Tuesday December 01, 2009

Why Sports Are Great

Why Sports Are Great
Sometimes when my son Ryan tries to get one by me I respond with the wisdom once told to me, “Don’t kid a kidder!”

So now I have my Gamecock friends trying to spin Saturday’s game and tell me that the SEC is king and Clemson will take the backseat in the rivalry. My response is ‘Don’t try to spin to a spinmiester!”

Spin gives us hope. We all want to buy into having hope. No one wants to be hopeless.

We all have been in the spinning business for years so I realize when I hear spin. You see, that’s what we do as fans. We try to spin everything in the favor of our teams and tell how we will benefit in the future. The problem is that is rarely works out the way any of us spin it.

The truth is that if I were a Gamecock I would probably try to convince myself that the SEC money from ESPN will be a factor and USC can become a football power. But the truth is that no one really knows.

That is the great thing about sports. It provides hope. As fans we try to convince ourselves and others that we really know what is going to happen and try to prove we are smarter or our team is better through words. The fact is that no one knows what will happen.

Let me give you examples of this. In 1975 I can remember South Carolina beating Clemson 56-20 and my little Gamecock friends told me the rivalry would be lopsided because of the domination. They were right but I doubt they thought it would be the other way. I don’t think they meant that South Carolina would win only nine times in the next 34 years.

But this is true for all sports and I buy in when my team is the benefactor. When the Yankees won four world titles in five years from 1996-2000 I was convinced that Derek Jeter and the Yankees were unstoppable. I did not know that since 2000 the Red Sox would have more titles than the Yankees.

When Virginia hired Al Groh the talk was about chess and “Pro Groh” was set to dominate Virginia Tech. The Hokies have three ACC title since and Groh is looking for his next job.

At NC State when they hired Chuck Amato it was to be called “FSU North.” The Wolfpack won ten games and beat Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. Who would have thought that State would be selling Tom O’Brien as the consistent winner a few short years later. Speaking of O’Brien, was he a consistent winner at BC. He has not had a winning season in Raleigh.

At least O’Brien is 3-0 against Butch Davis. The Tar Heels have dominated in recruiting and the state of North Carolina was supposed to be Baby Blue again. Davis can beat State in recruiting but not on the field.

It’s not just the ACC. In the SEC, Ole Miss tried to tell us that Ed Orgeron was the best recruiter in the country and he was going to rule the West. Last year they changed the tune and it now Houston Nutt that is the guy that will dominate Mississippi State. Well Nutt’s dominance lasted one year because the Bulldogs pounded Ole Miss Saturday.

Holtz was to bring titles to South Carolina and Spurrier asked, “Why not us?”

I keep hearing how Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech is set to turn college football on its ears. Tech destroyed Georgia last season in Athens and some media types wondered how bad Tech would beat the Dawgs Saturday. It was the Jackets that ended the seven game losing streak to Georgia the year before and it was Tech that was ranked in the top ten in the country. Someone forgot to tell Georgia Saturday.

Before Saturday Richt was the one headed for the hot seat and he was going to be forced to make staff changes because the Dawgs were looking at 6-6. I guess Georgia will now return to their dominance and the spin is that Tech is once again inferior to Georgia.

Oklahoma played for the national title a year ago and was a pre-season top five this year. It seems like 10 years ago that Sam Bradford won the Heisman and the Sooners were in trouble heading into the rivalry game against Oklahoma State who was playing for a BCS bowl bid. The Cowboys left Norman with a 27-0 defeat Saturday. Order restored. I guess Oklahoma State’s money and facilities did not help Saturday.

Remember when the ACC added Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College? The spin then was that the conference would turn into a football super power because of the addition of national powers like the Hokies and Canes. How has that worked out?

At Clemson when we hired Tommy West IPTAY had banners made up that read, “We’re back! Deal with it America!” How did that one work out?

It happens in professional football as well. Each year after the Super Bowl the analysts discuss the winning team and there is talk about a dynasty. But that seldom works. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl last year but the Steelers at 6-5 while the Saints are 11-0 this season. But in February we were all set for a Steeler dynasty.

You see, in sports there are no locks. Southern Cal might not fall as far as Florida State has but they have not been as dominant as people would have thought a couple of seasons ago.

Tiger Woods might still be set to break all of Jack Nicklaus’ records but maybe not if that fire hydrant and tree had been hit with more speed.

Yes, South Carolina dominated Clemson Saturday. Does that mean they will get on a roll and start a new streak against the Tigers? Fans will argue their points and that is our duty as fans but no one really knows.

Sure the SEC money helps build staffs and facilities but what will the ACC’s new football and basketball television contract rumored to be with Fox look like? Maybe South Carolina, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State will become national football powers.

As fans it is our job to take a side of a case and argue it to our advantage. As fans that is our assignment. Convince your neighbor. We are liked hired attorneys who try to spin the case in our favor based upon the evidence. We are Jerry Spence except we wear body paint instead of tassels.

And some of the arguments make sense. Al Groh was a pro coach with Ahmad Brooks and some of this defensive guys they were ranked in the top ten in the nation so it was conceivable that Virginia fans were right when they thought great things were ahead. NC State fans bought into Amato’s Florida recruiting. It worked for Richt at Georgia but not Brad Scott at South Carolina. As a Yankee fan I did not think Boston could win two world series titles. Heck it was 86 years since their last one. ACC expansion made sense and football should have been better.

As fans we don’t know. As analyst we don’t know and sometimes as coaches we don’t know. Who would have thought that Andre Ellington would have been a better back than Jamie Harper? What Clemson fan thought that Rashard Hall would have more interceptions that all of the cornerbacks combined?

Sports are about human performance and we can’t accurately predict what humans will do. Some of us think we can but they did not build those huge hotels and casinos in the middle of a Nevada desert because people can accurately predict human performance.

The Chargers thought they could when they got rid of Drew Brees. The Dolphins turned down Brees because they thought his shoulder injury was worse. How dumb do the Saints look after taking the gamble on Brees?

It’s not just sports. We can’t predict human performance in business. Do you think the HR people really thought they would have to fire the guy who later stole from the company? His resume was impressive and he interviewed so well.

We can’t do it in our personal lives either. How many times did you try to convince your buddies that she was the one and she was so awesome? No one gets into a marriage with plans on getting a divorce but half of the marriages end up that way.

In your lifetime did you ever think we would see General Motors collapse? How is that 401K looking? Did your broker sell his expertise before you lost your retirement? I can’t turn on the television in the past ten years without seeing a financial expert. Who are all of the experts and how can they be so wrong?

Maybe USC is about to do great things in football because of the SEC but haven’t they been in the SEC since 1992. What is different about the next 17 years as opposed to the first 17 years? Then again, maybe South Carolina will become a national football power. The truth is no one really knows at this point. How many of us thought TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati would be undefeated at this point? Any predict that five years ago?

Maybe the SEC television money will be a difference but wasn’t that what we were told about Notre Dame and their ridiculous NBC contract?

The fact is that we should try to spin it every which way we can. That is our duty. We all need to feel hope. But the other fact is no one knows what will happen and that is one of the best things about sports.

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, Sam Catoe.