he said, "I'm not really at a school that needs to worry about the national championship." I believe Spurrier's message was this: USC hasn't proven it can beat the powerhouse programs in the SEC on a consistent basis. Until we do, we won't talk about the national championship. Why has USC experienced trouble sustaining success? One major culprit is the constant turnover in coaches. Spurrier is the seventh different head coach for the Gamecocks since 1980. Meanwhile, Clemson has had four coaches over that same period. Tommy Bowden is entering his ninth season as Clemson head coach. Do you know the last USC head coach to last that long? Pat yourself on the back if you said Paul Dietzel (1966-74). In today's world, recruits are attracted to programs where the head coach appears likely to stick around. In Bowden's first eight seasons, he's managed to build a solid network of high school coaches around the Palmetto State that has helped the Tigers tremendously in recruiting. Spurrier should be able to do the same thing if he's around that long. Seven years from now, I'll know USC is making substantial progress as a football program when we're debating how the Gamecocks will fare in Spurrier's 10th season as USC head coach. For the sake of the future, let's hope it happens.
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Move To Override Text Message Ban
posted by Scott Hood, 6/27/2007 10:00:00 PM
The NCAA's total ban on text messaging by coaches to recruits set to go into effect on Aug. 1 may last just eight days. According to published reports, 34 schools filed petitions seeking reconsideration of the rule that was passed in April by the NCAA's Board of Directors. Thirty were needed to force the Board to revisit the issue. The Board of Directors will meet again Aug. 9, eight days after the ban takes effect. If the BOD keeps the ban in place, it will go before all 326 Division I schools at the NCAA Convention in January for a vote. If five-eighths (204 of 326) of the schools vote to override, the rule will be stricken and coaches should be free to text message recruits in the final weeks leading up to Signing Day. Baseball coaches have been even more vocal in their disagreement with the new package of rule changes passed by the Division I Baseball Committee. Two rules have particularly caught their ire. One says schools must award no less than one-third the value of a full scholarship to each player receiving athletic financial aid. The second requires teams to limit the number of players on scholarship to 27 and sets a maximum roster size of 35. In a sport where only 11.7 scholarships are awarded annually, the measures are seen as too restrictive. A total of 72 schools filed petitions requesting the Board of Directors to reconsider the new rules.
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Two Great Gamecocks Move On
posted by Scott Hood, 6/27/2007 09:00:00 PM
You may not know the names of Natasha Hastings and Shalonda Solomon, but you should. They are two of the most decorated USC athletes in recent years. But because they are track athletes, they receive scant attention from the mainstream media, despite their exploits. Wednesday, both Hastings and Solomon announced they were turning pro. Solomon, who didn't compete in the NCAA Championships because of a strained left quadriceps, has already signed with an agent and agreed to an apparel deal with Reebok. Hastings, who ran the fastest 400 meters ever by a college runner at the USA Track and Field Championships last week, is still negotiating with agents and apparel companies. Both runners will remain in Columbia to finish their degrees and train under USC track and field coach Curtis Frye. Hastings and Solomon were both named All-Americans 11 times and won three NCAA titles apiece – two individual and one relay. Hastings was recently named the 2007 National Track Athlete of the Year and the 2007 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. Solomon, who is majoring in Nursing, won two NCAA titles and five SEC titles in the 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay team. "Natasha and Shalonda are perfect examples of what we want when we recruit a student-athlete because they care about their work in the classroom as much as they care about track and field. They are leaders. They're not satisfied with cutting corners and manage their time well."
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Brief Stay In The Big Leagues
posted by Scott Hood, 6/27/2007 08:00:00 PM
Kevin Melillo spent three days in the major leagues with the Oakland A's before he was optioned back to Triple A Sacramento Monday. Melillo was with the parent club during a weekend series in New York against the Mets and had one plate appearance. However, injuries on the pitching staff forced the A's to demote Melillo and call up a pair of hurlers. Both of Melillo's parents are from New York, so they got to see their son make his MLB debut. The A's return to New York this weekend to face the Yankees. Melillo, however, won't join them. "Oh, well," Melillo said on mlb.com. "At least they got to see me at Shea [Stadium]. They saw my big eight-pitch walk." Melillo is the second former Gamecock player to recently experience a brief stay in the big leagues. Pitcher Lee Gronkiewicz made one appearance for the Toronto Blue Jays before he was sent to Triple-A Syracuse.
