SC Politics and Sports Digest
Mass Media for the majority of South Carolina.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
SC Politics and Sports Digest: No need to worry about Jeb Bush nomination
SC Politics and Sports Digest: No need to worry about Jeb Bush nomination: Liberals – with their media - squeal with glee that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is hinting at a run to be president. But if you're a...
No need to worry about Jeb Bush nomination
Liberals – with their media - squeal
with glee that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is hinting at a run to be
president. But if you're a Conservative don't worry.
If moderate, and spineless Republicans
like U.S. Rep John Boehner did anything by cutting a budget deal with
liberal Democrats, it was wake up latent Conservatives.
The presidential race is already on,
but those who burn early will not last. Conservatives should welcome
Bush, Christie, Romney and even moderate U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Let all the moderates crowd the field
and burn themselves out.
Conservatives have sat around for six
years watching one failure after another from moderates and
Democrats. Those who think it's a good idea to elect their enemies to
prove how bad they are, have seen their message fulfilled.
And the American people are not so
stupid to keep making the same mistake over and over.
If you are a fan of Gov. Scott Walker
of Wisconsin or Gov. Rick Perry of Texas take heart. Dr. Ben Carson
is another interesting candidate. But we cannot afford to make
another mistake.
Republicans, as a party are sick of
losers and Americans are sick of failure and malaise.
The media, moderates, and liberals may
celebrate as if Jeb Bush has already won, but don't count on him to
be around by Nov. 2016.
His zenith will have come, and burned
out before the next presidential election. And any amount of money
and establishment backing will not change that.
We are ailing as a nation, and using
the same old remedies is not the answer.
Give us the right candidate, and we can
begin to fix this broken country. But do not give us Bush, or any
other moderate establishment candidate. He hasn't a chance.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Liberalism collapsing on itself
As this country has experienced six
years of President Barack Obama getting all that he
wants, liberal politics are revealed as race-hate, gender-hate and
contempt for our people.
Jonathan Gruber an Obama Administration employee, called American voters stupid.
Gruber ridiculed the people and laughed that the authors of Obamacare had to lie about it, because the people would be too stupid to accept it, if they were told the truth.
Tuesday, Democrat Congressman Elijah Cummings tore into the MIT professor and Obamacare architect.
The bitter, caustic and ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee said Gruber's comments “did not reflect reality.” Cummings said "Dr. Gruber does not speak for me, or the chairman of the other committees who worked tirelessly on this bill"....
The problem for Cummings and the Democrat Party is that Gruber is the epitome of Cummings, Obama and their party.
These Democrats are greedy, with contempt for anyone not of elitist stature as they are.
They think everyone but them is stupid.
Aside from the defending the highly unpopular and failing Obamacare, Democrats are also conducting a War on Men. Rolling Stone magazine has had to retract a lie it told in an effort to indict white males in a fraternity at the University of Virginia.
A liberal hate-seeking missile was launched by a feminist so lustful to attack a man, she accused a group of them of rape, when there is no evidence or support for her hideous accusation.
In another Democrat debacle of gender hate, pop culture idol Lena Dunham, in her memoir, has accused a “college Republican named Barry of raping her some years ago.
Now the book's publisher, Random House, has put out a statement exonerating this “Identifiable Conservative Barry.”
In other words Dunham is a liar, in a very dangerous way.
Calling Americans stupid, and lying about rape are just part of it.
The race-baiting going on as the Obama Administration is in the middle of indicting every police officer in America, claiming white officer are targeting black males. The idea than any officer would willfully kill based on raced is ludicrous. But it's all the left has, as the economy, healthcare and foreign police crash at their hands.
The celebrated Kathy Griffin is a poster child for liberal hate. Here she collapses in a stupor, much like the Democrat Party is crashing on its lies. (Photo: RightWingNews) |
Jonathan Gruber an Obama Administration employee, called American voters stupid.
Gruber ridiculed the people and laughed that the authors of Obamacare had to lie about it, because the people would be too stupid to accept it, if they were told the truth.
Tuesday, Democrat Congressman Elijah Cummings tore into the MIT professor and Obamacare architect.
The bitter, caustic and ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee said Gruber's comments “did not reflect reality.” Cummings said "Dr. Gruber does not speak for me, or the chairman of the other committees who worked tirelessly on this bill"....
The problem for Cummings and the Democrat Party is that Gruber is the epitome of Cummings, Obama and their party.
These Democrats are greedy, with contempt for anyone not of elitist stature as they are.
They think everyone but them is stupid.
Aside from the defending the highly unpopular and failing Obamacare, Democrats are also conducting a War on Men. Rolling Stone magazine has had to retract a lie it told in an effort to indict white males in a fraternity at the University of Virginia.
A liberal hate-seeking missile was launched by a feminist so lustful to attack a man, she accused a group of them of rape, when there is no evidence or support for her hideous accusation.
In another Democrat debacle of gender hate, pop culture idol Lena Dunham, in her memoir, has accused a “college Republican named Barry of raping her some years ago.
Now the book's publisher, Random House, has put out a statement exonerating this “Identifiable Conservative Barry.”
In other words Dunham is a liar, in a very dangerous way.
Calling Americans stupid, and lying about rape are just part of it.
The race-baiting going on as the Obama Administration is in the middle of indicting every police officer in America, claiming white officer are targeting black males. The idea than any officer would willfully kill based on raced is ludicrous. But it's all the left has, as the economy, healthcare and foreign police crash at their hands.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Rolling Stone rape mea culpa shows media ignorance and absurdity
Sometimes the leftwing media, trying to
cover for its reckless and dangerous brethren, are so
Quick-to-claim rape activists took off on false rape story perpetuated by Rolling Stone magazine. The anti-rape rallies were fast to accuse, even though the story was a lie. |
A headline in The State newspaper,
regarding an AP story reads: "Rolling Stone casts doubt on UVa
rape story." Now that's laughable.
The headline, to be accurate, should
read: "Rolling Stone promotes lie, forced to retract."
Part of the AP story said: "Rolling
Stone cast doubt Friday on its story of a young woman who said she
was gang-raped at a fraternity party at the University of Virginia,
saying it has since learned of “discrepancies” in her account."
The lengthy article published in
November rushed to judgment against the males. It focused on a woman
it identified only as “Jackie,” using her case as an example to
perpetuate the leftwing idea that there a culture of sexual violence
hiding in plain sight at U.Va. The target of Rolling Stone, a
notoriously leftwing assault weapon, is white males in college.
Rolling Stone so wanted the story t be
true, if failed to contact the men who the self-proclaimed victim accused of participating in the attack.
