Steve Spurrier Is a Legend, but There's No Excuse for Press-Conference Pouting

Steve Spurrier is a legend, but Saturday night in Columbia, the "Head Ball Coach" went too far.

After his team fell, 45-42, in overtime to Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium and gave up 645 yards to the Vols in the process, Spurrier crossed the line.

Instead of participating in the postgame "press conference," he treated it like a lecture, speaking for 54 seconds before saying, "I don't need to take any questions. You guys watched it."

That's unacceptable.

As the leader of his program and the players on his roster, Spurrier should know better. He should set a good example and own up to his problems.

He should own the moment.

Sure, this might be viewed as a media rant, and you might say that Spurrier doesn't owe the media anything.

You're wrong. As the face of the program, he owes the media and fans an explanation for what's gone wrong. If it gets repetitive, that's fine. That's a Spurrier problem, not a media problem.

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

It is part of his job to meet after the game and, more importantly, be the face of the program. Right now, the face of the Gamecocks program appears to be running from the problems that he played a major part in creating instead of owning them, despite the fact that there's a giant image of Spurrier on the side of Williams-Brice Stadium.

That's not the media's fault; that's Spurrier's fault.

South Carolina doesn't have the personnel on defense to compete for the SEC East title—even the 2014 SEC East, which is more of a punchline than a power. It's been that way all season long, and while he may get tired of answering the same questions about his defense, it's his responsibility.

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

The Head Ball Coach got a contract extension and a raise to $4 million per year this offseason. With that kind of coin coming in, hanging much-maligned defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward out to dry to answer questions isn't something a leader does. Hanging 18-to-22-year-old players out to dry to answer questions isn't something a leader does.

Spurrier gets a pass for a lot of things he says, because...well...he's Spurrier. He's honest, forthcoming and fun in press conferences. Because of that, many will give him a pass in this instance.

Brad Crawford of SaturdayDownSouth.com didn't.

He shouldn't get a pass. 

Not from the media, not from South Carolina fans and not from anybody.

Not only does Spurrier owe the media, but he owes his players. Owes them, as the head coach, to fall on the sword and take the criticism for something that's much more of a Spurrier problem than a player problem. He should be cleaning up their mess, not the other way around.

This wasn't "classic" Spurrier. This was "coward" Spurrier.

This is a guy who willfully allowed his assistants and players to take the heat instead of owning the problems for which he's responsible.

He is the face of the South Carolina program, and right now, that program has the face of a coward.

Not a good look.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.