Castle's Keep

Finding the true champion

Sherwood Miler supplied me a fantastic idea this week. I called him to get his input on who would win a game between the town’s two basketball state champions.
“In the old days, we would meet at Laurel Street park and play our games there,” the basketball fanatic said. “I say we roll out some goals in the middle of the street and play it off.”
Well, he’s got a great idea. Tomorrow at 2 p.m., Summerville and Pinewood should meet at Laurel Street. Sherwood’s bringing the goals.
Although we all know that can’t happen –– pesky High School League rules –– it would be great to imagine if they did play. The two teams didn’t in the regular season for the second consecutive year.
They used to play in the Berlin Myers Classic before Christmas to raise money for charity, but that has faded over the past two years. Now, both have won state championships. Summerville won its first in school history. Pinewood its third straight. Seldom before have the two teams been so good at the same time.
Summerville has A.J. Green and athleticism. Pinewood has Milton Jennings and great team play.
“If Pinewood can keep out of foul trouble, they would win nine times out of 10,” Sherwood says. “Because Jennings is as good of a basketball player as A.J. Green is an athlete.”
The Journal Scene’s Sports Editor Roger Lee, who probably has seen enough basketball this year for the next five, simply says it would be “awesome” to sit back and watch the two teams duke it out.
“Pinewood hasn’t seen a press like Summerville’s but on the other hand when Milton and Ryan Steed are on their game –– they’re pretty much unstoppable,” he says.
One of the tragedies of the Green Wave’s state championship was the lack of class and sportsmanship Spartanburg showed. I know they believe the shot was good. Green Wave would’ve believed the same thing. But, the game can ultimately be summed up pretty well by Sherwood.
“Let’s face it –– it was close. Summerville should’ve never have been in that position – they should’ve won by 12,” he says.
Spartanburg should’ve known better than to slam the trophy on the table and leave the court. Just because they lost, and Summerville High spin-off Ashley Ridge High stole their football coach on the same day –– they still should have had more class.
Now, they’ve gotten their state legislators involved. If those Columbia guys didn’t waste their time enough on frivolous legislation, two Spartanburg legislators have now submitted a bill mandating instant replay in high school and college games. Really? That is what we send them to Columbia to do –– regulate high school sports.
Isn’t the state facing a budget deficit? Aren’t our roads and bridges desperately lacking in repair? Aren’t there better state laws to reform than high school athletics?
Once again, I’ll let Sherwood sum up my thoughts on the entire situation.
“The officials ultimately agreed to call it and that’s all you can say.”
Well of course, besides, congratulations to the Green Wave and Panther basketball teams.

Seven feels a lot like one

The rule that someone is only seven degrees of separation from any other person, hasn’t seemed quite right lately. The world feels much smaller.
Several incidents over the past few months have made me feel there may only be one degree of separation, especially in the smallest metropolitan area in America – Greater Charleston.
It all starts with my fetish for collegiate tee shirts. I’m a collector. When I go to out of state or to a town with a small college, one thing I like to do is buy a tee shirt from the college or university there. The smaller and the more obscure –– the better.
I was living on Cape Cod, Mass., a few summers ago and also looking at potential colleges to transfer to. I visited some campuses, thought about how it would be and, of course, bought plenty of college tee shirts.
One of those I bought was Boston University, which brings us to present day.
My roommate and I were in Jim and Nick’s Barbecue downtown Charleston on King Street for our routine Sunday trip there. When the waitress came up and said “this may sound odd, but, do you go to BU?” “No,” I replied having to then explain my infatuation with college tee shirts.
Apparently not thinking I’m really odd, she then explained she was from Massachusetts, which led to “oh, where?”
Well, low and behold she was from Sandwich on Cape Cod, the same place I spent half of my summer. The other half was spent in Wellfleet, a beach town further down the arm.
As I was explaining it she asked if a certain person was the person with whom I had lived since that was the only person she knew with houses in both places. It wasn’t, but it was his friend instead, whom she also knew.
Then, she of course asked, what I was doing up there? I, like many college males, had followed a girl there. My girlfriend at that time was from Sandwich, so I wanted to spend the summer close to her and did so, by boarding up with one of her guy friends.
The waitress, then, went on to say even more incredible things. It turns out the girlfriend was her mentor on the high school swimming team back in the day. They were friends.
Another incident occurred a couple of weeks before –– also, downtown Charleston. I was out with a group of friends at Wild Wing Café, and of course, there were many fellow Summerville High graduates there, also. We travel in at least duos, if not packs. But, we met up with some people my roommate had met a few weeks before. Ones not from Summerville.
During the normal conversing among new people, it came to be known that I was the editor of the Summerville newspaper. To which, one of the girls whispered to the other, “Isn’t that who David works for.”
I interrupted knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. I knew the girls went to the Medical University of South Carolina. I also knew our newest reporter at the time, David Berman, had a fiancée who went there. I put the two and two together rather quickly and asked, “You guys know David Berman?”
They responded, “yes” not only do we know him, we’re really good friends with his girlfriend and had actually been hanging out at his apartment the previous evening.
With that, I gave David a quick lesson into the smallest metropolitan area in America the following day.

