Spurrier’s tour finds encouraged listeners
Steve Spurrier received a warm welcome here Wednesday night, as he has throughout his spring speaking tour.
South Carolina’s football coach never really doubted he would, despite a 7-6 record in 2014 that left many Gamecocks fans wondering what happened to the team that won 11 games in each of the three previous seasons.
“They are appreciative. They understand 7-6 is not the worst season we have had,” Spurrier said. “We know where our football program has been in years past.”
Wednesday evening’s stop at the Aiken Shrine Club was Spurrier’s fourth and final speaking engagement of the spring, and he hit on familiar territory – no one should be ashamed of winning four straight bowl games, and the offeason’s changes mean hope for the future. Spurrier never worried his fan base would be restless at these events, he said.
“They are fired up. They are ready to go,” he said. “They understand what happened last year. It wasn’t 11-2, but it was a winning season, and it was a bowl victory. I think we all feel decent about how the year turned out.”
That’s accurate, 57-year-old Gamecocks fan Alan Langdale said as he left the speech.
“I lived through the years, most of us did, that were a lot worse than this,” Langdale said. “We were disappointed during the season, but there is a lot of promise with Spurrier there we feel like.”
The fan base is more than happy to leave the 2014 season in the past, said Bridget Miller, 53.
“You move forward. That’s what you do. You move on to next year,” she said. “I think we are always excited. New season, new opportunities, new kids coming in. I see a great future, I really do.”
The majority of the school’s fan base feels that way, said Patrick McFarland, executive director of the Gamecock Club. The club has grown to a record 19,000 members despite last year’s struggles, he said.
“You go back 20 years, and if we just win a bowl game, people are excited,” McFarland said. “I still think it’s pretty phenomenal, the progress that is being made. I sense people are still really excited about football.”
Spurrier spoke for 20 minutes Wednesday, fielding questions and then accepting a birthday cake from the group to wrap up the event. He received a loud cheer when he walked into the room and a standing ovation when he was introduced by McFarland.
He told the crowd he was “embarrassed” by last season but added, “We’re going to try to do something about it this year.”
“We feel like we have a fighting chance,” Spurrier said. “We won’t be picked very high, but that’s OK. It’ll be a good opportunity for us to not go through the preseason with everybody thinking we are hot stuff.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Spurrier’s tour finds encouraged listeners."