Martin searches for same level of success he found at Kansas State
The South Carolina men’s basketball team has struggled this season, to say the least. With a 1-9 SEC record, the Gamecocks aren’t coming out of the league basement anytime soon, as has been the case the last few years.
But don’t panic yet. I don’t know what the heck is wrong with people who are already calling for another basketball coach. There hasn’t been too much of that talk floating around, but I have a feeling it will ramp up after this season comes to an end.
It shouldn’t be that way. You need more than two years to put your stamp on a program. Evidence of Frank Martin’s philosophy has already shown up, particularly this season. An impressive win against Saint Mary’s over winter break and a 28-point whooping of Texas A&M are signs that point in the right direction.
In addition, the Gamecocks are just a handful of points away from being 5-5 in the SEC, not 1-9. Four of their league losses have been by five points or less.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, huh? That’s true, but the slim margins are proof that South Carolina is right on the edge of climbing out of mediocrity.
The Gamecocks are a very young team that has only one senior, Brenton Williams. Meanwhile, there are seven freshmen who are getting used to the college game. One of them, Sindarius Thornwell, is already the team’s second leading scorer.
Martin proved he can win in his time at Kansas State. Frankly, it is just going to take longer to turn South Carolina around. South Carolina is no Kansas State. Few of the country’s top high school recruits have Columbia in mind, but Martin is starting to change that, beginning with Thornwell. He could have gone anywhere he wanted, but he’s here.
That will be the case more and more as we head into next season and beyond. So show your patience, Gamecock nation, and let Martin do his thing. The results will come along soon.
Michael Sam
There has been a lot of buzz this week about former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam announcing publicly that he is gay. When he is drafted in May, he will become the first active, openly gay player in the three major North American sports.
It is admirable that he had the courage to come out, and he has received a lot of positive reinforcement from the sports world and beyond, which he should.
Sam should be treated like any other football player when he gets to the league, and he shouldn’t be verbally or physically abused.
However, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to agree with his lifestyle. They just have to respect it.
This past summer, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson caught unwarranted heat when he said that he’s “not with” gay marriage. He went on to say that he had gay relatives and that he treated them just as he would anyone. However, he did not agree with their views.
Peterson rightfully did not apologize for his comments, saying that he was expressing his personal opinion.
So as we head into this unchartered territory with Sam, people who have views like Peterson’s should not be chastised. As long as they respect him, that should be enough.
You don’t have to agree with his beliefs just because it is the popular thing to do nowadays. If you want to stick to your beliefs, that should be acceptable. And people like Peterson are doing just that when they respectfully disagree with another’s views.
I will end on a Peterson quote that I think is the best response to anyone who disagrees with what I’ve written.
“We have homosexuals who choose to live their life the way they do. You know what? To me, that’s fine. You can do that,” Peterson told The Oklahoman. “If you want people to respect that, then just respect my view.”