No love for the Gamecocks...

Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports offers a list of the top 40 prep hoops prospects for 2009 and where they are hanging out this summer. According to Goodman, out of the Top 40 NO ONE has interest in the Gamecocks men's basketball program.

Now this begs to question is this thee fault of Odom, the team, the facilities / school or the program as a whole?

I have to lay the blame at Odom's feet. I know, those that know me know that I have been a Odom fan now and before his tenure at USC. He is a great coach beyond basketball skills and runs a good program. His major flaw and has always been is that he would rather recruit under the radar to find the "next Tim Duncan." While that works once every 10 years (if that) and can do good things for the program (see Wake Forest), it should not be the 'gold standard' for your recruiting philosophy. I think my patience is running thin for Mr. Odom. This blog has written before that this 07-08 season is the make or break year for Odom. If the fan base does not see drastic improvements then I think a pink slip is deserving for Mr. Odom. Yeah Yeah, we have 2 NIT trophies but that is like saying we won the losers playoff bracket in fantasy basketball.

What do you guys think? Seriously, even Clemson got 3 people in the Top 40 to say they have interest in the program (not a commitment simply interest).

Gamecock Recruit named All-American

S. Carolina baseball recruit makes the Louisville Slugger All-American for the second consecutive year. Michael Roth, a rising senior at Riverside High School, batted .398 in 2006, with five home runs and 27 RBIs. On the mound, the left-hander was 8-2 with a 0.85 ERA.

I think this guy will help out big time for SC in the future, either on the mound or in the field. Has good stats doing both and seems like a real 'team' guy. Should be interesting to see how he does in his senior year coming up.

Full Article - Here.

Another Great South Carolina football game...

According to CollegeFootballNews.com this game below is also one of the 100 Greatest Games of All Time. What do you think??? Personally, this one was before my time so I don't have any thoughts on it but again we lost this "great" game.
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No. 67 - Clemson 31 ... South Carolina 27
October 19, 1977


At the time: Clemson was in the midst of a solid 7-2-1 season in the first year under head coach Charley Pell highlighted by a 21-17 loss the previous week to eventual national champion Notre Dame. South Carolina was struggling losing five of its previous seven games and needed a win to keep bowl hopes alive.

The setup: Clemson roared out to a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter, but South Carolina bounced back with a 77-yard touchdown run from Spencer Clark followed up by two Steve Dorsey touchdown runs to cut the Tiger lead to four (because of a missed two point conversion) with seven minutes to play. Clemson couldn't punt the ball all game long and it became a problem late giving the Gamecocks great field position. USC took advantage as Philip Logan made a leaping grab for a 40-yard touchdown and a 27-24 lead with 1:39 to play. QB Steve Fuller led the Tigers into scoring range with two big passes, but time was running out.

The ending: On first down from the USC 20, Clemson WR Jerry Butler broke off his pattern and was wide open in the clear, but Fuller's pass sailed and appeared to be well out of Butler's reach. The Tiger receiver leapt up and was able to grab the ball with both hands while falling backwards. He landed in the end zone and hung on for a spectacular 20-yard touchdown with :49 to play. South Carolina couldn't complete a pass on its final drive.

How they ended up: Clemson went on to play Pittsburgh in the Gator Bowl for the school's first post-season game since 1959. The Panthers won 34-3 dropping the Tigers to 8-3-1. South Carolina didn't go to a bowl, but it did get to travel to Hawaii for the season finale losing 24-7 to finish 5-7.

A Great S. Carolina Football Game...

This is said to be one of the 100 College Football Games of All Time, according to CollegeFootballNews.com.
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No. 80 - NC State 23 ... South Carolina 22
November 1, 1986


At the time: NC State was in the midst of a strong first season under head coach Dick Sheridan with a 5-1-1 record and a two-game winning streak after a 27-3 win over a good Clemson team. South Carolina was going nowhere fast with a 2-4-1 record with one of the wins coming over DI-AA Western Carolina.

The setup: NC State was up 17-3 going into halftime but lost starting QB Erik Kramer early in the second half to a leg injury. USC's Todd Ellis hooked up with Sterling Sharpe for a touchdown and it became a ballgame again at 17-13. Kramer came back in the game, but he fired two interceptions in the fourth quarter leading to Gamecock points. Ellis ran for a one-yard score, and USC was up 22-17 late with the ball with 2:13 to play and with NC State out of timeouts. It should've been over. A handoff followed by two kneel-downs made it fourth down for USC on its own 24 with :30 to play (thanks to a controversial clock stoppage after first down). NC State got the ball back on the USC 39 with :24 to play after a 15-yard punt, but couldn't do anything as Kramer was sacked on third down and the clock ran out. However ...

The ending: ... there was a flag on the field. USC LB Kenneth Robinson was nailed with an offsides call. Many Gamecock fans had already stormed field, along with the players, but they had to be cleared for one final play. Kramer threw up a last-gasp pass into the end zone (as he aggravated his ankle injury) where Danny Peebles pushed off, leapt up and made the catch as USC safety Chris Major delivered a major shot. NC State won 23-22.How they ended up: South Carolina lost the following week to Florida State before beating Wake Forest and Tying Clemson to finish 3-6-2. NC State blew its shot at the ACC title the following week losing 20-16 to Virginia, but still went on to an 8-3-1 season finishing with a 25-24 Peach Bowl loss to Virginia Tech.
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Not sure if this is really a great game if we lost but was a heck of a game; I kinda think of great games being those we win but I can see why this made the list....any thoughts?

One of the Top 50 games of the 07-08 season...

Is the Clemson vs. South Carolina game, accoriding to CollegeFootballNews.com, here is what they write and look who they predicited to win.

41. Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 24

One of the nastiest rivalries that isn't quite on the national radar, Clemson owned the Gamecocks for four years until Steve Spurrier's crew came up with a 31-28 win in Death Valley. Clemson is the better team going into the season, but by late November, this will be the best South Carolina team in years, with an offense that should finally start to hum like Spurrier was hoping it could when he took over. USC will have had two weeks off after a brutal stretch at Tennessee, Arkansas and at home against Florida, while the Tigers won't get a break after a likely pivotal battle with Boston College. The extra rest and time to prepare, along with Jasper Brinkley and the Gamecock linebacking corps slowing down the Tiger ground game, will be enough to pull out a second straight close win.

---Predicted score in July: South Carolina 20 ... Clemson 17

Do you agree? Any thoughts?

Second Place must suck...

Recently, Bill Gates moved to second on the list of world's richest men. I feel bad for the guy because he headed the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest for more than a decade. No - the top honor does not go to our friend Rishi, yet, but to Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim. Mr. Slim has a little over 67 billion dollars (how many pesos is that?); his company is Telefonos de Mexico (NYSE: TMX).

This commentary refers to the following article here.

Chestnut to the Rescue...

Seems America has a new hero now that Captain America is dead....

Enter Joey Chestnut, in the annual Fourth of July competition, who broke his own world record by inhaling 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- a staggering one every 10.9 seconds.

He defeated the "Japanese eating machine" known as Kobayashi. Some would say that the Japanese heavy eater was not at his best because of the wisdom tooth extraction but no excuses people this is a eating contest so no crying "turf toe" when the going gets tuff.

So everyone rest easy now that America is safe and the Japenese have been defeated once again. Thank you Mr. Chestnut and we here at LOHD will never challenge you to a hot dog eating contest.

This commentary refers to the following article here.

Happy 4th !

Happy 4th of July!!!

Keep in your prayers all the men and women in our armed forces serving our country to defend our freedoms.

Next time you see a member of the armed forces, current or past, say "Thank You!"

Are you a good citizen?

MSNBC has a cool quiz. It is a sample of the citizenship test given to people who want to become U.S. citizens. It's only 20 questions, so it shouldn't take you long.

Try the quiz here.

Vick Video - Dog's in the Kennel

We have all heard the recent trouble Michael Vick has gotten in to recently so here is a great video on the ordeal, set to "cat's in the cradle."

Video is on youtube.

Click - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW0dhh_Aj6A

A little college football chatter today...

In honor of College Football being two months away, here are some interesting news articles for you to read today:

1. College Gameday set for VT to kick off season. Should provide for a great start to the season. Article HERE.

2. Korn is picked by ESPN to be part of their "Freshmen to Watch in 08" list. Do you agree? Heck, what is your take of the list? I don't see Willy K being the savior this year. Article HERE.

3. Jasper makes the "Seniors to Watch in 08" list. He should be SEC first team this year. Do you agree with the list? Article HERE.

ID Please...

Tennessee becomes the first state to require a valid ID for anyone to purchase beer. NO ID - NO Beer. The law does not apply to beer sales in bars and restaurants, and it does not cover wine and liquor. Supporters say it keeps grocery store and convenience store clerks from having to guess a customer's age. So this year when you go to the UT game and try to buy a 'case' to take to the tailgate be advised that you will have to provide ID, even Grandpa will.

I feel this will come to SC within 5 years, MADD is a strong group but attempts to strengthen the DUI laws in SC did fail this year. Still say this will happen in SC; What do ya'll think?

This commentary refers to the following article HERE.

Ellis to Coastal - Bad move?

I feel this is a wrong move for Coastal Carolina Univ but they didn't ask me and not sure why I care about their basketball team....they do have a great golf and baseball team though....but the issue here is it seems that CC will name Ellis the new coach.

Ellis, 61, returns to coaching after resigning from Auburn in 2004 season and spending the last three years as a television analyst. He has a career record of 534-337 during stops at Auburn, South Alabama and Clemson. He was 186-125 at Auburn and was named the national coach of the year following the 1999 season.

I think this guy is a "has been" and CC should have gone with someone younger. Let's be honest he lacks the desire and will be gone in 5 years.

What do you guys think?

This commentary refers to the following article HERE.

Monday Morning Reading...

A nice article for your Monday morning reading pleasure, also let us know how you feel about this idea of "PSL's."
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Seat licenses come with territory
By Ron Morris
The State

BRACE YOURSELF GAMECOCK fans, permanent seat licensing is on the horizon. The test market for such financing at South Carolina will be the new baseball stadium along the Congaree River.

Eric Hyman, USC’s athletics director, says PSLs are necessary to help cover the ever-escalating cost of the new stadium. Ray Tanner, USC’s baseball coach, says it is part of the cost of the Gamecock community wanting a top-notch facility. “You’ve got a pretty hefty price tag and there is a cost for excellence,” said Hyman, who inherited the new stadium project two years ago when estimated costs were $17 million. Those estimates have soared to $28 million, and they most assuredly will grow beyond $30 million when construction bids go out next month.

“It is necessary if you’re going to try to do a stadium the way we are,” said Tanner, whose baseball program has been able to keep up with the Southeastern Conference Joneses despite operating with ramshackle facilities the past decade.

For the uninformed, PSLs have become the rage in professional athletics. In recent years, the practice has filtered to the college ranks, mostly in football. (Rest assured, it is coming soon to those who purchase tickets to games at Williams-Brice Stadium).

Here is how it works. A fan can purchase the rights to a permanent seat. In the case of the new baseball stadium, a fan can pay approximately $1,000 over a five-year period and be assured of having that particular seat for the next 15 years. On top of the PSL, the fan also must purchase the season ticket for that particular seat.

The Carolina Panthers were among the first in professional sports to use PSLs as a vehicle to finance the building of a new stadium. The Panthers privately financed the $187 million Bank of America Stadium in 1996. Nearly 42,000 fans purchased PSLs, which ranged in cost from $600 to $5,400, covering nearly $100 million in construction costs.

As with Bank of America Stadium, funding for USC’s new stadium also will come from philanthropy and naming rights. PSLs and bumped up ticket prices — most certainly to range from $10 to $15 — will help finance the stadium.There is one big reason the USC athletics department finds itself in the position where PSLs are a necessity. There also are a couple of problems that have arisen as a result of building a new stadium.

Two separate proposals were on the table several years ago for a stadium that would have been shared by USC and a professional baseball team. In each proposal, the two parties, as well as the city of Columbia, would have contributed $10 million apiece.Shared stadiums have worked virtually without a hitch in Lincoln, Neb., with the University of Nebraska, and in State College, Pa., with Penn State. USC explored that option and determined it wanted to build on its own. After refusing to consider being a third party in that equation, the city of Columbia could not very well ask its citizens to help finance a USC stadium. Even though it has no business doing so, the city still will cover infrastructure costs and provide trolley transportation from the Colonial Center to the new stadium, which will be virtually devoid of on-site parking.

So, USC cornered itself into building a stadium for a program that annually operates at a $500,000-$750,000 deficit. Football and men’s basketball are the only revenue-producing sports at USC while women’s basketball and baseball operate with the biggest deficits. With the new stadium, baseball’s revenues are likely to increase from $500,000 annually to $750,000 annually. But its operating costs are expected to spike from $1.2 million to $3 million. So, you can see where the sale of even 1,000 PSLs at $1,000 each would go a long way toward reducing that operating deficit.

Whatever the cost of the new stadium, Hyman says the structure is necessary because all of USC’s athletics programs cannot afford to remain stagnant in terms of facilities. But any time increased ticket prices and the sale of PSLs are involved in the financing of a new facility, there is natural concern about the average fan getting locked out at the ticket window.

Hyman is aware of those concerns, but he believes there will be plenty of room in the 5,300-seat stadium for those who cannot afford either a PSL or a separate season ticket. We can only hope that USC puts a cap on the sale of season tickets at say 3,500. Thus, 1,800 seats would always be available for public sale. Hyman also says there will be seating, presumably at a reduced ticket cost, for another 2,700 on outfield berms. Unfortunately, that is likely the only way we will see 8-year-olds with baseball gloves chasing foul balls at the new stadium.
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Thoughts on PSL? Is this something the gamecock nation could support? Has Hyman gone to far in thinking "outside the box?"

Coming This Fall...