Dr. Pepper
08-25-2008, 09:25 PM
Dear Coach Spurrier:
Somewhere in Williams Brice Stadium on Thursday night will be a young boy who will be attending his first Gamecock football game. He will have a picture of a gamecock airbrushed onto his face. He will be wearing about five "Beat NC State" stickers which were given to him by some pretty cheerleader as he walked up to the stadium. He will be eating some pizza and he will have coca cola spilt down his garnet jersey.
He will enjoy the marching band, laugh at Cocky, hold his ears when the sound system begins to play 2001, watch the cheerleaders turn back flips, yell either "Game" or "Cocks", and say to his dad "did you hear that?" when the cock crows.
He will be impressed with the rising of the C A R O L I N A flags, and he will say "cool" when the smoke begins to billow in the southwest corner. He will be bedazzled by all of the sights, sounds, and tastes of being at an event that is unlike anything he has ever seen.
Then, he will sit down next to his dad and prepare to watch a football game. The question is what will he see for the next 3 1/2 hours?
Will he see a few series of give and take while the two teams try to figure each one out making everyone wonder if we have any fire power, or will he watch Beecher hit one of his receivers on a quick slant that sets an offensive powder keg? Will he see the running backs running into the backs of the offensive linemen, or will he see sprints that remind him of the Volt guy from the Olympics? Will he see a game of field position or a game of ball possession?
Will he see Munnerlyn chasing down a guy after a catch, or will the guy be chasing him after an interception? Will he see arm tackles or will he see Brinkly knock the jock strap off the running back or Norwood catching the QB from the blind side?
Will he say to his dad after the game "that was fun, I had a nice time."
I am sorry coach. It is 2008 and these are your guys. It is time to put something on the field that makes a statement to the world. We do not want to have a nice time.
This game will not mean anything unless that little boy leaves with a lump in his throat and he has forgotten all about the pregame show. It will mean very little unless the other 80,000 people forget about all of the other seasons that have led up to this moment where the rest of the SEC says "O my God."
Somewhere in Williams Brice Stadium on Thursday night will be a young boy who will be attending his first Gamecock football game. He will have a picture of a gamecock airbrushed onto his face. He will be wearing about five "Beat NC State" stickers which were given to him by some pretty cheerleader as he walked up to the stadium. He will be eating some pizza and he will have coca cola spilt down his garnet jersey.
He will enjoy the marching band, laugh at Cocky, hold his ears when the sound system begins to play 2001, watch the cheerleaders turn back flips, yell either "Game" or "Cocks", and say to his dad "did you hear that?" when the cock crows.
He will be impressed with the rising of the C A R O L I N A flags, and he will say "cool" when the smoke begins to billow in the southwest corner. He will be bedazzled by all of the sights, sounds, and tastes of being at an event that is unlike anything he has ever seen.
Then, he will sit down next to his dad and prepare to watch a football game. The question is what will he see for the next 3 1/2 hours?
Will he see a few series of give and take while the two teams try to figure each one out making everyone wonder if we have any fire power, or will he watch Beecher hit one of his receivers on a quick slant that sets an offensive powder keg? Will he see the running backs running into the backs of the offensive linemen, or will he see sprints that remind him of the Volt guy from the Olympics? Will he see a game of field position or a game of ball possession?
Will he see Munnerlyn chasing down a guy after a catch, or will the guy be chasing him after an interception? Will he see arm tackles or will he see Brinkly knock the jock strap off the running back or Norwood catching the QB from the blind side?
Will he say to his dad after the game "that was fun, I had a nice time."
I am sorry coach. It is 2008 and these are your guys. It is time to put something on the field that makes a statement to the world. We do not want to have a nice time.
This game will not mean anything unless that little boy leaves with a lump in his throat and he has forgotten all about the pregame show. It will mean very little unless the other 80,000 people forget about all of the other seasons that have led up to this moment where the rest of the SEC says "O my God."