Slim pickings
posted by LW, Friday, December 11, 2009
Guess this is what could be described as the calm after the storm.
Four consecutive months of abundant storylines, controversies, and actual games to talk about.
Now ... not a whole lot going on. Both the football and basketball teams are off for exams, the coaches are on the road recruiting, and we're still trying to digest the craziness that was the 2009 football season.
Hard to believe it's all but over.
Emcee Paul Strelow steps onto the podium to hand out his postseason awards for the TIgers.
I would respectfully disagree with his point that this team has almost nothing to gain from its Music City Bowl trip.
To me, this is different from the Nashville trip three years ago. The Tigers had lost three of their last four after a 7-1 start and Top 10 ranking, and the season was going to be viewed as a disappointment no matter what happened in the bowl game.
Not so much this time. Progress has been made with the trip to the ACC title game, and the Tigers had a more than respectable showing in the game (more respectable than Boston College's two trips there in 2007 and 2008).
If the Tigers grab their ninth win in defeating an SEC team in what will essentially be a road environment, I think there's something to be gained from that.
It won't eliminate the disappointment produced by the Tigers' last two losses -- not even close -- but it'll send them into the offseason feeling pretty good about things.
And there's certainly something to be gained by avoiding the certain pall that would come from a loss in that game (and a third straight loss overall).
A 9-5 record sounds so much better than 8-6.
Ron Morris rates the bowls and says there's not enough of them.
More bowls? Yikes.
He also manages to get in a dig at the man he can't stand.
Gator Bowl, Jan. 1 - You just have to watch Bobby Bowden's final game as coach, if for no other reason than to see his Florida State team get waxed by West Virginia.
Dang.
Did Bowden spill Tab on Ron's computer at some point?
So former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer is now a flack for the BCS?
Ugh.
From Bush to bush league ...
James Carville gives his take on this development:
The more I tried to stump Carville, the more gleefully he parried, his voice rising to a Cajun cackle at times.
Until, that is, we came to the BCS. "The Bee Cee Ay-essss?" he said, and the great flack was silent for a moment. Then, as if preparing to battle a formidable opponent in the primaries, he began sizing up the obstacles. First up: public sentiment. "If you said we're going to take away the World Series, there'd be a literal riot among sports fans," Carville said. "But suppose that they said this year we're not going to have a BCS game. People would be happy."
Next up: the structure. "Sports fans are smart and they understand the idea of the BCS is inherently uncompetitive," Carville continued. "None of these other things like the DH hamper competition. But college football players are incapable of determining their own sport's champion. It's the only sport in the world that does that. How am I supposed to promote that?"
Congrats to Larry Penley, whose name will be on his team's new golf facility.
Truly bizarre story involving former Clemson golfer Charles Warren and some quotes that were attributed to him regarding Tiger Woods' escapades.
Two golfers quoted by a weekly magazine as making disparaging remarks about Tiger Woods and his marriage said Thursday night they never spoke to the publication.
In a story that Life & Style posted on its Web site, Ben Crane is quoted as saying Woods is a "phony and a fake" and that Woods' wife knew about allegations of extramarital affairs. It also quotes Charles Warren as saying Woods' wife "had stars in her eyes and maybe dollar signs too" and should leave him.
Dan Wetzel says Brian Kelly is the right fit for Notre Dame.
Pat Forde says it's about dang time Charlie Strong be given a head-coaching opportunity.
"Me and my wife [Vicki] looked at each other, and it was so emotional," Strong said when asked how it felt to finally have his first head-coaching job after 26 years in the college football business.
That's when his voice caught. His head bowed. The new coach of the Louisville Cardinals snapped his fingers and then tapped them on the podium, trying to find the composure he didn't feel.
Finally, he went on.
"Because you just never thought it was going to happen," he said, biting his lip as tears filled his eyes.
Across 20 years of covering introductory coaching news conferences, I've seen a lot of insincerity and heard a lot of manufactured lines. This might have been the most authentic moment I've experienced at one of these events.
New Virginia coach Mike London says he'll let his assistants speak with the media. And Cavaliers beat writers everywhere rejoice.
And Clemson commit Darius Robinson said he might flip-flop if Georgia Tech offers him.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Guess this is what could be described as the calm after the storm.
