For those of you who’ve never had the misfortune of encountering former University of South Carolina quarterback (and current football announcer) Todd Ellis, consider yourselves lucky.
Seriously, people … this guy is equal part egomaniac and ignoramus … with a little pyramid scammage (among other reported ethical lapses) thrown in the mix for good measure.
He’s also perhaps the worst play-by-play announcer in the history of college radio … which (believe us) is saying something.
Anyway, Ellis was in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2010 Papajohns.com Bowl, a game in which his alma mater was humiliated by a middle-of-the-road Big East team that wasn’t even playing Division I-A football a decade ago.
We know this to be the case because the University of South Carolina is also our alma mater, and we drove for hundreds of miles last weekend to sit in the freezing cold – on the shady side of a shady stadium (in a shady neighborhood) – to watch the Gamecocks lay down against the University of Connecticut.
Anyway, on the eve of the “big game” (or what passes for a big game at USC), Ellis appeared at a pep rally for the Gamecocks and Huskies that was held in Five Points South, where Birmingham’s night life is primarily clustered.
After listening to Connecticut’s enthusiastic but respectful “we’re going to give our best effort” presentation, Ellis grabbed microphone and proceeded to strut about the stage like a rooster bragging about the Southeastern Conference and how much better it is than all the other conferences.
He also previewed a radio “call” of the game in which South Carolina was leading Connecticut 35-13 late in the fourth quarter with USC quarterback Stephen Garcia ostensibly having thrown for a career-high 375 yards and four touchdowns.
“But Spurrier wants more …” Ellis yelled, proceeding to describe Garcia tossing an imaginary fifth touchdown pass that would have – in Ellis’ demented dreamworld – put USC up by a 42-13 margin.
“Touchdown!!!”
The display was ridiculous, distasteful and annoying … to say nothing of implausible, considering how South Carolina’s anemic offense was held to seventeen points or less in eight out of twelve football games this year.
On one count Ellis is right, though. The SEC – even in down years – is by far and away the best college football conference in America.
Unfortunately, under head coach Steve Spurrier the Gamecocks remain an embarrassment to the SEC’s proud football heritage, while Ellis remains an embarrassment to the Gamecocks.
Like we said three seasons ago, USC needs to learn how to shut up and play …
By Hate Ellis January 4, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I have never cared for Ellis’ pbp. He is a joke to anyone that has called a game before.
I could go to any small, backwards town in American and find a local high school Play-By-Play person better than Ellis.
By CNSYD January 4, 2010 at 1:51 pm
You lamecocks just be patient. January 5 will be Bobby Bowden’s last day at FSU. So he will be free to hire as your next coach.
By Molly January 4, 2010 at 2:37 pm
It’s hard to believe that Gamecock fans wrote this. Todd Ellis is not my favorite person either, but this was in poor taste. What the Gamecocks don’t need is more negativity. I’ve never heard more complaining in my life than I did in those stands Saturday where I froze and watched the same sideshow you did. But now, I’m trying to think positive about the 2010 season and encourage our players to do the same. I’d also like to see either one of you try to throw, run, and/or catch a football in that weather Saturday, so try to cut them a bit of slack. UConn had an edge there because their last game was in a sleet storm. Cold weather is no thing for them, but it’s difficult to train players to play in those kinds of conditions when we rarely see them in SC. And, as for the “lamecocks” commenter, all I have to say is 34-17.
By Recovering Lobbyist January 4, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Forget Ellis. He is just window dressing for our double-wide of a program. Garcia is a mediocre quarterback at best. He can’t throw. And does anyone think we kept the right Holtz when Skip left for East Carolina?
By LowcountryGamecock January 4, 2010 at 3:13 pm
We want Charlie Mac back!!!
By fitsnews January 4, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Molly,
With all due respect, you can kiss our frozen garnet and black asses. We made the drive, we paid for the tickets, hotel rooms, meals, etc. and unlike a lot of the rude and drunk USC fans who were yelling at the players at the end of the game we cheered for them until the final seconds ran off the clock.
That’s what true fans do – then they exercise their right to call it like they see it.
And again, it was cold as a witch’s tit and we were on the SHADY side of Legion Field.
Having said that, we will absolutely NOT “stop with the negativity.” What this program (and this university, and this state for that matter) needs is some real accountability, not more hand-holding and not more of this “wait till next year” bullshit. Accordingly, we sound off in a manner consistent with having a pair, which we do.
