Re: [gatortalk] FW: [gatornews] Bianchi: Spurrier doesn't have to worry...at South Carolina

Bianchi keeps trying to paint Gator fans as "unrealistic" but in reality I don't think Gator fans expectations are any different than 2-3 dozen other big name programs. Give usc-east a couple more years of success and they'll also be questioning why they're not winning championships. Of course by then Spurrier will have hung up his visor.
Charlie

On 12/13/2013 10:12 AM, Oliver Barry wrote:

The irony that Spurrier said you can’t spell Citrus without UT!  Then Spurrier leaves Florida because fan expectation was too high.

Dr Frankenstein, your monster is calling for you.

 

Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI

Bob Parks Realty, LLC

REO Department

1517 Hunt Club Blvd

Gallatin TN 37066

Phone: 615-826-4040

Mobile: 615-972-4239

barryo@realtracs.com

 

From: gatornews@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatornews@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of John Bowers
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 7:44 PM
To: gatornews@googlegroups.com
Subject: [gatornews] Bianchi: Spurrier doesn't have to worry...at South Carolina

 

Spurrier doesn't have to worry about being Mack-Browned or Muschomped at South Carolina

 

Mike Bianchi

SPORTS COMMENTARY

5:33 p.m. EST, December 12, 2013

Steve Spurrier couldn't resist good-naturedly gigging the Gators on Thursday at a news conference to promote his South Carolina Gamecocks playing the Wisconsin Badgers in the upcoming Capital One Bowl.

"Somebody told me the Gators are going to be home for the holidays," zinged Spurrier, the University of Florida coaching icon and first Heisman Trophy winner in school history. "Maybe we can get a bunch of Gators who'll come to our ballgame, fill up the stands … and root for the Gamecocks."

Actually, that might not be entirely necessary since South Carolina fans are expected to travel en masse to watch the Head Ballcoach's Gamecocks play in the Cap One Bowl. Which is probably why Spurrier seems to be having the time of his life at the end of his career. He is at a place where he can compete for conference and even national championships, but he's not going to get Mack-Browned if he doesn't win them.

Unlike so many of the SEC's other ultra-spoiled fan bases, South Carolina doesn't look at Orlando as a consolation destination. Sure, the Gamecocks would much rather be conference champions and playing in a BCS Bowl, but they are more than happy to be playing in the Citrus Bowl.

And this is the difference between the Ol' Ballcoach's job with the Gators and the New Ballcoach's job with the Gamecocks. The Gators won 11 games under Will Muschamp last year and many fans still grumbled and bought less than half of the school's allotment of tickets to the Sugar Bowl. The Gamecocks, if they beat Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl, will have 11 wins and the fan base will be happier than a vampire at the blood drive.

Spurrier was talking to his good friend, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, about this very topic the other day. The Sooners have the same record – 10-2 – as South Carolina, but the expectation level of their fan base is vastly different. This is one of the reasons Spurrier left UF for the NFL after the 2001 season – because he had grown weary of trying to feed the monster he'd created.

"It's almost a disgrace every time we lose," Spurrier said at his UF resignation news conference. "Any time we lose, it's us coaches, we screwed up. Some people say I can stay at Florida and win 10 games every year. Well, it's not as easy winning 10 games every year as a lot of people think."

When Spurrier took the South Carolina job back in 2005, I went up and interviewed him in Columbia, As you walked into South Carolina's coaching offices back then there was a huge framed poster proclaiming: "The University of South Carolina: 1995 Carquest Bowl Champions." Paying homage to a now-defunct bowl game was proof positive of why Spurrier chose South Carolina over a possible return to UF. Spurrier wanted to write history at South Carolina; not attempt to rewrite it and live up to the unreal expectations he beget in Gainesville.

"The fans up here are starving," Spurrier told me then. "They're looking for anything to be excited about. We have a chance to do things here that have never been done.

I'd rather win one [SEC] division title here than five more there [at Florida]."

There was a time when Spurrier coached at UF when he used to lampoon Tennessee for playing bowl games in Orlando. Remember, his old booster club jab? … "You can't spell Citrus without 'UT.' "

Now his Gamecocks will be playing at the Citrus Bowl for the second time in the last three seasons. Two years ago, the Gamecocks dismantled Nebraska 30-13 at the Capital One Bowl in what Spurrier calls "one of the biggest wins in school history."

Spurrier spent much of Thursday's news conference lauding Orlando and the bowl experience here. He called the Cap One "one of the best bowls in America" and said the Gamecocks are "fired up" about playing in Orlando.

The University of South Carolina has changed Spurrier's perspective for the better.

These days, you can't spell Citrus without "USC'" – and that's a good thing.

A very good thing.

mbianchi@tribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM.

 

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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
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