My Apologies & Being a Good Fan

[TStone]

My Apologies
About half way through the season I turned cynical on these boards regarding the state of our football program and the performance of a couple of players. It wasn't an attempt to get people riled up... it was simply me voicing my frustrations over what I saw as an impending collapse by our team. After 30 years of seeing this sort of thing you would think I would be immune, but this season hurt more than most because of the false sense of accomplishment. Despite the 6-1 start I was seeing the writing on the wall by the fourth game. We were winning close games against tough opponents because the ball was bouncing our way and winning close games against lesser opponents by much too small of a margin to be a real contender. At first I made excuses on the board... even telling Spurticus outright in a thread that he started that publishing the obvious malaise of our team wasn't going to win anyone over and that people in general respond better to positive input than negative. Shortly afterward, however, I too fell into a seemingly never ending spiral into the pit of negativity. My subtle attacks on one particular player on our team even earned me a harsh warning from one of our mods. Instead of being a wake-up call it just annoyed me even more. As a fan I'm still conflicted over being able to vocalize my frustrations, but as an adult I know I should have tried to set a better example. For the miscalculation I apologize to everyone at Cockytalk and to any players who may have taken my comments negatively.

Being a Good Fan
I'm known among my friends as the guy who always plays devil's advocate... generally in defense of whomever is being attacked. Any of you who have been a manager or coach know that it does no good to shed a negative light on the shortcomings of the people you are directing. Shortcomings are best addressed as things to work on to build on what you're already doing right, not as things that are making you less of a performer. The trap I fell into this year is that it is much easier to focus solely on the negative when there's no connection with the subject. Generally speak, fans sit back in their seats watching the performance of a skill position player and are ultimately either viciously critical or overly praising in our assessments. There's rarely a balance... especially when the team isn't doing well. This season has taught me a lesson. Next year I will be more objective in my assessments and tone down the negativity.


So how did you handle the season? Now that it's over, how do you assess your own reactions through the second half of the season?

[GotSpurrier82]

I just realize that being a USC fan is very, very hard. But it also helps me re-asses what's important to me in this world: family, friends, education (which is why I'm moving). And I'm not a naturally negative person so I always look on the bright side (wait 'til next year, Clemson will lose to Auburn, etc.).

As to my own reactions to the second half of the season...no apologies. I remained positive and told everyone within earshot of where I sit to not come back if they're going to boo and run their mouths about my team. Be a true fan, be loud, or go home (better yet, stay at home).

And handling this season...it's a learning experience. Plus I have very awesome Clemson friends who just said, "That was a good game" and left it at that. None of this childish crap of name-calling and going back and forth.

Sometimes you just have to realize that there are more important things than a rivalry that started before you were born and will continue far after you die. Unless you make a dramatic shift in momentum, it'll always be there, but so will your friends and family.

[hardcock2]

So how did you handle the season? Now that it's over, how do you assess your own reactions through the second half of the season?


I kill a tater!!:woo: ...just sayin':kill:

[GotSpurrier82]

^^ Or you could do that.

[uscnoklahoma]

I play devil's advocate as well and truthfully I act differently in person when it comes to the Gamecocks...I tend to be more in touch with reality on here. In real life it is me acting like you guys and my dad acting like me...telling me we will never amount to anything and me of course telling him to find a new team like you guys tell me to do. LOL!

[woodscock]

It's easy! For forty plus years I have been a USC fan. I stated at one point that this was the most disapointing year of all because we were kinda lead to believe that we were ready for the next teir. Okay, this year is over and we can't change anything about it. As for me the choice is simple! I am a USC graduate and a fan period. There is always Furman because in our state, that's the only other option rather than not caring period.

