Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Exploring the latest headlines and in depth conversations. It's the
Richmond Weavers Show on one oh four nine Fox Sports
Upstate presented by Ingles Low Prices, Love the savings, now
for riches, take on sports. Here's Richmond Weaver.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Ready to roll this Friday, and we have made it
to Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
We've made it to the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Right here on the Richmond Weaver Show presented by Ingles
Markets Full studio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
We are in full force.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Mister Trey Falco behind the board and behind the mic
as always.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
And his special guest in the studio with.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Us Chapel Fowler, beat writer, newspaper reporter for the state.
And also I do have to say this the twenty
twenty four Sports Writer of the Year in the state
of South Carolina, honored by the National Sports Media Association
just a few weeks ago in Greensboro, North Carolina. Absolutely
fantastic event and congratulations mister Chapel Fowler. And not only congratulations,
(01:01):
but thank you for coming in in the studio here today.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah, I mean this is I feel like I'm in
a penthouse right now. I've got the mountains behind me,
I'm on the eleventh floor. I got a coffee on
my way in. Y'all are living in style here.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Hey, we're trying to We're rolling out the red carpet
for award winners right like this, the spots writer of
the Year in South Carolina?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And I would have to say I've seen you from afar,
And I say afar, it's really not that afar Because
at the Clemson media days each Monday or Tuesday or
Tuesday Wednesday during the football season, go there and we'd
be there in the room, and then I would see
you over there, and you're always the first one to
ask questions when it opens up, You're the first one.
(01:43):
So has that always been who you are that you're
not afraid to ask questions?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Uh, for the most part, I kind of grew into
it a little bit. And that doesn't mean there's not
nerves sometimes or I don't stumble over my word and
ask debos Winny something very poorly worded. He's usually gracious
when I do, But yeah, I mean figuring out, like
let's just start it off. There's always that lull like
that get an oppressors sometimes he is and that doesn't
really matter in person, but as you know, there's like
(02:09):
that Wednesday post practice zoom call, yes that we do
with that, And that's when where like, hey, when he
gets there, he usually doesn't have an opening statement because
he's already talked the previous day, so he's ready, like, so,
y'all you got to shoot. So in that instance especially,
I'm like, let me, let me just get going on this.
You know, it's Wednesday post practice. He probably is ready
to you know, get through this and get out of here.
It's like the last media availability of the week before
(02:30):
the games.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I usually just shoot, But no, I do try to
come prepared. I mean, as everybody. And that's not a
novel concept or anything, but I try to have some
smart stuff and be ready to jump in whenever there's
an opportunity, because, as you know, sometimes it's hard to
get a question in.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So it definitely is.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And I think there's also an aspect of there's nothing
wrong with a little.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Bit of levity as well, and.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Trying to keep it and maybe not casual is not
the right word, but it doesn't have to be so
restrictive and formal feeling, if that makes sense. And so
that's why I do like at times that you will
open up with questions and maybe not at right at
the beginning, but at least at some point a little
bit of personal you know. And especially with the players,
(03:13):
they're nervous up there. You know that there might be
too Yes, they're not used to all of that, and
so being able to kind of decompress the room to
a certain degree with some questions that you know that
there'll be an expert on because they're talking about themselves,
you know, and that's that's a big part of it.
So I do like how you do that. So now
I'm going to do the same thing to you. Oh okay,
(03:34):
oh yeah, So here we go. You're you're in the
hot seat, all right, So give me the scoop as
far as why you wanted to be a newspaper reporter
or why you want to be a reporter. Not necessari
because I say newspaper. I mean, yes, you are for
the state, but it's so digital now, I mean, everything
is completely different. But why gravitate to be a reporter
(03:55):
and especially for sports?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, I think you've probably heard the phrase of learning
by Osmosis. Obviously, I'm the son of a sports writer
as well. My dad God has worked at the Charlotte
Observer for over thirty years now, which is longer than
I've been alive.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And I've said this a few times.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
I think what that taught me was not you know,
it wasn't like I was pigeonholed into one career path
or anything like that. It was very much learning by osmosis.
Like I would see him coming back from games late,
I would see him having long work days. I would
have to tell multiple friends multiple times, like no, just
because my dad's a sports writer, he cannot get you
(04:32):
Cam Newton's autograph or a free ticket to the NFC
Championship game.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
So I think I got a realistic view of how
it can be like a sustainable career in terms of
balancing a really crazy work schedule with family stuff and
spending time with your kids and kind of separating those
two things. So as we all know, sports can bleed
into everything and journalism so twenty four to seven, it's
like a course, NonStop, like go go, go job. So
(04:58):
I think I've got a good sense of that. And
I was enjoyed reading writing. I wanted to go to
you and see as a kid more just because I
grew up a fan of them, but obviously that was
a good fit with with the journalism of course there,
So I think it all kind of came together that way.
But again, I was not like forced into that career path.
I kind of just fell into it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So I was going to ask that with your dad
there there was no push for you from your dad
as far as, hey, this is what I would love
for you to do.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I'd love for my son to follow in my footsteps.
Was there any of that, No, he'd probably Joco is
the office city. He was probably like.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
A, right, sure, you want to get into this. No,
but no, my parents are very supportive.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I mean, I thought I wanted to be like an
artist at one point in sixth grade, and I thought
all my comic book drawings were so much better than
everybody else. I quickly got humbled and realized, first of all,
I didn't even like doing it that much once I
took an art class in high school. But it was
not like I was some five star prospects. So kind
of fell into more and more writing and thinking about
that as some type of career path somehow, some way,
(06:00):
because I enjoyed it and it wasn't super hard to me.
Like the essay parts of ap classes and stuff what
were not as daunting to me as maybe other people.
That doesn't mean I mean I sucked at math. So
that's the offer.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
There you go, there's always given somewhere. Yeah, yeah, that's right.
But I think that kind of set me up for
it in high school.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
But it really wasn't until I got to college and
kind of got into trying it out working for the
student paper, seeing you know, the rush of a game
day and the thrill of writing on deadline and finding
good stories that I really felt more and more comfortable
with it and actually saw it as like, Okay, let's
do this.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Chapel Fowler is our guest here in studio on the
Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show, presented by Engles
Market set reporter for the State and also again the
twenty twenty four South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year
honored by the National Sports Media Association. And that was
a fantastic event, and I don't think people really understand
(06:51):
because when you see Mike Tarico, who was honored inducted
into the Hall of Fame, and then you see an
Iron Eagle who earned the National Sports Broadcaster of the
year and the story.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
We've talked about it here. How Iron was a.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Uh, what's the word I'm looking for? Why am I
drawing a blank on this intern? There we go intern. Yes,
he was an intern for Mike Tirico and so just
that type of storyline.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But those guys are also very funny.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Those guys are entertainers, and that's what I loved, being
able to see a different side of some of those individuals.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Oh it was great.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Yeah, I thought Westerham the MC did a great job
with kind of that fireside chat. I think they called
it the format, very FDR esque. He had them up
there in their ninth brown leather chairs. But yeah, both
those guys were great, and it really did feel it
was less of an awards acceptance speech as it was,
you know, short conversation and you know, I was so good.
I was very excited to meet him. I think he's great,
(07:54):
and I was so nervous called him Ian when I
when I first said hello, and then I was so
worried that was going to work its way into his
on stage bit because once I realized he was doing
like comedy and throwing some singers out there, I let go.
Oh my gosh, he's not gonna. I hope he doesn't
bring this up. But he was very gracious and talk
with him a little bit after and got a picture,
so so that was great. But yeah, it was so
cool to see those guys just relax, you know, that
(08:16):
their families. It was a very exactly It was a
really cool chill night. Obviously there was a lot of
Hub of Them stuff, but I thought the program itself
was very much like personifying.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah, I think Dave Goren, the director, receive fantastic job,
and it's a great opportunity from a networking standpoint to
all of that. And that's where I first really was
able to make some connections when I started my podcast
Rich Take on Sports back in twenty seventeen, and Iron
Eagle was one of the guys that I was able
to meet all the way back then and had him
on my podcast.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So it does come full circle, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So I do have to talk though, you go into UNC,
and I was actually a UNC fan growing up as well,
because my first true memory of watching college basketball was
Michael Jordan. So you know, I'm, as I mentioned earlier,
I'm older than you, but they're watching that national championship
(09:07):
game Michael Jordan versus Georgetown and seeing him make that
quote unquote game winning shot there, I was like, Okay, one,
this dude, he's something.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
There's something about him, and I like this team.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And so I started following North Carolina quite a bit
until I went to Clemson, and then that was a
different story, especially being part of the basketball team there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
But for you, was it just.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
The basketball team that you fell in love with at
you and C and or was it the football team
as well?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Or how did that?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
You know, you mentioned you were a fan of North Carolina,
but how did you become a fan?
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Both My parents went there, okay, and the same funny
when there for the same four years and did not
meet each other despite being married, you know, twenty whatever
years now, and they didn't meet till five six years later.
But and it kind of ran through my fan I
like my grandfather. My mom's dad was very much U
and C fan also, and so it was always on
out of aunt who was and still was a big
(10:07):
U and C fan. So probably basketball was the initial pool,
just because you know, North Carolina basketball state and they're
one of the blue bloods, you know. I remember watching
the Giovanni Bernard game winning punt return when that was
again since he stay twenty twelve or something, but probably
basketball was more the initial pol at least got me
into thinking about, oh, yeah, somebody, I'll go to that school.
But again, once it got into more like late high school,
(10:29):
really did start to think a little bit more then.
I mean, that doesn't mean I very much wanted to
go there, that was like my top choice, but I
was thinking about it a lot more realistically in terms of, Okay,
I'm not just a fan of this school, you know,
I'm a person evaluating where I want to go do
this next step of my life. And obviously with the
journalism school again that was a that was a good fit.
But yeah, basketball very much the entry point.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
For what was the first sport that you covered then?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Oh my gosh, I think the first game I ever
did officially for the Daily Guitar Hill was like a
men's soccer game. Probably the first sport that I was like,
quote unquote beat writer for.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Volleyball.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Maybe you have to work your way up the men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
If you haven't figured that out.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
And I mean that was a great experience though of
course learning the skills that you would then apply down
the line, you know, to what are the quote unquote
big sports. You know, but all these other sports are
big too, professionals and well paid coaches and really talented
athletes that are great at what they do and very
smart and willing to chat. So the access was easier
I think on those smaller sports, and that kind of
helped set me up to eventually again once it's like
(11:34):
your major league's call off. Whenever you get to call
men's basketball for the DT Sports Tests. It takes all
to get there, but it's very gratifying when it does happen.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I can imagine. Do you still have some of your
early work? I do.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I think most of it's online, which probably makes you
feel old, but that.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I have my early work online exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
But yeah, there's a few printouts probably sitting around. Oh
I cringe if I do. Yeah, okay, I mean it's
been a while, but it's just funny. You always change
and evolve so much, and whatever your job is as
a radio host, as a producer, anything like what you
did five years ago, you probably either cringe at now
(12:13):
or at least you're like, why did I think that
was so good? That was like we'd always joke. So
many of our features back then were like, hey, here's
this athlete who you know, they played a lot of
sports growing up, and then they chose to play one
sport and they were really good at that sport, and
now they're at un C and they're also good at
that sport and it's their senior day, like hooray, Like
that's that's fine and dandy, But is that not like
almost every single person at any d one university playing
(12:36):
college sports. So just kind of like, I don't know, Yeah,
some of those features. I wrote this story on a
fencer I thought was so good as a fresh fencer. Wow, okay,
he was interesting guy. But I mean it was just like,
here's this person's life story. There wasn't really much like
rhythm or narrative to it, you know, but back then
I felt really good.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Of course, Hey Ezra by Eli Wong. Yeah, oh there
you go. Okay guy, Yeah, even remember the name. I
love it.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yes, Chapel Fowler is our guest in studio from the
State and you can find out all of his work.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
What's the best your best way to find your work?
Speaker 4 (13:10):
You're gonna go to the state dot com, slash Sports
or just my Twitter page at Chapel Fowler and the
direct link to my website page from there is also
on that, so that's probably easier to remember.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
But yeses dot com or just my Twitter.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And so now that's one of my questions, like just
to make sure because it's one thing that I could
try to send people that way, but it's more important
that they are going to the best place where you
know that the content is going to be. So I
appreciate you sharing that, all right, so real quick before
we hit the brake though, Bill Belichick, North Carolina, your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
If they win eight games, I don't think any of
it matters. I don't think any of the off season
drama matters. I think I don't think they were expecting
that level of drama whenever they've brought him in. But
I mean, if you bring in a guy of that
level who's been in the NFL for so long, you
have to know that, like some stuff, he's going to
want to do his way. He's going to have things
(14:06):
in a particular way, whether that's with media access or
just day to day operations or stuff like that. I mean,
I think all that doesn't really matter. Again, if they
win at the level they've tried to invest to win
at the girlfriend stuff has been interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yes, you're just saying to.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Say, and that's why. Yes, it's Bill Belichick, So you're
already have that type of national attention because it's Bill
Belichick and everything that he's done. But I do think
that everything that played out, and this is off the
field type of stuff with the girlfriend that you're mentioning,
I don't think anybody realized that was even a possibility
(14:45):
and how that came about just to that significant and
that's why it's even more intriguing.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
But to your point, if he goes out there and wins,
nobody's gonna care. It's all about winning.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
H and especially like North care because that program, and
that's the other thing that I mean, they have so
much there for the taking in terms of I mean,
we know on the basketball side, but the athletic department
just overall, they've won national championships in multiple sports, you know,
So you would think that at some point football has
(15:20):
to be able to make that elevation, climb to the
top spot, so to speak.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, can you still be a sleeping giant if you've
been asleep for what forty forty years.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
It's kind of a complain about them.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It's like, Okay, if they've get this rich recruiting territory
and awesome brand recognition and basketball team, like, you know,
why haven't they taken the step yet? There have been
forty years to take that step. But I mean, I
totally understand it. Like college sports is driven by college football.
Like that's that's why realignment happens, that's why TV contracts happen,
that's why all those gears turn. And you see that
(15:54):
at Clemson, like in a lot of ways, like the
football team, no matter if they're really good or just
the okay, or even if they're bad, Like the success
of that team and investment in that team, for better
or for worse is kind of what keeps stuff going.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Now, So I tell the understand you know why they're
doing it.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
I will say thank God for Foia, because it's been
so compelling to read, you know, some of this communication
that's public by virtue of U and C being public
that so many great journalists in the triangle. Really I've
been reading like so much more off season stuff related
to U and C sports, and I'm having years And
it's because there's so many people, you know, my using
Observer as a sister paper of Ars, so many other
outlets like covering this really compelling Belichick Jordan Hudson stuff
(16:33):
that's not to like point fingers and go haha, but
you know, it's like it's compelling, it's power, it's influence.
It's like, how much is this school willing to give
up and look, you know, to the wayside on in
order to have seven nine wins in the football season.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So, I mean, it's really fascinating.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
And the fact that it's all coming again from a
coach who's so notoriously you know, buttoned up, and now
this is a totally different life. I mean again, I
can't get enough of it. So excited to go up
there and cover a game that on.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Clemson is going to be playing North Carolina this season,
so I know you will be there for certain as
We're going to take this break and we'll continue this
Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show presented by Ingles Markets.
Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper is our guest. Much
more right after this, the Friday edition of The Richmond
Weaver Show presented by Ingles Markets continues right here on
(17:23):
one O four nine Fox Sports Upstate and presented by
our good friends at Ingles. Make sure you get out
to your local Ingles get ready for the weekend. I
know you've got a lot of grocery supplies to get
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here in the Upstate with some good weather. Might be
a little bit of hot, and you know, there'll probably
some thunderstorms that come calling through. That's just part of
(17:45):
it and you just have to accept that.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
But you can get all of.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Your grocery supplies and everything that you need, especially as
we start getting ready for college football, you'd better be
making your list as far as your tailgating supplies, your
home gating supply, whatever it is. And you can get
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(18:10):
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money inside the store and even at the gas pump.
All right, Chapel Fowler from the State newspaper is our
guest here in studio, and so I do have to ask, though,
(18:30):
we're going to talk Clemson football and South Carolina football,
because again, I think this is setting up to potentially
be an electric year for the state of South Carolina
in a hole because you've got both Clemson and South
Carolina with the expectations and obviously when both programs have
what we would call elite quarterbacks, or at least we
(18:52):
think both are elite quarterbacks, and who's going to have
more pressure on them Clemson or South Carolina or is
Dabosweeney Shane Beemer or Cade clubneck Leonora Seller. So we'll
talk all about that. But you're a basketball guy too.
I do know that, Yes, you love you some hoops.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I do. Are you watching any of the NBA Summer
League though.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
I am going to try to tune in maybe see
some highlights of the Hornets opening game, which I think
is schedule for later tonight. So yes, I have plans,
but I'll probably try to circle back on that.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But yes, a.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Longtime suffering Hornets fan who alas to give con the
last thing there in the playoffs was my senior year
of high school. I'm now coming up on five years
out of college. So yeah, it's been a rough time.
But yes, love love basketball. Played a rect League game
last night we lost that did not play super well
but so I got some lots of shots up, but
(19:44):
poor team effort bad plus minus bad. My box outs
were terrible. So anyway, Yes, I love basketball. I think
about it all the time, played all the time, love
watching highlights, being on Basketball reference dot com, like this
is this what I do with my free time?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Do you go?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Okay, those grid games that you do with like the
baseball players where it's like you know someone who played
for the Cubs.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
And had an era of this blah blah blah. Yeah,
I do that sort of stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Some basketball and word ole versions where you have to
like name a basketball player by the silhouette of their headshot.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Again, very weird.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So you dive much more into it than I realized.
Oh yes, nerd Alert play that for him. Yes, we
got to get diving into some of the stats then,
because I'm a stats guy. Love stats, love looking at
the numbers. But as you know, Chapel numbers don't always
tell the entire story, you know, you've got to put
it into context, but it can help shape some of
(20:34):
the story and understand a little bit of the story.
So I love that you dive into some of that.
And I'm intrigued by Summer League just because I think
we're at a point in time with the NBA, especially
with the old guards, so to speak, with Lebron James,
He's winding down his career. Steph Curry's going to be
winding down his career. So who's going to be the
(20:56):
next face of the NBA. And you can look at
Okay and you know, their run to the championship, you
know with SGA, and then Anthony Edwards for Minnesota, you know,
and maybe a Devin Booker. But I think this class,
like with a Cooper Flag, you know, some of these players,
they have some potential to be stars. And obviously last
(21:17):
night the Mavericks get a win over the Lakers there
with Cooper Flag versus Bronnie James, and you know, and
all of the hype you know, or around that.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
But I did find this interesting.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
This was funny though that they do have a video
of Bronnie James and Cooper Flag talking with each other
and a lot of times now you know, they're putting
up their shirt so you can't read their lips or
anything of that nature. But they were able to find
out what Cooper Flag and Bronnie James were saying to
(21:49):
each other, and it was posted on X and so
Bronnie apparently says to Cooper Flag, hey, don't unpack, Nico
Harrison's going to trade you for Ruy, right, and then
Cooper Flagg says, oh, really, well, I heard your dad
is going to trade.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
You for me.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So is this NBA sintel No, that's right, Yes, the
parody account, that's right. This is from a Yes, I
do question if it is accurate, but it just made
me laugh that you can see the banter.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
They're definitely bantering about something.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Who knows if that's exactly what was said, But I
just love the fact that we have that type of
comedy going on, especially in Summer League. And I would
have to say that Summer League is getting much more
tension than it ever has, Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
No question, much more at tension than it ever has.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
All right, But we got to turn our attention though
to football because in the first hour we do the
podcast exclusive, which you can listen to through the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcast. And Trey and
I talked about Lenora Sellers versus Caid Club Nick and
who has more pressure.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
On them this year?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
And again, I think this is a year where both
schools have the opportunity to overall take the state of
South Carolina to a national level. And I think it's
absolutely amazing that we could be sitting there with two
guys going to New York. It's Heisman Trophy candidates, and
(23:21):
could we have two schools from the little old state
of South Carolina make it to the College Football Playoff
and knowing that you know they're matched up against each
other at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
November twenty ninth, noon game.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I don't know how I feel about a noon game
down in Columbia, but as a Clemson fan, that's a
good thing in my opinion, that it's an early game
rather than the night game. But from your perspective, you
cover Clemson, and I know a little bit of South
Carolina that you cover, but you're mainly covering Clemson. So
your thoughts on just even right now expectations for Clemson,
(23:55):
And then let's talk about expectations for South Carolina.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
I mean, I think for both just the change from
last offseason to this offseason, it's crazy to think about.
Like at this time roughly last year, Kake Kaldnecka put
together a pretty shaky year as a starter on film
with some stuff that were just like backbreaking mistakes and
errors that probably you know, I think prompted some legitimate
questions about like is this guy really worthy of his
(24:21):
five star lead eleven champion, number one QB billing in.
At the same time, basically all we had seen out
of Leonora Sellers was like one game against Furman when
he played really well, just some very like brief spot
starts and moments.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Like him blowout.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
So both these guys were like, what is what is
this season going to look like for both of these teams?
Because the quarterback position is well not a question like
we knew he was going to be the starter, but
how good they were going to be And compare that
to this year. I mean, they're like number number two,
number five in mock draft, number one, number six, Like,
both those guys are first round picks and mock drafts.
So I think it does just speak to how much
like you can change your fortunes in a year, but
(24:57):
by having a special player at that position, I think
Clempson specifically, and I'll steal this point. This is something
Larry Williams said on The X earlier this week and
wrote a story about, like if you would have told
him around this time last year that Clemson would lose
to Georgia and get blown out by Georgia, lose it
home to Louisville in a very poorly executed game with
a lot of questionable decisions and bad run defense, and
(25:19):
then lose it home to South Carolina to end the season.
Those three losses, and they're still being talked about a
year later, possible like title darleying and like a lock
for the playoff and all this stuff that's studying.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Yeah, so why do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Why is Clemson now on that other side that they
are getting hyped up for this season?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Well, Nolan Hawser's leg is a reason for it. That
fifty six yard field goal and the title game to
win it against SMU after a twenty one point blown
lead by the Yes, it would be a lot different
if that kick missed then something else happened in overtime.
But I mean credit to them. They played all their
games in the ACC, they went seven to one, They
got into the championship game because Miami couldn't hold on
(25:59):
against Syiraky, right, they won the game in front of them,
and then they were in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
So I think.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Between just the fact that they did step up in
a very clutch moment on that stage, made the playoff
and have all these guys coming back in a sport
where like longevity is hard to find and consistency and
like retention is hard to find that'll learn probably makes
them an easy and I think worthy like discussion about
you know, is this a playoff team?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
How far could they go?
Speaker 4 (26:24):
But sixteen out of twenty two starters through something there's
probably not.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
A lot of schools.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
They have the most returning production, I think per ESPN's
metrics eight. So to think for those reasons, it makes
a lot of sense why they're getting talked about that way.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Yeah, and so that's the other side.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
You know, It's interesting, you say, because when you start
really talking about how they got to the ACC championship
game and somehow were able to win, it's almost like, Okay,
Clemson was able to back in to the ACC Championship game,
and it was very fortunate to win it, because if
they don't win that, then obviously they're not in the
College Football Playoff.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
But they did have a good.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Showing against Texas, and especially against Texas's pass defense.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Not having the run game.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Support there, it did hurt them from the offensive standpoint
down the stretch, but obviously on the other side, they
couldn't stop the run, and you know, I think that
was the ultimate nail in the coffin for Clemson. So
but I am curious though, because as much as hype,
it is a little crazy that Clemson is being talked
(27:30):
about and I've seen several people saying that, oh yeah,
my pick to win the national championship is the Clemson Tigers.
And is it more so just because of the changes
that Dabo made. You know, they're a defensive coordinator going
to the transfer portal at least, you know, not significant,
but just enough to fill a few holes. And that's
(27:50):
what I think we've all talked about is that, hey,
you don't have to do a mass transfer portal, but
where you have some deficiencies, can you fill some of
those holes?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
And I think Dab was able to do that.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
But I wonder if is it more important though that, Hey,
you've got kid club Nick, You've got an established quarterback,
and that's another reason why we're putting Clemson as one
of the true national championship contenders.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
If I had to do like a pie chart of it,
I'd say probably between those three points, like the retention
and Caid coming back, Antonio Williams turning down an NFL opportunity,
Lake Miller, Demante k Part and then all these underclassmen
they've got coming back, the draft eligible guys this year
at Peter Woods, TJ Parker, Westco and Moore, the sophomore
stuff like that. Just the list goes on. I'd say
(28:36):
that's probably like, I don't know, sixty to seventy percent
of it, and then past that, split it however you
like it is. You know, Davisuoni will probably disagree with
saying that he's reacting to criticism. He's just doing, you know,
what's best for Clemson, that's right, which is kind of
what he's always said. To his credit, like he's been
consistent in that I'm gonna do what's best every year
and sometimes that changes. But for him to bring in
(28:57):
three transfers including up positions where they definitely needed help,
especially defensive end. If you saw how many times Leonora
Sellers ran like TV power against someone other than TJ. Parker,
you would know that Clemson was severely lacking at defensive
end like depth and talent last year. So to get
a defensive end, to get a big body of our
receiver six y five guy a linebacker, to use the
(29:18):
portal really for the first time, passed backup quarterbacks that
didn't play ever in this current era. I think a
combination of that, and then bringing in a new DC,
you know, continuing to get away from this narrative that
you know, Clemson is a you know, in house program.
We we only promote our own guys that type of stuff.
To make a number of outside hires now in a row,
(29:39):
I think something like four or five really prominent ones
in the last three or four years between Riley, Luke
rump Esaz Allen. That's a lot of like new blood
and non Clemson ties guys coming in and shaking things up.
So I think you take all those three things together,
the retention, and then these two things that Debo's I
think been fairly criticized on in a lot of ways
over the last few years. Maybe a bit too much
(30:00):
in some context, but generally, I think the point stands
that there are ways to evolve. That maybe he took
a little bit longer than other people did.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
To get there.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
But you put all that together, I can see why
they're kind of like the darling that they are right
now with a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Of national people, especially for sure Chapel.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Fowler is our guest here in studio from the state
newspaper talking Clemson football, and now let's talk about South
Carolina because expectations and knowing that the game Cocks finished
nine to four and had that opportunity to win that
tenth game against Illinois, didn't do it in the bowl game,
but Lenora Sellers as he had a surge there in
(30:38):
the second half of the season, and you could even say,
maybe the what IFFs if he doesn't get hurt in
that LSU game, and how that might have had their
season even a little bit more different being able to
get that victory against LSU. But obviously with the big
win against Clemson there in Death Valley. So from your perspective, Chapel,
just looking at Leonora Sellers and knowing in all reality
(31:03):
the body of work is only one year, so you know,
I get that, and I know there's a lot of
raw potential there and his ceiling seems to be really high.
But how much pressure is on Lenora Sellers this year
to show that, hey, I'm not just a one hit wonder.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, that's a good bit.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I mean, as long as he stays healthy and keeps
running the way he's running, I mean I think they
have a shot to beat anybody any day, because again,
you know, the one game that I've seen him play
in person was when he just torched every single person
on Clemson's defense, maybe outside of Sammy Brown, who should
have been on the field about eighty percent more than
he was that day, Like for the entire game. I mean,
it literally looks like the one kid in like rec
(31:45):
football who's just that much more athletic and better than
everybody else.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
So they put him at quarterback.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
But yeah, then here's a guy who's very highly skilled
as a passer and is breaking all these tackles and
just shaking off you know, future NFL draft picks, Peter Woods,
t J.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Parker, all this stuff.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
So he's doing it against like SEC bodies, against Division one,
top tier college football bodies, So.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Yes, and that's my point.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I know in his schedule they're playing some tough teams
in the SEC, but he's already proven.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
He was doing it against Clemson, and.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Again, you can say Clemson is in the ACC, but
my goodness, Clemson matches up with any of those teams
in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Yeah, I mean, he did it against them, against LSU, Bama,
all these schools. So I mean it was a Yes,
it's one year, but it was a heck of a
year for a red shirt freshman especially, So I mean,
I think there's some pressure, but at the same time,
I think he's he's pretty established who he is. What
will be interesting is, you know, I think teams are
going to gear up to stop him rushing wise, in
as many ways.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
As possible, because he make him throw the ball.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
He tore up just about everybody with his legs at
some point or you know, five times per game in
a lot of instances. So I think that's interesting. You know,
they have a lot of young receivers that played well
last year but didn't really have to be the guy.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
You know, they're leading.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
I think receiver was a tight end last year and
then between Leonoris and Rockett Sanders. That's a really good
rushing duo. So to have some of those younger receivers
step up will be interesting to see who does or
if it happens. They lose a lot on defense, like
I've always been surprised, even in like the Leaner Mush
Champion years, Sucklana was just pumping out like NFL draft
picks on defense specifically, Like it seems like they do
(33:16):
a really good job within state recruiting. They seem to
nail just about every single one of those you know
must have guys for the most part, Clempson gets some,
but not as many as South Carolina, So they just
pump out talent, yes in those specific like defensive line, safety, corner,
all these positions. So a lot of those guys are gone,
so that'll be interesting. But I know that, I mean,
they attack the portal as hard as anybody in about
(33:39):
I mean, they're one of those teams that loses about
twenty a year but brings in about twenty a year.
So if that's the right mix, and it was last
year one hundred percent, like they can be right back
in that eight to nine win conversation, I think between
Leonoris and just their portal work and the fact that
people want to play for Beamer and they have momentum
like that. That's a fun, fun team to cover, which
my colleague Jordan Ka does a great job of covering
(34:00):
at the State.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
But yeah, I love watching them. Yeah, and I think
it's good for the entire States.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
And I know I'm in the minority, and Trey and
I have talked about this quite a bit that I
want South Carolina to be good when all your games
except against Clemson, because I'm a Clemson grad. You know,
so at the end of the day, if that's the case,
for both of our programs to be winning. So when
we do meet, then all of a sudden, I mean,
(34:26):
the matchup just means so much more or it's just
a different feel.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
It's you know.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
And obviously we talked about and you probably saw it too,
the athletic putting out their top one hundred college football
rivalries and Clemson South Carolina at number twenty four, And
I did a deep dive into let me understand the
eleven different metrics and the principles that they use to
discern their rankings, and I'm looking at them like, yeah,
(34:53):
but you're missing there. Were so many factors that were
in the favor of this rivalry, but you still had
them so low, And I was surprised that it was
only number twenty four in all of college football.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Your thoughts, Yeah, I was a little bit too. I
read most of that story over a few days. It
took me a while because it was it's a lot fun,
little interactive you know, drop down menu. Yes, great research,
really well done by Scott document I think is who
did it.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I mean think.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Everybody's probably going to lean a little bit more toward
the rivalry that they're familiar with or have covered, which
I understand, but I mean, yeah, especially if you went
awigh like recent results, because I think a lot of
it is a little bit of recency bias when you're
thinking about these things. You know, what rivalries have been
the best historically, but people don't really care, like right
now in twenty twenty five, about that really good stretch
in the nineteen eighties for the most part. You know,
(35:40):
oh yes, I know, but you got to think about
now and like this. This has been a legit and
fun rivalry for a long time, but especially recently with
Sukhana's rise and then winning two in a row at Clemson. Clemson, Yeah, yeah,
that and those games have been epic, and even the
one in Colombia in twenty twenty three which Clemson one
and I don't know, I had like one touchdown in
the whole game, Yeah, one or two touchdowns. That one
(36:02):
was fun too, Like people care about these games, and
that was a night game. Was sick, Like I love
covering those games, so I think, and just with how
many times it's been played, like if COVID didn't happen,
I know, this would be tied for what like the
second second second longest spin robbery consecutively. So and I'm
sure there's a lot of Robbies that have probably gotten
hurt by COVID and lost that one hundred year streak
(36:23):
or whatever. But you know, I thought it matched up
pretty well in all the metrics they put.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
So that was my point.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
The rankings are meant to generate conversations, which I understand
that's right, but I yeah, I probably would have bumped
it a little bit higher, just especially given how epic
like the last game specifically was, you know, because you
always got to keep in mind what's to say to
the teams right now, and that last palmettable was I mean,
the stake so.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
You just feel them all day, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
I also woke up like way too early to get
there because I was convinced traffic was going to be terrible,
so I got I waited like an hour and a
half in the parking lot before I could get in.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
But that was my own doing. You're a planner, you prepare.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
As we're talking with Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper,
and we're going to continue this Friday edition of the
Richmond Weaver Show presented by Engles Markets, because I'm gonna
ask Chapel coming up, We're gonna have a trivia question
coming up. B Yeah, he can partake in this. You
can't win the Chapel So we got to save that
total listeners to be able to use the text line.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
But also want to get your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
On Shane Beemer and Dabbo Sweeney because I feel there's
some similarities between the two. I want to get your
thoughts much more right after this playing it for Chapel Fowler.
Here a little HOODI and the Blowfish there. Yes, Darius Rutger, Hey,
I grew up on I should say grew up. But
(37:40):
in college they used to make their tours around different
universities and they'd come to Clemson all the time when
I was a student there before they really hit it big.
So I do have an appreciation for HOODI and the
Blowfish and mister Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper joining
us here in studio on this Friday edition of the
Richmond Weaver Show, presented by our good friends at English Markets.
(38:02):
All Right, trivia question time. All right, Chapel, you can't
answer this because you can't win. But oh Dosia, you
can answer it, but you just can't win. Okay, So
this is the trivia question the listeners out there, You
have your opportunity of winning a twenty five dollars gift
card to Autobil car Wash. Just text the correct answer
to the text line, which is eight six four triple
(38:23):
seven ninety five ninety three. Again, that text line is
eight six y four triple seven ninety five ninety three.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
And this is the last one that we have. Right.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
We will be doing more of these, but next week
we won't be doing any because we need to replenish
some gift cards and I think we're going to look
at some other gift cards that we can get. But
in honor of Major League Baseball All Star Game next
week in Atlanta, I have a baseball question.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Okay, right, so here we go.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
All right, So, speaking of all Star selections, which team
has the most Major League Baseball All Star selections? Which team? Okay,
I'll tell you number three. That's the LA Dodgers. I'll
tell you number two. So I'm eliminating some teams for you,
and that's the Saint Louis Cardinals. So who is number
(39:14):
one the most Major League Baseball All Star selections in
baseball history? Text us The correct answer eight six four
triple seven ninety five ninety three. Again that text line
eight sixty four triple seven ninety five ninety three. The
first person with the correct answer will win a twenty
five dollars gift card to Autobil car Wash. Again, the
(39:37):
question is which team has all time the most Major
League Baseball All Star selections?
Speaker 3 (39:45):
So there we go.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
All right, We'll give it a few minutes. We'll let
some Texters text in, and then we'll see if you
can answer. At mister Chapel Fowler, all right, One thing
that I do know that you can answer is Shane
Beamer and Dabo Sweeney.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I'm a big.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Believer in Shane Beamer and what he's doing at South
Carolina that it is an upward trajectory for that program,
and a lot of it has to do with his personality,
his persona and again the cliche that we can say
culture building, you know all of that. And sometimes the
(40:18):
upward trajectory is not always linear, you know, So it's
not always every year you're going to show this significant improvement.
But I think we're seeing some of the things that
are aligning with what makes teams successful. And one of
those things that I look at Chapel is you even
mentioned it earlier about this word retention that Shane Biemer,
(40:40):
even though some players do leave through the transfer portal,
but he can bring players in. But more importantly, he
kept Leonora Sellers there at South Carolina. There's something to
be said about that that you start believing in the coach,
very similar to what I felt that that's what happened
with Dabo Sweeney. They started believing in the vision. And
(41:02):
from your perspective, again, you cover Clemson quite extensively, but
I know you know enough about Shane Biemer in South
Carolina your vantage point. The similarities between the two.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Uncanny in a lot of ways. I think that the
start of Clemson's run under Dabbo, I think it's very similar.
And I mean these guys are friends for the most
probably there's no Sweeney Spurrier war of words going on
in the rivalry, the digs they used to exchange with
each other, that.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Just really doesn't exist like that.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
I mean on the field, like this has been spicy,
that there's been some flag planting and some pushing and
some shoving and some promises from coaches that that will
not be repeated this year as we saw that college
football Rivalry Week was basically an example of why flag
planning can get a little bit messy because I think,
like seven different schools had fights break out. But no,
(41:59):
I do think a lot of their stuff is similar.
I mean a lot of times, like in college football,
can come down during college sports, like do you really
want to play for a guy? And like if you do,
go do it and stick around and have a good time.
If you like the coach you're playing for. I know
that's very simple, but if you like the coach, if
you like their energy, their family, the vibe that they
give off, how they handle stuff, you know, how they
(42:22):
respond to adversity or tough moments, like exactly, that stuff
is good and that's solid. Then you know you can
get whoever. You can get a Dylan Stewart, a five
star defensive end you can get sellers and yeah, exactly,
you can get people like yeah, you can hold onto
those people. You can maybe pull them in recruiting battles
that are kind of surprising. I mean, I think Dylan
Stewart's especially, no doubt for me. I think Nick Carbo
(42:42):
is an interesting maybe a bit of a unique one.
You know, this is a guy who wanted to play
two sports and so kind of really rolled out the
red carpet for him to do that. But like Dylan Stewart,
this is like a premium position, five star defensive endlight
that is a dog that is Georgia wants, Ohio State
wants insert any other school that you consider a blue
blood or one of the heavy hitters with recruiting, and
he chose South Carolina and him and Lenori has turned
(43:05):
down millions of dollars nil deals to stick around. So
I think it's a good example of Beamer's retention and
We were just talking about it with Clemson, you know,
both those schools for the most part, and Clemson was
basically one hundred percent. South Carolina probably close to it
this past year retained like all the guys they really
wanted to retain. And that's just as important in college
football now, maybe more doubt than recruiting transfer high school guys.
(43:27):
It's holding on to who you have because everybody's essentially
getting rerecruited every year with the way stuff works.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
So they both do a good job with that.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
They have to recruit three hundred and sixty five days
a year. And when I say recruit, you can say
retain the retention, but you're still recruiting your own guys, Yes,
your own players, your own staff right there.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
So that is definitely a part of it.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
All Right, We're going to wrap up this Friday edition
of the Richmond Weavers Show presented by Engles Markets. We
do have a winner of the trivia question contest and
we will outline that when we come back, and we'll
continue with Chapel Foul Dollar from the State newspaper right
after this. The text line eight six y four, triple
seven ninety five, ninety three and yes, We have had
(44:10):
a lot of people using the text line right here
on the Friday edition of the Richmond Weavers Show, presented
by our good friends at Ingles Markets, because the trivia
question the opportunity of winning a twenty five dollars gift
card from Autobil car wash, and the question was which
Major League Baseball team has the most all time All
Star selections? And it is the New York Yankees four
(44:33):
hundred and forty eight selections to the All Star Second
place is the Saint Louis Cardinals at three hundred and thirty,
so it is not even close. The Yankees have been
able to do that. And Texter ninety five fifty three
was the first one to text in with the correct
answer of the Yankees, and we had a lot of
people texting with the correct answer, so fantastic job listeners there.
(44:55):
But it was Texter ninety five fifty three with the
correct answer first right there, mister Chapel, Fowler from the
state newspaper joining us. Chapel can't thank you enough. I
know this hour goes by so fast. Here we are,
it's a Friday, We're at.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
The end of the show.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
But you are more than welcome to come back in
studio anytime you want to.
Speaker 3 (45:15):
We greatly appreciate it, sir.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
Glad to be with two total pros in a nice studio.
And yeah, time did fly by, so appreciate y'all having
me and the kind words and the conversation.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
It was really fun.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Of course, Well you must be talking about yourself and
then mister Trey Falco as the two pros. Yes, cause
sometimes I can't even remember the word in turn. So
there is that.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
All right.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
It is July the eleventh, though, and let's talk a
little bit of history, and you can skip the music,
mister Falco, because we are running out of time. How
about this nineteen fourteen, we'll go back way back with
Major League Baseball and Babe Ruth would make his major
League pitching debut for the Boston Red Sox and would
get the victory four to three over the Indians. And
(45:57):
this is what's crazy, Chapel, when you look at stars
like this, It's over one hundred years and we're still
talking about somebody like Babe Ruth. That's how impactful they are.
It's amazing. I absolutely love it. All right, how about
this also in nineteen eighty five, Major League baseball, Nolan
Ryan would be the first major league baseball pitcher in
history to record four thousand strikeouts. Oh yeah, he ended
(46:22):
his career with five seven hundred and fourteen. And nobody's
touching that. I promise you.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
That is OTD.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
And that is this Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show,
presented by Ingles Markets. We'll talk to you on Monday.
Exploring the latest headlines and in depth conversations. It's the
Richmond Weavers Show on one oh four nine Fox Sports
Upstate presented by Ingles Low Prices, Love the savings, now
for riches, take on sports. Here's Richmond Weaver.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Ready to roll this Friday, and we have made it
to Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
We've made it to the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Right here on the Richmond Weaver Show presented by Ingles
Markets Full studio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
We are in full force.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Mister Trey Falco behind the board and behind the mic
as always.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
And his special guest in the studio with.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Us Chapel Fowler, beat writer, newspaper reporter for the state.
And also I do have to say this the twenty
twenty four Sports Writer of the Year in the state
of South Carolina, honored by the National Sports Media Association
just a few weeks ago in Greensboro, North Carolina. Absolutely
fantastic event and congratulations mister Chapel Fowler. And not only congratulations,
(01:01):
but thank you for coming in in the studio here today.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah, I mean this is I feel like I'm in
a penthouse right now. I've got the mountains behind me,
I'm on the eleventh floor. I got a coffee on
my way in. Y'all are living in style here.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Hey, we're trying to We're rolling out the red carpet
for award winners right like this, the spots writer of
the Year in South Carolina?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And I would have to say I've seen you from afar,
And I say afar, it's really not that afar Because
at the Clemson media days each Monday or Tuesday or
Tuesday Wednesday during the football season, go there and we'd
be there in the room, and then I would see
you over there, and you're always the first one to
ask questions when it opens up, You're the first one.
(01:43):
So has that always been who you are that you're
not afraid to ask questions?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Uh, for the most part, I kind of grew into
it a little bit. And that doesn't mean there's not
nerves sometimes or I don't stumble over my word and
ask debos Winny something very poorly worded. He's usually gracious
when I do, But yeah, I mean figuring out, like
let's just start it off. There's always that lull like
that get an oppressors sometimes he is and that doesn't
really matter in person, but as you know, there's like
(02:09):
that Wednesday post practice zoom call, yes that we do
with that, And that's when where like, hey, when he
gets there, he usually doesn't have an opening statement because
he's already talked the previous day, so he's ready, like, so,
y'all you got to shoot. So in that instance especially,
I'm like, let me, let me just get going on this.
You know, it's Wednesday post practice. He probably is ready
to you know, get through this and get out of here.
It's like the last media availability of the week before
(02:30):
the games.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I usually just shoot, But no, I do try to
come prepared. I mean, as everybody. And that's not a
novel concept or anything, but I try to have some
smart stuff and be ready to jump in whenever there's
an opportunity, because, as you know, sometimes it's hard to
get a question in.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
So it definitely is.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And I think there's also an aspect of there's nothing
wrong with a little.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Bit of levity as well, and.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Trying to keep it and maybe not casual is not
the right word, but it doesn't have to be so
restrictive and formal feeling, if that makes sense. And so
that's why I do like at times that you will
open up with questions and maybe not at right at
the beginning, but at least at some point a little
bit of personal you know. And especially with the players,
(03:13):
they're nervous up there. You know that there might be
too Yes, they're not used to all of that, and
so being able to kind of decompress the room to
a certain degree with some questions that you know that
there'll be an expert on because they're talking about themselves,
you know, and that's that's a big part of it.
So I do like how you do that. So now
I'm going to do the same thing to you. Oh okay,
(03:34):
oh yeah, So here we go. You're you're in the
hot seat, all right, So give me the scoop as
far as why you wanted to be a newspaper reporter
or why you want to be a reporter. Not necessari
because I say newspaper. I mean, yes, you are for
the state, but it's so digital now, I mean, everything
is completely different. But why gravitate to be a reporter
(03:55):
and especially for sports?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, I think you've probably heard the phrase of learning
by Osmosis. Obviously, I'm the son of a sports writer
as well. My dad God has worked at the Charlotte
Observer for over thirty years now, which is longer than
I've been alive.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And I've said this a few times.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
I think what that taught me was not you know,
it wasn't like I was pigeonholed into one career path
or anything like that. It was very much learning by osmosis.
Like I would see him coming back from games late,
I would see him having long work days. I would
have to tell multiple friends multiple times, like no, just
because my dad's a sports writer, he cannot get you
(04:32):
Cam Newton's autograph or a free ticket to the NFC
Championship game.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
So I think I got a realistic view of how
it can be like a sustainable career in terms of
balancing a really crazy work schedule with family stuff and
spending time with your kids and kind of separating those
two things. So as we all know, sports can bleed
into everything and journalism so twenty four to seven, it's
like a course, NonStop, like go go, go job. So
(04:58):
I think I've got a good sense of that. And
I was enjoyed reading writing. I wanted to go to
you and see as a kid more just because I
grew up a fan of them, but obviously that was
a good fit with with the journalism of course there,
So I think it all kind of came together that way.
But again, I was not like forced into that career path.
I kind of just fell into it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
So I was going to ask that with your dad
there there was no push for you from your dad
as far as, hey, this is what I would love
for you to do.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I'd love for my son to follow in my footsteps.
Was there any of that, No, he'd probably Joco is
the office city. He was probably like.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
A, right, sure, you want to get into this. No,
but no, my parents are very supportive.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I mean, I thought I wanted to be like an
artist at one point in sixth grade, and I thought
all my comic book drawings were so much better than
everybody else. I quickly got humbled and realized, first of all,
I didn't even like doing it that much once I
took an art class in high school. But it was
not like I was some five star prospects. So kind
of fell into more and more writing and thinking about
that as some type of career path somehow, some way,
(06:00):
because I enjoyed it and it wasn't super hard to me.
Like the essay parts of ap classes and stuff what
were not as daunting to me as maybe other people.
That doesn't mean I mean I sucked at math. So
that's the offer.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
There you go, there's always given somewhere. Yeah, yeah, that's right.
But I think that kind of set me up for
it in high school.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
But it really wasn't until I got to college and
kind of got into trying it out working for the
student paper, seeing you know, the rush of a game
day and the thrill of writing on deadline and finding
good stories that I really felt more and more comfortable
with it and actually saw it as like, Okay, let's
do this.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Chapel Fowler is our guest here in studio on the
Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show, presented by Engles
Market set reporter for the State and also again the
twenty twenty four South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year
honored by the National Sports Media Association. And that was
a fantastic event, and I don't think people really understand
(06:51):
because when you see Mike Tarico, who was honored inducted
into the Hall of Fame, and then you see an
Iron Eagle who earned the National Sports Broadcaster of the
year and the story.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
We've talked about it here. How Iron was a.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Uh, what's the word I'm looking for? Why am I
drawing a blank on this intern? There we go intern. Yes,
he was an intern for Mike Tirico and so just
that type of storyline.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But those guys are also very funny.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Those guys are entertainers, and that's what I loved, being
able to see a different side of some of those individuals.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Oh it was great.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Yeah, I thought Westerham the MC did a great job
with kind of that fireside chat. I think they called
it the format, very FDR esque. He had them up
there in their ninth brown leather chairs. But yeah, both
those guys were great, and it really did feel it
was less of an awards acceptance speech as it was,
you know, short conversation and you know, I was so good.
I was very excited to meet him. I think he's great,
(07:54):
and I was so nervous called him Ian when I
when I first said hello, and then I was so
worried that was going to work its way into his
on stage bit because once I realized he was doing
like comedy and throwing some singers out there, I let go.
Oh my gosh, he's not gonna. I hope he doesn't
bring this up. But he was very gracious and talk
with him a little bit after and got a picture,
so so that was great. But yeah, it was so
cool to see those guys just relax, you know, that
(08:16):
their families. It was a very exactly It was a
really cool chill night. Obviously there was a lot of
Hub of Them stuff, but I thought the program itself
was very much like personifying.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Yeah, I think Dave Goren, the director, receive fantastic job,
and it's a great opportunity from a networking standpoint to
all of that. And that's where I first really was
able to make some connections when I started my podcast
Rich Take on Sports back in twenty seventeen, and Iron
Eagle was one of the guys that I was able
to meet all the way back then and had him
on my podcast.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So it does come full circle, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So I do have to talk though, you go into UNC,
and I was actually a UNC fan growing up as well,
because my first true memory of watching college basketball was
Michael Jordan. So you know, I'm, as I mentioned earlier,
I'm older than you, but they're watching that national championship
(09:07):
game Michael Jordan versus Georgetown and seeing him make that
quote unquote game winning shot there, I was like, Okay, one,
this dude, he's something.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
There's something about him, and I like this team.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
And so I started following North Carolina quite a bit
until I went to Clemson, and then that was a
different story, especially being part of the basketball team there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
But for you, was it just.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
The basketball team that you fell in love with at
you and C and or was it the football team
as well?
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Or how did that?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
You know, you mentioned you were a fan of North Carolina,
but how did you become a fan?
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Both My parents went there, okay, and the same funny
when there for the same four years and did not
meet each other despite being married, you know, twenty whatever
years now, and they didn't meet till five six years later.
But and it kind of ran through my fan I
like my grandfather. My mom's dad was very much U
and C fan also, and so it was always on
out of aunt who was and still was a big
(10:07):
U and C fan. So probably basketball was the initial pool,
just because you know, North Carolina basketball state and they're
one of the blue bloods, you know. I remember watching
the Giovanni Bernard game winning punt return when that was
again since he stay twenty twelve or something, but probably
basketball was more the initial pol at least got me
into thinking about, oh, yeah, somebody, I'll go to that school.
But again, once it got into more like late high school,
(10:29):
really did start to think a little bit more then.
I mean, that doesn't mean I very much wanted to
go there, that was like my top choice, but I
was thinking about it a lot more realistically in terms of, Okay,
I'm not just a fan of this school, you know,
I'm a person evaluating where I want to go do
this next step of my life. And obviously with the
journalism school again that was a that was a good fit.
But yeah, basketball very much the entry point.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
For what was the first sport that you covered then?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Oh my gosh, I think the first game I ever
did officially for the Daily Guitar Hill was like a
men's soccer game. Probably the first sport that I was like,
quote unquote beat writer for.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Volleyball.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Maybe you have to work your way up the men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
If you haven't figured that out.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
And I mean that was a great experience though of
course learning the skills that you would then apply down
the line, you know, to what are the quote unquote
big sports. You know, but all these other sports are
big too, professionals and well paid coaches and really talented
athletes that are great at what they do and very
smart and willing to chat. So the access was easier
I think on those smaller sports, and that kind of
helped set me up to eventually again once it's like
(11:34):
your major league's call off. Whenever you get to call
men's basketball for the DT Sports Tests. It takes all
to get there, but it's very gratifying when it does happen.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
I can imagine. Do you still have some of your
early work? I do.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
I think most of it's online, which probably makes you
feel old, but that.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
I have my early work online exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
But yeah, there's a few printouts probably sitting around. Oh
I cringe if I do. Yeah, okay, I mean it's
been a while, but it's just funny. You always change
and evolve so much, and whatever your job is as
a radio host, as a producer, anything like what you
did five years ago, you probably either cringe at now
(12:13):
or at least you're like, why did I think that
was so good? That was like we'd always joke. So
many of our features back then were like, hey, here's
this athlete who you know, they played a lot of
sports growing up, and then they chose to play one
sport and they were really good at that sport, and
now they're at un C and they're also good at
that sport and it's their senior day, like hooray, Like
that's that's fine and dandy, But is that not like
almost every single person at any d one university playing
(12:36):
college sports. So just kind of like, I don't know, Yeah,
some of those features. I wrote this story on a
fencer I thought was so good as a fresh fencer. Wow, okay,
he was interesting guy. But I mean it was just like,
here's this person's life story. There wasn't really much like
rhythm or narrative to it, you know, but back then
I felt really good.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Of course, Hey Ezra by Eli Wong. Yeah, oh there
you go. Okay guy, Yeah, even remember the name. I
love it.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yes, Chapel Fowler is our guest in studio from the
State and you can find out all of his work.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
What's the best your best way to find your work?
Speaker 4 (13:10):
You're gonna go to the state dot com, slash Sports
or just my Twitter page at Chapel Fowler and the
direct link to my website page from there is also
on that, so that's probably easier to remember.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
But yeses dot com or just my Twitter.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
And so now that's one of my questions, like just
to make sure because it's one thing that I could
try to send people that way, but it's more important
that they are going to the best place where you
know that the content is going to be. So I
appreciate you sharing that, all right, so real quick before
we hit the brake though, Bill Belichick, North Carolina, your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
If they win eight games, I don't think any of
it matters. I don't think any of the off season
drama matters. I think I don't think they were expecting
that level of drama whenever they've brought him in. But
I mean, if you bring in a guy of that
level who's been in the NFL for so long, you
have to know that, like some stuff, he's going to
want to do his way. He's going to have things
(14:06):
in a particular way, whether that's with media access or
just day to day operations or stuff like that. I mean,
I think all that doesn't really matter. Again, if they
win at the level they've tried to invest to win
at the girlfriend stuff has been interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yes, you're just saying to.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Say, and that's why. Yes, it's Bill Belichick, So you're
already have that type of national attention because it's Bill
Belichick and everything that he's done. But I do think
that everything that played out, and this is off the
field type of stuff with the girlfriend that you're mentioning,
I don't think anybody realized that was even a possibility
(14:45):
and how that came about just to that significant and
that's why it's even more intriguing.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
But to your point, if he goes out there and wins,
nobody's gonna care. It's all about winning.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
H and especially like North care because that program, and
that's the other thing that I mean, they have so
much there for the taking in terms of I mean,
we know on the basketball side, but the athletic department
just overall, they've won national championships in multiple sports, you know,
So you would think that at some point football has
(15:20):
to be able to make that elevation, climb to the
top spot, so to speak.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Yeah, can you still be a sleeping giant if you've
been asleep for what forty forty years.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
It's kind of a complain about them.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It's like, Okay, if they've get this rich recruiting territory
and awesome brand recognition and basketball team, like, you know,
why haven't they taken the step yet? There have been
forty years to take that step. But I mean, I
totally understand it. Like college sports is driven by college football.
Like that's that's why realignment happens, that's why TV contracts happen,
that's why all those gears turn. And you see that
(15:54):
at Clemson, like in a lot of ways, like the
football team, no matter if they're really good or just
the okay, or even if they're bad, Like the success
of that team and investment in that team, for better
or for worse is kind of what keeps stuff going.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Now, So I tell the understand you know why they're
doing it.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
I will say thank God for Foia, because it's been
so compelling to read, you know, some of this communication
that's public by virtue of U and C being public
that so many great journalists in the triangle. Really I've
been reading like so much more off season stuff related
to U and C sports, and I'm having years And
it's because there's so many people, you know, my using
Observer as a sister paper of Ars, so many other
outlets like covering this really compelling Belichick Jordan Hudson stuff
(16:33):
that's not to like point fingers and go haha, but
you know, it's like it's compelling, it's power, it's influence.
It's like, how much is this school willing to give
up and look, you know, to the wayside on in
order to have seven nine wins in the football season.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So, I mean, it's really fascinating.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
And the fact that it's all coming again from a
coach who's so notoriously you know, buttoned up, and now
this is a totally different life. I mean again, I
can't get enough of it. So excited to go up
there and cover a game that on.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Clemson is going to be playing North Carolina this season,
so I know you will be there for certain as
We're going to take this break and we'll continue this
Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show presented by Ingles Markets.
Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper is our guest. Much
more right after this, the Friday edition of The Richmond
Weaver Show presented by Ingles Markets continues right here on
(17:23):
one O four nine Fox Sports Upstate and presented by
our good friends at Ingles. Make sure you get out
to your local Ingles get ready for the weekend. I
know you've got a lot of grocery supplies to get
ready for this weekend. It should be a fantastic weekend
here in the Upstate with some good weather. Might be
a little bit of hot, and you know, there'll probably
some thunderstorms that come calling through. That's just part of
(17:45):
it and you just have to accept that.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
But you can get all of.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Your grocery supplies and everything that you need, especially as
we start getting ready for college football, you'd better be
making your list as far as your tailgating supplies, your
home gating supply, whatever it is. And you can get
everything right there at Ingles. And also, how about this,
just make it easy. Just have to make the platters
for you, right, that's the easiest way you can betrays
(18:10):
the big you know, subplatters, all of that. You don't
even have to worry about it. That's the beautiful thing
about Ingles. And you can save money there by getting
your Ingles Advantage card as well, so you can save
money inside the store and even at the gas pump.
All right, Chapel Fowler from the State newspaper is our
guest here in studio, and so I do have to ask, though,
(18:30):
we're going to talk Clemson football and South Carolina football,
because again, I think this is setting up to potentially
be an electric year for the state of South Carolina
in a hole because you've got both Clemson and South
Carolina with the expectations and obviously when both programs have
what we would call elite quarterbacks, or at least we
(18:52):
think both are elite quarterbacks, and who's going to have
more pressure on them Clemson or South Carolina or is
Dabosweeney Shane Beemer or Cade clubneck Leonora Seller. So we'll
talk all about that. But you're a basketball guy too.
I do know that, Yes, you love you some hoops.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I do. Are you watching any of the NBA Summer
League though.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
I am going to try to tune in maybe see
some highlights of the Hornets opening game, which I think
is schedule for later tonight. So yes, I have plans,
but I'll probably try to circle back on that.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But yes, a.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Longtime suffering Hornets fan who alas to give con the
last thing there in the playoffs was my senior year
of high school. I'm now coming up on five years
out of college. So yeah, it's been a rough time.
But yes, love love basketball. Played a rect League game
last night we lost that did not play super well
but so I got some lots of shots up, but
(19:44):
poor team effort bad plus minus bad. My box outs
were terrible. So anyway, Yes, I love basketball. I think
about it all the time, played all the time, love
watching highlights, being on Basketball reference dot com, like this
is this what I do with my free time?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Do you go?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Okay, those grid games that you do with like the
baseball players where it's like you know someone who played
for the Cubs.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
And had an era of this blah blah blah. Yeah,
I do that sort of stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Some basketball and word ole versions where you have to
like name a basketball player by the silhouette of their headshot.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Again, very weird.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
So you dive much more into it than I realized.
Oh yes, nerd Alert play that for him. Yes, we
got to get diving into some of the stats then,
because I'm a stats guy. Love stats, love looking at
the numbers. But as you know, Chapel numbers don't always
tell the entire story, you know, you've got to put
it into context, but it can help shape some of
(20:34):
the story and understand a little bit of the story.
So I love that you dive into some of that.
And I'm intrigued by Summer League just because I think
we're at a point in time with the NBA, especially
with the old guards, so to speak, with Lebron James,
He's winding down his career. Steph Curry's going to be
winding down his career. So who's going to be the
(20:56):
next face of the NBA. And you can look at
Okay and you know, their run to the championship, you
know with SGA, and then Anthony Edwards for Minnesota, you know,
and maybe a Devin Booker. But I think this class,
like with a Cooper Flag, you know, some of these players,
they have some potential to be stars. And obviously last
(21:17):
night the Mavericks get a win over the Lakers there
with Cooper Flag versus Bronnie James, and you know, and
all of the hype you know, or around that.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
But I did find this interesting.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
This was funny though that they do have a video
of Bronnie James and Cooper Flag talking with each other
and a lot of times now you know, they're putting
up their shirt so you can't read their lips or
anything of that nature. But they were able to find
out what Cooper Flag and Bronnie James were saying to
(21:49):
each other, and it was posted on X and so
Bronnie apparently says to Cooper Flag, hey, don't unpack, Nico
Harrison's going to trade you for Ruy, right, and then
Cooper Flagg says, oh, really, well, I heard your dad
is going to trade.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
You for me.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
So is this NBA sintel No, that's right, Yes, the
parody account, that's right. This is from a Yes, I
do question if it is accurate, but it just made
me laugh that you can see the banter.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
They're definitely bantering about something.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Who knows if that's exactly what was said, But I
just love the fact that we have that type of
comedy going on, especially in Summer League. And I would
have to say that Summer League is getting much more
tension than it ever has, Yes.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
No question, much more at tension than it ever has.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
All right, But we got to turn our attention though
to football because in the first hour we do the
podcast exclusive, which you can listen to through the iHeartRadio
app or wherever you get your podcast. And Trey and
I talked about Lenora Sellers versus Caid Club Nick and
who has more pressure.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
On them this year?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
And again, I think this is a year where both
schools have the opportunity to overall take the state of
South Carolina to a national level. And I think it's
absolutely amazing that we could be sitting there with two
guys going to New York. It's Heisman Trophy candidates, and
(23:21):
could we have two schools from the little old state
of South Carolina make it to the College Football Playoff
and knowing that you know they're matched up against each
other at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
November twenty ninth, noon game.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
I don't know how I feel about a noon game
down in Columbia, but as a Clemson fan, that's a
good thing in my opinion, that it's an early game
rather than the night game. But from your perspective, you
cover Clemson, and I know a little bit of South
Carolina that you cover, but you're mainly covering Clemson. So
your thoughts on just even right now expectations for Clemson,
(23:55):
And then let's talk about expectations for South Carolina.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
I mean, I think for both just the change from
last offseason to this offseason, it's crazy to think about.
Like at this time roughly last year, Kake Kaldnecka put
together a pretty shaky year as a starter on film
with some stuff that were just like backbreaking mistakes and
errors that probably you know, I think prompted some legitimate
questions about like is this guy really worthy of his
(24:21):
five star lead eleven champion, number one QB billing in.
At the same time, basically all we had seen out
of Leonora Sellers was like one game against Furman when
he played really well, just some very like brief spot
starts and moments.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Like him blowout.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
So both these guys were like, what is what is
this season going to look like for both of these teams?
Because the quarterback position is well not a question like
we knew he was going to be the starter, but
how good they were going to be And compare that
to this year. I mean, they're like number number two,
number five in mock draft, number one, number six, Like,
both those guys are first round picks and mock drafts.
So I think it does just speak to how much
like you can change your fortunes in a year, but
(24:57):
by having a special player at that position, I think
Clempson specifically, and I'll steal this point. This is something
Larry Williams said on The X earlier this week and
wrote a story about, like if you would have told
him around this time last year that Clemson would lose
to Georgia and get blown out by Georgia, lose it
home to Louisville in a very poorly executed game with
a lot of questionable decisions and bad run defense, and
(25:19):
then lose it home to South Carolina to end the season.
Those three losses, and they're still being talked about a
year later, possible like title darleying and like a lock
for the playoff and all this stuff that's studying.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Yeah, so why do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Why is Clemson now on that other side that they
are getting hyped up for this season?
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Well, Nolan Hawser's leg is a reason for it. That
fifty six yard field goal and the title game to
win it against SMU after a twenty one point blown
lead by the Yes, it would be a lot different
if that kick missed then something else happened in overtime.
But I mean credit to them. They played all their
games in the ACC, they went seven to one, They
got into the championship game because Miami couldn't hold on
(25:59):
against Syiraky, right, they won the game in front of them,
and then they were in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
So I think.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Between just the fact that they did step up in
a very clutch moment on that stage, made the playoff
and have all these guys coming back in a sport
where like longevity is hard to find and consistency and
like retention is hard to find that'll learn probably makes
them an easy and I think worthy like discussion about
you know, is this a playoff team?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
How far could they go?
Speaker 4 (26:24):
But sixteen out of twenty two starters through something there's
probably not.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
A lot of schools.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
They have the most returning production, I think per ESPN's
metrics eight. So to think for those reasons, it makes
a lot of sense why they're getting talked about that way.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Yeah, and so that's the other side.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
You know, It's interesting, you say, because when you start
really talking about how they got to the ACC championship
game and somehow were able to win, it's almost like, Okay,
Clemson was able to back in to the ACC Championship game,
and it was very fortunate to win it, because if
they don't win that, then obviously they're not in the
College Football Playoff.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
But they did have a good.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Showing against Texas, and especially against Texas's pass defense.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Not having the run game.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Support there, it did hurt them from the offensive standpoint
down the stretch, but obviously on the other side, they
couldn't stop the run, and you know, I think that
was the ultimate nail in the coffin for Clemson. So
but I am curious though, because as much as hype,
it is a little crazy that Clemson is being talked
(27:30):
about and I've seen several people saying that, oh yeah,
my pick to win the national championship is the Clemson Tigers.
And is it more so just because of the changes
that Dabo made. You know, they're a defensive coordinator going
to the transfer portal at least, you know, not significant,
but just enough to fill a few holes. And that's
(27:50):
what I think we've all talked about is that, hey,
you don't have to do a mass transfer portal, but
where you have some deficiencies, can you fill some of
those holes?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
And I think Dab was able to do that.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
But I wonder if is it more important though that, Hey,
you've got kid club Nick, You've got an established quarterback,
and that's another reason why we're putting Clemson as one
of the true national championship contenders.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
If I had to do like a pie chart of it,
I'd say probably between those three points, like the retention
and Caid coming back, Antonio Williams turning down an NFL opportunity,
Lake Miller, Demante k Part and then all these underclassmen
they've got coming back, the draft eligible guys this year
at Peter Woods, TJ Parker, Westco and Moore, the sophomore
stuff like that. Just the list goes on. I'd say
(28:36):
that's probably like, I don't know, sixty to seventy percent
of it, and then past that, split it however you
like it is. You know, Davisuoni will probably disagree with
saying that he's reacting to criticism. He's just doing, you know,
what's best for Clemson, that's right, which is kind of
what he's always said. To his credit, like he's been
consistent in that I'm gonna do what's best every year
and sometimes that changes. But for him to bring in
(28:57):
three transfers including up positions where they definitely needed help,
especially defensive end. If you saw how many times Leonora
Sellers ran like TV power against someone other than TJ. Parker,
you would know that Clemson was severely lacking at defensive
end like depth and talent last year. So to get
a defensive end, to get a big body of our
receiver six y five guy a linebacker, to use the
(29:18):
portal really for the first time, passed backup quarterbacks that
didn't play ever in this current era. I think a
combination of that, and then bringing in a new DC,
you know, continuing to get away from this narrative that
you know, Clemson is a you know, in house program.
We we only promote our own guys that type of stuff.
To make a number of outside hires now in a row,
(29:39):
I think something like four or five really prominent ones
in the last three or four years between Riley, Luke
rump Esaz Allen. That's a lot of like new blood
and non Clemson ties guys coming in and shaking things up.
So I think you take all those three things together,
the retention, and then these two things that Debo's I
think been fairly criticized on in a lot of ways
over the last few years. Maybe a bit too much
(30:00):
in some context, but generally, I think the point stands
that there are ways to evolve. That maybe he took
a little bit longer than other people did.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
To get there.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
But you put all that together, I can see why
they're kind of like the darling that they are right
now with a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Of national people, especially for sure Chapel.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Fowler is our guest here in studio from the state
newspaper talking Clemson football, and now let's talk about South
Carolina because expectations and knowing that the game Cocks finished
nine to four and had that opportunity to win that
tenth game against Illinois, didn't do it in the bowl game,
but Lenora Sellers as he had a surge there in
(30:38):
the second half of the season, and you could even say,
maybe the what IFFs if he doesn't get hurt in
that LSU game, and how that might have had their
season even a little bit more different being able to
get that victory against LSU. But obviously with the big
win against Clemson there in Death Valley. So from your perspective, Chapel,
just looking at Leonora Sellers and knowing in all reality
(31:03):
the body of work is only one year, so you know,
I get that, and I know there's a lot of
raw potential there and his ceiling seems to be really high.
But how much pressure is on Lenora Sellers this year
to show that, hey, I'm not just a one hit wonder.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, that's a good bit.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
I mean, as long as he stays healthy and keeps
running the way he's running, I mean I think they
have a shot to beat anybody any day, because again,
you know, the one game that I've seen him play
in person was when he just torched every single person
on Clemson's defense, maybe outside of Sammy Brown, who should
have been on the field about eighty percent more than
he was that day, Like for the entire game. I mean,
it literally looks like the one kid in like rec
(31:45):
football who's just that much more athletic and better than
everybody else.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
So they put him at quarterback.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
But yeah, then here's a guy who's very highly skilled
as a passer and is breaking all these tackles and
just shaking off you know, future NFL draft picks, Peter Woods,
t J.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Parker, all this stuff.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
So he's doing it against like SEC bodies, against Division one,
top tier college football bodies, So.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Yes, and that's my point.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I know in his schedule they're playing some tough teams
in the SEC, but he's already proven.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
He was doing it against Clemson, and.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Again, you can say Clemson is in the ACC, but
my goodness, Clemson matches up with any of those teams
in the SEC.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Yeah, I mean, he did it against them, against LSU, Bama,
all these schools. So I mean it was a Yes,
it's one year, but it was a heck of a
year for a red shirt freshman especially, So I mean,
I think there's some pressure, but at the same time,
I think he's he's pretty established who he is. What
will be interesting is, you know, I think teams are
going to gear up to stop him rushing wise, in
as many ways.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
As possible, because he make him throw the ball.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
He tore up just about everybody with his legs at
some point or you know, five times per game in
a lot of instances. So I think that's interesting. You know,
they have a lot of young receivers that played well
last year but didn't really have to be the guy.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
You know, they're leading.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
I think receiver was a tight end last year and
then between Leonoris and Rockett Sanders. That's a really good
rushing duo. So to have some of those younger receivers
step up will be interesting to see who does or
if it happens. They lose a lot on defense, like
I've always been surprised, even in like the Leaner Mush
Champion years, Sucklana was just pumping out like NFL draft
picks on defense specifically, Like it seems like they do
(33:16):
a really good job within state recruiting. They seem to
nail just about every single one of those you know
must have guys for the most part, Clempson gets some,
but not as many as South Carolina, So they just
pump out talent, yes in those specific like defensive line, safety, corner,
all these positions. So a lot of those guys are gone,
so that'll be interesting. But I know that, I mean,
they attack the portal as hard as anybody in about
(33:39):
I mean, they're one of those teams that loses about
twenty a year but brings in about twenty a year.
So if that's the right mix, and it was last
year one hundred percent, like they can be right back
in that eight to nine win conversation, I think between
Leonoris and just their portal work and the fact that
people want to play for Beamer and they have momentum
like that. That's a fun, fun team to cover, which
my colleague Jordan Ka does a great job of covering
(34:00):
at the State.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
But yeah, I love watching them. Yeah, and I think
it's good for the entire States.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
And I know I'm in the minority, and Trey and
I have talked about this quite a bit that I
want South Carolina to be good when all your games
except against Clemson, because I'm a Clemson grad. You know,
so at the end of the day, if that's the case,
for both of our programs to be winning. So when
we do meet, then all of a sudden, I mean,
(34:26):
the matchup just means so much more or it's just
a different feel.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
It's you know.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
And obviously we talked about and you probably saw it too,
the athletic putting out their top one hundred college football
rivalries and Clemson South Carolina at number twenty four, And
I did a deep dive into let me understand the
eleven different metrics and the principles that they use to
discern their rankings, and I'm looking at them like, yeah,
(34:53):
but you're missing there. Were so many factors that were
in the favor of this rivalry, but you still had
them so low, And I was surprised that it was
only number twenty four in all of college football.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Your thoughts, Yeah, I was a little bit too. I
read most of that story over a few days. It
took me a while because it was it's a lot fun,
little interactive you know, drop down menu. Yes, great research,
really well done by Scott document I think is who
did it.
