Last year we did an audio review of every Gamecock football season since 1987. Due to popular demand, we will be re-running the series this summer leading up to kickoff against Texas A&M on August 28.
Click here or click on the graphic to listen to the 1988 flashback, and enjoy!
Last year we did an audio review of every Gamecock football season since 1987. Due to popular demand, we will be re-running the series this summer leading up to kickoff against Texas A&M on August 28.
Click here or click on the graphic to listen to the 1987 flashback, and enjoy!
Look, sometimes you just have to conduct a podcast without any forethought or script. And sometimes when you’re done it’s a smoldering pile of Indian food wrapped in dirty diapers. It happens.
That said, we still invite you to listen. I mean, we can’t help but be entertaining, even if it’s by accident. On tonight’s podcast we discuss:
All this and so much more. Click here or click the graphic to listen, and enjoy!
Let’s go ahead and address your first question: Yes, we TRC guys do READ. Sometimes we even read for fun. Well, not the Gman, but that’s a long, boring, contract-laden story for another day.
Through an impressively comic series of Christmas re-giftings, I became the proud owner of Greg Easterbrook’s recent work, The King of Sports: Football’s Impact on America. After eliminating every possible alternative short of cleaning my andirons, I sat down one rainy spring day not long ago and began reading Mssr. Easterbrook as he opined on my favorite sport, college football.
One thing was quickly apparent: our man Greg is NOT a fan of the game. Well, at least not in its current manifestation. His specific thesis can be summarized thusly: Football, on every level of play, involves too much money, not enough education, and oh Frank Beamer is just so DREAMY, isn’t he??? And noble. And honest. And has never done anything bad, EVER. He has never, according to our author, as much as burped at the dinner table.
Ok, I made those last couple of details up, but they feel true.
It is true that, as a part of his research, Easterbrook spent time hanging around the Hokie football program, and apparently proceeded to have his pants charmed off by the old man in charge.
A few examples: He goes on and on about how Beamer and his staff care more about creating noble young citizens, and less about pesky details like winning. He then completely downplays the troubles of one Michael Vick, or his brother Marcus, or any of the other three dozen football names from recent Blacksburg police blotters. Just google “Virginia Tech arrests” and settle in for a nice long story of assaults, drugs, and larcenies to see the massive breadth of Easterbrook’s VPI blind spot.
In another example, Easterbrook claims that Frank Beamer eschews the normal police escort college coaches traditionally require because, gosh, he’s such a normal, everyman, nice guy. He then later casually drops in a tiny locker room bon mote that was relayed to him by the POLICEMAN ASSIGNED TO COACH BEAMER.
South Carolina and the Upstate Team both get a few mentions, but only in passing. Here’s a couple of quotes on our Gamecocks: “For example, the University of South Carolina, one the SEC colleges that is synonymous with great football and lax academics . . . .” and “The NCAA lowered the boom on Hampton University and North Carolina A&T but took no action on the University of South Carolina, a mega-money sports mecca that finished 2012 ranked eighth but graduates fewer than half its African-American football players.”
Its probably asking too much for Easterbrook to research the incredible progress Carolina has made with graduation rates in the past ten years. Its also a tall order for him to know about our recent innovations such as football specific nutrition and the Dodie Academic Center. Or that we are second only to Missouri in academic progress rate. Instead, he just sees us as a super rich football powerhouse. Gosh, Greg, go easy. We’re BLUSHING over here.
But to return to the main point; Easterbrook does make a strong argument for reform on several fronts, many of which aren’t completely crazy:
1) Six year scholarships for Division I football players. If you don’t make it to the BIGS, you still have time to get your degree. <–good idea
2) Blah, Blah, Blah something about student activity fees.
3) College Football rankings should factor in graduation rates. Stop laughing, he’s serious.
4) NCAA sanctions should follow the coach and not the school. <–needs more detail, but anything that Lane Kiffin would hate is probably a good start.
5) Don’t graduate your players? Well, you get a year’s suspension, coach, without pay. <–also a good concept, but how do you factor in strange juxtapositions like C.J. Spiller’s Honor Graduate status and his record low Wonderlic score?
6) Coaching bonus should only be for academic results. <–see above
7) Bowls, booster clubs, and stadium funds should lose their not-for-profit designation. <–eh, OK.
8) Helmet to Helmet should earn a one game suspension. <–Ok, that one’s DONE.
9) The 3 point stance should be eliminated.
