Either Coastal Carolina Gary Gilmore is flat-out lying or there is truly no ill will between he and USC coach Ray Tanner.
Since I took this beat in January 2009, I've had several conversations with Gilmore about scheduling, particularly the non-existent series with the Gamecocks. He never once has mentioned any problems in the relationship that he shares with Tanner.
Still, in response to Columbia media reports this week that there must be something between the two of them, I asked Gilmore about the issue Thursday.
"There is absolutely, unequivocally nothing between Ray and I," Gilmore said. "I consider Ray a very good friend. I asked Ray for help years ago. I asked Ray to help me with a few very good jobs. I'm not ashamed to say I asked him. It was a time before we became what I consider us to be today. I don't think he would have made the phone calls or did the things he did if there was anything between us absolutely at all. I can promise you ... bottom line, it's not two baseball coaches keeping us from playing."
Gilmore said he and Tanner have spoken for several hours on the phone this week. Gilmore hasn't gotten the impression that Tanner has any problems with him or his program. If that's truly the case, then it's men like Eddie Floyd that have kept the two schools off the same field. Those issues have supposedly been smoothed over, clearing the way for USC-CCU to happen in the revenue sports.
Will it? I don't know if we're any closer. It would be a great series for college baseball in South Carolina, but I doubt that Tanner is interested in adding another powerhouse team to a schedule that already includes a brutal run through the SEC. And I'm not sure Gilmore -- especially if his team is successful this weekend -- is willing to visit Columbia annually without the guarantee that the teams will be playing back on the Grand Strand at some point.
I'd like to see them play three games a year: one in Carolina Stadium, one in BB&T Coastal Field and one at a site to be determined. If one team wins the first two, that teams gets to host the third. If they split the first two, they flip a coin to see who gets home-field advantage for the finale. You'd almost always get two top-15 teams matched up against each other, and ticket sales for the super regionals proves that it would be a big draw.
That would be much better for South Carolina -- both in terms of competition and RPI -- than a series with Duquesne or Brown. It would also help Coastal's RPI and break down the perception that it's athletic teams don't belong on the same field with the Gamecocks.
Since I took this beat in January 2009, I've had several conversations with Gilmore about scheduling, particularly the non-existent series with the Gamecocks. He never once has mentioned any problems in the relationship that he shares with Tanner.
Still, in response to Columbia media reports this week that there must be something between the two of them, I asked Gilmore about the issue Thursday.
"There is absolutely, unequivocally nothing between Ray and I," Gilmore said. "I consider Ray a very good friend. I asked Ray for help years ago. I asked Ray to help me with a few very good jobs. I'm not ashamed to say I asked him. It was a time before we became what I consider us to be today. I don't think he would have made the phone calls or did the things he did if there was anything between us absolutely at all. I can promise you ... bottom line, it's not two baseball coaches keeping us from playing."
Gilmore said he and Tanner have spoken for several hours on the phone this week. Gilmore hasn't gotten the impression that Tanner has any problems with him or his program. If that's truly the case, then it's men like Eddie Floyd that have kept the two schools off the same field. Those issues have supposedly been smoothed over, clearing the way for USC-CCU to happen in the revenue sports.
Will it? I don't know if we're any closer. It would be a great series for college baseball in South Carolina, but I doubt that Tanner is interested in adding another powerhouse team to a schedule that already includes a brutal run through the SEC. And I'm not sure Gilmore -- especially if his team is successful this weekend -- is willing to visit Columbia annually without the guarantee that the teams will be playing back on the Grand Strand at some point.
I'd like to see them play three games a year: one in Carolina Stadium, one in BB&T Coastal Field and one at a site to be determined. If one team wins the first two, that teams gets to host the third. If they split the first two, they flip a coin to see who gets home-field advantage for the finale. You'd almost always get two top-15 teams matched up against each other, and ticket sales for the super regionals proves that it would be a big draw.
That would be much better for South Carolina -- both in terms of competition and RPI -- than a series with Duquesne or Brown. It would also help Coastal's RPI and break down the perception that it's athletic teams don't belong on the same field with the Gamecocks.
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