[Cruzer]

I honestly didn't think we were a #6 team way back then, but I never said so. Then after losing 4 straight my wife asked me one night "I thought Carolina was a top 10 team"? I said that "we" were ranked up there but I really didn't think we were that good. When the wheels started falling off I kept hoping that they would get it together. Well, they didn't & I kinda accepted it as the season wound-down. And that night after the Clemson loss I was kinda relieved that it was over. The bleeding had finally stopped.
I too have been pulling for the Gamecocks for a very long time, since the late 60's when I was a kid. And you would think that we would be use to it, but it hurts every year that we don't do well. I just try to move on & not stay in that spot too long. Because it does nothing for you. I just look forward to "next year"...
This morning I went out in my truck with the Gamecock tag, stickers & wearing my Gamecock sweatshirt just as always.

[hardcock2]

I honestly didn't think we were a #6 team way back then, but I never said so. Then after losing 4 straight my wife asked me one night "I thought Carolina was a top 10 team"? I said that "we" were ranked up there but I really didn't think we were that good. When the wheels started falling off I kept hoping that they would get it together. Well, they didn't & I kinda accepted it as the season wound-down. And that night after the Clemson loss I was kinda relieved that it was over. The bleeding had finally stopped.
I too have been pulling for the Gamecocks for a very long time, since the late 60's when I was a kid. And you would think that we would be use to it, but it hurts every year that we don't do well. I just try to move on & not stay in that spot too long. Because it does nothing for you. I just look forward to "next year"...
This morning I went out in my truck with the Gamecock tag, stickers & wearing my Gamecock sweatshirt just as always.

That's pretty much the exact way I felt as well....maybe with a little more anger though.

[jellafever]

I still don't have any words to describe how I felt because I am still in shock after we finished the season with five straight losses.

I didn't think that we were the 6th best team in the country when we were ranked that but I thought that we were in position to get where we wanted had we not completely imploded.

[Dr. Cock]

I always tend to look at Gamecock Football from a realistic point of view, but with an optimistic spin upon the situation. I look at it this way: I can't have fun blindly expecting National Titles when we clearly aren't good enough... it's just too difficult for me to embrace an unrealistic scenario. But it's also no fun to just sit back and look at everything from a pessimist's point of view. If you don't believe there's any hope, then why follow the program?

All-in-all, however, the optimists, pessimists, and the realists all share their love for the Gamecocks and thats what binds them together to come back year after year, no matter how bad we get our asses kicked or let down. It's almost like a family of sorts that nobody else in the nation can really experience as a whole.

[willy]

I kill a tater!!:woo: ...just sayin':kill:



NM.

[Click]

When we were ranked 6th I knew we were overrated, just seeing the SC State game and La La game convinced me that we were not there yet. The potential is there, but we're just not there as a team or a program in general just yet..... but with SOS I think we will be soon.

[deenerbug]

Count me in with never thinking we were a top six team anyway. I was concerned from the get go while watching the La La game. I'm not knocking us -- we just weren't playing on a number six level. I figured, however, we were playing on around a top 20 team level midway through the season and had to let go of that assumption also.

I felt heartbroken after one game -- the Tennessee game. The Vandy game just made me feel very annoyed with the lack of effort. After the heartbreak from the Tennessee game, I decided to approach the next games by having wine or beer before the game instead of at halftime and after. That helped. I approached the Clemson game with a combo of Margaritas and Mike's Hard Lemonade before the game. That worked pretty well. :D When we were ahead and had the ball towards the end, I hoped we would get a couple of first downs and that would be that -- wrong again -- so good thing I was prepared that time.

Seriously, I think I knew it could go either way this season and although I was disappointed, I feel very good about our future.

I hate, hate, hate when football season ends. Now, I have to wait to see how we're going to look next season. I have a really good feeling about next year and the following year. We have lots of potential.

[akn4bkn]

sounds good

[khosk]

Well, since we are apologizing let me apologize to Spurticus. Because almost everyone turned on him for pointing out weaknesses in our team when we were 6-1. And when I say everyone, I mean almost everyone including myself. I had to ask Spurticus to tone it down because there was almost consensus disagreement with his posts. I feel bad about that and in hindsight I was wrong, because I doubted Spurticus and went with almost majority opinion that he was off his rocker. Turns out he was right and we were all wrong. So Spurticus, I am sorry.

