Clemson Football Program Receives Complaint From Freedom From Religion Foundation

[HT: Greenville (S.C.) News]

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a complaint to Clemson University citing "constitutional concerns about how the public university's football program is entangled with religion."

According to their website the FFRF is a non-profit that works to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.

Their complaint zero's in on head coach Dabo Swinney who the FFRF says promoted a culture in the program that violates stipulations toward the separation of church and state.

Here's a copy of the complaint the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent to Clemson University.

James Trapp is mentioned several times in the FFRF complaint regarding Swinney's insisting that Trapp consider the position as teams official Chaplain.  According to the 2013 Clemson football media guide Trapp position is Volunteer Team Advisior.

There is other issues as far as distribution of Bibles and doing a number of things meant to promote Christianity.

Clemson University chief public affairs officer Cathy Sams said the review of the FFRF's letter is not complete but said Coach Swinney did not force religion on the players.

"I can't comment on any of the specifics in the letter or any of the specific concerns," Sams said. "No one is required to participate in any religious activities related to the football program. It's purely voluntary. Religion and faith is a big part of Coach Swinney's personal beliefs, but it is in no way required. There is no mandatory participation."

Wednesday's "The Download With Bonnie Bernstein"

((HT: Campus Insiders/Yahoo!Sports))

Since the Twitter machine has linked the HQ with the folks over at CI, we figured as a daily public service that we would air their signature program starting...

Well, now...
Watch and enjoy... that's an order...

Clemson Releases Video From Howard's Rock Vandalism

((HT: Clemson their own selves))

Here's what the school is saying about the video and stills that are out there now...

Clemson University police released video and still images of a pickup truck suspected to be connected to the vandalism to Howard’s Rock, the iconic fixture Clemson players rub prior to running down the hill during the football team's entrance into Memorial Stadium.

Videos show the truck arriving and leaving the east side of Clemson Memorial Stadium Sunday, June 2, the period during which the rock was damaged. There also are photographs of the truck that were captured by city of Clemson cameras.

Police announced there is a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. The Clemson University Athletic Department raised the reward money from private funds.

If you have information regarding the case, call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Here's the coming in...


And the leaving...


The HQ would like to have the idiotic fools caught post haste...

Howard's Rock Vandalized... Really Not Cool...

In all that is wholly stupid, holy, and stupid...

From Clemson University's Sports Information Department:

Howard's Rock, the iconic fixture Clemson players rub prior to running down the hill during the football team's entrance into Memorial Stadium, was vandalized sometime June 2 or June 3. A small portion of The Rock was broken off of its pedestal after vandals broke the casing that protects the artifact.

"We take vandalism, especially of such an important part of our history, very seriously," said Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich. "Police are investigating."

There was no damage to the pedestal that supports the rock.

For those of you who have no idea what this means to Clemson, here's a small sample...
((HT: ESPN))


This is really not a good idea and the HQ hopes the person and/or persons responsible get vandalized, spray-painted, or something similar...

From WSPA-TV:

A police report obtained from the university stated that a officer responded to Clemson Memorial Stadium on June 3 after two employee's found the rock damaged. The officer observed the plexiglass cover was missing from Howard's Rock and a large piece of the rock was also missing.

The officer stated in the report that he found the plexiglass cover sitting on the ground near the gate to the stadium. The employee's told the officer that they did not touch the pedestal, but they did pick up several pieces of the rock and part of the lock from the case.

The officer took pictures of the damage and a partial fingerprint was recovered from the rock. A stadium employee took possession of the damaged lock and pieces of the rock. Athletic Department officials told the police officer that football campers had their pictures made at the rock on June 2, but the photo session ended at 4 pm.

The estimated damage to the rock is $500, but the total damage is still pending, the report states.

OSG High: Nkemdiche Decommits from Clemson- Ole Miss and Bama On The Clock...???

((HT: ESPN))

From FOSG Kipp Adams, it appears the first step in the process of finding the nation's number one recruit a new home is in place...

Grayson (GA) High head coach Mickey Conn has confirmed to Adams, via modern technology, that Clemson is not the current number one place for Robert Nkemdiche's services...