10) Something about mouth guards. And helmets. And both are probably true.
11) End year-round football in high school. Also probably true.
12) No tackling until your reach eight grade. <–OK.
13) And a bunch of stuff about the NFL that sounds just fine to me. Really, who would even care?
Other than the safety stuff, which was tedious but undoubtedly also reasonable, needed reform, Easterbrook is at his best when he aims his ire at the NFL oft-quoted TV disclaimer, “the use of this broadcast without the express written consent . . .” He points out, quite profoundly, that the League shouldn’t have this kind of monopoly on the rights to an open-air event that is held in a publicly-financed stadium and arranged by a nonprofit, tax-free entity.
Right on, Greg! Power to the people!
In the end, Easterbook does a good job in outlining some of the shortcomings of the game of football. Skip all the Beamer love stuff (equaling approximately one third of the book) and get a strong refresher course on all that ills the sport we love.
Oh, and he hates Alabama.
Now if we could just get him to poke around a little up at Clemson . . . .
November 28, 2008 was a cold, rainy day across the south. A mediocre South Carolina team was facing a similarly mediocre Clemson team at Memorial Stadium in the upstate. Connor Shaw and Marcus Lattimore had just finished their junior football seasons in high school, and Jadeveon Clowney was a high school sophomore newly on the recruiting radar of Division 1 schools.
Leading up to the Clemson game the 2008 season had offered a few bright moments for the Gamecocks – a season opening (albeit closer than the score would indicate) 34-0 win over NC State, a surprising road win at Ole Miss, and a thrilling victory at Kentucky in which redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia introduced himself to the college football world.
But there were also the here-we-go-again moments that were hallmarks of a South Carolina football season – playing down to our competition (23-13 over Wofford), near misses (a 14-7 loss to top-ranked UGA, a 24-17 loss to 13th-ranked LSU), and the standard humiliation on national TV (a 56-6 loss to eventual BCS national champion Florida on CBS).
Meanwhile, in the upstate, Clemson was having similar struggles. The Tigers had fired head coach Tommy Bowden midseason and promoted Dabo Swinney to interim head coach. Swinney was not considered a strong candidate to become the head coach at the time of his promotion, but by the time the South Carolina game rolled around there were enough positive signs within the program that he might have a shot at the job permanently. A win over the Gamecocks would definitely help his case.
The game started fine enough for USC, picking up an early turnover and driving into Clemson territory, only to turn the ball over themselves on the first of Chris Smelley’s four interceptions on the day. It was all downhill from there, as the Tigers built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, and extended it to 24-0 before the Gamecocks scored a touchdown just before the half. Clemson cruised to a 31-14 win. It was an unsurprising game, and it capped off an unsurprising regular season. Of course, we finished off the campaign with an unsurprising 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl and an unsurprising 7-6 final record.
I barely watched the second half of the 2008 Carolina-Clemson game. I just couldn’t take the pain of hearing the Memorial Stadium crowd cheer every first down and big stop, and count down the final seconds of yet another win in this lopsided rivalry. It was a dreary day, a dreary game, and it made for a dreary mood for all Gamecocks.
But that was 2000 days ago. The rivalry doesn’t feel so lopsided anymore, because that was the last day that Clemson football fans counted down to a victory over South Carolina. That was the last day the air smelled fresher, the food tasted better and the wine sweeter because they had beaten their rival.
It’s been 2000 days since South Carolina last lost to Clemson. Almost five and a half years.
2000 days. And counting.
It has been a while since our last movie review, just shy of two years to be precise. And to be fair this isn’t really a movie review, it’s a review of a “pump up” video for the 2014 Gamecock football season. But you’re hooked now, so you might as well keep reading.
In the new #HereSC video (we’ll get to that hashtag in a moment), the thing that immediately jumps out at me, again, is the stodgy old voiceover guy who should be doing yearly recap videos for the Green Bay Packers. He was used in the 2012 “It’s Great to Be a Gamecock” video, and also is the voice of the stadium in the Saturday pre-game video among other appearances.
While I didn’t like his voice in 2012, the choice is even more odd this time around because the video is backed by a junkyard blues soundtrack (h/t @JorgeBrosada) and a script that touts USC as blue-collar underdogs who scratch and claw for everything we get. If that’s who we are, then how about a v/o man with at least a hint of a southern accent? Somebody we can relate to?
Or how about really think outside the box and (gasp) hire a WOMAN to do the voice. Radical, I know.
The script is once again penned, at least in part, by Andy Demetra. It has his fingerprints all over it, trying to hit a home run with every sentence instead of subtly building to a crescendo and having one message-reinforcing home run line.
“We believe that a blue-collar and a garnet heart can take you places you never thought possible.”
A nominee for the most Andy Demetra line ever. That’s saying a lot. And while being blue-collar is probably a source of pride in South Carolina, it’s a little limiting to our fan base, don’t you think?
“If it ain’t swayin’, we ain’t playin’.”
Still?
“Here, when we fall we dust ourselves off and get back up. That hasn’t happened very often.”
It hasn’t? Was the person who wrote this born in 2010?
“Here, we have the Head Ball Coach, and you don’t.”
Y’all know I love the HBC, but who are we talking to? Florida? Are we taunting Florida? Maybe we’re taunting Vandy. Or Kentucky, I don’t know.
“Here, they said it couldn’t be done. But guess what, we’re doing it.”
Finally, at the 1:20 mark, we get a decent line.
All I’m asking is for somebody to write like a human being, not a cliche’-spouting robot.
The clips and images are fine, but two years after the first “It’s Great to Be a Gamecock” video the vignettes and muted colors are getting a little tiresome. It’s time for video editors to learn what most decent photographers and photo editors finally figured out: step away from the “apply filter” button.
Finally, the new hashtag: #HereSC.
At first glance there’s not much wrong with it, but eventually you have to actually SAY it, whether it’s in your head or out loud. Everybody I’ve shown the hashtag to, without prompting, says “wow, sounds a lot like ‘heresy’”.
I don’t know what #HereSC sounding like heresy even means, but it’s not good. As a matter of fact, it’s terrible that the idea even made it into serious discussion.
As a guy who has spent 20+ years as a marketer, I’m probably a little harder on the athletic department’s efforts to promote our programs than most would be. I tend to notice things others might not give a second thought, which is probably a good thing for our marketing department.
Think I’ll soothe my disappointment by taking a #GamecockSelfie.
Tons of hot takes flowed on Twitter when the suspension of Frank Martin was handed down for verbally abusing Duane Notice. And the situation will bubble to the surface again when the SEC Basketball Tournament starts this week in Atlanta and Martin returns to the bench. So you can pile our hot take on top, and it goes a little something like this:
I like Frank Martin and I’m glad he’s our coach. I supported the hire and I support Coach Martin going forward. I like his intensity. I like that he seems to care so much about the players and about building our men’s basketball program.
I also absolutely, wholeheartedly support Ray Tanner’s decision to suspend Coach Martin. Since the suspension was announced, there’s been a split of opinion on whether or not the suspension was the right thing to do. Count me among those who are baffled and befuddled by those who feel the administration should have ignored what he said, something that Martin has now admitted to be a major problem.
Those criticizing the suspension have thrown out various reasons for their position: that we knew what the intense Coach Martin was about when we hired him; that there are many “cussing” coaches like Martin in the college game; that the suspension of Martin exemplifies the “wussification of America”; that the coach-player relationship should not be monkeyed with by the administration; that the kind of things Martin said to Duane Notice are par for the course and those who “didn’t play the game” simply don’t understand.
Guys and girls, this is NOT about intensity. This NOT about cussing. This is NOT about toughness. Instead, this is about human dignity. No college coach under any circumstances should ever say what Frank Martin said to Duane Notice, in public or private. I’m wondering if those criticizing the decision actually know what Coach Martin said. Because if they did, I can’t imagine how they can argue that it was ok. Martin didn’t just say use some salty language in front of Notice. No, he called this 18-year old kid in front of him, playing in a basketball game, a “f***ing asshole”. Again, focus on the actual words here. If you think this is ok, and you have kids, then I feel for your kids.
Let me ask you: in what universe is it acceptable for a coach to talk to his 18-year old player like that? I’m certainly glad it’s not acceptable at my university. I applaud Tanner and the university for standing up for what is right. And it’s not like Martin wasn’t warned. In his post-suspension press conference Martin disclosed that he and Tanner had been talking about this for weeks, and that he understood that he had a problem. Heck, he had even publicly apologized to Brenton Williams for a verbal onslaught levied earlier this year. For folks to say all of this is ok, that we should sit back and watch a man make a jerk of himself and our university, is inexcusable and frankly embarrassing.