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Who Are The True Believers?
posted by Scott Hood, 6/26/2007 10:00:00 PM
So, a few national scribes have judged South Carolina's 2007 schedule as one of the toughest in the nation. With road games at Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas, and home games against Florida and Clemson, I'm not surprised. But here's how I typically approach things like that: Who cares? In case you haven't noticed, and I'm sure most of you have, USC competes in the SEC, typically the toughest college football conference in the country top-to-bottom on an annual basis. Unlike most conferences, nearly every league school is passionate about football. Heck, even at Kentucky, where basketball is king, queen and court jester, football tends to draw pretty well at home. Here's my point: USC plays a difficult schedule every year. So to claim in any particular year that the Gamecocks' schedule is overly demanding is, in my opinion, redundant. For the record, here's how I rank the 12 opponents on USC's 2007 schedule in terms of degree of difficulty taking into account a variety of factors like quality of the opponent, whether it's a home or road game, the crowd and the atmosphere: 1. Louisiana State (9/22 at Baton Rouge) 2. Florida (10/10 at Columbia) 3. Tennessee (10/27 at Knoxville) 4. Georgia (9/8 at Athens) 5. Arkansas (11/3 at Fayetteville) 6. Clemson (11/24 at Columbia) 7. Kentucky (10/4 at Columbia) 8. Vanderbilt (10/20 at Columbia) 9. North Carolina (10/13 at Chapel Hill) 10. Mississippi State (9/29 at Columbia) 11. Louisiana-Lafayette (9/1 at Columbia) 12. South Carolina State (9/15 at Columbia) Rather than being concerned about the difficulty of the schedule, here's what matters most to me - how do the Gamecocks attack the schedule? With confidence or with timidity? Do they truly believe they can go to place like Athens, Baton Rouge, Knoxville and Fayetteville and win? When it comes to the schedule, everything really boils down to this one point of emphasis: whether the coaches and players EXPECT to win every time out or whether they just HOPE to win? Psychologically, that's a huge difference. In my opinion, it's that winning mindset that has separated USC from the top teams in the SEC over the years. Schools like Florida (thank you Steve Spurrier), Georgia, and Tennessee expect to win every game, no matter who the opponent is. Even in the darkest days of probation, Alabama fans expected to win each time the Crimson Tide took the field. Is it arrogance? Possibly. But that's the attitude you must possess to succeed in the hypercompetitive SEC. That goes for any sport, male or female. If a team expects to win every game rather than just hoping to win, then no schedule, no matter how daunting it may appear on the surface, is really too difficult. In other words, a schedule is only as difficult as you make it out to be. I've seen signs over the last two years that USC is slowly but surely crossing over into the "expecting to win" territory. The close wins at Tennessee and Arkansas and the stunning win over Florida in 2005 started the ball rolling. Last season, USC was 4-1 on the road, and won its last three games for the first time since 1973. Granted, the opposition was tougher at home but a conference win on the road is still something to be cherished. I'm sure USC expected to win every game in the mid-to-late 1980's when it enjoyed a successful run under Joe Morrison. But the decision to join the SEC changed everything. In my opinion, USC was ill-prepared to compete on a long-term basis in the SEC when it joined the league in 1992. The facilities were substandard compared to most other teams in the league. The program received a false sense of comfort when the Gamecocks upset Tennessee, 24-23, on Halloween in 1992. But the remainder of the 1990's was largely a nightmare filled with discouraging losses and lackluster performances. By the time that decade closed, most of the enthusiasm around the program had drained away. There was the 21-game losing streak in which the Gamecocks became a laughingstock. USC has turned the corner over the last seven years. Beginning with the 2000 season, the Gamecocks are 48-36, a .571 winning percentage, and have won three bowl games. Three of the school's nine eight-win seasons have come in this decade. The crop of recruits over the last two years (2006 and 2007), besides being better football players, seem to have a swagger about them that I haven't seen in a while. They've bought into the authenticity of Spurrier's mission to win USC's first SEC title. They came to USC expecting to win I wonder about some of the fans, though. When I see posts on the message boards predicting the outcome of individual games several months into the distance, I doubt those fans expect to win each game. Will the Gamecocks finish 14-0? Probably not. But to sit around in mid summer and predict USC will win this game or lose that game is silly. Each game stands on its own merit. Circumstances change from week to week. In my opinion, if you're doing that, you're still a fan who just hopes to win.
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Quintin Richardson
posted by Scott Hood, 6/26/2007 09:00:00 PM
Like all Gamecock fans everywhere, I was ecstatic to see 2007 signee Quintin Richardson of Spring Valley High School released from the hospital on Tuesday after undergoing surgery for stab wounds incurred early Sunday morning during an altercation at an apartment complex in Northeast Columbia. Richardson was interviewed by a local sports talk show late Tuesday morning from his hospital bed, five hours before he was scheduled to be released. Richardson sounded in good spirits, and vowed to turn the unfortunate incident into a positive. "This has made me want to become even more successful and succeed and take my game to a higher level now," Richardson said. "That's all this made me do. I'm just focused now." Richardson confirmed he'd been stabbed seven times in the back, arm and leg. No charges have yet been filed in the case. The police say they are still investigating. Both Richardson and his mother expressed their pleasure at the outpouring of support from Gamecock fans. "Knowing everybody was out there praying for me really shows how committed the fans are," he said. "I love those Gamecock fans."
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It's Not Child's Play
posted by Scott Hood, 6/26/2007 08:00:00 PM
I recently received an e-mail from a parent of a USC baseball player that I described as the worst hitter on the team. This parent accused me of "dishonoring" her son. The tone of the e-mail was that I had no right to criticize a player who had devoted four years at USC, given his all on and off the baseball field and "loved being a Gamecock." Excuse me while I have my Dan Hawkins moment. This is Division I baseball! Players perform in the public sector. Thousands of fans pay good money to watch the games live at the ballpark, or on TV. They follow the games on the internet, and critique each game and decision on message boards. In short, it's not little league. While I acknowledge Division I college baseball is not the major leagues and every play shouldn't be overanalyzed like it is on ESPN, players are still subject to criticism for poor performances, especially one that hits .213 and strikes out 29 times in 94 at-bats. Not that I'm paying attention or anything.
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The NCAA Strikes Again
posted by Scott Hood, 6/25/2007 11:00:00 PM
The national governing body of intercollegiate athletics – commonly known in my domicile as No Clue About Anything (NCAA) – continues to invent new ways to stay busy. Last Friday, South Carolina released a report outlining eight secondary violations committed since January. The most "grievous" of these infractions involved improper contact with football recruits. While the school is certainly at fault to a degree, I place most of the blame squarely at the feet of the NCAA for a voluminous rule book that's largely complex, confusing and counterproductive to common sense. In today's world, where the NCAA police are seemingly everywhere, it's nearly impossible for coaches and administrators to engage in normal, everyday activities without violating an archaic rule adopted by some dimwitted NCAA committee more interested in justifying its existence than creating sensible legislation. Remember, this is the same organization that last year found USC had committed a secondary violation when Jerri Spurrier, wife of head coach Steve Spurrier, wrote handwritten letters of congratulations to players after they had already signed national letters of intent. Under some cockamamie NCAA provision, wives of coaches are considered boosters. But it gets even more ridiculous. Among the rules governing the so-called May Evaluation period for college football is a provision that allows head coaches to "meet and greet" prospects with a handshake. Yet, they can't engage in any football talk. Why not? Your guess is as good as mine. This is a classic example of the NCAA foolishly creating a rule with gobs of gray area instead of a clean-cut, black-and-white version that's easily understood by all parties involved. What's the purpose of allowing any contact when nothing more than a handshake and a smile are permitted? They probably need to keep all those employees in the compliance office employed. But that's not all. This is the same organization that reinstated the eligibility of Kentucky basketball player Randolph Morris two years ago after he had declared himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft. The draft came and went and Morris wasn't selected. Under the system in place, the college basketball career of Morris should have been over. But it wasn't. Days after the draft, Kentucky produced a mysterious "fax" dated before the draft purportedly from Morris which supposedly specified his desire to opt out of the draft. Most people, including many among Kentucky's large contingent of beat writers, laughed at the lunacy. The NCAA bought the sob story hook, line and sinker, and allowed Morris to return to Kentucky. Under the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player is required to go through the draft process once. If he's not picked, he's eligible to sign with any team. As a result, Morris played the entire 2006-2007 season as a free agent in the eyes of the NBA folks. That means he could have left Kentucky anytime he wanted and signed a contract with any NBA team. Nice precedent, huh? In fact, Morris signed a contract with the New York Knicks within days after Kentucky's season ended. Someone asked me one time why the NCAA ruled the way it did in the Morris case. My answer was succinct: Because it was Kentucky. How do you think the NCAA would have ruled had Morris been playing for USC or most other Division I schools? You and I both know the answer to that question. The Morris fiasco leads me to my second point. Not only are many NCAA rules lacking in logic, they are selectively enforced. The NCAA is simply afraid to take on the so-called "big boys," fearful that any penalty deemed too harsh will result in the defection of teams and leagues from their empire. That's why Alabama wasn't given more severe penalties for numerous major infractions committed by rogue boosters and coaches several years ago, or why nothing came out of the Maurice Clarett situation at Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if anything develops from the ongoing "investigation" into the Southern Cal program surrounding Reggie Bush, who allegedly took $100,000 from a sports marketing company and whose family was allegedly provided a low-rent luxury house in San Diego while he was playing for the Trojans. That's what the paper trail says, anyway. In my opinion, nothing will happen. Southern Cal is the top football program on the West Coast and is located smack in the center of the lucrative Los Angeles market. The NCAA is afraid to take any action that could result in a substantial loss of revenue. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel was correct in a recent column – the NCAA is toothless and lacks courage. Finally, we have the recent controversy over blogging at NCAA Tournament games. Through convoluted thinking, the NCAA believes it owns a copyright in the facts of a game, and can prohibit the media (newspapers and internet sites) from passing on those facts to its readers in real time in order to protect the entities that "bought" blogging rights from the NCAA. The NCAA likes to refer to players as "student-athletes." I prefer the more appropriate term of "revenue generators." Because that's what Division I athletes do – they generate revenue for their respective schools through their athletic endeavors. For the NCAA, that's an inconvenient truth.
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Spring Sports Success
posted by Scott Hood, 6/25/2007 10:00:00 PM
USC may have enjoyed its best spring sports season in many years in 2007. The baseball and softball teams advanced to the Super Regionals and the men's golf team captured the NCAA West Regional before finishing 11th at the NCAA Championships in Williamsburg, Va. It's still going, too, thanks to the exploits of Natasha Hastings, possibly the best Gamecock athlete you've never heard of. Hastings ran the fastest 400 meters EVER by a college runner (49.84 seconds) Saturday night at the USA Track championships in Indianapolis. Her efforts earned her the silver medal in the event and a spot in the World Championships, scheduled for August in Japan, in both the 400m and the 4x400m relay. Hastings was named the NCAA Track Athlete of the year after winning the 400m titles at the NCAA indoor and outdoor events. She was also honored as the SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year. Freshman George Bryan IV led the USC golf team to its stunning win in the West Regional earlier this month and its highest finish at the NCAA Championships since 1998. After returning home, Bryan routed the field at the Southeaster Amateur (June 14-17) in Columbus, Ga., going wire-to-wire for the victory and setting a new course record with a four-round total of 273 since the course's renovation in 2002.
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Summer Baseball
posted by Scott Hood, 6/25/2007 09:00:00 PM
I watched USC hurler Nick Godwin pitch Saturday night for the Columbia Blowfish. He was left off the Gamecocks' post-season roster after compiling a 7.71 ERA in 4.2 innings this season. But it appears he's turned it around with the Blowfish. He's 4-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 34 innings over five starts. The Blowfish pitching coach claims he found a minor flaw in Godwin's mechanics. Granted, he's not facing SEC hitters but if Godwin can carry the momentum of the summer into fall practice he should make a positive impression upon Ray Tanner and Mark Calvi. I think we'll see a lot more of Nick Godwin next season.
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Jim Toman
posted by Scott Hood, 6/25/2007 08:00:00 PM
I spoke with former USC associate baseball coach Jim Toman for nearly 20 minutes Sunday night. As most of you know, he has accepted the position as head baseball coach at Liberty University. He is certainly elated at finally securing a chance to run his own program but, at the same time, a bit sad having to leave Columbia. Talking to him, it was clear the major attraction for taking the Liberty job was the potential of the baseball program (A.D. Jeff Barber has promised significant improvements to the facilities) and the Christian environment prevailing throughout the Lynchburg community. Toman and his family are very religious and faithfully attended Sunday services at First Baptist Church in Columbia. There's no doubt in my mind with his recruiting prowess that Toman will succeed at Liberty. It's a well-deserved promotion. His impact on the USC program the last 11 years has been monumental. With his quick wit and sense of humor, he'll also keep the local media entertained, that's for sure. Liberty got themselves a good one.
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Crucial Border Battle With Georgia
posted by Scott Hood, 6/22/2007 10:00:00 PM
Never one to mince words, Steve Spurrier often skipped right past the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette while speaking to the crowds during the spring Gamecock Club tour and wasn't afraid to talk up the nationally-televised SEC opener at Georgia Sept. 8. His message was unambiguous: Gamecocks v. Dawgs is a big game for both teams. Real big. How important is it? It's as huge as Rosie O'Donut, er, O'Donnell is fat. Now that's huge. If South Carolina wants to compete for the SEC championship – Spurrier's goal for this season and every season hereafter – it must find a way to beat Georgia at Sanford Stadium. If they don't, it will merely provide college football pundits like Lee Corso with the ammunition they need to support their well-worn contention Spurrier won't win a conference title at USC. I can assure you Spurrier intends to make Corso eat his words. Corso is so confident in his prognostication he's told Spurrier he'll crawl across the field at Williams-Brice Stadium whenever the Gamecocks win the big game in Atlanta. But if USC wants to see Corso on his hands and knees, they must win the Sept. 8 game against Georgia. With the first two conference games on the road, USC can't afford a 0-2 start in the league. Since the second conference game is in Baton Rouge, La., there is a sense of urgency surrounding the clash with the Bulldogs. And Spurrier is leading the charge. My research shows USC is just one of two SEC schools required to play their first two conference games on the road in 2007. Kentucky is the other. If you're wondering when the SEC will level the playing field and force schools like Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama or Auburn to go on the road for their first two conference games, here's a prediction – it will never happen. Truth is, there's a pecking order in the SEC and, rest assured, USC isn't near the top. I've witnessed too many SEC games to think otherwise. Okay, back to the Georgia game. In my opinion, the Gamecocks have a golden opportunity in 2-1/2 months to knock off the Bulldogs for the first time since 2001. Just like most years, Georgia probably has more talent than USC but the gap is closing quickly. In fact, I feel USC's defense should be just as good as Georgia's in 2007. The Bulldogs must replace three starters on the defensive line, including All-SEC defensive ends Quentin Moses and Charles Johnson, and three linebackers. Basically, the Dawgs must rebuild their front seven on defense. But, does Georgia ever rebuild, or do they just reload? The USC game will provide some answers. If it's the latter, the Gamecocks could be in trouble. If the USC offense is firing on all cylinders, it should be enough because I don't think Georgia will score many points. USC has come excruciatingly close to beating Georgia on multiple occasions since its last win in the Border Battle in 2001. Andrew Pinnock fumbled twice inside the 2-yard line, including the infamous final pitch play, in 2002. USC had a 16-0 lead in the second quarter of the 2004 game before Lou Holtz went ultra-conservative and shutdown the offense. There's more. In the most recent visit to Sanford Stadium in 2005, USC missed an extra point and a two-point conversion in a 17-15 loss. Finally, there were last year's bitter offensive maladies when USC came away empty from two trips inside the 2-yard line, just like in 2002. Anybody notice a pattern? Georgia has won five games in a row over USC. All but one has been close. USC had chances to win four of those. Let's hope USC is able to finally bang the door down in 2007. Frankly, with the game at LSU looming two weeks later, they don't have a choice.
