Sports

Head Ball Coach Doubles Down

BUT CAN STEVE SPURRIER – AND HIS PROGRAM – BOUNCE BACK? || By FITSNEWS || University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier made a big splash this week – slamming the “enemies” of his program and exposing what he claimed was a media conspiracy to keep talented high…

BUT CAN STEVE SPURRIER – AND HIS PROGRAM – BOUNCE BACK?

|| By FITSNEWS || University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier made a big splash this week – slamming the “enemies” of his program and exposing what he claimed was a media conspiracy to keep talented high school players from the state of Georgia from cross the border.  He also vowed he would coach at least “five or six more years” in Columbia, S.C.

“I got some enemies out there, I got some guys talking and writing and it’s all part of the game,” Spurrier said. “Some of our enemies out there want to make you think, ‘Spurrier’s getting old, he can’t do it anymore.’”

Spurrier said “no one gave a damn” about his age when South Carolina was winning, but that questions began arising when last year’s team posted a 7-6 record.

“This is new for South Carolina,” Spurrier added. “Somebody doesn’t like your coach. We’re not too proud of what happened last year, but we’re coming back. Don’t listen to our enemies.”

Spurrier’s rant even featured a quote attributed to Attila the Hun.

“It’s a simple truth that the greater your accomplishments – your victories – the greater opposition, torment, and discouragement your enemies will throw in your path. Expect it and don’t become a victim of it,” he said, channeling the fifth century conquerer.

Whoa …

For the record, this website was one of Spurrier’s harshest critics (enemies?) during his first five years at the helm of the Gamecock program.  In fact we wanted him fired following the 2009 campaign, in which his program lost to a Big East school in a bowl game named after a pizza delivery website.

Seriously … that happened.

STEVE SPURRIER
STEVE SPURRIER

Spurrier’s response?  His program reeled off the four best seasons in school history – including three consecutive seasons in which the Gamecocks won eleven games, finished in the Top Ten and won New Year’s Day bowl games.

Then came last year’s debacle, though … and an equally disappointing offseason.  In fact Spurrier’s reticence to make precisely the sort of extended commitment to the Gamecock program he made this week has been a contributing factor in South Carolina’s recruiting troubles.

Spurrier’s Gamecocks were picked by the media to finish fourth in the SEC East this year, and there’s real concern that a recruiting pipeline which produced big-name stars like Stephone Gilmore, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Melvin Ingram, Jadeveon Clowney and others has dried up.

This point was made convincingly by USA Today‘s Dan Wolken, who noted the perilous position in which the Gamecock program currently finds itself.

“Tennessee is coming back strong. Clemson has become a more attractive destination in recruiting. Georgia isn’t interested in letting top-ranked players outside the state,” Wolken wrote.  “And South Carolina has a 70-year old coach who all but admitted at SEC Media Days that he thought about walking away at the end of last season until the bowl win against Miami rejuvenated him.”

Wolken wasn’t impressed by Spurrier’s rant.

“At 70, Spurrier is in throes of humanity’s most natural reflex, playing out for all the world to see: Getting old stinks,” he wrote. “He was petulant. He was paranoid. He suggested an Atlanta Journal-Constitution conspiracy to help the Georgia Bulldogs in recruiting.”

And what did the author of this rumored conspiracy – columnist Mark Bradley – think of Spurrier calling him out?

Not much.

“How can a man of such accomplishment not know that a certain amount of criticism comes with his high-profile (and high-salaried) job?” he wrote.  “How can he not have learned that such criticism is best ignored?  How can a guy who has spent his adult life tweaking others, from Ray Goff to Can’t-Spell-Citrus-Without-U-T to Free Shoes U. to Dabo Swinney, feel he’s above the fray?”

We agree.  Even at the height of his success, Spurrier has demonstrated an unbecoming thinness of skin.  He can dish it out better than anybody in the history of college football … but taking it?  That’s another story.

Still, we’re not about to count him out.  Even with a virtually nonexistent defense, South Carolina’s 7-6 mark last year could have just as easily been 10-3 were it not for fourth quarter collapses against Missouri, Kentucky and (most painfully) Tennessee.

We’ve questioned Spurrier’s ability once before … only to get served with four consecutive seasons of STFU.  And as lifelong Gamecock fans (from the womb, people) we gladly savored that response.  Hell, we’ve never been so happy to have been so wrong.

