South-Carolina

15 years.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2024

I’ll never forget discovering GamecockCentral.com.

Growing up, I wasn’t really into college sports. I was more of an NFL, NBA kid. That’s what was on the TV growing up. Being from Anderson, I was generally surrounded by Clemson and Georgia fans. While neither of those segments was able to capture me, there wasn’t exactly a wealth of Gamecocks around, either.

It wasn’t until high school, when I took a visit to South Carolina’s campus with my friend, that I began to understand.

My buddy’s sister went to Carolina and invited us down to Columbia. The Georgia Bulldogs were in town. Troy Williamson took a slant 64 yards for a touchdown. Ko Simpson picked off David Greene and took it to the house. The fans in Williams-Brice Stadium were losing their minds.

The second half didn’t go as well. The Gamecocks would go on to lose a heartbreaker, 16-10.

It didn’t matter to me.

I was hooked.

From there, I started really paying attention. I looked online for websites with information on USC sports and recruiting and came across a cool website run by someone named Brian Shoemaker.

I was a poor college kid, but I just had to get the premium subscription anyway. The information was too riveting, the message boards too entertaining.

From a computer in my Whaley’s Mill apartment on USC’s campus, I perused recruiting profiles and discussed with friends all the four-star prospects who were definitely going to be the next stars in Columbia.

I could have never predicted that that website would allow me to be employed just a few years later.

And I couldn’t have dreamed that I would still be here 15 years after that.

The plan at USC was to finish undergrad and go to law school, but I had always enjoyed writing. My first job out of college was as a legal assistant for a criminal defense attorney.

I was so deep into the world of Gamecock sports that I began to do some freelancing. I sometimes did this in the middle of my duties helping to defend the wrongfully accused. The first football story I ever wrote online was a piece on South Carolina’s special teams, coached at the time by Shane Beamer.

I had opened up a conversation with Shoe about possibly doing some part-time work for him. One day, he sent an email that went something like this:

“Actually, I’m going to have a full-time position open.”

I was surprised, mainly that he would want to talk with me about that job. Nonetheless, an interview was set.

The meeting took place in – almost hilariously now – the Whitney Hotel.

Somehow, I got the job.

I think it’s most likely because some guy named Wes Mitchell was under contract elsewhere and Shoe couldn’t hire him.

Either way, I was in. And boy, was I clueless.

On top of getting married in just a few months and needing to buy a house, I also needed to really learn how to do this job that Shoe had hired me to do. I was stepping into a competitive market with little experience. The vast majority of USC fans would have no clue who I was, and for good reason.

I had a little runway before I would officially start, but I got to work behind the scenes. I cold-called potential sources and worked on building relationships. I tried to absorb and learn what I could, but I had a long way to go.

That first summer, I covered one of Steve Spurrier’s summer camps. Spurrier, who was brilliant but sometimes aloof, ran across me. When he found out I was with the media – even though the camps were open to everyone including media – he nearly kicked me out. Then-quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus stood nearby, watching it all and trying not to laugh.

Not all was smooth at the beginning. Plenty of other things happened in those early days that were not funny. Many lessons were learned the hard way.

I onboarded at a fun time. Spurrier was recruiting a running back who could revolutionize the team in Marcus Lattimore. The Gamecocks made the SEC Championship game for the first time ever the second year I covered the program.

Before college football got all paranoid, we viewed entire preseason practices. I sat in my tailgating chair on the old Proving Grounds, watching Alshon Jeffery go against Stephon Gilmore in practice.

Clowney arrived. The team won 33 games in three seasons and beat Clemson for five straight seasons.

A couple years later, Spurrier left. It happened unexpectedly at the end of a Monday night practice. Wes – who had by then joined us at GamecockCentral – and I worked to run down the story, beaten barely by a national reporter.

We covered the hiring – and firing – of Will Muschamp, then the search that led to Shane Beamer.

I’ve had a chance to hear the funniest, craziest stories. I’ve been fortunate to break some stories. I’ve been beaten on a bunch of them, too.

There’s not much, by the way, like the thrill of chasing a big scoop and being able to publish it.

That feeling still pales in comparison to the joy from the relationships I’ve been able to form because of this job. I’ve met people I never would have otherwise met in these 15 years. I am very thankful for all those folks and to everyone who’s done so much for me professionally and personally. It seems almost silly sometimes that this is how I get to make my living.

