Saturday, June 02, 2007

South Carolina Beats Wofford, 9-1

South Carolina beat fourth-seeded Wofford, 9-1, in game two of the 2007 NCAA Columbia Baseball Regional before 4,821 at Sarge Frye Field on Friday.

South Carolina improved to 43-18 overall and advances to take on Charlotte in the winner's bracket game at 7:00 on Saturday. The Terriers, who fell to 30-32, play N.C. State in an elimination contest at 2:00. The 49ers knocked off the Wolfpack, 6-3, in the regional opener.

Sidenote---Clemson plays Coastal Carolina after both teams won their opener.

Gamecock Golfers Make Final 15 Field

The University of South Carolina men's golf team fired an even par 280 on the third day of the NCAA Championships, held Friday at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club's Gold Course (Par 70 - 6,803 yards). The Gamecocks have carded a nine-over par 849 (291-278-280) through three rounds and find themselves tied with Duke for 10th place entering Saturday's final round. Only the top 15 of the 30 teams in the field will compete for the team title on Saturday.

The SEC will have four teams among the final 15 squads competing on Saturday with Alabama, Georgia and Florida vying for the title along with South Carolina.

Going to final round play here is the Top 5:

1. Stanford 828 (-12)
2. Coastal Carolina 830 (-10)
3. Charlotte 838 (-2)
Alabama 838 (-2)
5. Georgia 840 (E)

Friday, June 01, 2007

Happy Doughnut Day...

In celebration of National Doughnut Day on Friday, June 1, participating Krispy Kreme stores will offer customers a free doughnut of their choice. Happy Hour at Krispy Kreme anyone?

This annual event invites Krispy Kreme fans to enjoy a free doughnut as a thank you for their continued support.

National Doughnut Day was established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression and to honor the work of World War I Salvation Army volunteers who prepared doughnuts for thousands of soldiers. National Doughnut Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in June.

Happy Doughnut Day from the LOHD!

More Football

Meet the United Football League

Bill Hambrecht, a Wall Street investor specializing in non traditional IPOs, has decided to launch a football league to rival the NFL. He and Google executive Tim Armstrong have put up $2,000,000 each to begin the league. They have hired a COO and a CEO, both of whom have experience in professional sports, namely the NBA. Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire, Mark Cuban has signed on to be one of the first eight owners. The league plans to begin with 8 teams. Teams are currently planned for Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Mexico City with 5 other cities to come.

The really cool thing about the league is the way the ownership will work. The New York Times Explains:
Each owner will put up $30 million, giving him an initial half-interest in the
team; the league will own the other half. But eventually the fans themselves
will become shareholders — because each team is going to sell shares to the
public. Then the owner, the league and the fans will each own a third of every
franchise.


Remember the guy who is running this show specializes in non traditional IPOs. It could work. I'd like to see some good college football players who aren't quite good enough for the NFL still get to play.

Anyway here's the link to the NY Times Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/sports/playmagazine/0603play-business.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=e87311b152fb357f&ex=1338523200&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Also Signal to Noise's Take:

http://s2nblog.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/competitors-in-pro-football-have-not-fared-well/

Gamecock Golf


Gamecock golf moved into a tie for 13th yesterday at the NCAA championship. Today is the final round before the field is cut from 30 to 15 before playing the final round. So hopefully we can hold the 13th spot, then make a run to win our first national championship in golf.



go cocks

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Donovan leaving Florida to coach Orlando Magic?

ORLANDO (AP) -- After leading Florida to two national titles, Billy Donovan has agreed to leave the Gators to coach the Orlando Magic, an official in the NBA told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized, said Donovan agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.

Donovan, who turned down an offer in April to coach Kentucky, replaces Brian Hill, who was fired after two consecutive losing seasons.

Speculation that Donovan would leave Gainesville seemed to end after he turned down Kentucky and said, "I love the University of Florida." He was also linked to the Memphis Grizzlies' job, but never had formal talks with them and repeatedly refused to comment about any open coaching positions. He said he intended to sign an extension at Florida, where he was making $1.7 million annually.

I think this is a bad move for him but it is a pay raise and the right time for him. With the team roster changing since all those guys went pro it was the right time for a move but to Orlando??? This will end up like Spurrier when he left UF for NFL....coaching in pro leagues is much different and success is hard. I see Billy back in college coaching in 5 years.

thoughts?

The new diet

Did anybody see the story about Tank Johnson in the chicago sun times. Well while he was in jail for 30 days he spent 700 bucks on

• 162 beef sticks
• 40 honey bun sweet rolls
• 35 summer sausage blocks
• 35 bags of barbecue chips


While he and other inmates were given things like a scoop of grits for breakfast, a bologna sandwich for lunch and a chicken leg for dinner, that's hardly enough for a massive professional athlete.

college world series talk

So lets talk some baseball, it is summer and the college world series is just around the corner. This weekend will be the first round with the regionals. Who are your predictions for making it to Omaha. I am taking Vandy, Cal state fullerton, Arizona State and Texas from the top half of the bracket. While on the other side I am taking Rice, Arkansas, Coastal Carolina and South Carolina. I think USC will have a tuff time with UNC if they make it that far. NC state and Charlotte will give USC all they can handle this weekend. Plus James Darnell is probably out for the weekend series with a back injury. I want to hear who everybody else is picking to make it to Omaha.

