TigerNet -- Blogs -- Mickey Plyler's Blog

The Greatest Compliment
I know the New York Yankee detractors will talk about the pro-rated $28 million dollars. I know the Rocket detractors will talk about steroids. I know the baseball detractors will talk about all of the negatives of the game. However, please put aside all of the bias and hear what Roger Clemens said yesterday.

One of the major sports stories this summer will be Barry Bonds’ countdown to breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record and some call it sports’ greatest record. I completely disagree because it is not even baseball’s greatest record. That distinction goes to Yogi Berra and his 10 World Series titles. The record for major sports team titles goes to the Boston Celtics’ Bill Russell and the Montreal Canadiens Rocket Richard who each had 11 championships. Don’t forget that Russell won two NCAA titles at in college at San Francisco and a gold medal for the US in the summer Olympics of 1956.

In team sports winning is the most important thing and being a good teammate is the greatest compliment you can give an athlete involved in team sports. Russell knew it and can be called that by his peers.

When Clemens made his announcement yesterday he constantly talked about his teammates. He said one of the biggest factors in him coming back and coming back to the Yankees was the draw to his teammates like Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. He talked about how the guys in the locker room were fighters and how they knew how to win. Clemens was receiving text messages and e-mails from Yankee players asking him to hurry up and come back. It was the draw of his teammates that got him back to New York.

I know you detractors are already sick of this but stay with me a few more paragraphs.

I have the pleasure of knowing some great athletes and I have asked many former superstars what they missed most about the game. Almost all said they did not miss the workouts or the practices. Some said they missed the games and the excitement of competition. But almost everyone said they missed the comradery in the locker room and their teammates the most.

Many former Clemson greats will tell you the same thing. I am working on a blog of the greatest Clemson teammates by sport and this will certainly include the likes of superstars like Jeff Davis but it will also include the walk-ons like Carl Martin. Leadership and being a great teammate can cross racial lines and athletic ability. Many times an athlete that may lack athletic ability but works hard and gets everything out of his ability is looked up to by his/her teammates. DeJuan Polk and Richard Moncrief come to mind. Chris Lancaster used to joke about his athleticism but he could be counted on by his teammates. One could make a case that no one was more respected by his teammates than Tony Elliott.

This leads me to the examples we now have on campus at Clemson and there are many examples of this trait but allow me to point out examples of four or five.

I don’t know Brad Chalk but I have talked to a couple of his professors that say he is a great kid. They say he works hard in the classroom and is very accountable for his work and actions. On the field, Chalk hits the ball to the opposite field. He hits behind runners and is known as one of the greatest bunters in Clemson baseball history. He does all of the little things well like run the bases and draw walks. Chalk is a great example of a great teammate.

How many times have you seen a great tailback actively recruit another high school superstar even though his number of carries may be affected? That is exactly what James Davis did with C.J. Spiller. Davis knew the times he would touch the ball would decrease and his role in the offense would decrease if Spiller chose Clemson over Florida but that did not keep him from text messaging the All-American back in attempts to persuade him to come to Clemson. Once Spiller arrived Davis helped him learn the offense faster. I love the unselfish attitude and the idea that if it makes the team better than I am better for it. Davis gets it and Clemson is better today because of his unselfishness.

Willy Korn has yet to play a down at Clemson but I assure you he is a great teammate. His high school coaches knew it in his 10th grade year and told college coaches that he accepts all of the blame and never wants any credit. Korn told the media in his first interviews on campus that he may not be the most talented quarterback but he would be the hardest working quarterback Rob Spence has ever had and his goal was to be the most coachable quarterback he has ever had. That is all you need to know about Korn’s character.

And finally, one of my favorite Clemson athletes ever, Cliff Hammonds, needs yet another mention on this blog. The role model of anyone aspiring to be a student-athlete is this type of person that can juggle the school’s hardest major with sports. No one out works Hammonds in the classroom or on the court. His coaches tell stories about how he is in the architecture study groups until 4 AM and sleeps just a couple hours a night so he can eat breakfast with his teammates. When he makes a change to his free throw shooting he works on it by himself for hours on end. He is the first one off of the court and into the locker room at half time and the first one hustling to the bench during timeouts. Hammonds is a great example of someone who just gets “IT”.

