Reporters aren't supposed to take sides. Columnists, however, are more like regular human beings. Regular human beings have a bias. Columnists have a bias. Here's one of mine: Sports in the Carolinas are much more interesting when Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina football team are winning games and making noise.
Ric Flair, the Nature Boy, called the other night to suggest we get together. Any night but Thursday, he said. On Thursday he will be in Columbia to watch South Carolina's nationally televised game against fourth-ranked Mississippi.
When Spurrier plays a big game, the world pauses.
Spurrier is an intriguing guy. Most coaches speak in cliches because cliches are safe. Spurrier doesn't use cliches. In the old days, he would say something and, if it was clever enough, it would become a cliche. It would become a cliche everywhere but Tallahassee, Fla., I mean.
But these aren't the old days. South Carolina is a tough place to win, even tougher than Duke. That's because Duke plays in the ACC. Despite encouraging non-conference victories by Miami, Virginia Tech and Florida State, the ACC is struggling to find itself. The SEC knows who it is -- the best college football conference, year in and year out, not just in the United States but in the world.
Spurrier was once the best coach in college football, and the traits that made him special, the creativity and the innovation, persist -- especially when he is calling plays. If he can get it going again, college football in the Carolinas becomes big-time again.
But he has to win Thursday.
I think he will.
UGH !!! You just jinxed it. Dang it ! Now say they will will lose and reverse jinx it.
Posted by: S Spurrier | September 23, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Hotty Toddy! Ole Miss by damn
Posted by: Ole Miss Student | September 23, 2009 at 07:44 PM
Stephen "Steve" Orr Spurrier
Title Head coach
College South Carolina
Sport Football
Team record 29–23 (South Carolina)
Born April 20, 1945 (1945-04-20) (age 64)
Place of birth Miami Beach, Florida
Annual salary $1,750,000
Career highlights
Overall 171–63–2 (NCAA)
12–20 (NFL)
35-21 (USFL)
Bowls 7–8
Coaching stats
College Football DataWarehouse
Championships
1996 National Championship
1989 ACC Championship
1991 SEC Championship
1993 SEC Championship
1994 SEC Championship
1995 SEC Championship
1996 SEC Championship
2000 SEC Championship
Awards
As a Coach
1988 ACC Coach of the Year
1989 ACC Coach of the Year
1990 SEC Coach of the Year
1991 SEC Coach of the Year
1994 SEC Coach of the Year
1995 SEC Coach of the Year
1996 SEC Coach of the Year
2005 SEC Coach of the Year
As a Player
1965 All-American
1966 All-American
1966 Heisman Trophy
1966 UPI Player of the Year
Playing career
1963-1966
1967-1975
1976
University of Florida (NCAA)
San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL)
Position Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1978
1979
1980-1982
1983-1985
1987-1989
1990-2001
2002-2003
2005-present
University of Florida (QBs)
Georgia Tech (QBs)
Duke University (OC)
Tampa Bay Bandits
Duke University
University of Florida
Washington Redskins
University of South Carolina
Spurrier was a three-sport letterman in high school, starring in football, basketball and baseball at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee.[1] In three years as the starting pitcher for Science Hill, he never lost a game and led his team to two consecutive state baseball championships. He was an all-state selection in football, basketball and baseball, and a prep All-American quarterback.
After graduating from Science Hill, Spurrier played quarterback for coach Ray Graves at the University of Florida,[1] where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1966.[2] In addition to being a stellar passer, he gained notoriety by waving off the starting place-kicker and booting a 40-yard field goal to defeat Auburn 30–27 in a key game during his senior season.[2] Spurrier finished his three-year, 31-game career as Florida's starting quarterback having completed 392 of 692 attempts, with 4,848 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 442 yards rushing. In addition to winning the Heisman, he was selected as a first-team All-American in 1965 and 1966.
Head coaching statistics
College
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl Coaches# AP°
Duke Blue Devils (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1987–1989)
1987 Duke 5–6 2–5 7th — — —
1988 Duke 7–3–1 3–3–1 6th — — —
1989 Duke 8–4 6–1 T–1st L All-American — —
Duke: 20-13-1 11-9-1
Florida Gators (Southeastern Conference) (1990–2001)
1990 Florida 9–2 6–1 1st‡ —‡ —‡ 13
1991 Florida 10–2 7–0 1st L Sugar 8 7
1992 Florida 9–4 6–2 T–1st (East) W Gator 11 10
1993 Florida 11–2 7–1 T–1st (East) W Sugar 4 5
1994 Florida 10–2–1 7–1 1st (East) L Sugar 7 7
1995 Florida 12–1 8–0 1st (East) L Fiesta 3 2
1996 Florida 12–1 8–0 1st (East) W Sugar 1 1
1997 Florida 10–2 6–2 2nd (East) W Citrus 6 4
1998 Florida 10–2 7–1 2nd (East) W Orange † 6 5
1999 Florida 9–4 7–1 1st (East) L Citrus 14 12
2000 Florida 10–3 7–1 1st (East) L Sugar † 11 10
2001 Florida 10–2 6–2 2nd (East) W Orange † 3 3
Florida: 122–27–1 87–14 ‡ The 1990 Florida team was on probation and ineligible to win the conference title,
to be selected to a bowl game, or to be selected in the Coaches Poll.
South Carolina Gamecocks (Southeastern Conference) (2005–present)
2005 South Carolina 7–5 5–3 2nd (East) L Independence — —
2006 South Carolina 8–5 3–5 4th (East) W Liberty — —
2007 South Carolina 6–6 3–5 5th (East) — — —
2008 South Carolina 7–6 4–4 3rd (East) L Outback — —
2009 South Carolina 2–1 0–1 — —
South Carolina: 30–23 15–18
Total: 172–63–2
National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title
†Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.
National Football League
Team Year Regular Season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
WAS 2002 7 9 0 .438 3rd in NFC East - - - -
WAS 2003 5 11 0 .313 3rd in NFC East - - - -
Total 12 20 0 .375 - - -
Overall Total 12 20 0 .375 NFL Championships (0)
The San Francisco 49ers selected Spurrier in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft Spurrier played for the 49ers for nine seasons, mostly as a backup to John Brodie, before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expansion team for his final NFL season in 1976.[5] He played his best game as an NFL quarterback against the Minnesota Vikings in 1973, when he completed 31 of 48 attempts for 320 yards. During his ten-year NFL career, Spurrier played in 106 games, completing 597 passes in 1,151 attempts, for a total of 6,878 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Posted by: Yours truely | September 24, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Haa Ha
Posted by: 28bamagirl | October 18, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Roll Tide
Posted by: 28bamagirl | October 18, 2009 at 10:15 AM