It's About that Time--Sunday Thoughts

Wow, that is all I can ever say around this time of year. I will give the disclaimer that I am on the road on Friday, so if something big happens between now and Sunday...oh well. We are on the cusp of turning rumor into reality, questions into, well, still questions but with a bit of evidence of the direction we'll take this fall. YES, that is correct, football season will officially be upon us (and, yes, I do recognize that here at STS, it is always football season). This is freaking America and, here in the Southeast, that means talking nothing but football at the watercooler, at church, at cookouts, at the lake, at the golf course...it is freaking football season, so let's embrace it!

Now that we've been through that little tirade, Clemson has officially kicked off their fall practice sessions in what is the most anticipated season in many years. Like the last two highly anticipated seasons (2003 and 2008), we open with a big opponent and, like 2003, we host Gawga on opening day. I hope that is where the similarities stop and the rubber hits the road. Last season Clemson was able to shake the Atlanta curse and we are all hoping that our Tigers can get it going early. Per usual, we have three big games (UGa, FSU, and Scar). The FSU game will decide the Atlantic Division crown. Win that one and both SEC games and we will be looking pretty going into the postseason.

One thing we focused on here over the off-season was Clemson's ability last season to avoid the letdown loss. That was impressive and very positive. Nothing is more disappointing than watching your team come out flat and lay an egg to a clearly inferior opponent. The season is long and it is very, very difficult for a team to roll out each and every week--no matter the location/opponent--and play crisp football. Teams that are able to overcome an off day to pull out wins are special...it is easy to get fired up about a home night game against a top-10 team...not so much when you are playing the Salem Deacons in front of a small crowd or in some crackerjack dome up in New York. Fortunately, we don't play up in Salem this season but our players may have to dodge batteries and a lot of foul language up in College Park. In the comments section be sure to let us know the home and away games you are most and least looking forward to and why...that should get a good dialogue going.

Now that we can almost smell the college football season, one has to wonder what the Mitchuation / T-Rex / the infamous Woo Forever / the rest of the Big Time Big Dogs are up to to close out the summer. I am sure it is out of control...and we need to renegotiate getting BTBD gear out on the web.

The final golf major of the year is fast approaching. The pros will tee it up at the PGA Championship out at Oak Hill next weekend. T has already fired into the course, stating that the greens were spotty and slow. Further, he didn't see how they could possibly speed them up. Oak Hill has since responded, telling Woods to calm down. The course has had a rough summer. We all know bentgrass does not like the heat they've seen this year. I'd suspect they will be very quick next week and that the maintenance staff there is taking it easy this week but will severely stress those putting surfaces next week and give the best in the world hard and fast conditions.

The Neckcar boys are in Pocono this weekend. This is one of six remaining races until the Chase. I've complained enough about how the sanctioning body has screwed up the sport, so I'll defer there with my opinions on the new points system/the Chase. Jimmie Johnson is rolling again this year and is no stranger to winning Cup titles. Jr is sitting in fifth (and looking for sponsors apparently, so if you have a couple million that you want you spend you could probably get your jughead plastered on the hood of his sled--for the right price) and 24 is just inside the top ten. I'll admit that I haven't been keeping up with this thing as closely as I probably should for a multitude of reasons...probably the same as many of you out there. Hopefully my enthusiasm for racin' will increase as we move into the final stages of the season.

I've already seen some folks breaking flag rules...and we are barely into August. Per typical, I'll remind all of you folks how not to look like complete assclowns via automobile decorations just before the season kicks off. There was something else that pissed me off (aside from these idiots who call into the local sports radio show asking: "Anybody know who Clem/Scar has committed/signed this year? I'll hang up and listen." You fucking dipshit, there are countless websites out there. Don't waste my time asking a radio show this crap. Hit the interwebs folks.

And for a season-starting video: