In January of 2000, I was at Ricky Craven's Snowmobile Ride for Charity along Moosehead Lake when I approached the NASCAR driver to tell him that I was leaving his home state and coming to Myrtle Beach. Naturally, the first topic of conversation was getting to see him race at Darlington Raceway. I'll always remember the first thing that he said when I mentioned the Track Too Tough to Tame. "Jim Hunter. He's one of the most influential people in our sport. He's also one of the most respected people in our sport. Listen to him and always follow his advice."
Craven had taught me everything I knew about NASCAR and the current ESPN analyst was spot on in what he said. When I first got to South Carolina, I was anxious to cover my first race at Darlington. It was Dale Earnhardt, Jr's rookie season and everyone was trying to get a piece of NASCAR's rising superstar. I thought that perhaps Mr. Hunter could give me an in to try and follow Junior for the weekend and chronicle it as a preview for the following race in the fall. He liked the idea a lot, but said that there was another rookie driver who was going to be a big star in NASCAR and that I should follow him around. That driver was Matt Kenseth and I learned that Jim Hunter was a pretty darn good judge of talent. When we did our September preview show live from the track, I was hoping that Earnhardt, Junior would come on the show. Jim Hunter said there's another young gun that needed to come on with us. His name was Kurt Busch. Looking back now, Jim Hunter gave us two Cup Champions on our preview show. Pretty amazing.
Then there was another time when the phone rang in the sports office in Florence. Mr. Hunter asked if I could swing by Governor's Run golf course in Lamar, he had a couple of people he wanted me to talk to about the upcoming race. When I went to the back porch with the camera, there was Jim Hunter in a straw Darlington hat and another guy with the same hat on next to him. "Dale, could you give a couple of minutes to our new sportscaster in town to talk about the Southern 500. It's going to be his first Labor Day at Darlington." Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator, gave a sly smile and said "Shoot". It was right then and there that I learned first hand that Jim Hunter was one of the most respected people in all of NASCAR. After talking to Dale, Senior, Hunter introduced me to another legend - the Silver Fox, David Pearson. Not a bad couple of sound bites on a Thursday afternoon to get Southern 500 coverage going. You ask every mega-name in the sport about Jim Hunter and you're going to get a story and it's usually a good one.
It was Jim Hunter who helped NASCAR guide through the tough times of Dale Earnhardt's death and became the spokesperson of the sport. It was also Jim Hunter who believed in Darlington so much that the Lady in Black went from the endangered species list to a Saturday night fixture every May for many years to come.
He is one of the sports great ambassadors. For the stories I just shared above, there are countless others in the media who will have their own tales of how Jim Hunter helped them to bring the sports biggest stars to their readers or viewers.
NASCAR's got a long list of worthy candidates for the Hall of Fame. I hope that one day Jim Hunter will be a part of it, because he was one of NASCAR's true pioneers. Even after he left the track in 2001, you could also go to the Media Center that bared his name and see a crowd of people around Jim Hunter. It will be an empty feeling in the Media Center this May when he's not there.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The journey to a national title
Gamecock fans have been waiting for a long time to celebrate and the 2010 USC baseball team's national championship trophy should be front and center in the South Carolina trophy case. Ray Tanner's path to a national title is a testament of what it takes to be the best in the nation. There were so many times where the Gamecocks stared the end of the season right in the face and decided that they weren't done yet.
Friday, June 4th: Bucknell 5 South Carolina 1 heading to the bottom of the 6th
It's the opening game of the Columbia regional. The #1 seeds have a big advantage as they play an automatic bid qualifier. The Bison had the Gamecocks on the ropes and it's awfully tough to play your way from the loser's bracket to a regional title on the first weekend of the NCAA's. Everyone was on upset alert when the score came in. What did USC do? They didn't panic and took care of business and roared from behind to win 9-5. Michael Roth pitched 3 plus innings of shutout ball to settle things down. The Gamecocks went on to cruise the rest of the way and beat the Citadel and Virginia Tech to win the regional.
Saturday, June 12th: South Carolina 4 Coastal Carolina 3 in the 8th inning. CCU has the bases loaded and nobody out
The Chanticleers were ready to bust the dam and win their first ever game in the Super Regional. If CCU simply put the ball in play they were going to at least draw even if not take control of the game. Ray Tanner brought in Matt Price who proceeded to strike out Chance Gilmore and Taylor Motter and then got a bounce back to the mound from Dan Bowman. Price pitches a flawless ninth and the Gamecocks take game one.
Sunday, June 13th: Coastal Carolina 9 South Carolina 7, 2 outs in the 8th inning
CCU just got a double play and were four outs away from drawing even in the best of three series. Austin Fleet had come on in relief in the 6th inning for CCU and was probably going to give way to Anthony Meo in the 9th to shut the door. Jackie Bradley, Jr. grinded out a walk. Adrian Morales doubled to bring the winning run to the plate. Christian Walker launched a three run bomb that put the Gamecocks ahead 10-9. Everyone will talk about the Walker blast and rightfully so, but it was Bradley, Jr. who worked a full count. He was one strike away from inning over and likely game over for the Gamecocks (sounds a little like later on against Oklahoma doesn't it?) The Gamecocks punched their ticket to Omaha with a 10-9 win.
Sunday, June 20th: Oklahoma 4 South Carolina 3 - FINAL
The Gamecocks had their chances to win this game, but simply left too many runners on base. After enduring nine hours to play through rain delays it looked like it was going to be two and done. Surely, the Gamecocks couldn't knock off #1 seed Arizona State and then endure five more wins. That was the thinking on Sunday evening, but as we learned it was the last loss of the year for USC.
Thursday, June 24th: Oklahoma 2 South Carolina 1 heading to the bottom of the 12th
Robert Beary had a single and stole second, but the Gamecocks had two outs and Jackie Bradley, Jr was one strike away from USC packing their bags and heading for home. But Bradley grinded it out again and laced a base hit to right to score Beary and tie the game. Walker walked and Brady Thomas delivered the heroics in a 3-2 walk off win.
Friday, June 25th: Pregame Clemson vs South Carolina
The Gamecocks need two wins to reach the national championship series and Clemson is in the driver's seat. Blake Cooper pitched on Thursday and Sam Dyson can't throw until Saturday. Ray Tanner is hoping that Michael Roth can give him three good innings and that the bullpen can piece together a win. Roth goes on to throw three good innings, then three more and then a final three. A complete game gem that gives the Gamecocks all the momentum. Dyson goes on to stifle Clemson and the Gamecocks reach the national championship series.
Tuesday, June 29th: UCLA 1 South Carolina 1 in the 9th inning
The Bruins load the bases, but Matt Price is there again with the clutch strikeout. Just like the CCU Super Regional all over again. Price delivers when he has to and once again you feel like UCLA used up their last chance and it was South Carolina's destiny to win.
You know how the rest of the story goes. Whit Merrifield goes the opposite way, Scott Wingo leaps towards home and the Gamecocks are national champs. Seven times during the post-season the Gamecocks were on the verge of heading south. In the end they came through each and every time and that's why they are national champions.
This Gamecock team had the star power with Blake Cooper and Jackie Bradley, Jr, and it had the players who rose to the occasion like Roth and Bobby Haney. But more important than all of that was the intangibles. Tanner talked about it and it rang true. Working the count with two strikes, making great defensive plays when they needed to and never giving up.
Tanner loves the college baseball game and knows what it means to simply make it to Omaha. Now he has won the last CWS game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium and will be a legend in South Carolina Gamecock circles for generations to come.
Friday, June 4th: Bucknell 5 South Carolina 1 heading to the bottom of the 6th
It's the opening game of the Columbia regional. The #1 seeds have a big advantage as they play an automatic bid qualifier. The Bison had the Gamecocks on the ropes and it's awfully tough to play your way from the loser's bracket to a regional title on the first weekend of the NCAA's. Everyone was on upset alert when the score came in. What did USC do? They didn't panic and took care of business and roared from behind to win 9-5. Michael Roth pitched 3 plus innings of shutout ball to settle things down. The Gamecocks went on to cruise the rest of the way and beat the Citadel and Virginia Tech to win the regional.
Saturday, June 12th: South Carolina 4 Coastal Carolina 3 in the 8th inning. CCU has the bases loaded and nobody out
The Chanticleers were ready to bust the dam and win their first ever game in the Super Regional. If CCU simply put the ball in play they were going to at least draw even if not take control of the game. Ray Tanner brought in Matt Price who proceeded to strike out Chance Gilmore and Taylor Motter and then got a bounce back to the mound from Dan Bowman. Price pitches a flawless ninth and the Gamecocks take game one.
Sunday, June 13th: Coastal Carolina 9 South Carolina 7, 2 outs in the 8th inning
CCU just got a double play and were four outs away from drawing even in the best of three series. Austin Fleet had come on in relief in the 6th inning for CCU and was probably going to give way to Anthony Meo in the 9th to shut the door. Jackie Bradley, Jr. grinded out a walk. Adrian Morales doubled to bring the winning run to the plate. Christian Walker launched a three run bomb that put the Gamecocks ahead 10-9. Everyone will talk about the Walker blast and rightfully so, but it was Bradley, Jr. who worked a full count. He was one strike away from inning over and likely game over for the Gamecocks (sounds a little like later on against Oklahoma doesn't it?) The Gamecocks punched their ticket to Omaha with a 10-9 win.
Sunday, June 20th: Oklahoma 4 South Carolina 3 - FINAL
The Gamecocks had their chances to win this game, but simply left too many runners on base. After enduring nine hours to play through rain delays it looked like it was going to be two and done. Surely, the Gamecocks couldn't knock off #1 seed Arizona State and then endure five more wins. That was the thinking on Sunday evening, but as we learned it was the last loss of the year for USC.
Thursday, June 24th: Oklahoma 2 South Carolina 1 heading to the bottom of the 12th
Robert Beary had a single and stole second, but the Gamecocks had two outs and Jackie Bradley, Jr was one strike away from USC packing their bags and heading for home. But Bradley grinded it out again and laced a base hit to right to score Beary and tie the game. Walker walked and Brady Thomas delivered the heroics in a 3-2 walk off win.
Friday, June 25th: Pregame Clemson vs South Carolina
The Gamecocks need two wins to reach the national championship series and Clemson is in the driver's seat. Blake Cooper pitched on Thursday and Sam Dyson can't throw until Saturday. Ray Tanner is hoping that Michael Roth can give him three good innings and that the bullpen can piece together a win. Roth goes on to throw three good innings, then three more and then a final three. A complete game gem that gives the Gamecocks all the momentum. Dyson goes on to stifle Clemson and the Gamecocks reach the national championship series.
Tuesday, June 29th: UCLA 1 South Carolina 1 in the 9th inning
The Bruins load the bases, but Matt Price is there again with the clutch strikeout. Just like the CCU Super Regional all over again. Price delivers when he has to and once again you feel like UCLA used up their last chance and it was South Carolina's destiny to win.
You know how the rest of the story goes. Whit Merrifield goes the opposite way, Scott Wingo leaps towards home and the Gamecocks are national champs. Seven times during the post-season the Gamecocks were on the verge of heading south. In the end they came through each and every time and that's why they are national champions.
This Gamecock team had the star power with Blake Cooper and Jackie Bradley, Jr, and it had the players who rose to the occasion like Roth and Bobby Haney. But more important than all of that was the intangibles. Tanner talked about it and it rang true. Working the count with two strikes, making great defensive plays when they needed to and never giving up.
Tanner loves the college baseball game and knows what it means to simply make it to Omaha. Now he has won the last CWS game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium and will be a legend in South Carolina Gamecock circles for generations to come.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Not quite ready for Omaha
Thanks to Steve Maass for sending this picture of Christian Walker's blast that sent the Gamecocks to Omaha
One of the most exciting 10 days of covering local sports in Myrtle Beach has come to a close. When it was all said and done, ticket gate still had 40 percent of the crowd wearing garnet and the national exposure for Coastal Carolina is always invaluable for the University.
In 2008, I was in Cary, NC when the Chanticleers were totally dominated by the North Carolina Tar Heels. CCU looked like a program that was not quite ready to step into college baseball's elite. I feel that this past weekend was a big step forward towards the Chanticleers ultimate goal towards making it to Omaha. That's little consolation to Gary Gilmore, who knew that this was a team that had the tools to take that next step.
In a nutshell, I think the two game Gamecocks sweep came down to defense. There were probably a half dozen plays by USC that were worthy of a star in the scorecard. From Scott Wingo's double play to great plays in the outfield and make the routine plays, the Gamecocks didn't give CCU anything extra. If Coastal plays error free baseball on Sunday, they cruise to a game two win. If Matt Rein doesn't turn his ankle on the first play on Saturday perhaps he makes the throw on the next play that triggered the Gamecocks three run first inning.
Gilly was backed into a corner. When it was Saturday at noon he had his two starters that were completely out of gas. Anthony Meo threw just 13 pitches in the Super Regional. If CCU were able to pull out that second game, Meo would have had the ball in game three in what would have been advantage CCU. Cody Wheeler's last game as a Chant was maligned by errors.
