Bowden should be fired...

If klempson does not win the ACC next year then Tommy Bowden should be fired.

The Clemson University football team is ranked No. 10 nationally in Athlon Sports preseason Top 25. Athlon publishes an annual college football magazine that will be released Tuesday. Tigers quarterback Cullen Harper is on the cover of the Atlantic Coast regional edition.

The magazine also selects Clemson to win the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division and places 12 Tigers on its preseason all-ACC team.

"This could be the most talented Clemson team of the Tommy Bowden era," said Athlon Sports senior editor Mitch Light in a news release. "There are some issues on the offensive line, but there is tremendous talent at other key positions, most notably at running back. The defense, which was outstanding last year, should be a strength once again. The goals at Clemson are very high this year, and they should be. This is a very, very good team."

I hope that klempson fails like they always do...we hear this kind of talk from their camp and supporters every year (or at least since 1981). But every year they find some way to suck. LOHD touched on this HERE and HERE

I will admit that the ACC championship is tee'd up for them in 08 and that is why I say if they do not win it in 08 then Tommy needs to be given the pink slip. The ACC is weak in 08 and their ACC schedule is weak. They do have talent....i hate to say it....they have a good offense with weapons both in the backfield and at WR. The weak point on offense is the offensive line. Then on defense they suck at LB coming into fall 08 but other than that they are looking good on D.

ESPN has them ranked #7 going into the new season - here - so will this be the year? I say no b/c Tommy plays not to lose instead of to win....that has costed him so many times. Tommy will find a way to lose to a lesser opponent...that is what he is known for!

Thoughts?

USC beats Florida

11-3....after two big 5 run innings, a Smoak smash and some good hitting to go along with a great pitching performance by Godwin the Gamecocks defeat UF today.

USC will play the loser of the LSU-Vanderbilt game at 4 p.m.

Go Cocks!

Next - Game 5: #7 South Carolina vs. #3 Florida

After a tough loss and I mean a tough loss to LSU the gamecocks will take on the gators today at 11am in game 5 in the SEC Tourney. The Gamecocks took two of three from Florida at the Sarge earlier this month but this is a elimination game so all bets are off. Again it is simple...you win - you stay, you lose then you go home.

UF lost their game to Vandy by the score of 7-3 so you know the gators will come run fighting. They are known for hits and steals so it should prove to be a great game against the power of Carolina. I still think this game will come down to pitching.


In Game Blog
-Well we got about 15 mins till the first pitch. If USC wins today, it will play the loser of the LSU-Vanderbilt game at 4 p.m. USC is wearing its garnet pinstriped uniforms. Goodwin is the pitcher for Carolina today and the only line up adjustment is Crisp. He is not playing to start after a 3 K day vs LSU and a mental error on the game-tying bloop when he overran the ball. UF will start Billy Bullock, who is 4-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 79.1 IP.
-Well not a good start....1 out with UF runners on the corners
-1-0 UF on a sac fly..end of the top half of the 1st with a 1-0 lead....lucky to escape with just giving up one run. Gamecocks to bat...come on!
-USC in the btm of the 1st strung some hits together but Darnell gets a K to kill the rally. On to the 2nd.
-UF gets 2 singles and had 2 in scoring postion after a balk (yes a balk) but USC survives the inning with no damage. Still 1-0 with UF winning.
-USC has no outs with 2 on in the btm of the 2nd.....Bangs doubled down the rf line, Mack advanced to third; Disher scored to tie it up 1-1...still no outs. Havens, Smoak and Disher come through....Now it is 5-1 with bases loaded and now there are 2 outs! Inning ends with the score 5-1 heading to the 3rd....USC stepped up that inning and got some hits...5 runs on 5 hits and 3 BB but they had 3 LOB. / UF pitcher struggled to find the plate....gotta play D now!
-UF gets one back and now the score is 5-2
-Still 5-2 and now we head to the fourth after nothing really for usc in the btm of the 3rd
-We go to the B5 with USC leading, 5-3. UF is fighting back one run at a time...Cisco is in the bullpen...
-Disher gets another RBI....6-3 after a double and a error then a sac single in the infield...end of 5 innings
-3 up 3 down for UF.....usc up in the btm of 5th...we need some more runs!
-In the btm of the 6th...UF makes another pitching change this time Edmondson to p for Toledo...it worked as USC goes down....end of 6th the score is 6-3.
-Goodwin is pitching great with 7 k's today. 2 out in the 6th but activity in the SC bullpen. den Dekker is most least favorite player for UF he is 3 for 3 today. still 2 outs...base hit, now runners on corner....time for godwin to come out...come on Tanner...well 2 LOB for UF as Tanner proved to be smarter than me as he left Godwin in and he got the out....time to stretch with USC winning 6-3 heading to the btm of the 7th
-Base hit to RF!! Run scores. USC leads 7-3. There's a wild pitch! Both runners move up. Havens gets a walk.. USC has bases loaded...Merrifield hits a deep sac fly....8-3...HR....SMOAK homered to center field, 3 RBI...11-3....That was the 60th career HR for Smoak. He's also driven in 200 runs to set the school record.
-End of 8th with USC winning 11-3...game looks good so far but we all know how yesterday ended up with a come from behind loss so let's not count our chickens yet....but thank goodness for those added runs....8 run advantage....
-UF has 9 hitter up first in the top of 9......he gets out....1 down....Barnes up...goes down swinging, that is a K for Cisco.....den Dekker up, he has been hot all day....ground out!