“Think positive?”
Seriously, what f*cking planet are you on?
We call it like it is around here. Go to La F*cking Socialista if you want to read about Spurrier’s knob getting polished.
And if you want to continue praising 7-6 seasons like they were GD BCS bids, then by all means knock yourself out.
-FITS
By CNSYD January 4, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Molly, all I have to say is 65-38-4 and 9-5.
By Husky Manaic January 4, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I was in Birmingham and talked to a lot of my UConn friends. They said they could not believe how tasteless this Ellis guy was. I live in SC and never really believed what Clemson folks said about the gamecocks. I believe them now.
By countryboy January 4, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Recovering Lobbyist, give Garcia a break. It’s hard for the passing game to look more than mediocre when receivers dropped 9 passes that hit them in the chest or hands (meaning not difficult catches). And the kid is not afraid to take a hit, which may be a problem with some receivers. I saw no lack of effort on Garcia’s part Saturday. Ellis I will agree is a poor announcer. As for Holtz, I am glad he and his dad are gone.
By Lucky rather than Good January 4, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Shamecocks are lucky to play in the SEC, that way they can always point to the conference’s record in bowl games are records vs. other conferences, all while simply dragging down the SEC’s winning pct. They can talk all they want about the ACC, but they’ve been dominated by the ACC under the Holtz/Spurrier era. Look it up.
By Pat Hendrix January 4, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Fits,
If it makes you feel better, Moe Brown slugged Spurrier Jr after the game. They should put up a banner on Billy Brice celebrating that event.
By Toyota Kawaski January 4, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Molly go be a Clempson fan
cnSTD 34-17
Get rid of all the radio guys at the two major schools all 4 of them suck
By Molly January 4, 2010 at 4:20 pm
I definitely agree that the “wait til next year” mantra is about as lame as the chicken curse. And, for the record, I was there with you freezing my butt off until the last seconds as well and was equally frustrated with the whining and unprofessional behavior. One person even booed the UConn Band-who does that?
I never said that our record was stellar or even close to BCS. But, in light of your comments, it sounds like there is no hope and we might as well extinguish the football program and put the money to a different, more productive use. That’s calling it like I see it.
And, Mr. Husky-please don’t judge all Gamecocks based on Todd Ellis.
By Laughing at this lameduck, January 4, 2010 at 4:58 pm
CNSYD,
Wake up and come to the present. You are still living in the crooked past of Clempson land. Just think how bad UCONN would have blistered your lousy team. YES present times 34-17!!!! You have a hard time with it I see..lol OH yes, Ellis and Yanity stink.
By Todd January 4, 2010 at 5:41 pm
countryboy, I agree with you. Gracia should have keyed the the backends of those receivers at the end of the game with some deer hunter’s Buck knife. Todd is not that bad. His heart is in the right place as my ole mother says. He and Tommy are better than so many of these hyped up dudes screaming into their microphones all game about nothing for an entire game.
By CNSYD January 4, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Laughing at this lameduck, you limp cocks are a scream. When we were busting your heads 63-17 all you could say was this game was not important. Then when you have a rare victory it becomes more important to you than a national championship. So were does the present become the past? I guess you wiped the slate clean for all games prior to this years game. And please remind me which school in the state of SC was most recently on NCAA probation? I believe it is the one located in Cootlumbia.
By CNSYD January 4, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Toyota the Jap lover, I see you have crawled out from under your rock. I will agree with you that broadcasts have not been the same since Fulton and Phillips.
By Jim January 4, 2010 at 6:33 pm
As a graduate of both Clemson and USC, I can say that Pete Yanity is better than Todd Ellis ever thought about being. We should put Todd Ellis, Will Merritt and Patrick Sapp together to make the worse crew ever!
By Molly January 4, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I will become a Clemsux fan when pigs fly and/or the next time Clemson wins a National Championship without cheating.
By CNSYD January 4, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Jim, Wil Merritt is the world’s worst (and I say that as Clemson fan). Ever listened to his weekly radio show? He thinks he is a comedian. Patrick Sapp is probably there because he is cheap as he is an employee of the school. IMO Mike Eppley was the best. The coaches didn’t like him because he would question their calls.
By David January 4, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Molly,
The really sad part of all this is that beating Clemson has made your year and made it a little easier to live with the off-season.
