TigerNet -- Blogs -- Mickey Plyler's Blog

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.

Adam,
I was wrong on the blog when I said all signs pointed to C.J. Spiller going pro. This happens but I will be the first to admit when I am wrong.

If you listened to my radio show last week you heard me say that I thought he was coming back. I always felt he was coming back until late Sunday and the first part of this week. I thought his mom would win and I knew she wanted him to go pro. Also most people close to C.J. thought he was going. We were all wrong. His teammates were wrong too because they thought he was going. Most of the media thought he was gone also.

Mickey,
What does Spiller’s return to the team mean for the offense next season? How many touches does he get? Does this mean Harper or Ellington get less carries? I guess this means the quarterbacks will have an easier time.

Carl,
Good questions. The offense will certainly look different with Spiller back than it would had he left. Spiller will be the focus of the offense and the staff will look to get him the ball more often and in more ways. It will take pressure off of the rest of the offense. It will also make the offensive line more effective because he does not need a lot of blocking. I would guess this would take away carries and touches from everyone in the offense but all will still be needed You are correct I thinking the biggest winners are the quarterbacks. Also the entire team benefits because Spiller will be one of the leaders who will make a difference.

Mickey,
First time emailer, listen to the show every morning on way to work and avid Tigernet reader. I have a comment about people worried about the O-line and if CJ made a mistake. Let's take a second and step back... Dabo gets the HC job and gets to choose his staff... He chooses to keep Brad Scott and put him on his strength (O-line).

Thanks for your insight and your loyalty. Look forward to meeting in person sometime. Go Tigers!
David

David,
Thanks for the insightful e-mail. I agree. First, the offensive line would be better because of so many returning starters and they should be stronger and more mature next season anyway. Also the group will have an entire spring to work together. I think Cloy moves to center. This means the guards will be Austin and McClain and the tackles will be Hairston and Walker. I think the interior offensive line will be one of the best in the ACC.

Spiller does not need a lot of blocking. He hits the hole faster and can make guys miss. The threat of Spiller as an outlet in the passing game will limit some teams from blitzing as much will also help the offensive line. I don’t think the offensive line will be a liability this season.

Mickey,
I thought your blog on A Clemson Basketball Carol was good, but I have to disagree on one point. Don't you think the 1990 game vs Duke is the biggest game ever to be played in Littlejohn? It was for the regular season championship. I remember giving a security guard $20 to let me in a side door and sitting in the aisle in the upper level. You couldn't even see the aisles in the upper level and half-way down the lower level. I was also at the Wake game in '97 and the atmosphere that night was unbelievable, but I think the Duke game was bigger and more important.

Scott,
I was not at the 1980 game when Clemson upset top-ranked Duke but I was at the 1990 game you mentioned. The 1990 game was big because of the items you mentioned. It meant a lot to the ACC and the national seeding because it was later in the season. The teams were not ranked as high as this year’s game but you make a good point.

Mickey,
Thanks for the good work you do. I always enjoy your insights. I have a question about strength and conditioning. Is the person hired by the football team in charge of strength and conditioning for all the university’s athletes, or does each individual sport hire their own? Thanks!
Chris

Chris,
Each school has a director of strength and conditioning and a staff. The director and his assistants usually work with the football team and his assistants divide up the Olympic sports among themselves but everything is done under the direction of the top man in their department. Usually basketball has their own guy also. I hope this answers your questions.

Hi Mickey,
I'm curious how Korn is doing? I haven't heard much about him since surgery. I noticed he did not play in the Bowl game, so I am assuming that means he was not 100%. How is he recovering? I am looking forward to seeing him play in the fall ... I hope he is recovering well.

Karen,
Korn is doing well. He was not 100% for the bowl game but I think he will be for the spring. I think Clemson fans are going to love Korn and his leadership. He will be a breath of fresh air. I have seen few leaders like this young man. He is truly a team first player who is accountable and will be an improvement in that area.

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 lost 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-was born Wednesday, January 14 several weeks pre-mature and was 2 lbs. 15 ounces. She is doing well but like all pre-mature babies she will have to get through several issues over the next few weeks.

Larry in Naples, FL. Larry is currently being kept sedated in ICU and has acute pancreatitis. Larry is going to be transferred this week to Shands in Gainesville, FL for surgery on his pancreas. The doctors are saying that there is a 40% mortality rate with this surgery and if successful, there will still be a very long recovery. Larry is a great guy and a wonderful husband/father. Larry is 32 years old.