USC WINS 11-3

What is the 'Face of the USC Program?'

What is the "Face of the Program?" On ESPN they have a message board - here- with some interesting answers but I want to open it up to ya'll....

What is the Face of the USC Program?

Is it cocky, Tannyhill, Joe Morris, Spurrier, '2001', or something else....post your answer.

I say it is the "2001" entrance with Cocky and the USC faithful going nuts. I liked one answer on the above message board that said - Neal Lourie (he handles a lot of USC Players criminal defense cases)...too funny.

USC v LSU in Game 1

USC opens the SEC tourney with LSU today at Regions Field in Hoover, Ala. in the first game of the 2008 SEC Baseball Tournament.

LSU is possibly the hottest team in the country, entering today's game with a 16-game winning streak, including 12 in a row against the SEC. They swept their final four conference series of the season. USC is 2-3 against LSU in the SEC Tournament. They last met here in Hoover in 2002.

In Game Blog----
-After going the first 3 full innings with good pitching and good D from both sides...the big bats are up in the top of the 4th for the gamecocks. Right now USC's Disher has hit a home run to put USC ahead 1-0 in the Top of the 4th. It is his 17th of the year and it went over the deepest part of the outfiled (dead center)......
-More great pitching and good D...both sides are struggling to hit.....Top of 6th with USC still winning 1-0!
-USC scores 2 runs off a shot by Harvey Lail to LF in the top of the 6th
-Still 3-0 with USC winning heading into the btm of the 7th
-Dyson has 6k today and has allowed only 1 hit thus far...USC survives a scare in the btm of the 7th as LSU has runners in scoring position. Now it is the btm of the 8th after SC couldn't due move in the top of the 8th except force LSU to change to its 3rd pitcher of the day. Still 3-0!
--BTM of 9th...SC winning 4-3 with 1 out
---TIED UP!!! SC surrenders a 4 to zero lead in the bottom of the 9th. LSU waits until the 9th to get some hits and a HR....now going into extra innings...to the 10th we go!
----Btm of 10th and LSU crushes a Home run. LSU wins 5-4. Another blown big lead for USC. LSU's winning streak goes on....the bullpen gave this one away!

*GAME 1 Ends with LSU winning 5-4 over the gamecocks*

2008 All-SEC Baseball Team

The complete 2008 All-SEC Team follows:

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR - *Gordon Beckham, Georgia
SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Joshua Fields, Georgia
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Hunter Morris, Auburn
SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Gordon Beckham, Georgia S
EC COACH OF THE YEAR - David Perno, Georgia
* unanimous selection

FIRST TEAM
1B - Justin Smoak, South Carolina
2B - Josh Adams, Florida / Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky
3B - Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt / Logan Forsythe, Arkansas
SS - *Gordon Beckham, Georgia
C - Bryce Massanari, Georgia
OF - Collin Cowgill, Kentucky
OF - Sawyer Carroll, Kentucky
OF - Matt den Dekker, Florida/ Brandon May, Alabama / David Macias, Vanderbilt
DH - Alex Avila, Alabama
P - Patrick Keating, Florida
P - Chris Rusin, Kentucky
RP - Joshua Fields, Georgia

SECOND TEAM
1B - Hunter Morris, Auburn
2B - Alex Feinberg, Vanderbilt
3B - James Darnell, South Carolina
SS - Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt / Reese Havens, S. Carolina
C - Yan Gomes, Tennessee
OF - Avery Barnes, Florida
OF - Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt
OF - Kentrail Davis, Tennessee
DH - Phil Disher, South Carolina
P - Lance Lynn, Ole Miss
P - Trevor Holder, Georgia / Stephen Dodson, Georgia
RP - Scott Bittle, Ole Miss

ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
1B - *Hunter Morris, Auburn
2B - *Josh Adams, Florida
3B - David Cunningham, Auburn
SS - *Josh Rutledge, Alabama
C - *Micah Gibbs, LSU
OF - *Kentrail Davis, Tennessee
OF - Whit Merrifield, South Carolina
OF - Brian Fletcher, Auburn
DH - P.J. Polk, Tennessee
P - Drew Pomeranz, Ole Miss
P - Grant Dayton, Auburn
RP - Russell Brewer, Vanderbilt

ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM
P - Jared Bradford, LSU
1B - Rich Poythress, Georgia
2B - Ryan Wilkes, Kentucky
SS - Reese Havens, South Carolina
3B - Jake Smith, Alabama
C - Brett Basham, Ole Miss
OF - Matt den Dekker, Florida
OF - Collin Cowgill, Kentucky
OF - David Macias, Vanderbilt

Get gas for $2.99/gal this Friday from 10am-2pm

This is a heads up for people in columbia. Galleana is on Greystone Boulevard near Broad River Road will be selling gas for 2.99/gal this friday from 10-2. It is cash only but with current prices in the $3.50 range, this is a pretty good deal.

Vincent out at Klempson

Per The State: Cortney Vincent has been kicked off the CU Football Team. They did not really say but it seems it is a combo of violating team rules last year, got a DUI in December, and did poorly academically this past spring. After the DUI, Clemson should have done something a little harsher to grab this guys attention and not let him play in the Peach Bowl. If they were tough with him then they might have avoided this but who are we kidding...it is clemson and they get a free pass when it comes to football related items. DUI no big deal, kicked off the team no big deal and not worth covering like a USC football issue...oh and let's not even talk about Ray Ray Gate.

This means Clemson has to replace all three starting linebackers from last year.....could be what they blame not winning the ACC in 08 on, as they always find excuses.

More baseball news

Well Ray Tanner has chosen redshirt freshman Sam Dyson to start the first game of the SEC tournament on Wednesday. Sam hasn’t faced a SEC batter all season, but has a 7-0 record with a 3.86 ERA. It will be eight days since he last pitched so he should be well rested for the start against LSU. I agree with Ray on this one, Sam has pitched well in the mid week games, give the weekend starters a rest and lets see what the future holds for Dyson.

It is offical Ryan Perrilloux is a Gamecock

Well not the USC type but the Jacksonville State kind. Ryan will transfer to JSU and play QB for them and the former LSU quarterback will be eligible to play immediately.

I know that is a little late but figured I would post it....in other news I still can not figure out why at least the SC Media has not dug deeper into this story...'Ray Ray'-Gate.

New respect for Caddies

I must say after being a caddy for Thursday and Friday of this past week for the BMW Charity Pro-Am, I have a new found respect for people that caddy.

I have walked some courses in my life and rode in carts the other times but doing caddy work is not as easy as it looks on TV. So many little things that you have to do but at the end...it was a great experience.

I agreed to caddy for a friend of mine that got the opportunity to play in the group with George Rogers and the pro was Gary Hallberg. It was fun to hang out with George for 2 days and cut up with him. I must say he is a nice guy and loves to laugh. He has fun and is a crowd favorite. I was amazed at how not only he is a great golfer and that he lies when he says he is a 14 handicap but he accommodates every autograph seeker unlike a few others that we ran into (i.e Luke Wilson). Big George can crush a ball 300 yds but also has a soft feel around the greens. Oh and I got some autographs so don't worry but anyone can get those just show up 1 hour before a USC football game and go to the left of the stadium and there will be the #38 signing autographs.

Gary Hallberg is a class act. A true gentleman of the game of golf. Gary didn't play so hot the first two days with a +1 score but the guy I caddied for was at -9 heading into Saturday and big George was -13. None of the three golfers I was around made the final day cut.

Even my wife (Mrs. Flounder) has a new respect for the game of golf after walking the course, following golfers and celebs and sitting around the 18th Skybox. So to all the caddies out there....I understand what it takes and know that it is much more than a walk.

Maybe the last one

This might be the last home run ever hit at the Sarge. Thank god Reece hit it or we would be sitting at home with probably one of the most talented teams in the country. Now lets see if we can win a couple games in Hoover.

Gamecocks win!

Tanner said it best when he said "wow"....it summed up the walk off homer from Havens to win the game and opens the door for USC to the SEC Tourney....not to mention the Sarge is left with the winning feeling it deserves!

It also assured USC (37-19, 15-15) a spot in the Southeastern Conference tournament, where the Gamecocks will play LSU (39-16-1, 18-11-1) on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Hoover, Ala.

More HERE