After being caught in its lie Rolling
Stone magazine said: “We were trying to be sensitive to the unfair
shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault and now
regret the decision to not contact the alleged assaulters to get
their account,” the magazine’s statement said.
But not only is it egregious that
Rolling Stone would stoop to such a level of dishonesty and poor
journalism in its effort to hurt the people it hates, the AP's
laughingly mis-leading headline is almost as bad.
The whole Democrat Party is imploding.
They are getting wacky out there. And their media is just as kooky
as the Democrat politicians, as their belief system crashes on its
corrupt nature.
Oh, and Rolling Stone
did say this: “We are taking this seriously and apologize to anyone
who was affected by the story.”
Sure you are.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Enemies don't get why Republicans get elected in SC
While the media drones on about “ethics” reform, redefining
marriage and criminalizing law
Liberals and Liberal-Tarians don't get it. The GOP is opposing Obama, at least on a statewide basis. And the only resistance to liberal Democrats in Congress comes from the GOP. |
South Carolina is joining sixteen other
states to sue the Obama Administration over President Barack Obama's
executive orders in November, that bypassed Congress, to make new
immigration law.
Obama's proclamation that illegally legalized
millions of immigrants in the U.S., is unconstitutional and
jeopardizes public safety, according to the action against Obama.
His unilateral edict also places an illegitimate financial burden on the state's taxpayers, those standing up to the president say.
His unilateral edict also places an illegitimate financial burden on the state's taxpayers, those standing up to the president say.
The lawsuit will be announced this week
by S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Attorney General Alan
Wilson, according to the Columbia-based FITS News. It's a Website
known mostly for salacious attacks on the enemies of the people paying it.
FITS News supported Liberal-Tarian candidates Tommy Ravenel for US Senate and closet Democrat Tom Ervin for Governor.
FITS News supported Liberal-Tarian candidates Tommy Ravenel for US Senate and closet Democrat Tom Ervin for Governor.
FITS discounts the effectiveness of the forthcoming illegal alien law suit against Obama.
But FITS founder, who claims to be a political consultant, routinely advocates for the legalizing of drugs, homosexual marriage and isolationism that favors terrorists and the enemies of the U.S.
But FITS founder, who claims to be a political consultant, routinely advocates for the legalizing of drugs, homosexual marriage and isolationism that favors terrorists and the enemies of the U.S.
FITS, and many of his devout followers
constantly savage Gov. Nikki Haley and any other member of the GOP.
Meanwhile Republicans in the state have
successfully fought the leftwing Obama Administration over voter
integrity laws, labor union imposition and social medical care
programs.
The people who hate Republicans just
don't get it. Like FITS, they seem totally punch-drunk. These
mis-guided political legends – only in their own crack pipe –
don't understand that the people will stand and cheer, and more
importantly vote for, elected officials who stand up to highly
unpopular, but media-embraced leftwing radicals.
So if you are a Liberal-Tarian, or a
liberal Democrat, wondering why you struggle, only getting 3-to-30
percent of the vote, take a look at how the GOP is responding to
Obama on illegals. That should give you a clue. Fighting him is what we want to see. You will be rewarded, politically, for rejecting his leftwing assault on our country.
Is State newspaper's ignorance on Spurrier, hurting recruiting?
Local media seems to work against
fans, and what's best for USC football.
The State newspaper is running a
headline telling us Steve Spurrier will be the coach in 2015.
There was never any chance Spurrier would not be back, except in the mind of a detached-from-reality media. |
Yet there was no headline announcing
“Plane lands safely at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.”
But both headlines have about the same
amount of news intrigue value.
The State's Josh Kendall – in the
body of his story - writes: “Steve Spurrier will return for his
11th season as South Carolina’s coach in 2015, he told The State on
Monday.”
Is this a NEWSFLASH? I don't think
there ever was any credible speculation that Spurrier would not be
back.
The State, based on nothing but its imagination, is the most active in pushing the idea that Spurrier is
even considering not coming back.
As a part of the headline, The State
also says Spurrier: “has faith USC can win again.”
It's laughable to write that. Spurrier,
before 2014, lead the Gamecocks to three, 11-win seasons in a row.
The fact that he did not win as many this year is NEWS. Not that he
will win again.
And on the same Webpage with the non
“scoop” that Spurrier will be coming back is a headline:
“Gamecocks take a hit in latest Rivals250.”...Ya' think!
With an irresponsible media running
around inventing a story line that Spurrier has any inclination to
quit at South Carolina, it certainly could hurt recruiting. Is that what The State is trying to do?
The State sides with poor coaches
Also: The State, specifically Kendall,
pats Spurrier on the back for not immediately releasing defensive
coaches. The Gamecock defensive staff laid an egg during the 2014
season, losing games that should have been easily put away. What may
have been a 9 or 10-win year turned into 6-6 with an embarrassing
loss to ACC foe Clemson.
Spurrier is likely trying to keep from
embarrassing the men who performed as his assistant coaches on
defense this year. That's why he is waiting to bid them farewell. That is a noble, mature and professional move by the Head Ball Coach.
But here's the reason Kendall gave for
Spurrier not releasing coaches.
“I don’t expect news Sunday for a
very important reason,” Kendall wrote. “I don’t believe
Spurrier has decided for certain whether he will be South Carolina’s
head coach next season.”
Absurdity again.
Kendall also bashes the USC fan base
for expecting defensive coaches to be held responsible. He said: The fan base is
calling for the head of third-year defensive coordinator Lorenzo
Ward, whose group is going to finish the season either last or
next-to-last in the SEC in points and yards allowed.”
After Kendall wrote that, he lauds
Spurrier for alluding to problems on the Gamecock offense.
Not sure if Kendall is more
out-of-touch, or just in contempt of the Gamecock football program
and its fans. Regardless, his coverage is atrocious.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Should Gamecocks go after Ellis Johnson?
It was a stupid mistake for Ellis
Johnson to quit his job as de-facto defensive coordinator at South
Carolina in 2011.
As the head coach of Southern
Mississippi in 2012, Johnson was winless and he was immediately fired
at the end of the season.
Now, one year since taking Auburn to
the National Championship game, as DC, Johnson has been dumped by the
Tigers.
Johnson's firing comes when South
Carolina's DC Lorenzo Ward just posted an embarrassing performance,
with a five-game drop-off in win total from 2013 to 2014.
If SC Head Coach Steve Spurrier were to
hire Johnson, he could be spared to problem of firing Ward. Johnson
had a title of assistant head coach while at SC and Ward was – in
name only- the defensive coordinator. Johnson was the actual DC , but
Ward was actually placed in the DC position after Johnson left.
If Johnson comes back to the Gamecocks,
he could step back into the DC role, and Ward - who has a reputation for landing recruits - could be kept where he
was before Johnson left.