Consolidation takes political gumption

A call to move beyond politics at the state level is the only way school consolidation could be achieved in Dorchester County.
Gov. Mark Sanford made a move this week as he pushed for more school districts to consolidate –– even calling for statewide action.
Traditionally, the notion of school consolidation has been the third rail of Dorchester County politics. Much like Social Security at the national level, you touch school district lines you could get electrocuted, which is why the push for a statewide effort at school consolidation is the only way the topic can even be discussed by a politician in this county.
George Bailey knows first hand the effects of school consolidation. Depending on the varying stories you hear, he either proposed or was coaxed into proposing school consolidation for Dorchester County. Either way, his actions were viewed as less than for the betterment of all Dorchester students and he was thrown out when Patsy Knight beat him two years ago for his statehouse seat.
To parents in School District Two, consolidation was a land grab. The appearance was the forces to be wanted to raise property values in School District Four by associating it with the higher achieving School District Two.
To parents in School District Four, the bill was viewed as conceding yet again to “big brother.” The interpretation was the lower county could run a school district better than the upper county. The upper county residents look at one unified countywide district, not as consolidation or better yet progress, but as absorption.
Both of these mentalities are flawed. No one is in government just to make a buck. Nobody is looking to just simply gain control. Rather attempts at consolidating school districts should be looked as a tax-saving measure to eliminate astronomical administration costs and taxpayer-funded duplication wastes.
A study determined School District Two’s property taxes would rise to offset the federal money lost in School District Four back in 2005 when consolidation became the hot button issue. Any plan that calls for hikes in taxes is not a good one unless it’s a temporary hike that will reduce with over the years. It’s time Dorchester County and South Carolina become proactive rather than reactive.
Since the study was done, something has changed though. School operating taxes are no longer funded through owner-occupied homes. The state picks up the tab for schools for homeowners through a one-cent sales tax increase.
Dorchester residents have already lived through a consolidation, even Sanford acknowledged as he signed the Sumter school consolidation bill earlier this week. Dorchester school districts One and Three successfully consolidated into one district in 1988.

Castle announces presidential bid

Just days before the South Carolina Presidential Preference Primary, it’s important to remember the actual election will not take place until November.

Besides a Democrat and a Republican on the ballot, there will also be the country’s first Anarchist candidate. Ryan Castle formally announced his run for president on the Anarchy ticket.

“I felt that the presidential candidates currently in the race are fake anarchists. They’re not talking enough about scrapping our current law books and just using the Constitution,” Castle said.

“I’m here to expose the fraud of all presidential candidates. No one is going to be less law and order than me; denounce God more; mention 9/11 less; and flip-flop less than me,” he added.

His platform is based on repealing all federal programs, including the U.S. departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Commerce.

“The war in Iraq is troublesome, but instead of spreading democracy throughout the world, we should be fighting a war against our government,” Castle said.

“It’s important to remember each person can govern themselves. Whatever I want to do, I should be able to do it without interference from others. The Democrats are fake about change. If they were really concerned about it, they’d be talking about changing our entire system of government. But, instead they’re talking about creating a better democracy. Democracy is for losers.
“As president, I will pass no law. I will charge no tax. I will protect no one. I will defend no borders.”

Being great not always good enough

As I was leaving Williams-Brice in Columbia Saturday, 'Crazy Jim,' who also happens to be an avid Journal Scene reader, yelled the following at me: "What's better - throwing nine touchdown passes in a playoff game or getting nine touchdowns scored on you in a state championship game?" a reference to my column last week about the McCollum brothers, one with nine touchdowns in a game and the other with nine birdies in a row.
While the comment was not meant as a slap, it provided some context to the ambush the Green Wave found themselves in on a picture perfect, clear December Saturday. The Byrnes Rebels didn't score nine touchdowns -- only six and two field goals for good measure -- to anybody there it sure felt like it. But, the most important thing to remember is two losses doesn't make it a bad season.
As fans (if you call fair weather ones that) started the rumbling during and after the devastating loss that the game had passed by legendary Coach John McKissick. Or that Joe Call wasn't suited to be offensive coordinator. Comments were even shouted referring to A.J. Green and Reid McCollum, who was playing on the very field on which he hopes to lead the Gamecocks to triumph, that they may be overrated.
Everyone who shouted such comments should be cautioned. It was a really great season for the Green Wave -- they just happened to play a better team.
The Green Wave started the year with extreme hype. It wasn't placed on them by themselves, but rather fans and the media who felt the team should be an offensive juggernaut.
At times they lived up to the billing as they thrashed Stratford, Wando and Fort Dorchester twice, even scoring 78 against the Patriots.
But, the opening and closing games, one on ESPN and one for the state championship, will be those two games, they're remembered by.
But, why?
They played well. They had fun. They won 11 games.
McKissick has only made it to the state championship 15 times, so this team must still be one of the best ever.
Even if they are the worst state championship team ever, which I highly doubt, they still would rank in the top 15 of 55 teams. Just because the team was star studded, don't look to place blame.
Sometimes being great isn't good enough.

Family of nines

What's the more impressive feat: nine birdies in a row from the championship tees in a NCAA Division I college golf tournament or throwing nine touchdown passes in a high school playoff game?
While those two feats are usually rare in occurrence, the discussion could be had in one Summerville household.
I and others have been asking that very question just two weeks after Green Wave OB Reid McCollum's state record-tying passing day against Fort Dorchester in the playoffs.
The question is begged because of Reid's brother, Dennis McCollum II, or better known as simply "D," feat two years ago.
As a sophomore on the College of Charleston golf team, D made nine birdies in a row, while playing in a collegiate tournament in Florida. That's more than not only everyone else on the NCAA Division I level has ever made, but also more than any golfer has made on the PGA Tour.
D's record streak of birdies is a record in an individual sport. It required skill and luck for two and a half straight hours.
Reid's feat was against an opponent playing against him, and he had to work in concert with other players on his team.
"Obviously, I think nine birdies in a row was more impressive, since no one has ever done that before," D said. But, that doesn't mean he's not taking anything away from his younger brother.
"What Reid did was terrific, I enjoyed watching it," D said.
D has been to every game Reid has played this season, home or away, with the exception of two. He didn't make the trip to Battery Creek for the Wave's blowout victory, and he was in Hawaii playing for the College of Charleston, while Reid was torching Colleton County defensive backs.
While many Sunday hackers may look to D's feat as impressive, Reid's shouldn't be dismissed as the lesser right away.
He put up more points (56 on the nine passes) than Green Wave basketball teams used to score. For those guys gracing the greens imagining nine birdies, the thrill of dropping nine bombs over opposing defenses would be equally exhilarating.
In Reid's defense, Bo Blanton, general manager at Miler Country Club, former Wave quarterback and a McCollum family friend, says he wants to say D's feat is more impressive, but can't.
"I really want to say birdies, but it's the touchdown passes because you have an opponent," Blanton said ,adding that nine touchdowns in one game is unheard of. He was an All-State performer and Clemson-bound, and the most he threw in one entire season was 13. Reid has that many in the playoffs this year.
But the best thing about the matching scores? They are the measure of sibling rivalry at its best, a competition that drives two very talented brothers.

A lesson from the West Wing

I am a West Wing fanatic. I went into mourning when it went off the air. But, it did teach me something and I think it applies to next year's presidential primaries.
Rudy Giuliani is becoming the front runner for the Republican nomination. While I understand, the Christian-first Republicans (not to be confused with conservative Republicans because they're not the same) being reluctant to back Giuliani, I believe if the former New York City mayor made particular move before the South Carolina primary, he would walk away with it.
I believe many want to support Mike Huckabee, but feel he doesn't have a chance. Giuliani needs to make Huckabee his VP candidate before the South Carolina primary. If he did this, and say all my judges would be run through Huckabee, then Giuliani would kill the problem Christian Republicans (once again, not conservatives) have with the native New Yorker.
How does this relate to West Wing? Well, Arnie Vinich (Alan Alda) did the same thing. The Republican Senator was too moderate and there was talk the Christian right would stay at home on election day. So he got a Christian right to be his VP choice and  say he would let Ray Sullivan do the judges.
While Huckabee is more than just a Christian right candidate, he's also a sound conservative, well as much one can be both.
If Republicans want to stay in power, Giuliani and Huckabee need to take a lesson from the West Wing before January's South Carolina primary.

A South Carolina view of Virgina politics

Although, Virginia isn't relative to The Journal Scene, I sat up to notice the upcoming Senate election next year in Virginia. WIth John Warner, a long-time Republican senator, deciding not to run and popular former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner jumping in.
I went to college in Virginia (Randolph-Macon) after growing up in Summerville. While there, I, as one would expect, paid attention to the political scene. Having several friends, who are all big Republicans, in Virginia, I know Mark Warner gives Republicans heartburn.
As one guy told me, who was friends with both Mark Warner and former Sen. George Allen, if they ran against each other he would just have to give no money rather than choose between them.
Republicans in Virginia seem to like Mark Warner and should be considered the favorite. I have a natural disposition to former Va. Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore, who might seek the seat. Gilmore's wife was one of my college professors and was not one of my favorites. Well, it could've been the course. Don't even ask why I took Women in Antiquity.

Rhetoric of a Republican

Republicans not happy with the current crop of presidential candidates should consider the following: there’s a candidate who is pro-school choice, a fair tax proponent and one who wants to get out of Iraq now.

The only problem for Palmetto state Republicans is I just described former Alaska senator and resident “angry guy” Mike Gravel, a Democratic presidential candidate..

I know, it’s heresy, for me or any other fan of limited government and libertarianism that usually votes heavily Republican to say a Democrat should be in the White House. And heaven forbid, we trust Gravel for foreign diplomacy, but can you imagine Hugo Chavez doing anything wrong after we lock him in a room for an hour with Gravel.

I interviewed the candidate for five minutes after The Citadel debate and came away scared. He’s intense, he’s straightforward and he represents what I view as a rising majority of Republicans.

There’s no announced Republican candidate ready to pull out of Iraq, yet as days go by more and more Republicans feel that no longer how long we stay in Iraq, the situation will never get better.

Gravel says money won’t solve our education problem and we should look at vouchers, charter schools and anything else that could help should be on the table.

He says the fair tax is the way to go.

Now, I know many will say a vote for Gravel is a waste of a vote, but if you firmly believe seven months isn’t enough time to drum up support, why are we a democracy? Isn’t everyone supposed to have a fair shot? If people can only back a frontrunner, aren't we just letting the media dictate politics?

Now, I’m not supporting Gravel, but as the situation in Iraq becomes more hopeless and his rhetoric of the fair tax and school choice continues, he’s looking more and more like a viable alternative a lack of substantive Republican and Democratic candidates.

Here are some other observations from this week’s debate at The Citadel:

-It took 45 minutes for the first Iraq, might be a new debate record.

-former senator John Edwards had an interesting answer for a Democratic candidate. “Do I believe and do I personally support gay marriage? The honest answer to that is I don't. But I think it is absolutely wrong, as president of the United States, for me to have used that faith basis as a basis for denying anybody their rights, and I will not do that when I'm president of the United States.”

That’s better rhetoric from candidates usually rushing to the Christian wings or pandering to the gay rights crowd.

Now, the correct answer, at least to me, would’ve been, it doesn’t matter what any presidential candidate thinks of gay rights. It doesn’t matter because marriage shouldn’t be a function of the government, locally, statewide or federally. Marriage should be between the two people uniting in matrimony and their God. The government shouldn’t authorize a marriage between a man just like it shouldn’t authorize a marriage between a man and a woman.

The next President of the United States

As I like to tell Arthur Bryngelson, chairman of the Dorchester GOP, I'm at the debate watching the next President of the United States. Of course, I'm in Charleston at The Citadel for the Democratic presidential debate.
I don't know, I hope not, that the next president is at this debate, but if you want to get some diehard Republicans riled up just say that. In fact, as a joke, I encourage everyone to go the GOP executive committee Thursday night and vote for either Barack or Hillary.
Saying that, this is my third presidential debate this year (2 Democrats, 1 Republican) and Democrats by far run the more organized debate for medias. The one in Orangeburg was the most organized, I must say, the state Democratic Party was on the ball. The Republican debate was the least organized.
If that's any indication of what the state organizations are like, I feel sorry for the Republicans come '08 and '10 as they could be in for a blasting unless they get their act together.
Also, the supporters that wave signs of candidates out in front have been more vocal and energized at each of the two Democratic debates. I'm not sure if that's a sign of being complacent with their standing of the top party in the state with no end in sight of reigning or it's due to no candidate coming along and energizing the base with the exception of the possiblity that Arthur Branch (a.k.a. Fred Thompson) might be able to do just that.
It does strike me as odd the Democratic debate will be at the bastion of Southern conservatism being The Citdeal. The question that comes to my mind: is there a single alum who is going to vote for one of these candidates?