Sports

Keep Calm, It’s Just Football

YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT … By Liz Gunn || The Gamecocks suffered the worst kind of loss this weekend. The kind that still stings a little, even on Monday morning. It’s not that we deserved to win, as evidenced by our lackluster offense and a defense that laid down…

YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT …

liz gunnBy Liz Gunn || The Gamecocks suffered the worst kind of loss this weekend. The kind that still stings a little, even on Monday morning. It’s not that we deserved to win, as evidenced by our lackluster offense and a defense that laid down in the fourth quarter, but to be up 20-7 and lose on the last drive of the game is just sickening.

Two years ago, also known to me as my “pre-child era”, I would have lost a lot of sleep over this one. Luckily, my priorities have shifted since August of 2013 and I see the bigger picture more clearly now. At the end of the day, in the grand scheme of life —it’s just football. Will I remember this loss for years to come? Probably. Am I going to let it ruin my life for the foreseeable future? Absolutely not.

Saturday, against my better judgement, I decided to check out what people were tweeting to our players. I was outraged, and that’s putting it mildly. I had an overwhelming urge to go full blown troll on some of these people…but then I remembered that I’m a grown woman and to stoop to that level would be nothing short of hypocritical.

The worst part about what I saw is that the hateful comments were coming from people who don’t seem to know much about football. Maybe I watched a different game on Saturday than these jerks, but can you really rest all of the blame on Dylan Thompson? The quarterback of any team should be the leader – but he isn’t a one man show.

Thompson wasn’t perfect Saturday night, but our offensive line didn’t do a lot to help him out either. Our receivers dropped some perfectly thrown (or at minimum quite catchable) passes. Our offensive play calling was suspect on more than one occasion. Anyone who solely blames Dylan Thompson for the loss doesn’t understand the game.

While most of the angry tweeters I came across seemed to be of high school or college age, where you could chalk it up to immaturity I suppose, there were a handful of grown men getting in on the action as well. Dylan Thompson is a 22 year old, college senior. Any grown man who thinks it’s appropriate to send hateful tweets to him, or any college quarterback needs to reevaluate their entire life.

Thompson hasn’t tweeted since before the season started, so it’s all too possible he hasn’t paid any attention to what these yahoos are saying. Part of the job of being the starting quarterback at a major university is having thick skin. I highly doubt Steve Spurrier (or G.A. Mangus for that matter) minces words with these guys.

I’m not too worried about his feelings. I’m worried about the so-called adults who clearly need to find another way to relieve some stress after an upsetting loss. It’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last time that our football team serves up a helping of heartbreak.

Those close to me are likely shocked by the title of this post. For most of my life I, too, lived and died by the outcome of these games every Saturday. But life is too short to allow to a group of kids, just doing what they love for your entertainment, to ruin your week. Chin up, Gamecocks. There is a lot of football left to play.

Liz Gunn is a wife, mom, travel enthusiast, food snob, daydreamer and lifelong Gamecock fan. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, she lives in Columbia, S.C. with her husband and daughter.

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65 comments

Smirks September 29, 2014 at 10:03 am

Keep calm, this forced meme won’t die.

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idcydm September 29, 2014 at 10:16 am

You’re right Liz, the sun still shines after a loss, well somewhere it does.

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euwe max September 29, 2014 at 8:45 pm

In the tunnels under the enemy.

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 10:19 am

I stopped reading at the second paragraph.

ughhh..another first time mother espousing to everyone how enlightened and mature she has become since getting knocked up.

Funny..two years ago you were probably getting shitfaced on jager shots in some hole in the wall 5 pts bar…which lead to your impending condition.

Pearls of wisdom I guess…

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Read a book dude September 29, 2014 at 11:40 am

Ha! Your comment makes me think you’re the exact kind of loser she was referring to. Also, nice butchering of the English language.

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Bingo. September 29, 2014 at 12:05 pm

He is exactly that Look at his cute little screen name. Only a loser or 13 year old would put that for a screen name. My guess he got stuffed in a few lockers in high school and is lashing out as a troll now to make up for it

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shifty henry September 29, 2014 at 12:13 pm

—- atomic wedgies

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TontoBubbaGoldstein September 29, 2014 at 6:13 pm

—- atomic wedgies

—–the “pole treatment”

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 1:21 pm

Annnd….you guess wrong.

The posting name is all in reverence to your favorite university and their mascot.

And I would LOVE to be 13 again. I’d really rather be 19-21 again, but were I 13, I’d be wise enough to know that 19 would only be a few scant years away.

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Seriously, read a book September 29, 2014 at 1:47 pm

Reverence? So you have a deep respect for USC and the Cocks. I thought so.

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 1:53 pm

I do find it humorous that a bunch of folks will stand around in about any weather, watch a fake chicken jump around in a cage like he is stomping ants, and scream “go cocks”.

pussyfoot September 29, 2014 at 1:57 pm

yeah it’s almost as whimsical as skipping down a giant hill while a bunch of balloons fly off in the distance behind you. so intimidating!! balloons are so scary.

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 2:54 pm

Or watching fire extinguishers go off while entering like Elvis did, to music most fans only know from a bad 45 year old sci-fi movie.

Keep it original, South Carolina.

Are you kidding? September 29, 2014 at 3:06 pm

ORIGINAL? You mean like having Tiger for your mascot? It’s only Clemson… and Grambling State, Jackson State, Louisiana State, Memphis, Missouri, Pacific, Princeton, Savannah State, Tennessee State, Texas Southern, Towson, Auburn. +1 for the Bengals of Idaho State. And your “Death Valley” is a rip off of a fucking desert…so yeah. Try again…

What September 29, 2014 at 3:17 pm

The Tigers of Death Valley play at LSU

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 3:49 pm

Ok Elvis..and wrestlers.

But I will give you a +1 for having a chicken that rides around in a $10k neon encrusted remote controlled oven.

Nice touch.

TontoBubbaGoldstein September 29, 2014 at 6:15 pm

Clemson… and Grambling State, Jackson State, Louisiana State, Memphis, Missouri, Pacific, Princeton, Savannah State, Tennessee State, Texas Southern, Towson, Auburn. +1 for the Bengals of Idaho State.

…of which three will beat y’all this year.

Jerry Sandusky September 29, 2014 at 6:56 pm

The combination of the Steeler’s “Terrible Towels’ and The Nittany Lion’s “Whiteout” is pretty cool.

Mike at the Beach September 29, 2014 at 5:51 pm

…and clowns. Clowns can be scary.

John Wayne Gacy September 29, 2014 at 6:19 pm

Clowns can be scary.

Damn straight!

euwe max September 29, 2014 at 8:40 pm

Not true. Clowns are your friend.

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 1:18 pm

I never get upset when USC loses. It kind of eases my mind a bit know the universe is attempting to correct itself.

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Toyota Kawaski September 29, 2014 at 4:08 pm

BURN Aall Books and Yankees how that bee for Kings Englsiha

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mamatiger92 September 29, 2014 at 10:24 am

how insightful
zzzzzzzzzzzz………..

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Pot Meet Kettle September 29, 2014 at 10:46 am

like your comments

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mamatiger92 September 29, 2014 at 10:47 am

oh the irony…

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Pot Meet Kettle September 29, 2014 at 10:54 am

that she wrote about trolls and trolls showed up? sure is…

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 10:37 am Reply
mamatiger92 September 29, 2014 at 10:42 am

I’m sure Will is working on his “Stay classy, Carolina fans” piece as we speak.

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 10:46 am

Yeah..keep waiting on that.

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trolling little nerd September 29, 2014 at 1:12 pm

It will probably happen just as soon as E Norma Scok finally gets laid, so 2029 maybe?

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 1:17 pm

lulz..seriously, thats the best you can do? Dude I’m probably twice as old as you and forgotten more fucks than you’ve ever had.

trolling little nerd September 29, 2014 at 2:13 pm

Sure you have.

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 6:28 pm

I will say your screen name fits you.

trolling little nerd September 30, 2014 at 10:49 am

Thanks, seeing as how it talks about you, I’m glad you approve you trolling little nerd.

idcydm September 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm

Hasn’t graduated from Rosie Palm and her five sisters.

E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 6:27 pm

If that makes you happy, big guy. I’ve seen some of the skanks you and Fits seem to think are hot, and I wouldn’t get near any of them.

idcydm September 29, 2014 at 6:34 pm

Sorry you thought I was referring to you but I would like to know what makes you think I have the same standards as Fits.

The Colonel September 29, 2014 at 11:23 am

The visor tug is a classic – he’s supposedly working on stopping the whole “getting mad and throwing the headsets/visor” issue.

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 1:28 pm

Does “working on” = 1 more scotch and water?

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Tazmaniac September 29, 2014 at 11:33 am

Huge foreheads, yet tiny brains. Those gals are a couple of lookers, just the ones you want representing South Carolina. I think the camera guy or director was a Missouri fan. I can hear it now……find the two fugliest females in the stadium and just wait on them to do something ignorant.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein September 29, 2014 at 10:41 am

Any grown man who thinks it’s appropriate to send hateful tweets to him, or any college quarterback needs to reevaluate their entire life.

Any grown man who tweets needs to reevaluate their entire life.

Fixed it for ya!

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Same ol' Same ol' September 29, 2014 at 10:47 am

What’s a tweet? Wait, never mind, I don’t GAF.

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Yo Mama September 29, 2014 at 4:10 pm

“His” not “their”. “Any” is singular.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein September 29, 2014 at 6:12 pm

“His” not “their”. “Any” is singular.

Oy vey!! you want TBG to correct FITSNEWS and its minions on grammar as well as content? That’s a heap um tall order there, Chief.

Not to be pedantic…
but don’t you mean “man” is singular.