Again, there are many examples of being a great teammate at Clemson. Rashaad Jackson was told many times that he was not smart enough to get into college but he made the honor roll last semester because he sometimes spends 30 hours in a week at Vickery Hall. I think he is a great teammate.

I truly hope Clemson can win many more championships in the future and when and if they do I will be extremely happy for and grateful to the teammates like Chalk, Davis, Korn, Hammonds and Jackson.

Give me the guy that cares more about his teammate and less about his personal success and I will show you some one that deserves the greatest compliment in team sports—A Good Teammate.

Comments:

Mickey you go from writing one of the best blogs I have seen on Thursday to actually writing that Clemens came back for the comradarie of his teamates. The guy played with 5 players on the current team. He will be in the clubhouse every 5th day and off to Houston the rest of the time. Its not like he and Jeter are hanging out. Make no mistake he is going back for the cash. NY is desperate right now and they threw the kitchen sink at him and it worked. Had the Red Sox been in the same spot he would have gone back there. Had Boston thrown a giant chunk of money at him he would be talking about how its great to finish where it all started. Clemens is one of the top 3 pitchers I have seen in my lifetime and unfortunately I think he will help the Yankees win the division but he sure as hell did not do it because of the text messages he got from Jeter and Petit. And if you are doing it just to win why go join the team that was in last place last week??

For a minute there I though Phil Kornblut wrote this blog.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=36708>SilverBritches1</a> on May 07, 2007 at 12:41 PM EDT #

SilverBritches: NY will not win the East. Signed X Loyal Red Sox Fan :) haha

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=6911>natedawgSWU</a> on May 07, 2007 at 01:21 PM EDT #

natedawgSWU: Have you not learned anything over the past 9 seasons?
The Red Sox will finish where they belong...with a Wild Card.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=30415>GoodFella</a> on May 07, 2007 at 04:16 PM EDT #

It is so nice to see the Yankees suck this year, and if you know baseball, you know that a pitcher that goes to hill once out of every five days will not make that much difference to this sub-.500 club. They have too many holes, enough that just one over-40 pitcher can't fix by showing up.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=7680>tigerkoty</a> on May 07, 2007 at 04:47 PM EDT #

Is this a joke? A hired gun is a great teammate? He changes teams based on who pays his bills the highest...going to Toronto from Boston, New York From Toronto, Houston from New York, New York from Houston.

If he such great comradarie and is such a great teammate, why does he only stay in the clubhouse one out of every 5 games?

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=35293>clemsonguy2</a> on May 07, 2007 at 05:12 PM EDT #

I wonder what he thinks of the teammates in Toronto that he jilted after his 2nd Cy Young season there.

It's easy to talk about teammates when you sign the richest contract in the game. Read Buster Olney's blog. The Yankees forced his hand with money and a near-ultimatum of "we need you now." His prorated contract is now the single largest contract in Major League history - and roughly $9M more than Boston offered in their first go-around.

Clemens? A great teammate? Mickey, you've managed once again to post the ridiculous. But at least you got people talking. I guess that's what blogging is all about - web site hits, not unbiased reporting or accuracy.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=1546>tomerafan</a> on May 07, 2007 at 06:45 PM EDT #

Clemens is GREAT teammate...he trains with Houston during the spring, and then quits them for more cash. He is a hired gun--nothing more, nothing less. Oh, yeah--he's on steroids, too. Have you seen HIS head lately? And why else would he hide from MLB for half of the year? He is a prime example of what is completely wrong with sports.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=58959>clemson32</a> on May 07, 2007 at 11:08 PM EDT #

I could have sworn the blog was focused on Davis, Korn, Hammonds, Chalk and Jackson. I guess some missed it.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=1550>Mickey Plyler</a> on May 07, 2007 at 11:12 PM EDT #

No, Mickey. I didn't miss it. I read the entire blog, including the first four paragraphs, which centered on Roger Clemens. You can't just write ridiculous statements and not expect readers of this website to call you on it - especially when it is becoming more and more frequent.

