TigerNet -- Blogs -- Mickey Plyler's Blog

No!
I had written a USC preview for today and a blog on the history of the rivalry for Wednesday but I was shocked to read recent comments by Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips, so I sat down to crank out this blog for today instead.

This morning’s The (Columbia) State paper has a column in their sports section bringing about the idea of moving the South Carolina-Clemson game to the beginning of the season. Ron Morris is a columnist for the newspaper and he says, “The move to the season-opener for both teams would help the rivalry garner more national attention. It would allow for an entire offseason of buildup to a meaningful season-opener. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it would remove the angst associated with a team having to prepare for the game with one eye on the rivalry and the other on a pending championship game.”

I personally disagree with Morris. First, the SEC will have its 18th championship game this year and South Carolina has yet to play on one. Call me crazy but South Carolina is not much of a factor in the SEC East race each year, so changing the game based upon South Carolina being distracted by the SEC Championship game is flawed thinking.

You won’t catch me going out and buying a four bed room house with plans of me and Carrie Underwood getting married and having three little Plylers running around. It would be safer to wait until we at least dated a few months first.

The ACC will play its sixth title game this year and this is the first year it has been a concern for Clemson.

Steve Spurrier is for moving the game. His Florida teams were 1-5-1 against Florida State in the years he went on to play in the SEC championship. But Mark Richt did not have any trouble beating Georgia Tech in the years he won the SEC East. You never hear Alabama complaining about playing Auburn the week before they have won the West.

Virginia Tech beats Virginia in the years they represent the ACC Coastal Division and the Hokies are 2-1 in the ACC title game. Not having a rival has not helped Boston College who has lost the last two ACC title games.

It’s funny how Urban Meyer has not complained about having to play Florida State the week before an SEC title game. Do you think this has anything to do with the fact that the Seminoles are not as good as they once were?

But I don’t blame South Carolina for wanting to move the game. The fact is that they have been getting their teeth kicked in and they need to blame it on something. Did they complain when they won in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001 or 2005? Isn’t it funny how it was not a distraction then but somehow it becomes an issue when you get your ass handed to you even though you have never played in the SEC title game?

I don’t blame USC one bit for thinking this way. In business they say whatever your competition is for then you should be against. It is a way to differentiate. USC needs to suggest something different because when lose 10 of your last 12 to your rival then something is broken. If it would help USC then they would want to play it in September. I would not blame them if they wanted to move it to the Friday after Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, October or September. They really should want to move it to June since USC is always so good in that time of the year anyway.

What has me steaming this morning is the comments from Terry Don Phillips who told the State paper, "That's not a bad idea because, if you think about it, you have the whole summer leading up to that game. And, should you not win that game, you have the entire season to recover from it."

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Clemson is dominating South Carolina in November and the Clemson AD says it’s not a bad idea to move the game?

What needed to happen is he needed to go ask his football coach what he thought about it before commenting on it to a newspaper. By the way, Dabo told the same paper, "That's hard for me to grasp hold of because my background is the big rival game always has been at the end. Even when I was in high school, the Pelham-Thompson game (in Alabama) was the last game. Then it was Alabama-Auburn. That would be strange for me. I would not be in favor of that."

So the logical thing to do is support your football coach. He is the one that plays the game. If Clemson loses a few in a row because of the championship games and the head coach wants to change it then we might visit the idea but not at this point.

However, I know that supporting the coaching staffs’ priorities might be too much to ask at Clemson.

The bottom line here is that this rivalry was here before Steve Spurrier, Eric Hyman, Dabo Swinney, Terry Don Phillips, you or me. It was here before the ACC and the SEC. It will be here long after any of us.

You should not change tradition. Sure the game was played in Columbia every year until 1959 and it was played in October around the State Fair but that was wrong too. The game should rotate between Columbia and Clemson every year and it should be the last regular season game. That is the way it has been for the last 50 years and that is the way it should stay.

Colorado and Colorado State open the season with their rivalry and Miami and Florida State have a few times. But the Miami-FSU game was a conference game dictated by television and set buy the conference.

Alabama and Auburn have made their decision and they understand that arch rivals play their rivalry game at the end of the year. Florida State and Florida understand that idea also. In fact, so does Texas and Texas A&M, Southern Cal and UCLA, Georgia and Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Michigan, Virginia and Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and Army and Navy. Rivalry week is in November, not September.

If you moved the game to the season opener then South Carolina fans would complain about having to play Clemson and Georgia to open the season. Just another excuse.

The idea is very simple. You play your arch rival in the final regular season game. You don’t look for excuses or ways out of it. You man up and play for bragging rights for the year at the end of the year. I don’t care about conferences, title games, television, injuries, weather, officiating, etc. Excuses are for losers.