[colt19114me]

Well, since we are apologizing let me apologize to Spurticus. Because almost everyone turned on him for pointing out weaknesses in our team when we were 6-1. And when I say everyone, I mean almost everyone including myself. I had to ask Spurticus to tone it down because there was almost consensus disagreement with his posts. I feel bad about that and in hindsight I was wrong, because I doubted Spurticus and went with almost majority opinion that he was off his rocker. Turns out he was right and we were all wrong. So Spurticus, I am sorry.

I will go on record as one of those that took issue with Spurticus... but..and you can go look at my post...I AGREED with his observations. I stated in my posts the manner and tone in which he posted was "bashing" coaches and players which I have been censored for. So.. again I ask.. where is the line on hauling players and coaches over the coals and making observations? Either it is free market and anything goes or you have to bite your tongue (which I have during our free-fall season). I would think that MOST of mods and many posters found the weaknesses unpalatable. But few went out on what appeared to be witch hunts in their posts...

After all, Ron Moron occasionally makes valid observations. Most would agree his "tone" is pretty much anti-Gamecock and unacceptable.. So where's the line?

Spurticus.. it was never personal.. I'm not part of the mechanism..I'm just trying to follow the rules.

I still think the "rules" need to be clamped down on raiders from other schools that come in and flame or post only with the purpose of being a prick and pissing off the CT posters... This isn't the US House of Representatives or a freaking Rainbow Coalition caucus. Visitors need to be nice..or GTFO... .................. my two cents

[U-Dub Gamecock]

Hell.. watching a 6-1 team that beat a BCS team (Georgia) and the #8 team in the country at the time(Kentucky) fall on their ass would make even the most optomistic fan get angry.. This year was very frustrating....

I forgive all fans that said negative things this year towards our team (including myself)

[brat]

If you have been a Gamecock fan for any length of time, you have been kicked and knocked down enough to where it is normal to have a brief spell of "woe is us' after the season we just experienced. It took me a couple of days to get over it, but then again, next year will be 40 years of such suffering. Throw in that I have been a Red Sox fan since 1967 (and except for the last few seasons) that is another club that has torn my heart out and stomped on it in the most excruciating ways.

Difference between Gamecock fans and most others is that we shake it off, recover, and look for the slightest signs of optimism to build upon and look for the future. Kind of trying to find the end of a rainbow sort of a thing (when I was a kid, in Charleston, after a Summer thunderstorm, me and my best friend actually did find the end of one... nope, no pot of gold, but that's another story). That's the one thing that the others don't get and either find it annoying or admirable, we keep coming back for more and never quit trying. I reckon that makes us like our mascot, doesn't it? Wouldn't have it any other way (except a few more wins, of course).

[COCKROCK]

When the wheels started falling off I kept hoping that they would get it together. Well, they didn't & I kinda accepted it as the season wound-down. And that night after the Clemson loss I was kinda relieved that it was over. The bleeding had finally stopped.

Indeed my brother it was finally over and now we have basketball..... When's our last basketball game by the way?

[willy]

I will go on record as one of those that took issue with Spurticus... but..and you can go look at my post...I AGREED with his observations. I stated in my posts the manner and tone in which he posted was "bashing" coaches and players which I have been censored for. So.. again I ask.. where is the line on hauling players and coaches over the coals and making observations? Either it is free market and anything goes or you have to bite your tongue (which I have during our free-fall season). I would think that MOST of mods and many posters found the weaknesses unpalatable. But few went out on what appeared to be witch hunts in their posts...

After all, Ron Moron occasionally makes valid observations. Most would agree his "tone" is pretty much anti-Gamecock and unacceptable.. So where's the line?