Spurrier could also let Johnson hire
his own D-line, linebacker and secondary coaches, after the current
holders of those jobs are let go.
The X-factor would be the relationship
between Spurrier and Johnson. Was it a clean break? Or does Spurrier
harbor some understandable animosity toward Johnson? Johnson bailed on
SC, and left the team in the position 2014 turned out to be when Ward
was put in a position over his head?
The fact is, Spurrier has to make some
move with his defensive coaching staff, or fans will turn on him in
droves. The 2014 performance of the D was hideous. But a lot of faith
could be restored if Johnson comes back. What will Spurrier do?
Nov. 29 - Football's BLUE MOON SATURDAY, as SEC falls to ACC
Can Clemson keep its assistants? SC had THE WORST defense in the nation, among big D-1 schools. Clemson had a good D for an ACC-level program. |
So rare is it for so many ACC wins over
the SEC in one day, Nov. 29, 2014, should be called Blue Moon
Saturday.
Losing to the ACC is about as low as an
SEC team can get. But it happened to Florida, Georgia and South
Carolina, Saturday.
The last time all three of those teams
lost to their ACC rivals was the year 2000.
The teams that lost need to put it in
perceptive, and realize it is just a very rare occurrence. Things
will look a lot better after the embarrassment wears off.
South Carolina can get back to its rightful place of beating Clemson – like it has for consecutive five years - by firing its defensive coaching staff, and bringing in some competent assistants.
South Carolina can get back to its rightful place of beating Clemson – like it has for consecutive five years - by firing its defensive coaching staff, and bringing in some competent assistants.
Clemson scored 35 points on the
Gamecocks. That put South Carolina's defense in a category with UNC
and Wake Forest, the worst of the ACC. The Gamecocks can never
compete in the SEC with that poor of a defense.
South Carolina has one of the WORST
defense in the country in 2014. It either gets fixed, or seasons like
2014 will be the norm at SC.
The Gamecocks' fortunes versus Clemson
will likely be enhanced by the fact that Clemson's million-dollar
assistant coaching staff is being broken up, with OC Chad Morris
leaving to take a job at SMU.
Tiger DC, Brent Venables could be gone,
too, but that is less likely. Much of his talent will be gone
with the departure of DL Vic Beasley.
Florida, which lost to Florida State
Saturday, has already addressed its problem, and the reason for
losing to the ACC. The Gators fired Head Coach Will Muschamp three weeks
ago. That's a sign the UF administration knows there is a problem,
and is moving to correct it. Hopefully Steve Spurrier will do the
same, in releasing his whole defensive staff.
The more complicated dilemma is for
Georgia. Bulldog Head Coach Mark Richt wins just enough to give his
faithful hope of bigger things, but then his teams lose inexplicable
games, like losing to Georgia Tech in Athens, Saturday.
There are no clear cut answers for
Georgia. The Bulldogs will be ravaged by the media if Richt is fired,
because its a lot easier for the media to champion losses like
Georgia's than it is for fans who put their heart and soul into
their team.
And what if Richt is fired, and his
successor is a total flop? If a new coach is hired, and cannot win
nine or ten games a year, and tease fans with championship hopes like
Richt, the program looks really bad for dumping him.
At any rate, the Blue Moon triggered a
lot of speculation about job security in the SEC. Losing to the ACC
looks bad, and the fans of those SEC programs have grown spoiled and
not used to accepting it.
Blue Moon Saturday will lead to a
Black Monday firing binge – of sorts - for many SEC coaches, even
if the terminations don't take place on Monday after the game.
Changes must, and will be, made.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Media lets Clemson's "We Want Spurrier" chant stay forgotten
The
Gamecock and Clemson football clash has produced The Catch, The
BRAWL, The Jad Dean Kick, The rout....but what about THE CHANT? In
Head Coach Steve Spurrier's first four years at South Carolina, he
posted a 1-3 record versus Clemson. So The Chant seemed to be paying
off, but since he has gone 5-0.
In
2004, during the much-revisited and harped-upon SC at CU, BRAWL game,
Clemson fans began a chant. They screamed: “We want Spurrier, We
want Spurrier, We want Spurrier.” So many embarrassing moments for
the Gamecocks are recounted by South Carolina's sports media,
especially The State newspaper. Should a Gamecock player
ill-advisedly run his mouth to guarantee a win or take an undignified
verbal shot at an opposing player, the local pundits pounce. And the
reaction is off-the-charts if Spurrier ever even hints at anything
that can be considered controversial.
But
that is not the case, or never has been, with Clemson's “We want
Spurrier” chant. I remember it vividly, but I have NEVER seen any local media outlet broadcast or publish -afterward - any reference to that
lusty orange-clad crowd begging to take on the Head Ball Coach. I
just believe, based on experience and reality, that if the roles were
reversed, “The Chant” would be a national story, relived until it
was subdued by the coach to which it was aimed.
Perhaps
it would be a good idea to solicit a response from the media. The
State is expert at ferreting out informants to tell them some inside
dirt on the program. Maybe there is a Gamecocks fan who was at the
2004 Brawl game who remembers the “We want Spurrier” chant. Maybe
the media could find a Clemson fans, and ask him if he still wants
Spurrier.
With
so much that get retread and re-said as reporters look for something
new to say about the Palmetto State classic, to track down the chant
story would be something fresh and very interesting to fans of the
game.
Monday, November 24, 2014
How many intangibles on the Gamecocks' side?
Will the Gamecocks flex their muscle at the right time again? |
South Carolina travels to play Clemson
this Saturday and which team do the intangibles favor?
The BIGGEST intangible Clemson Head
Coach Dabo Swinney has going against him is a 5-0 losing strak versus SC.
With each loss to South Carolina, the pressure builds on Swinney exponentially.
With each loss to South Carolina, the pressure builds on Swinney exponentially.
When you are sitting under a five-game
losing streak, every negative play is magnified, whereas you wonder
if anything good that happens is going to be enough.
Another intangible is the game time. It
is scheduled for noon at Clemson.
South Carolina has played at noon for
two weeks in a row, and won both games.
And normally the fact that the game is
at Clemson would be a major advantage for the Tigers, but South
Carolina has played well on the road. Two of the Gamecocks'
late-fourth quarter collapses on defense have been at home. All three have been at night.
And the team seems to play a little better on the road.
Clemson has not lost at home, but its tougher opponents have been on the road. And Clemson's last loss - at GT - was a midday start time.
And the team seems to play a little better on the road.
Clemson has not lost at home, but its tougher opponents have been on the road. And Clemson's last loss - at GT - was a midday start time.