"It was the draw of his teammates that got him back to New York." What a laugh. And then you can't even stand behind it when people question you on it. At least have the convinction to stand behind your statement, rather than falling on some redirect about the "focus" of the blog.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=1546>tomerafan</a> on May 08, 2007 at 01:12 AM EDT #

Mr. Plyer,
To start out your blog with Mr. Clemens being the focal point of a "great teammate" write up and then going into Clemson players and how they are great teammates and being together and all is ridiculous. The blog you wrote Thursday talked about "us" failing to teach our children about the great game of baseball...which I can agree with...but baseball has changed because of people like Clemens doing whatever they want and getting a ridiculous amount of money for doing it. He's not even traveling with the team! That is not a good teammate. That is disrespectful to any sport played professionally. Do you think Bob Gibson wouldn't travel with the team, how about nolan ryan or warren spahn? I undestand you're biased about the yankees and that's completely cool, but to say what you said about the game of baseball and where it's headed and then turn around and start out a pro Clemson blog talking about Clemens being a great teammate is pretty ridiculous.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=51703>moodycu1225</a> on May 08, 2007 at 02:48 AM EDT #

If you really believe Roger Clemens is coming to the Yankees for anything other than money, you might be the most naïve person on the planet.
Wake up, Plyler! It is apparent that not only are you this delusional regarding the Yankees, nobody can take you seriously when you blabber on about Clemson athletics.

Get a real job, sir.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=7575>otisman</a> on May 08, 2007 at 08:17 AM EDT #

15 paragraph blog. Over 1,000 words. Two or three paragraphs about Clemens. As much info on Bill Russell. More information on Clemson athletes and some still want to turn this into a Clemens deal. If you can't see this blog for the positives on the Clemson athletes than you are more biased against the Yankees than I am for them.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=1550>Mickey Plyler</a> on May 08, 2007 at 09:09 AM EDT #

Jeez, give the guy a break. I'm not a big fan of Roger Clemens either(ever since he was thrown out of his son's little league game). That shows me he doesn't think character is as important as knowing the most about baseball and being right. At the same time this article was about being a good teammate and just because you misjudge one person doesn't mean the point of the article is lost. Speaking of character, I bet you people who criticize everything a person writes wouldn't be so bold if the man were standing in front of you. I'm behind you Mickey. Thanks for giving us something to read everyday. Don't listen to these people. Their all cowards.
P.S. I still don't like Roger Clemens.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=50887>kiggity</a> on May 08, 2007 at 09:31 AM EDT #

C'mon Mick. When you use Clemens as an example of a good teammate, it brings into question whether you know what a good teammate really is. So, the rest of your article loses a bit of credibilty.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=2320>joeyb</a> on May 08, 2007 at 09:39 AM EDT #

"Their all cowards"
--kiggity--

"Kiggity is an idiot"
--Otisman--

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=7575>otisman</a> on May 08, 2007 at 10:38 AM EDT #

Mickey, if you paint a masterpiece and throw a turd right in the middle of it, what are people going to notice?

Exactly . . . Roger Clemens.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=7575>otisman</a> on May 08, 2007 at 10:40 AM EDT #

I hate the Yankees and could care less about Clemens. Luckily the later part of the blog shined through and the opening paragraphs didn't really mean much to me. Some of you guys call Mikey out just to call him out. Why is that?

Rob

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=24229>tigerpetti3</a> on May 08, 2007 at 10:52 AM EDT #

LOL...Mickey continues to miss the point. It's obvious that the blog was about great teammates at Clemson. And I look forward to the forthcoming blog you mentioned about more of the same.

But you can't just make ridiculous statements and not expect them to be flagged. If I wrote a 3,000 word article on the importance of The Who and decided to mention in one sentence that I felt that Joe Schmoe was the greatest guitar player ever and the one against whom all other guitarists should be compared, do you mean to tell me that I shouldn't catch flack for it just because the point of my article was about the greatness of Pete Townshend?

