Choose Charleston

A great event is taking place in Charleston starting tonight.  The second annual Charleston Classic which will be hosted in at the new Carolina First Arena at the College of Charleston.

You can purchase tickets here.

The field is loaded with talent with some common local teams such as C of C conference rival Davidson.  The South Carolina Gamecocks are also joining the field with coach Darrin Horn looking to make a national splash.  UNC-Wilmington joins, along with the ACC’s Miami Hurricanes.

The other teams making up the Charleston Classic for 2009 is  Tulane, USF, NIT champ Penn State, and La Salle.

I don’t know if they are really clear cut best team in the field but I expect several games to go down to the wire!

I will have some game updates as the Charleston Classic is played out this weekend.

The games will be played Nov. 19-22

Charleston came up with a major upset tonight against the #1 seed and SoCon powerhouse Davidson Wildcats.  If you recall, Charleston had beat them earlier in the year.  Charleston was down at the half, but rallied in the second half to steal the victory from the Wildcats.

Here is a link to the AP story covering the big win.

The Cougars will face Chattanooga Monday for a chance to play in the NCAA tournament.

 It will be a battle for sure, I will have more coverage soon in regards to the run   C of C is currently on!

Oh btw, I told you the guys were heading in the right direction….NIT bid is looking good even if the Cougars fall Monday.

It has been another up and down season for Bobby Cremins and the College of Charleston basketball team.  Earlier in the Southern Conference season, it appeared they were in for a rough finish.  After pulling off a huge upset of Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats, C of C has put together a solid past few games highlighted by a current three game winning streak!

 College of Charleston is 21-7 (13-5) but still is third place in the Southern Conference South Division.  They are behind Davidson and The Citadel.  Yes, you read it right.  The Citadel!  To be honest, they were terrible a few years ago!  It appeared as if the staff went out the lowcountry YMCA’s and found the kids who looked like they could play.  The Citadel beat Davidson (Without Stephen Curry) and are a half game ahead of C of C (Also with the tiebreaker advantage). 

 College of Charleston led by Head Coach Bobby Cremins must continue to win and they have two huge home games left against Wofford and Furman, located in the Carolina First Arena.

Charleston vs Wofford, Feb 26th (Thursday) 7:00 pm

Charleston vs Furman, Feb 28th (Saturday) 4:00pm.

 Come out and help keep the College of Charleston club going!

 Southern Coference Tournament coming up as well, more to come later on that!

Maybe I should add watching basketball to the Things to do- Charleston article?

Looking for things to do in Charleston?

Let me go over a view that my readers, both residents and tourist have said would be great for people in looking for things to do in Charleston.

If you have ever spent a day in downtown Charleston, you will realize that a Charleston Carriage Tour is one of the most popular ways to learn the history of Charleston. The carriage tours are affordable and a unique experience for kids who have never been around a horse.

 If you are part of the younger crowd, you may want to look into what the Charleston nightlife scene is. The downtown area of Charleston has both clubs and plenty of bars to hang out in the early morning.

 Is sport your thing?  You are in luck!  Charleston offers a wide range of Golf courses, for beginner up to pro level.  Want to take in some pro baseball?  Then check out our hometown Charleston Riverdogs.  Charleston also offers pro soccer!

See, they are plenty of things to do in Charleston, SC!

 If you would like any other suggestions of things to do in Charleston, browse ChooseCharleston or e-mail me.

I know we can all agree it has been really hot recently but I think it is time to try my hand at golf again.  I recently purchased a new set of irons so I am ready to see if they improved my game any. (Don’t laugh!)  Since I have not played recently, I am asking anyone who golfs to weigh in on the topic.  What is your favorite golf course in Charleston, South Carolina. Or what course offers the most value? I am sure we have many readers who are coming to Charleston with the idea of playing some golf on vaction or a business trip.  You could help them make a great choice! Over the coming weeks, I am going to write a few articles about the Charleston golf courses mentioned!

Which Charleston golf course is your favorite and why?

Hit em straight!

