Who you for, UGA fans? The Evil Genius or Nick UnFairley?
"Good luck, Stevie boy. We're all counting on you." (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Three years ago yours truly paid a midweek visit to Columbia, S.C., for Steve Spurrier’s weekly briefing. Toward the end, I mentioned that a brand new AJC.com poll had just reconfirmed that the Ol’ Ball Coach was — ahead of even Urban Meyer, who was coming off a BCS title — the man Georgia fans most loved to hate.
“Glad they haven’t forgotten me,” said Spurrier, who seemed pleased.
Postscript: Four days later, Spurrier and South Carolina came to Sanford Stadium and beat Georgia 16-12.
The Bulldogs have nothing to do with this year’s SEC championship game, which will be staged Saturday at the Georgia Dome. (Fun fact: Seven different SEC schools have qualified for the title game since last Georgia did in 2005.) But Spurrier will be here, and he might actually be the sentimental favorite. Because here are your choices:
• In one corner, the Evil Genius and his Gamecock minions, who are new to this championship thing.
• In the other, RoboCoach Gene Chizik and Nick UnFairley and, lest we forget, Cam Newton.
Loading ...Auburn fans love their team. Almost nobody else does. Let’s state for the record that Newton is the nation’s best player and Fairley its best defender, but we also must concede that the Tigers lead the world in irrational exuberance.
This isn’t to say South Carolina has been without sin. Tight end Weslye Sanders was kicked off the team without playing a down this season, and several Gamecocks apparently got the William Shatner rate at Columbia’s Whitney Hotel over the summer. And that “2001″ introduction at Williams-Brice Stadium was pretty tired back in … well, 2001.
But Auburn, as we know, has become the new standard in raised eyebrows, what with Fairley’s repeated slams of Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (see YouTube video below) to the series of revelations/allegations that led to Newton being declared ineligible by Auburn. (He was re-instated, after a timeout of one day, by the NCAA.)
Viewed alongside strutting Auburn, the Gamecocks seem rather gentlemanly. So now I’m asking a question I never thought I’d ask: Georgia fans, are you rooting for Spurrier?
Or, put another way, is there really a cold front bearing down on Hades?
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935 comments Add your comment
Lance
December 3rd, 2010
9:24 am
Neither, they both beat Georgia.
But, I think Auburn will win. Their offense just outscores everybody. Yes, their defense stinks, but as Georgia proved this year, if your offense can’t outscore the other guys, even with a good defense, you’ll lose.
Auburn wins.
Mike T.
December 3rd, 2010
9:24 am
Chizik was the top DC in the country before he went to Iowa St. Frank Broyles award winner. who the heck was Richt before UGA?
Well lets see, OC and QB coach at Florida State, with two Heisman Trophy winners too his credit.
Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke. Not too shabby dummy.
Mr_Natural
December 3rd, 2010
9:24 am
This topic sounds more like something high school football fans would be pondering.
meh
December 3rd, 2010
9:25 am
I think there will be a record set for personal fouls in a game. AU will play its usual dirty brand of football and Spurrier will play dirty right back. He is the EVIL genius after all. all said and done I think SC pulls out a close win. SC 37 AU 31
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:25 am
Katherine- you see, that’s just it. Because UGA (as normal) is sitting at home this weekend, he’s trying to get your pathetic fanbase involved. The answer to this blog is obvious if you’ve read the comments here at all. People don’t mind seeing teams they expected in the SEC CG, so when Auburn rises to the top under the radar, people look to do anything they can to discredit it.
Pulpwood
December 3rd, 2010
9:26 am
Go Cocks! One thing USC has going for them- if they win they won’t get hosed by the sprinkler systems at the Georgia Dome.
Tyler
December 3rd, 2010
9:26 am
@ Katherine: He’s not making fun of “loyals fans who get exicted every year about their team”. He’s making fun of fans of a team who couldn’t break .500 in the weakest year in the SEC East since splitting into divisions who come on message boards and cry about which team they want to win less: the one that beat their a$$ in September or the one that beat their a$$ in november. If UGA was getting ready to play in the SECCG or had a shot at anything better than the Liberty Bowl against a CUSA team this post would have never been written and the Nick Fairley game would be forgotten. Hold on to whatever you can dawgs!!!
Carl
December 3rd, 2010
9:26 am
Fairley plays hard-nosed and thru the remnants of the shadow of the echo of the whistle. Shades of Mickey Andrews-coached D’s at F$U. Big deal.
When he runs up behind a lineman 10 yds downfield (and 15 yds from the ball) and intentionally tries to maim him with a clip, get back to me. That’s why thug Ben Jones had to sit half a game and Fairley didn’t.
Then again, Jones ain’t real bright. Loved his running around pretending to be an airplane like an 8-yr-old in need of Ritalin after #3’s “gimme” TD last Saturday. At least Richt is smart enough to realize what had just happened.
Joe
December 3rd, 2010
9:28 am
DC…I can only hope that if he injures a player it would be your son…..I wonder then if your post would be the same….loser
Scam Newton
December 3rd, 2010
9:28 am
Auburn should get shafted again like in 2004… Maybe they’ll get their championship, by default. Enjoy it before the shit hits the fan, kitties… Reggie Bush, why haven’t you returned my calls???
DenialIsNotARiver
December 3rd, 2010
9:29 am
Auburn fans (and I have several friends and family who are) are in total denial of the fact that their team has resorted to cheap shots and cheating in order to win. GO COCKS!!!
ps. Who toilet papers their own yard?
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:29 am
If you don’t want your QB to get slammed- BLOCK. It’s that simple. I know UGA would prefer to play a finesse-y NFL-style wuss game, but this is the SEC. The red jerseys you wear on gameday don’t mean “no-contact” like they do on the practice field.
Katherine
December 3rd, 2010
9:29 am
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:25 am
Katherine- you see, that’s just it. Because UGA (as normal) is sitting at home this weekend, he’s trying to get your pathetic fanbase involved. The answer to this blog is obvious if you’ve read the comments here at all. People don’t mind seeing teams they expected in the SEC CG, so when Auburn rises to the top under the radar, people look to do anything they can to discredit it.
WDE…bloggers online don’t count for even 1% of the fans….you can’t take their outrageous comments and then say all the fans of that team are bad or out to get you.
gadawgs
December 3rd, 2010
9:30 am
Thanks RxDawg..I couldn’t agree with you more.
foozball
December 3rd, 2010
9:30 am
The only thing Fairy proved is he can’t get to any QB unless he gets there late.
If he don’t get a late hit he gets no hit. Tardy to the party THUG.
Dumbo
December 3rd, 2010
9:30 am
Auburn ain’t that like going to Clemson but without the lake.
SC is gonna be lost without that screeching chicken noise.
Heard that Bobby Louder & Hootie Johnson are gonna sit together and compare notes on chasing off HC’s.
icallbs
December 3rd, 2010
9:30 am
I would pull for a Notre Dame team coached by Lane Kiffen over Auburn.
Scam Newton
December 3rd, 2010
9:30 am
Kitties can have their championship handed to them from 2004… That’s good enough. Reggie Bush, why haven’t you returned my calls?
Aubie's Denial
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
“I did not have financial relations with that quarterback, Mr. Newton, nor with his father, the good Rev. Newton, now I’m going back to the barn, and back to work for the Aubarn people.”
observer
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
Who really cares? Oh that’s right..people who don’t have real lives and live vicariously through 18-22 year old young men! Now if I could have the last few minutes back that I spent reading some of this tripe.
Uglydawg
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
We run this State…We run the AJC…We will run the world………We own it all….We can do no wrong!
Kyle
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
have to agree with you Joe. I bet alot of these barn fans would be singing a different tune if that were the case. The guy is just bad for the sport plain and simple
bob
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
Hating Spurrier even before Satan spawned Fairley. Maybe on a sweep play Fairley can accidently take out Spurrier on the sidelines.
DC
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
Joe, to make light of your evil comment, I shall quote that black dude from Talledega Nights, “Don’t you put that on me Ricky Bobby!..Don’t you put that on me!!!”
