Replies: 18
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Legend [16629]
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A few random thoughts...
Jan 5, 2014, 11:42 PM
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Many folks on these boards are so obsessed with the most recent nonsense that comes out of Steve Spurrier's mouth as well as the current 5 game slide against the coots. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't particularly like Spurrier, and I certainly don't like losing to South Carolina. However, with that being said, I have to be totally honest about a few things. Some of you may disagree, but here goes:
Gamecock football has been around since something like 1892. In that timeframe they've got one conference title that was decades ago. They have a few bowl wins, but those have mostly come in the last decade. For literally more than a century before the last couple years they were the doormat of whatever conference they happened to be in. They were so irrelevant that many Clemson fans just looked at the annual game as a warm-up for a bowl. Now, that being said, I will give credit where credit is due. They've had unusual success in the past several seasons, and to deny that would not be reasonable. This leads me to my overall point.
For decades before Spurrier arrived in Columbia, South Carolina football was completely irrelevant. Now, they have established a presence on the national scene. However, let's not forget how long it took Spurrier to get them to this point. It's not like he came in and had them booming in 2 seasons. They lost at least 5 games in each of his first 6 seasons in Columbia, and only 2 of these seasons featured a winning conference record. In addition, their best bowl appearance in his 9 years there is the Capital One Bowl. They also only won their division once in that span, and we all remember what Cam Newton and Auburn did to them in the SEC Championship that season. So, with all of this in mind, let's turn our attention to the coach of his in-state rival.
Dabo has coached five full seasons at Clemson (throw out the interim data for the sake of this argument). In five seasons Clemson has three division titles, one conference title (two appearances in ACC title games), one BCS bowl win (two BCS bowl appearances), and a winning conference record in 4 of the 5 seasons. Not only has Dabo done far more in 5 years at Clemson than Spurrier has done in 9 years in Columbia, but Dabo has also literally surpassed many of the accomplishments of the entire history of South Carolina football in just 5 years as well. So, it's pretty easy to understand why you see Spurrier and Holtz bashing on Clemson early and often in interviews. The answer is pretty simple. They are jealous as h3ll.
Spurrier can go on and on about the power of the SEC and state championships all he wants, folks, because you know what? That's all he's got to rest his cap on. Don't believe me? Well, look at it this way. The Gamecocks have been playing football since 1892. What would most of their fans and coaches say is their greatest accomplishment in that span? You got it, a 5-game win streak against Clemson. Still don't believe me? Ok, well, take a look at Spurrier's post-game speech after their bowl win the other day. They had just won the equivalent of the best bowl game in their history, and all he cared to talk about was how he had some state championships.
Well, Steve, we have a ton of state championships. We have a ton of conference championships, too. We also have BCS success, and let's not forget about that national championship.
So, my fellow Clemson fans, the next time you think about getting all hot under the collar about something Steve Spurrier said, just remember that it's coming from a man and a program that are desperately trying to be what we already are and, for that matter, have always been.
South Carolina fans like to go on about how recently all Clemson fans want to do is talk about the past. That's only half true. We like to talk about the past and the present because we've accomplished far more in both.
ALL IN.
Go Tigers.
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110%er [8095]
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Agree. Chickens are perenial Mr. Irrelevant of college
Jan 5, 2014, 11:49 PM
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football.
It's just so irritating how obnoxious the coots can be. They were bad when they were losing. They are that much more obnoxious now that they are winning.
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CU Guru [1622]
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Re: POTD***
Jan 5, 2014, 11:51 PM
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Orange Blooded [2504]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 12:13 AM
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Very nicely spoken, and True!!
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CU Guru [1864]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 12:24 AM
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Well said!
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Orange Blooded [3290]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 12:30 AM
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And I thought the OP was going to be an interview with Spurrier!!