Davidson won the Southern Conference Basketball Tournament for the third year straight.  College of Charleston beat The Citadel in the first round but ran out of steam against Elon in the semifinals of the 2008 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament. I attended all the games from Saturday until the finals on Monday night. I could have scripted how this tournament would end (Davidson 2008 Champs) but to the credit of Elon- good try! Davidson must be able to the Charleston as they are headed to the big dance once again! I hope some of my readers were able to come out to this great even in North Charleston!

The Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament will be in Charleston this weekend.   March 7th will be the first day of games and two local colleges, College of Charleston and The Citadel will battle that evening.  I think the game should be roughly around 7:30 but it depends on the games ahead of them. (Overtimes!?)  Either way, the Southern Conference Tournament offers a great opportunity to watch some high quality hoops!  Davidson has won the tournament the past two years, beating out our own College of Charleston Cougars  in the finals last year by the score of 72-65.  If you would like more details, visit SoConSports.com.  What are you waiting on sports fan?  March Madness is coming to Charleston.

This Saturday and Sunday, August 4-5, the Washout on Folly Beach will once again host the South Carolina Governor’s Cup of Surfing.

That’s two whole days of competition featuring the best of the class from all the way up and down the Easten seaboard. Wahines wade in from the Outer Banks and Menehunes migrate from Myrtle Beach to show their stuff at this top wave event.

Arrive early to catch a good parking spot.

Keep in mind that South Carolina is one of only two states with an official Governor’s Cup dedicated to the sport of surfing (the other is California). Governor Mark Sanford, well known as a champion of coastal and environmental causes, is himself an avid surfer.

So the Governor’s Cup is a point of pride for Sandlappers.

Speaking of which, the summer 2007 issue of Sandlapper: The Magazine of South Carolina features a cool article on the Governor’s Cup and the Folly Beach surf crowd, if you’re interested in some background research before you show up on the beach.

As well, the summer issue of Garden & Gun has an article on the local wahines and the July 2007 Charleston Magazine has an article on Folly Beach in its golden age (check out the sailing adventure by the ever adventurous Ida Becker in the same issue).

With the fourth annual South Carolina Governor’s Cup of Surfing only a little more than 6 weeks away, competition is heating up at the Washout on Folly Beach.

Despite less than spectacular waves this Saturday, local surfers continued to perfect their techniques and accumulate points while preparing for the Governor’s Cup and other major Eastern Surfing Association events.

The idea has been building for a long, long while.

The 20th Century brought many a change to these here United States, including a long-lived love affair with horseless carriages; newfangled contraptions that came to be known as automobiles, cars, jalopies. Chitty Chitty Bang Bangs. We polished them until they sparkled in the sunlight, gassed them up, and hopped inside for a trip from here to practically wherever.

They certainly were convenient when a trip between cities or states was what we needed, but gradually we grew so accustomed to riding inside of them that we would motor up even when we only needed to travel a few blocks down the road.

Somewhere along the way, a few forward-thinking minds thought: “Enough!” They shook one leg, then the other, revisited a few stretches that they learned in gym class many a moon ago, and rediscovered the art of walking. For slightly more distant travels, they dusted off bicycles.

And they soon found that they felt better. Not just in the cardiovascular sense, but also in the sense of noticing things about their towns that they had previously zipped right past.

When the James Island Connector spanned the mighty Ashley River, not only did our marvelous medical students gain affordable island housing that was suddenly just a quick trip over the water, but they also gained a great jogging path with a scenic view.

When the great Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge replaced its older cousins above the Cooper River, a walking and bicycling path was a key component in its design. Walking, running, or bicycling that path has fast become one of the most popular outdoor activities for locals and visitors alike.

Today, it seems like everyone with a bridge nearby wants in on that feel-good fit feeling. A meeting is scheduled for the end of the month at Charles Towne Landing to discuss how the North Bridge, linking West Ashley with North Charleston, could benefit from a dedicated walking and bicycling path, among other improvements.

If this blending of bridges and physical fitness continues, who knows where it might lead? Next thing you know, we might even have to launch a major annual international 10K… hm? What’s that? Oh… that’s right…