Tuesday 20 July 2010

Dabo Does It Again: Kyle Parker is Staying

Last year the addition of CJ Spiller added at least 2-3 wins for us and put us in the ACC Champs game. This year I think Kyle Parker does the same. We go from a mid tier ACC team to challenging for the BCS birth. I'm really excited about this so I am in trouble of going overboard here but I think the QB is the most important single player on the field offensively. Tajh will be good but would have struggled early and we were one hit away from Wade being our starter. Not that encouraging.

KP has been there and has already played very well. Spiller coming back was huge but we had RB depth and some young guys step up. I really think we can win 10 games this season and take the ACC champs. If we can get some of these WR's to step up and we don't have any injuries along the offensive line then we are solid offensively. Put that together with a stout defense and you have a recipe for championships. Granted we need Kyle to learn to put a bit more touch on some balls and go deeper in his progressions and reads but as a freshman qb he was an asset and not many freshman qb's can say that.

I tip my hat to Dabo. This was, of course, the decision of the Parker family (I think they handled it brilliantly by the way) but something tells me that Dabo was in somebodies ear and lobbying hard for the Tigers. He is certainly a great recruiter. I'm finally excited about this season. Spot the ball!!

Friday 9 July 2010

Martavis Bryant

I have got to say that I really don't understand this ruling by the NCAA and I think that kids in this situation need someone to stand up for them. Obviously I am not that person but I wish someone in the Clemson media or family had more clout to change this situation.

So Bryant wasn't going to qualify but he hunkered down and studied and got all the grades and scores he needed to just barely cross the finish line and qualify. But as this article points out he ends up a half credit short because they can't find the grades for an online math class he took during summer school. Its not TL Hanna's fault because Bryant came from the failed school Calhoun Falls and apparently the records of that class were destroyed by mistake.

First off that is extremely negligent, almost criminally. I was once a high school teacher and I know that the teacher and school are required to keep records for a certain amount of years--usually 5-10 before they can be destroyed. What I want to know is who was the teacher of the class. Even if it was an online class someone is assigned to oversee the section. Why can't the teacher vouch for the completion?? He must have a report card somewhere saying that he took the class and the grade received, right?

This is another example of how little priority South Carolina gives to educating its students. Clemson is getting even less from the state in financial support this year and the entire education system is a joke. From a football perspective a strong public school system is in Clemson's best interest so that more recruits are eligible (especially with our stupid 'standards'--who wouldn't want Dwight Jones to beef up our receivers this year).

In the end he is going to Hargrave and will hopefully be fine but he put in the effort so I don't think a school's (and a state's) negligence should keep him out of Clemson. It also would have been nice to know this before the summer so he could have taken the online class then. I guess this was hard to foresee but it could have been flagged and ultimately remedied. See you midseason Martavis!
A blog about all Clemson Tiger University sports--football, basketball, baseball, along with the occasional South Carolina coot bashing.