MyrtleBeachOnline.com: Sports

The Tiger king: Swinney named head coach

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:53 EST

Never bet against Dabo.

"I've never failed at anything in my life," Dabo Swinney, Clemson's new football coach, said Monday.

It's not arrogance, said Swinney, "I'm confident in my abilities."

Cobb enjoys first trip to end zone

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:45 EST

Myrtle Beach tight end Steven Cobb enjoyed scoring his first career touchdown so much that he decided to triple the fun.

Cobb caught three of Everett Golson's four touchdown passes, including a 10-yard scoring reception in the first overtime of Friday's 51-50 double-overtime win over Marlboro County.

The 6-foot-2, 181-pound junior scored on each of his three catches, which totaled 60 yards. He has 17 receptions for 274 yards this season.

Commentary: Enough with the talk of SEC as best conference

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

ORLANDO, Fla. -- I grew up in Alabama, so believe me, I know what an Alabama pig farm smells like. After a while, you get numb to it and don't notice the stench.

Such is SEC football this year. SEC fans, just keep telling yourself the league doesn't stink to hog heaven. Just keep saying things like, "It's the toughest conference in America top to bottom," and eventually you can believe that pile of manure is a bouquet of roses.

Yes, it appears likely that the winner of the SEC title game will play for the national title.That will give the SEC a chance for its third consecutive national championship, something no league has done since the 1940s. But Alabama or Florida will get there on their own merits despite their malodorous conference competition this fall.

League logjam leaves ACC bowl picture muddled

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

Even the end of the regular season couldn't bring clarity to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

At least this is clear: Boston College and Virginia Tech have emerged from their divisions and will play Saturday for the ACC championship in Tampa, with a spot in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 awaiting the winner.

After that, the postseason destinations for nine other bowl-qualified ACC teams remains a mystery.

Sharks beat Bears in girls basketball

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

The St. James girls basketball team rallied from three points down with five minutes to go to beat Carvers Bay 39-35 on Monday night.

CARVERS BAY (35) - Alexis Taylor 13, Shakira Ofsane 3, Shakira Tucker 1, Jasmine Washington 13, Brittany Alston 5.

ST. JAMES (39) - Charisma Rodriguez 1, Tyeshia Allston 4, Latoya Allston 2, Amber Morgan 4, Elizabeth Martin 7, Ciara Butler 5, Monica Smalls 8, Marketa Smalls 8.

Clemson basketball game breakdown

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:46 EST

STARTING LINEUPS

Illinois

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BCS Equation lacking without 'plus-one' system

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:33 EST

Just about everybody who loves college football hates the Bowl Championship Series.

But the guys who run it don't have to go through the next six weeks, let alone the next six years, watching their brand being kicked around like a rusty can everywhere from the Oval Office down to the corner tavern.

All they have to do is change.

South Carolina basketball game breakdown

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:46 EST

STARTING LINEUPS

South Carolina

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Grande Dunes honor shows growing importance of superintendent

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

Steve Martin has heard all the jokes about the name he shares with a certain comedic actor.

But it is Martin's performance as a golf course superintendent that moved to center stage recently when the Grande Dunes Resort Course was named Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association.

The first of four criteria by which the award is judged is "exceptional quality of the course." And in that regard, Martin and his staff have clearly measured up.

Area golf touring pros

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:33 EST

Katie Allison
Residence | Little River

Tour | Duramed Futures Tour

Last event | Oct. 17-19, tied for 31st at season-ending Georgia Invitational

Bobcats win in return of Richardson

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:47 EST

Jason Richardson scored 25 points in another strong performance following arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the error-prone Minnesota Timberwolves 100-90 on Monday night.

It was the third straight game of at least 21 points for Richardson since his return after sitting out seven contests following the exploratory surgery on his right knee. He led an efficient offense that included a season-high 24 points from Emeka Okafor and 14 assists and just one turnover for Raymond Felton.

(At) Boston 107, Orlando 88 | Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter to lead the Celtics to their ninth straight win. The Magic had their four-game winning streak snapped.

Burress appears in court

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

NEW YORK -- Taken to court in handcuffs, Plaxico Burress posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges Monday as the frenzy grew around the Giants star receiver who accidentally shot himself in a nightclub.

Authorities said teammate Antonio Pierce was being investigated over his role in the weekend shooting, while the Super Bowl-champion Giants weren't sure what action they would take, if any, against Burress. The NFL said it was monitoring developments. Mayor Michael Bloomberg also weighed in, saying it would be an outrage "if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Burress shot himself in the right thigh in the VIP section of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan about 1 a.m. Saturday, police said. He did not have a permit to carry a handgun in New York.

Rinne records first shutout to lead Predators

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:48 EST

Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for his first career shutout, Jason Arnott snapped a tie in the third period and the Nashville Predators beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 Monday night.

J.P. Dumont also scored and had an assist for the Predators (12-10-2), who won for the third time in five games.

(At) Detroit 2, Anaheim 1 | Marian Hossa scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and the Red Wings held on to beat the Ducks.

Late floater by Hughes lifts Badgers to win

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:33 EST

Trevon Hughes hit a leaning floater in the lane with 0.9 seconds left and Wisconsin survived a furious rally by Virginia Tech on Monday night, winning 74-72 in the opener of the 10th Annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The Badgers (6-1) led throughout until A.D. Vassallo's sixth 3-pointer capped a 14-5 run that pulled the Hokies (4-3) even with seven seconds to play. But with Cassell Coliseum erupting, Hughes hit an off-balance shot in the lane that silenced the crowd as it dropped.

Vassallo led the Hokies with 30 points, getting 24 in the second half.

Sports World

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:33 EST

TOP STORY

CYCLING

Armstrong to race in 2009 Tour de France

Texans win in debut

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:38 EST

Mario Williams, Steve Slaton and the Houston Texans put on quite a show in their Monday Night Football debut.

Williams had a season-high three sacks and forced a fumble and Slaton ran for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Texans to a 30-17 win over the slumping Jacksonville Jaguars.

Andre Johnson added a TD reception and Kris Brown kicked three field goals in the win, a highlight in Houston's disappointing season so far.

Now that Dabo has job, big task is keeping it

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:46 EST

Even from a relative distance, it sure looks like Clemson got it right when it decided to name Dabo Swinney the formal successor to Tommy Bowden.

Thumping the listless Gamecocks on Saturday certainly didn't hurt, but the decision on the future direction of the Tiger program was too important to base it on the halcyon rush of adding another win in one of America's most one-sided football rivalries.

Still, there was nothing wrong with Swinney adding a ringing piece of punctuation in his last chance to grab the dagger before him.

Report: Swinney to be named Tigers' coach

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:28 EST

The State newspaper in Columbia is reporting that Clemson and Dabo Swinney have agreed in principle to make Swinney the Tigers' next football coach.

According to the newspaper's report, an announcement is expected either today or Tuesday. Contractual details are yet to be finalized; however, the announcement could be made before negotiations are completed.

Swinney, 39, was retained from former coach Tommy Bowden's staff to serve as the Tigers' interim coach for the final six games of the regular season. He spent the previous five seasons as the team's receivers coach.

Change is in the air

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:30 EST

It could be just like old times for South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia, whose next start looks as if it will be in his hometown of Tampa, Fla.

A day after watching Chris Smelley throw a career-high four interceptions in a 31-14 loss at Clemson, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier pulled the trigger on another move at quarterback.

Spurrier announced Sunday that Garcia, who did not play against Clemson, would start USC's bowl game, which by all indications will be the Outback.

Two assistants leaving USC one fired, one heading to Vols

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:28 EST

South Carolina lost two assistant coaches Sunday, although only one left by his own volition.

Steve Spurrier fired much-maligned offensive line coach John Hunt, who worked with Spurrier at three coaching stops but failed to produce lines at USC that could open up running lanes or protect the Gamecocks' quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, recruiting coordinator David Reaves will join the staff of his brother-in-law, Lane Kiffin, who will be announced as Tennessee's new coach today. Reaves said he will coach the Volunteers' quarterbacks.