Steve Spurrier wants Gamecock fans to hang around a bit longer
Just in case he didn’t make it clear enough in his post game press conference yesterday, Steve Spurrier used his teleconference Sunday to reiterate his frustration at the USC fans who left around half time of Saturday’s 48-10 win over East Carolina. Spurrier said the fans in the East Stands and the students appeared to the main culprits .
“I hope we are not reverting back to the days when football wasn’t very important around here and the pregame party and the postgame party was more important than the game itself,” Spurrier said Sunday. ”I’m hoping our Gamecock fans will treat the game as the most important part of their Saturday football day. But it didn’t appear that way yesterday. Hopefully the people that leave will feel a lot of embarrassment. I know it’s a lot of students, but maybe the students need to feel embarrassed…”
Here are a few other notes from Spurrier’s call with reporters which you can listen to below.
- When asked if Dylan Thompson has earned the right to play more regardless of Shaw’s health Spurrier took a we’ll have to wait and see approach.
- Spurrier praised Thompson for how he played against ECU and said he showed he can lead the offense
- Spurrier said they made an effort to get the ball to more players on offense, like Shaq Roland and Bruce Ellington
- Spurrier said it is doubtful Connor Shaw does much in terms of practice until Wednesday. They will assess his playing status from there.
- Spurrier was not pleased with the punting Saturday. He also saidhe didn’t want to be forced to punt as much.
- Spurrier confirmed Jadeveon Clowney has a rib bruise. He said they will treat it and that “hopefully he will be okay” for the UAB game this weekend.
AUDIO: Steve Spurrier Sunday teleconference [12:42]
I am embarrassed. I looked horribly empty after half time. We have so many recruits looking at game day atmosphere and after half time the raucous atmosphere from kick off to half time is second to none. There is no better environment in college football. Are we becoming bored with winning and winning big, have we forgotten the days when we were 1 and 21. I haven’t. We should not forget, we should embraced our new found success and support our athletes and sell those prospects on our 4 Quarters of Hell.
The student section was all but cleared out after half-time. Maybe several hundred remained. Horrible showing for any potential recruit and was quite embarrassing.
I am a student at USC and i left during half time.. If i was given free water or gatorade i would have stayed it was way to hot to be standing in the student section and having people bump into and jump all on you. Don’t get me wrong i love Carolina football and I love watching my team win… but when i get to the point where i can’t stand anymore and i am dying from the heat and having to pay 5 dollars for a drink.. bump that I will go back tot he tailgate spot and drink the water i brought and the food i brought from home. so Spurrier i am not embarrassed at all.. I would have been if i passed out in the stands from dehydration and heat stroke.
With every ounce of respect for Coach Spurrier, the students didn’t leave the stands to go party. They left the stands to escape the heat. The West stands are mostly shaded for day games. The East stands have no shade. Ever. And while we all want to see our Gamecocks on TV and appreciate the money and prestige TV brings, a 12:20 pm game in September is just miserable. Perhaps ESPN might consider playing Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, etc. games at noon and playing games in the Deep South when the sun goes down. Coach Spurrier’s criticism of students is unfair and unwarranted. Remember, we also sat through the 0-11 season.
Maybe the football players should follow suit and do what the students do, claim to support the program but then bail because it’s “too hot”. Perhaps the university has failed to accomodate these students by not providing them with all of the free stuff they desire. Clearly, when USC struggled to win 3 or 4 games in a season, the weather was so much more pleasant. I mean let’s be realistic, hot weather just started in Columbia a few years ago. Additionally, poor clothing choices (black clothing) and pre-noon alcohol consumption will NEVER have anything to do with dehydration and a general feeling of feeling like hell when temps rise. It ain’t rocket science, but I guess that’s why they are there to learn.
I agree it was very hot,but I’ve been at Williams Brice and we were winning it was not hot hitting the exists late 2nd quarter early 3rd quater
I am so glad fans are speaking out on the unbearable heat. I heard Spurriers comments and was offended. We are die -hard gamecock fans but the heat was the worst in history. I have never left a game in 30 something years but people were passing out and having heat related issues all around me. I felt betrayed as a fan that we have beautiful lights and new LED lights that could have been used and instead we sold out for tv. I was proud to make it all of first half with no hydration and not passing out. It was bad. I was concerned for the students and those of us in direct heat being crammed against each other like sardines due to the seats being so close together. I saw some ambulances leaving with true gamecock fans in them due to heat related issues. We should be proud to say we made it without medical attention. I saw no fans or students partying in the lots just trying to get in their cars and drink water and get some shade. We love the football program and support it all the way, survival was the only reason most fans left. Students did a great job cheering on their team and tried to make it. They shouldn’t be fussed at this time.
