State of the Athletic Department

[gamecockengineer2011]

Football is on a five year losing streak to Clemson and Kentucky. Four years so far to Georgia. I guess us losing by only 21 to UPC is something to be glad about.

Men's Basketball just got molested by Wofford and Stony Brook and the sec is loaded with ranked teams.

Women's basketball has a .500 record on the verge of being unranked for the first time in forever.

Is baseball going to be any good? We got hot towards the end of the year but a ton of pitching graduated or went to the draft.

What the hell is Ray Tanner doing to earn his paycheck right now?

 

[swusc]

He won 2 CWS and honestly that top 10 gamecock moments. For that, he is going to tank the school into dumpster.

 

[SCGCock07]

Tanner makes King Dixon look like a genius.

 

[swusc]

King Dixon was when?

 

[DarkCock]

The volleyball team went from 4 conference wins to the NCAA tournament under a 1st year coach. First time to the tourney since 2002.



What women's sport are we not good in? (The WBB team is going to be just fine.)

If all you only care about football and basketball, that's fine. But recognize a lot of our teams are having success and are proudly representing the university.

 

[swusc]

Without using google.

Tell me the last 5 national champs in women’s volleyball?

Now tell me the last 5 champs in football.


No one really give a crap about women sports. They are a worth a day or so cheering if they win a title. Compare the WNBA rating vs the NBA. Clemson for good reason is still proud of their two football titles. Just like we are of the CWS.

 

[ConKreteCock]

The volleyball team went from 4 conference wins to the NCAA tournament under a 1st year coach. First time to the tourney since 2002.

View embedded media

What women's sport are we not good in? (The WBB team is going to be just fine.)

If all you only care about football and basketball, that's fine. But recognize a lot of our teams are having success and are proudly representing the university.

You and 8 other people care. Maybe.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Tanner is still growing into the job...

 

[Noonoo-33]

The volleyball team went from 4 conference wins to the NCAA tournament under a 1st year coach. First time to the tourney since 2002.

View embedded media

What women's sport are we not good in? (The WBB team is going to be just fine.)

If all you only care about football and basketball, that's fine. But recognize a lot of our teams are having success and are proudly representing the university.

If my daughter played i would care. Football is what matters. Stop telling me I have to care about Turkish water polo or equestrian or this....

 

[BobbyB1975]

Dude don’t forget our bass fishing team again . They are the flagship of the athletic department .

 

[king ward]

King Dixon was when?

Hired Sparky.

 

[DarkCock]

You and 8 other people care. Maybe.

 

[Legendary Cock]

Hired Sparky.

And Steve Newton.

 

[ansoncock]

And Steve Newton.

Who hired Darin Horn?

 

[Legendary Cock]

Who hired Darin Horn?

Hyman. Who also realized his mistake and fired him after four years.

 

[GandBinNC]

Tanner makes King Dixon look like a genius.

I try really hard not to criticize other's comments, but this one is quite possibly the dumbest one I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot.

 

[jonesz21]

King Dixon was when?

Hired Sparky woods

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Hyman. Who also realized his mistake and fired him after four years.

And hired Martin....

 

[jonesz21]

And hired Martin....

We should embrace 20 put loses in all sport. It’s the garnet way.

 

[Boom4life]

The volleyball team went from 4 conference wins to the NCAA tournament under a 1st year coach. First time to the tourney since 2002.

View embedded media

What women's sport are we not good in? (The WBB team is going to be just fine.)

If all you only care about football and basketball, that's fine. But recognize a lot of our teams are having success and are proudly representing the university.

Those other teams don’t make us money. To be happy about lesser woman’s sports and forget the rest is just asinine. Let’s be honest the big 3 are called that for a reason. It’s because they are the only sports that have a vast following. The focus should be on them first. At the end of the day college sports are a multi million dollar business and tanner is failing miserably.

 

[Legendary Cock]

And hired Martin....

My point was that when he realized his mistake, he acted on it. He didn't dig his heels in and wait for the arbitrary 5 year minimum before making a change.

FWIW, when he hired Martin, it was largely seen as a coup in the college basketball world. And Frank improved the team every year his first 5 seasons, culminating with that FF run. Since then, however... ugh.

 

[king ward]

Hyman. Who also realized his mistake and fired him after four years.

And was driven by budgetary constraints left by McGee when he hired him.

 

[Bongsummers]

Tanner is still growing into the job...

Turns out knowing when to pull pitchers and when to bunt are not the same as running a $100,000,000 organization. Who would've guessed, right BOT?

 

[67gamecock]

Tanner is still growing into the job...

At the age of 60 that's a long adolescence!

 

[Bongsummers]

I try really hard not to criticize other's comments, but this one is quite possibly the dumbest one I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot.

