|
Post by IdahoBoy on Sept 16, 2004 15:43:03 GMT -5
poppycock from the VolleyTalk sewing circle. LOL!! Quite possibly your most entertaining post, 7th man.
|
|
|
Post by TheSantaBarbarian on Sept 16, 2004 15:49:13 GMT -5
Are there any rumors out there as to whether there might be an alternate UCSB game this weekend?
|
|
|
Post by st15 on Sept 16, 2004 15:56:42 GMT -5
Erbe said today that if the weather were a problem the tournament would be moved to Notre Dame. I don't know why that isn't happening.
|
|
|
Post by Barefoot In Kailua on Sept 17, 2004 3:37:28 GMT -5
Gamecocks won’t face Trojans
By BOND NICKLES
Special Correspondent
This weekend’s Gamecock Invitational volleyball field went from a “who’s who” to a “who’s left?” Thursday when defending national champion Southern Cal phoned in its regrets.
Citing potential travel problems associated with hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne, Trojan officials elected not to send the team east. That leaves the host University of South Carolina with a three-team, round-robin event with considerably less luster than it had with perennial power and current No. 2-ranked Southern Cal in the field.
“We got a call this morning,” Gamecocks coach Kim Hudson said. “It was finalized about 11:30 that they were not going to be able to make it. I’d been in discussion with their coach over the course of the last few days. They are just really nervous about getting stuck somewhere. And I understand that.”<br> With one team gone, the remaining three will play one less match each, cutting in half the original six-match schedule. The 5-2 Gamecocks, who had been scheduled to open with the Trojans today, will have the day off while Michigan State (5-1) and Notre Dame (4-3) square off at 4 p.m.
Saturday, South Carolina and Michigan State play a noon match while Notre Dame sits.
Sunday will feature the Gamecocks and Notre Dame in a nationally televised match on College Sports TV (CSTV), which will air locally on Time Warner cable channel 150 or channel 610 on DirecTV. Sunday’s match starts at 2 p.m., but will air on a four-hour delay.
All three matches will be held at the Volleyball Competition Facility, adjacent to Carolina Coliseum.
USC athletics director Mike McGee said Friday that Trojans officials are amenable to traveling to Columbia later this season, if scheduling conflicts can be worked out.
“If they could come this year, we would attempt something similar to what we did with Clemson,” said McGee, referring to that match being played at the Colonial Center.
“That would give some folks the opportunity they wouldn’t have had this weekend.”<br> Meanwhile, even without the Trojans around, the Gamecock Invitational will offer Hudson’s young team an excellent opportunity to prove its worth before a couple of established national powers and, on Sunday, a national TV audience.
“I thought we played well against Clemson, but then we lost some of that focus at Duke (a 3-0 loss on Sept. 10),” Hudson said.
“But coming home, being able to take one match at a time, not having two matches in one day, I think it’s good for this young team.”<br> Fans wearing garnet or black on Saturday will be admitted free of charge. Free admission also is available Sunday for fans bringing the ticket stub from Saturday’s South Florida-USC football game.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Sept 17, 2004 12:56:39 GMT -5
Early in the week all participants of the South Carolina tourney were monitoring Hurricane Ivan and trying to decide on changing the venue. One of the possibilities was moving the sight to Notre Dame…all the schools decided to travel to Columbia, SC and move forward with the planned weekend. USC pulled out at the last minute after the other schools had already committed to go or were on route to Columbia…USC had ample opportunity to share their desire not to travel much earlier and possibly other arrangements could have been made…it was cowardly and unprofessional! Way to go USC!
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 14:32:45 GMT -5
Hurricanes are never predictable and you don't know their precise directions until a few hours before the fact. Early on, even some weather forecasters have thought that Ivan would hit the Mexican side of the Gulf, possibly near Cancun. Then it seemed that Ivan would blow towards New Orleans but at the last minute Ivan shifted slightly eastward, sparring New Orleans (which barely see any rain), and move towards Alabama and Appalachian mountains and would drench much of Georgia and the Carolinas in rain too. Also most of the flights from the west into the southeast go through Atlanta (via Delta) -- there is no direct flight between LA and Columbia. And yesterday, the day the team would have traveled, Atlanta airport was closed! So, travel arrangements was basically up in the air.
And of course, there are legitimate concerns for safety, especially since flying from west to the southeast would mean that the planes would go through the turbulent and stormy skies. Given that scenario, I don't think you could hardly accuse the team of cowardice and unprofessional. It is better to be safe than to be very sorry afterwards.
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Sept 17, 2004 14:57:45 GMT -5
Sounds like a partisan biased opinion to me! Atlanta did divert some flights and numerous airlines fly to Columbia, SC from California. Delta has connections in many other cities to Columbia, SC other than Atlanta and they would have gladly diverted USC through another city. Lame excuse…an easy way out…as I said before COWARDLY! That is the difference between Midwest blue collar values and the left coast!
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 14:59:53 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 15:01:25 GMT -5
Of course I am biased about the safety of the USC team. There is a difference between being careful and taking unnecessary risks.
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 15:04:01 GMT -5
Sounds like a partisan biased opinion to me! Atlanta did divert some flights and numerous airlines fly to Columbia, SC from California. Delta has connections in many other cities to Columbia, SC other than Atlanta and they would have gladly diverted USC through another city. Lame excuse…an easy way out…as I said before COWARDLY! That is the difference between Midwest blue collar values and the left coast! Well, are you planning to be in South Carolina (if you are not in S.C. already) to watch the remaining matches? If you are, good luck to you.
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 15:09:50 GMT -5
I guess you could add University of Connecticut to your list of supposedly "coward" school since they are the latest to cancel their trip to the tournament in Florida. And don't forget to add UCSB too. Wow, you would have 3 schools which have major concerns about the hurricane and travel plans.
Also, how would have characterised Southern Missisippi? Coward too?
|
|
|
Post by Phantom on Sept 17, 2004 15:39:35 GMT -5
MSU and Notre Dame are playing right now…just a few rain drops…like the tears running down your face. Bring an umbrella and suck it up! I sure hope the weather is absolutely perfect for the rest of the season or USC will have a very shallow schedule and record!
|
|
|
Post by roofed! on Sept 17, 2004 16:17:01 GMT -5
MSU and Notre Dame are playing right now…just a few rain drops…like the tears running down your face. Bring an umbrella and suck it up! I sure hope the weather is absolutely perfect for the rest of the season or USC will have a very shallow schedule and record! That is one thing you can trust on: USC's schedule will never be shallow with its Pac-10 conference matchups.
|
|
|
Post by GauchoFreg on Sept 17, 2004 16:20:25 GMT -5
USC could have played UCSB this weekend. With only a 2 hour drive between the schools with no obligation to host fans, the match easily could have happened if USC expressed interest. This game would not necessarily require the Thunderdome or Sport's Arena both of which may be unavailable on such short notice. They could easily play the game @ Robb Gym or SC's on-campus gym.
After UCSB canceled it's trip to Florida, the SB News Press mentioned that the coaches & admin were scrambling to find a replacement game for this weekend while USC stated they would not be looking to replace the games.
Everyone loses out this way, coaches, players, and fans.
Boooo SC!
|
|
|
Post by IdahoBoy on Sept 17, 2004 16:22:50 GMT -5
I think that UCSB committed to playing a different school before USC made their decision not to travel.
As soon as a date is decided on, I'll post where and when.
|
|