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It's Worse Than We Thought
posted by Scott Hood, 6/22/2007 09:00:00 PM
A couple of days ago I told you the architectural plans for the new baseball stadium had been submitted to the State's Engineering office for approval and that construction would likely begin in late August or early September. Well, that's what I was told by USC's Facilities and Construction office. It appears the information given to me was incorrect. Unfortunately, the $28 million project is not that far along. I received an e-mail from the State's Engineering Office late Thursday afternoon containing the following language: "I was sent your 6/19 posting yesterday (see below), and I would like to correct your first sentence. The architectural plans for the new ballpark have NOT been delivered to the State Engineer's Office for review and therefore, are not in the review process. There have been delays associated with the design process and I am told that I should be getting the plans in a couple of weeks." Based on this e-mail, it's evident the timeline suggested in my blog earlier this week was a little optimistic. After the engineering review is completed, bids will then be advertised for 30 days in accordance with state law before they can be opened. As of today, I will predict construction of the new ballpark won't begin until late September, at the earliest. I have contacted Wayne Griffith, USC's project manager, for an interview to find out the status of the ballpark but he had not yet returned my call as of late Friday afternoon. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to talk with him Monday. Stay tuned.
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Last Chapter
posted by Scott Hood, 6/22/2007 08:00:00 PM
It's déjà vu all over again at the College World Series. North Carolina will meet Oregon State in the championship series for the second consecutive season. Considering the parity we saw this year in college baseball, at least among the top 25 teams, that's amazing. Obviously, a USC baseball fan has to feel somewhat frustrated right now considering the Gamecocks allowed a 6-0 lead to slip away in Game 1 of the Super Regional against UNC before bouncing back to win Game 2. Then the Gamecocks had a 4-1 lead in the decisive Game 3 before the Tar Heels scored eight unanswered runs. In other words, it could easily be the Gamecocks battling for the national title right now. The line between winning and losing is quite fine indeed.
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Jasper Brinkley Finally Getting Respect
posted by Scott Hood, 6/21/2007 10:00:00 PM
Other than the indictment of State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel on federal drug charges, here's the least surprising piece of news I've seen in recent days: South Carolina linebacker Jasper Brinkley has been named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List. The Nagurski Trophy is awarded annually to the best defensive player in college football. I knew Brinkley had a chance to be successful when Steve Spurrier told us early in the spring of 2006 that he had to tell Brinkley to stop tackling USC's ball carriers so aggressively. I wish USC had more players like that, I recall thinking at the time. Around the same time, Spurrier had high praise for Brinkley – he looked and acted like a SEC linebacker. Eventually, he played like one, too, finishing with 107 tackles, more than twice as many as the second place finisher (Marvin Sapp, 51 tackles). During the Gamecock Club tour, Spurrier told the crowds he didn't know where the USC defense would have ended up without Jasper or Casper Brinkley. The twins combined for 151 tackles and 28 tackles for loss. Here's the likely response: In a world of hurt. I just hope the people who vote for the Nagurski Trophy pay closer attention to Brinkley's statistics as the season progresses than the SEC coaches did last year. Amazingly, Brinkley was left off from the Coaches All-SEC First and Second Teams despite his gaudy statistics. I blame it on league politics or, worse, ignorance. Brinkley had 24 more tackles than Sam Olajubutu of Arkansas and 22 more than Florida's Earl Everett. Both players made first-team. Incredibly, Brinkley had 43 more tackles than LSU's Ali Highsmith but the second-team nod went to Highsmith. Talk about a lack of respect. I hope Brinkley remembers the snub everytime he takes the field this season. It just goes to show that the smartest people aren't necessarily the ones with the highest incomes. And these are the same coaches who have a weekly poll that helps determine the national champion? Yikes. But, hey, it's not like I'm still upset or anything. By the way, I'm not lumping Spurrier in with the rest of the SEC coaches because they're not allowed to vote for their own players in the post-season balloting for the All-SEC teams. So, Spurrier is blameless in this fiasco. Thankfully, the Associated Press came to the rescue by naming Brinkley to its First-team All-SEC Defense. That shows sometimes sportswriters are smarter than head coaches. Not often, I can assure you, but it happens. I full expect Brinkley to be the centerpiece of a dominating USC defense in 2008. The defensive line should be much improved with several newcomers and the return of Marque Hall from a serious injury that ended his 2006 season after just two games. Spurrier was clearly irked by USC's No. 9 ranking against the run last season and wants to see drastic improvement in that area. It's primarily a matter of getting bigger and stronger along the front seven. Mission accomplished. The return of outside linebacker Dustin Lindsey once he fully recovers from knee surgery, and the maturation of Rodney Paulk and Marvin Sapp should help, as well.
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Waiting For A Miracle
posted by Scott Hood, 6/21/2007 09:00:00 PM
I read today's article in the local newspaper here in Columbia on USC quarterback commitment Reid McCollum of Summerville. While the stuff about his surfing talents was enjoyable, what caught my eye was this quote by McCollum when asked about wide receiver A.J. Green, a Georgia commitment: "He's always been a Georgia fan, and to go there has always been a dream for him, so I'm just pretty happy for him." In my mind, this quote shows the extremely difficult task the USC coaches face in trying to turn the five-star Green their way. But if I've learned one thing about recruiting, it's you never say never. Remember, at this time last year Gary Gray of Richland Northeast High School in Columbia was a USC commitment. So, there's a chance Green could change his mind and follow McCollum to Columbia. But, in my opinion, the odds of that happening are slim to none at this point. It may take the greatest recruiting job in college football to turn Greene. How can USC improve its standing with the top football players in the Palmetto State? The short-term solution is easy – win more football games. Better yet, win SEC championships and build better facilities. Mark Richt has won three conference titles at Georgia. Moreover, the Bulldogs have some of the best facilities in the league, including a multi-million dollar academic support center that's surpassed only by Paris Hilton's Los Angeles mansion. Obviously, it's nearly impossible to prevent every top-flight player from leaving the state. That happens everywhere, even in huge states like Florida and Texas where the flagship universities compete for national titles. Remember, eight of the best players in North Carolina signed with South Carolina in February. Some kids just want to go somewhere else. Right now, South Carolina players of Greene's caliber have plenty of excuses to leave the state – USC doesn't win enough and the facilities aren't good enough. And that's just two reasons. Some make the choice to leave. Others chose to stay. Hopefully, Steve Spurrier will be able to close all the escape hatches within the next few years. I think a nine-win season in 2007 should go a long ways towards achieving that goal.
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Another Gamecock In The Big Leagues
posted by Scott Hood, 6/21/2007 08:00:00 PM
Late last night I received word the Oakland A's had called up former USC second baseman Kevin Melillo from Triple A Sacramento. The much-deserved promotion for Melillo also involved the A's designating OF Milton Bradley for reassignment. Melillo is one of five former Gamecocks now in the big leagues, joining veterans Adam Everett (Houston) and Brian Roberts (Orioles) and rookie pitchers Jon Coutlangus and Marcus McBeth, both of whom are with the Cincinnati Reds. Melillo was one of the sparkplugs on the USC teams that went to the College World Series in Omaha three consecutive years (2002-2004). He was captain of the 2004 team but suffered a broken wrist midway through the year. That injury produced one of the more unforgettable moments in USC baseball lore on April 30, 2004. Desperate to help his club late in the season, Melillo could only swing a bat with one hand. He came up to the plate against Ole Miss and, defying conventional wisdom, somehow drove a pitch over the right-field fence for a home run. Coutlangus and McBeth are seeing regular action out of the Cincinnati bullpen, though both had roles in the Reds' failure to protect a lead in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to Oakland. Coutlangus replaced McBeth in the seventh with runners on the corners and one out. He issued consecutive walks to force home the tying run before surrendering a sacrifice fly to deep center for the eventual game-winning run. Coutlangus is 3-1 with a 4.68 ERA in 37 games for Cincinnati this season. He's allowed 21 hits and 14 runs in 25 innings with 20 strikeouts and 16 walks. McBeth, called up a couple of weeks ago, is 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in 6.1 IP.