Austin Fleet was one pitch away from a 2 run lead heading to the 9th. Jackie Bradley, Jr's patience to draw a walk sparked an Adrian Morales double and Walker's three run blast that seemed to travel to the Sheraton. The Chants were one power arm short out of the bullpen.
If there's one positive that CCU can take out of it is that they learned that they are a national power. There were some across the state and even the nation that thought the SEC big boy would come to the beach and blow away the Big South cinderella. Jackie Bradley, Jr and Christian Walker were quick to answer the question if CCU was an SEC caliber team with a response of "yes".
Gary Gilmore said after the game that Omaha never felt so far away to him. When time passes and the summer months rage on, Gilly will recharge and once again put CCU in the national conversation. It may not be a 55 win team, but as CCU fans are learning, all that matters is what happens in June. It shouldn't be discounted that this is a program that is revered across the nation and one day it will get to Omaha.
Ray Tanner is one of the classiest people to deal with in Palmetto state sports. He is now taking USC to Omaha for the fourth time in his career. The Gamecocks will no doubt be underdogs in the field of eight, but if they can grind like they did this past weekend in Myrtle Beach, you never know what could happen.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Super Regional Game One
We're not allowed to shoot highlights during the Super Regional, so I'm sequestered in the press box. The big headline prior to first pitch was that Matt Rein was getting the start over Anthony Meo and Cody Wheeler. I saw Meo in the clubhouse prior to the game and he looked as if he was still fighting the effects of the summer cold bug that he got. The fact that it is about 200 degrees on the field didn't help the cause.
1ST INNING
It's amazing how one play can trigger an onslaught. On the very first batter, Rein turns his ankle making the out at first and looked like he was going to have to leave. On the very next play, Rein fielded a bounce back that should have been an easy out, but a wild throw got a three run inning started that had the Gamecocks got for a mere hit.
2ND INNING
Exit Matt Rein enter Josh Conway. The Chanticleers are very fortunate to escape with just one run. It's now 4-0 Gamecocks. With Blake Cooper throwing, it's a huge hole for the Chanticleers to dig out of.
Dan Bowman has hit a screaming liner that cleared the left field fence. It's now 4-2at the end of two.
4TH INNING
Tommy LaStella and Julio Iglesias had back to back singles and Chance Gilmore plated LaStella with a bloop single to left. The Chants had 2 on with nobody out, but Cooper got out of jam. It's 4-3 after four. Ryan Connelly is on in relief for CCU, the third pitcher of the game for the Chants.
6TH INNING
The Chanticleers threaten. Cooper loads the bases with one out. Dan Bowman, who homered earlier smashes one off Cooper's glove. Scott Wingo turns a big time 6-3 DP to get out of the jam. It remains 4-3. Shades of the 9th inning College of Charleston play - Big time play by Wingo there.
7TH INNING
An absolute head scratcher. Anthony Meo pitches a scoreless 7th. Gilly is now burning his ace in a relief role. Can he pitch on Monday if necessary? This will be the big question in the post-game press conference. I can understand if CCU had a 4-3 lead, but down 4-3, Gilly is rolling the dice in a big way.
8TH INNING
Meo pitches 1 1/3 innings in relief and throws 13 pitches. He should be ready to go on Monday if needed. Matt Laney is the sixth CCU pitcher on in relief. Laney does his job. CCU has six outs left.
The bottom of the 8th tells the story. CCU loads the bases with nobody out. Matt Price comes in and gets two strikeouts and a bounce back to the mound. If the Gamecocks get to Omaha, Price is the first key to that happening.
CCU would get two on in the 9th but once again leave ducks on the pond.
4-3 the final. Cody Wheeler will get the ball in game two. A great game. CCU had their chances to win it.
1ST INNING
It's amazing how one play can trigger an onslaught. On the very first batter, Rein turns his ankle making the out at first and looked like he was going to have to leave. On the very next play, Rein fielded a bounce back that should have been an easy out, but a wild throw got a three run inning started that had the Gamecocks got for a mere hit.
2ND INNING
Exit Matt Rein enter Josh Conway. The Chanticleers are very fortunate to escape with just one run. It's now 4-0 Gamecocks. With Blake Cooper throwing, it's a huge hole for the Chanticleers to dig out of.
Dan Bowman has hit a screaming liner that cleared the left field fence. It's now 4-2at the end of two.
4TH INNING
Tommy LaStella and Julio Iglesias had back to back singles and Chance Gilmore plated LaStella with a bloop single to left. The Chants had 2 on with nobody out, but Cooper got out of jam. It's 4-3 after four. Ryan Connelly is on in relief for CCU, the third pitcher of the game for the Chants.
6TH INNING
The Chanticleers threaten. Cooper loads the bases with one out. Dan Bowman, who homered earlier smashes one off Cooper's glove. Scott Wingo turns a big time 6-3 DP to get out of the jam. It remains 4-3. Shades of the 9th inning College of Charleston play - Big time play by Wingo there.
7TH INNING
An absolute head scratcher. Anthony Meo pitches a scoreless 7th. Gilly is now burning his ace in a relief role. Can he pitch on Monday if necessary? This will be the big question in the post-game press conference. I can understand if CCU had a 4-3 lead, but down 4-3, Gilly is rolling the dice in a big way.
8TH INNING
Meo pitches 1 1/3 innings in relief and throws 13 pitches. He should be ready to go on Monday if needed. Matt Laney is the sixth CCU pitcher on in relief. Laney does his job. CCU has six outs left.
The bottom of the 8th tells the story. CCU loads the bases with nobody out. Matt Price comes in and gets two strikeouts and a bounce back to the mound. If the Gamecocks get to Omaha, Price is the first key to that happening.
CCU would get two on in the 9th but once again leave ducks on the pond.
4-3 the final. Cody Wheeler will get the ball in game two. A great game. CCU had their chances to win it.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Can They Get to Omaha?
The days of Coastal Carolina flying under the radar in college baseball are long gone. The Chanticleers earned a national seed (#4) with 51 wins and a non-conference resume that justified the lofty accolades. The program has evolved. First it became a year in and year out NCAA qualifer. Then it became worthy of a #1 seed. Now, it's a legitimate contender for not only the College World Series, but a national title.
Gary Gilmore knows about the walls that this program has knocked down. Now, it has everything you could possibly ask for heading into the post-season. Home field advantage is huge. Not only for this weekend, but for the Super Regionals as well. Coastal does not have to go anywhere to get to Omaha.
Getting to Rosenblatt Stadium is far from an easy path. The Chanticleers have to deal with the College of Charleston who have won five straight games against CCU. Then there's the possibility of a Super Regional showdown with the Gamecocks. If USC comes to the beach facing the Chants with a trip to Omaha on the line, it very well could be a road game for CCU with Gamecock fans doing what they do best - filling the stands in almost every sport.
On the flip side, the Chants have a lot going for them. Rico Noel and Scott Woodward get things going by getting on base and then disrupting the basepaths. From there, you can just pick anyone else in the lineup who is capable of driving in runs. CCU can play small ball and they can play long ball. When regular DH Steve Davis was ruled academically ineligble it opened the door for freshman Josh Conway to become an everyday player. Rich Witten had an explosive Big South tournament and he's still on the bench. Coastal has not been shut out this year and there's no reason to believe that the bats will go silent in June.
The Coastal pitching staff has two proven starters in Anthony Meo and Cody Wheeler. The bullpen has depth with Ryan Connelly and Matt Laney setting up Austin Fleet. Keith Hessler and Matt Rein have proven that they can come in and get the Chants to the late innings when called upon. Rein's worst performance of the year came during CCU's last loss to the College of Charleston. It wouldn't be surprising at all that Rein will get his chance at redemption and it could be the difference between winning the regional or heading home.
The real key to Coastal's Omaha fortunes will come down to the only mystery about the 2010 Chants. Who will step up and be the third starter? It used to be Jim Birmingham and Josh Conway has been the latest experiment. Gary Gilmore has an interesting dilemma. Does he start Conway or Birmingham on Friday against Stony Brook and save Wheeler and Meo for the weekend? Or does he stick with the Friday-Saturday combo of Wheeler and Meo and give the ball to the TBD third starter to try and win the regional? Whichever way Gilly goes, the #3 starter will be the key to CCU's fortunes. If Conway or Birmingham or one of the relievers can step in and give some quality innings, Coastal should be ready to live up to its #4 national seed.
June can be one of the slow months on the local sports calendar, but Coastal Carolina could be keeping us busy for the next thirty days or so. The atmosphere in the 2007 regional at BB&T Coastal Field was incredible and it should be matched starting this Friday. If you haven't seen this team in person, you should do yourself a favor and get a ticket this weekend - you won't be disappointed.
Gary Gilmore knows about the walls that this program has knocked down. Now, it has everything you could possibly ask for heading into the post-season. Home field advantage is huge. Not only for this weekend, but for the Super Regionals as well. Coastal does not have to go anywhere to get to Omaha.
Getting to Rosenblatt Stadium is far from an easy path. The Chanticleers have to deal with the College of Charleston who have won five straight games against CCU. Then there's the possibility of a Super Regional showdown with the Gamecocks. If USC comes to the beach facing the Chants with a trip to Omaha on the line, it very well could be a road game for CCU with Gamecock fans doing what they do best - filling the stands in almost every sport.
On the flip side, the Chants have a lot going for them. Rico Noel and Scott Woodward get things going by getting on base and then disrupting the basepaths. From there, you can just pick anyone else in the lineup who is capable of driving in runs. CCU can play small ball and they can play long ball. When regular DH Steve Davis was ruled academically ineligble it opened the door for freshman Josh Conway to become an everyday player. Rich Witten had an explosive Big South tournament and he's still on the bench. Coastal has not been shut out this year and there's no reason to believe that the bats will go silent in June.
The Coastal pitching staff has two proven starters in Anthony Meo and Cody Wheeler. The bullpen has depth with Ryan Connelly and Matt Laney setting up Austin Fleet. Keith Hessler and Matt Rein have proven that they can come in and get the Chants to the late innings when called upon. Rein's worst performance of the year came during CCU's last loss to the College of Charleston. It wouldn't be surprising at all that Rein will get his chance at redemption and it could be the difference between winning the regional or heading home.
The real key to Coastal's Omaha fortunes will come down to the only mystery about the 2010 Chants. Who will step up and be the third starter? It used to be Jim Birmingham and Josh Conway has been the latest experiment. Gary Gilmore has an interesting dilemma. Does he start Conway or Birmingham on Friday against Stony Brook and save Wheeler and Meo for the weekend? Or does he stick with the Friday-Saturday combo of Wheeler and Meo and give the ball to the TBD third starter to try and win the regional? Whichever way Gilly goes, the #3 starter will be the key to CCU's fortunes. If Conway or Birmingham or one of the relievers can step in and give some quality innings, Coastal should be ready to live up to its #4 national seed.
June can be one of the slow months on the local sports calendar, but Coastal Carolina could be keeping us busy for the next thirty days or so. The atmosphere in the 2007 regional at BB&T Coastal Field was incredible and it should be matched starting this Friday. If you haven't seen this team in person, you should do yourself a favor and get a ticket this weekend - you won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Another Hoop Zone voting question
As I was making what always seem to be a futile attempt of cleaning up my desk, I came across an anonymous letter that was written to my news director by a concerned high school basketball fan. The typed letter was about a page long and did not have a number, number or any kind of address. I hope that this fan comes across this blog as I am more than happy to answer any questions or concerns our local sports fans have especially when it comes to how we determine our major award winners.
Here's just an excerpt of this letter so you get the point.
"I am writing this letter because of the Mister and Miss Hoop Zone Banquet. First of all, let me say that I believe that this is a good thing that you guys host. However, listening to the public, the coaches, the players and just the public in general, it has turned political. I believe that it is not fair for every kid. We the public would like to know what coaches vote - not that it's is sent to 18 coaches and 2 media employees. We would like to know who these coaches and media people are because it seems that Myrtle Beach must have a horse shoe planted somewhere. Are most voters from that area?
... Myrtle Beach has won Miss Hoop Zone four years straight, Mr. Zoneman 2 years in a row!!! I believe in being air and impartial especially when it involves kids."
From a concerned citizen
I just want to reiterate the process when it comes to voting for Mister and Miss Hoop Zone. The ballot has a first, second and third place vote. A first place vote is worth three points, second is two points and a third place vote is one point. I have absolutely no problem revealing who the list of people who cast a ballot, however I do not think it is proper to reveal who they voted for. Just know that a vote can not be cast for your own player. The two media members are no big mystery here - Mark Haggard and myself have that dubious distinction.