Another intangible in SC's favor is QB
health. When Deshaun Watson was injured in an ugly Clemson loss at
Georgia Tech two weeks ago, a season of anticipation to play a
struggling Gamecock squad evaporated for the Tigers.
The Gamecocks, on the other hand, spent
that Saturday defeating Florida, on the road.
And not only did USC beat Florida, The
Gamecocks' once-putrid defense is actually getting some stops. It had
four INTs last Saturday in a 37-12 win over South Alabama.
If Clemson QB Cole Stoudt has to play,
as the Tiger's best option, how much will he by haunted by the
game-changing INTs he has thrown this year?
If Watson plays how effective can he
be, if he is still be affected by the severe injury he suffered at
GT?
The Gamecocks have no such injury
problems.
In that one day, what looked like a
sure loss to Clemson, turned. That specter of bad luck seemed to
envelope Clemson and the whispers of “Here-we-go-again” became
audible.
Despite all of the things that don’t
look good for Clemson, the odds-makers tell us the Tigers are 45.
points better than South Carolina. But I would not put a lot of stock
in that number.
Clemson may very well win the game, but
it's going to take a lot of luck and plowing through some intangibles
that as of late, seem to be on the Gamecocks' side.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Does Dabo benefit from uncertainty of Watson's health status?
Dabo has to be under tremendous pressure to beat South Carolina. What looked like a sure win could be fading into loss number six. |
The Columbia gossip website FITS News
ran a headline after the Clemson at Georgia Teach game Tiger QB Deshaun Watson lost for the season.
that declared
The Clemson insider website
“Shakin-The-Southland” on the Sunday after the GT loss, said
chances did not look good for Watson to return.
That same day, South Carolina, left for
dead, came back in miracle fashion and beat Florida on the road. The
Gamecocks' defense - in a turn - actually held when most needed.
In one glorious Southern Saturday
afternoon, the whole gridiron terrain in the Palmetto State tilted
from one of gloom for the Gamecocks, to one with a glimmer of
sunlight. Spirits for the Tigers, who had been licking their chops to
get at the broken-winged birds, flat-lined. Its newly christened QB
of the future was down, as SC got a major draft upward.
But then, out of the blue, Clemson Head
Coach Dabo Swinney said “Not so fast.” Swinney said Watson could
be back. The knee Watson injured at GT was not as bad as telegraphed
by the Clemson-centric media.
The most cynical would ask: Is
Swinney's prognosis for Watson merely self-serving, in an attempt to
hold on to the hope TigerNation had embraced as SC stumbled.
A couple of weeks ago, 2014 looked like
THE YEAR that Clemson would end its despised five-game losing streak
to its hated in-state rival.
How cruel to take that dream away on an
injury and a coinciding waking SC defense.
If Swinney can dangle the belief that
Watson will be playing Saturday, so much of the mountainous stress
will be lifted from the orange-clad, who are so fatigued with losing.
Now we're left with the latest (this
Sunday) words from Swinney. Is he preparing us for a Watson-less
Tiger squad when he praised the “confidence” of replacement QB
Cole Stoudt?
And was Swinney downplaying the
importance of the QB when he said
being able to run the football well Saturday versus Georgia State was
big.
Swinney
also said Watson will be in a green jersey tomorrow (Monday Nov. 24)
at practice and they “will see what he can do.”
Is
Swinney just dangling the prospect to keep the optimism level high?
Keeping
the option open on Watson also keeps the Gamecocks in the dark in
game planning.
With
there being strategic and morale advantages to leaving news on Watson
concealed, with the pressure Swinney is under, why would he not use
it to try to forge an edge?
South Alabama a perfect win as Gamecocks prep for Clemson
South Carolina defeated South Alabama
37-to-12 Saturday.
It was not an overly impressive win but, The State newspaper claimed: “South
Carolina didn’t put the
game away until the fourth quarter.”
That's total rubbish. The game was never in doubt.
SC's defense had a good game versus South Alabama. |
And while it was a sloppy performance,
the easy win for the Gamecocks was a boost in perpetration to play
Clemson.
In one regard, the Jags two
quarterbacks were replicas of the two QBs who could play for Clemson.
The Gamecocks saw a passing quarterback
in SA's Hunter Vaughn. The Gamecocks much-insulted defense
intercepted Vaughn four times. Clemson has a passing QB in Cole
Stoudt, and Vaughn and Stoudt are similar in their style of play. To
play Stoudt helps the Gamecocks.
The Jags also played QB Bandon Bridge,
who is less of a thrower, and more mobile. The Gamecock's D, the most
suspect part of the team all year, defended Bridge well. His style of
play is what the Gamecocks' could see if Clemson QB Deshaun Watson,
who was injured last week versus Georgia Tech, can play.
The USC defense also held South Alabama
out of the endzone time and time again, even after the Gamecock's
offense turned the ball over.
The Gamecocks got some much-needed live
action to help them get ready for the Tigers.
Also, it was a good day for USC to have
its five turnovers. To get those out of your system when it does not
hurt you, is a positive. Chances are, the Gamecocks were looking
ahead to Clemson, and did not have their head in the game versus
South Alabama. That was likely the cause for so much careless play.
That will not be the case versus Clemson.
Another thing USC did that will help
next Saturday at Death Valley is running a wildcat offense. Not only
did Pharaoh Cooper run the wildcat, so did RB Brandon Wilds. And RB
David Williams ran the wildcat, too. That has to have the Tigers
thinking about all the possibilities it will have to defend. The same
with SC QB Dylan Thompson catching a TD pass from Cooper.
While the Gamecocks were not so sharp,
the team mixed it up to where your head was spinning after watching.
It was a good game and a no-stress win.
It was exactly what the Gamecocks needed before trying to get the
sixth straight win over the Tigers.
State newspaper blames BRAWL on Gamecocks, witness says it was Clemson DE
It's a bizarre stretch, but David
Cloninger, of The State newspaper, goes to weird lengths, in Sunday's
Tiger fans don't take losing to USC very well. But Head Coach Steve Spurrier has made beating Clemson a routine. |
Cloninger says Gamecock players: “watched
SportsCenter, seeing a fight in an NBA game in Detroit the night
before.
Cloninger says: “the Gamecocks watched clip after clip of Pistons
and Pacers players decking fans and each other.” and then
Cloninger says Gamecock players: “talked about (the fight) at
breakfast and on the bus to the game.”
As if this NBA fight had ANYTHING to do
with what happened on the field at Clemson.
Cloninger also implicates the Gamecocks
when he says: “All the Gamecocks were thinking how a promising
season had suddenly turned sour.”
As if the gamecocks' disappointment
would make them fight.