Spurticus.. it was never personal.. I'm not part of the mechanism..I'm just trying to follow the rules.

I still think the "rules" need to be clamped down on raiders from other schools that come in and flame or post only with the purpose of being a prick and pissing off the CT posters... This isn't the US House of Representatives or a freaking Rainbow Coalition caucus. Visitors need to be nice..or GTFO... .................. my two cents



A very good post. Very well stated and a lot of truth. My hat is off to you sir.

[Ga_Gamecock]

I will go on record as one of those that took issue with Spurticus... but..and you can go look at my post...I AGREED with his observations. I stated in my posts the manner and tone in which he posted was "bashing" coaches and players which I have been censored for. So.. again I ask.. where is the line on hauling players and coaches over the coals and making observations? Either it is free market and anything goes or you have to bite your tongue (which I have during our free-fall season). I would think that MOST of mods and many posters found the weaknesses unpalatable. But few went out on what appeared to be witch hunts in their posts...

After all, Ron Moron occasionally makes valid observations. Most would agree his "tone" is pretty much anti-Gamecock and unacceptable.. So where's the line?

Spurticus.. it was never personal.. I'm not part of the mechanism..I'm just trying to follow the rules.

I still think the "rules" need to be clamped down on raiders from other schools that come in and flame or post only with the purpose of being a prick and pissing off the CT posters... This isn't the US House of Representatives or a freaking Rainbow Coalition caucus. Visitors need to be nice..or GTFO... .................. my two cents

i agree

i saw so many holes in our team when we were 6-1 ... it was incredible and i was critical of our team as well. we simply weren't the number 6 team in the country. not even close

but bashing players and coaches is where many drew the line. it wasnt the message as much as it was the delivery and personal jabs IMO

[ChuckyCock]

As Gamecock fans, we have all shared the disappointment for too many seasons. Yes the 5 game streak hurt like daddy's double-buckled belt. I think we need to go back to chapel hill and find whatever switch was flipped at halftime and set it back. Overrated at #6? Definitely. Are we really that bad against the run? yep. Were we playing with our helmets on backwards against Vandy? could've been. Hey wait, don't let Tennessee drive down the... no, not OT!! F'in Upstate Orange. That was one hell of a snowball.

That being said, as a fan, I do honestly believe we are getting better. We are attracting better talent. The young talent we have is getting experience(that wasn't a fun November was it guys?) and coming together as a unit. Not to mention that SOS also has to stew on it all offseason. There is still a lot of work to do yes, but I am optimistic that it will get better. We are being turned into a championship 'program', not just a championship team. We will have the teams that walk on the teams we are supposed to walk over, and the team others hate to watch march down the field in the 4th quarter, and the team that does pick up the first down, and the team that doesn't let you convert your 3rd down - And we will all still have opinions positive and negative about who played well and who didn't, what coach should be fired or hired, and (god forbid) what uni's we were wearing. I wouldn't expect any less from someone who calls themselves a fan. For now...Omaha or bust. NCState - waittilnextyear... GO COCKS

[Spurticus]

Well, since we are apologizing let me apologize to Spurticus. Because almost everyone turned on him for pointing out weaknesses in our team when we were 6-1. And when I say everyone, I mean almost everyone including myself. I had to ask Spurticus to tone it down because there was almost consensus disagreement with his posts. I feel bad about that and in hindsight I was wrong, because I doubted Spurticus and went with almost majority opinion that he was off his rocker. Turns out he was right and we were all wrong. So Spurticus, I am sorry.

Thanx ken, much appreciated sir !


I will go on record as one of those that took issue with Spurticus... but..and you can go look at my post...I AGREED with his observations. I stated in my posts the manner and tone in which he posted was "bashing" coaches and players which I have been censored for. So.. again I ask.. where is the line on hauling players and coaches over the coals and making observations? Either it is free market and anything goes or you have to bite your tongue (which I have during our free-fall season). I would think that MOST of mods and many posters found the weaknesses unpalatable. But few went out on what appeared to be witch hunts in their posts...