Mr. Hoop Zone Balloters
WEST FLORENCE - Byon Shoemaker
MULLINS - Mark Gerald
LAKE CITY - Willie Thomas
GEORGETOWN - Stitch Walker
DARLINGTON - Ken Howle
HEMINGWAY - Barry McFadden
TIMMONSVILLE - Gerald Wright
AYNOR - Myron Gerald
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - John Trussell
MARLBORO COUNTY - James Pate
CHERAW - Tony Boyer
ANDREWS - Kevin Branham
WILSON - DeAndre Scott
SOCASTEE - Tommy Johnson
CONWAY - Michael Hopkins
MARION - Pete Ellis
CAROLINA FOREST - Brian Brunson
KINGSTREE - Winston Williams
WPDE Sports: Rich Chrampanis
WPDE Sports: Mark Haggard
Pee Dee voters: 12
Grand Strand voters: 6
By Class:
4A: 3
3A: 7
2A: 6
1A: 2
Miss Hoop Zone Balloters
MYRTLE BEACH - Brian Kiper
MULLINS - Fred Senter
CAROLINA FOREST - Stacy Hughes
KINGSTREE - Sonya Burgess
DARLINGTON - Jesse Barber
MARLBORO CO - Nikita Collins
DILLON - Johnny Dew
TIMMONSVILLE - Perry Stokes
MARION - Leon Sturkey
HEMINGWAY - Sonya Thomas
HARTSVILLE - Pat Hewitt
LAKE CITY - Charm Eaddy
WILSON - Ann Talbert
AYNOR - Matt Burke
SOCASTEE - Marty Jacobs
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - Jude Hunt
WEST FLORENCE - Kevin Allen
SOUTH FLORENCE - Lisa Jones
WPDE Sports: Rich Chrampanis
WPDE Sports: Mark Haggard
Pee Dee voters: 13
Grand Strand voters: 5
By Class:
4A: 4
3A: 7
2A: 5
1A: 2
A couple of notes here. First of all, every coach is a varsity head coach and the list has all the experience you can ask for when it comes to our area. These coaches know about the AAU circuit, as well as individual and team performances. There is no specific criteria for Mister or Miss Hoop Zone. We simply ask, "Who's the best player in the area". As you can see, there are plenty of Pee Dee voters and I think we have the right balance.
Back in 2008, the voting was extremely tight for both Mister and Miss Hoop Zone. After taking the 20 ballots, I didn't feel comfortable so we took the daunting task of contacting all 34 boys and girls head basketball coaches and took every ballot to make sure we got it right. In that year, Kinard Gadsden-Gilliard of Georgetown narrowly beat Tashan Fredrick, Eric Smith and Lashay Page and Ashley Clarke of Myrtle Beach edged out Rubylee Wright of Latta.
If I ever feel the balloting is up in the air, I would do that again. It took a lot of extra man hours, but we put in that extra effort to make sure we got it right. The bottom line is that we care about the process and we have no agenda. Back in the beginning, Marlboro County won three straight Zonemans with Tymere Zimmerman and Syvelle Newton. Many folks thought we were biased to our friends in Bennettsville back then.
If you look at the list above, that is a group of respected veteran coaches. Why did we choose them? Some of them are year in and year out voters that have earned not only our respect but the entire area's. We also try and make it a point to get balloters that have had successful seasons. We also try to make sure that we have a coach who has a Mister or Miss Hoop Zone contender. On the girls side, we had Darlington, Hartsville and Myrtle Beach to ensure that all three coaches could not vote for their own player and not get an extra advantage.
We've given away 30 trophies (10 for the Zoneman, 10 Mister Hoop Zone and 10 Miss Hoop Zone). I wish that the Finalists who make the podium were given more overall respect as it's a major accomplishment to reach that stage. Right now, it's a Myrtle Beach run of award winners. Perhaps in the next five to ten years, another school will emerge.
If I thought enough people were interested, I'd love to do a behind the scenes look at how exactly Mark Haggard and myself put the entire show together. It's something that we don't just throw together. We take time to not only pick 40 outstanding players, but then do a truly unbiased voting process that selects our winner. The die hard high school fans would probably enjoy Mark and I going back and forth for endless hours in the fall and winter as we pick these teams. It's something that we really care about and really have fun doing.
I hope this answers some questions. I would like to thank all of the coaches above for helping us this year.
Here's just an excerpt of this letter so you get the point.
"I am writing this letter because of the Mister and Miss Hoop Zone Banquet. First of all, let me say that I believe that this is a good thing that you guys host. However, listening to the public, the coaches, the players and just the public in general, it has turned political. I believe that it is not fair for every kid. We the public would like to know what coaches vote - not that it's is sent to 18 coaches and 2 media employees. We would like to know who these coaches and media people are because it seems that Myrtle Beach must have a horse shoe planted somewhere. Are most voters from that area?
... Myrtle Beach has won Miss Hoop Zone four years straight, Mr. Zoneman 2 years in a row!!! I believe in being air and impartial especially when it involves kids."
From a concerned citizen
I just want to reiterate the process when it comes to voting for Mister and Miss Hoop Zone. The ballot has a first, second and third place vote. A first place vote is worth three points, second is two points and a third place vote is one point. I have absolutely no problem revealing who the list of people who cast a ballot, however I do not think it is proper to reveal who they voted for. Just know that a vote can not be cast for your own player. The two media members are no big mystery here - Mark Haggard and myself have that dubious distinction.
Mr. Hoop Zone Balloters
WEST FLORENCE - Byon Shoemaker
MULLINS - Mark Gerald
LAKE CITY - Willie Thomas
GEORGETOWN - Stitch Walker
DARLINGTON - Ken Howle
HEMINGWAY - Barry McFadden
TIMMONSVILLE - Gerald Wright
AYNOR - Myron Gerald
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - John Trussell
MARLBORO COUNTY - James Pate
CHERAW - Tony Boyer
ANDREWS - Kevin Branham
WILSON - DeAndre Scott
SOCASTEE - Tommy Johnson
CONWAY - Michael Hopkins
MARION - Pete Ellis
CAROLINA FOREST - Brian Brunson
KINGSTREE - Winston Williams
WPDE Sports: Rich Chrampanis
WPDE Sports: Mark Haggard
Pee Dee voters: 12
Grand Strand voters: 6
By Class:
4A: 3
3A: 7
2A: 6
1A: 2
Miss Hoop Zone Balloters
MYRTLE BEACH - Brian Kiper
MULLINS - Fred Senter
CAROLINA FOREST - Stacy Hughes
KINGSTREE - Sonya Burgess
DARLINGTON - Jesse Barber
MARLBORO CO - Nikita Collins
DILLON - Johnny Dew
TIMMONSVILLE - Perry Stokes
MARION - Leon Sturkey
HEMINGWAY - Sonya Thomas
HARTSVILLE - Pat Hewitt
LAKE CITY - Charm Eaddy
WILSON - Ann Talbert
AYNOR - Matt Burke
SOCASTEE - Marty Jacobs
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH - Jude Hunt
WEST FLORENCE - Kevin Allen
SOUTH FLORENCE - Lisa Jones
WPDE Sports: Rich Chrampanis
WPDE Sports: Mark Haggard
Pee Dee voters: 13
Grand Strand voters: 5
By Class:
4A: 4
3A: 7
2A: 5
1A: 2
A couple of notes here. First of all, every coach is a varsity head coach and the list has all the experience you can ask for when it comes to our area. These coaches know about the AAU circuit, as well as individual and team performances. There is no specific criteria for Mister or Miss Hoop Zone. We simply ask, "Who's the best player in the area". As you can see, there are plenty of Pee Dee voters and I think we have the right balance.
