How Spurrier's Gamecocks Can Become Winners

This is a two part article about the attitudes of our Carolina faithful, and why changing them could be Steve Spurrier's toughest test.

PART I

To begin, I want you to understand that I do not intend to offend anyone, so please do not take it in that manner, as this blog is intended to give you more reason to be optimistic and positive about the program. I do not direct this at any one person, but at the whole of the gamecock faithful, and hope that its anticipated meaning is well received.

I am writing this from the other end of the globe, and my reason for telling you this, is so that you understand that the entire scope of my current connection to USC's program, is from the internet. I do not commonly receive American television here, although there is the occasional exception. So one hundred percent of my current news of this program comes from the net, and as you can imagine that makes me a sports board fanatic. However, I am finding a common thread (pun intended) in and on most of the USC sports boards that I frequent, and that is negativity towards our football program. Now, with the long hard history of this program, that is hardly a revolutionary thing, but with the somewhat recent events of this program, it does seem to be a little misplaced in my opinion.

So I will start out with the smaller things and work my way to the more recently earth shattering. If you go back and look at the historical records of our program, you will find it very difficult to find three six win seasons in succession. We have had some very good season’s here and there, but rarely can you find them back to back to back. Piecing together winning seasons has just been something that has eluded this program. I attribute it to the university’s lack of patience with their football coaches(no stability), political interference and the Board of Trustees historically not making it a priority. However, right or wrong, and for whatever reasons, it just hasn’t happened. Well, that is until recently, as right now we are in a four year span of six wins or more. This may not seem like very much of an accomplishment to you (I did say that I was starting with the smaller things), but in fact it shows progress, and with our history, can we really turn our noses up at progress? Steve Spurrier has been building this program the right way, which is for the long term success and not for the short term fixes. Coach Spurrier has shown the patience to do it right, instead of being lured into that quick fix deal, that sinks so many coaching careers. One great year doesn’t make a program a winning program, which we found out with a 10-1 regular season finish and number two national ranking(1984). That is why our current streak of not having a losing season is so important. You might ask how 6-6 in 07' is progress from 8-5 in 06'? And while I do have an answer, I will temper my response over the next few paragraphs.

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