Eventually Cloninger, using witness
testimony, said Gamecock lineman Jabari Levey said he saw Tigers
defensive end Bobby Williamson tackle SC QB Syvelle Newton.
Levey
said “I saw Syvelle on the field and the guy aimed a kick to the
helmet. He kicked him in the face,” Levey said. “I was like, ‘Oh
my God,’ and I pushed him, said, ‘Hey man, back up, what you
doing?’
And anyone watching that game a decade
ago can also remember Williamson punching Newton in the face as
Newton was under the pile, pinned to the ground and defenseless.
William's assault of Newton was the
reason the brawl started. It was only shown once at the end of the
broadcast. After that the speculation has been that both did it, but
USC seems to be made more culpable by the media, especially The
State. The State's has a hate-hate relationship with Lou Holtz, and
The State has always used the brawl to try to damage the stature of
Holtz.
The State also insinuated that the
announcement by Holtz of his retirement in 2004, made USC players
more apt to brawl. There was NO speculation as to why Clemson would
want to fight.
USC was wrong, no question, to
participate. But it is absurd to think an NBA fight or a season
turned sour is why the brawl occurred. It was ignited by Bobby
Williamson of Clemson who punched Syvelle Newton in the face when the
kid was confined and could not defend himself. It was a low act, and
should be reviewed and placed in a clip, because of its significance
in the brawl.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Atheists on mission to out-Christian Christians
If competition breeds
improvement, the Atheists are trying a
new
approach.
The State newspaper is promoting an
anti-Christian group.
The State says a: “newly organized
outreach arm of the Freethought Society of the Midlands is collecting
food, kitchen supplies, women’s clothing, gift cards and money this
Thanksgiving season to help three organizations.”
And The State says: “Midlands
Agnostics, Atheists & Secular Humanists, or M.A.A.S.H. will
collect donations for Food Not Bombs, Harvest Hope Food Bank and
Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands through the end of the month,
said Matthew Facciani, one of the group’s organizers.”
I guess attacking Christians with
hate-speech and bigotry – as so many Atheists do - was not working out for the
Atheists.
Facciani, also said: “I think (giving) is
a kind of secondary goal, to share that non-religion have morals and
want to help out as much as religious people do.”
Thinking that collecting a few canned
goods is going to prove your morality, may show that there is a it of a dis-connect with reality here.
Atheists, or non-Christians, in the
Soviet Union, China and NAZI Germany accounted for millions of
deaths. Part of the reason the murderers felt justified, was their
lack of faith in God.
And Hitler – an occultist - was humanitarian to
his own kind. And that was the intent of Stalin and Mao. Just like many modern-day liberals. They embrace the
people who think as they think, but vilify any thought not in line
with theirs. Their goal is to eliminate opposition to their ideology, just as they are trying to banish God. Any "help" plan can become dangerous, especially when The Divine is not a part of
the equation.
Anyway, The State says “The items may
be dropped off at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of
Columbia.”
Friday, November 21, 2014
Turn Obama into Barney Fife to enforce his made-up immigration law
Turn Barack Obama into Barney Fife |
Republicans, and those in elected
office or law enforcement, who
oppose Barack Obama's
legally weak executive order, have recourse.
But it could be piece-meal and
complicated. If there is a cohesive effort, Obama's hand could be
forced so that he looks like the foolish and absurd imperialist he is.
Law enforcement officers can ignore Obama's capricious edict to try to make the illegal, legal. They can make Obama sue them.
Local sheriff's can act as if Obama's
order never happened, enforce the actual law, and dare Obama to come after them with his
“Justice” Department.
It will be like the time Andy (of the
Andy Griffith Show) left Barney* in charge, and Barney put all of
Mayberry in jail.
Obama cannot arrest every sheriff in America. If he
tried, if his hand was forced to do something absurd like that, the
people may see what a fool he is. The GOP needs to FORCE Obama's
hand.
As for impeachment, Clinton killed any
chance for that. You would never get a single Democrat to convict –
Clinton showed - so why bother?
Democrats have shown us they put greed
and political ambition above the law, the Constitution and their
country.
But if Obama's laws are ignored, he
will be put on the offensive, and he looks bad no matter how it plays
out. *NOTE: This site apologizes to the family of the late Don Knotts, and all of those with warm memories of Barney Fife. Comparing Obama to Barney is simply used as an analogy to show the absurdity and ridiculousness of the president. No insult is intended to Barney or Mr. Knotts.
Obama's non-Americans live the dream, while our children suffer
Obama demands his definition of
compassion from people he is damaging, daily
As President Barack Obama told us he
will, single-handedly attempt to legalize millions of illegals, he
used hard luck stories.
He told of people who illegally slipped
into America, disavowing their own country, and made it big here in
our country.
His illegal aliens came here and got
degrees, jobs, honor and stature. It is similar to his own rise. He
has constantly attacked America, and our institutions, yet we have
elevated him to the highest post in the land.
But Obama's non-Americans are living
the dream, while our children suffer.
We don't have jobs, the price of
necessities, like food, energy and medical care have risen
exponentially since he took our White House. Our salaries are down as
hours have been cut and opportunity has been wipe out in Obama's
miserable economy.
We don't go on vacations, we put off
buying shoes and we don't have the money to go out to dine.
Our money goes to high utility bills
and newly costly insurance premiums, that now cover little of our
doctor bills.
It is in insult to see an elitist, out
of touch politician like Obama stand before us and tell us we must
take care of immigrants, who left their country, came to ours, and
made it big.
And competent and responsible parents
have the first responsibility to their own children.
It is reprehensible when a U.S.
President takes the food from the mouths of your child to give to one
who sneaks into America from their county to take what you need for
your family.
This man is arrogant, hateful and
insensitive to Americans. All the while he demands you pay to enhance
his image as the redistribution king of our republic. Thursday, November 20, 2014
Bad people control the country, we cannot let them prevail!
There is no border control. Our enemies feel they are welcome to come in and plot the killing of our people. |
If you love your country and its
institutions, you must be a little demoralized.
Since late 2008, things have been going
downhill in America.
The unemployment rate is exceedingly
high, but the media and the Administration of President Barack Obama
are lying about it. Healthcare costs have skyrocketed, and insurance,
that costs more, seems to be worthless since Obamacare kicked in.
On top of that, Obama is going to
welcome at least five million illegal immigrants, and then millions
more can attach to them to suck the blood out the U.S. Treasury, that
is already $17 trillion in debt.
Chaos in the streets. The country is in a mess. |
In Ferguson Missouri, justice does not
fit with the myths of leftwing racial politics, so the National Guard
is being called out to softly keep rioters from killing people and
destroying property. But if they gave the hateful bands of looters
what they deserved, there would be more turmoil. So they will not.