Back in 2008, the voting was extremely tight for both Mister and Miss Hoop Zone. After taking the 20 ballots, I didn't feel comfortable so we took the daunting task of contacting all 34 boys and girls head basketball coaches and took every ballot to make sure we got it right. In that year, Kinard Gadsden-Gilliard of Georgetown narrowly beat Tashan Fredrick, Eric Smith and Lashay Page and Ashley Clarke of Myrtle Beach edged out Rubylee Wright of Latta.
If I ever feel the balloting is up in the air, I would do that again. It took a lot of extra man hours, but we put in that extra effort to make sure we got it right. The bottom line is that we care about the process and we have no agenda. Back in the beginning, Marlboro County won three straight Zonemans with Tymere Zimmerman and Syvelle Newton. Many folks thought we were biased to our friends in Bennettsville back then.
If you look at the list above, that is a group of respected veteran coaches. Why did we choose them? Some of them are year in and year out voters that have earned not only our respect but the entire area's. We also try and make it a point to get balloters that have had successful seasons. We also try to make sure that we have a coach who has a Mister or Miss Hoop Zone contender. On the girls side, we had Darlington, Hartsville and Myrtle Beach to ensure that all three coaches could not vote for their own player and not get an extra advantage.
We've given away 30 trophies (10 for the Zoneman, 10 Mister Hoop Zone and 10 Miss Hoop Zone). I wish that the Finalists who make the podium were given more overall respect as it's a major accomplishment to reach that stage. Right now, it's a Myrtle Beach run of award winners. Perhaps in the next five to ten years, another school will emerge.
If I thought enough people were interested, I'd love to do a behind the scenes look at how exactly Mark Haggard and myself put the entire show together. It's something that we don't just throw together. We take time to not only pick 40 outstanding players, but then do a truly unbiased voting process that selects our winner. The die hard high school fans would probably enjoy Mark and I going back and forth for endless hours in the fall and winter as we pick these teams. It's something that we really care about and really have fun doing.
I hope this answers some questions. I would like to thank all of the coaches above for helping us this year.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tommy's got a shot
Tommy Fraser can thank Tyler Thigpen, Mike Tolbert, Quinton Teal and Jerome Simpson for getting scouts from the New Orleans Saints and the Tennessee Titans to come in for Coastal's annual pro day. Thanks to four former Chants on NFL rosters, there is credibility to CCU's pro day.
Fraser's numbers were impressive to say the least, especially when you compare it to the three fullbacks who were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Name College Ht. Wt. 40 Reps at 225
John Conner Kentucky 5'11 246 4.72 24
Rashawn Jackson Virginia 6'0 239 4.74 DNP
Manase Tonga BYU 5'11 245 4.83 19
Tommy Fraser CCU 5'9 239 4.69 28
Fullbacks are a niche in the NFL. Not every team employs one, and as a result, not many will be drafted. So it's probably a long shot that Tommy will hear his name called on draft weekend. However, the workout numbers and the fact that he has signed with an agent should get him an opportunity to sign a free agent contract. That's how it all got started with Mike Tolbert. With all scouts watching Jerome Simpson's workout, Tolbert quietly put together a great Pro Day workout and got a contract with the San Diego Chargers. Tolbert has had the much better career in the pros than Simpson at this point.
Great workout numbers doesn't always translate to great performance in the NFL, but the most important thing Tuesday's workout did was give some legitimacy to Fraser's pro prospects. If the numbers weren't good on campus, Fraser would have had no shot at an NFL training camp. Now it looks as if Fraser will get the chance to go to training camp and prove that he can stick and may become the fifth Chanticleer to play in the NFL.
Fraser's numbers were impressive to say the least, especially when you compare it to the three fullbacks who were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Name College Ht. Wt. 40 Reps at 225
John Conner Kentucky 5'11 246 4.72 24
Rashawn Jackson Virginia 6'0 239 4.74 DNP
Manase Tonga BYU 5'11 245 4.83 19
Tommy Fraser CCU 5'9 239 4.69 28
Fullbacks are a niche in the NFL. Not every team employs one, and as a result, not many will be drafted. So it's probably a long shot that Tommy will hear his name called on draft weekend. However, the workout numbers and the fact that he has signed with an agent should get him an opportunity to sign a free agent contract. That's how it all got started with Mike Tolbert. With all scouts watching Jerome Simpson's workout, Tolbert quietly put together a great Pro Day workout and got a contract with the San Diego Chargers. Tolbert has had the much better career in the pros than Simpson at this point.
Great workout numbers doesn't always translate to great performance in the NFL, but the most important thing Tuesday's workout did was give some legitimacy to Fraser's pro prospects. If the numbers weren't good on campus, Fraser would have had no shot at an NFL training camp. Now it looks as if Fraser will get the chance to go to training camp and prove that he can stick and may become the fifth Chanticleer to play in the NFL.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
UAB Pregame
The NIT is an interesting mix of elite programs that fell short of getting an at-large mixed in with mid-major's and regular season conference champs from smaller leagues. As CCU gets set to take on UAB, the Chants have the dubious distinction of being the school with the most wins to not make the NCAA field. CCU has the most wins in the NIT 32 team field.
There's no question that while Coastal is disappointed to not make the NCAA's, they are happy to be playing in a post-season tournament. It's CCU's first ever NIT bid and just third post-season berth in the program's history. UAB is now in the NIT for the third straight year. The Blazers were 18-2 and had wins against Butler, Cincinnati, Georgia and Arkansas on their resume. From there, UAB went 5-6 losing their last three games and sliding off the bubble and back into the NIT.
Vegas has UAB as an 11 point favorite in tonight's game and that's about right. There's no question that the Blazers playing at home should win this game. But here's where the NIT gets interesting. Is UAB pumped about playing in the NIT again? It's the question you have to ask the UConn's and North Carolina's who are accustomed playing in the other dance. UAB had to feel like they were a near lock to be playing in the NCAA's a month ago.
CCU still has not had a two game losing streak this year. The Chants have had nearly12 days off. Which team will show up? The one that dismantled conference foes or the team that struggled at home against Winthrop and Radford? We'll know in the first eight minutes if CCU is going to be competitive or not. During that time we'll also find out if UAB is ready to make a run towards Madison Square Garden or if they want to call it a season.
There's no question that while Coastal is disappointed to not make the NCAA's, they are happy to be playing in a post-season tournament. It's CCU's first ever NIT bid and just third post-season berth in the program's history. UAB is now in the NIT for the third straight year. The Blazers were 18-2 and had wins against Butler, Cincinnati, Georgia and Arkansas on their resume. From there, UAB went 5-6 losing their last three games and sliding off the bubble and back into the NIT.
Vegas has UAB as an 11 point favorite in tonight's game and that's about right. There's no question that the Blazers playing at home should win this game. But here's where the NIT gets interesting. Is UAB pumped about playing in the NIT again? It's the question you have to ask the UConn's and North Carolina's who are accustomed playing in the other dance. UAB had to feel like they were a near lock to be playing in the NCAA's a month ago.
CCU still has not had a two game losing streak this year. The Chants have had nearly12 days off. Which team will show up? The one that dismantled conference foes or the team that struggled at home against Winthrop and Radford? We'll know in the first eight minutes if CCU is going to be competitive or not. During that time we'll also find out if UAB is ready to make a run towards Madison Square Garden or if they want to call it a season.
Friday, March 12, 2010
2010 Hoop Zone Banquet
The 10th annual WPDE Hoop Zone banquet makes it 20 banquets over the past ten years by our sports department. Both Mark and I are grateful to our management team for having the vision of putting the spotlight on our local athletes. It's a special night for kids from all across our community. To think that on the same day we were hosting our banquet we had two former All Hoop Zoners playing in the SEC Tournament (Brendan Knox of Auburn and South Carolina's Sam Muldrow) shows how we've got some talented players that have made it to our banquet year in and year out.
We seem to get a lot of feedback about the voting process. We are always more than happy to explain it.
Hags and I begin in January selecting the team. The roster has expanded from 12 player in year one to 20 boys and 20 girls in year number ten. We have 18 boys coaches, 18 girls coaches and the two WPDE Sports guys select #1, #2 and #3 for top players in the area. First place votes get 3 points, second place 2, and third place one point.
Hags physically collects the ballots over the phone and we compile them. We're pleased with the process as the coaches in our area know what the award is all about and do an excellent job of giving us a landscape of the talent in our area. Coaches can not vote for their own players which eliminates all the bias.
I got this question from Steven Green in Myrtle Beach:
honest question.. how does a player make all-state (julia crews, carolina forest), yet not even get a couple of votes?
First and foremost, Julia was an easy no-brainer lock to make our 20 player All-Hoop Zone team. We usually have a list of about 12-15 players that are in and then we take about 10 more and they are on the bubble so to speak and we make the tough choices to make the team.
The easiest answer to your question is that 10 of our 20 Girls on the 2010 All Hoop Zone team were All-State selections.
Jasmine Phillips and Khadijah Sessions are elite borderline McDonald's All-American talents that are getting recruited by the likes of ACC, SEC and many other major Division I schools. They belong on every ballot in my opinion. Jazz Green is a Division I commitment at the College of Charleston and Geneika Brantley avergaged a double-double and is a state champion. It's a very strong year for girls in our area.
That shouldn't take anything away from what Julia did. Like I said, she is a no-brainer lock to make our team and we're happy that we were able to honor her at the banquet.
Here are some game notes from the 2010 Hoop Zone Banquet. We enjoy looking back on the history of the banquet and the awards.
Hemingway's Quintin Brown and Myrtle Beach's Everett Golson joined an exclusve list of players honored as both All-Zone football players as well as members of the All-Hoop Zone team.
Two Sport All-Zoners
Jarod Gerald, Mullins
Tymere Zimmerman, Marlboro County
Syvelle Newton, Marlboro County
Andy Blondmonville, Myrtle Beach
Cliff Matthews, Cheraw
Jordan Lyles, Hartsville
Everett Golson, Myrtle Beach
Quintin Brown, Hemingway
Over 10 years, 30 of the 34 schools in our area have been a part of the Hoop Zone banquet. Four schools are still seeking their first post-season basketball honor:
East Clarendon, Lake View, Lamar and Waccamaw
Here are the schools with the most Hoop Zone invites over the years:
Schools with most All Hoop Zone Boys selections
1. Hemingway 14
1. Marlboro County 14
3. Myrtle Beach 13
3. Wilson 13
5. Socastee 11
6. Mullins 10
Schools with most All Hoop Zone Girls selections
1. Myrtle Beach 17
1. Wilson 17
3. Darlington 12
4. Timmonsville 8
4. Mullins 8
4. Andrews 8
Schools with most combined Hoop Zone selections
1. Myrtle Beach 30
1. Wilson 30
3. Hemingway 19
4. Marlboro County 18
4. Mullins 18
6. Darlington 17
We seem to get a lot of feedback about the voting process. We are always more than happy to explain it.
Hags and I begin in January selecting the team. The roster has expanded from 12 player in year one to 20 boys and 20 girls in year number ten. We have 18 boys coaches, 18 girls coaches and the two WPDE Sports guys select #1, #2 and #3 for top players in the area. First place votes get 3 points, second place 2, and third place one point.
Hags physically collects the ballots over the phone and we compile them. We're pleased with the process as the coaches in our area know what the award is all about and do an excellent job of giving us a landscape of the talent in our area. Coaches can not vote for their own players which eliminates all the bias.
I got this question from Steven Green in Myrtle Beach:
honest question.. how does a player make all-state (julia crews, carolina forest), yet not even get a couple of votes?
First and foremost, Julia was an easy no-brainer lock to make our 20 player All-Hoop Zone team. We usually have a list of about 12-15 players that are in and then we take about 10 more and they are on the bubble so to speak and we make the tough choices to make the team.
The easiest answer to your question is that 10 of our 20 Girls on the 2010 All Hoop Zone team were All-State selections.
Jasmine Phillips and Khadijah Sessions are elite borderline McDonald's All-American talents that are getting recruited by the likes of ACC, SEC and many other major Division I schools. They belong on every ballot in my opinion. Jazz Green is a Division I commitment at the College of Charleston and Geneika Brantley avergaged a double-double and is a state champion. It's a very strong year for girls in our area.
That shouldn't take anything away from what Julia did. Like I said, she is a no-brainer lock to make our team and we're happy that we were able to honor her at the banquet.
Here are some game notes from the 2010 Hoop Zone Banquet. We enjoy looking back on the history of the banquet and the awards.
Hemingway's Quintin Brown and Myrtle Beach's Everett Golson joined an exclusve list of players honored as both All-Zone football players as well as members of the All-Hoop Zone team.
