Is the '25-'26 school year the worst in our history of men's sports? Men's sports that matter.
- Thread starter Rhode Island Dork
- Start date
The 1998-99 season is still the low point for me. The football team won their season opener then proceeded to lose their final 10 games to finish 1-10 that year (0-8 in the SEC). Men's basketball having been a top 15 team and an NCAA tournament team the previous two years, crashes and burns finishing 8-21 and 3-13 in the SEC both dead last in the league in both categories(still can't believe they sent BJ McKie out like that). The baseball program was 35 -23, but just 15-15 in the SEC and completely missed the NCAA tournament(pretty much the only time that happened for them in a 10+ year stretch going from 1997-98 through the end of the Tanner tenure).
Bad as things were this year, I'm more than old enough now to understand things go up and down. I was a kid during that 1998-99 school year. The ineptitude of our sports programs that year, combined with constantly being ridiculed at a school where most of the other students didn't like me and I couldn't stand them either, made that probably the hardest year for me to be a Gamecock fan.
Bad as things were this year, I'm more than old enough now to understand things go up and down. I was a kid during that 1998-99 school year. The ineptitude of our sports programs that year, combined with constantly being ridiculed at a school where most of the other students didn't like me and I couldn't stand them either, made that probably the hardest year for me to be a Gamecock fan.
I think 25/26 is worse. Football was 4-8, but that was starting out as a preseason top ten team with a dark horse Heisman candidate at QB. And of course baseball was far worse this year, finishing with the most losses in school history.
Men's baseball lost to Winthrop, Citadel (2-game sweep), Charleston, Charlotte, Queens, Army, Northern Kentucky.
For baseball, yes, worst season ever by a very, very, very long shot. No other team is in even in a theoretical discussion. There's not even a close second.
For baseball, yes, worst season ever by a very, very, very long shot. No other team is in even in a theoretical discussion. There's not even a close second.
Definitely the worst baseball season in the past 50 years. There were bad seasons going further back, but most teams played 20 or so games a season "back then."
If you do a deep dive into the history of gamecock sports, there is a lot of evidence in favor of the chicken curse.
I thought the 2010 national title in baseball broke the curse.
But looking at Gamecock athletics over the past 120 years, outside of a few bright sports, e.g., WBB under Staley, Baseball under Richardson, Tanner. the first part of Raines' tenure, MBB in our latter ACC days, SoCon Basketball in the mid 1930's, and bright spots under Holtz and Spurrier, for the most part, varsity programs have been middling to mediocre.
Oh yeah, throngs of people gather together to watch tennis, swimming, & track n field. The TV ratings & money generated are through the roof, too.
How many watch or don't watch is irrelevant. If the school sponsors a varsity sport, then it matters.Oh yeah, throngs of people gather together to watch tennis, swimming, & track n field. The TV ratings & money generated are through the roof, too.
I wouldn't know when it comes to baseball because I don't even pay attention to teams unless they make the Super Regionals. However, Football and Basketball in the late 90's was about as bad as it gets. 4-8 this year was bad, but not as bad as living through a 23 game losing streak.
Men's Track & Field won the 4x400 relay. Shouldn't diss on those guys as 'irrelevant." Overall, the team had a good year, even after losing perhaps their fastest 200 sprinter. Other than baseball (and maybe equestrian) it's the only men's NC that I can recall.
Team sports? Definitely one of the most disappointing seasons ever, if not the outright worst ever.
Team sports? Definitely one of the most disappointing seasons ever, if not the outright worst ever.
Good pre-season rankings are the kiss of doom. Kind of like it was for star players when they appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Damn! Have we added 2 games to that loathsome losing streak initiated by the Fat Bradstard!
Man, I lost count. I just know that we went almost 2 years without a win. People that complain these days don't understand the days of "Give 'em hell Richard Bell" and Fat Bradstard. Man, we were losing games to the Citadel and Furman. Let this sink in. Fans stormed the field and tore down the goalposts for beating "New Mexico State" in 2000.
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To me, this year was the worst. At least in 99 there weren't many expectations and we had hope that Holtz would turn it around.
That's the key. You have expectations because we do have a competitive roster. Back in those days, all we had is hope for the future. In that first year, Holtz switched a DB over to play QB. We knew going in each game that we would probably lose by at least 2 TDs unless we were playing some lowly non-conference opponent.
I remember going into one season in the early 2000s (2002 I think) where we opened up the season ranked in the top 20, were 5-2 at the Midway point at the season, then completely proceeded to crash the car into the wall, lose our last five games and end up 5-7.