Friday February 27, 2009
Friday E-Mail Bag
Friday E-Mail Bag
Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.
Mickey,
Here is an update on Kaitlyn:
Kaitlyn L. - 4 y/o girl who is recovering from surgery to remove a concerning (but believed to be benign) mass from her brain. Her procedure was more intensive than originally planned and recovery may be somewhat more complicated than originally thought.
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for the update. Tell Kaitlyn and her family that we are all praying for her. Keep us up to date.
Mick,
Is this baseball team better? Are we gonna make it back to where we were? Are you still worried about the program?
Mitch
Mitch,
I think this team is more athletic. They look a little bigger and stronger. It is still too early to tell though. Charlotte was a good test but ask me again after the next two weekends when they face USC and UNC. No one wants to hear it but this team is very young. I am concerned about the short-term but long-term I have faith that Jack will have the Tigers as strong as ever.
Mickey,
Always enjoy reading different perspectives - especially on your blog. However, I need to comment about the rosier picture that you painted about the loss. Yes the team played hard. Yes the game was close. But hard does not equal smart. Close is fine, but not when the team that should win does everything that makes it so that the game stays close.
1. Hard vs. Smart
I can go outside and flap my arms all day and tell people who ask... "I am working hard, trying hard to get off the ground." Smart wins more basketball games than hard. Many times last night, Clemson - playing hard - did some dumb things, aka opposite of smart, that created turnovers, poor spacing, bad defense, missed rebounds, etc.
2. How Clemson helped VaTech win
The press. Plain and simple. Go chart the game - in the second half. Clemson's press won may 6 to 9 points due to Va Tech turnovers. Yet, this same press - orchestrated by our coaches and performed by our players playing hard - allowed Va Tech 5 wide open three's in transition, at least 2 layups. No to mention, our players made silly catch-up fouls as they chased the Hokies down the floor. Give a team 19 points when you only get 6 to 10 and you will lose most every time. This game was close because coaches failed to see that the press was ineffective.
Every Clemson fan should be upset. Losses occur. Clemson only has 5... 2 are legit. 3 are because Clemson shot themselves in the foot.
That is why I am frustrated. Now don't get me started about Sykes having two turnovers and 1 foul in the first 70 seconds of the game.
Go tigers.
Stuart
Stuart,
Thanks for the e-mail. I agree with your points and I guess I should be more upset. Your second point is more interesting. Clemson’s press doesn’t work all of the time and you have to be patient with it. Sometimes it works right away. Sometimes it takes a while for it to work. Sometimes the cumulative effect has a toll and sometimes it doesn’t. In the end, it is Clemson’s identity. They did get out of the diamond press and went to full court man-to-man pressure. It is frustrating when it doesn’t work but it is still the DNA of the program. It is who we are.
Mickey,
I looked at the box score following the loss to Virginia Tech. Last night against Virginia Tech. we had only 11 assists. We do not appear to have a consistent half-court offense. Last night's game was similar to the other games we have lost where we simply could not execute a half-court offense (except for UVA, when we forgot how to play defense). It seems to me that we dribble far too much. It is much easier to guard a dribbling player than it is to follow a ball that is being passed well from player to player.
Kirk
Kirk,
I don’t disagree. I do think you would have seen more assists if some of the shots would have fallen. The Tigers got good looks in the paint but Stitt and Booker just missed shots. Pretty simple stuff.
Mickey,
I'm glad that Oliver Purnell is Clemson's coach. However, last night Clemson lost to Virginia Tech because of his coaching. It was sad to see our press give up wide open 3s and easy baskets time after time. Don't you think that he would have learned something from the first time that we played them? Finally at the end of the game we were back in it, and once again we went into the press and it took Tech about 5 seconds to get an easy layup. What was he thinking?
Clemson is going to end the regular season 9-7 (we will lose at FSU and at WFU) in the ACC and finish anywhere from 5th to 7th place in the conference. Let's all quit bragging so much on Oliver Purnell until he accomplishes something. Losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament like we did last year is not that great, and Rick Barnes accomplished a lot more in his short time with the Tigers.
Again, I'm glad that Oliver Purnell is our coach, but I do get annoyed when our press does a better job of providing offense for the other team that it does to get steals and turnovers from the other team.
David
David,
You live by the press and you die by it. Clemson did change its press to man pressure instead of the diamond press which is a zone press. Sometimes it takes a while to work and there is a point where you have to decide if it is worth the risk. I agree that it did not work Wednesday and it hurt.
This is a good conference and I think this season is a success, even if they go 9-7. I disagree about the Barnes-Purnell comparison. Purnell has done a much better job in my opinion.
Mickey,
Wonder what brainthrobber scheduled the basketball and baseball games for this Saturday at the same time. TV and basketball I guess.
No reason not to move the " Non - Televised" baseball game to 3pm or so. If the baseball game was against Elon or some other lesser team, I could understand it.
But USuC is always a big game and now the fan base is getting divided. Makes no sense. Any chance on the baseball game time changing, or is that giving USuC to short of a turn around? It would be the same turnaround time for CU.
Your thoughts
Bill
Bill,
Television sets the basketball times. Baseball has to schedule afternoon games now because of the weather. Night games in February or early March are bad ideas because of the cold. There is a chance the game will be played later because of the high percentage of the chance of rain Saturday.
Mickey,
You stated that Clemson will be better at quarterback, offensive line, and linebacker next year. Then you said we might be 8-4. I think Clemson Nation would be very disappointed with 8-4. If that’s the best we could do why fire Bowen? Why do you think the offensive line will be better - they did ok in the South Carolina game and reverted back to awful in the bowl game. Would a new line coach help? Thanks
Douglas
Douglas,
Good questions. First, you fire Bowden because he never won a championship in his ten years. A new coach gives you some hope but Bowden had his chance and did not win a title. I am not sure how happy Clemson Nation would be happy with 8-4 but it would be an improvement. The offensive line will get better because they only lose Hutchinson. McClain is ready to contribute in a bigger role. Everyone else is a year older, a year stronger and a year more experienced. I think Brad Scott does a good job and inexperience is a bigger issue.
The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency
Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list
Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Sandy Wright, Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, Ronnie Queen, Edward Putman, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Anna Rawl, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L.
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