And I believe you heard that play-by-play, first hand on your cellular phone.
All Blake needs to do is read last Sunday's letters to the editor in the sports page for motivation:
Let it RIP!
Dear Blake and Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell,
I am a father of three. My 22-year-old daughter graduated from USC on Aug. 11, my twins are juniors at USC and Clemson. My wife teaches elementary school and I am in sports/youth ministry. My wife and I are both USC graduates and lifelong Gamecock fans.
We are working SEVEN jobs between us to ATTEMPT to put our three children through college. Of course, we cant make enough to cover all the costs so we borrow and face repayment of tuition and college costs. We do this because we value education and want the best opportunities for our children. I personally paid 100 percent of my last three years of college.
Who pays your tuition, books, room and board? Donors, like me, who love S.C. football, thats who! No professor or academic advisor has ever called my parents or called me to report class attendance or even class progress. Why? Because when you step onto a college campus you are considered to be old enough, mature and responsible for YOUR OWN ACTIONS!
It is a privilege to play college football, Blake. It is an honor to be the starting quarterback for Coach Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks! What a shame that you obviously have not figured out this yet. I challenge you to reimburse the University athletic department in FULL for the costs of the class you failed or dropped, the books for that class and the cost of your dorm/meals for this summer. Then perhaps you will begin to understand the true value of what you are receiving that others would appreciate and NOT squander.
I hope you will learn from this experience but PLEASE. enough is enough. Be a man, you are 22 years old, take full responsibility and become a leader and a winner!
JOEL SHAW
I have never felt Blake Mitchell fully understood his role as quarterback for THE University of the State of South Carolina. Physical requirements aside, LEADERSHIP is the primary responsibility of someone in the key role of quarterback. One can overlook the past years transgressions chalk them up to being a jock in college, and the adjoining sophomoric attitude.
By the time one reaches their senior year, you would think that maturity has taken hold, and adult concerns are paramount in ones daily life. Not making it to a summer school class that is required to graduate is more a high school act than someone about to step into the real world called adulthood.
Where is his commitment? There are more than a few men who covet the job Blake Mitchell holds I bet they all made it to class this past term.
Thanks for starting this football season on the right foot being suspended for the first game. Great way to remember your senior year. That first snap against Georgia on Sept. 8 should be a breeze just like summer school.
GARY SKENES
I hope you write a column about what cry-babies Mr. Mitchells parents are. When you go to college, youre supposed to grow up and take responsibility for your own actions because professors and administrative people are supposed to assume that you are an adult and should be treated like one. Is the University supposed to call every students parents that misses a class or just those of the starting quarterback?
Mr. Mitchells father said that if this would have been communicated, it would never have gotten to this point. Did he not communicate that his son should go to class? Maybe if hed just taught his son to be more responsible we wouldnt have gotten to this point.
ANTHONY WEST
For whatever it might be worth, here is my reaction to the following statements made by Blake Mitchells parents concerning athletics director Eric Hyman upholding Blakes suspension for the game on Saturday. I got these quotes from Joseph Persons article, Mitchell loses his appeal from todays The State.
To emphasize my intentions, I am in no way bashing Blake himself. Im sure Blake is a fine young man when it comes right down to it and we can all easily find worse examples of young adults who lack judgement and responsibility out in society. However, Blakes situation is not the same as any other young adult out there either. Very few young men play quarterback for a Division I football program. I am simply trying to offer a better understanding as to why a fifth-year quarterback can still have so many problems with judgement and responsibility.
From Blakes Dad:
I dont understand why no one called us. Theres nothing Blakes ever done or been involved with that we havent received a phone call, Nugget Mitchell said. I feel like if this thing had been communicated we would have never gotten to this point.
Im not really clear of the procedure and how it should be handled, Nugget Mitchell said. Im clear with what Blake should have done. He should have gone to class. But why wasnt Blake notified by Raymond Harrison that this was going to happen?
The reasons Mr. Mitchell got a call before was because Blake found himself on the wrong side of the law. Also, university attendance policy had already been set forth and communicated to all student athletes, coaches and administration. What makes Blake so special that the university should have to hold his hand? Raymond Harrison has no obligation whatsoever to monitor each days class attendance of over 400 USC student-athletes, he only gets a report when enough points are accrued to merit disciplinary action. 18- to 22-year-old student athletes are adults. It is called responsibility. Blakes Dad is not doing his son any favors by trying to find someone else to point the blame for Blakes lack of responsibility. The old saying, lead by example means lead by good example, not bad.
From Blakes Mom:
As a mom, of course I support Blake, she said. But even with all that happened last year, I still support South Carolina.
Let me get this one straight, she still supports South Carolina after HER son was the one who was being disobedient to his coachs requests by staying out late drinking and punching a bouncer in the face? Did I miss something here? Would someone kindly ask Mrs. Mitchell to demonstrate exactly what USC did to harm her son? In her eyes, does USC actually owe Blake an apology for his suspension last year after publicly embarrassing the university and football program? Furthermore, would someone also kindly ask Mrs. Mitchell to demonstrate how the University of South Carolina is responsible for her own sons lack of judgement and juvenile behavior? Mrs. Mitchell basically implied that USC should have praised Blake for getting into trouble last year, but yet she still supports South Carolina even though he was disciplined by the coach. Priceless!
The bottom line is the both of Blake Mitchells parents are looking to lay the blame for Blakes problems on everyone other than Blake, thus diverting the blame from themselves. Now we have a better understanding as to why our fifth-year senior quarterback still has problems with responsibility and judgement. Simply put, Blake would possess better judgement and responsibility himself if he saw similar attributes coming from his own parents. Every child is a product of their own parents.
TODD HARBIN
