Friday November 20, 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,
Wow what a wonderful tribute to CJ that you wrote, I sat and cried like a baby as I read your blog, so well said and so very true, Clemson won’t be the same without CJ but it certainly will be a better place because of him, he’s going to be missed by many. Thank you for sharing that and it was a very nice tribute and every word so very true.

Karen

Karen,
Thanks for the kind e-mail. Like Cliff Hammonds in basketball, C.J. will always be among the Tiger greats! Saturday should be a special day. I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks again.

Mickey,

Brett

Brett,
Great point. I am planning on a senior blog about the entire class after the season. Jacoby is another special kid. I am friends with a couple of professors who have had him and they rave about how incredible he is. Rendrick is a terrific kid also. He has had to endure a lot of adversity but he is another Tiger! Look for the senior blog in a few weeks. Thanks.

Thank you Mickey for saying all the things you did about C.J. in your "Thanks C.J." article. They are all true and we all feel the same way. This one brave, unselfish, and truly sacrificing man saved Clemson football season this year. I hope his legacy will inspire those who follow
to seek goals that will lead Clemson to greater accomplishments than anyone of us could have ever imagined. Great article - thank you again.
-Ken

Ken,
I appreciate your e-mail. I am looking forward to following this young man for a long time. I have not had a real favorite team in the NFL lately but plan on becoming a fan of what lucky team drafts C.J. It should be exciting next coupled of weeks.

Mickey,
I read all your blog’s but CJ’s may have been your best.
Classy, very classy! Great job!
See you Saturday.
Mark

Mark,
Thanks for the kind e-mail. I hope this Saturday is better than the one we shared against BC two years ago. I hope this one will be one to remember. Thanks again.

Mickey,
I have applauded you on may articles but this one tops them all. I know that it had to mean so much to C.J. to hear these words. You have greatly verbalize the feeling of thank we feel toward C.J. Again thanks so much for capturing the true essence of a Tiger Fan.
Thomas

Thomas,
I appreciate the kind e-mail. I remember Anthony Waters coming down the hill in his senior season on that bad knee. That one brought tears to my eyes. James Davis last year was a special moment as well. I loved how he played so well in that final time after standing atop the hill alone. Hopefully tomorrow will have that same feeling.

Mickey,
Very nice piece on CJ Spiller.

L

L,
I agree. Tommy and all of his assistants also. I remember Burton Burns when Jacoby Ford committed and Dabo when C.J. committed. That staff should take some pride in the events tomorrow also. Bowden does deserve some credit. I agree.

Mickey,
I've already ordered my ACC Championship Game tickets. I have seen enough of this team that I am not concerned about past failures. The sign out front should read "Clemson Football Under new management"

Brian

Brian,
I am superstitious but I already have tickets and a hotel in Tampa. I just believe this team is different. I can’t see this team having a letdown. Dabo and this staff have done a terrific job in keeping this squad focused.

Mickey,

Rob

Rob,
I am working on a blog about Spiller and his Heisman hopes. One of the hidden stats is the starting field position. Look for that blog next week or the following week. I think you make a great point and I will be interested to find the results. This team has dominated field position in recent weeks.

Mickey,
If Clemson clinches a spot in the ACC championship game, should Dabo pull his starters for the USC game? OR pull them after a half? Let them play the full game? I would love for Clemson to beat USC but not if it cost us a few of our starters for the championship game! Then again..if we ended up pulling our starters and that cost us the USC game...I would hate that he did that if we ended up losing the ACC championship game! Let just bank on a BLOW OUT and we will not have to worry about it! What do you think?

Michael

Michael,
That is a good question and one that we have never had to encounter. The ACC championship game will not take anything away from my perspective on the USC game but I was raised in Columbia. I doubt Dabo does anything different. He was at Alabama when they had Auburn as the final game and he understands the importance of rivalries and recruiting. BTW-Dabo is 5-1 against South Carolina since he arrived here. His first year as an assistant the Tigers beat USC 63-17 and he saw what that meant.

Mickey,
Heading into the season we had (and appear to still have) a solid recruiting class. After the first 3 losses, it seemed we were simply trying to hang on to those that committed early. Now, just one win away from Tampa – and hopefully more wins by the time it’s all said and done – do you expect to see a few more highly touted kids commit to Clemson? I’m no expert, but it seems we haven’t been able to take the lead for a stud linebacker (like Justin Parker) or D-linemen. I’m sure there’s more to the story and pieces of recruiting I’m not up to speed on. Where do you think the class may net outcome signing day and will it be “really solid” or “spectacular?” Just curious as to your opinion…
Bobby

Bobby,
With all of these schools getting early commitments that is what you do and then try to hang on to the,. You are right about linebackers and defensive linemen. There just is not a great class of linebackers and defensive linemen in the state this season but that changes next year. I think 2011 class has more of each than any year I can remember. I think the 2010 class will be solid but the beginning of the 2011 class looks spectacular.

Mickey,
I posted this on the board but want to send it you for the Friday blog just in case someone who truly needs it missed it. A recipe for crow:

Bigatiger

Bigatiger,
I think a lot of us could save that recipe. At some point we all need a little humble pie. Thanks.

Mickey,

Billy

Billy,
I think Clemson will take about 25,000 to Tampa. That is an uneducated guess. Since your e-mail C.J. has taken over first place. I think he has a legitimate shot but needs a big finish to get the last impression to the voters. I would like to see the purple jerseys and white pants together but I am in the minority.

MICKEY
LETS CHALLENGE TIGER NATION TO VOTE FOR CJ FOR THE HEISMAN TROPHY ON THE NISSAN WEB SITE - ( THE WEBSITE LINK YOU PROVIDED ON YOUR WEB PAGE) LETS GET HIM TO NUMBER 1 BEORE THE GAME SATURDAY.THIS IS THE LEAST THE FANS CAN DO FOR CJ TO MAKE SURE HE GETS AT LEAST ONE FIRST PLACE VOTE. THE FANS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !
BRET

Bret,

You got it. Please. Please. Please Vote for C.J.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fitting words from old friend Chick Jacobs (aka Rev. Dodd). AMEN!!!

Bill

Bill,
Thanks to the Rev. and you for sending it. I feel like I am ready right now. Thanks.

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.
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*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, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), 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, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Ann Fallaw, Bob Pollock, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Mike Kingsmore,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan.