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It's official.....SEC Presidents vote 14-0 to invite Texas and OU

Welcome aboard Horns and Sooners and kudos to the SEC office for getting in front of this and leaping to a position of strength. Just with these two new members SEC revenues anticipated to grow to over $60 million per school. More schools to come?

Gage Zirke

While visiting Antonio Willams’ mom’s Facebook page with the photos from the cookout this weekend I noticed a video of a Dutch Fork player being interviewed after a state championship win. I didn’t know who it was but saw today another RIP post for Gage Zirke. After doing some research I read that he was shot and killed last week in a car he was driving in Akron, OH. I searched on GCC and saw he was a speedy WR who racked up lots of receiving and return yards. Was he playing ball in Ohio? Sounds like he had a ton of speed. I live in Arlington, TX so I don’t know anything about him. Can anyone elaborate on this talented young man.

Anonymous Coaches Give Opinions on Gamecock Program

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Opposing coaches give their views of South Carolina football.​



The 2021 season opener will soon be upon us, but as of right now, we’re still in ‘talking season.’ With that come season previews, projections, predictions, and rankings. While the Gamecocks haven’t been in the national spotlight over the last few years, the ’21 campaign does produce some intrigue for a program that’s in transition.

South Carolina fired Will Muschamp in the middle of the ’20 season, ending his second failed stint as an SEC head coach. Shane Beamer was called upon to clean up the mess and turn around a team that’s just 6-16 in its last 22 contests.

With Muschamp’s departure came transfers and opt outs on the Gamecocks’ roster, leaving a cupboard bare for the incoming coaching staff. Beamer and Co. did a nice job of filling those voids with proven playmakers in the transfer portal, but expectations for his inaugural season are still very low. If he can lead the program to a bowl appearance in 2021, it will be considered a massive success.

South Carolina fired Will Muschamp in the middle of the ’20 season, ending his second failed stint as an SEC head coach. Shane Beamer was called upon to clean up the mess and turn around a team that’s just 6-16 in its last 22 contests.

With Muschamp’s departure came transfers and opt outs on the Gamecocks’ roster, leaving a cupboard bare for the incoming coaching staff. Beamer and Co. did a nice job of filling those voids with proven playmakers in the transfer portal, but expectations for his inaugural season are still very low. If he can lead the program to a bowl appearance in 2021, it will be considered a massive success.


Vegas has set South Carolina’s win total at just 3.5, media is predicting that the Gamecocks will wind up in the cellar of the SEC East, and most don’t see the team being able to reach the postseason. The national perception of the Gamecock hasn’t been very positive.

The media is always eager to give their opinion on the state of a college football program, but what do the coaches think? Lindy’s magazine released its season preview for the 2021 SEC season, and it included a segment that showed opposing coaches giving their (anonymous) views of the South Carolina football team ahead of Shane Beamer’s first campaign. Here’s what they had to say.

  • “South Carolina is a complete train wreck. If you fire Will Muschamp to hire Shane Beamer, just keep Muschamp. Ray Tanner gave Muschamp an extension and it cost the school a lot of money. Looking back, if a coach at Florida gets fired for taking down Florida, what in your mind thinks he can make South Carolina better?”
  • “I think South Carolina is in a period of 40 years wandering in the desert. They need new athletic administration. They’ve got great facilities. Their boosters are some of the best in the world… They deserve better.”
  • “South Carolina had the worst defense in the SEC other than Ole Miss. Look at all the players they’ve had drafted on defense – Javon Kinlaw, DJ Wonnum, Jaycee Horn, Ernest Jones, Israel Mukuamu – it’s inexcusable how bad their defense has been.”
It doesn’t appear that opponents are too impressed with either the Shane Beamer hire, or the South Carolina athletic administration as a whole. Time will tell on Beamer’s tenure here in Columbia, but is was blatantly obvious that Will Muschamp had the program going in the wrong direction. Both the first and last comments touch on this.

We do realize that Beamer wasn’t the ‘sexy’ hire, particularly with bigger names like Hugh Freeze and Billy Napier on the board, but it’s a little early to consider the first-time head coach a failure, which can certainly be said of Muschamp from his stints at both South Carolina and Florida.

Even with the talent that Muschamp had on the field, the so-called defensive guru was never able to field an elite unit, which is what one coach alludes to. Another notes that the Gamecock faithful deserves better, and that falls on the athletic administration for making hires like Will Muschamp in the first place.

The comments seem harsh, especially since the program finally feels a bit of positivity under its new coaching staff. Hopefully, Beamer and the Gamecocks will be able to prove some of the naysayers wrong in the upcoming 2021 campaign.

Steve Sax/ Simone Biles

There has been tons of talk last two weeks about Simone and what her problem is. As a 10 year old kid in 1983, I still remember Steve Sax's throwing problems from 2nd base. My dad took me to a Braves/Dodger series in August 1983. Sax was a huge star in 83 when he had the Yipps. Saw an article today that it only lasted 2 months. His father who was on his death bed told him it wasnt mental...that he had lost his confidence. After that talk, Sax began to practice with more confidence and the problem went away. He would go into play 15 years at 2nd base with a few years leading the league in fielding percentage.
The series I went to included a game where Bob Watson hit a two run homer in the 9th to win the game for the Braves. My dad said I cheered for 30 minutes in left centetfield seats. He had to beg me to leave and go home. Lol

*** The latest on Virginia DL D'Andre Martin (Sunday AM update)

Sunday AM update:

Nothing specifically new this morning, and we'll continue tracking this one all day. Martin's plan has been to announce today (no specific time according to him) and to do so with a video release.

Although South Carolina's multi-day visit seemed to go very well (Martin called it extraordinary) there's still no firm sense on his intentions as far as which way he's leaning. It was classified to us as "50/50".

That can sometimes point the other direction.

We'll keep working on it today and pass along anything we hear.

Original Saturday update:
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Martin just wrapped up a multi-day visit to South Carolina that he deemed extraordinary.

He's headed home now, and his plan has been to commit tomorrow, August 1.

South Carolina and Virginia Tech are the finalists, with a video announcement planned on Twitter and Instagram tomorrow.

Martin and defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey have talked basically daily since Martin picked up an offer last month in camp.

Braves 🆚 Brewers 7/30/21 and 7/31/21 Trade Deadline Makeovers 😎

Welcome to another edition of Gamecock Central Braves Baseball ⚾️ Chat 💬 . I am your host @Pfunk Cock along with a plethora of regular participants in the chat. Does anybody remember the makeover show craze. Unsuspecting members of the audience would be selected to either change their hairstyle, clothing choices etc. Major League Baseball’s version is somewhat less personal and more personnel 😎😎. That is writing Brothers and sisters and you get me for for the price of my overflowing love for you😎😎. Ok stop blushing and back to business as I have to complete this pregame before all the Chat Fam blows up my DM’s. We have been shouting from the rooftops for the Braves to make moves to help the floundering offense and acquire a proven bullpen arm to secure leads . We have had many blown leads and blown saves that is a direct cause of our deficit in the division standings. The Braves have gotten excellent pitching since the All Star break but are just treading water because of a lack of clutch hitting and unspectacular defense in left and center. Heredia has done a yeoman’s job on Ce tee but within the last week games have been lost because of balls hit over his head on center. He gives his all but is just not really well suited to play every day. Here are the moves that were made.

Last week the Braves acquired Joc Pederson from the Cubs. He has been a replacement for Acuna in right for defense and also leads off the batting order. The next move was to grab catcher Vogt from Arizona and he has been a very pleasant surprise on offense and he also handles the pitching staff very well. Today the Braves managed to acquire 4 players in exchange for Bryse Wilson and Pablo Sandoval and Alex Jackson from the 40 man roster, and a few minor leaguers who for the most part were not really considered front line prospects. In exchange for those players the Braves brought back the much loved Adam Duvall, power left hand outfield bat Rosario and a right hand thumper Jorge Soler to help ignite the offense. They also acquired a very good reliever in Richard Rodriguez from the Pirates. A very good day and promising moves to try to get over the hump in the win column and overtake the pretenders to the throne once and for all. These are not marquee names but the Braves do not need more marque names. They just needed to supplement what they have already to finish this season and try to mount a late season surge that the fanbase have been waiting on for half the season. Will these moves be enough? Who knows for sure but it at least lends hope to a fanbase that is just itching for a punchers chance to win this thing.
Tonight the Braves celebrate Hank Aaron and will have ceremonies all weekend as they wanted to include the Brewers who were also and integral part of his storied career. The Braves will throw a resurgent Touki Toussaint tonight as he faces the first Place Brewers from the Cetral Division. This team has surprised everyone with their stellar play and stranglehold of the central division race. They will throw a hit pitcher of their own as Corbin Burnes takes the hill tonight for them. He has an exceptional 2.12 era and is a strikeout pitcher. Heredia and Toussaint have never faced him and really no one in the Braves lineup has seen him more than 5 times and that is Pederson who is 1-5 with that one being a homer. Swanson is 3-3, Vogt 1-1 and Albies is 1-1. Not a lot of data to truly predict an outcome . Itbis also the same with Toussaint and the Cubs. He has only face 4 of the Brewers hitters and has yet to allow a hit. Again limited data so what we have here is a lot of unknowns as the teams did not face each other last season and from two years ago the lineups have changed. Without further adieu the starting lineups.

Starting Lineup Braves
Pederson RF
Albies 2B
Freeman 1B
Riley 3B
Duvall LF
Swanson SS
Vogt C
Heredia CF
Toussaint RHP

Starting Lineup Brewers
Wong 2B
Adames S
Narvaez C
Escobar 3B
Tellez 1B
Garcia RF
Taylor LF
Bradley CF
Burnes RHP

First Pitch 7:20

Broadcasting
Bally Sports South East

Gamecocks Central Braves Baseball Chat is on the 🕸

OT - This person from Lugoff, South Carolina made a big impact in 1959...

Brook Benton as a youngster sang in his Methodist Church choir there in Lugoff, S.C. until after graduating H.S. there - he eventually years later made a successful breakthrough in NYC singing the following #3 hit ("It's Just A Matter Of Time") that was orginally written for Nat King Cole...

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Clemson Great Yuseff Kelly being investigated


Another one of the greats from Clemson. Say no more.
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