Comments on: ACC ROUNDTABLE NUMERO QUATRO http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:55:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tully http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/comment-page-1/#comment-4312 Tully Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:16:06 +0000 http://www.block-c.com/?p=2170#comment-4312 Haha, I wish i could make the edit still. Haha, I wish i could make the edit still.

]]> By: Willy Mac http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/comment-page-1/#comment-4311 Willy Mac Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:05:11 +0000 http://www.block-c.com/?p=2170#comment-4311 "Sorry for such a long comment, I read the question and just had to answer/bitch." Should have finished it as: "... and just had to answer, bitch." “Sorry for such a long comment, I read the question and just had to answer/bitch.”

Should have finished it as: “… and just had to answer, bitch.”

]]> By: Tully http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/comment-page-1/#comment-4308 Tully Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:32:14 +0000 http://www.block-c.com/?p=2170#comment-4308 I would change 2003 FSU. If we lose that game, we would have been rid of Tommy Bowden a lot sooner, and potentially have picked up a better coach to turn us into a perennial winner. Since we won it, then shelacked a terrible Duke squad the next week, and then rocked a bad SC team 63-17, Bowden seemingly 'saved' his job. But looking back, that Clemson team was LOADED with talent. Whitehurst was in the midst of his (arguably) best season, Leroy Hill was crushing humans left and right, Tye Hill was developing VERY nicely (FSU int), and Justin Miller wasn't a slouch, either. Futhermore, we had Youngblood as our deep threat at wide receiver, Derrick Hamilton doing his thing, and a strong screen option out of the backfield with Duane Coleman. Sure, some of those guys didn't pan out in the NFL, but college is a different game and I say we were loaded then. In retrospect, that team grossly underperformed up to that FSU game and overperformed during and after it. I think that Clemson fans hold the program up to a microscope as far as "how we are doing right now". We create these expectations every August (sometimes media-fueled) on how our season will go based on our supposed talent level and the opposing teams' talent level. We tend to ignore the TEAM aspect of it. This year especially, we went with the South Carolina train of thought, looked at our 4 and 5 star players and thought, "Gee, with this much talent, who is going to beat us?" Rather than focus on the reality that this is a team game and that it is VERY rare for one player to win games all on his own (unless your name is CJ Spiller), we thought, "Oh, with Cullen, Aaron, James, CJ, and Willy, we will score on every possession." At the first sign of trouble, we either bitch, moan, and blame, or we jump ship and stop caring. I am no exception. I remember a conversation Chili and I had in mid-August. We were talking about Clemson's top-10 preseason ranking. I told him that back in April/May I thought we would have a decent squad but we definitely had issues on both sides of the ball. Yes, we have playmakers, but as shown in previous years, without the team coming together, we will lose a lot of games we shouldn't. Then I promptly started beasting on some kool-aid. Here's my point: WE BOTH AGREED THAT CLEMSON WAS TOO HIGH RANKED, yet there we were, excited as hell for the Bama game bc Clemson was "finally back." We were/are as delusional as most Carolina fans, albeit without the constant loser-mentality. It is no coincidence that seasons in which we're ranked to begin the season are generally disappointments, and seasons that we are unranked generally turn out to be satisfactory. Anyways, back to my original point. We lose 2003 FSU. Bowden is axed. I can't off the top of my head come up with any coaches that were available that year, but I'm fairly confident that ONE of them would be better than Bowden to get us over that god damn hump. Does anyone know the coaching-availability landscape back then? I don't know how everyone else feels, but I really think the "meh" level of coaching talent available this year, along with the amount of other high-profile openings is only hurting Clemson. I think that's why TDP is pushing for it to be done 1 week after the Sakerlina game. Sorry for such a long comment, I read the question and just had to answer/bitch. I would change 2003 FSU. If we lose that game, we would have been rid of Tommy Bowden a lot sooner, and potentially have picked up a better coach to turn us into a perennial winner. Since we won it, then shelacked a terrible Duke squad the next week, and then rocked a bad SC team 63-17, Bowden seemingly ‘saved’ his job. But looking back, that Clemson team was LOADED with talent. Whitehurst was in the midst of his (arguably) best season, Leroy Hill was crushing humans left and right, Tye Hill was developing VERY nicely (FSU int), and Justin Miller wasn’t a slouch, either. Futhermore, we had Youngblood as our deep threat at wide receiver, Derrick Hamilton doing his thing, and a strong screen option out of the backfield with Duane Coleman. Sure, some of those guys didn’t pan out in the NFL, but college is a different game and I say we were loaded then. In retrospect, that team grossly underperformed up to that FSU game and overperformed during and after it.

