A Dear Syvelle Letter....

Dear Syvelle,

I hate to hear about your current situation, I was really pulling for ya in the Canadian football league. Sad to see you quit the team {Montreal Alouettes} and now Will Proctor has taken your spot on the team. Welcome back to SC to coach that kids camp. Not sure who you listen to for advice on your career but here are my thoughts:

1. Go back to Canada and get paid to play football and build a resume to come back and play WR in the NFL or stay their and continue to play football for money. Sounds good to me.

2. Go out and join the "rat race" known as the real world and then when you are 40 you will look back and say to yourself..."If only I had played in Canada, I would have been set and now and I wouldn't have to go to this crappy job."

3. You could while at home, work out and hope (pray) to get a chance to be brought into NFL camp where you will fight for the 5th QB position and later moved to the practice squad if you are lucky where you will no doubt play WR and then eventually get cut and then you are faced with option 2 anyway.

I know you are leaning on going with option 3. Syvelle, trust me a WR in Canada beats the crap out of working at Sears. So go back up there and be a great WR - suck it up and do your best. We know you can be great so prove to everyone else and quit crying. Sorry for the dose of reality, but someone needs to tell you!

Best Wishes! Any thoughts on Syvelle and his situation?

Iphone -- part cell phone part brain...

So, the Apple iPhone comes out at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 29, and the tech blogs are atwitter with info about the all-in-one super gizmo. Some blogs suggest that the hype might be more than the outcome, thanks to the iPhone's $499 and $599 price tag. (Kind of reminds me of the hype vs. performance of the PlayStation 3 this past Christmas).

No doubt, the iPhone sounds sweet. It's a cell phone, iPod, Web browser and crackberry rolled into one. So, if you're willing to drop $500 or $600 on an apparatus that does everything but cook you breakfast, you'll be interested in the latest iPhone news. AT&T, the only company that will give the iPhone any phone service, released what the monthly rates will be.

So, $500 phone. $36 activiation fee. $60 to $100 per month cell phone bill.

What do you think? Is the iPhone worth it? Anyone going to be buying one?

_ _ _ _

UPDATE - iPhone sales said to hit half-million.....click here. Rishi bought one, did anyone else?

Gamecocks Finish 32nd In Final Directors' Cup Standings

South Carolina finished 32nd in the final 2006-07 U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup Standings with 602.75 points, it was announced this week by USC.

The Gamecocks finished ahead of Southeastern Conference rivals Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State in addition to finishing ahead of non-conference rivals Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami (Fla.).

South Carolina's 32nd-place finish marked a solid improvement from the Gamecocks' 43rd-place finish in 2005-06 and is the highest mark since the Gamecocks finished 18th in 2002-03. Additionally, it marked the eighth time in the last nine years that South Carolina has finished ahead of in-state rival Clemson in terms of overall success throughout the athletic department.

For Full Article on USCsports.com - click here.

Can Tre make it

Well Tre will probably not be drafted tonight but here is his video on the Miami Heat website showing the NBA world what he has.

Coaching news

Chad Holbrook the assistant coach from UNC is visiting with Ray Tanner today. So little did you know is that his wife if from Columbia and loves the area. He would be a great addition to our baseball team as he is known in the baseball world as a great recruiter. I am not sure of his contract obligations to UNC, but I hope he decides to come to Carolina.

World's Largest ?

A lot of funny post about the worlds largest things in South Carolina. Here is what I found

Golf Ball, Fripp Island
Peach, Gaffney
Milk Carton, Myrtle Beach
Egg, Newberry

don't forget to vote

If anybody cares, time is running out to vote for your MLB all star team. The game will be San Francisco this year on July 10th.

Worlds largest .......

Well I will be on vacation next week visiting the great state of Arkansas again. As Kat and I make our annual voyage to visit the worlds largest Mr. Peanut in Fort Smith, Arkansas. My goal is to visit every site that has a world’s largest statue in the US. Arkansas is the home of these

Spinach Can, Alma

King Kong, Beaver Dinosaur Park, Beaver - their website: Dinosaur World

Razorback, Berryville Riverboat (resteraunt),Des Arc

Mr. Peanut, Ft. Smith

Watermelon, Hope (Gone...) - Postcard

Sundial, Little Rock

Charcoal Grill, Magnolia

Raven, Ravenden

Orange, Mammoth, Redfield

South Carolina is the home to a couple sites, can you figure out what they are and where they are. I will give you the first one, Peach in Gaffney.

Ron Morris eat your heart out

Finally a good heart felt story about a gamecock player. If we had more stories like this we might not be the Thug U that everybody thinks we are. It might be hard to believe but there are some non-thug players on the football team. Here is a story about Brian Maddox an incoming freshman RB.

One Eyed Gator

It seems that either Happy Gilmore didnt kill Chubs true attacker or the anwry gator had a brother from another mother. This just goes to show be careful where you put your balls.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286756,00.html

USC NEWS - Some Reading for Work Today

Baseball Team Finished Season in Top 10

-For complete poll from ESPN - click here

A look at the SEC Basketball heading into next season

-Click HERE to access the article from ESPN

South Carolina reports list of secondary NCAA violations

-Click HERE for article on ESPN and yes we know it is old news

alabama has to be stupid

I don't know if anybody else saw this article about the new rules for the up coming football season but I find them to be a little ridicules. I kind of understand the drinking policy but all jersey's have to be made by nike, and shoes at all times. Do the shoes have to be made by nike as well.

crazy stuff



Game Day Changes Jar Some Tide Fans
By Clint Hamiltonclint@piedmontgazette.com

TUSCALOOSA - Be prepared for some changes Crimson Tide fans, and not just with the coach walking the sidelines.This week, the Alabama Athletic Department will begin mailing season ticket holders and running ads in newspapers across the state, the new game day policy which covers everything from tailgating rules to the attire you can and can't wear inside the stadium.Gone are the days of fans sitting outside the stadium getting inebriated and coming into the stadium causing trouble. According to University officials, State Troopers will be stationed at random gate entrances and if they, or the gate workers, suspect you of drinking, you will be asked to take a breathalyzer test.If you blow more than a 0.08%, you will be asked to leave the stadium, and if you are a season ticket holder, your tickets will be revoked and you will not be able to renew them."We sat down and looked at most of the problems we have inside the stadium on game days, and 80% of them are alcohol related. We understand that some people are going to drink a little, but we are not going to tolerate drunkenness inside our stadium any longer" said one University official.Eddie Kines, a Piedmont resident and family member of Joe Kines, has been coming to Alabama football games for 40 years. Over the last 15 years, he has been a strong advocate for these changes. "I remember when Coach Bryant was here; our fans didn't act this way. We came to the games, sure, we might drink one or two cold ones before hand, but we didn't get drunk, and we certainly didn't cause problems in the stadium. We just liked to come in, watch some good football and contribute to the atmosphere. That is Alabama football.“Our football team played with class and our fans cheered with class. Once he left, it was like he took our class with him - we stopped acting like champions, and I think that has hurt the football team, too.“I took my grandson to the LSU game a couple of years ago and I was truly embarrassed. It was like I had taken him to a race at Talladega rather than a Crimson Tide football game".Among the many changes, the one that may cause the most problems is Alabama's new policy pertaining to what you cannot wear into the stadium."It's not a 'dress code', per se. We will just not allow a few certain articles of clothing into the stadium. We have had numerous complaints about obscenity in the stadium, and most of the time, it's directly related to what some fans are wearing" said one University official. Some articles of clothing that will no longer be allowed into the stadium:

• Tank tops or shirts with the sleeves cut out

• Halter tops and cut-off t-shirts

• Cut-off blue jean shorts

• Jerseys worn into the stadium must be Nike

• Attire with vulgarity or obscene photographs

• Shoes must be worn at all times


"We are not asking for much. We just want Crimson Tide football games to be family oriented, and at this time, we don't think that is the case" said one University official.While these changes may come as a shock to some Crimson Tide fans, Kines says they are a long time coming."This has been a long battle, but if I can finally take my grandson to a game and he can see what Alabama football is really about, it was all worth it."Clint Hamilton covers the University of Alabama for the Piedmont Gazette

Tigers afraid of Panthers and other Notes

It appears Clemson is afraid of the Pitt Panthers. Clemson had been scheduled to play a home and home with Pitt in 2010 and 2011. The Tigers have begged their way out of it. Apparently, Pitt was reluctant at first until they realized how easy Clemson would be to replace. Other than the annual tradition of the South Carolina game, Clemson's schedule now has North Texas, Ball State, and Troy for 2010-11.

NCAA Football 2008

I don't know whether EA Sports is putting out a large group of alternate covers or if fans are doing them. Either way here is Corey Boyd:




CORRECTION

Clemson apparently unafraid of other Tigers. Clemson has replaced the Pitt Panthers with the Auburn Tigers.

Toman off to Liberty

The USC Baseball team loses its' top assistant coach to Liberty University. I blame Mr. Barber who is the AD there for this but it was only a matter of time. Jim Toman is a great coach and will do well but it sucks he left when we really need him next year. We already reported all of the players going pro but this leaves the Gamecocks without their top recruiter and third-base coach.

Toman 45, had served under coach Ray Tanner since 1989. They first teamed up at N.C. State, then came together to South Carolina before the 1996 season. Toman has helped USC earn the top-rated recruiting class three of the past four years. He also coached USC’s catchers, six of whom signed with major league organizations.

We wish him well....what do you guys think? Good move for him? Who will replace him?

USC recruit gets stabbed over the weekend

Why is it hard for our players to stay away from trouble? Seems one of our top recruits got in a 'tussle' over the weekend.

"A South Carolina recruit was stabbed early Sunday morning after he got into an argument at an apartment complex in suburban Columbia, Richland County deputies said.
Quentin Richardson, 18, was at a party when he got involved in an argument and was stabbed, sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said."

Read more here or here.