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:31 am
He’s asking bloggers their opinion, obviously. So, yes, I can categorize the responses however I want. Very few of your fans (and I have tremendous respect for them) realize that there’s nothing about the Auburn game you should still be complaining about. Fairley got flagged for the play where he really did commit a personal foul.
The fans here that complain about Fairley are truly distracted from the actual disaster that has occured- your coaching staff being retained.
Bill Stanfill
December 3rd, 2010
9:32 am
I didn’t like Spurrier but I respected him.
I (mostly) liked Auburn and respected them.
But after this year, my respect for Auburn has greatly diminished. Every SEC fan I know–and I know fans for every school except Miss. State–has commented on Fairley’s dirty play and Chizik’s refusal to rein him in.
Go Gamecocks! Go Spurrier! Go Oregon!*
(*On pure principle, I believe Aurburn should go to the BCS championship game even if it loses to South Carolina–unless they lose by a decided margin, say over 10 points.)
Katherine
December 3rd, 2010
9:32 am
Tyler
December 3rd, 2010
9:26 am
@ Katherine: He’s not making fun of “loyals fans who get exicted every year about their team”. He’s making fun of fans of a team who couldn’t break .500 in the weakest year in the SEC East since splitting into divisions who come on message boards and cry about which team they want to win less: the one that beat their a$$ in September or the one that beat their a$$ in november. If UGA was getting ready to play in the SECCG or had a shot at anything better than the Liberty Bowl against a CUSA team this post would have never been written and the Nick Fairley game would be forgotten. Hold on to whatever you can dawgs!!!
Well, as I said before…every team goes through down times. And the blog was written and people responded. Making fun of fans who stand behind their team through good times and bad is just stupid. I guarantee your team will have bad times too..it happens. Get over yourself.
Kyle
December 3rd, 2010
9:32 am
ICall….I would cheer for the taliban coached by lane Kiffen over Aubarn…..
DC
December 3rd, 2010
9:32 am
Joe, to make light of your evil comment, I shall quote that black dude from Talledega Nights..”Don’t you put that on me Ricky Bobbby!!..Don’t you put that on me!!!!”
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:32 am
“The only thing Fairy proved is he can’t get to any QB unless he gets there late.”
That’s why he leads all DTs in the SEC with 9.5 sacks. This is the kind of ignorance I’m talking about out of UGA fans.
USC GAMEC0CK
December 3rd, 2010
9:33 am
I thought USC had an inferiority complex until I started reading all the Auburn comments….that’s funny.
USC wins, Auburn goes to BCS game but not Sugar or NC game, UGa gets alot of indigestion as they realize USC will be a true buzz kill in Stanford next September.
WDE
December 3rd, 2010
9:34 am
Let’s just get one thing straight- UGA fans would absolutely LOVE to have a guy like Fairley on their team.
In the same way I would LOVE to have Aaron Murray be on Auburn’s team next year after Cam is gone.
MikeP
December 3rd, 2010
9:34 am
This is cute: “This isn’t to say South Carolina has been without sin. Tight end Weslye Sanders was kicked off the team without playing a down this season, ”
And what sin has Auburn committed? Unless you are illiterate, none. “If Nick Fairley was a Dawg, he’d be a rock star in Georgia.”~~Buck Belue
In all my years as an Auburn fan, this one has been the greatest. Already we’ve whupped the DullDawgs three times: Once 49-31, a second time 28-27 when the Dawgs all became Bamzos for a Day, a third time when the NCAA cleared Cam Newton, and now there’s an opportunity to whup the Dawgs a fourth time in Atlanta tomorrow.
12-0 and lookin’ good… It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger!
ClinchPanther
December 3rd, 2010
9:34 am
This may be first time I ever wanted Spurrier to win a game. No way do i want Auburn to play for the mnc. Hope fairley gets sent to the locker room in the first quarter…Along with Cameron!!!!