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Eric Hyman's Hat Trick
posted by Scott Hood, 6/20/2007 10:00:00 PM
Eric Hyman is paid a lot of money ($288,750, according to an on-line salary database) to serve the University of South Carolina as its athletic director. In my humble opinion, it's not enough. We're quietly approaching Hyman's two-year anniversary as Gamecock athletics director. He started July 1, 2005. Hyman, as many of you know, was hand-picked by President Andrew Sorensen, who served as a one-man search committee, to succeed Mike McGee. Hyman thought he was walking into a situation where USC's financial house was in order. He was wrong. Instead, he discovered an athletic department hemorrhaging money. USC lost $5 million during the two-year period bridging the tenures of McGee and Hyman, and its reserves were dangerously low. Hyman analogized the situation when he arrived in Columbia to a car overheating. But things have changed. Hyman recently told the Board of Trustees that he expects the athletic department to conclude the current fiscal year with a $1.6 million surplus, and he anticipates a $1.8 million surplus by the end of the upcoming fiscal year (2007-2008) based on projected revenues of $60 million. Not overwhelming numbers, especially when compared to some of USC's brethren in the SEC, but it's a start. How did Hyman do it? By making unpopular decisions. He's raised tickets prices to football games. Also, fans will have to pay for parking beginning in 2007. But Hyman has also cut costs. In one infamous episode, he prohibited the cheerleaders and pep band from traveling to New York City for the NIT Championship. In another controversial decision, USC bused to LSU for a weekend baseball series. But that was Ray Tanner's decision, even though Hyman took the heat. Mike McGee did a lot of good things for USC during his 12-year tenure as athletics director. He expanded Williams-Brice Stadium and oversaw the construction of the Colonial Center. But Olympic sport facilities deteriorated badly (ask track coach Curtis Frye for his opinion of McGee) and McGee's philosophy of not raising ticket prices after a losing season cost USC millions of dollars while its SEC counterparts took a free market approach based on supply-and-demand and typically raised prices every year. Hyman brought zero-based budgeting with him from TCU. Unlike his predecessor, who gave coaches more wiggle room when it came to expenditures, Hyman requires his coaches and staff to justify every expense. In other words, Hyman has operated the athletic department like a business. And not a moment too soon.
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Summer Baseball Starts
posted by Scott Hood, 6/20/2007 09:00:00 PM
In the nine days since USC lost to North Carolina in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, Gamecock players have scattered throughout the South and Northeast to play in various summer baseball leagues. One player, of course, is not playing in an actual league – first baseman Justin Smoak is part of the U.S. National Team that will participate in the Pan American Games in Brazil and the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands. Here's where Gamecock players are spending their summer: U.S. National Team (1) - Justin Smoak Cape Cod League (5) - Mike Cisco (Cotuit), Reese Havens (Cotuit), James Darnell (Hyannis), Andrew Crisp (Chatham), Wynn Pelzer (Orleans). Coastal Plains League (8) - Blake Cooper (Columbia), Nick Godwin (Columbia), Curtis Johnson (Columbia), Adam Crisp (Columbia), Kyle Enders (Spartanburg), Alex Farotto (Spartanburg), Evan Goldberg (Spartanburg), Parker Bangs (Fayetteville). Valley League (2) - Chris Love (Fauquier), DeAngelo Mack (Staunton). Northwoods League (1) - Sean Wideberg (St. Cloud). We'll follow these players through the summer and report on how they're doing. Five USC players expected to play key roles next season are not playing summer league baseball – Trent Kline, Craig Thomas, Harley Lail, Will Atwood and Phil Disher. Many of these players are either taking summer classes or working out with strength and conditioning coach Billy Anderson.
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Three Down, One To Go
posted by Scott Hood, 6/20/2007 08:00:00 PM
Arik Hempy's decision Tuesday to sign with the Chicago Cubs leaves just one Gamecock player out of the top four drafted without a pro contract. Travis Jones (7th Rd, Atlanta) and Harris Honeycutt (10th Rd, Cincinnati) earlier signed with their clubs and won't return to USC next season. The lone remaining player expected to sign a pro contract is pitcher Wynn Pelzer, selected in the ninth round by San Diego. While Ray Tanner believes Pelzer will eventually sign, his agent is Scott Boras, so anything is possible. Meanwhile, Pelzer is currently pitching in the Cape Cod League in order to enhance his value. One of three scenarios is possible for Pelzer: 1) sign a contract with the Padres; 2) return to school and pitch for USC in 2008; or 3) sign with an independent league team. Boras has taken advantage of the third option for clients before (J.D. Drew being the best example) and will use everything in his arsenal to negotiate the best deal. The decision by Jones to sign with the Braves means next season's starting infield is set heading into fall practice: 1B Justin Smoak, 2B Andrew Crisp, SS Reese Havens, 3B James Darnell.
