re: Baseball Thread (46-18, 20-9) I SC vs. Oklahoma State - L 1-3

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Were you in the end suite on the 3rd Base line, rooster? I was up there in our company's suite last night for the game and saw a few folks coming in and out.

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Yes I was ... there and The Perch.

Spurrier spoke to us yesterday afternoon.

In a nutshell, he talked about his career mostly, about his years at Florida, said going to Washington was a mistake that he did mostly for the money but in retrospect he wished he had not jumped on the Washington job because he would have gotten the Tampa Bay job the next year and it was a much better job for a much better owner and close to home. He said when he left Washington, of his own accord, Jerri wanted him to take the UNC job ... but the UNC job wasn't open. So he said what about the SC job? She was hesitant because that meant having to play their alma mater against friends plus having to battle against UGA (who wanted revenge) and Tennessee every year ... but he did it anyway and it all worked out for the best and she is happy and he is happy and they have loved their time here. He was very appreciative.

I thought he looked great, better than I've seen him look in years honestly. He looks refreshed and healthy. I was really beginning to worry about him these past couple of years - you could tell the stress had gotten to him but he looked good yesterday.

He said he should have retired after the Miami bowl win but he thought he had a good team returning. But he realized when only about have of his team showed up for their weekly fellowshipping, church related stuff, that he knew he had lost the team ... plus a couple of the players were tweeting negative stuff, etc. He said he probably delegated too much towards the end and he sort of regretted doing that but it's all water under the bridge now.

He said he felt like the right thing to do was to let his coaches have a crack at it, to turn it around.

Some of the things I learned later at the ballgame that I can share ... (not from the HBC)

There is going to be a player or two that will be suspended the first couple of games this next season for academic reasons ... 2-4 games. Thought he was going pro ... decided to return, but had slacked off of classes because he thought he was going pro. That's one of them. The other one I'm not sure of.

There will be a couple more processed if they do not get their acts together, but the coaches are giving them every opportunity to make it between now and July.

Most of the returning guys have responded really well to the off season workout program. A new level of enthusiasm in the weight room. Having Marcus around is a big plus for the program. The way Dillman is running the off-season program, along with his assistants, is impressive.

We're going to need some immediate help from some of the new guys coming in ... the staff recognizes that fact, but they like some of the guys returning, they feel like they have something to work with.

I heard over and over again, "extremely hard workers ... all of them. There early and they stay late. They are on the road all the time out there rebuilding relationships and talking to people."

They are going to go all out with the camps this off season ... they expect a lot of players at the camps.