I disagree. King Dixon was constrained by a BOT that refused to spend money and that's how we end up with Sparky. He was cheap. (The BOT said they were going to emphasize academics, not athletics--they did half of that) Ray Tanner has a 115 million dollar Athletic Department (10 spots in front of Clemson) and a BOT that's willing to spend. Currently, the difference in football programs has never been wider and men's sports lose to Clemson in everything. I can't think of another flagship university in America that consistently losses to their land grant little brother.

 

[king ward]

I disagree. King Dixon was constrained by a BOT that refused to spend money and that's how we end up with Sparky. He was cheap. (The BOT said they were going to emphasize academics, not athletics--they did half of that) Ray Tanner has a 115 million dollar Athletic Department (10 spots in front of Clemson) and a BOT that's willing to spend. Currently, the difference in football programs has never been wider and men's sports lose to Clemson in everything. I can't think of another flagship university in America that consistently losses to their land grant little brother.

Beautiful summation of a disparaging situation.

 

[Noonoo-33]

I disagree. King Dixon was constrained by a BOT that refused to spend money and that's how we end up with Sparky. He was cheap. (The BOT said they were going to emphasize academics, not athletics--they did half of that) Ray Tanner has a 115 million dollar Athletic Department (10 spots in front of Clemson) and a BOT that's willing to spend. Currently, the difference in football programs has never been wider and men's sports lose to Clemson in everything. I can't think of another flagship university in America that consistently losses to their land grant little brother.

Yes

 

[Bongsummers]

Beautiful summation of a disparaging situation.

I love Ray Tanner. He brought us two national championships. He loves the University of South Carolina and wants us to be great. And if that were enough, he'd be the greatest athletic director in America. But it isn't. He had a coach bail mid season and then let the players pick the interim coach that went on to lose to the Citadel. He whiffed on his first two choices to replace Spurrier and was bailed out by the BOT. His handling of scheduling is amateurish. He took the first contract offer from Under Armor, apparently unaware that it's a negotiation. But I'll give Ray this - he's running clean programs and we're graduating players. That's important. Now he just needs to start beating Clemson in something. And soon.

 

[king ward]

I love Ray Tanner. He brought us two national championships. He loves the University of South Carolina and wants us to be great. And if that were enough, he'd be the greatest athletic director in America. But it isn't. He had a coach bail mid season and then let the players pick the interim coach that went on to lose to the Citadel. He whiffed on his first two choices to replace Spurrier and was bailed out by the BOT. His handling of scheduling is amateurish. He took the first contract offer from Under Armor, apparently unaware that it's a negotiation. But I'll give Ray this - he's running clean programs and we're graduating players. That's important. Now he just needs to start beating Clemson in something. And soon.

If you ain't doin' it all, you ain't doin' enough.

 

[SCGCock07]

I try really hard not to criticize other's comments, but this one is quite possibly the dumbest one I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot.

And yet your erudite self has no substantive response to my statement. Frick off.

 

[USC75Grad]

Tanner is still growing into the job...

LOL.

 

[robertfootball]

I disagree. King Dixon was constrained by a BOT that refused to spend money and that's how we end up with Sparky. He was cheap. (The BOT said they were going to emphasize academics, not athletics--they did half of that) Ray Tanner has a 115 million dollar Athletic Department (10 spots in front of Clemson) and a BOT that's willing to spend. Currently, the difference in football programs has never been wider and men's sports lose to Clemson in everything. I can't think of another flagship university in America that consistently losses to their land grant little brother.

And last year Clemson outspent us in football by $4.7 million. Doesn't sound like a lot until you realize they're 10th in football spending and we are 21st.

 

[bayrooster]

The volleyball team went from 4 conference wins to the NCAA tournament under a 1st year coach. First time to the tourney since 2002.

View embedded media

What women's sport are we not good in? (The WBB team is going to be just fine.)

If all you only care about football and basketball, that's fine. But recognize a lot of our teams are having success and are proudly representing the university.

I do appreciate that, but the fact is the big money making sports aren't doing well, and the AD happens to be in charge of running a department that should be trying to change that.

 

[GandBinNC]

And yet your erudite self has no substantive response to my statement. Frick off.

"Frick off"?

SCGCock, I had to look up "erudite", so by default, that probably means I am not all that erudite. All due respect, your post was not substantive, so a substantive response was not warranted. In hindsight, no response was necessary whatsoever. It was one of those knee jerk things one does sometimes on these boards.

You wrote that Tanner makes King Dixon look like a genius (or something along those lines), which I thought was was preposterous. I shouldn't have replied, and calling your comment dumb was an unnecessary shot across the bow on someone I don't know and will never meet. A fellow Gamecock at that. It did not add to the discussion, and was beneath my own standards.

We're all frustrated with certain aspects of our athletics department. I feel your pain.

Peace out.

 

[JasonScottinSC]

Football is on a five year losing streak to Clemson and Kentucky. Four years so far to Georgia. I guess us losing by only 21 to UPC is something to be glad about.

Men's Basketball just got molested by Wofford and Stony Brook and the sec is loaded with ranked teams.

Women's basketball has a .500 record on the verge of being unranked for the first time in forever.

Is baseball going to be any good? We got hot towards the end of the year but a ton of pitching graduated or went to the draft.

What the hell is Ray Tanner doing to earn his paycheck right now?

OK, I could create a list of all the good things teams other than football have done since Tanner has been A.D., but obviously you don't care (to sum it up, every team other than cross country has made the NCAA tournament at least once during his watch, but I won't waste your time with all the various championships, Final Fours etc.) Football is the only sport that creates revenue at USC (men's basketball and baseball lose money each year - I asked at a Gamecock Club meeting a couple years back).

So football only: Assuming Muschamp and the Gamecocks beat Akron, Muschamp will have the most wins of ANY USC football coach in history for his first 3 years on the job. I think you have a false sense of our own history in football and think that somehow Tanner has destroyed a traditionally great program. 100+ years of Carolina football and only 4 years with 10 or more wins (and the 1984 season wasn't as great as folks would like to remember as USC lost to freaking Navy and lost its bowl game.) So tell me again what Tanner has done to put the department in the dumpster?

All of our women's programs are relevant, and I know you don't care. WBB is rebuilding, but they will be fine. MBB stinks this year, but still has a Final Four (even the great McGuire never got us there!). Baseball - definitely on the way up with the hiring of Kingston who was lauded by national pundits as a great hire.

If you're angry that MBB is having a bad year, that's fine. I think some of the players have to be accountable for that, too.

 

[HI Cock]

I'm looking forward to Equestrian season.

 

[Noonoo-33]

I'm looking forward to Equestrian season.

Don’t forget our crack Turkish water polo team....the palmetto series....blah blah blah

 

[JGH 35]

OK, I could create a list of all the good things teams other than football have done since Tanner has been A.D., but obviously you don't care (to sum it up, every team other than cross country has made the NCAA tournament at least once during his watch, but I won't waste your time with all the various championships, Final Fours etc.) Football is the only sport that creates revenue at USC (men's basketball and baseball lose money each year - I asked at a Gamecock Club meeting a couple years back).

So football only: Assuming Muschamp and the Gamecocks beat Akron, Muschamp will have the most wins of ANY USC football coach in history for his first 3 years on the job. I think you have a false sense of our own history in football and think that somehow Tanner has destroyed a traditionally great program. 100+ years of Carolina football and only 4 years with 10 or more wins (and the 1984 season wasn't as great as folks would like to remember as USC lost to freaking Navy and lost its bowl game.) So tell me again what Tanner has done to put the department in the dumpster?

All of our women's programs are relevant, and I know you don't care. WBB is rebuilding, but they will be fine. MBB stinks this year, but still has a Final Four (even the great McGuire never got us there!). Baseball - definitely on the way up with the hiring of Kingston who was lauded by national pundits as a great hire.

If you're angry that MBB is having a bad year, that's fine. I think some of the players have to be accountable for that, too.

Why do you think this is such a huge acheivement? You do realize that the vast majority of previous coaches only had the chance to play in 10 or 11 games in a season and there were far fewer bowl possibilities as well, don't you? If a coach has more games to play they should win more. It's not a great achievement, its just the numbers.

 

[uofsc]

OK, I could create a list of all the good things teams other than football have done since Tanner has been A.D., but obviously you don't care (to sum it up, every team other than cross country has made the NCAA tournament at least once during his watch, but I won't waste your time with all the various championships, Final Fours etc.) Football is the only sport that creates revenue at USC (men's basketball and baseball lose money each year - I asked at a Gamecock Club meeting a couple years back).

So football only: Assuming Muschamp and the Gamecocks beat Akron, Muschamp will have the most wins of ANY USC football coach in history for his first 3 years on the job. I think you have a false sense of our own history in football and think that somehow Tanner has destroyed a traditionally great program. 100+ years of Carolina football and only 4 years with 10 or more wins (and the 1984 season wasn't as great as folks would like to remember as USC lost to freaking Navy and lost its bowl game.) So tell me again what Tanner has done to put the department in the dumpster?

All of our women's programs are relevant, and I know you don't care. WBB is rebuilding, but they will be fine. MBB stinks this year, but still has a Final Four (even the great McGuire never got us there!). Baseball - definitely on the way up with the hiring of Kingston who was lauded by national pundits as a great hire.

If you're angry that MBB is having a bad year, that's fine. I think some of the players have to be accountable for that, too.

I guess the perception has a lot to do with the fact that the "neighbors" are building mansions and driving Ferraris while we are STILL living in the trailer park driving a damn AMC Gremlin and trying to find someone to take us to the prom.

 

[Kitchenlabs]

The level of stupidity and ignorance in this thread has reached epic proportions.