Two Sport All-Zoners
Jarod Gerald, Mullins
Tymere Zimmerman, Marlboro County
Syvelle Newton, Marlboro County
Andy Blondmonville, Myrtle Beach
Cliff Matthews, Cheraw
Jordan Lyles, Hartsville
Everett Golson, Myrtle Beach
Quintin Brown, Hemingway
Over 10 years, 30 of the 34 schools in our area have been a part of the Hoop Zone banquet. Four schools are still seeking their first post-season basketball honor:
East Clarendon, Lake View, Lamar and Waccamaw
Here are the schools with the most Hoop Zone invites over the years:
Schools with most All Hoop Zone Boys selections
1. Hemingway 14
1. Marlboro County 14
3. Myrtle Beach 13
3. Wilson 13
5. Socastee 11
6. Mullins 10
Schools with most All Hoop Zone Girls selections
1. Myrtle Beach 17
1. Wilson 17
3. Darlington 12
4. Timmonsville 8
4. Mullins 8
4. Andrews 8
Schools with most combined Hoop Zone selections
1. Myrtle Beach 30
1. Wilson 30
3. Hemingway 19
4. Marlboro County 18
4. Mullins 18
6. Darlington 17
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Signing Day hat switch
Gamecocks fans should be esctatic with Marcus Lattimore choosing USC over Auburn. I had a chance to spend some time with Marcus after he won South Carolina's Mister Football in Myrtle Beach in December. It was refreshing to be with a young man who was so grounded and mature for his age. I really enjoyed talking with him and I thought he handled the entire recruiting process with class.
Lattimore made the announcement on the night before signing day at his church in Spartanburg. I thought it was neat that Marcus included former NFL great and Auburn running back Stephen Davis as part of his announcement. When Davis came out, everyone had to be thinking it was Auburn. Then, you saw the Auburn hat come out of a burlap sack, but underneath it was a Gamecocks lid and the ultimate answer to everone's question.
It reminded me of another famous "hat trick". On the eve of Signing Day 2003, Syvelle Newton agreed to come to the WPDE studio and announce where he would attend college. It was down to South Carolina and Clemson. It was seven years ago, and it reminds me of how far technology has come. There was no YouTube back in the day and web video was just coming to the forefront. I remember posting the story on our website along with the video and it fried our server due to the overwhelming traffic.
It was something that Gamecocks fans and Clemson fans talked about for many years as the story became folk lore as to what Syvelle did to the Clemson hat. The real answer is below:
The guy standing in the back during Syvelle's announcement. That's Robert Ayers who is now with the Denver Broncos. Right before the commercial, Syvelle leaned into me and whispered "I'm gonna shock the world". I thought that meant he was going to UCLA or Nebraska, but Syvelle should be credited for one of the most talked about announcements in Palmetto state history. It was in all of the newspapers the next day.
Syvelle never made it to the NFL. To this day, he is the most talented player I've seen in ten years of covering high school football. I think that if he would have stayed at quarterback during his entire time at college he would have been a superstar. I'm pretty sure that Steve Spurrier would agree with me on that.
Lattimore made the announcement on the night before signing day at his church in Spartanburg. I thought it was neat that Marcus included former NFL great and Auburn running back Stephen Davis as part of his announcement. When Davis came out, everyone had to be thinking it was Auburn. Then, you saw the Auburn hat come out of a burlap sack, but underneath it was a Gamecocks lid and the ultimate answer to everone's question.
It reminded me of another famous "hat trick". On the eve of Signing Day 2003, Syvelle Newton agreed to come to the WPDE studio and announce where he would attend college. It was down to South Carolina and Clemson. It was seven years ago, and it reminds me of how far technology has come. There was no YouTube back in the day and web video was just coming to the forefront. I remember posting the story on our website along with the video and it fried our server due to the overwhelming traffic.
It was something that Gamecocks fans and Clemson fans talked about for many years as the story became folk lore as to what Syvelle did to the Clemson hat. The real answer is below:
The guy standing in the back during Syvelle's announcement. That's Robert Ayers who is now with the Denver Broncos. Right before the commercial, Syvelle leaned into me and whispered "I'm gonna shock the world". I thought that meant he was going to UCLA or Nebraska, but Syvelle should be credited for one of the most talked about announcements in Palmetto state history. It was in all of the newspapers the next day.
Syvelle never made it to the NFL. To this day, he is the most talented player I've seen in ten years of covering high school football. I think that if he would have stayed at quarterback during his entire time at college he would have been a superstar. I'm pretty sure that Steve Spurrier would agree with me on that.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Advances in Technology
I'm sitting in the sports information office at Charleston Southern at 5:55 pm and I'm not stressing out. I was looking back on an old blog entry where I detailed the trials and tribulations of getting stories filed to the station and I marvel at how far things have progressed. I got to Charleston at 4:30 pm and was able to preview the game send the piece back to Myrtle Beach by 5:30 pm in plenty of time for our 6pm newscast.
It used to be that we had to have a gameplan to jump through a bunch of hoops to possibly get some kind of story for one show, but now it takes is a laptop computer and internet connection to report from just about any place. Last year, I would have had to furiously sprint from Buccaneer Field House to the ABC station in Charleston and try and get into an edit bay and rush to the back and buy a satellite window and hope that we could dial in the coordinates and have a five minute clock to make it all good.
Tonight, I will connect my camera to the laptop at halftime and the highlights will be in the sports edit bay in Myrtle Beach during the second half. This allows us to bring more information back to the viewer when the biggest sporting events happen.
Sometimes slow connections can make things a challenge, but in time, we should be able to get information back from the field almost anywhere. This is great news for big events like state championship games, NCAA coverage and even places like Darlington. I think it is going to significantly enhance the way we can cover local sports (it already has).
We are getting ready for Signing Day 2010 and should have an update on carolinalive.com sometime this week. We're looking at about six I-A signees and a whole bunch on the lower levels. As always, we will air a 30 minute special on February 3rd at 7:30 pm.
It used to be that we had to have a gameplan to jump through a bunch of hoops to possibly get some kind of story for one show, but now it takes is a laptop computer and internet connection to report from just about any place. Last year, I would have had to furiously sprint from Buccaneer Field House to the ABC station in Charleston and try and get into an edit bay and rush to the back and buy a satellite window and hope that we could dial in the coordinates and have a five minute clock to make it all good.
Tonight, I will connect my camera to the laptop at halftime and the highlights will be in the sports edit bay in Myrtle Beach during the second half. This allows us to bring more information back to the viewer when the biggest sporting events happen.
Sometimes slow connections can make things a challenge, but in time, we should be able to get information back from the field almost anywhere. This is great news for big events like state championship games, NCAA coverage and even places like Darlington. I think it is going to significantly enhance the way we can cover local sports (it already has).
We are getting ready for Signing Day 2010 and should have an update on carolinalive.com sometime this week. We're looking at about six I-A signees and a whole bunch on the lower levels. As always, we will air a 30 minute special on February 3rd at 7:30 pm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
