Now that baseball season is over……WHY ARE YOU BUNTING YOUR NUMBER THREE HITTER IN THE FIRST INNING?!?! MOTHERFRIGBOTJAIDOAKEAMFAEIOPDAOJRFIAONGUEAPUEPAS!!!!

[Deep breath]

Sorry, NOWWWWW that baseball season is over, we move on to a dead fifty or so days to speculate about our team/depth chart/schedule/the first offensive play we run against UNC/whether we should incorporate garnet helmets/pics of Spurrier with his shirt off/etc. Then  in August players will report and in the five minutes before practice closes we’ll get to see who looks awesome in pass skels/who really worked hard over the summer/whose punts are going higher/where is D.L. Moore?

Until those glorious days we have to kill time with something, so the word “kill” makes us think…how about a blog post about Jadeveon Clowney? Haven’t seen a new one of those recently. And by recently I mean Guy Pearce in Memento recently. As in the last ten minutes.

(If you don’t get the reference, another great way to kill time this summer is to watch that movie.)

Anyhoo, earlier this week we were having a friendly word fight death match with something called @MaizenBrew, who tweeted a couple of really dumb things about J.D. and “The Hit”:

@RubrChickens @UMGoBlog He crushed a back solely because he was accidentally left unblocked. Congratulations.—
Maize n Brew (@MaizenBrew) June 11, 2013

@RubrChickens @UMGoBlog And that back is literally one of the smallest players in the BCS. You get no points.—
Maize n Brew (@MaizenBrew) June 11, 2013

(We fully acknowledge we baited these responses, because Twitter is fun that way.)

These tweets are laden with understandable bitterness. I mean, they watched their little guy get destroyed day after day after day on ESPN in what will be a strong contender for play of the decade in college football. How could you not get sick of your guy getting humiliated at least twice a day for months?

That made me think – are people really getting sick of the magnificent (h/t Andy Demetra) Jadeveon Clowney? Is he overexposed?

We decided to get sciencey and create a chart which shows exactly how much #7 is overexposed, separated by fan base and Tajh Boyd:

Obviously South Carolina fans can’t get enough of Clowney. They show up well below the overexposure line, and will probably never come close to it no matter how many helmets he separates from heads.

In yellow is college football fans in general. This number would probably be below the Clowneyline if not for Michigan fans. I think college football fans across America love J.D. and his exploits for the most part. But the Michigan fans’ utter hatred for “The Hit” pushes the entire group into overexposure territory.

The blue bar is for SEC fans, and much like Michigan, UGA pushes that number into plus territory. Because of two years of stuff like this:

The Clemson bar passed “0″ in the fourth quarter of the 2011 game, and the plus number quadrupled as the 2012 game came to a close.

The final bar – Tajh Boyd. Tajh has consistent nightmares about the garnet 7 chasing him on the field, through the tunnel, up Assembly Street, and clear past the sundae bar at Golden Corral. It’s horrific, thus his ultra-high overexposure number.

The thing is, for Carolina fans, we should really enjoy the next few months of hype for perhaps the greatest athlete we’ve ever seen on our campus.

For everyone else, you should probably enjoy this time prior to the season actually starting. Because once it starts, it means he’s going to be lining across from your guy.

And it ain’t gonna be pretty.

With a special assist from @theDWBband.

For regular readers of this site, you probably haven’t been very regular lately since we haven’t been posting that much. So we reached out for a little help, and for the first time in our almost three-year history we have a guest post – please welcome Layla to the blog.

We gave her no parameters except to make the blog post somewhat Gamecock relevant, and she came back to us with the SEC as Game of Thrones. What’s funny about that is none of the three members of TRC know ANYTHING about Game of Thrones, but we were impressed with her writing, so we rolled with it. Below is what we feel is outstanding work…or we’ve possibly been duped and Game of Thrones is actually a buddy cop show on FX starring John Stamos and George Lopez. (If we’ve been duped please don’t let us know, for we’ve learned in our old age that ignorance truly is bliss.)

Enjoy!

Nick Saban?

I can’t even begin to say how excited I was when I was asked to write a guest blog post. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I’m pretty sure “giggled like a school girl” would be an accurate way to describe it.

Of course, the joy quickly turned to fear when I realized I’d need to find something to write about. I mulled it over for a few days before researching current events related to South Carolina athletics. Eventually, I decided it was time to start writing so I sat down at the computer and… opened Pinterest, where I found a really funny picture of two small children dressed as hobbits in a little cage. I laughed at that for a little bit longer than I should have before deciding I should watch The Hobbit. Then I ended up watching Game of Thrones. And then I bought the books. I even contemplated going for a jog.

This is that awkward time between exciting sporting events for us. Football’s months away. Basketball’s over, as if it really ever started. Baseball’s still going, but just entering into the “exciting” part. There’s some small outrage at Clemson once again being in our regional, but we played this out last year. I’m sure there’s some other sports going on right now, but my interest in those is only enough to browse through the scores at the end of the weekend.

I think it was 700 pages into the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire that the idea hit me: If the big Game of Thrones houses were SEC teams, who would they be? (Note: Arkansas and Georgia are left out. Just because.)

House Lannister: Alabama Crimson Tide

It all makes sense. They’re powerful, wealthy, and have resources at their disposal that many other teams could only dream about. Where House Lannister owns most of the crown, Alabama is able to bench a running back that would be a talented starter in most other conference teams.

They have a proud history, and a prouder habit of telling everyone about it. They just neglect to mention the more shameful moments in their history, like the string of NCAA violations that follows them on the King’s Road. Or the Cersei-Jaime action going on.

Also led by a clever, but diminutive, man with notable hair.

House Greyjoy: Auburn Tigers

They see war as opportunity. When everything else around them is crumbling, they’ll knock it all down just to stand on the garbage heap and declare themselves king of the heap.  They’re certainly a force to be reckoned with, but we all still question the “iron price” they’ve paid in the past. Read: I think they’ve paid players as a way to boost their program. Cue “Son of a Preacher Man.”

House Baratheon: Florida Gators

Ever notice how “Florida Alligators” just sounds ridiculous? They recently had a good reign, though it was short-lived. They didn’t exactly build the house/program from the bottom up as they’ve always had some tie to the SEC Throne, but their quick rise to power was something to behold.

Even more entertaining was the rapid, downward spiral. Urban Meyer abandoned the burning city like King Joffrey leaving the Red Keep under siege because mummy called him over. It hurt their morale and left them floundering, until they learned to find a new leader and gather their wits about them. Florida has started to rebuild and recover the honor they once had, just as Stannis wants to take King’s Landing as what is rightfully his. Not to mention, he shares the same crazy-eyed stare as Will Muschamp. It scares me a little.

House Tyrell: South Carolina Gamecocks

Yes, I’m being a homer by doing this. Some recognize its beauty, and everyone else is wrong. House Tyrell has always been “so-so” when it comes to the big fight, winning when they need to but rarely getting any recognition for it. But now, after years of waiting for the right time and developing a formidable army, they’re ready to take center stage and prove something.

Plus, we’re pretty.

Wildlings: Missouri

Why are you here? You’re not even from this region. Go home.

House Baelish: Vanderbilt Commodores

Rarely taken seriously on the field, small in stature, and frequently feeling like the odd man out. But what they lack in battle prowess, they make up for in intelligence. Vandy may not be taking the football throne any time soon, but they’re not to be overlooked. They’ve had their victories (that we will never speak of again) and they can outsmart their opponents. You know, in the classroom. Step onto the field and it tends to end like Petyr’s duel with Brandon Stark: quickly, with the bigger guy running right over them and someone else begs for mercy.

House Stark: Texas A&M

They’re an old house, far out of everyone’s mind for the most part. Opinions about them vary, ranging from respected and honorable to treacherous and whiney. They’ve sought independence and a chance to prove themselves in their own region, just as Robb Stark was proclaimed King of the North. There were some battles won, but their future in the realm remains unclear. But I think we can at least agree they don’t suck.

House Frey: Those schools in Mississippi.

We really only care when you’re around.

House Tully: Kentucky Wildcats

I want to care, I really do. Now, I’m not saying they aren’t important! They’re quite formidable on the court and have certainly had their moments in history. There are even some people who are important to the overall narrative that are associated with House Tully. But I’m willing to bet that if you asked anyone about them, they’ll stare blankly into space for a few seconds before they even realize what you’re talking about.

House Arryn: Tennessee Volunteers

While never as big as Baratheon or Lannister, Tennessee was still formidable. Until they “married” a nutjob, produced a near worthless generation, and just died. Firing Fullmer and replacing him with Lane Kiffin may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but the same could be said for the Ford Pinto or that late night trip to Taco Bell. Kiffin even had a successful season!

But when he left, it was clear that it would take Tennessee generations to undo the damage. They may have the tools needed, but it just seems like too much of a mess to even attempt to bring it all together. Instead, we’ve all enjoyed watching them flounder in their incompetencies in their mountain fortress.

House Targeryan: LSU Tigers

LSU has a long history of domination, often by completely decimating their opponents. It could be my imagination, but it seems the teams they play are suddenly struck by the “injury bug” each week. They certainly have a fearsome and troubled history, but none can deny the impact it’s had. Where House Targeryan has their own madman, LSU has a coach that eats turf like a grazing cow.

Then there’s that awkward backstabbing incident by the man sworn to protect the integrity of their program. Oddly enough, that same man is now with Alabama the same way the Kingslayer was with House Lannister.

In honor of the start of the 2013 NCAA Baseball Tournament, we revisit the final out from South Carolina’s victory over Florida at the 2011 College World Series with this infographic.

