Some of us grew up dreaming of being rock stars. Heck, some of us still might dream about it.
You get to play music every night for adoring crowds. You get to tour the country on a nice bus. Or, if you're really good, a nice plane.
And even though working for the TI machine brings about its own rock-star existence, with us having to turn away hundreds of autograph requests when we're in public, we still aren't big enough where we're attracting groupies like rock stars do.
As cool as some aspects of the rock-star existence might be, only certain people can pull it off successfully. There are seasons' worth of "Behind the Music" episodes that show you most cannot.
So we turn to Kyle Parker, whose skillful juggling act of football and baseball at Clemson has led Dabo Swinney to say he's living the life of a rock star.
It's probably a fair description at this point. And Parker has handled it quite well. Anyone who was able to witness last Saturday's stadium scrimmage knows that. In the midst of stressful contract negotiations with the Colorado Rockies, Parker went out and lit it up. Everyone who was there -- coaches, players, fans -- raved about the kid's performance after it was over.
Even though Parker finally achieved some relief late last night after coming to a deal with the Rockies, the stress isn't over; it's merely on hold.
Can anyone tell me how this kid plans to navigate the winter and spring? He's under contract with the Rockies. He's eligible for the NFL Draft. And if he wants to preserve the leverage that'll come with his ability to play an additional two years of football for the Tigers, he'll need to stay in school (and stay academically eligible).
Just thinking about the possibilities gives you a headache (almost as big as the headache that came with trying to follow his two sets of negotiations with the Rockies).
The juggling act that figures to be on the horizon is enough to make his past juggling acts look like games of Tiddlywinks.
But if anyone can handle it, this rock star can.
Moving right along...
Media ethics occupied the headlines yesterday.
A radio gal in Arkansas learned the hard way not to wear a Florida Gators hat to a Bobby Petrino press conference.
An Arkansas radio personality announced that she was fired Monday, two days after wearing a Florida Gators hat to an Arkansas Hogs news conference.
Renee Gork announced on Twitter that she had been fired by KAKS, a northwest Arkansas radio station that calls itself Hog Sports Radio. Gork had worn a Gator hat Saturday to a news conference with Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino.
Petrino, whose team lost to the Gators last season 23-20 at Florida, commented on Gork's hat after answering a question she asked. "And that will be the last question I answer with that hat on," Petrino said.
First of all, not a smart move on this girl's part for choosing to wear a Gators hat to an Arkansas press conference.
But is this really a fireable offense?
How much outrage would there be had the chick decided to wear an Arkansas hat? Sadly, none.
Josh Katzowitz of CBSSports.com is nauseated by the news that two "reporters" from Cincinnati asked Tim Tebow for his autograph in a post-game interview session.
People outside the journalism community might not think this is a big deal, but inside our world, it’s a very big deal. And a very big embarrassment. You’re taught from the moment you enter a clubhouse or a locker room as a cub reporter that you WILL NOT ask for autographs. It’s on the fine print of your media credential, but it wouldn’t even occur to most of us. You’re there to do a job, not to score some memorabilia.
A growing number of people in press boxes either can't read the fine print, or can't read at all. Post-game press conferences are beginning to resemble booster-club functions.
Florida State's Greg Reid is one bad mutha. Just ask him.
No, he doesn't watch film of how Florida State greats Deion Sanders and Terrell Buckley did things. He doesn't study guys in the NFL. In fact, asked the question, Reid gave a quizzical look and shook his head.
"No, not really, man," he said when asked whether he attempted to model his game after anyone else. "Not really. I'm not a 'past' guy. I don't really look at the past like that. I kind of focus on me and focus on how I should get better.
"I don't relate to nobody else."
And then:
"You can't throw an out route, you can't throw a slant, you can't throw a bubble [screen] on my side. You can't do nothing. That's how I see it."
Your first reaction is to think this guy is some punk who will soon face a harsh reality.
But then you watch this and you realize the kid has the goods to back up the gab.
Good news for Clemson fans: Tony Barnhart is one of the few folks who have Clemson rated in the Top 25.
Bad news for Clemson fans: He rates the Tigers one spot behind Sakerlina.
My friend Dan Collins, who's covered Wake Forest for something like forever, witnessed last weekend's scrimmage and thinks this Deacons team will surprise people.
Some notable insights:
The team that scrimmaged for the first time this preseason today at BB&T Field passed the eye test with flying colors, creating the notion that if the Deacons play as well as they look then they’ll be one of the ACC’s surprise teams this season.
And:
But whoever emerges will have plenty of weapons at their ready, and whoever quarterbacks against the Deacons is going to have to deal with, if not the biggest, then at least the strongest and fastest defense Wake Forest has ever put on a field. Those aren’t just my words.
“We’ve had some faster players, but just offensively, defensively, top to bottom it’s one of the more athletic teams we’ve had and probably overall is our fastest team,’’ Grobe said. “I like our athleticism right now."
And:
“We’ve got to play all three running backs. We’re going to end up doing that. The thing that we haven’t done – I don’t know how we’ll get to it because we’re not just a hand-the-ball-to-the-tailback team right now – I’d like to see Brandon and both Joshes get more carries. But the nature of the offense is that we’re going to be a little more selective about what play we’re running based on formation and what we’re seeing on defense and things like that. So it’s going to vary. One day you might get 30 carries and the next day you might get two."
Here's an update on North Texas.
BTW, didn't know until last week that the Mean Green got their name from famous alumnus Mean Joe Green (though accounts are not definitive).
So if Clemson had to give up "Tigers" and go with a moniker from a former player, who would it be?
The Judges?
The Refrigerators?
LW
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