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Legend [16058]
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Where's that POTD button?!?!***
Jan 6, 2014, 12:38 AM
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110%er [7015]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 12:38 AM
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sorry but LMAO @ three division titles
trophy or no trophy
sure sounds good though...let's run with it
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110%er [7191]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 5:27 AM
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First off ,you make some ver valid points,and your post was well thought out,but if I may play devil's advocate for one moment,consider this.; A loss o the coots this year in The Valley will mean having to go to Columbia in 2015 having to win to avoid a 7th straight loss. Now you can talk all you want about the South Carolina program, ACC titles,even the '81 NC,but the one thing that saved Tommy Bowden's job for so long was his ability to do what Dabo hasn't;beat S.C. Granted Dabo is playing against a better coach( Spurrier) than did Bowden( Holtz) but Clemson,imo,has not reallly been competitive against the coots in this 5 game losing streak. Again,imo,Dabo needs to find a way to see that the strak ends this year,or if not a 7th straiht loss mght be his last,regardless of what type of success the program has.
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110%er [7191]
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Re: A few random thoughts...
Jan 6, 2014, 5:28 AM
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Sorry about the typos.My keyboard is messing up this morning.
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CU Guru [1555]
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So giving up 6 TOs and a late 4th quarter TD to lose by 14
Jan 6, 2014, 8:41 AM
[ in reply to Re: A few random thoughts... ] |
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isn't competitive?
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All-TigerNet [11208]
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Not to a coot.
Jan 6, 2014, 9:05 AM
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He's one of them.
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Legend [16629]
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Yes, because what
Jan 7, 2014, 12:27 PM
[ in reply to Re: A few random thoughts... ] |
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Tommy Bowden did a decade ago to save his job is so relevant to Dabo Swinney and the current state of Clemson football.
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Hall of Famer [24812]
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+1.***
Jan 6, 2014, 5:34 AM
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Legend [15817]
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AMEN! Well said and on point!***
Jan 6, 2014, 8:27 AM
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CU Guru [1903]
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In addition nationaly beating OSU in the Orange Bowl gets
Jan 6, 2014, 8:33 AM
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a lot more attention that beating USC on a night when everyone outside of SC was watching the Iron Bowl. Not saying beating SC isn't important but beating OSU was huge.
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Enthusiast [103]
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Great post.
Jan 6, 2014, 8:38 AM
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It certainly can be hard to remember this and not get too defensive when some of their fans are crowing constantly recently and new ones are coming out of the woodwork after never caring about Carolina sports before, but it certainly is better to be a Tiger (no matter which era you ask about) than to EVER be a Gamecock.
I saw an "article" (and I use the quotation marks because it was something Carolina fans were posting from Fitnews and was more of a blog it seemed than actual reporting) where the writer chastised Dabo for making his comment about being the first team from SC to win a BCS bowl game. The writer essentially wanted to remind Dabo that Spurrier had won 5 in a row and that we played in the ACC, supposedly backing out way into the OB. I posted a response, naturally because I wanted to see what kinds of responses some good, hard reasoning would get. But I have yet to check on my sure to be low rating. My response basically went along the lines of they have both done a lot for their programs but to go after one coach who was merely responding to the other is crap and if they are going to be TRUE unbiased writers they needed to also give Spurrier his dose of reality: no matter what, he still has no conference title to show for his talk and has not really done what he set out to do, I feel.
Something I've been wondering, has Spurrier EVER looked happy after a bowl win at SC and actually picked up the trophy to show to his fans? I don't think I've ever seen him do that because it's a sour taste to him. Like being served a plain hamburger at the kiddy table of a great steak restaurant. He wants so badly to be playing with the big boys, that he doesn't enjoy the little bit of success he has brought SC. Guess that's why after all these years, he still feels the need to fire quips and jabs at other successful coaches.
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Standout [310]
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Re: Great post.
Jan 6, 2014, 9:02 AM
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I don't post often as you can see, but that post is worth saving! Great perspective...
So proud to be a CU Grad!!! GO TIGERS!!!
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All-TigerNet [14233]
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Dabo has a better record than the entire history of the ####
Jan 6, 2014, 9:53 AM
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Great observation
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Replies: 18
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