I think your idea of making Ricky Sapp a LB to get another great DL in the game at the same time is interesting, but could it negatively affect depth? It seems having a rotation along the DL is good way to maintain the pass rush throughout a game. This idea of switching Ricky made me think of another Sapp that changed positions at Clemson. I came to Clemson in 1995 and thought Patrick Sapp was an awesome LB. I was stunned when someone told me he had been a QB for the three previous years. Unbelievable that he became a 2nd rnd pick at LB in only a year. On the subject of changing from offense to defense, do you think that Rendrick Taylor could make a similar transition? I know he is a great asset as a blocker on offense and occasionally makes big catches on third down, but it seems like his unique blend of size, strength, and speed could be better utilized every down on the other side of the ball. It's easy to envision him delivering punishing hits to opposing ball carriers. Has there been any thought given to this by he coaching staff, especially considering the great depth we have at WR?

Great job on the blog...it seems as though it just keeps getting better each week.

Agree or disagree? Provide commentary if you like

- James Davis, Phillip Merling, and Michael Hamlin return next season

- Clemson has one of the most under-rated coaching staffs in America

- Clemson will sign a top 10 recruiting class in February 2008

- Clemson will win the ACC in Football next season

- A Clemson player will be invited to NY next year when they present the Heisman Trophy

- Clemson will play in a National Championship game sometime in the next five years

- Clemson will reach the Final Four sometime in the next five years

- Clemson wins in Chapel Hill in Basketball in 2008

- Clemson returns to Omaha in 2008

- South Carolina will win the SEC in football sometime during the next five years IF Steve Spurrior sticks around

- We will see a Clemson - USC football game during the next five years where both teams are ranked in the top ten

Thank you for all you do for the Tiger Nation!

If James Davis bolts for the NFL, who does TB put in the backfield with Spiller and Harper? Do we have an incoming freshman ready to go? IF it happens, JD will miss an outstanding season which could be even better if he stays.

It will be very unfortunate if he leaves. In my opinion (which doesn't count) we don't have anyone to fill the void.

While I live and die with Clemson football I only casually (well ok a little more than casually) follow the basketball team. I love football and I don't see any sport replacing it. With that being said I couldn't agree with you more regarding Cliff Hammonds. I still remember seeing his major being posted during pre-game or seeing on the scorecard we get for free and just try and imagine how unbelievably tough that must be to actually try and do. I would have loved to been in architecture but my terrible math prevented this from happening. I majored in Political Science at Clemson and I know it was far from the hardest major, it is not even in the same realm as a major such as architecture. Cliff is not just some part time player who will have a wonderful degree to fall back on, he is a great player for Clemson who surely deserves to be recognized for what he has done both on and off the court. I hope #25 is one day retired.

I enjoyed hearing more about Cliff Hammonds. He is an excellent example of a true student-athlete. I certainly hope that Tremaine Billie and Nick Watkins are able to borrow a little bit of his academic excellence from him. I would hate for them to be academically ineligible for the upcoming bowl game.

Sincerely,

I am a huge fan of your postings on Tigernet and read them every week. I have read several postings before mentioning some of the great things that Coach Bowden does that do not get mentioned in the news or online. The great MAN Tommy Bowden, did that again this past week. I am mentioning this because this is yet another reason we have the right man in the job at Clemson. Coach Bowden heard this week about a young 4 year old Clemson fan that is a member of my Church in Greenville that is in a huge battle with cancer. Tommy took time out of his busy schedule to call this young boy to wish him and his family well in this battle. He is also mailing him a football that is signed by all the players. I and my father went to Clemson and I obviously have been a fan of the program since before I was born. I want to win 10 this year as much as anyone, however with the above said I feel as if the Clemson program has already posted another huge win. We have won because those in the football program still know what is truly important.

God bless our Tigers and the men that lead them by example.

Tiger fan and fan of Tommy Bowden,

Great blog. I read it everyday (not unlike any other Clemson fan).

As you know from previous emails, I just recently graduated and I wanted to comment on the basketball situation. As a freshman, my only concern was football. I went to my first basketball game and when i was seated in the top of Littlejohn in the endzone opposite the band, I was sitting there going "why are my seats here? Maybe it's because I'm a freshman". So as my years went on, I continued to go to games, even though I couldn't see a dang thing and I was the only one who wanted to stand and yell the whole time. I love Clemson basketball, but found myself thinking before games "Do I really want to go just so I can NOT see what's going on? My TV is right here". I always went and I always yelled. But I can tell you, that the entire problem in the game day experience is tickets.

We pull 80,000+ every Saturday for a football game and are one of the top places to play and held the record for loudest outdoor stadium and can't make noise in Littlejohn? I have no idea where you sit, but next time you're at a game, I want you to look at the "Sideline" seats in Littlejohn. I can't tell you how many times I got pissed off because I was up in the rafters, and some VT fan was 3 rows back at midcourt. I was paying $10k a year and couldn't get a decent seat at a basketball game! And it wasn't just the opposing team fans that pissed me off. It's the other Clemson fans that sit down there. They never make noise, they never yell, they are there only for a social outing because they hold season tickets or whatever. I have no idea how you get tickets down there, but it certainly wasn't available to me as a student.

The whole game-day atmosphere could be solved with a ticket distribution re-organization. Do you think Cameron Indoor has a problem with having a game day atmosphere? I don't think so either. I don't even think they have seats in Cameron Indoor because all I've ever seen on TV, there isn't a single person sitting. Our games? complete opposite. People who have always watched the games on TV have to see something that they would like to be a part of. When they are watching it, they see a bunch of people sitting there that look like they would be having more fun working a Soduko puzzle than being at the game. If I'm watching that on TV, I'm definitely not gonna be like "I wonder when the next home game is so I can go there!"

Fans have to feel that they are a part of something. When I'm at a football game, I yell constantly because I feel like I'm a part of the entire Clemson experience. I feel it is my duty as a Clemson fan to make sure my voice is added to the thousands more that make it one of the greatest atmospheres in college football.

How can you feel like you're part of something when you're hitting your head on the rafters?

Ask yourself this question. Who are the fans who yell and get into the games and stay into the games the most? The students.

I used to have classes with Akin and Sherrod and Vernon and Shawan and they would all ask me where I was after a big game. I could only tell them I was there because I knew they didn't have binoculars in pregame warm-ups to be able to see me up in the rafters yelling at them.

In my opinion, and this is as honest as it will get Mickey, we have to get the students involved more. We get the students involved so that the tv sees them on every play down the court (ex. Cameron Indoor) and people see it watching it from home. They can feel the energy like people can feel the energy from football games. They feel like they can be a part of something. That's what the whole game day experience is all about. With Clemson football, I'm not just going to a football game... It's an all day Clemson football party because we're the best and we know it. Because I know that me yelling in that stadium directly relates to the other team screwing up an audible.

This is my suggestion.

As always... Go Tigers!