As a true fan of USC I am sure you realize that UCONN has been playing in the FBS for only 10 years and they have 3 bowl wins. USC has been playing in this division for 113 years and they have 4.
I am also certain that you realize that by beating Clemson you finished 1 and 5 over the last 6 games of your season.
The beating UCONN put on you only further strengthens the arguement that Clemson was looking past USC this year to GaTech and a possible Orange Bowl bid. You played a great game against Clemson and I can’t take that away from you, but you had NOTHING else to play for!!
You hired a freakin’ legend in Spurrier and after his 5th year you guys are 7 and 5, and he has a losing record against Clemson, a team that your fans consider to be a “mediocre team in a mediocre conference”.
I have heard all the excuses this weekend, but the best one yet is claiming that UCONN playing in sleet prepared them to beat USC on a cold but SUNNY afternoon day in the Southeast. My God, the best defensive player on UCONN’s team is from ALABAMA!!! Not sure how much cold weather training he had before he arrived at UCONN.
And to see Garcia doing his best “Tebow” and crying on camera made it all the more special.
Thank you for your continued efforts to embarrass the state of South Carolina on national television.
By Stumpy January 4, 2010 at 8:56 pm
I agree, Yanity is bad but Ellis has to be the worst I’ve heard since high school. When he was the quarterback at USC, he threw the prettest pass I ever saw by a USC QB. It almost knocked the Clemson linebacker down it hit him in the chest so hard.
By Pat Hendrix January 4, 2010 at 9:29 pm
CYSTD,
Yeah, after two years turning over every rock in Columbia, the NCAA discovered USC’s nefarious extra tutoring scandal. Yippers. That certainly ranks up there with Clemson’s hallowed ranking as the runner up to only SMU in NCAA infractions. No small accomplishment.
Now go make me a sandwich.
By Pat Hendrix January 4, 2010 at 9:32 pm
David,
I can only imagine how much it must suck to be beaten like a stolen dick by a team as bad as USC.
Explain it to us.
And since CYSTD is lingering, you can go fetch me that sandwich.
By Tank McNamara January 4, 2010 at 11:13 pm
It seems that everyone here is a smarter coach than Spurrier, better player than Garcia, and a better broadcaster than Ellis. If that is case, then why don’t I see any of you on the sideline calling plays, on the field running the plays, or in the booth broadcasting the game? The fact of the matter is none of you are nearly as smart or athletic as you think you are. However, you are damn good at sitting at a computer bitching and whining about players and coaches that a damn sight smarter and more athletic than you’ll ever be.
By ICEMAN January 5, 2010 at 12:32 am
Ellis and Yanity are two of the worst play by play announcers—-ever.
By Liberty For Me January 5, 2010 at 1:16 am
The Big East has turned it way up..and I look for it to stay that way for a while.But,I don’t think there is any excuse for SC to have lost this game.
It was a total embarrassment…I don’t think anyone out there can even come up with the stereotypical wait till next year after that.
Tank….good thing you don’t have to be a coach to watch a game or buy a ticket or there would be no team.Every fan has the right to bitch..If you were not emotionally involved what would be the point?…If you want to defend a very sorry performance go peddle your bullshit somewhere else
By Nostical January 5, 2010 at 1:42 am
I was at the Pep rally, which was pretty awesome. I was very impressed by the sheer number of Gamecock faithful, as well as the attitude of everyone we met in Birmingham. Good natured banter, and a lot of fun. As for the Ellis strut, it was embarrassing and certainly lacked class. Compared to UConn’s inspired and respectful pitch, it was demeaning and pretty lame. Especially so in light of game day, when at the end, with UConn on the brink of a final and inevitable “rub it in your face” touchdown, Coach Randy Edsall had too much respect— for Steve Spurrier, the game of football, fair play, and himself, to run it in and run it up. And in any conference, that’s called playing with class.”
By Calhoun Fawls January 5, 2010 at 3:59 am
Ellis should have checked himself a bit. I bet Spurrier cringed listening to all that.
SC was already the bad guy in the play ESPN set up. UConn was playing for respect and for their slain team mate, who evidently was a saint of a kid who was just walking around and got shot. The Huskies, from the larger NE market, came down south as brave champions to deal the rednecks a loss.
The announcers and officials bought into it. SC players bought into being too good to work hard. You could not write a rasslin’ match better.