Kaitlyn L-4 year old girl in TN who has seizures and a brain lesion that may be a slow-growing tumor. She will likely have a biopsy in February.

Daniel Rosborough-4-year old Inman, SC who will have a kidney transplant 1/14/09 in Charleston

I am starting a signing for my son's best friend who has cancer (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). He is 11 years old and is not doing well at all. He was diagnosed with this cancer 2 weeks ago and the tumor is next to his jugular vein and entwined in it...has moved his wind pipe over a inch making it hard for him to breathe. The tumor is the size of a large eggplant and is sitting right above his heart. This little boy needs all the prayer he can get. I would like you to sign this and pass it on to as many people as you can. Once we get to a thousand people can you please send this back to me at: 1volsgirl@bellsouth.net When I get the 1000 people that have signed it...I am going to print this up for my sons best friend and show him how many people care and how many people are praying for him to get better. If you have a heart at all, you will all do this for me. I love this child as though he is my own and we really need all the prayers!

Comments:

I would love to see Sam Wyche work with Billy Napier. I do not know of a better mentor for an offensive coordinator.

Posted by 29575tiger on January 16, 2009 at 11:09 AM EST #

Always love your stuff. And we pray for Ryan often. Thanks for the prayer list. Awesome idea!

I know it's all just presumptions and guesses at this point, but I have to disagree with you on how well the OL will do this year. We were absolutely horrible in '08. How can e improve to be one of the best in less than one year?

I also disagree that Spiller doesn't need a lot of blocking. This year, Spiller was a shadow of what he could have been had the OL been more mature. To say there's a runner in the entire country that doesn't need good blocking to be productive is just inaccurate.

Posted by RU4GOD2 on January 16, 2009 at 11:12 AM EST #

I'm an avid reader Mickey. I appreciate you keeping us informed on what's going on in Clemson. And, even though I rarely comment, this makes three days in a row for me.

"Spiller does not need a lot of blocking."

This is one of the dumbest comments I have ever read on this blog. Even the greatest backs still depend on their line for success. A bad o-line will neutralize whatever advantage CJ gives us. I agree that a gifted runner like CJ can make something out of nothing at times, but to say that he doesn't need a lot of blocking puts too much responsibility on CJ and puts unrealistic expectations on him.

Trying to justify a loss to Wake Forest before we even play the game is soft and Bowden-like.

And putting out a blog about Spiller leaving before the decision is made was in bad taste (and proved to be false).

Posted by triggerhappy on January 16, 2009 at 11:32 AM EST #

Thanks Mickey for the prayer requests program. we need more witnesses in our world today. takes people like you and CJ Spillers to wake up some people.

Posted by LittleDenny on January 16, 2009 at 11:43 AM EST #

Good thing Spiller does not need alot of blocking, cause he is'nt going to get any. You can pour all the Kool-Aid you like, but that is'nt going to spring him for a long one either. Spare me the "another year of experience" or "we're replacing them with higher ranked recruits" excuses, those only work for 2 or 3 years.

Posted by CM Shack on January 16, 2009 at 01:13 PM EST #

Mickey, thanks for a very good blog. and all the information you give us... We are thankful that CJ is staying for his senior year and it will make a big difference in our games this fall...Thanks again for all you do...

Posted by Gray_Court_Tiger on January 16, 2009 at 02:24 PM EST #

A sport commentator made a wrong prediction. Lynch him!

I'm skeptical of Brad Scott's abilities, but I'd say that the O-line looked better as soon as Spence was fired and they went to a 3-point stance.

Posted by Razzmatazz on January 16, 2009 at 04:50 PM EST #

If Brad Scott could coach, he would still be at USC.

Posted by tiger7272 on January 16, 2009 at 05:08 PM EST #

I am astonished by people like you and David who keep saying that suddenly our OL is "going to get tough". You could only describe their performance over the past 5 years under Brad Scott as the exact opposite. Poor OL play was not just a problem this year, only the first half of 2006 could you say that the OL was a strength.

The staff failed to evaluate talent and develop offensive lineman as a whole during the Bowden tenure. This is the job of the position coach (Scott) and the recruiting coaches (Dabo, Napier).

All of these guys are still here, so how is this suddenly going to translate into "one of the best in the ACC."

Posted by Bowden's 12th+man on January 18, 2009 at 10:14 AM EST #

A sport commentator made a wrong prediction. Lynch him!

I'm skeptical of Brad Scott's abilities, but I'd say that the O-line looked better as soon as Spence was fired and they went to a 3-point stance.

Posted by Razzmatazz on January 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM EST #