The people that I need to thank the most are the ones that are reading this.

A lot has happened in 15 years. The football team has won games and lost games. Recruits have committed, decommitted, transferred, and even transferred back. On a personal level, I’ve had two children, lost my dad, and gone through more of the real world stuff that gets all of us at one point or another.

Through all of, GamecockCentral has been a constant. You all have been there.

When I published my first Insider Report 15 years ago today, you gave me a chance.

When I stepped away for a bit in the summer of 2022, you all were waiting when I came back.

A couple of years before that, none of us knew if we would even have jobs for much longer, because sporting events were on halt. You stayed subscribed, and we’re still here.

To everyone who has logged on to GamecockCentral.com to read one of our stories, I appreciate you.

For all of our subscribers – many of you far predate my arrival here – the fact that you trusted us enough to join is the reason I get to have this incredible gig.

I hope I can have it for a while longer.

[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]

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South-Carolina

Baseball Drops Thursday Decision at Tennessee

Published

4 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Press Room

Baseball Drops Thursday Decision at Tennessee

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee used four home runs in a 9-3 win over the University of South Carolina baseball team Thursday night (May 16) in the first of a three-game series against the Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Ethan Petry opened the scoring with his 20^th home run of the season, a solo shot to left in the first inning. Tennessee answered with Christian Moore’s 25^th home run, tying the game at one after one inning of play. Tennessee scored four runs the third on home runs from Moore and Kavares Tears.

The Volunteers went up 6-1 in the fourth on Blake Burke’s RBI double, but Cole Messina got that run back in the sixth with a solo home run over the batter’s eye in center.

Tennessee scored three runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Dylan Dreiling two-run home run. Dalton Reeves brought in the game’s final run in the eighth on a single up the middle.

Ty Good took the loss, allowing five hits and six runs with four strikeouts in four innings. Tyler Pitzer had four strikeouts in three innings. Petry, Messina and Reeves had two hits apiece with Messina scoring two runs.

POSTGAME NOTES

Petry now has 43 career home runs, tied for sixth in Carolina history.
Petry has a 12-game hit streak after the home run in the first.
Good now has 341 career strikeouts between Carolina and the College of Charleston.

UP NEXT
Carolina and Tennessee continue the three-game set on Friday night (May 17) at 6:30 p.m., at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The game will be stream

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South-Carolina

Michael Cohen continues cross-examination in Trump's criminal hush money trial

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Press Room

Michael Cohen continues cross-examination in Trump's criminal hush money trial

Updated May 16, 2024 at 13:22 PM ET

NEW YORK — Michael Cohen isback on the stand to testify against his former boss Donald Trump in a New York criminal trial, and he is faced with his own criminal history. Still, prosecutors, who are nearing the end of their case, allege Trump committed 34 felony counts of falsified business records — and Cohen is central to proving it.

Cohen testifiedearlier this week to his longtime relationship and falling outwith the former president. In testimony, he detailed how he negotiated a settlement with adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump in the months leading up to the 2016 election. A $130,000 settlement was paid for by Cohen, which he said was at the direction of Trump, and later reimbursed by Trump. Those reimbursements constitute the 34 falsified documents.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche began cross-examination Tuesday, questioning Cohen’s motivations against Trump and about his recent profiting off of merchandise promoting Trump being put in jail. Picking up on Thursday morning, Blanche walked through Cohen’s history of perjury, including lying to Congress and federal investigators.

In 2018, when presented with an 80-page potential indictment that included his wife, Cohen said he decided to plead guilty to lying to banks, tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws. Cohen doubled down on Thursday that although he has taken responsibility, he does not believe he should have been charged for the tax evasion charges.

Blanche questioned Cohen about past testimonies related to that case before Congress in 2019, while under oath at the Southern District Court of New York and during Trump’s civil fraud trial in the fall. In those examples, Blanche was highlighting shifting statements from Cohen.

“I accepted responsibility and I suffered the consequences,” Cohen said, while also recalling that he testified in October that he falsely plead guilty to the tax evasion charges.

Before lunch, Blanche got into the settlement with Daniels.

The jury and Cohen have been shown call logs between Trump’s body guard Keith Schiller and Cohen in October 2016. Cohen has said that during that phone call he spoke with Trump about the “Stormy Daniels situation.”