USC gets picked up by ESPN...

The University of South Carolina football team will have at least two games broadcast as part of the Southeastern Conference's television package with ESPN.

The SEC announced today that the Gamecocks' game Sept. 8 at Georgia would be broadcast on ESPN2 beginning at 5:45 p.m.

ESPN will broadcast USC's home game against Kentucky on Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

For God sake Dave..

LOHD has provided you this year with 5 recurits who are in state that you need to go after. Please make every effort to sign these players in the near future b/c they could seriously help our basketball team (we all know we need a big man - why not a 7 footer and a 6-10 guy?).

---7-0 junior Marcus Goode, who attends The Patterson School in Hickory, NC is drawing strong interest from USC, Clemson, Georgetown, Virginia, Pittsburgh and Nebraska.
---6-7 junior Murphy Hollowayof Dutch Fork has USC, Clemson, North Carolina, Kansas and Pittsburgh among the interested schools.
---6-2 Lashay Page of Dillon is being sought by USC, Wake Forest and New Mexico State with USC the favorite.
---6-10 junior Darnarius Robinson, who attends New Horizon Christian School in Danville, VA, is drawing looks from Old Dominion, UAB and Cincinnati.
---6-4 sophomore Alshon Jeffrey of Calhoun County is already drawing the interest of USC, Clemson, Kentucky, Tennessee, Kansas and North Carolina. He averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game this season.


Side note ---- The battle for 7-foot-1 Romanian center Catalin Baciu of Fletcher, N.C., between Clemson and USC ended last week. He committed to Clemson. Way to go Odom.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Gamecock Club becoming a 'elite' club...

The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees in a special Memorial Day meeting approved a dues increase for the athletic booster club that is expected to raise nearly $8 million the next five years.

The increase will be phased in starting in 2008.

Other increases from 2008 to 2012:
• Century, $150 to $250
• Roundhouse, $350 to $575
• Half-scholarship, $650 to $1,050
• Full scholarship, $1,350 to $2,200
• Silver Spur, $3,000 to $4,850
• Garnet Spur, $7,000 to $8,500
• Golden Spur, $10,000 to $12,000
• Platinum Spur, $15,000 to $18,000

USC has about 14,000 Gamecock Club members, who are projected to raise $13,965,400 in 2007. With the increases, that figure is expected to go to $21,846,605, according to figures provided to the board. (What about out of those 14K the people that drop???? B/c it is getting too high a cost to be a member)

It is only the second dues increase since 1966. The increase will help fund Hyman's planned $194.9 million facilities plan, which includes a new academic learning center as its top priority.

Alright, so now it is going to cost an "arm and a leg" to be a member. Not to mention the parking and ticket prices keep going up... not to mention every open piece of land is now being bought up to make way for expensive tailgate spots (i.e 20k for a 8 by 8 space)

What do you guys think? Seems the football program is forgetting the important ingredient in a successful program and that is fan base. And I mean true "fans" not those that have money to burn and it is cool now to be a Carolina fan since Spurrier arrived. Don't get me wrong I know you have to put your money where your mouth is and have to "keep up with the jones's" in the SEC but let's not leave behind the true fans.

What about the true fans that have been there from the start? I think we need to slow this race horse down a little or think about a poor man's gamecock club. Maybe us poor fans can park in O-burg and walk to the nose bleed section together?

Thoughts?

Baseball Polls updated...

Coastal Carolina University replaced the University of South Carolina as the state's highest-ranked team, and Clemson University gained one spot in this week's Baseball America college baseball rankings.

The Chanticleers (48-11), who won the Big South Conference Tournament and are one of 16 regional hosts for the NCAA Tournament, climbed from No. 14 to No. 12 in the rankings by the magazine's staff.

USC (42-18), also a regional host in the NCAA Tournament, dropped from No. 9 to No. 12 in the ranking.

Clemson (38-21), which received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, climbed to No. 18 from No. 19.

Vanderbit, Rice, North Carolina, San Diego and Texas are the top five teams in the Baseball America rankings.

Clemson headed to the Beach...

Clemson University will begin its quest to reach the College World Series at the beach.

The Tigers learned today that they have been assigned to the regional hosted by Coastal Carolina University and played at Pelican Stadium in Myrtle Beach.

The Tigers will open against St. John's.
Coastal and Virginia Commonwealth meet in the other opening-round game.

USC gets to host a regional...

The University of South Carolina will play Wofford College in the first round of its NCAA baseball regional that begins Friday at Sarge Frye Field.

In the other first-round game in the double-elimination regional, North Carolina State takes on UNC-Charlotte.

The winner of the regional advances to play the winner of the regional in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

SC suffers defeat against 'backs...

Well call it 'whooping' number 2.

Duke Welker allowed one run in seven innings and Travis Hill escaped a bases-loaded jam in Arkansas' 3-2 victory over South Carolina Saturday, sending the Razorbacks into the Southeastern Conference tournament championship game.


Update --- Vandy beat Arkansas to win SEC Tourney Crown.

Believe it or not?

Do you believe this story?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,275524,00.html