Speaker 3 (35:17):
I mean think.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Everybody's probably going to lean a little bit more toward
the rivalry that they're familiar with or have covered, which
I understand, but I mean, yeah, especially if you went
awigh like recent results, because I think a lot of
it is a little bit of recency bias when you're
thinking about these things. You know, what rivalries have been
the best historically, but people don't really care, like right
now in twenty twenty five, about that really good stretch
in the nineteen eighties for the most part. You know,
(35:40):
oh yes, I know, but you got to think about
now and like this. This has been a legit and
fun rivalry for a long time, but especially recently with
Sukhana's rise and then winning two in a row at Clemson. Clemson, Yeah, yeah,
that and those games have been epic, and even the
one in Colombia in twenty twenty three which Clemson one
and I don't know, I had like one touchdown in
the whole game, Yeah, one or two touchdowns. That one
(36:02):
was fun too, Like people care about these games, and
that was a night game. Was sick, Like I love
covering those games, so I think, and just with how
many times it's been played, like if COVID didn't happen,
I know, this would be tied for what like the
second second second longest spin robbery consecutively. So and I'm
sure there's a lot of Robbies that have probably gotten
hurt by COVID and lost that one hundred year streak
(36:23):
or whatever. But you know, I thought it matched up
pretty well in all the metrics they put.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
So that was my point.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
The rankings are meant to generate conversations, which I understand
that's right, but I yeah, I probably would have bumped
it a little bit higher, just especially given how epic
like the last game specifically was, you know, because you
always got to keep in mind what's to say to
the teams right now, and that last palmettable was I mean,
the stake so.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
You just feel them all day, no doubt.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
I also woke up like way too early to get
there because I was convinced traffic was going to be terrible,
so I got I waited like an hour and a
half in the parking lot before I could get in.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
But that was my own doing. You're a planner, you prepare.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
As we're talking with Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper,
and we're going to continue this Friday edition of the
Richmond Weaver Show presented by Engles Markets, because I'm gonna
ask Chapel coming up, We're gonna have a trivia question
coming up. B Yeah, he can partake in this. You
can't win the Chapel So we got to save that
total listeners to be able to use the text line.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
But also want to get your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
On Shane Beemer and Dabbo Sweeney because I feel there's
some similarities between the two. I want to get your
thoughts much more right after this playing it for Chapel Fowler.
Here a little HOODI and the Blowfish there. Yes, Darius Rutger, Hey,
I grew up on I should say grew up. But
(37:40):
in college they used to make their tours around different
universities and they'd come to Clemson all the time when
I was a student there before they really hit it big.
So I do have an appreciation for HOODI and the
Blowfish and mister Chapel Fowler from the State Newspaper joining
us here in studio on this Friday edition of the
Richmond Weaver Show, presented by our good friends at English Markets.
(38:02):
All Right, trivia question time. All right, Chapel, you can't
answer this because you can't win. But oh Dosia, you
can answer it, but you just can't win. Okay, So
this is the trivia question the listeners out there, You
have your opportunity of winning a twenty five dollars gift
card to Autobil car Wash. Just text the correct answer
to the text line, which is eight six four triple
(38:23):
seven ninety five ninety three. Again, that text line is
eight six y four triple seven ninety five ninety three.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
And this is the last one that we have. Right.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
We will be doing more of these, but next week
we won't be doing any because we need to replenish
some gift cards and I think we're going to look
at some other gift cards that we can get. But
in honor of Major League Baseball All Star Game next
week in Atlanta, I have a baseball question.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Okay, right, so here we go.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
All right, So, speaking of all Star selections, which team
has the most Major League Baseball All Star selections? Which team? Okay,
I'll tell you number three. That's the LA Dodgers. I'll
tell you number two. So I'm eliminating some teams for you,
and that's the Saint Louis Cardinals. So who is number
(39:14):
one the most Major League Baseball All Star selections in
baseball history? Text us The correct answer eight six four
triple seven ninety five ninety three. Again that text line
eight sixty four triple seven ninety five ninety three. The
first person with the correct answer will win a twenty
five dollars gift card to Autobil car Wash. Again, the
(39:37):
question is which team has all time the most Major
League Baseball All Star selections?
Speaker 3 (39:45):
So there we go.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
All right, We'll give it a few minutes. We'll let
some Texters text in, and then we'll see if you
can answer. At mister Chapel Fowler, all right, One thing
that I do know that you can answer is Shane
Beamer and Dabo Sweeney.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I'm a big.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Believer in Shane Beamer and what he's doing at South
Carolina that it is an upward trajectory for that program,
and a lot of it has to do with his personality,
his persona and again the cliche that we can say
culture building, you know all of that. And sometimes the
(40:18):
upward trajectory is not always linear, you know, So it's
not always every year you're going to show this significant improvement.
But I think we're seeing some of the things that
are aligning with what makes teams successful. And one of
those things that I look at Chapel is you even
mentioned it earlier about this word retention that Shane Biemer,
(40:40):
even though some players do leave through the transfer portal,
but he can bring players in. But more importantly, he
kept Leonora Sellers there at South Carolina. There's something to
be said about that that you start believing in the coach,
very similar to what I felt that that's what happened
with Dabo Sweeney. They started believing in the vision. And
(41:02):
from your perspective, again, you cover Clemson quite extensively, but
I know you know enough about Shane Biemer in South
Carolina your vantage point. The similarities between the two.
Speaker 4 (41:16):
Uncanny in a lot of ways. I think that the
start of Clemson's run under Dabbo, I think it's very similar.
And I mean these guys are friends for the most
probably there's no Sweeney Spurrier war of words going on
in the rivalry, the digs they used to exchange with
each other, that.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Just really doesn't exist like that.
Speaker 4 (41:38):
I mean on the field, like this has been spicy,
that there's been some flag planting and some pushing and
some shoving and some promises from coaches that that will
not be repeated this year as we saw that college
football Rivalry Week was basically an example of why flag
planning can get a little bit messy because I think,
like seven different schools had fights break out. But no,
(41:59):
I do think a lot of their stuff is similar.
I mean a lot of times, like in college football,
can come down during college sports, like do you really
want to play for a guy? And like if you do,
go do it and stick around and have a good time.
If you like the coach you're playing for. I know
that's very simple, but if you like the coach, if
you like their energy, their family, the vibe that they
give off, how they handle stuff, you know, how they
(42:22):
respond to adversity or tough moments, like exactly, that stuff
is good and that's solid. Then you know you can
get whoever. You can get a Dylan Stewart, a five
star defensive end you can get sellers and yeah, exactly,
you can get people like yeah, you can hold onto
those people. You can maybe pull them in recruiting battles
that are kind of surprising. I mean, I think Dylan
Stewart's especially, no doubt for me. I think Nick Carbo
(42:42):
is an interesting maybe a bit of a unique one.
You know, this is a guy who wanted to play
two sports and so kind of really rolled out the
red carpet for him to do that. But like Dylan Stewart,
this is like a premium position, five star defensive endlight
that is a dog that is Georgia wants, Ohio State
wants insert any other school that you consider a blue
blood or one of the heavy hitters with recruiting, and
he chose South Carolina and him and Lenori has turned
(43:05):
down millions of dollars nil deals to stick around. So
I think it's a good example of Beamer's retention and
We were just talking about it with Clemson, you know,
both those schools for the most part, and Clemson was
basically one hundred percent. South Carolina probably close to it
this past year retained like all the guys they really
wanted to retain. And that's just as important in college
football now, maybe more doubt than recruiting transfer high school guys.
(43:27):
It's holding on to who you have because everybody's essentially
getting rerecruited every year with the way stuff works.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
So they both do a good job with that.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
They have to recruit three hundred and sixty five days
a year. And when I say recruit, you can say
retain the retention, but you're still recruiting your own guys, Yes,
your own players, your own staff right there.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
So that is definitely a part of it.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
All Right, We're going to wrap up this Friday edition
of the Richmond Weavers Show presented by Engles Markets. We
do have a winner of the trivia question contest and
we will outline that when we come back, and we'll
continue with Chapel Foul Dollar from the State newspaper right
after this. The text line eight six y four, triple
seven ninety five, ninety three and yes, We have had
(44:10):
a lot of people using the text line right here
on the Friday edition of the Richmond Weavers Show, presented
by our good friends at Ingles Markets, because the trivia
question the opportunity of winning a twenty five dollars gift
card from Autobil car wash, and the question was which
Major League Baseball team has the most all time All
Star selections? And it is the New York Yankees four
(44:33):
hundred and forty eight selections to the All Star Second
place is the Saint Louis Cardinals at three hundred and thirty,
so it is not even close. The Yankees have been
able to do that. And Texter ninety five fifty three
was the first one to text in with the correct
answer of the Yankees, and we had a lot of
people texting with the correct answer, so fantastic job listeners there.
(44:55):
But it was Texter ninety five fifty three with the
correct answer first right there, mister Chapel, Fowler from the
state newspaper joining us. Chapel can't thank you enough. I
know this hour goes by so fast. Here we are,
it's a Friday, We're at.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
The end of the show.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
But you are more than welcome to come back in
studio anytime you want to.
Speaker 3 (45:15):
We greatly appreciate it, sir.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
Glad to be with two total pros in a nice studio.
And yeah, time did fly by, so appreciate y'all having
me and the kind words and the conversation.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
It was really fun.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Of course, Well you must be talking about yourself and
then mister Trey Falco as the two pros. Yes, cause
sometimes I can't even remember the word in turn. So
there is that.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
All right.
Speaker 2 (45:35):
It is July the eleventh, though, and let's talk a
little bit of history, and you can skip the music,
mister Falco, because we are running out of time. How
about this nineteen fourteen, we'll go back way back with
Major League Baseball and Babe Ruth would make his major
League pitching debut for the Boston Red Sox and would
get the victory four to three over the Indians. And
(45:57):
this is what's crazy, Chapel, when you look at stars
like this, It's over one hundred years and we're still
talking about somebody like Babe Ruth. That's how impactful they are.
It's amazing. I absolutely love it. All right, how about
this also in nineteen eighty five, Major League baseball, Nolan
Ryan would be the first major league baseball pitcher in
history to record four thousand strikeouts. Oh yeah, he ended
(46:22):
his career with five seven hundred and fourteen. And nobody's
touching that. I promise you.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
That is OTD.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
And that is this Friday edition of The Richmond Weaver Show,
presented by Ingles Markets. We'll talk to you on Monday.
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