CMMorgan, We ? You owe it all to me. Those 5th place rings from last season…. best in school history, it’s because the ol ball coach. I’d appreciate you showing me a little more respect. And while I’m complaining about fans, and having my butt kissed properly, I should have the field named after me and a statue of me outside the Steve Superior Stadium. I’m the greatest coach in football hsitory. I only failed in the pros, twice… as a player and a coach, but the ol ball coach has made South Carolina into the 5th best in the SEC. I believe if I had another shot at it, I’d be able to get this team ready to beat Auburn for the 1st time since 1932. Now everyone shut up or I’ll pout and force my will on you and you’ll be out of here like Ron Morris. The Old Ball Sack has spoken
Spurrier has always praised our fans when praise was due. So, I think it’s more than fair that he calls out the fans when the display was as poor as it was yesterday.
There have been plenty of hot days at Williams Brice, and I have never seen the stadium empty so quickly. Wear a hat, bring the two sealed bottles of water into the stadium that you are allowed to bring in, and if you are a able-bodied young person, you should be fine.
Spurrier is the best coach we have ever had, he has poured his heart into Carolina football when he could have coached anywhere in the country, and these are times to be treasured for Gamecock football.
I mean come on steve really…it is SCAR football after all…itll take more than 2 or 3 lucky seasons to establish that kind of fan committment…whew!!
Now I respect everything that was said here so far, including Coach Spurriers, but by golly it was hotter than hell in there Saturday. It was actually a health issue for me to get out late third quarter. Coach didn’t have some fat 300lbs sweaty guy/gal sitting on top of him in 100 degree heat with the sun beating down on him. Maybe if they installed cold water sprinklers in the stands, or better yet, don’t schedule ANYTHING on Saturday afternoon’s in Columbia SC during what WILL BE hot days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sadly, it does show badly to anyone watching, including recruits.
Maybe we can start a system of “only odd numbered seats” can leave if it breaks 92 degrees.
The hottest I’ve ever been in my life, and the coldest I’ve ever been in my life, has been in that Stadium.
And yeah, maybe if water wasn’t $5 a bottle, I could afford to sweat the $35 dollars worth that I did in 3 quarters
First off this is one of the most passionate fan bases in the SEC and the whole country and this was the opening home game for THE most anticipated football season in school history. If Spurrier knows anything about this program and its fan base then I don’t see how he could question whether football is the most important things to the fans. If there were any doubt that we were going to win before the first half was over I guarantee that most fans would have stuck around despite the immense heat. I’m pretty sure that the Mizzouri and Georgia games will be full until the final whistle unless there blowouts and the fans will be going crazy like always. The same thing happened at Georgia the previous week when they played a 12:00, all the students were gone before the end of the first half. I will say that if the 12:00 games continue then Williams Brice Stadium should try and do what Clemson does at there home games and allow fans to leave the stadium and come back as they please. This way fans can go out to there cars or whatever and cool off/get something to eat or drink. It’s not very fun having to wait in line for 30 min while sweating your but off while missing game action only to have to pay 5-8 dollars for a bottle of water and a coke. I think this would be a great solution because it would make both sides of the argument happy. Fans could go out of the stadium at halftime to regroup, and the stadium would be somewhat full for most of the game which would look good on tv.
Just my thoughts,
JB
I agree with these students- as an adult fan in my middle years- I was absolutely mortified at the heat and it was evidenced on most of the fans faces as they braved temps in the upper 90 s! Ridiculous and pure insanity to get MAD about fans leaving to escape the brutal heat! My 83 year old father was really feeling it! Very worrisome! After all, it IS only a darn football game-put it in perspective! 12:00 games in September in one of the most hot, humid cities I know of- well you do the math….
you can bring two?!?!?
and the TV coverage wasn’t even a national station. Com’on!!
Did y’all not hear Spurrier say fans should go out and come back after half time. I was not at game but it sounds like either people don’t know the rules or the school needs to explain it to Spurrier you can’t come back in after half time.
The embarrasment is on the University and the stadium staff for not having enough water on hand. This is some pretty basic expectations and they failed miserably. They ran out in my section sometime during the second quarter and they ran out of cold water way before then. I appreciate everything Spurrier has done for the school and the football program, but I think his reaction was not warranted. I don’t believe he realized the entire situation and while I don’t expect it, an apology isn’t out of order. I”m sure a few folks just went back out to drink, but I’m willing to bet the majority of the people who left early were feeling ill from being dehydrated and not being able to get water, at least not in any sense of a timely manner.
I realize and appreciate all the strides we’ve made since joining the SEC and the financial windfall associated with it, That being said, the University can’t have it both ways. I can’t remember a day game in September prior to 1992. Getting all the TV money allows TV to dictate when the game is played. The games are much more TV programming than they are a spectator event.
With high-def big screens showing all the games in the comfort of one’s home and air conditioning (or heat in the cooler months) the University is going to have to do more than just putting up a jumbotron to get fannies in their expensive seats. I applaud the efforts to make the fan’s experience better, but they obviously have a ways to go. A little basic proper planning for the weather would be a good place to start.