Spurrier’s program is in a very tough position at the moment – and it seems pretty clear he’s not dealing with things especially well.  But anyone writing him off does so at their own peril.

Pic: Travis Bell Photography

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65 comments

WaitandSee July 23, 2015 at 1:32 pm

Valid, you can’t count ol Spurrier out, and maybe he is at his best when given a challenge, but how much will this petulant rant sting when fails to win 8 games this season? I’m pretty sure the sportswriters can’t wait to make him eat his words if he fails to deliver this season

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Scooter July 23, 2015 at 5:02 pm

He is on the deck and ref is waving that finger.

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demarke July 23, 2015 at 1:44 pm

“How can a man of such accomplishment not know that a certain amount of
criticism comes with his high-profile (and high-salaried) job?” – Mark Bradley

On the same token, how can a seasoned journalist who makes a living criticizing and tweaking athletes, coaches, and others in the public eye not expect a certain amount of criticism in response to an editorial that undermines a certain amount of a program’s ability to draw recruits?

Spurrier typically has thrown innocuous jabs and given honest assessments of what he sees as the strengths and weaknesses of other teams. You can call him brash and arrogant, but you can’t call him a liar. He doesn’t create false or speculative narratives (like this) to get athletes like some other regional schools who have been telling all our recruits he’s already got one foot out the door.

He said he thought about leaving in 2009 after the Outback Bowl loss to Iowa but got over it and got excited to get back into it long term and has been here for the last six years. He’s always been one to be frank and say what’s on his mind, what about his history makes people think that he’s all of a sudden decided to turn into a liar now?

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Smokin' Joe July 23, 2015 at 3:07 pm

Bradley’s a typical pussy sportswriter. Makes Ron Morris look like he has a sperm count.

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dementia July 23, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Good lord, he sounds like the nuts here talking about ISIS.

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Victorious Secret July 23, 2015 at 1:59 pm

Congratulations! You just bastardized logic beyond all belief when you analogized college football (via a football coach) and conflict resulting in fatalities (via comments on jihadists)

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dementia July 23, 2015 at 2:40 pm

He sounds paranoid. Like the idiots here talking about ISIS on our borders. There, is that a little more clear, dipshit?

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Victorious Secret July 23, 2015 at 2:51 pm

Stay classy!

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The Stupid attack Spurrier July 23, 2015 at 2:00 pm

FITSNews tried to bury Spurrier last week. This week, Spurrier (a la The Donald) slapped the shit out of you.

Who to believe? FITSNews track record is atrocious. Spurrier has done more in a month, than you have in a lifetime. Any questions?

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Daniel Boome July 23, 2015 at 2:40 pm

Non sequitir much?

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Stupid much? July 23, 2015 at 2:43 pm

You’re too stupid to fathom the connection, I see. I run across that a lot with liberals, and Clemson fans.

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Daniel Boome July 23, 2015 at 3:00 pm

I must have hit the nail on the head, huh? That’s why you’re so pi$$ed. You gave a blabbering nonsensical statement and I called you for it. There is no connection between FITS’ article and the nonsense you just posted. You must have missed the part where FITS says “anyone writing him off does so at their own peril”.

The only way Spurrier can “slap the shit” out of anybody is by winning. Same with your girl Hillary….LMAO!!!

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You can't hide July 23, 2015 at 3:21 pm

Good Afternoon, T. Lawrence of Irmo.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein July 23, 2015 at 6:52 pm

Non sequitir much?

TBG’s prediction for 2017:

At no time will Spurrier be HBC at Sakerlina during the same period that Hillary Clinton is POTUS.

Bank on it.

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Squishy123 July 23, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Every coach tells recruits he’ll be there through his entire college career, it’s the first lie coaches in college are taught. If USCe goes 7-6 or worse this year I’d be surprised if he doesn’t step down. His main concern now is what will his boys do for work if he steps down.

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E Norma Scok July 23, 2015 at 11:50 pm

I think Spurrier said the same thing to Florida fans about 2 days before he split for Washington.

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Torch July 23, 2015 at 2:13 pm

After watching the impromptu presser, I think two years and he retirees.

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winnie July 23, 2015 at 2:40 pm

Petulant old man using big stick words like “our enemies”!
WTF its college football not WW3!
Why does USC end up with these washed up clowns at the end of their career.
Going down the path Lou Holtz did…embarrasing

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Daniel Boome July 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Try to understand context and don’t get so bent out of shape. I’m a USC and I didn’t care for Spurrier doing this, but there’s no need to nit pick a word when you’re taking it out of context anyways.

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Winnie July 23, 2015 at 9:37 pm

He didn’t use ‘ our enemies ‘ just once! It was the rambling of an old fart who is past his prime

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TontoBubbaGoldstein July 23, 2015 at 9:15 pm

WTF its college football not WW3!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmXacL0Uny0

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Amused Observer July 23, 2015 at 2:53 pm

Steve is creating an “us against the world” scenario for his team…Identical to what he did in the USFL with a marginally talented team in Tampa….This whole thing was planned and strategic….How well this team does will depend on a pass rush and the quarterback….

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Scrappy July 23, 2015 at 8:55 pm

If this was “planned and strategic”. Things are worse than I thought in Columbia.

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Scooter July 23, 2015 at 11:06 pm

It is.

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Billyr July 23, 2015 at 9:40 pm

And in the end sitting 7-6 or 8-5 he’ll say “Well any way” and leave with his tail between his legs. What a sad story. He needs to grow some balls and not behave like a ” Nancy”.

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Scrappy July 23, 2015 at 2:54 pm

Spurrier made an ass out of himself. He certainly can dish it, not so good at taking it. The end is near for the old ball coach. It will be soon time to “head off to the beach”. Then we will all be forced to listen to him on ESPN until he becomes incomprehensible.

How sweet and poetic it will be for Dabo to send Spurrier out to pasture with a final career game loss. Eerily reminiscent of the last “legendary coach” to come through Columbia.

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forcertain July 23, 2015 at 3:00 pm

With events like yesterday, the OBC is becoming an embarrassment to USC. He did more harm than good yesterday as far as recruiting is concerned….just stating the facts.

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Daniel Boome July 23, 2015 at 3:01 pm

I actually think he might have somewhat salvaged recruiting. It was his lowering himself to the level of a little nothing reporter that is embarrassing. He didn’t have any business doing and came off like a baby. However, if he wins, it won’t matter one iota.

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Spurrier smarter than you July 23, 2015 at 3:24 pm

You win one time in five years, and you are now smarter than Spurrier.

Truth is: you just show how Fucking Stupid you really are.

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mamatiger92 July 23, 2015 at 4:18 pm

66-42-4

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TontoBubbaGoldstein July 23, 2015 at 6:48 pm

You win one time in five years, and you are now smarter than Spurrier.

Truth is: you just show how Fucking Stupid you really are.

What mamatiger92 said.

And it’s “…win one time in six years”, Capt. Arithmetic.

Might want to be careful when you throw “Fucking Stupids” around, Chief.

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euwe max July 26, 2015 at 5:08 am

yeah! it *hurts*!

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CNSYD July 23, 2015 at 3:05 pm

There is nothing wrong with being old and washed-up. In fact, I love being both, and especially enjoy the right to rant like a bleating goat that comes with age and irrelevance. (I also love to talk about little boys).

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Danny knows the CU secrets July 23, 2015 at 3:08 pm

Is that you Dinny?
How’s the farm we gave you to keep shut up, going?

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CNSYD July 23, 2015 at 5:01 pm

I assume you mean Danny and not someone named “Dinny”. He is doing quite well. See him at lunch at Dyar’s quite often. He retired to SC unlike Loose Boltz.

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CNSYD July 23, 2015 at 4:57 pm

Frat boys or Folks stealing my screen name once again. Too afraid to be on their own. Don’t forget to say thanks because you don’t speak Russian. What will you hide behind next?

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Spurrier is schooling you July 23, 2015 at 3:12 pm

Looks like Spurrier is taking a page from the old Trump playbook.

Slap the shit out of the Dumbass media, and idiot Taters, and the world will stand and cheer.

Spurrier is quick to recognize brilliance and apply it to the Gamecocks’ advantage. Go SOS, You Da Man!!!

And by defending USC, you have drawn out all the haters, and exposed them for the slime they are.

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Hot Air Balloon July 23, 2015 at 3:56 pm

Good Lord! He’s starting to act like that crying old lady Holtz.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein July 23, 2015 at 9:06 pm

Maybe ESPN will replace it’s “Dr Lou” segment and that grating song with a “Sending out an SOS” segment with this.

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Scooter July 23, 2015 at 4:59 pm

Those cheer s are drowning him out. YEAH!

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E Norma Scok July 23, 2015 at 11:45 pm

So anyone that doesn’t like Slurrier is “slime”.

I’m guessing that would be every USCe fan about 11 years ago.

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Boring is as boring does July 23, 2015 at 3:28 pm

You know, Will, you repeatedly run that part about you calling for his firing and that he responded by winning. Keep trying to convince yourself of that and, by the way, if you want to convince this reader of your power to motivate the HBC, how about calling for his firing again so that we can have a winning season. Otherwise, you remain a legend in your own mind.

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Bill July 23, 2015 at 3:40 pm

You will show Will respect! Do not forget that he single handily had the Confederate flag removed from the state house grounds! If he can do that he damn sure can light a fire under Spurriers ass!

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Get with the Times Will July 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Lets be honest here. Spurrier read something that a beat writer from atlanta wrote about him, he responded by calling an impromptu press conference with almost not notice, proceeded to tell the media that he doesnt wnt to talk about his age anymore, and then walked off stage.

Do you really think that other young writers who are looking for easy web clicks arent going to start talking about his age now trying to get clicks? Will frankly im surprised you are doing it

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Scooter July 23, 2015 at 11:11 pm

Tanner needs to put a leash on that boy. Then I guess that is not possible as Tanner haw absolutely no control of him and is afraid to try.

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Toyota Kawaski July 23, 2015 at 4:20 pm

keep drinking the cool glass of STFU. Stay Home Fits!!! U are no fan just a Media Hack like MooooRon Morris.

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Scooter July 23, 2015 at 4:57 pm

He is just and old cry baby. There is nothing that he can do about his aging. He is old and getting older. Live with it Steve and coot fans.

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Squishy123 July 23, 2015 at 6:23 pm

“Head Ball Coach Doubles Down”

Is Slurrier drinking double-fisted now at the Augusta Country Club bar?

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Guest July 23, 2015 at 6:31 pm

Bless his heart. (Interpretation for other parts of the country – You dumb A$%!)

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Quietus July 23, 2015 at 7:02 pm

“PICKENS: Jurors in the trial of Micah Rogers returned a split verdict on Thursday, finding that he damaged Howard’s Rock or its case but did not take away anything of significant value.”

He could have burned the entire school down and he wouldn’t take away anything of significant value. Just like when ole Pitchfork Tillman founded it, Clemson is worthless.

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E Norma Scok July 23, 2015 at 11:43 pm

And this has what to do with Spurrier going senile?

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Squishy123 July 24, 2015 at 1:18 pm

And yet they year-after-year rank higher as a university than USCe in just about every academic category.

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Tunes'n'News July 23, 2015 at 8:29 pm

Somewhere, Ron Morris chuckles to himself with satisfaction at karma’s bite.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein July 23, 2015 at 9:13 pm

He also vowed he would coach at least “five or six more years” in Columbia, S.C.

Reliable sources inform TBG that Spurrier followed this with a statement that he “was from the government, here to help you” as well as “The check’s in the mail”, something about WMDs and Iraq and, lastly, he promised not to “cum in your mouth”.

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt July 23, 2015 at 11:38 pm

Sakerlina…where great coaches come to die…or go mentally insane.

Another one bites the dust.

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shifty henry July 24, 2015 at 12:28 pm

A lawyer is in the locker room standing next to a giant chalkboard with many X’s and O’s on it. On the benches are the entire Clemson football team in full gear. The lawyer is explaining, “REMEMBER! At HOME these are HUGS and KISSES!”

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Squishy123 July 24, 2015 at 1:16 pm

At USCe, their lawyers tell them it’s how they can sign their name.

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Scooter July 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm

Don’t you see what you have done? Incited that old 70 year old man with the 50 year old body. He might take his shirt off and grab a Coors.

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Squishy123 July 25, 2015 at 9:15 pm

Shit I’m 50 and my body is a whole lot less flabby than that old man.

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CNSYD July 24, 2015 at 1:25 pm

If you suck and you know it go to Clemson

If you suck and you know it go to Clemson

If you suck and you know it then the Orange and Purple will truly show it

If you suck and you know it go to Clemson

GO GAMECOCKS!!!!!!!

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Squishy123 July 25, 2015 at 9:14 pm

Can’t spell SUCK without U-S-C.

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Losers July 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm

Can spell Clemson with out LOSE.

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lose July 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm

Can’t spell Clemson with out LOSE.

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Squishy123 July 26, 2015 at 12:14 pm

Holy shit are you an idiot… I bet you’re a USCe Honors graduate.

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