Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s all be honest about something.
College football is much more exciting when Steve Spurrier has a team that is relevant in the SEC. It’s a pure and simple fact. It is perfectly glorious in every way because no one knows how to entertain and control the media better than the Old Ball Coach.
Think about it for a second. In the past few weeks, we have seen a picture of Spurrier taking in the joys of Arby’s following SEC Media Days, and another candid shot of the head coach watching his South Carolina Gamecocks from the sidelines at practice with nothing between him and the world except a pair of shorts.
And then we have what has been the past two post-practice interviews.
Don’t you just love Spurrier? Calling out his best receivers and the best college football player on the planet in Jadeveon Clowney on video? This clip was on every major news outlet within hours on Monday. And with the success of his message, you know there was going to be a follow up.
Yes, the media guru knows how to get things done effectively, doesn’t he? Clowney, Bruce Ellington and Damiere Byrd were miraculously all at practice. Clowney even participated in all drills! And to top it all off, Spurrier even took full responsibility for the error in judgement of the players he called out the day before.
Yeah. Spurrier is far from the dummy. He is the mad football media genius who knows how to get things done.
In fact, did you catch how he started the second video by highlighting how only the Kentucky Wildcats have fewer All-SEC nominations than does South Carolina? Again, genius. The preseason polls are out and every player has read them and the love the nation has for the Gamecocks.
Clowney hears every day he is a lock for the NFL Hall of Fame. It is clear the hype has gone to their heads before even the first snap of the season, and Spurrier knew exactly what needed to be done in communicating to everyone what he expects of his on-field leaders and the reality that no one thinks they are that talented as compared to the rest of the SEC.
Perfection.
No one has ever known how to handle hype, pressure, expectations and controversy through the media and the public better than Spurrier. No one. Period.
In fact, Johnny Manziel might want to reach out to the Old Ball Coach and get a few tips on how to get the media to eat out of his hand instead of them trying to bite it off and eat it. A day with Spurrier and Manziel might be the poster boy for all things good in the world of football again. Maybe.
But while we wait for that to transpire, we will have Spurrier to watch every day from here on out. He knows he has a team that is poised for greatness and he is going to work the media every second of every day from here until the BCS Title to promote his campaign.
College football loves you and thanks you for being who you are, coach Spurrier. Keep up the great work in making minons out of every media personnel who lays eyes on you this season. We will be watching.
M Shannon Smallwood is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the US Basketball Writers Association. Follow him @woodysmalls.