After all, Ron Moron occasionally makes valid observations. Most would agree his "tone" is pretty much anti-Gamecock and unacceptable.. So where's the line?

Spurticus.. it was never personal.. I'm not part of the mechanism..I'm just trying to follow the rules.

I still think the "rules" need to be clamped down on raiders from other schools that come in and flame or post only with the purpose of being a prick and pissing off the CT posters... This isn't the US House of Representatives or a freaking Rainbow Coalition caucus. Visitors need to be nice..or GTFO... .................. my two cents


Being a moderator for a couple of years and loving this board as much as I do, I can say with all honesty I broke no rule in any of the posts I made about the team or the coaches.
I stated my opinion about the team AS A WHOLE and NEVER singled out an individual play. . .I never said "the team sucked" and in all of my posts, I defended the coaching staff while other posted responses calling out individual coaches by name saying they needed to go.
My original post was after the UK game when everyone was on a high because we had just beat a top 10 team, and were headed for the top 10 ourselves.
I simply stated to those who said that teams ahead of us were over rated and ESPN didn't like us, that I didn't feel we were a legit top 10 team, and that I saw issues during the win with UK that if weren't corrected would bite us later in the season. I was specific in calling out our Defense in that we gave up way too much yardage on our corners. I was attacked personally by some people who didn't agree with what I said, and because I wasn't on the same high as everyone else, I was called a pesimist, or ever worse.

The posts and threads that followed that one were "I'll admitt" mostly sarcastic in nature towards those who blasted me for my opinion, while at the same time, continueing to express concern in our lack of defensive effort, and our apathetic offense at that time. . . .Again, I never called out a single player or coach, only the units as a whole, and simply expressed my opinion about them. . . . .And at no time in any of the theads I started, did I say a certain player or coach should be benched/dismissed. Those are the rules and guidlines of this board and I stayed within them.
I stepped on some toes of people who didn't agree with my original opinion, and yes I sort of applied a little more pressure to the heel of my foot with some of the followup threads, But my opinion of the team was fairly accurate and I stood by the statement. . . . . while gaining some measure of "revenge"

[SC Sandlapper]

Interesting question posed in this thread.

I could not care less whether I am considered a good fan or a bad one, I am a huge fan, period, and I just say what I think. I have no apology for any comment or post, positive, negative, cynical, or wildly optimistic, because I have been all of the above at various times.

As for this season, I hated seeing our team go into a nose dive, but what really killed was the Clemson game. I was completely disgusted with our team and stayed away from Cocky Talk because if I had said what I was thinking, it would have gotten ugly.

This season, I just got way too carried away with football, watched all the games on TV of course but really followed it with microscopic interest. You could say I was obsessed, and I need to just get the hell over it.

I remain disgusted with last season and discouraged about next season. I don't see the team making enough progress, and don't have a lot of optimism about our upcoming recruiting class after the way our season ended.

I would love to be proven wrong. Til it happens, I am as always, waiting til next year.

[Spur]

Well, since we are apologizing let me apologize to Spurticus. Because almost everyone turned on him for pointing out weaknesses in our team when we were 6-1. And when I say everyone, I mean almost everyone including myself. I had to ask Spurticus to tone it down because there was almost consensus disagreement with his posts. I feel bad about that and in hindsight I was wrong, because I doubted Spurticus and went with almost majority opinion that he was off his rocker. Turns out he was right and we were all wrong. So Spurticus, I am sorry.

Great post

Spurt, you da man. Hindsight is always 20/20 with some others after the fact but not you!

:bow:

[snoopcockycock]

Great post

Spurt, you da man. Hindsight is always 20/20 with some others after the fact but not you!

:bow:


:rotfl: that is hilarious! classic spur!!!!:rotfl: