Tuesday November 18, 2008

Super Tuesday; Korn; Gamecocks and Tigers

Super Tuesday
I used to really get into politics but have soured on the subject. My old age leads me to be more cynical. However, I am still amazed that in presidential politics a candidate can be so far behind in the national polls but do well in two small states like Iowa and New Hampshire almost a year in advance and go on to win the nomination. Your campaign can be a disaster but if you win one of those two small states then all of the sudden you get the momentum and the media jumps on your bandwagon. I am also amazed that one day, Super Tuesday, basically can decide the race.

I really equate Clemson’s search for its next football coach to presidential primary season. It seems to me that as of this moment you have your Dabo supporters, your Muschamp supporters, your Bud Foster people, your Venables supporters, etc.

I read all of the post on Tigernet, Tiger Illustrated and CU Tigers and I see a split Tiger Nation. There are those that say Clemson cannot win with this guy and my guy is the only real choice. Others try to convince you why their theory is correct.

Some will say that head coaching experience is a must. There is an ongoing debate about offensive minds compared to defensive minds. Some compare the candidates to former Clemson coaches and current head coaches across the country.

Like the political candidates, the supporters of coaching candidates have tried to lay out their case for their choice with campaign promises. “My guy will bring toughness to the job. My guy will energize the Clemson people and is considered a terrific recruiter. My guy is the one that can unify Clemson Nation.”

I may be wrong but I think Clemson fans want to be unified. I feel they are tired of the division. Tiger fans may have their separate opinions for the next three weeks but like presidential politics, I think the next head coach at Clemson will have support from most of the Clemson people the day he takes the job.

Dabo’s Major Obstacle
Speaking of politics, I think Dabo’s main obstacle is similar to what John McCain faced. McCain was doomed from the start because Obama was able to tie him to the previous administration. Bush’s approval ratings were so low that any Republican candidate would have had a difficult time winning. People wanted change. Some critics will claim that Dabo is still too closely tied to the Bowden administration. His big concern is making sure that he can separate himself enough from some of the old regime. People wanted change in Washington and many Tiger fans felt the same way. Dabo has to convince his players and some fans that he is not more of the same. I think he has done that and this is less of a concern with me than it is with others.

Korn
I saw Willy Korn struggle throwing the ball into the wind on Saturday in warm-ups and in the game but unlike others I am not concerned. Last Tuesday I had a chance to ask Korn about his shoulder and he said it was fine. However, I knew from his face that that was not the case. It is obvious to me that he has been injured and I am not sure why Clemson has been so reluctant to talk about it.

Look, I saw Korn as a freshman in high school and he had more arm strength than he does now. As a sophomore he had a cannon and his ball had more zip than it does now. So no one could convince me that he does not have a strong arm. He might not today, but that is because of an injury.

I have this policy on my radio show that it is not fair to judge an athlete who is injured. We should probably give them credit for playing through the injury instead of questioning their talents. Give them credit for their guts instead of judging their athletic ability.

Korn is a special talent who has incredible leadership skills. Maybe Kyle Parker can beat Korn out in the spring but it would not be fair to either if we based that if either one was injured.

On Monday, Billy Napier talked about Korn’s shoulder for the first time and admitted injury was the major concern. I have learned a little about the shoulder and how complicated the shoulder joint is and I have a better understanding of the issues after some research. Maybe Korn cannot return to 100% in time but at this is not the time to pass judgment on his abilities.

The Differences in USC and Clemson
I have noticed two major differences in USC fans and Clemson fans. Gamecock fans get over losses faster than Clemson fans. USC lost to Florida by 50 on Saturday and their fans can put it behind them like it never happened. Spurrier came out Sunday and said USC just needs to forget about Saturday and move on to the Clemson game. Meanwhile, Clemson fans still are not over the season opening loss to Alabama and that was in August.

The other major difference is the criticism of the coach. When Bowden or Swinney lost football games then the critics come out. Everything is questioned. However when South Carolina loses a football game then no one ever questions Steve Spurrier. It is sacrilegious to utter any questions about the head man in Columbia. This was pretty much the case for Lou Holtz as well.

Maybe my theories are biased but I observe two different viewpoints from two different sets of fans across our state.

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