Our Tigers finished up the initial portion of Spring drills last Wednesday. The team takes ten days off for Spring Break. We need more of this piss and vinegar (and bitchslap) on the team:
However, here is some footage of Wednesday's session courtesy www.clemsontigers.com.
As we always discuss around here, don't take too much from anything you hear out of the football program in March/April as these are simply teaching sessions not game preps. I will say, though, that my concern up front has not and will not be quelled until September. I am concerned with the performance and reviews of Shatley. I am not upset that he moved positions and is making an impact on the offensive line but am concerned that (A) the staff had him in the wrong position for quite some time and (B) the guys he is competing with are quickly getting passed by a guy who has not played on the offensive side of the ball at Clemson. The last point is most discouraging as I expected Shatley would need all of the Spring to work on technique and possibly press in the fall because the other guys were better/had further progressed.
For those who purchase your duckets through Clemson, the University released its ticket pricing earlier in the week. A season book retails at $320 ($11 more than last year) and individual game sales are as follows: $35 for Ball State and Furman, $50 for Maryland and the Textile Bowl, $55 for GTech, $65 for VTech, and $75 for the Gamecocks. I sure as hell hope Clemson shows up against USC because 75 bucks is way too much to watch this team get manhandled by the school out of Columbia for another game.
Along the same lines, the University also released its designation for each game. The ones that stick out to me are Hall of Fame Day against GaTech, Military App. Day with VaTech, and Homecoming vs. Maryland. They really should have lobbied to get Va Tech and Military appreciation day later in the year to assure Coach Dabo can rock the sweatshirt/fatigue pants combo. Since the game is on Oct. 20, there is a potential for warm weather which means the Sweatshirt may have to kick it in a camo/T-shirt look. A night game would solve all these concerns but we haven't hosted many night games lately.
Here is the official Clemson University release (courtesy www.clemsontigers.com):
I still don't know how to get in touch with Swofford. You would think that little weasel would man up and tell everyone why his university gets preferential treatment and why he wasn't raising all kinds of hell for the other ACC institutions to slap additional repercussions on a school whose actions were simply out of control. That jackleg had the nerve to call together all member institutions sans Clemson and seek an anonymous vote to kick Clemson square in the balls following the NCAA's decision back in the early ‘80's. I want the same for North Carolina. I want the ACC to name them a rogue university and their football transgressions an embarrassment to the conference. I then want Swofford to crucify his Tarheels in the same fashion he screwed our Tigers. Kick them while they are down just like you kicked Clemson or man up and tell us why it was alright to throw Clemson under the bus and not do the same for the Tarheels. Nothing like the bullshit that is "ACC Fairness to all Member Institutions."
Along the same lines of ACC member institutions who are clearly better than their peers, wasn't it great watching Duke get beaten by Lehigh. Yes, I know our team didn't even make the tournament but seeing the Rat lose a first round game as a two seed is pretty gratifying. You get this type of in-conference hate when the powers that be clearly tell you that since your school isn't located on Tobacco Road, you are a piece of crap...well, that and I don't think anyone who isn't a Duke fan can actually stand those rascals.