Palmetto Proving Grounds

Hey guys and gals - I wanted to take an opportunity to take a quick breath and thank each of you for being a member of TheBigSpur.com. It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks with all that has happened to close out the 2013 recruiting class, the first Junior Day, the start of baseball, and the stretch run of basketball season. It’s a busy time but there are a lot of positive things happening in South Carolina athletics and we work hard to cover every bit of it. We do it for you, our members, and we love every bit of it.

Just because the 2013 recruiting season is over, it doesn’t mean there is going to be more than a quick breath taken by the staff on this site. Information doesn’t stop now and, in many ways, this is one of the best times to be a member. We have a lot of great content coming this spring including, but not limited to:

-- Redshirt reports: A breakdown of each of the members of the 2012 class, how each has progressed in the offseason, and where they fit going into spring practice.
-- Class of 2014: The coaching staff is off to a great start when it comes to 2014 recruiting. We’ve had extensive Junior Day coverage from last weekend but next week, we will unleash a series of articles detailing what to expect during the next recruiting cycle.
-- Spring practice coverage: The team will start spring practice the first full week of March and we’ll be there every step of the way from Practice 1 to the Garnet & Black Spring Game on April 13. We’ll have detailed reports, valuable insights from market-leading insiders, and much more.
-- Another run to Omaha?: One thing that differentiates this sites from others is the in-depth baseball coverage and insight. We go beyond the box score and bring the best information on both the team and recruiting. This team loses a lot of key pieces from last year but there are still a lot of high hopes going forward.
-- Exclusive interviews: We have interviews set up with coaches to get their thoughts headed into spring practice. We’re not recording radio shows, we’re asking the questions that our members want answered and those will be released between now and the start of spring practice.
-- And more exclusive interviews: We have conducted a series of interviews with young players that have spoken with the media since the time of their arrival to campus. Between now and the start of spring practice, hear what Cody Waldrop, Mason Zandi, T.J. Holloman, and many others have to say as they prepare for an important spring.

Those are just some of the new things to expect in the near future. That’s in addition to the VIP Room, Spurnotes, WG’s Three-pointers, and all of our other features that make this site what it is today.

Since last signing day, TheBigSpur.com has enjoyed nearly a 20 percent growth in membership. The message boards are incredibly active and we continue to produce content that shapes the market. Spurnotes, which JC Shurburtt started when TBS began changed the game. The VIP Room set a new standard. Our baseball coverage continues to set a bar higher than any other in any market. We will continue to get better and improve our product because it is important to be on the cutting edge.

247Sports’ mission has been to become the most advanced network with regards to technology. We believe we have the best mobile platform of any network. We have rolled out products like the Twitter timeline and feed that come across the front page of the board. There’s a lot more coming, as Founder and CEO Shannon Terry lays out in this message board post. It is really an exciting time.

Over the past year, we have added Wes Mitchell to our staff. He’s done a remarkable job covering recruiting and the football team. He’s been an incredible asset to this staff and he’s under contract with TheBigSpur.com for a long time to come. Photojournalist Ryan Bethea was recently hired and he’s only started to show what he can do with a camera. Basketball analyst Alex Irwin provides a unique perspective given his time training with the current Frank Martin-led squad.

OK, folks. I think I’ve done enough gloating. I hope you’re excited about the content we have going forward and the direction this site is headed. I know we’re incredibly excited about everything right now. I had to take a breath to give yall an update. Now it’s time to get back to work. Thanks again for being a member of TheBigSpur.com! - Whittle and the rest of the staff of TheBigSpur.com

PS: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s a great idea to upgrade to an annual subscription. We are committed to bringing you the best coverage and scoop for much longer than one year. We’d love for you to pledge a year to us with an annual membership. You can upgrade your membership on your account profile or email support@247Sports.com for assistance. It’s 33 cents per day for this site for a monthly subscription or 29 cents a day for an annual one. It’s $107.40 for an annual members, which saves $12 a year.