SIGNING DAY RESULTS

Clemson signed a good class yesterday, ranked as high as 14th and as low as 26th nationally. something to be proud of. (Click here for the results) However, it could have been a great class akin to what our feathered friends in Columbia landed, if it weren't for interference from the academic administration of Clemson. I'm not referring to recruiting kids who can't meet minimum standards of the university and NCAA Clearinghouse. I am referring to recruiting kids who meet all academic standards, only to have a university board force the coaches to call up the recruits the day before signing day and ax their scholly. Mickey Plyler, Clemson alumn and local radio show host/blogger, sums the situation up perfectly here.

This entire situation brings to mind the clash between academics and athletics that occurred during, and ultimately ended, the era of Danny Ford. Uttles and some of our older Clemson fans will understand the Ford situation better than I and can probably explain the similarities a bit better.

Plyler details the situation better than I could ever hope to, so read his blog for the nuts and bolts of the fiasco. My thoughts on it are basically it seems the administration is handicapping the efforts of our football team. How can Clemson turn the corner if they can't recruit the same players as our biggest competitors? How can I throw my support behind a football team I know will always be an 8-4, 8-5 alsoran? I don't believe in sacrificing academic integrity for the sake of athletics, as many big time programs have done, but I also think it's silly to hold our athletes to the same standard as a Duke or Vanderbilt. You can't tell me that Dwight Jones couldn't make our academic standards but had no problem meeting those of UNC, a top 10 public university.

Read the Plyler blog and let me know what you think about the situation. Things are going to be nasty in Tiger Town for a while now and this might result in a new coach or a new president, at the very least.