Christians are being bludgeoned and the
moral are attacked routinely, simply for favoring light over the
darkness of the degenerate.
In Columbia, two men, ages 20 and 17,
were convicted this week of killing, in 2013, the single mother of
four children. Neither will get the death penalty. That is tantamount
to getting away with it, and it just serves to encourage more murder.
Homosexuals, through activist liberal
judges, have redefined – and cheapened - the institution of
marriage against the will of the people. The bitter, hateful and
aggressive aftermath, of rubbing their enemies' face in their
“victory' is indication of the caliber of people the gay lobby and
their supporters are.
Is there good news? The Republicans
trounced the very unpopular and liberal Democrats in the Nov. 4
election. But in the two weeks after, the GOP seems a bit timid
toward challenging Obama, who the people are solidly rejecting.
The media is ignoring the Republicans'
win, and sadly, early on, it seems the Republicans are being
influenced by the media's tepid characterization of their win.
Americans want to see results. We have
been in a six-year depression. There is a “can't-do” attitude of
malaise bleeding from our federal government. We have national
leaders who see us at our worst, forgetting what a bright, shining
people we are when opportunities are opened.
Americans suffer well, but we also get
tired of it after a while. If you think the world is upside down, you
are not the only one. A majority are like you. But there are powerful
forces pushing you back. They want you to think all is lost. They
want you to quit fighting.
But Americans never quit fighting. This
Obama-Democrat nightmare is fleeting. It will not last. Do not let
them fool you. The failure of the left is not going unnoticed. The
elections prove that. And no matter what it takes, we will overcome
the cloud of melancholy hanging over us. Keep your eyes on the
prize. Push onward and upward. The damage of bad people can only last
so long. We will thwart them, and undo some the disaster of a very
ugly period in our Republic. We have to for the sake of our children.
So many have fought for us to have a future, we cannot give up on the
people depending on us to take back this ailing nation, and restore
it to its best.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Redefining marriage is a hollow and dangerous “victory”
The "victory" of the homosexual marriage lobby is as much a hatred toward traditions that made this country strong. |
If you look at Facebook, or Disqus'
comments over gay marriage, it's supporters are aggressively
taunting
the people who do not agree with them.
Liberals and Democrats are not
taking their “victory” with grace.
South Carolina, after a valiant fight
to defend the people finally fell victim - Tuesday - to a small gaggle of
political political special interests.
Activist judges in the Federal Fourth Circuit Court gave government endorsement to marriage to people who define themselves by their sexual practices.
So-called "legal" gay marriages can begin Wednesday.
So many of the hateful and offensive
comments, for those not in favor of redefining marriage, are from
bigots who hate Christians. Others claim that now they can love or
marry whoever they want. They had those options before there was an
assault on traditional marriage.
The thrill for the pro-gay lobby seems
to be spiking the football.
So many times the media bases
its success on getting a person fired or removed from office.
It seems the homosexual lobby's intent
was simply to tear down an institution that has served as a
foundation to make this country strong.
In the end, one winner was SC AG
Alan Wilson. He fought the redefining of marriage until the end. Gov.
Nikki Haley was also on the right side.
Both secured political backing by fighting for the will of almost 80 percent of South
Carolinians. That is how many did not want to see the definition of
marriage changed.
In the long run we'll have to do
whatever we can to soften the impact, and harm, redefining marriage
will have on us. And it still may end up at the US Supreme Court,
where it could be overturned.
Also: the homosexual population is only from two-to-three percent of the population. And a lot of practitioners in that lifestyle are not keen on monogamy. Therefore, after the novelty wears off, the actual influence of the law
change will be minimal.
But the impact it has on our culture,
when special interest can tear down an institution, is substantial.
Let the homosexual community, and their band of liberal Democrats celebrate. But like so many things of the
flesh, and not spiritual, the “victory” will be short-lived, while the damage caused is indelible.
If you want to call this a “win”
for anything, it is a win for the further weakening of our society.
But it is a hollow accomplishment indeed.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Is Foley's job on the line with Gators next hire?
Florida AD Jeremy Foley has gone 1 for 3 in his football coaching choices. |
Blame it on Steve Spurrier in a
complicated way, but could Jeremy Foley's next hire at Florida be
his last?
Foley got his job as Florida's athletic director in
1992. He did not hire Steve Spurrier, who moved the Gators from
mediocre to national powerhouse status.
Spurrier made Foley's job easy in the
90s by winning SEC Championships and eventually a National Title. But
Spurrier spoiled Florida football fans, who loved the high from his
success. Before Spurrier, never had Gator fans seen so many wins, and
such stature for the football program. When Foley was faced with the
task of replacing Spurrier, a Gator legend, he did not do so well.
Foley hired Ron Zook on the heels of Spurrier, who posted a 122-27
record.
There was a rumor that Foley instructed
Spurrier to send him a resume when Spurrier expressed a little
interest in coming back to Florida before Zook was hired. The word is
Spurrier told Foley to “Go look at your trophy case if
you want to see my resume.” Zook posted a 23-14 record was
unceremoniously fired after three seasons.
Foley's next football hire was better.
With Tim Tebow leading, Urban Meyer was able to win two an
unbelievable two National Titles, going 65-15. But the stress of a
head coaching job in the SEC was too much for Meyer, so he left for a
more comfortable assignment at Ohio State. While Meyer was a home run
hire for Foley, by any measure, replacing him with Will Muschamp was
another failure.
Muschamp was fired Sunday with a 27-20
record. It has to be stated that Foley has done well with Florida's
basketball team, hiring Billy Donovan, who has won two NCAA titles.
And, to round out the Big Three sports, Gator baseball is very well
respected.
But football in the SEC, and in the
South, is king. And Florida fans demand to sit on that throne their
share of the time. Because of Spurrier, they will not accept less.
That is why Foley has very little margin for error in his next hire.
He has gone one for three since spurrier left. Going one for four is
only a 25 percent record of success. Muschamp's winning percentage
was higher than that, and look what Foley did to him.
Could Brad Lawing become the Gamecocks' defensive line coach job?
There is a load of speculation
surrounding the destination of fired Florida Head Coach Will
Brad Lawing coaching Jadeveon Clowney at USC. |
Muschamp, a high-quality defensive
coordinator is sought-after and being mentioned as a defensive
coordinator for many programs, including South Carolina's. Current DC
Lorenzo Ward could be replaced because of the Gamecocks'
implosion on D this season.
But maybe the most disappointing
position on the Gamecocks' weak defense is the defensive line. From
game one of 2014 - a defensive debacle versus Texas A&M - Head
Coach Steve Spurrier mentioned coaching in reference to the D-line.
Lawing left South Carolina after the
2012 season. Deke Adams came from North Carolina and took over for
Lawing. Adams immediately showed signs of under-performing in the
handling of All-World talent Jadeveon Clowney. But there was so much
talent on the Gamecocks' D-line in 2013, Adams was able to get by.
In 2014, the D-line has looked soft,
poor tackling and unable to shed blocks. It's nowhere near the level
of play needed to win in the SEC.
Not sure if Lawing's personal issues
that he was experiencing in Columbia have passed. But if there is any
chance of getting Lawing back on the Gamecock sideline, hiring him is
a no-brainier.
Lawing has a a long history at South
Carolina and he would be a welcome addition to the Gamecock defensive
staff. Hopefully someone from USC has already been on the phone to
Lawing to see if he has any interest in coming back home. If so,
throw the bank at him.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Firing of Muschamp intended to embarrass him
Florida fired Head Football Coach
Will Muschamp Sunday, after the Gators surrendered a touchdown lead
with less than a
minute left in the game versus South Carolina Saturday.
USC won 23-20 in OT.
No one is surprised
that Muschamp was fired. The Gators have been struggling most of the year,
and Florida does not suffer losing very well, since Steve Spurrier
brought the program to National Championship prominence.
But to fire Muschamp
with games remaining is a way to embarrass him. It's a knee-jerk
reaction from an administration that could not control its anger.
And while firing
Muschamp may serve the revenge nature of Gator-Nation is is not the
kind of thing that will represent the program well as it looks to replace
Muschamp.
At South Carolina,
Head Coach Steve Spurrier has to have felt like firing his
defensive coaching staff after it has collapsed and lost at least
three football games.
But Spurrier has remained big about it, despite
the call from fans to terminate the root of the problem. Spurrier has
bitten his tongue. He has shown respect and restraint. That is the
big-boy thing to do. It is professional.
You have to believe
Spurrier will make defensive coaching changes at he end of the year.
Otherwise the program's season-ticket sales - and interest level - will take a major hit.
But by holding off,
and not reacting quickly and violently, as Florida has, Spurrier has
elevated the stature of himself and the USC program.
Florida has done
nothing but look small, and petty in kicking Muschamp like it did.
There will likely be repercussions as the Gators look for the next
hopeful to take Muschamp's place in their firing
squad. Who would want to work for such vindictive people?
Are SC's roads really bad, or is the media inventing a crisis?
South Carolina has one of the most cohesive interstate systems in the nation, thanks to taxpayers who bought it. |
So often politicians and the
media present a crisis, then force the people to address it.
Are the media and legislators trying to
make the state's roads a bigger problem than they are, to extract
money from taxpayers?
The State newspaper has an article in
its Sunday newspaper where it is wringing its hands over money to pay for
roads.
But in your experience, do you find the roads that bad?
But in your experience, do you find the roads that bad?
Raising gas taxes, a sales tax, and an
eventual property tax increase are funding mechanisms The State is
pushing to get more of your money to expand government.
As South Carolina attracts more
population, fleeing from liberal and failed rust belt states, traffic
is a problem.
But the common idea is that if you are bringing in more taxpayers, tax revenues should expand, to pay for the government systems needed to accommodate those new residents.
But the common idea is that if you are bringing in more taxpayers, tax revenues should expand, to pay for the government systems needed to accommodate those new residents.
We just had an election in which the
media tried to highlight ethics in politics as a crisis.
The media promoted ethics reform, along
with Democrats, because it is basically an admission that
Republicans, who are the majority statewide, are corrupt. But
evidently, the voters do not see it that way.
From pollution, climate change,
education and race, liberals are always trying to make their issues,
that are not really a crisis, seem that way. But they downplay the
true threats to us, like militant jihadists, over regulation and
violent criminals.
In places where there are dirt roads,
like Lexington County, the people on those roads certainly see roads
as a problem, and they should have a way, with their political
leaders, to look at fixing that problem. Just like all of the
congestion in the Town of Lexington is obviously a problem.
But a gargantuan tax on everybody is
not the answer. Reasonable solutions, that require thought and ingenuity, could solve the problems. Smart and efficient planning is why politicians are elected. They are not elected to bleed us dry, and collect large sums to fix an invented crisis.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Gamecock's season – Clemson chances - change in one Saturday afternoon
Of course three, late fourth-quarter
collapses meant that the Gamecocks' goals had to be lowered. It's
down to trying to win six games to get bowl qualified.
down to trying to win six games to get bowl qualified.
And down 17-10 with less than 30
seconds left against Florida Saturday, it looked bleak for the
Gamecocks. But after a miracle, South Carolina beat the Gators 23-20
in OT.
Maybe it's not what you expected, but
after one of the most unexpected wins ever for the Gamecocks, fans
can get excited again.
There is a SC game next week against
UAB. But the chances of beating Clemson at Clemson on the Saturday
after Thanksgiving did not seem doable for South Carolina.
The miracle in The Swamp changes
everything. Not only did the Gamecocks win one in the fashion it been
losing games, Clemson lost to Georgia Tech 28-6.
Clemson is eerily similar to Florida.
The Tiger's offense has struggled, while the defense has won games.
Saturday South Carolina was marginally
effective against Florida's D early, until QB Dylan Thompson went
into a funk. Thompson went 22-for-41, but he waltzed into the end
zone for the winning TD in overtime. That made up for all the
overthrown passes and incompletions.
This win changes everything. Bowl hopes
looked non-existent for the Gamecocks. But the win over Florida has
to be a tremendous confidence lift for the struggling Gamecocks.
Just as the loss for Clemson is not the
way you want to be heading into the lat two games.
If you're a Gamecock, hold your head up
high. The past does not matter. Today is a thing of beauty, and it's
what makes college football such a wonderful game, and worth all the
heartache.
Because of today, South Carolina can
look to the future with a smile. All is not lost.
We must push back against the myths and cultural dangers of gay marriage
The aggressive homosexual lobby pushed a hate campaign against Chik -fil-A, but the people, by large majorities, do not want to redefine marriage based on sexual habits. Almost 80% in S.C. oppose. |
Bert
Easter and Ed Madden were one of the first gay couples to fight to redefine marriage based on their bedroom habits in South
Carolina. A decade ago they applied for a Richland County
marriage license to make a statement, boasts The State newspaper, as
it exalts the homosexual move to force the redefinition of marriage
based on sexual habits.
But contrary to the
misinformation campaign of the homosexual movement, no one is
stopping gays from loving whoever they want – or in a secular
fashion – marrying that person.
But claiming your
bedroom habits as a civil right should never entitle a group of
leftwing political lobbyists to change the definition of marriage.