Talk about continuing to "missing it." No one ever said that the blog wasn't about Clemson athletics. People said that your assessment of Clemens as a "great teammate" is wholly absurd. As David Wells confirmed last night, BTW.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=1546>tomerafan</a> on May 08, 2007 at 11:55 AM EDT #

I agree on a lot of what Mickey said, but do you really think Davis is a "good teammate"? Yes, he did do a service towards recruiting Spiller, but if you only knew the "inside details"... This is also the guy whole clearly received permission (YES its true) to leave camp after pitching a fit, because he wasn't "getting enough carries" (even though he was a freshman @ CAMP) AND he was the one who told the media all of the details about his conference w/ CTB and Coach Spence, only to deny what he said when CTB called him out about it and called the media liars!! Also, lets not forget how he was making excuses for not doing well in the game, instead of just saying "look i didn't have a good game, i've got to do better." His shoulder truthfully healed quicker than what was told... Him recruiting Spiller...GREAT, him as a player...GREAT....but as a TEAMMATE....NEGATIVE....Nothing against him, just a few thoughts after looking at the grand scheme of things :-)

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=63442>tgrdva2</a> on May 08, 2007 at 04:10 PM EDT #

Mick - - some days are good, others not so good. You REALLY missed the mark leading off with Clemens as a good teammate and then trying to segue into great Clemson teammates.

I could not care less about MLB or the Yankees or anything else about pro baseball - really. Let the Yankees be World Champs for the next 25 straight seasons - I don't care.

But R Clemens is NOT a great teammate, make no mistake about it. He is a GREAT example of ONE of the things wrong with MLB and sports in general.

Pay me 4 mil a MONTH, and I'll talk incessantly about how great the team I am on is. I'll talk about ANYTHING with the greatest of sincerity as long as it avoids talk of me making 4 mil a MONTH.

Anything else seems to be viewed through your pinstriped glasses (I did not know (or didn't remember) you were a Yankees fan until reading one of your responses to the blog.)

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=31494>kktigers</a> on May 08, 2007 at 07:13 PM EDT #

Joke #1: Roger Clemens is doing this for his teammates.

Joke #2: Mickey Plyler has had the pleasure of knowing lots of great superstars.

Joke #3: Actually listening to anything that this fool says after his 5 minute blabber the other day about "Capologist", "I'd like to thank my capologist", "Cap penalties", and whatever else he was talking about. Plyler was miffed at the idea that a team might have someone to look over the salary cap and know what was going on there. News flash - it's called a GM.

Anyhow, this guy continues to talk out of his lack of information. This blog is the best and worst thing to ever happen to him. One the one hand, it has people noticing that he's an absolute, unquestioned moron on the subject of sports. On the other hand, it's the only way a guy like Mickey Plyler would ever get noticed.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=60039>jhwalla901</a> on May 09, 2007 at 04:18 AM EDT #

I'm sick of all the bandwagon Red Sox fans, and all the people who do nothing but hate the Yankees. Everyone missed the point of the article. Read over it again, but this time don't focus, or think about the Clemens part, then maybe you will understand. Chalk, Davis, Korn, Hammonds and Jackson. Thats what this is about.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=52668>clemson31685</a> on May 09, 2007 at 04:26 AM EDT #

That's not the point...

If they were the "point" of the article, they'd have been the lead.

I realize that Mickey is no wordsmith, but even he meant to do this one. It was an opportunity to throw in some strange aggrandizing Yankees BS and then try to connect it to Clemson sports.

Had the Clemens incident not happened, would this have been the topic of today's blog? Not likely...

He led with Clemens, so he should suffer the consequences of being bashed on like the mental sports midget that he is.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=60039>jhwalla901</a> on May 09, 2007 at 10:12 AM EDT #

Interesting how everyone focuses on Mickey saying that Clemens is a great teamate.

Especially When Mickey did no such thing.

In the blog, Clemens was the one giving the complement, not receiving it. Clemens was talking about Jeter, Rivera, and Pettitte. Who all have long histories with the Yankees or personally with Clemens.

Posted by <a href=http://tigernet.com/view/profile.do?id=52676>Kdog5000</a> on May 11, 2007 at 05:55 PM EDT #

Mickey's Blog also brought to you by:

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency