Spurrier makes another bid for attention
"Look at me!" (Associated Press)
It’s obvious why Steve Spurrier wants to change the way division champions are determined in the SEC: Last year his team won all its games against teams from the East but lost a couple to the West, which allowed Georgia, which lost to South Carolina but beat all its Western opponents, to take the Eastern division.
Generally, South Carolina under Spurrier fares better against its Eastern Division brethren than it does against teams from the SEC West. So Spurrier only wants to count games against the East in determining the division winner.
For some strange reason, LSU’s Les Miles supports that view, saying, “I’m for the Western Division deciding the Western Division champion and the Eastern Division deciding the Eastern Division champion.” Apparently it comes down to the fact that Miles doesn’t like the fact that LSU plays Florida every year while Alabama plays Tennessee. Or something like that. It’s hard to tell with the Hat.
Georgia’s Mark Richt thinks Spurrier’s plan is self-serving and silly, though he’s too much of a gentleman to come right out and say that. He’s pointed out that as the world turns, so does the SEC schedule, and what favors Spurrier and South Carolina this season might not work in their favor in the future. But just tell him the rules up front, Richt says, and he’ll play by them — the implication being that Spurrier should shut up and do the same.
Other SEC coaches, including Florida’s Will Muschamp, are against Spurrier’s plan. As Muschamp says, “An SEC game should count as an SEC game.”
Alabama’s Nick Saban puts it more forthrightly. “You’re going to sort of minimize the importance of cross-divisional games if you say they don’t’ count toward the championship,” Saban said. “Then we’re really not the SEC. Then we’re just an East and a West, so why would we play the games?”
It makes for interesting discussion, but, of course, Spurrier’s plan isn’t likely to come to fruition as long as SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has this point of view: “It’s hard for me to think about a conference game that doesn’t count.”
What this really amounts to is Spurrier’s annual bid to make himself the center of discussion at the conference confab. Last year, it was his stood-no-chance plan for coaches to pay players out of their own pockets. This year, it’s his problem with the way the division champ is determined. (Funny, he never had a problem with the same system during all those years he was at Florida.)
Next year, assuming he hasn’t retired by then, it’ll no doubt be something else.
The bottom line is that Spurrier is like a 5-year-old, constantly crying out for attention. “Look at me! Look at what I’m doing!”
It’s kind of pathetic, really.
Got something you want to discuss concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
— Bill King, Junkyard Blawg
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
182 comments Add your comment
kingdaddy
May 31st, 2012
3:09 pm
Preach
your opinion means nothing to Bulldawg fans. UGA lost 1 SEC game, S.C. lost 2. Case closed. We were 2011 SECe CHAMPIONS because you have to win more games than us. You keep trying to ignore the Auburn games, but they beat you at your house and we Destroyed them. If we didn’t give the game away to S.C. as you suggest, then how do you account for your humiliating loss to Auburn? How do you account for our overwhelming victory over Auburn. You are the dunce who ignores the facts loser. BTW, you should never make fun of a person’s religion, that’s just one reason why nobody likes you…
Ron O
May 31st, 2012
4:05 pm
Want to shut Spurrier up: tell him is sounding more and more like Ray Goff everyday
Boise Dawg
May 31st, 2012
4:26 pm
Saban said it better than anyone else….. if the games don’t count then the teams shouldn’t be considered the same conference. What is the point of playing them if they don’t count?
Spurrier does have a slight point though and unless the schools all agree to step up to 9 conference games, the disparity of conference strength of schedule from year to year is only going to get worse and the East and West might as well be separate conferences. Personally, I’d like it better if the SEC was back to a 12-team conference or even a 10 team conference with 9 conference games. You should play all and if not then almost all of your conference opponents each year. As a Georgia fan, I hate not playing Alabama and LSU every year.
SEC Fan
May 31st, 2012
4:30 pm
“Alphare
May 31st, 2012
2:58 pm
do you know Spurrier’s record vs UGA/FL/TN/Clemson in the last 2 years? The 4 biggest rivals of USC.”
I did you 1 step better & did Spurrier’s record since 2005 (his 1st year):
2005 (2-2) Clem. – L, UGA – L, UF – W, UT – W
2006 (1-3) Clem. – W, UGA – L, UF – L, UT – L
2007 (1-3) Clem. – L, UGA – W, UF – L, UT – L
2008 (1-3) Clem. – L, UGA – L, UF – L, UT – W
2009 (1-3) Clem. – W, UGA – L, UF – L, UT – L
2010 (4-0) Clem. – W, UGA – W, UF – W, UT – W
2011 (4-0) Clem. – w, UGA – W, UF – W, UT – W
Clem.: 4-3
UGA: 3-4
UF: 3-4
UT: 4-3
Lee
May 31st, 2012
5:14 pm
First it was Urban Cryer, now it’s the Carolina Crybabies.
chazzo
May 31st, 2012
6:03 pm
Spurrier is using the dark side of the force. This is simply a mind screw for the doggies. Any little thing he put out there to create a shred of doubt or question authenticity is a point for his team on the field. He is a master at it. It is why so man consider him an SOB. Best solution: ignore him. If you take the attitude of “we are going to whip the snot out of that guy,” he got you. You aren’t playing your game; you’re playing his.
FUNDAMENTALS wins games not SWAGGER.
DunwoodyDawg
May 31st, 2012
6:25 pm
It just wouldn’t be the SEC meetings if Spurrier wasn’t doing something to tweek the Dawgs. Regardless, of what he says, it isn’t going to happen. Please Dawgs just beat SC in October and shut the whole fan base up for a while.
kingdaddy
May 31st, 2012
6:44 pm
Just win and it won’t matter…
Steve S
May 31st, 2012
9:03 pm
It’s Steve Superior, not Spurrier to you UGaly fans
kingdaddy
May 31st, 2012
9:34 pm
Little stevie is an annoying cry baby. One day he’ll grow-up…
Dawg Bite
May 31st, 2012
9:59 pm
No kingdaddy, SS will never grow up. He is nothing but an egotistical jerk that hates UGA because Bill Stanfill and Co. beat him to a pulp that day in Jax, 1976 I think. He won the Heisman that year, but was crushed by the Dogs and has never gotten over it. i really think that most of the people in the conference hierarchy just let him have his say, then go on about the business at hand and ignore what he spouts out about. He needs to just shut his trap and retire. He is nothing but a blow-hard, and i would just bet that Billy Payne wants no part of him at Augusta National. JMHO
Dawggone
May 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Bill King..its easy to say BS that Richt didn’t say. Maybe you’re a mind reader are just a idiot. We all know you hate Spurrier…wonder why?
Be sure your lies will find you out.
Dawg Bite
May 31st, 2012
10:18 pm
My bad, I think the year was 1966 that SS was crushed by Stanfill and UGA.
kingdaddy
May 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
Bill (the real) King
Please, no more pictures of little stevie…
were tight
June 1st, 2012
12:06 am
and both like ole ball coach!
were tight
June 1st, 2012
12:20 am
and as usual you me and kingdaddy are all on same page!
Vinings Dawg
June 1st, 2012
8:29 am
Spurrier is a wang always fighting for what suits his team or position and not the big picure. And who is the GTBob guy??? Seriously man. I feel for you if this is your sole source of amusement. I have never once posted on a GT, AL, FL, SC etc blog. and especially not to just stir the pot. Let us UGA fans bask in this positive light and enjoy the pre season anticipation. I would not dream of taking that good time away from a group of tech guys (aka my entire office). Let people enjoy and just do your own thing. If not?… well we’ll see you in a few months and relive this lesson all over again. Care to wager?
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
8:30 am
Whete did all the blame-crocks go? I thought they got up with the chickins? Bug-gockkkkkkk…
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
8:32 am
Whete, really?
Where did that come from?
Wilson Pickett
June 1st, 2012
8:35 am
Put Steve as the HC at UGA and Richt as the HC at USCe and you see Mark is no way near the coach that Steve is/was. I understand you don’t like the guy because he’s made million beating your azz over his career. What you can take from all the chatter at the SEC meetings is some coaches aren’t happy with the 6-1-1 setup. It wouldn’t surprise that they got with the 6-2 deal and Bama vs UT and UGA vs cheater U is history (other than the normal rotation).
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
8:36 am
V-Dawg
The younger generation likes to poke tradition in the eye…
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
9:08 am
Would you want to see this man grab your childs face-mask and sream at him on National T.V. for making a mistake on the field. He himself has made mistakes on gameday. Good coach, poor human being…
Flo-Ri-Duh
June 1st, 2012
9:27 am
New Game Cluck cheer…………. pluck pluck pluck pluck pluck pluck pluck pluck. That’s it. Game Clucks don’t make sense when they talk.
Flo-Ri-Duh
June 1st, 2012
9:29 am
If you want to pay scholarship football players a debit card would be wiser than cash as marywanna can’t be bought with a debit card yet.
“How Women Are Viewed In This World” – 2012 | maryelizabethsings
June 1st, 2012
10:08 am
[...] Spurrier makes another bid for attention [...]
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
10:08 am
Flo,
just let them become land-lords and rent out their hotel rooms,lol…
dienlafin
June 1st, 2012
10:12 am
Three in a row on national TV. Mcgarity fires the women’s golf coach and gives CMR a raise!!!!
Your Ol and DL suck and you are signing Rbs and dbs. No wonder I’m dienlafin!!!!!!!!!
Raleigh
June 1st, 2012
11:25 am
Man I hate spurrier
JdiddyJD
June 1st, 2012
11:38 am
Lamesauce
JdiddyJD
June 1st, 2012
11:43 am
ok.. so, this blogger is tearing down Spurrier instead of offering a lifelong fan’s perspective on UGA? I guess losing to Spurrier all your life will do that.
A reporter pointed out to Spurrier that Florida had moved to within 12 games of tying the all-time series with Georgia and asked Spurrier if he thought he would still be coaching when the Gators tied it up.
Spurrier’s reply – “I don’t know, 12 years is a long time
kingdaddy
June 1st, 2012
8:31 pm
Who cares? Little stevie su*ks…
AltamahaDawg
June 6th, 2012
12:38 pm
Do ALL Florida coaches come down there as such jackasses or do they just become one during thier time there before they eventually bail out?