"I'm not talking to anybody about anything," Robert's mother, Beverly Nkemdiche told Adams. "I'm not talking about recruiting anymore. I'm not talking about recruiting with anybody."

Robert Nkemdiche told Adams separately that he expects Ole Miss defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff and Georgia running backs coach Bryan McClendon to attend his regular-season game Friday night when the Rams play Brookwood.

Nkemdiche is also in line to take another "unofficial" visit to Ole Miss with his parents on Saturday. It will be his fourth trip to Ole Miss where his older brother, Denzel, is a linebacker for Hugh Freeze and one of the team's leading tacklers.

Nkemdiche committed to Clemson over the summer in a now-famous (or infamous) Twitter photo with fellow Grayson teammates Alvin Kamara and Wayne Gallman. QB Nick Schuessler, who helped lead the team to its state title last year transferred from Mississippi State to add to the Grayson connection...

Here's Grayson making an early statement on GPB playing in the Corky Kell Classic...
((HT: GPB Sports/GHSA))

The HQ is still of the belief that the decommit is just the beginning and that Ole Miss and Alabama are still chasing Nkemdiche's talents...

DEVELOPING: Radakovich Moves Up The Road To Clemson

((HT: WSPA-TV))

In an interesting move inside the Atlantic Coast Conference, Georgia Tech is losing their AD to their rivals at Clemson.

From FOSG and Voice of the Tigers, Pete Yanity, Dan Radakovich (pictured right, thanks Fox Carolina) is replacing Terry Don Phillips who had served in the position since 2002. Kansas State's John Currie was also thought to be a top candidate for the job in the three-month search for Phillips' successor.

President James Barker was supposed to give a "personnel recommendation" to the school's board of trustees and compensation, according to Yanity's latest reports. And the recommendation was Radakovich.

More when we know more...

But the HQ is under the impression that, now, head football coach Paul Johnson is officially twisting in the breeze because of this move. Since the new Athletic Director on any campus, nine times out of ten, likes to bring in his own guy. And unless, and this is a BIG "UNLESS," the new AD loves CPJ upon arrival the a new head coach for the football program is a veritable certainty...

We know more...

1630 UPDATE: "He knows what it takes to win championships," Barker said at the press conference about the 13th AD in school history. "He has a proven track record in fundraising and revenue growth, and he is committed to compliance and student-athlete welfare."

"Clemson is synonymous with success on and off the fields of competition," Radakovich said. "I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence."

OSG High: The Latest On Nkemdiche

((HT: CSS-Sports.com))

The recruiting world was one of two things on the day that the tweet came out with Grayson (GA) High School's Robert Nkemdiche, Wayne Gallman, and David Kamara all wearing Clemson jerseys...

1) Shocked... or,
2) Figured that the recruiting of Robert Nkemdiche was wide open...

The HQ is thinking the latter... and when it came up that his mother was less than pleased that he had declared without her consent...

Well...
FOSG Matt Stewart and Barton Simmons discuss...


The HQ figures that it's going to be one of three things...

He stays because of his head coach, Mickey Conn's, relationship with Dabo Swinney that dates back to Alabama,

He goes to Ole Miss since his brother, Denzel, is there and his mother wants Robert to stay close to or,

He goes to Alabama since it's, well, Alabama...

Daniel Rodriguez Cleared To Play For Clemson

((HT: RaycomSportsVideo))

So, what...??? You say...

Rodriguez was a three-year football player at Brooke Point High in Stafford, Virginia, and family issues led him to go into the Army days after graduating.

He wanted out of it all...

While serving in Afghanistan in 2009, he and Pfc. Kevin Thompson had a conversation where they each encouraged the other to pursue their dreams when they got back stateside. In the battle of Kamdesh, Thompson died...one of 40 to die in the battle.

Rodriguez kept his promise...and that's the beginning of the story...

Here's Raycom's feature...


“I am very happy for Daniel,” said Clemson head Coach Dabo Swinney. “He is getting the opportunity to follow his dream. We are excited to have him join our program. I have no doubt that he will become a great leader for us. His background and story is an inspiration to us all.”

As are we all...
The HQ will applaud as he runs down the hill to touch Howard's Rock...

OSG High BREAKING: Nkemdiche Commits To Clemson

Grayson ((GA)) High School senior DE/RB Robert Nkemdiche has comfirmed to ESPN's Kipp Adams that he has declared to play his football at Clemson University joining close friends RB Wayne Gallman and DB David Kamara.

"I did commit," Nkemdiche said to Adams. "I love Clemson."

Often rated the top defensive player (and, in some circles, the top overall recruit) in the country, here's previous evidence that he enjoyerd the family atmosphere of Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney-the college roommate of his head coach, Mickey Conn.

Here's an interview Bleacher Report did with Nkemdiche about his choices a while back...


Now, this only leaves 8-and-a-half months for Alabama head coach Nick Saban to steal him away like he did a certain RB heading to Georgia the other day.

And people say that football is only seasonal...

For those of you that don't remember Grayson's last game of the 2012 season, here's their title win over Walton in the GHSA 5A title game...
((HT: GPB Sports))

DEVELOPING: Clemson's Watkins Busted For Marijuana

((HT: WSPA-TV))

Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins and soccer player Amadou-Tidiane Daniel Dia were arrested by university police and booked early Friday.

Watkins and Dia were arrested on charges of "simple possession of marijuana."

Whatever that means...

Is possession ever "simple...?"

Anyway, the HQ digresses...

Watkins faces a possession of a controlled substance charge- a misdemeanor.

Watkins was, according to reports, scraping his car against a curb while he was driving. The temporary license tag for the car was also not lighted when he was pulled over.

The officer smelled marijuana when he approached the car, and a search turned up two pills that Watkins didn't have a prescription for and marijuana.

Watkins is out on a $1,620 bond and Dia on a $620 bond- both personal recognizance bonds...

More when we know more...

1240 UPDATE: Lisa Horne from FoxSports.com has quotes from Dabo Swinney and Watkins on her Twitter feed...

Dabo Swinney: "I am mad and hurt by the poor decision that Sammy Watkins made."

Watkins: "I will learn from this. I will accept any discipline Coach Swinney and the University issues. I made a mistake last night and I am truly sorry for my actions. I let the team down, the coaches down and this University down."

TWTW: Bee-Cee-Ess In Upheaval... Oke State, Clemson, Baylor, Oregon

Just when you thought everything would calm down for a weekend...

Nah...

Where to start...???

With Oke State already losing, that left things in the hands of Oregon...
And a lot of people were just rooting against Lane Kiffin and that toque he sported last night that made him look like he just celebrated his bar mitzvah...

USC went out to a big lead and held on as Alejandro Maldonado hooked a field goal attempt as time expired...
Nick Krupke goes into detail...
((HT: KVAL-TV))


The loss snaps a 21-game winning streak for the Ducks (now 9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) at Autzen Stadium, which was the longest in the nation. It also stopped Oregon's winning streak in conference games at 19.

NEXT!!!

If RG3 isn't back in the college football MVP trophy chase, we don't know what will make it happen...

479 yards passing, which broke his own single-game school record, and 551 total yards of offense in a completely ridiculous performance for a 45-38 win over Oklahoma.

Jenni Carlson and Travis Haney discuss...
((HT: newsok.com))


The ACC thought they had something in Clemson, but Dabo threw in a clunker of biblical proportions getting blown out by NC State...

The win for the Wolfpack ended Clemson's seven-game winning streak in the series, which dated back to 2004. (Thanks ACC Digital Network)



"I was really disappointed in the way we played," Swinney said. "There are no excuses. They wanted it more than we did. It is that simple.

"In the game of football, when you do the things that we did, you are going to get beat."

Like giving up 27 in the second...???
((HT: WSPA-TV))


And the HQ is throwing this one in because we can...
Apparently, Eff-Ess-Yew head coach Jimbo Fisher can't locate his offense...
Up early against Virginia, the Seminoles blew the lead and lost to Virginia 14-13 as a last-second field goal attempt went wide... (Thanks ACC Digital Network)



Gee... that NEVER happens to Florida State...
Here's some Mike London post...
((HT: Newsplex.com))