On Thursday, Blanche pointed to new evidence in the form of text messages that also show Cohen was talking to Schiller about a series of harassing phone calls he had been receiving. The 1 minute and 36 second phone call became the focus of a pre-lunch questioning over whether or not Cohen recalls talking to Trump at all in that time and also speaking to him about the Daniels deal.

“Based upon what was going on and the other text messages, yes I believe I was telling the truth,” Cohen said when referencing Tuesday’s testimony.

Prosecutors have spent weeks setting up Cohen’s corroboration of Trump’s knowledge of the 34 allegedly falsified documents. But they also set him up as someone bullish, unlikeable and self-interested. At the same time, the defense and Trump himself have long attacked Cohen’s credibility.

The jury has so far listened to four weeks of testimony, including Daniels herself last week. Jurors have also heard from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who first testified to the details of the deals made to flag potentially damaging stories to Cohen and Trump. And jurors heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated the nondisclosure agreements and settlement payments for Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal. McDougal is not expected to be called to testify.

Trump has pleaded not guilty, and he has denied allegations of extramarital affairs

Several former and current Trump employees, both from his flagship company and his administration, testified to the process in which Trump received personal invoices and paid personal checks — including those used to pay Cohen back.

Jeenah Moon / Getty Images

Getty Images

Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Bob Good, R-Va., arrive on Thursday to attend Trump’s criminal trial.

Trump’s defense may begin their case as soon as next week.

More guests come to support Trump

Trump’s special guest appearances have ramped up for the week of Cohen’s testimony, with groups of congressional members coming in to watch, especially those from his new home state of Florida and from the House Congressional Freedom Caucus.

On Thursday, Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Bob Good, R-Va., sat in the row right behind Trump as proceedings began.

Earlier in the week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a vice president hopeful, and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy flanked the former president.

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South-Carolina

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. South Carolina on today? Time, TV schedule, streaming info

Published

18 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Press Room

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. South Carolina on today? Time, TV schedule, streaming info

Tennessee baseball enters the final regular season series with a chance to claim a shared or outright SEC title.

The Vols need to sweep South Carolina in a series that begins Thursday and hope Kentucky loses at least once against Vanderbilt. Tennessee enters the weekend a game behind Kentucky with Arkansas also a game behind.

UT has won eight SEC series in a row after the opening series loss to Alabama. The Gamecocks (33-18, 13-14 SEC) are comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field but could push to be a regional host with a strong finish.

Here’s everything you need to know about Tennessee’s series vs. South Carolina, including time, TV and streaming info and more:

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. South Carolina today?

Streaming channel for all three games: SEC Network+

The Tennessee-South Carolina baseball series will be streamed on SEC Network+. Those who subscribe to the SEC Network can access SEC Network+ via the ESPN app.

Tennessee baseball vs. South Carolina start times

Thursday’s game time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Friday’s game time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Saturday’s game time: 1 p.m. ET

The Tennessee-South Carolina baseball series will begin with Thursday’s game at 6:30 p.m. ET inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee baseball SEC schedule 2024

Record: 43-10 (19-8 SEC)

March 15: at Alabama, W 11-3
March 16: at Alabama, L 6-3
March 17: at Alabama, L 7-6
March 22: Ole Miss, W 15-3 in seven innings
March 23: Ole Miss, L 8-5
March 24: Ole Miss, W 15-4 in seven innings
March 29: Georgia, L 16-2 in seven innings
March 30: Georgia, W 16-11
March 31: Georgia, W 7-0
April 5: at Auburn, L 9-5
April 6: at Auburn, W 12-2 in seven innings
April 7: at Auburn, W 19-5 in seven innings
April 12: LSU, W 6-3
April 13: LSU, W 3-1
April 14: LSU, W 8-4
April 19: at Kentucky, L 5-3
April 20: at Kentucky, W 9-4
April 21: at Kentucky, W 13-11
April 25: Missouri, W 10-1
April 26: Missouri, W 3-2
April 27: Missouri, W 3-2
May 3: at Florida, W 6-2
May 3: at Florida, L 4-3
May 4: at Florida, W 16-3
May 10: at Vanderbilt, W 8-4
May 11: at Vanderbilt, W 7-6
May 12: at Vanderbilt, L 3-0
May 16: South Carolina, 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
May 17: South Carolina, 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
May 18: South Carolina, 1 p.m. on SEC Network+
May 21-26: SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Alabama

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