As for you Clemson fans, well your team was not horrible. But, they did lose to SC and to my Yellow Jackets twice in one season. If Georgia had been defeated in a bowl this year, I would not have ran my mouth about it. They beat Tech. So, I don’t get that. You are as bad as the Carolina fans thinking the bowl loss is okay because they beat you. If someone beats you and then gets beat by a lesser team, it is nothing to celebrate. It just makes you look worse.
Go Jackets! Beat Iowa!
By Calhoun Fawls January 5, 2010 at 4:02 am
Tank, I think Spurrier has done a great job at SC. We would probably fire him at Tech. But, he has given SC the best five years in their history. I am fan of his, I root for his teams. He helluva lot better coach than some people are political consultants, but I digress.
Beat freaking Iowa!
By go cocks January 5, 2010 at 9:26 am
Really FITS?? You are pissed about another embarrassing loss, which we should be used to be now, and you want to take it out on Todd Ellis? you really annoy me sometimes. How about our ENTIRE offensive line who took a nap during the game. Or the receievers who got hit in the freaking chest so many times they probably had brusied ribs. Or our quarteback who STILL doesn’t know where exactly to throw the ball, even when occasionally having time to think about it. What the hell did Todd Ellis do to you? And what does he have to do with the Gamecocks being LAMEcocks in their bowl game…again? Love him or hate him personally, Todd is all heart for this University which is more than I can say for most of our football team, obviously.
A slow day in Columbia politics or what? Sounds like “bitter party of one” to me.
By DR81 January 5, 2010 at 10:44 am
Just spotted what looks like a large” swine like ” object flying east , it was large with the initial “M”. Please somebody shot it down.
By Ryan January 5, 2010 at 11:02 am
As a Clemson grad married to a USC grad (and our child will stay in our good graces as long as he does not go to UGA), there’s nothing much I can say about Carolina in a year that we lost to them. However, I pride myself on fairness, and I have been saying FOR YEARS that Carolina needs to stop hiring washed up “legends” and go after a hungry assistant at a big program. No, I’m not using Dabo as an example – he has yet to prove himself. And no, I’m not talking about Brad Scott coming from FSU either – he was hungry, just not for football. You need to hire a COMPLETE unknown looking to build both a name and a program, and he should probably be someone with enough of an edge to not “lose” the team when it comes to respect and discipline, as has obviously happened with both Holtz and now Spurrier.
As for the original post – again being fair – Todd Ellis probably gets as excited about going to the bathroom as he does about incompletions. The guy is horrible, as are Tommy Suggs, Pete Yanity, Will Merrit, etc. Both broadcast teams could use a complete overhaul.
By CNSYD January 5, 2010 at 11:19 am
Pat Hendrix, sorry we can’t make you a sandwich. You failed to pump gas into our car and clean the windshield. That was probably the only correct thing Kiffin said all year. BTW, it is a simple yes/no question in regard to NCAA probation. There is no NCAA “ranking” of probations so that is obviously a lamecock dream. Funny how history “doesn’t matter” with you lamecocks when it is not in your favor but it quickly becomes paramount when you want to throw rocks at others. So which is it?
By MilliniumPrince January 5, 2010 at 2:05 pm
I am a diehard Husky Fan (though both of my parents are from South Carolina). I found most fans of USC to be witty and classy in the lead up to the game. I watched a few USC games this year and I was confident my Huskies would win.
With that said, your defense is one of the best we saw all year, and those bashing Garcia obviously didn’t watch the same game i was watching. He played hard the entire game and he was my one big fear leading into the game. We have always had trouble with mobile QBs and I thought Spurrier would have Garcia run a lot more than he did. I also like that RB you have, and I am happy he didn’t get more carries.
Good luck to USC next season.
By TomBradySucks January 6, 2010 at 10:19 am
In SC I listened to the game on the radio, the most audible sounds were of the Gamecock faithful booing their team through the 3rd quarter. Very classy indeed. “SC was the bad guy” ESPN must know about the gamecock fans. Yes, UConn’s coach demonstrated true sportsmanship downing the ball the last minutes of play, a great parenting moment to the 2 extremes of sportsmanship.
By joe monts December 6, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I love Todd Ellis. His voice is soothing and gentle like a young Ernie Harwell. I look forward to listening to him every Saturday.