Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Ol' Ball Coach ain't happy (plus: Garcia? Gone.)

Steve Spurrier started his press conference Tuesday by getting a little something off his chest. He thinks Ron Morris, sports columnist for The State in Columbia, is doing him wrong. And the Ol' Ball Coach has decided to do something about it.



If he's really mad at Morris for a column from months ago, this seems like an odd time to vent. Maybe the real reason is that Morris called Spurrier out for botching the final drive in the Gamecocks' loss to Auburn two weeks ago. (Full disclosure: The State is owned by the same company that owns the Observer. For what that's worth.)

My quick take: Spurrier knows how good his team is this year. They could've been 12-0 going into the SEC championship. They won't be, at least partly because of his coaching. And it's eating him up that Ron Morris mentioned it.

UPDATE: Just as I was getting ready to post this, thestate.com put up a story that might explain why Spurrier is so upset -- Stephen Garcia has been booted off the team. This time, it seems, for good.

I've never been able to figure out whether Garcia was so erratic because Spurrier kept jerking him around, or because Garcia is just an unstable guy (a lot of evidence certainly points to the latter). Garcia at his best could've taken South Carolina to places they've never been. But now, even though they're 5-1 and lead the SEC East, it feels like the season is lost.

-- Tommy T.

Update: Here's the Morris column from March that Spurrier was apparently referring to.

10 comments:

Chicken Litte said...

What happened to the 8 strikes and you are out of here? Even Garcia deserves another chance doesn't he?

Mrs. Morris said...

Ron is just doing his job, Coach and he promises to toe the company line in the future and write only praise worthy storylines and compliments about Gamecock FB. Forgive him, please and give him another chance.

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one who finds this worthy of gut-splitting laughter? Poor OBC is mad because a writer wrote something bad about him and is pitching a hissy fit, and the Steve Howe of college football is off the team. HA!!!!!

Oh, and their season is not lost. They still have to play Clempson and Ar-Kansas, but they also have JV games against Tennesee and Florida, and they already have UGA and Auburn behind them. I still expect them to win the East. If UGA loses to the JV Florida team there is no way SC loses the East.

Anonymous said...

"If UGA loses to the JV Florida team there is no way SC loses the East."

Only to get smacked upside the head by LSU or Alabama...HAHA losers.

Anonymous said...

I would hope that the other media people in the room got up and left the building.

I used to be indifferent to USC. Their choice to hire one of the biggest Drama Queens in coaching changed my opinion to a big Negative.

Anonymous said...

That was awesome and waay overdue.

Morris fabricated an article and it bit him.

SOS standing up for his guys just like Gundy and Meyer did.

Pretty much a non story except for the crying from the sissies in the media.

Anonymous said...

Spurrier can handle criticism but Morris lie in the Ellington article and coach called him out for it.

Pretty funny stuff. I love seeing the HBC up to his old ways again. hanging 54 on UK gave him a little pep in his step.

Nice to see him bounce Garcia too!

Anonymous said...

HAHA!!

Nice one Steve.

This will likely end poorly for Ron just like it did for Larry Guest back in the 90's.

Head coach > chump liar writer

Anonymous said...

Lost season?

Tommy - just be happy Shaw didn't start against the pups in Athens. You boys would have really gotten drilled.

Anonymous said...

Just an attempt to deflect attention from the Stephen Garcia fiasco over which the coach presided.