Some of the protesters have implied that this is an infringement on liberty – that we and Martin should have the liberty to say and do what we want. Well, liberty has its limits. One of those limits is calling a kid you are supposed to be coaching and molding a f***ing asshole.
I’m a long-time listener to South Carolina radio legend and TRC friend Phil Kornblut. While I agree with him most of the time, this time he got it wrong. Dead wrong. Kornblut said that Martin’s actions didn’t hurt anyone, and because of that we “holier than thou” types should just get a grip. After hearing the Martin presser I think it’s pretty clear that this has at least hurt Martin, his wife, and his mother. Martin himself acknowledged that it hurt the university.
And of course no one has even mentioned Duane Notice much in all of this. While I’m sure Duane is a tough kid, studies show that verbal abuse is still abuse. Has Martin been verbally abusing Notice and others for a while (and I’m not talking about cussing)? Who knows. I certainly hope not. But condoning such actions sends the message to the world that it’s ok to abuse and degrade those we are supposed to be coaching or raising. Is that really the message we want to send?
Coach Martin fell short (surprise, we all do). Kudos to him for admitting his mistake and promising to work on things. Kudos to Ray Tanner and USC for sending the correct message. To those of you who still think what Martin did was just fine, I would encourage you to do a little soul-searching. It’s ok to admit you were wrong. Martin did.
so much depends upon
a scant twelve seconds
look at me, I’m talking
you something, something, something.
Quick reflections all things gamecockery from the last week:
Love the Sinner, But Hate the Sin: We all learned yesterday that Head BB Coach Frank Martin has earned himself a game off for some much-needed R&R. This outburst, which some folks seem to believe is a tad excessive, resulted in a forced vacation from the regular season finale. Gotta be honest here, folks: I don’t see this as a big deal. I’m a pretty good lip reader, and its clear to me that Frank is politely inquiring as follows: “Hey, Duane, you mentioned the other day that you might need a lift to your podiatrist appointment tomorrow. You want to text me in the a.m. or something so I can plan the rest of my day? OK? Sounds good, buddy.”
The Ten Second Rule is Dead, and I Don’t Feel So Good Myself: Seriously never understood all the hoopla about this proposal. The game changes. That’s its only consistent feature. These hurry up offenses are obviously impacting the way the game is played, so shouldn’t the governing body at least consider a reasonable response? Rather than some artificial clock deadline, I’d suggest a simpler approach: just have the ref stand over the ball for a beat or two more and give both sides a chance to at least look like they are set. This is supposed to be a football game, not a see-who-can-punk-the-other-guy-best deal.
Yardcocks Continue to Roll: Your intrepid blogger usually tries to suspend excitement (even interest) in the baseball team until post-SEC tournament, at the earliest. But this year I find myself all swept up in the excitement. Of course, so did the Clemson Tigers, if you take my meaning, har-har-har.
Horsecocks Continue to Dominate: Ranked #1 in the nation for 13 straight weeks, and now set to face Auburn for the SEC championship. Oh and the equestrian ladies got several members of our football team to pose awkwardly on some very overwrought horses.
WBB is WOW: Direct all your clicks hither.
Shaw Me Your TVs: One last, fond, look at the greatest quarterback in Gamecock history:
Note how Connor is so poised and polished in front of the crowd. Really looks comfortable, ready for prime time, doesn’t he? Big change in demeanor from the nervous kid that first talked with local reporters back in 2010.
r/cfb/ Thread of the Week: This photo, posted by an Auburn fan (of all people). A postapocalyptic view of the WB? Or an epic view of downtown Detroit? We aren’t sure, and the composition is a tad off, but its a cool concept nonetheless.
The Upstate School continues to do such Upstate School Things. [Sigh] It’s so one-sided now, that the HBC no longer even says the word “Clemson” anymore, and we are going to follow suit. Well, from now on, anyway. We won’t say “Clemson” that is. Starting now.
Oh, and Spring Practice started, or didn’t, or at least kinda did, it was hard to tell.
TRC Unleashed welcomes a special guest to the podcast – USC head volleyball coach Scott Swanson. Coach Swanson walks through what it takes to recruit and become a top flight program in college volleyball. He brings tremendous insight to a program we might not follow closely, but should.
We also discuss:
All this plus we answer Twitter questions. It’s a fun but very disjointed show, so hang in there, you’ll be better for it!
Click here, or click the graphic to listen, and enjoy!
The Rubber Chickens Blog 