TigerNet -- Blogs -- Mickey Plyler's Blog

Missed Opportunities
To be perfectly honest with you, today is one of about two or three days ever that I sat down to write the blog and have no idea what direction to go in. This is about the 600th blog I have written and all but about two or three have just flowed once I sat down with the laptop.

Today is different though. Normally after a loss I feel I feel disappointed on Saturday and sometimes angry on Sunday and even Monday. But usually by Tuesday or Wednesday I am ready to start looking forward to the next game. This week is an open date but I would normally still be looking forward to the next game by now.

In those rare occasions where it was obvious a coaching change was coming, I was ready to start thinking about the head coaching candidates. I remember in 1998 when I first started my radio show Tommy West was fired so we spent the next couple of weeks on the phone talking to everyone we knew in terms of the coaching search. But I am not sure Bowden will be fired and it is extremely out of line to talk about candidates unless there is an opening.

I sat in front of this laptop and just gazed at it for about 30 minutes as my mind remained unfocused.

Since I spoke from the heart on Monday and Tuesday, that is probably the best place to start today.

First, I want to clear up an interview I had with Larry Williams of the Charleston Post Courier in this morning’s paper. Larry is a great writer who I actually think does the best job of any of the beat writers. He is always insightful and I respect his work. However he classified my statements this morning by saying I had called for Bowden to be fired. It may be splitting hairs but I would word it differently. I did not call for his firing. I only said I thought it was time to move on. I stated I thought it was time to make a move and would if I was the athletic director. I did not call on Terry Don Phillips to do so. I am nothing but a sports talk show host and a blog writer. Nothing more, nothing less. That is probably being nitpicky but I was only giving my opinion Monday.

This Wednesday feels different because I have lost hope. After the previous losses I could rationalize being hopeful. I could always see a way out and see a brighter future. This Wednesday is filled with disgust. The longer the week goes the more upset I am about the upset.

Clemson was a 13-point favorite at home. The Tigers were ranked and had they won Saturday things would be in terrific shape. Alabama thumped Georgia so the loss to the Crimson Tide could have been rationalized. But not now.

The Tigers would have been ranked about 16th in the nation and a top ten season could still have been obtained. But not now.

Wake Forest had just been defeated by Navy and Clemson would have been extremely confident about beating the Demon Deacons and grabbing control of the Atlantic Division of the ACC. But not now.

It was a missed opportunity much like the opening game of the season this year when the Tigers opened up as the nation’s number nine team. It was like last season when the Tigers had Boston College at home with the ACC Atlantic Division title on the line but that was a missed opportunity as well. It was like the previous year when Clemson was a 19-point favorite at home against another bad Maryland team but the ACC Atlantic Division title was lost that day too.

It was a missed opportunity like the one when the Tigers had two 14-point leads against South Carolina in 2006 at home but found a way to lose. It was a missed opportunity like the Music City Bowl against Kentucky where the Tigers decided to throw the ball despite the Wildcats’ inept rushing defense.

It was a missed opportunity like the one where Clemson went into Blacksburg, VA as the nation’s number ten team and scored first but then got punked by an average Virginia Tech squad.

It was a missed opportunity like the blowout losses to North Carolina in 2001, NC State, Maryland and Texas Tech in 2002, the broken air condition in College Station, TX in 2004 or the blocked extra point in overtime in Chestnut Hill in 2006.

It was a missed opportunity like….well you get the picture. I need to stop now because I am getting upset like I should have gotten upset after each of those losses in the first place. The cumulative effect makes it worse in hindsight.

Those losses hurt and I was extremely disappointed but I always found a reason to get over it and move on because the future still looked bright. But not now.

Here is a thought that keeps popping in my head: I think almost everyone will agree that Maryland was outmanned badly Saturday. If that is the case and Clemson still lost, the question is-How much more talented do you have to be in order to win?

Under Bowden, Clemson is 7-16 in games decided by a field goal or less. Many of those games should not have been close to begin with.

I need to move on and find something positive because these negative thoughts have me down. I can’t live this way. I need to find something positive and will move towards something more positive in tomorrow’s blog. Sorry to bring you down but my heart is still hurting and I just don’t think I am going to get over this one for a while.

It’s probably time for a Ryan blog. Maybe that will get my priorities back in order and my spirits up. BTW-Ryan says hello.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Comments:

You're right on about the "how much talent do you need" thing. It is laughable how much more some teams do with considerably less talent...Wake comes to mind immediately, certainly East Carolina...the list goes on...

Posted by Backstreets98 on October 01, 2008 at 02:41 PM EDT #

I listened to your show this morning and I just wanted to say that you haven't given up. You are just ready to move on. I heard someone criticize you for that and I don't think that's what you are doing. I think you are right on about everything. I can't take away what TB has done for our program, but I can say it's time for new leadership. I don't think that makes me a bad fan. I think that makes me someone that cares for my team, my players, my family.

Posted by hgray on October 01, 2008 at 02:44 PM EDT #

Go home and hug Ryan.

The only reason Saturday's game was tolerable for me was because I had my wife and two kids at the game with me. It was my daughter's first game ever in Death Valley. We all had a good time before the game, during the game, and after the game.

Posted by Tiger TC on October 01, 2008 at 03:00 PM EDT #

Mickey, welcome to the world of those that some on TNET called "haters" until Sunday.

I've been dealing with such feelings since BEFORE we lost to Wake in 2003. How that loss didn't wake people up is beyond me. TB should of been fired then. I actually saw this day coming since 2002.

No question TB should of been gone last December. This year has been different, however, because I simply refused to let myself buy into the hype and care. I pains me deeply to say that about the alma mater I love so deeply, but coming into this year I knew what was coming and I refused to set myself up for bitter disappointment and heart ache. Nothing this year has surprised me in the least.

My disappointment now focuses on Barker and how his selfish, self-serving, and misguided Top 20 crusade is slowly tuning Clemson into something I don't recognize, both on and off the field!

Posted by flatiger66 on October 01, 2008 at 03:02 PM EDT #

You're right Mickey. Its the same song with different verse every year. As Bowden said, "Surely this isn't the first time this has happened". There in lies the problem...it has happened over and over again.

Posted by grrrtiger on October 01, 2008 at 03:13 PM EDT #

Tommy is Mack Brown lite. We need enough talent to overcome his poor coaching. I don't know if he can recruit enough to do so though because we can only sign 25 a year.

Posted by CM Shack on October 01, 2008 at 03:21 PM EDT #

Mick, I'm putting my hope in Korn, that he gets to play at Wake and is then everything we expect. How about Korn leads us to a 7-0 or 6-1 finish, and then wins 9 games the next 3 years for a 34-7 overall record. Could happen.

For next Thursday, if it wasn't for that Korn possibility and our planned stop at Lexington BBQ on the way, I wouldn't be going to Winston-Salem. LOL.

Posted by Newberry Tiger on October 01, 2008 at 03:41 PM EDT #

For next Thursday, if it wasn't for that Korn possibility and our planned stop at Lexington BBQ on the way, I wouldn't be going to Winston-Salem. LOL.

Posted by Newberry Tiger on October 01, 2008 at 03:46 PM EDT #

With the ink still moist on Tommy's $4M buyout, I think it's more likely that Clemson will win the ACC this year, than fire Bowden at the end of this season. So cheer up and get cheering.

The sports writers picked Clemson to win the ACC so that means we're practically guaranteed to win the rest of our ACC games! Rigth? :-) If the O-line gets healthy, Korn starts, and somebody else takes over the play calling, Clemson could reasonably still win the ACC. Heck, if somebody else just takes over the play calling (even if it's not made public), Clemson would stand a decent chance. After the 2nd half debacle with UMD, Bowden couldn't possibly let Spence call plays anymore, could he? It’s unimaginable. So there’s hope...

Go Tigers! 12-2!

Posted by Razzmatazz on October 01, 2008 at 03:47 PM EDT #

Demote Spence & promote Korn! Stop another Proctor-like season -

I have been posting a similar posts since after Alabama game,when Harper admitted he was hurt in 1st quarter, and Spence said he did not even know it. Harper has not been same since diving over goal line at BC last year. And the coaches should have pulled him
with a golden opportunity to heal shoulder during those 3 easy games, but now it is probably too late!
GO TIGERS! Demote Spence, promote Korn and COME BACK!

Posted by captron on October 01, 2008 at 04:03 PM EDT #

Im with you. I can't shake this one. How can the powers that be excuse the leadership of this team? It is just not right.

Posted by garegit on October 01, 2008 at 04:11 PM EDT #

Loss of hope is a terrible thing. Where would you be if you had no hope? Hope is what keeps us going, what gets us out of bed, allows us to rejoice in miracles and overcome the misfortunes of life.

Losses due to high, or overly high, expectations often bring us down or destroy our hope.

Sports has many stories of hope. Imagine one from a few years ago. Imagine a 1A high school with 30 seniors and Ricky Sapp and DaQuan Bowers on the team. This team beat Allendale-Fairfax HS by 45 pts in the regular season, but lost by 7 in the 1st round of the playoffs. Hope for a state championship lost. 2 years later, Bamberg makes it to the State title only to lose again.

Having and believing in hope is important in our lives. All is not lost and we must continue to have hope. Disappointments like last weekend or the above example can still be overcome.
Don't give up. Have Faith. Just as Ryan.

Posted by tigerfan40 on October 01, 2008 at 04:16 PM EDT #

Hang in there Mick. It's now very exciting. Every game is a playoff game from here on out. Win and advance or lose and lose your job!

Posted by Chester Cat on October 01, 2008 at 05:25 PM EDT #

While I'm now on the "Bowden must go" bandwagon, I still think this year can be salvaged. If nothing, TB has been able to respond well when backed against a wall. I like Chester Cat's response, "every game is a playoff game" from this point forward. That's exciting.... until we lose.

Posted by RU4GOD2 on October 01, 2008 at 06:52 PM EDT #

if you think its time for a coach to move on how do you think thats gonna happen;he will just decide to leave lol

Posted by ORANGECRUDE on October 01, 2008 at 07:33 PM EDT #

FlaTiger,

I agree with you. I lost a lot of confidence in Bowden after the 2002 Tangerine Bowl, but the start of the 2004 season after the famous, or infamous, run of 2003 was a major red light.

Not only has there been games like last Sat seemingly every year of Bowden's tenure, but he has not been able to follow up on any success. The 2000 season and 2001 recruiting class was succeeded by the very average 2001-2002 seasons including the loss to a 4-7 UVa team at home, the nice 2-0 start in 2005 followed up by a 3 game losing streak, the 2003 finish followed by a 1-4 start.

Posted by Bowden's 12th+man on October 01, 2008 at 07:43 PM EDT #

hang in Micky,Willys got the magic if they just let him play,hey if he stars Ill bet you Lattamore would want to come join his old teamates after next year.Maybe would should consider Bently to coach um all up.God bless you Mick

Posted by MBIGTIG06 on October 01, 2008 at 08:16 PM EDT #

Mickey,
You are definitely splitting hairs. You want Tommy Bowden fired right now. I am sure Larry Williams does not appreciate being called a liar. As for the rest of the blog, you need to quit crying. Should we have beat Maryland? Yes, but it is not like we have dominanted them over the years. Our all-time record against them is 30-25-2. Get over it and man up.

Posted by tigers3819 on October 01, 2008 at 08:28 PM EDT #

There's no need to apologize for your comments as being negative or a downer. Sometimes negative comments are, well, just flat out warranted.

Posted by surroundedtiger on October 01, 2008 at 08:28 PM EDT #

Posted by tigers3819 on October 01, 2008 at 08:36 PM EDT #

Did anyone else see Bill Cowher on campus this afternoon?

Posted by Big Case on October 02, 2008 at 02:17 AM EDT #

tigers3819, what exactly is your problem, man. Mickey didn't call LW a liar and was, in fact, very respectful of him in the blog. If you do feel he was splitting hairs, then fine, say so. But try to be factful and show some perspective instead of just annonymously railing one someone.

Posted by cdr4tigers on October 02, 2008 at 03:28 AM EDT #

this is a quote from the column on Monday:

"So here is my opinion of what Terry Don Phillips should do:
1. Inform Tommy Bowden today that he has been released as the head coach.
2. Name Dabo Swinney as the interim head coach."

Larry Williams wasn't wrong in his characterization of your statements.

Posted by 90tiger on October 02, 2008 at 06:38 AM EDT #

The man has done his job. It is about wins and losses. He doesn't have enough wins and has many losses where he should have gotten wins. Nice guy, good recruits, blah , blah blah. Time for a change cause we keep getting the same old thing from CTB.

Shake his hand, pat him on the back but most importantly make a change because he never will.

Posted by 74TIGER on October 02, 2008 at 08:41 AM EDT #

First, I don't want to see Korn placed into a lead role in a system that is faulty. Second,it only took one game to make me feel un-well this season. Last year it took Ga Tech, and Va Tech. And thirdly,someone needs to tell Spence about his insurance's dental plan. Thanks Micky. Can't argue with a thing you've written all week.

Posted by soretailcat on October 02, 2008 at 03:11 PM EDT #

I fully agree with your post and I also don,t understand how anybody that is not on drugs can fathom how we can go 10-2. After the next loss TB will simply say we still can still go 9-3, then 8-4, and then 7-5 and that he needs to rush of to church. TB has never won anything and he never will. Rich Rodriguez won at Tulane, not TB. Saban and Friedgen go hoarse they are so involved. TB halftime interviews as he walks to locker room get me boiling mad every time. TB simply says we are going to try to win but is going to be so hard, while opposing coaches say they are going win.TB looks likes someone just ran over his kitty on the sideline, and that directly relates to our football team playing with the tenacity of sorority powder puff football team. Maybe TB can be a dorm mom next. He certainly is qualified for that,altough he may have to call Saban and Richt for advice on what color panties he needs to put on.

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