Wednesday, January 07, 2004

(UPDATED at 2:10 p.m.)

Is Derrick Hamilton bound for the draft, too?

Yesterday, defensive tackle Donnell Washington announced he'd declare himself eligible for the NFL draft. Today, it looks like all-star receiver Derrick Hamilton may do the same thing. (More here and here.)

I think Hamilton is making a mistake. An outstanding season in 2004 would have significantly raised his draft status.

I guess this is the downside of redshirting entire freshman classes.

RECRUITING UPDATE: This could be the weekend that decides which players will sign with Clemson. Thirty-six potential signees will visit the school this weekend. Signing Day is Feb. 4.

WALKER IN ALL-STAR GAME: Senior offensive lineman Gregory Walker will play in the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas All-American Classic on Jan. 17. Congratulations, Greg.

NOTEBOOK: Right here.

'ROCKY SHOCK': Here's a follow-up to the Peach Bowl that I haven't seen before. It's an enjoyable read.

CLEMSON FAN DIES AFTER FALL: Ian Burns, a Clemson fan who fell from a pedestrian ramp at the Peach Bowl, died of his injuries on Tuesday. I'm very sorry to hear that.

MORE TIME, LESS ACTION: Here's a fascinating story from the New York Times. It seems that the Sugar Bowl produced only 16 minutes and 28 seconds of live action during a 3-hour, 45-minute broadcast. The rest of the time was replays, commercials, shots of the band or the crowd, etc.

The Times seems to think this is a bad thing, and granted, some games do run too long (the Peach Bowl sure did), but I think that's what makes TV sporting events worth watching. You can see replays, see fan and player reactions up close, and often get a better understanding of what happened on the field than if you were there in person.

It's hard to beat the excitement generated by the crowd at a live sporting event, though. And the proliferation of Jumbo-trons in stadiums means we can get the instant replays, too.

If only it didn't take so long to go to the bathroom at Death Valley...

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