Steve Spurrier is still the life of the party
Published on Tuesday, 7/16/13, at 11:08 p.m. Eastern.
By Brian Edwards
When asked about recently attending his 50th high school reunion, Steve Spurrier said, “It was pretty quiet! I thought it was going to be a little louder. I looked around at about 9:30 and half of them had already left.”
At the age of 68, Spurrier is still the life of the party. For 21 of the last 24 years, he has been the main event at SEC Media Days. On Tuesday in Hoover, Ala., he attended his ninth as head coach at South Carolina.
With body language and histrionics like only SpurDog can deliver, he cracked the room up at least a half-dozen times while taking shots at Notre Dame. When he refused to take the bait from the Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi on a question about Urban Meyer turning in the Gators for an alleged violation that had no basis, you could just hear SOS thinking to himself, “Now Mikey, you know that’s a loaded question and I ain’t going there.”
I could have listened to him for another hour — at least. As always, Spurrier left his audience starving for more Head Ball Coach Unplugged.
Spurrier isn’t on twitter, but he was trending Tuesday. One user with the handle of @OhHeyRayeMay, who listed Auburn just behind Jesus on her profile that closed with War Eagle, Ya’ll, sent out the following tweet: “I freaking love Steve Spurrier. If I’m wrong, I don’t wanna be right.”
Amen, sister.
In recent years, the Gamecocks have been close. They didn’t have enough for Cam Newton and Auburn in 2010. In 2011, they couldn’t beat a mediocre Auburn team at home. They didn’t get to Atlanta because Georgia had an easier schedule last season (and in 2011).
But the schedule works this year. The Gamecocks don’t have to play LSU, Alabama or Texas A&M.
South Carolina has won 11 games in each of the last two seasons. Spurrier has the best player in America, who goes by the name of Jadeveon Clowney. He has two quarterbacks that can win for him.
No Marcus Lattimore? No problem. South Carolina went 9-1 in the 10 games Lattimore missed after suffering knee injuries the last two years.
When Spurrier arrived in Columbia, the goal was winning an SEC title and having “one of those nights in the Dome.” That notion was farfetched in 2005.
These days? Not at all.
