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Just like Groundhog’s Day announces the eventual arrival of spring when Punxsutawney Phil sticks his head out of the ground, college football is mere weeks away when Hatin’ Ass Spurrier pops out of his hole and lays down the smack talk.
Spurrier was talking to fans in northern Louisiana when he couldn’t help himself, and he let one loose:
Steve Spurrier: "You can have great players and still not win. You LSU fans know about that."
— Jimmy Watson (@JimmyWatson6) August 9, 2017
This marks Spurrier’s first win over LSU since 2001.
The quote immediately lit up twitter, retweeted by national writers, rival fans, and let’s face it, LSU fans. It was a really good line.
Spurrier was the last man standing from a different era of college football. Now, coaches are all tight-assed control freaks who would rather die than show anyone outside the building that he has an honest to God human personality. Spurrier made a career of writing huge checks with his mouth, and then cashing them at your house on Saturday.
Really, can you imagine any current coach in the SEC giving a quote so on the nose, inflammatory, and just damn funny? Nick Saban is swallowing the souls of every coach in the conference and has moved on to his second helping, but he normally doesn’t lay down the trash talk.
And it’s not like Spurrier is making this crack because he is retired and he doesn’t have to face the wrath of LSU. He said stuff like this during his entire career, and never once cared what you said about him in return. If you beat him, he’d tip his cap and move on to the next one. That’s how it goes.
I miss the hell out of him. Hatin’ Ass Spurrier isn’t a cartoon character created by EDSBS, he’s the real guy. Spurrier would trash talk his kids at a family picnic. Right before he threw down the most delicious potato salad you ever had.
Yes, part of the sting is that he cuts right to the bone. LSU has had some extremely talented teams recently, yet we’ve seen Alabama outdistance us. A few years ago, the programs were equals, dueling it out in a bitter Game of the Century. Now, everyone knows who is running the conference now. We’re all looking up at the kings, and it sucks.
We didn’t need Spurrier to dig the knife between the ribs to let us know that. We already knew it. Which is why the line worked so damn well. He wasn’t even trying to be mean, it probably just came out. This is the way things are, and Spurrier never had time for BS.
College football needs character. Spurrier had enough for an entire conference. Now, there’s seemingly no one who can fill his shoes in the SEC. We’re left with this lame collection of substitute teachers. That’s a shame. College football is the poorer for it. Here, we have this open wound, who is going to pour salt in it?
UPDATE:
Here’s the video:
ICYMI: Here's Steve Spurrier's playful jab at LSU and LSU fans at today's Independence Bowl luncheon. pic.twitter.com/SWXbryxw82
— Casey Viera (@Casey_Viera) August 9, 2017