Ericvol2096
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Saw this in the Charleston paper and thought it was interesting.
Looking out for No. 2By Gene Sapakoff (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A few simple recruiting rules will help Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina coaching staff out there on the rugged recruiting trail:
1. Do not tell a high school kid Sterling Sharpe said, "Yes." Particularly when the 1987 All-America receiver, who doubles as the Gamecocks' greatest NFL player, was not consulted.
2. Do not consult Sterling Sharpe.
For that matter, never ask the very rare Gamecocks football player who is both honored with a retired jersey and still alive to surrender a huge chunk of his glory unless said player is convicted of heinous crimes or goes on the Jerry Springer Show.
What a mess South Carolina has made of the Sharpe jersey un-retirement and re-retirement fiasco.
Trouble started when Spurrier evidently told highly prized late signee Alshon Jeffery he could wear No. 2, the wide receiver's jersey number at Calhoun County High School. It was initially assumed Spurrier cleared the offer with one Sterling Sharpe, also No. 2 and one of only four South Carolina football players with a retired jersey number.
Sharpe was understandably livid.
"My guts will definitely be ripped out," Sharpe told Columbia radio station 107.5 "The Game" when asked how he would feel if South Carolina gave No. 2 to Jeffery, or anyone else.
'Permission was sought'
All of which forced Spurrier to release an official statement Sunday.
"I recently learned of the athletics department policy regarding retired numbers and jerseys," Spurrier said while announcing Jeffery will wear No. 1. "The policy states that the four previously retired numbers would stay retired unless approval was granted from the player whose number was retired. In this instance, permission was sought to use a retired number and permission was denied. It is now a dead issue. I talked to Alshon and he is ready and excited to wear number 1 for the Carolina Gamecocks."
Well, obviously all the damage control specialists were busy advising Alex Rodriguez over the weekend.
Like the poor guy tossed on the body cart in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the issue is not quite dead. Mostly because of the "permission was sought" part of the statement.
Simply bringing up the subject in private was enough to hurt Sharpe's feelings. Saying he said "No" casts him as disloyal to some fans. It's always better to promote your legends, not dilute.
Given a chance to seriously wound the issue, the company letterhead clarification just put Sharpe on the spot again.
Of course, most major college athletic programs have jersey retirement policies, and all are as flexible as the personalities involved. For instance, Ohio State a decade ago let linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer have the No. 45 worn by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.
Bad timing
Friends know Sharpe as proud and sensitive. Thus, the timing of this flap could hardly have been worse.
Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Joe Morrison, Sharpe's head coach at South Carolina. The Morrison years were bittersweet for Sharpe and everyone else in garnet and black. There were two bowl appearances, but a mega-steroid scandal first reported in Sports Illustrated and The Post and Courier eventually would have led to the school firing Morrison.
Numbergate also came on the heels of another Pro Football Hall of Fame vote. Sharpe deserves to be in. Enshrinement looked like a lock before a career-ending neck injury suffered in a collision with, of all people, former South Carolina teammate Brad Edwards during a Packers-Falcons game.
The continuing problem for South Carolina athletics over the years has been too many cooks in the Frogmore stew. Too often, Gamecock Nation pulls apart instead of sticking together.
Maybe this is a lesson on how looking out for No. 2 gives South Carolina a better shot at gaining ground on No. 1 in the SEC East
Looking out for No. 2By Gene Sapakoff (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A few simple recruiting rules will help Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina coaching staff out there on the rugged recruiting trail:
1. Do not tell a high school kid Sterling Sharpe said, "Yes." Particularly when the 1987 All-America receiver, who doubles as the Gamecocks' greatest NFL player, was not consulted.
2. Do not consult Sterling Sharpe.
For that matter, never ask the very rare Gamecocks football player who is both honored with a retired jersey and still alive to surrender a huge chunk of his glory unless said player is convicted of heinous crimes or goes on the Jerry Springer Show.
What a mess South Carolina has made of the Sharpe jersey un-retirement and re-retirement fiasco.
Trouble started when Spurrier evidently told highly prized late signee Alshon Jeffery he could wear No. 2, the wide receiver's jersey number at Calhoun County High School. It was initially assumed Spurrier cleared the offer with one Sterling Sharpe, also No. 2 and one of only four South Carolina football players with a retired jersey number.
Sharpe was understandably livid.
"My guts will definitely be ripped out," Sharpe told Columbia radio station 107.5 "The Game" when asked how he would feel if South Carolina gave No. 2 to Jeffery, or anyone else.
'Permission was sought'
All of which forced Spurrier to release an official statement Sunday.
"I recently learned of the athletics department policy regarding retired numbers and jerseys," Spurrier said while announcing Jeffery will wear No. 1. "The policy states that the four previously retired numbers would stay retired unless approval was granted from the player whose number was retired. In this instance, permission was sought to use a retired number and permission was denied. It is now a dead issue. I talked to Alshon and he is ready and excited to wear number 1 for the Carolina Gamecocks."
Well, obviously all the damage control specialists were busy advising Alex Rodriguez over the weekend.
Like the poor guy tossed on the body cart in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the issue is not quite dead. Mostly because of the "permission was sought" part of the statement.
Simply bringing up the subject in private was enough to hurt Sharpe's feelings. Saying he said "No" casts him as disloyal to some fans. It's always better to promote your legends, not dilute.
Given a chance to seriously wound the issue, the company letterhead clarification just put Sharpe on the spot again.
Of course, most major college athletic programs have jersey retirement policies, and all are as flexible as the personalities involved. For instance, Ohio State a decade ago let linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer have the No. 45 worn by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.
Bad timing
Friends know Sharpe as proud and sensitive. Thus, the timing of this flap could hardly have been worse.
Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Joe Morrison, Sharpe's head coach at South Carolina. The Morrison years were bittersweet for Sharpe and everyone else in garnet and black. There were two bowl appearances, but a mega-steroid scandal first reported in Sports Illustrated and The Post and Courier eventually would have led to the school firing Morrison.
Numbergate also came on the heels of another Pro Football Hall of Fame vote. Sharpe deserves to be in. Enshrinement looked like a lock before a career-ending neck injury suffered in a collision with, of all people, former South Carolina teammate Brad Edwards during a Packers-Falcons game.
The continuing problem for South Carolina athletics over the years has been too many cooks in the Frogmore stew. Too often, Gamecock Nation pulls apart instead of sticking together.
Maybe this is a lesson on how looking out for No. 2 gives South Carolina a better shot at gaining ground on No. 1 in the SEC East