The definition of
marriage is a man and a woman becoming a family. The government got
involved with a special designation for tax purposes. And families
are the most healthy way to strengthen our culture.
To expand that
designation to homosexuals is more of political grandstanding that
meeting any actual crisis or need.
According to a
recent study, less than three percent of the population is
homosexual.
And if you talk to
any gay man, who is being honest, he does not practice that lifestyle
because he wants to settle down and start a family. It is the
availability of many like-minded partners, and frequent encounters
that draws many homosexual men to their sexual identity.
Aside from that,
according to a study reported by Dr. Laura Schlessinger on her
nationally syndicated radio show, 70 percent of homosexual men said
they were sexually molested by an adult male before age 10. Strangely
these victims of abuse did not consider their molestation a violation
or a crime.
While the truth
about the gay lifestyle and their sexual histories are ignored by the
media, is is very pertinent information as we face an increasing
assault from homosexual activists who now have Democrat-activist
judges ignoring some ugly facts about the homosexual community.
Your acceptance of
having sex with one of the same sex is not what entitles you to civil
rights. Being an American has that covered. And government-recognized
marriage is not a civil right.
We as a nation, if
we turn our heads to this onslaught from the gay community, are not
doing a good job of protecting children, who could end up in the
household of adults much more likely to use them as sexual objects.
While it is
extremely politically incorrect to point out these facts, we are
obligated to.
No matter how loudly
the gay supporters yell in hatred against us, we must push back.
Even as Homosexual
marriages are taking place, we must NEVER quit the fight against it.
We need to have the
courage to acknowledge the reason why gay marriage is not good.
Expanding a gay
culture is dangerous to our civilization as we already have abortion
eliminating our progeny.
Homosexuals cannot
not naturally reproduce. They will have to incorporate someone else's
child to play house. That will not be healthy or good for our
society, as there are already too many broken homes. There is no good
reason to equate homosexuality with male-female married
couples.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Did Ellis Johnson cost Gamecocks its championship titles?
What if Ellis Johnson stayed at Carolina? Lorenzo Ward was able to slip by for a couple years with talent developed by Johnson and Co. |
When Ellis Johnson was hired as South
Carolina's defensive coordinator in 2008, it was with the unspoken
understanding he was coming back home to finish his career.
When hired in 2008, “It's obviously a
great situation for me,” Johnson said. “I was raised (in South
Carolina) as a young person, and I was raised as a football coach in
the high schools, colleges and universities. I've always had getting
back to the state on the major college level in my sights.”
Under Johnson, the Gamecocks' defense
got progressively better. It was to the point, USC was able to land
the top defensive prospect in the nation. Signing Jadeveon Clowney
from Rock Hill was monumental, because the Gamecocks were used to
being snubbed by the best. There were other defensive recruits that
Johnson and his staff pulled in too. Johnson's staff took that talent
it recruited and got the most from it. And that was a departure from
the many busts that had come to Columbia to underwhelm in the past.
By the 2011 , SC was winning on
defense. The team held eight of its last 10 opponents to 16 points or
less. And after QB Conner Shaw replaced Stephen Garcia, the Gamecocks
lost only to No. 8 Arkansas.
But just about the time Johnson was
hitting his stride, when he had the Gamecock cupboard full and
well-developed, he announced he was taking a head coaching ob at
Southern Mississippi.
At the time, only the most-oblivious
Gamecock fan could be happy with that news. But how do you deny a man
the chance to chase his dream?
Sadly, Johnson's dream led to a
nightmare, not only for him, but for USC's football program.
Johnson went 0-12 at USM and was
immediately fired, after one year.
And while Johnson was tanking with the
Golden Eagles, his replacement, Lorenzo Ward, was soaring with
Johnson's players and the residue of Johnson's staff's still at South
Carolina.
For the first six games of 2012, only
one team (at Kentucky with 17) scored more than 10 points on the
Gamecocks. But then the flaws began to manifest.
The Gamecocks gave up 23 points in a
critical loss at LSU. Then the /Gamecocks fell apart, surrendering 44
points at Florida.
The next week, if not for a
game-winning, rag-dolling-fumble of Tennessee's QB by Clowney, SC
would have lost to the Vols.
That was the day South Carolina was
defenseless to stop Tennessee’s offense. The Gamecocks gave up 35
points to Tennessee, a team that only scored three points on them the
year before in Knoxville. The Tennessee game was a hint of the
Lorenzo Ward trademark incompetency.
As 2012 played out, SC beat a
struggling Arkansas team, and finished out the year with wins over
non-SEC competition.
But in the Outback Bowl, even after
Clonwey's famous “The Hit” Ward's D let Michigan march down the
field on take the lead late in the fourth quarter (sound familiar.)
If not for a miraculous drive by Shaw, with a courageous TD pass from
Dylan Thompson, SC would have been beaten by a five-loss, middling
Big 10 opponent. The Gamecocks finished the 2012 season at 11-2.
The question is: Would the Gamecocks
have beaten LSU with Johnson as defensive coordinator? The answer is
probably “Yes.” And the hangover at Florida the next week would
not have happened and eliminated all chances for Gamecock titles that
year.
By 2013, most of Johnson's influence
had seeped from the defensive unit and Defensive Line Coach Brad
Lawing, one of the best in the country, left too. Deke Adams, from
UNC, was hired by Ward to replace Lawing.
With coaching ability gone, a lot of
the player talent was still there, even if was not being developed
very well. Kelcy Quarels, Victor Hampton and Clowney were as good as
defensive players get in the SEC.
In the home opener, Clowney was heavily
criticized for seeming to be tired and out of condition, when it was
actually a case of being mis-positioned, to where he was over-running
plays, on a tortuously hot night in Columbia.
In the first five games of 2013, the
Gamecocks gave up 25-to-41 points and lost at Georgia, 41-30. The
Gamecocks had given up only seven points to Georgia a year earlier.
The defense recovered in the second
half of the 2013 season, over mostly marginal competition, but a loss
at Tennessee, when the defense could not get a stop, was devastating.
Ward's defense let the hapless Vols move down the field and score
with less than a minute left. That major upset of the Gamecocks
knocked the team out of a shot in the SEC-Championship Game, and the
National Championship, if it would have won in Atlanta.
Now, there is no question that South
Carolina's weakest link is the defense, and a staff that is lost,
that probably should not be employed by a respected SEC program.
In hindsight, Gamecock fans are left to
wonder what would have happened if Ellis Johnson would have meant it
when he said he was coming back home to stay? You can only imagine.
Chances are, Spurrier would have
reached that goal of championships and making history at USC.
As it is, Spurrier is faced with
uncertainty, and more rebuilding after a bad hire has allowed what
took so long to form, has been torn down.
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