TRC Unleashed would like for you to believe they talked to Trey Dyson about the upcoming NCAA regional this weekend, but there’s no proof it actually happened. You’ll just have to trust us, and instead of hearing Mr. Dyson listen to us talk about:

• Rage Against the Machine
• The NCAA Regional (with Trey Dyson’s real thoughts)
• Frustration and/or excitement over having Clemson in our regional
• Shawn Elliott media guide photo (!!!)
• If we had 24 hours with Steve Spurrier…
• Gamecock traditions we could live without
• Our Twitter followers who have injured themselves during games (thanks to all who participated!)
• TRC walk-up songs
• THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA

It’s a technically unsound, raucous and classy time all rolled into 30 odd minutes.

Click the graphic to listen, and enjoy!

There is a familiar refrain from the Steve Spurrier era at South Carolina that has become much less familiar recently:

“Don’t worry, Spurrier ain’t going to be there long.”

When the HBC took over at USC in 2005, conventional wisdom said he would stick around 5-7 years and then head off into the sunset for endless rounds of golf. Now, as he prepares to start his ninth year as the Gamecocks’ head man, the end of his tenure is nowhere in sight.

Maybe the greatest evidence has come in the last week, with the commitments of DJ Neal and Shamiek Blackshear – kids who will not finish high school until 2015.

Why is this important? Because since the start of Spurrier’s reign at USC, those who have gone against him have continually whispered in the ears of young recruits, “he won’t be there.”

And around 2007-2008, not only was it believable to recruits, it was believable to fans like us as well. Success did not come quickly or easily for the South Carolina program under Spurrier. He built on the  mediocre seasons of Lou Holtz with only slightly more mediocre seasons.

Spurrier himself admitted after both the 2009 Outback and 2010 PapaJohns.com bowl disasters, the latter after a breakthrough win over Clemson, that he considered calling it quits.

But since the start of the 2010 regular season (not coincidentally the same time Marcus Lattimore arrived) the Gamecocks have gone 31-9, won their first SEC Eastern Division Championship, have had back-to-back 11-win seasons and two top-10 finishes.

When Tbone and I saw Spurrier at FanFest in Atlanta two weeks ago, he looked as energetic and happy as we’ve ever seen him. Tbone speculated that maybe an SEC Title in 2013 would be the perfect time for Spurrier to exit the program. I told him I’m not sure if we won a NATIONAL championship he would leave. He’s having too much fun right now, and I’m really not sure what he would do with himself outside the game.

This passage from a recent Charleston Post and Courier article spoke volumes:

Yet both he and Jerri still maintain their own lives, independent of the kids and grandkids. Jerri coordinates activities like the team’s parents association breakfast on the morning of the spring game. Jerri teaches a fitness class at USC’s student gym. She has two courses remaining for a second bachelor’s degree, in psychology, and hopes to work with depressed and suicidal youths.

“(Taking classes) kind of gets me where I get to be somebody else,” Jerri said. “I do it for me, and I think everybody needs to do something for them.”

For Spurrier, that is football, forever football.

“I dread the day that we’re not doing this, because it’s my life,” Jerri said. “It’s what I do, too. It’s what we do.”

Doesn’t sound like Jerri’s ready to give it up any time soon, and that tells me Steve is probably not ready to give it up either.  

So is Spurrier telling recruits Neal and Blackshear that he’ll still be around when they finish their college careers in 2019 or 2020? I have no idea. But at this point it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Spurrier loves football, and he loves South Carolina. I think he might stay a while.

The TRC triumvirate take to the airwaves once again to try to make a podcast out of thin air. Lots of shout outs in this podcast, so be sure to listen to see if you get a mention. Perhaps our most special guest? Siri drops in to take a shot at Dabo and Clemson.

Other topics:

• Atlanta FanFest – what we learned
• Drew Barker and the cult of the insider
• Which out of conference games frighten us in the fall
• Open mic – we take questions from our followers
• Baseball been very, very good to me
• Are there too many podcasts of course there are too many podcasts

Click the graphic to listen, and ENJOY!

(via CFB Reddit)

If you are a Gamecock fan this photo is just funny. Unless you have a stick up your butt.

I was surprised to see the reaction of some Gamecock fans to this photo, calling it rude and disrespectful. As a father of two kids, without the photo’s proper context I can see that. Mocking an adult the way these kids are is a little disrespectful, no doubt. 

Until you consider who the “adult” is. He’s the guy who did this:

We’ve been on the wrong side of this rivalry in football for way too long. And for too long we’ve had to deal with unimaginative name calling and scoreboard pointing. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and I’m not opposed to stepping on few orange tinged fingers along the way.

Now, I’m not condoning vandalism by any stretch of the imagination. But I’ve never been opposed to a little low brow humor or clever trash talk.

Or kids, unbeknownst to Dabo, throwing up the four-peat sign during a photo-op. That’s just genius.

High four kids, nice work.