Four consecutive months of abundant storylines, controversies, and actual games to talk about.
Now ... not a whole lot going on. Both the football and basketball teams are off for exams, the coaches are on the road recruiting, and we're still trying to digest the craziness that was the 2009 football season.
Hard to believe it's all but over.
Emcee Paul Strelow steps onto the podium to hand out his postseason awards for the TIgers.
I would respectfully disagree with his point that this team has almost nothing to gain from its Music City Bowl trip.
To me, this is different from the Nashville trip three years ago. The Tigers had lost three of their last four after a 7-1 start and Top 10 ranking, and the season was going to be viewed as a disappointment no matter what happened in the bowl game.
Not so much this time. Progress has been made with the trip to the ACC title game, and the Tigers had a more than respectable showing in the game (more respectable than Boston College's two trips there in 2007 and 2008).
If the Tigers grab their ninth win in defeating an SEC team in what will essentially be a road environment, I think there's something to be gained from that.
It won't eliminate the disappointment produced by the Tigers' last two losses -- not even close -- but it'll send them into the offseason feeling pretty good about things.
And there's certainly something to be gained by avoiding the certain pall that would come from a loss in that game (and a third straight loss overall).
A 9-5 record sounds so much better than 8-6.
Ron Morris rates the bowls and says there's not enough of them.
More bowls? Yikes.
He also manages to get in a dig at the man he can't stand.
Gator Bowl, Jan. 1 - You just have to watch Bobby Bowden's final game as coach, if for no other reason than to see his Florida State team get waxed by West Virginia.
Dang.
Did Bowden spill Tab on Ron's computer at some point?
So former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer is now a flack for the BCS?
Ugh.
From Bush to bush league ...
James Carville gives his take on this development:
The more I tried to stump Carville, the more gleefully he parried, his voice rising to a Cajun cackle at times.
Until, that is, we came to the BCS. "The Bee Cee Ay-essss?" he said, and the great flack was silent for a moment. Then, as if preparing to battle a formidable opponent in the primaries, he began sizing up the obstacles. First up: public sentiment. "If you said we're going to take away the World Series, there'd be a literal riot among sports fans," Carville said. "But suppose that they said this year we're not going to have a BCS game. People would be happy."
Next up: the structure. "Sports fans are smart and they understand the idea of the BCS is inherently uncompetitive," Carville continued. "None of these other things like the DH hamper competition. But college football players are incapable of determining their own sport's champion. It's the only sport in the world that does that. How am I supposed to promote that?"
Congrats to Larry Penley, whose name will be on his team's new golf facility.
Truly bizarre story involving former Clemson golfer Charles Warren and some quotes that were attributed to him regarding Tiger Woods' escapades.
Two golfers quoted by a weekly magazine as making disparaging remarks about Tiger Woods and his marriage said Thursday night they never spoke to the publication.
In a story that Life & Style posted on its Web site, Ben Crane is quoted as saying Woods is a "phony and a fake" and that Woods' wife knew about allegations of extramarital affairs. It also quotes Charles Warren as saying Woods' wife "had stars in her eyes and maybe dollar signs too" and should leave him.
Dan Wetzel says Brian Kelly is the right fit for Notre Dame.
Pat Forde says it's about dang time Charlie Strong be given a head-coaching opportunity.
"Me and my wife [Vicki] looked at each other, and it was so emotional," Strong said when asked how it felt to finally have his first head-coaching job after 26 years in the college football business.
That's when his voice caught. His head bowed. The new coach of the Louisville Cardinals snapped his fingers and then tapped them on the podium, trying to find the composure he didn't feel.
Finally, he went on.
"Because you just never thought it was going to happen," he said, biting his lip as tears filled his eyes.
Across 20 years of covering introductory coaching news conferences, I've seen a lot of insincerity and heard a lot of manufactured lines. This might have been the most authentic moment I've experienced at one of these events.
New Virginia coach Mike London says he'll let his assistants speak with the media. And Cavaliers beat writers everywhere rejoice.
And Clemson commit Darius Robinson said he might flip-flop if Georgia Tech offers him.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Donnie Patterson. Donnie Patterson is the founder of Patterson Tax Service, located in Easley, S.C. He has been active in tax preparation since 1970, and offers a full range of tax and bookkeeping services.
Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.