SOS is SOS
Posted April 25, 2006, 8:35 AM ET

What has happened to Steve Spurrier?

Remember the guy who used to have those brash remarks that used to stir up his opponents on any given football weekend? It didn't matter if he was in the Swamp or even on the sidelines in DC with the Skins....Spurrier was going to entertain you with his bravado on and off the field.

The coach that has arrived in Columbia is a changed man. If you don't believe me, you need to read some of his comments in the past week as he tours the "Gamecock Spring Circuit".

A few days ago the Old Ball Coach jumped on his own fans for not showing up for the USC Spring Game. In lousy weather, nearly 8,000 fans paid five bucks to see Spurrier's boys in action.

The coach didn't like it. In fact he ripped them for not showing....in his first season, nearly 40,000 fans showed up to welcome Darth Visor to Columbia. Spurrier wanted to know, "what gives"?

When he took over the program, Spurrier made it crystal clear that USC was a giant-in-waiting, and that everything was in place for USC to be a factor in the SEC.

Now, the coach is singing a different tune. After just one year in Columbia he has been talking about facility upgrades and demanding that some of his fans fork over even more dollars so USC can keep up with their rivals in the SEC and with in-state headache, Clemson.

What Spurrier is doing is not unusual. It happens everywhere in this day of college athletics. Every coach wants more money for facilities, the assistant coaches, recruiting budget, etc...

But I've always had the feeling that Spurrier was going to beat you regardless of the training table, weight room, jerseys, marching band, or more importantly...the players. When he was at Duke, he would drive you crazy with great play-calling and he would rub your nose in it if you weren't careful. Keep in mind, nobody was concerned about Duke's players or facilities. And for the record, that is still true today.

At Florida, Spurrier was better than ever. A school with great football fans, facilities and resources...Spurrier was untouchable. Plus, his attitude was infectious. If you were a Gator you loved him...if you weren't a Gator, you hated him....but you would give anything for him to be your man on the sidelines.

The stint in DC as the coach for the Skins was a massive failure. As a Spurrier fan, it was painful to watch him on the sidelines. As much as I hate to say it, it looked like he was disinterested, and at times over his head with the NFL game. The experience has left an indelible impression on the great coach.

When USC hired SOS, I was excited for his return to college football. USC fans would be crazy under any circumstance, but the return of Spurrier meant a return to the days of Florida and even Duke.

I want the old Steve Spurrier. Maybe he's getting his edge back by ripping his own fan base. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was on the Clemson payroll or an IPTAY member with the way he has mocked Gamecock Nation.

USC fans have been waiting for the day that they are the football story in the Palmetto state and in the SEC. Lou Holtz was the perfect appetizer, but USC fell short in achieving any consistency in the conference and with their battle against arch-rival Clemson.

Gamecock fans travel as well as anybody, and they have made Williams-Brice Stadium a place to be on Saturday afternoons...they have also seen enough beat-downs to know their place on the Southern Fried Football™ food chain. The last thing they need is to be chastised by their own coach.

Call it tough love. Maybe Spurrier is just licking his chops for the upcoming football season and he is stirring the pot in Columbia.

Either way, I'm ready for the real Steve Spurrier to return to college football...and so is Gamecock Nation.