DC
December 3rd, 2010
9:34 am
Joe, to make light of your evil comment, I shall quote that black dude from Talledega Nights. “Dont you put that on me Ricky Bobby!!..Don’t you put that on me!!!!”
sowega tiger
December 3rd, 2010
9:34 am
The mere fact that some ( not all) of you uga folks, including Mark B, are still so hurt, so frustrated, so upset by your devastating loss at the hands of Auburn, just tickles the hell out of me. Go blame your lously season on somebody else. It seems to me Auburn is just one of many teams that kicked your sorry butts this year. Oh yeah, it was done Fairly.
Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!
December 3rd, 2010
9:35 am
It doesn’t matter. Auburn will definitely win. The SEC will send a team to the NC AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!! You should look for some crazy penalties against the Cocks and some no-calls against the Fighting ATMs
Mike T.
December 3rd, 2010
9:35 am
Auburn thugs/fans can defend the creep all they want, but that hit dead in the middle of the back, between the shoulder blades, long after the ball had been thrown is shameful.I think Saban can now
pass his Satan title on over to Chizik.
Uglydawg
December 3rd, 2010
9:35 am
icallbs, lets be reasonable ..now you going to far. We know Kiffen got the money!
haters are skaters
December 3rd, 2010
9:35 am
i’d rather see auburn win (we all know that something stinks down there and its just a matter of time before some hard evidence surfaces and the championship trophy will be taken back), then hear spurrier crow like a fool for an entire year.
he’s bad enough w/out winning anything at sc………don’t even want to think what it’ll be like if he actually accomplishes a champ.
Russell
December 3rd, 2010
9:36 am
I’m rooting for the Gamecocks, NOT for Spurrier.
Pulpwood
December 3rd, 2010
9:36 am
If USC wins, at least they won’t have to worry about Auburn turning the hoses on their fans. Auburn has cheated long enough (been on probation as much or more than any team in NCAA history) that they just don’t get the benefit of the doubt here. Aubie fans don’t seem to understand that they are looked at with skepticism based on their very tainted history. In fact, the last time they were this close to winning an NC in the late 50’s, they were on probation and couldn’t be recognized. Go Cocks!
DC
December 3rd, 2010
9:37 am
Mike T…it was bad play and he was flagged…i think that is common place in football to flag someone for a bad hit…is it not?…do you watch football?..
TallaDawg
December 3rd, 2010
9:37 am
This whole NEWTON thing is an example of why I wish the NFL would start a developmental league. Then, we could let kids that value an education have the scholarships, and let ill-advised, ignorant kids try their luck in the “pros.”
Fig Newton
December 3rd, 2010
9:37 am
If UGA’s Oline didn’t suck, no one would be talking about my man Fairley!
Concrete Pete
December 3rd, 2010
9:38 am
Spurrier’s only guilty of beating UGA mercilessly while at UF, throwing barbs at Ray Goff (didn’t Goff’s own players and supporters do the same), and still being better than you at golf. He does things the right way. Kicked what was thought to be his best player off the team when it became apparent he was involved in the hotel thing. Spurrier is good for college football. Newton (Scam and Rev/Brother Cecil), Fairley, Chizik, Taylor, Lowder and the entire Auburn family are not. They have always been and always will be dirty. I am an SEC fan, but i truly hope that when the season is over, the NCAA and BCS have counted all the money generated and thr checks have cleared, that the NCAA slaps Auburn with a “Death Penalty” type of punishment. It will be well deserved
SC for me...
December 3rd, 2010
9:39 am
Visor…28 Burners…21
Fig Newton
December 3rd, 2010
9:39 am
Pulpwood your memory must be as short as your Johnson. In 2004 USC won win an undefeated AU team was not even in the NC.
Mike T.
December 3rd, 2010
9:39 am
“If Nick Fairley was a Dawg, he’d be a rock star in Georgia.”~~Buck Belue
Buck Belue, a great dawg, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, in dawgland.
g8rbait
December 3rd, 2010
9:39 am
interesting that both coaches have gator ties. Both played and graduated from UF!! Gators are showing up everywhere in the sporting world these days from Chris Collinsworth, and Jesse Palmer, to the stunning Erin Andrews!!
Go Gators!! Go Gamecocks!! Go AU Tigers!!