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Worst Case Scenario
posted by Scott Hood, 6/19/2007 11:00:00 PM
The death Tuesday of Indiana head football coach Terry Hoeppner of complications from a brain tumor got me to thinking about how South Carolina would handle a similar situation What if Steve Spurrier suffered a sudden serious illness and was unable to coach the Gamecock football team for a lengthy period of time? Who would take over? More importantly, who SHOULD take over as interim head coach? Think Spurrier is bulletproof? Hoeppner was 59 when he died. Spurrier turned 62 in April. Indiana had already named assistant coach Bill Lynch as interim head coach for the 2007 season when Hoeppner passed away, so the Hoosiers had resolved the short-term succession issue. If something happened to Spurrier and he couldn't coach the Gamecocks for part or all of a football season, I believe the best three candidates to replace him on a temporary basis are assistant head coach and secondary coach Ron Cooper, defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix or wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier, Jr. Cooper certainly has the experience to handle the job. He's been the head coach at three schools – Eastern Michigan (1993-94), Louisville (1995-97) and Alabama A&M (1998-2001) – for a total of nine seasons. So, he's familiar with the intense media scrutiny that comes with being the top dog. Nix, of course, is well respected throughout college football as a defensive coordinator and has drawn interest from a number of mid-major schools for head coaching positions during his two seasons in Columbia, most notably Alabama-Birmingham and Tulane last December. Finally, there's Spurrier, Jr., who has served on the coaching staffs of two national championship teams and tutored a number of outstanding wide receivers. Spurrier was an assistant coach at Oklahoma (2000) and Florida (1996) when those schools won national titles. Being an offensive coach, and having worked for his father for several years at three different locations, Junior is well equipped to flourish as a head coach while maintaining the offensive scheme favored by his dad. In my opinion, experience is a key factor. That's why my choice would be Cooper. WORST CASE SCENARIO, PART II: Montana is a big state, geographically speaking. But it's an extremely small state in terms of population. In recent weeks, both of its major state universities have experienced catastrophic problems off the field. Montana State head coach Mike Kramer was fired nearly a month ago when a former player was arrested on drug charges after allegedly using his athletic scholarship money to traffic cocaine from California to Bozeman, Mont. The player was the fifth former or current MSU player to be arrested for a crime involving drugs or murder within the last year. Moreover, in October 2004, a Montana State assistant coach was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. But before arch-rival Montana could gloat, the Grizzlies were forced to suspend all-conference cornerback Jimmy Wilson on June 15 after he was arrested on murder charges stemming from a shooting in Lancaster, CA., about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles. So, between Montana and Montana State, that's four arrests on drug charges, two for murder and one assistant coach in jail. Maybe that's what they call it "Big Sky" country. Reading about these tragic cases raised this question: How would the mainstream media here in South Carolina respond if a current or former USC player was charged with drug possession or, heaven forbid, with murder. Considering the local newspaper here in Columbia had a five-inch headline the day after police questioned running back Cory Boyd following an incident at a nightclub hours after the spring game in which nobody was hurt and nobody has been charged, I shudder to think. Would it rival the 9/11 coverage? Possibly. The fact former Gamecock fullback Rob DeBoer is now entangled in a legal mess over the validity of Burn Lounge, a web site devoted to the downloading of digital music off the internet exacerbates the question. Let's pray it never happens.
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Jim Toman Update
posted by Scott Hood, 6/19/2007 10:00:00 PM
I spoke with USC associate head coach Jim Toman Monday night while in Charlotte for the Rush concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Toman and his family are scheduled to visit Liberty University Friday in Lynchburg, Va. and take a tour of the campus and the town made famous by school president Jerry Falwell, who recently passed away. Toman told me that the quality of life in the Lynchburg area is one of the top attractions for him and his family. Liberty A.D. Jeff Barber, who is the former director of the Gamecock Club, has informed Toman that the school plans to increase its commitment to the baseball program though improved facilities and scholarships. Barber and Toman were good friends before the former left USC to take the Liberty job a couple of years ago. Toman and his family are set to arrive in Lynchburg Thursday night and will stay in the area about 24 hours before returning to Columbia on Friday evening. Toman described the trip as a "fact-finding mission" to see what Liberty and the Lynchburg community have to offer for he and his family. Toman told me he has not been offered the Liberty job and doesn't know if an offer will be forthcoming on the trip. Barber has been quoted as saying he has "great respect" for Toman. We should have more on this story this weekend.
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Baseball Stadium Update
posted by Scott Hood, 6/19/2007 09:00:00 PM
I spoke Tuesday afternoon with USC's Facility Planning and Construction office (FPC), the one in charge of overseeing construction of USC's new $28 million ballpark along the Congaree River near the Olympia Neighborhood. According to the FPC, the architectural plans for the new ballpark are still being reviewed by the State of South Carolina's Engineering Office and that process could take another few weeks. Since this is technically a government project, approval by the Engineering Office is required. Unfortunately, state law prohibits USC from advertising for bids from general contractors until the State's engineering office has approved the plans. Since that hasn't happened, there has been no advertising. USC is expected to receive approval of the plans in early to mid July. Typically, bids are advertised and accepted for 30 days. Accordingly, bids probably won't be opened until mid-to-late August. Consequently, construction of the new ballpark is not expected to begin until late August or early September, at the earliest. In the meantime, excavation work at the site of the new ballpark continues. Ray Tanner was pleased by what he saw when he visited the site about a wee |