I don’t seriously think that Clemson would ever make such a mistake but to say the idea has merit or to say, “That’s not a bad idea…” is obviously not right in my mind.

I would say this could never happen but remember a few short years ago South Carolina’s president and athletic director dotted the “I” before the Carolina-Clemson game in Death Valley. The reason that travesty happened was because we all did not know about it in advance and we had no chance to voice our displeasure before it happened. That is not the case with the ridiculous idea of moving the Carolina-Clemson game to the beginning of the season.

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.
*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, 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.

Comments:

Dittos to most all of your comments. I go a bit further and say that just about anything the old sack is for, I'm against. And it really shouldn't matter to the sack anyway. What difference should it make to him when they get their -sses spanked, early or late, it's the same ol' same ol' for them. The reason for the very real curse on them is that game in cootlumbia every year, and as they say, "Payback is Hell", and Hell should go on until eternity.

Posted by Dugatiger on November 24, 2009 at 11:11 AM EST #

Dumbest idea I've ever heard.

Posted by ClemsonOG on November 24, 2009 at 11:16 AM EST #

I never comment, but this issue seems too important. Just becuase the Gamecocks have no traditions and are making excuses about the reasons they lose the big game is not a good reason to change it. If we give in and change it, everyone in the athletic department ought to get fired.

Posted by awatts on November 24, 2009 at 11:18 AM EST #

If they moved the game to the beginning of the year, my annual family Thanksgiving get-together would change for the worse. For over 30 years I have enjoyed taunting my uncle, a Gamecock, over turkey and dressing about the upcoming Clemson-USC game. WTH would I talk about if they moved the game to September?

Posted by Fluxus on November 24, 2009 at 11:21 AM EST #

I agree that it should be the last game on the regular season schedule, but I also do not like that we have a game during the Thanksgiving Holiday. I wish there was a way we could play the game the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and then let the players spend Thanksgiving with their families, which is the way it should be.

That being said, I don't think changing the time the game was played would change the outcome! Gamecock is still white meat!

Posted by Locotiger on November 24, 2009 at 11:33 AM EST #

Ron Morris isn't just a columnist for the State, he is strongly biased in favor of USC. Anything he thinks is a good idea would be bad for us. They just want some kind of excuse for losing.

Posted by ddr883 on November 24, 2009 at 11:38 AM EST #

Thank the NCAA and ACC for the game now being Thanksgiving weekend. 12 game schedule and the ACC CG, where all teams must play on the week before.

Posted by Clemsnman on November 24, 2009 at 11:49 AM EST #

Moving the rivalry game to early in the season would be incredibly stupid. No thanks.

Posted by Judge Keller on November 24, 2009 at 12:45 PM EST #

TDP is tripping. We move it a few hours for Milie Cyrus. Out of prime time I may add. Then you want to move it so it will not have any tradition at all. Carolina has been shamed enough this year in prime time.
If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Let's hold our ground on this one Tiger Nation. TDP take a cold shower,walk to the Valley read the Ring of Honor, then grow a backbone.18 years is not that long. Have you forgotten??

Posted by OrangebloodedAl on November 24, 2009 at 12:51 PM EST #

Posted by OrangebloodedAl on November 24, 2009 at 12:56 PM EST #

We don't need to cave to the whims of the coots on this matter like we did in implementing the bowl ban following the 2004 foot-brawl game. TDP should tell the coots they can move the game to any week they want, but if they want Clemson to show up, it will remain the last game of the regular season.

Posted by agentorange on November 24, 2009 at 12:56 PM EST #

Posted by agentorange on November 24, 2009 at 01:01 PM EST #

Good greif Mick, any excuse will do for you to rant about our AD and administration. Maybe he hadn't talked to Dabo about it before making the comment. Maybe after hearing Dabo he would agree with him. Maybe he didn't realize so many fans were so pasionate about the game being at the end of the year. One thing he can count on though is no matter what he says he is going to have to deal with people like yourself who jump at any oppurtunity to publicly criticize him and the administration. Things are actually going good right now. Can we please stop with the negativity and enjoy it for a little while?

Posted by kiggity on November 24, 2009 at 01:03 PM EST #

No backbone, nor guts for our AD. Thank God our team does not take after that guy. I have had enough of his stupidity. Even agreeing with Usuc on this matter is retarded. You move it TDP, and we'll move you!!!!

Posted by CU8993 on November 24, 2009 at 01:09 PM EST #

Who is Ron Morris, and when does his opinion dictate when we have this game? It would be a SHAME if any one in the Clemson Administration approved such a ridiculous plan. Tradition is what our football program has been built on. It is tradition that we kick their tail feathers every November. TDR or Barker may not survive that move if it comes to fruition.
I still have a hard time believing the "dotting the I" incident.

Posted by El_Tigre95 on November 24, 2009 at 01:19 PM EST #

I wish we had an ombudsman for our national "Hellth" Care proposal who was as focused as you are.

You are 110% correct! Moving to the beginning of the season would be insane!

Keep up the good work!

Posted by jimjohns3 on November 24, 2009 at 01:29 PM EST #

I'm in favor of moving it. It makes sense to keep it at the end of the year for the rivalry games that are also conference games (USC v. UCLA, Aub v. Ala, UVA v. VT, Ole Miss v. MSU, OSU v. Mich, Oklahoma v. Ok St., etc.) but when the game is out of conference and the most important goal is winning the conference and getting to a BCS bowl, it makes a lot of sense to move it up to the start of the season. I'm with TDP, let's move the game.

Posted by radarby1 on November 24, 2009 at 01:34 PM EST #

TDP is NUTS!!!!

We are Clemson BEFORE him and way AFTER he is GONE. Time for you to leave, TDP....

71PR

Posted by 71PR on November 24, 2009 at 01:40 PM EST #

One minor correction; they beat us in 2006 rather than 2005.

Posted by surroundedtiger on November 24, 2009 at 01:45 PM EST #

Should never, ever happen. The way for this rivalry to move beyond regional recognition is for both teams to be national contenders. That will generate all the exposure and publicity we could want

Posted by striperfan on November 24, 2009 at 02:01 PM EST #

otisman agrees with Plyler . . . must be a cold day in hell.

Posted by otisman on November 24, 2009 at 02:26 PM EST #

Just for raising the idea, we'll score another TD on you Saturday. What a bunch of chumps.

Posted by TigerEE91 on November 24, 2009 at 02:34 PM EST #

Mickey, while I appreciate your passion/hatred for USC, like usual, you don't let the facts get in the way of you trying to make a point. TDP was the one that originally suggested moving the game to the beginning of the year, not Spurrier. Also, didn't you used to claim you were a Florida fan in the 90's? I guess you are a "diehard" Clemson fan now because readers/listeners provide you your 45k a year salary.

Posted by ccmgtiger on November 24, 2009 at 03:39 PM EST #

PROOF POSITIVE, KIDS ,THAT ADDICTION TO MEDICINAL MARIJUANA MAKES YOU SAY AND DO ASSININE THINGS.OH ,I SMELL AN ONLINE PATITION IN THE AIR.PLEASE SEND RESULTS ,CARE OF "CLUELESS TDP".OH,DO NOT GET ME WRONG...I THINK WE SHOULD EMBRACE OUR COOT BRETHREN,PROTECT THEIR FRAGILE FEELINGS FROM YET ANOTHER YEARLY A$$ KICKING.BE THERE TO DRY THEIR LITTLE COOT TEAR...O.K.,EVEN I AM MAKING MYSELF SICK HERE.CALL ME BUCK ROGERS, BUT WHEN DID WE AS CLEMSON FANS, GIVE A FLYING ..WHAT USUCK (EVER)THINKS ,OXYMORAN IN ITSELF?!!BETTER STILL,HOW DOES EVEN TDP HAVE THE PHONE# TO THE P.O.G.P.S(PRESIDENT OF GAS PUMPERS).OH,BY ALL MEANS,LET US EVEN SHAKE HANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF TH...OH,CRAP ,WE DID THAT ALREADY!!!OLD SCHOOL '68 HERE SAYING ,UNTIL THEY PAINT A COCK ON MY TIGER PAW ,I SAY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TO MOVING THE GAME.WOW,THAT FELT BETTER!!! FOREVER AND ALWAYS A TIGER!!!!

Posted by ALWAYSANDFOREVERATIGER on November 24, 2009 at 04:40 PM EST #

Imagine all the new coot excuses if it were moved and we continue to whip that a$$...

It's the beginning of the year, our team hasn't gelled yet.

If we were to play at the end of the year, we would definitely win.

It's much hotter in Cootlumbia, so summer practices can't be as intense.

We still had 8 players who couldn't play because of their arrests over the summer...

It would go on and on.

Making our schedule should never change the last regular season game, let the ACC set up our conference games, schedule our other cupcakes in the empty spots and spot the damn ball! This is football, this is how it's been, and this is how it's going to stay.

If TDP is our AD and is this clueless about how his fanbase thinks, I believe we should consider if he's the right person to run this program.

Posted by Roadracing7 on November 24, 2009 at 05:03 PM EST #

TDP Evaluation:
He Did Pick Dabo ..... 1 for TDP

Put the game as game #1 ... What ! Are You Dorfed ! Thats about as stupid as Pelosi's Heathcare Fiasco

Let this be on the next Southwest Airlines Commercial
"Ever want to get away..."
OK Give TDP a mulligan
Silly AD tricks are for coots......