I think that Clemson fans hold the program up to a microscope as far as “how we are doing right now”. We create these expectations every August (sometimes media-fueled) on how our season will go based on our supposed talent level and the opposing teams’ talent level. We tend to ignore the TEAM aspect of it. This year especially, we went with the South Carolina train of thought, looked at our 4 and 5 star players and thought, “Gee, with this much talent, who is going to beat us?” Rather than focus on the reality that this is a team game and that it is VERY rare for one player to win games all on his own (unless your name is CJ Spiller), we thought, “Oh, with Cullen, Aaron, James, CJ, and Willy, we will score on every possession.” At the first sign of trouble, we either bitch, moan, and blame, or we jump ship and stop caring. I am no exception.

I remember a conversation Chili and I had in mid-August. We were talking about Clemson’s top-10 preseason ranking. I told him that back in April/May I thought we would have a decent squad but we definitely had issues on both sides of the ball. Yes, we have playmakers, but as shown in previous years, without the team coming together, we will lose a lot of games we shouldn’t. Then I promptly started beasting on some kool-aid. Here’s my point: WE BOTH AGREED THAT CLEMSON WAS TOO HIGH RANKED, yet there we were, excited as hell for the Bama game bc Clemson was “finally back.” We were/are as delusional as most Carolina fans, albeit without the constant loser-mentality. It is no coincidence that seasons in which we’re ranked to begin the season are generally disappointments, and seasons that we are unranked generally turn out to be satisfactory.

Anyways, back to my original point. We lose 2003 FSU. Bowden is axed. I can’t off the top of my head come up with any coaches that were available that year, but I’m fairly confident that ONE of them would be better than Bowden to get us over that god damn hump. Does anyone know the coaching-availability landscape back then?

I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I really think the “meh” level of coaching talent available this year, along with the amount of other high-profile openings is only hurting Clemson. I think that’s why TDP is pushing for it to be done 1 week after the Sakerlina game.

Sorry for such a long comment, I read the question and just had to answer/bitch.

]]> By: William Davis http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/comment-page-1/#comment-4282 William Davis Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:22:17 +0000 http://www.block-c.com/?p=2170#comment-4282 I would change the "Puntrooskie" FSU game in football, and in basketball, the Elite Eight game against UConn where we gotta hosed out of making our first trip to the Final Four. Both of those games might have changed the direction of our program for a considerable time period. I would change the “Puntrooskie” FSU game in football, and in basketball, the Elite Eight game against UConn where we gotta hosed out of making our first trip to the Final Four. Both of those games might have changed the direction of our program for a considerable time period.

]]> By: Brian http://www.block-c.com/2008/11/19/acc-roundtable-numero-quatro/comment-page-1/#comment-4272 Brian Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:41:50 +0000 http://www.block-c.com/?p=2170#comment-4272 I think Clemson-Auburn is a very good comparison. Or maybe I've just convinced myself of that because you guys are both Tigers, both fan bases wear Orange, both played in the Peach Bowl last year, both are struggling/struggled with the decision to fire your coach given that either team hasn't lived up to the preseason hype ... Well player, sir. Well played. I think Clemson-Auburn is a very good comparison. Or maybe I’ve just convinced myself of that because you guys are both Tigers, both fan bases wear Orange, both played in the Peach Bowl last year, both are struggling/struggled with the decision to fire your coach given that either team hasn’t lived up to the preseason hype …

Well player, sir. Well played.

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