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euwe max September 29, 2014 at 8:39 pm

What spineless, pink-sweatered, loafer-wearing, rump wrangler would actually tweet something? Are we men, or mousse?

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TontoBubbaGoldstein September 29, 2014 at 9:34 pm

We are Devo.

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Straight-liners September 29, 2014 at 11:30 am

Death threats to the Clemson kicker last week. This BS this week. Blame it on illegal gambling. Once you realize that there are idiots who are betting the house payment on the game, still others dropping 10g’s on a games outcome, then it becomes more plausible (although ridiculous) why grown men lose their mind over a college sporting event.

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Mike at the Beach September 29, 2014 at 4:23 pm

I don’t think it’s necessarily just the pressure of gambling. Remember the adage called “Hanlon’s Razor…”

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

There’s plenty of stupid in SC (and the world). I’m going with that as my theory.

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euwe max September 29, 2014 at 8:41 pm

You know, you’re going to rely on those aphorisms all your life, until one day – an aphorism is going to invade your soul and leave you empty inside.

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt September 29, 2014 at 8:27 pm

I also bet on college games but not too much that I can’t afford to lose but I totally agree with your point and I would never issue death threats or hate speech to the players or coaches…especially for a team I cheer for.

Bettors who interpret basic mistakes like missing a close range field goal as time expires, or a high snap that results in a turnover, or bad play call on 4th and inches automatically assume the position that they’ve been cheated. That somehow these players are personally messing up to make them lose their hard earned money.

Bottom line, if you bet on college games deal with losing like a grown up and don’t go whining about it and threatening the players.

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Bible Thumper September 29, 2014 at 1:03 pm

As long as they’re tweeting and not beheading anyone, I’m ok.

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9" September 29, 2014 at 3:02 pm

I’ve never tweeted,because it sounds so gay.

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Toyota Kawaski September 29, 2014 at 3:58 pm

Pissed! im still pissed off from 2005 and to see it agin Saturday is no excuse. SOS should apologize(turning blue holding breath) for morphing into Coach Holtz and trying to run the clock out with 13 mins to go.

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Scooter September 29, 2014 at 3:58 pm

This little girl should retire. She might do better at raising that kid.

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Scoot along troll September 29, 2014 at 6:07 pm

Scooter you are a complete tool. You post anonymously, and talk about someone who has her real name, and even a picture attached to her column, yet you have the balls bash her hiding your true identity as if you know something in life. Like E Norma Scok, you are nothing but a loser trolling because you cant get a girl. Here’s a hint, get out of mama’s basement, take a shower, pop some zits, don’t wear any of those button down plaid I-zod shirts mommy bought you, go get some nice ones, comb your hair, get a job, put down the big gulp, …. You know what? this list you need is getting long and you aren’t even half way there, maybe there is no hope so keep trolling away.

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 6:30 pm

Can’t get a girl? I gotta tell my wife that. For not being a girl, she certainly has breasts, and spends enough on jew-ry, shows and hair cuts.

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scoot along troll September 30, 2014 at 9:00 am

painting lips and putting hair on your right hand doesn’t make her a wife. Any proof you have said wife?

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Watch your mouth September 29, 2014 at 9:00 pm

You better troll on dick head. People have been killed for less. You clearly have no idea who the “little girl” is that you’re speaking so casually about.

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E Norma Scok September 29, 2014 at 9:06 pm

uh oh…internet fight!

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Toyota Kawaski September 30, 2014 at 8:52 am

and Dont Call me Francis…….

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????????? September 30, 2014 at 3:09 pm

Well you’ll have to forgive me if I’m not inclined to take career and/ or parenting advice from a vile internet troll who goes by a name like “Scooter”. Doubt you have much experience with either…and I pray you don’t have a daughter.

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James Fleming Jr September 29, 2014 at 5:41 pm

Most of these folks condemning these players are nothing more than wanna be’s or Monday Morning Quarterbacks. It is absolutely irresponsible. Look at the lady in the photo showing her middle finger. What in the heck is happening in America?

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt September 29, 2014 at 8:21 pm

I hear you on this one Liz. Being a Tiger fan I was very disappointed with our result in Tallahassee. I feel bad for the guys as it was a heart breaking loss…especially when you consider we had the game in hand at several points but we beat ourselves.

Although I was frustrated with the play at times and even the coaches, I would never use social media to send death threats to a place kicker or high snapper. As frustrating as it is for me as a fan it’s probably even more so for the players and at the end of the day as a fan (a true fan) you’re required to support the guys no matter what.

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euwe max September 29, 2014 at 8:49 pm

Has anyone ever figured out what that annoying noise is when three or more women get together that haven’t seen each other for a few hours?

And what’s that whole “kissy kissy” thing where they carefully avoid smudging the pancake they troweled on behind locked doors?

…. and for Christ’s sake, what’s with that sweet clear wine fixation… is it supposed to be a more sophisticated version of a 24 pack of Keystone? Fashion comes to alcohol?

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