Better ask Dabo before you speak....

Posted by LowcountryJerk on November 24, 2009 at 06:55 PM EST #

Extreme overreaction to rather harmless comments. Get off of TDP's back. I'm tired of hearing how he is the devil. The guy hired OP and Dabo. Possibly the best 1-2 combo hire in our HISTORY. Give him some GD credit.

Posted by creekman on November 24, 2009 at 08:01 PM EST #

A few weeks ago we had hiring Dabo to crucify TDP over. He hired Dabo over the wishes of most. How did that work out for us? He brought one of the best bb coaches in the nation to a school that has no bb tradition. Now we are ready to fire him for making some off the cuff remarks before thinking. The more time I spend on Tnet the more I realize what a bunch of spoiled children we are. Maybe when Jesus comes back he will be our AD.

Posted by #1TIGER on November 24, 2009 at 09:03 PM EST #

you are 100% right, mickey! you hit the nail on the head. i totally agree with you. them dang gamecocks are looking for some kind of magical unicorn to change their luck, but this aint it! say hi to paul for me!!!

Posted by dixie_normas on November 24, 2009 at 09:11 PM EST #

i'll tell you another thing mickey...somewhere, deep in the vault, lies the deed to the university of south carolina!

Posted by dixie_normas on November 24, 2009 at 09:15 PM EST #

If youre gonna move, might as well not play it.

Honestly teh game serves no purpose. We have nothing more to prove. Weve owned them since game 2.

Bring back Georgia or fill in alternating Big 12 school or Big 10 .....otherwise .... a challenge

Posted by CUwRx on November 24, 2009 at 10:01 PM EST #

Back when we played the Dogs,we gauged our season on how we played them, much the same as Carolina does,or so say the fans.I miss the Georgia game.They were always ,for a time,nail biters.Now our berometer is Tech or BC.Our rivalry games are best left alone. Two teams, at that point,ARE what they are,the best you are going to be.Last stand.It generally,historically, meant one of us is not Bowling if we lose.Off the cuff the statement MAY have been,But, you are still talking to a newspaper writer,nevertheless.

Posted by ALWAYSANDFOREVERATIGER on November 24, 2009 at 10:39 PM EST #

I would prefer quit playing the coots then move the game. In fact, it wouldn't bother me to drop them, nothing to prove.

Posted by bparent on November 24, 2009 at 10:54 PM EST #

No no, but HELL NO!

Posted by TXPullen on November 25, 2009 at 07:39 AM EST #

I diagree with radarby1. Winning the ACC is ONE of the most important goals of the CU football program. Beating the cocks is an equally important goal. I work with a bunch of gamecock fans and believe me, there's nothing sweeter than the silence of the cocks after a Clemson victory. Tommy Bowden never understood this.

Posted by clemsongradanddad on November 25, 2009 at 07:55 AM EST #

Moving the game is a stupid argument...

Have to play someone that week, and it would likely be a conference opponent of around the same quality and that game could possibly be a game required to clinch a division championship.

Playing a non-conference rival makes for a great way to end a regular season with an important game if neither team wins the division, and if either team wins the division it's a solid test with a championship type atmosphere just before the important game.

What's the alternative? Play Coastal Carolina and SC State to close the season? That would br like Lynyrd Skynyrd closing shows with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star instead of Freebird

Posted by tdrake on November 25, 2009 at 08:53 AM EST #

mickey, ive changed my mind. you might be the dumbest s.o.b. to ever shit between a pair of shoes. you call this hate-filled diatribe a blog? more like a LOG! as in turd....it stinks! i only hope paul and your multi-ricos can keep your dumbazz on the air and off welfare so i dont have to feed you!

Posted by dixie_normas on November 25, 2009 at 03:07 PM EST #

the only good thing that would come out of this is, as soon as TDP agrees to move the game, the call for his job would gain enough steam to actually make a difference.

Maybe that's his plan. Get himself fired so he can collect unemployment.

Posted by Got igers on November 25, 2009 at 11:05 PM EST #

You need to do two things with this blog Mickey.One is to send the entire blog,along with all the comments to TDP.The second thing to do,in all fairness to TDP,the Athletic Dept,President Barker,the various boards,deans,alumi associations ,etc.etc.is to take a survey{a poll} here on TigerNet,run it through the end of football season,and then send it to TDP.You could make it a simple poll;move the game .Yes,or no.I think I know the outcome.I wonder if TDP would.

Posted by leftie on November 28, 2009 at 08:15 AM EST #