Gamecock tailgaters outside of Williams-Brice Stadium
Last week at a civic awards ceremony Spurrier, unprompted, suggested that it was finally time for the Confederate Battle Flag to come down from its current place in the front of the State Capital. Spurrier's stance on this is the same as that of Tommy Bowden, Lou Holtz, Dave Odom and virtually every other college head coach in the state of South Carolina.
After the Spring Football game on Saturday, Spurrier went further with his thoughts, and he maintained a realistic/pragmatic tone.
“It would make us a more progressive, better state, I think, if the flag was removed. But I’m not going to go on any big campaign to have it removed. That’s not my position,” Spurrier said in an interview with The State. “But if anyone were to ask me, that would certainly be my position.Spurrier's comments re-energized some in the anti-flag movement including The State's Brad Warthen. On his blog Warethen made a comment that I firmly believe. He points out that National Pressure, NCAA Pressure and particularly NAACP pressure will not bring the flag down."
“I’m not trying to be a politician. I just gave my opinion,” Spurrier said. “I did mention that if our team wins big and wins the conference championship, then I’ll have a bigger voice. That’s just the way life is. If we stumble-bumble around, no one gives a dang what I say.
“If I want to make a change to hopefully make this state better, we need to win big.”
...as I've written before, and mark this, the flag will never come down in reaction to a NATIONAL interest group that promotes the advancement of a segment of society defined by skin color -- any skin color. That just won't happen. Nor should it. South Carolina has to decide to do this thing itself because it wants to, because it has grown to the point that it can put such things behind it. Otherwise, nothing is accomplished.PWD Note: I'm a former resident of Columbia, Charleston and Summerville. I spent five or six formative years living in the Palmetto State. I'm not ashamed of my southern heritage nor am I ashamed of the confederate flag. I outlined my position on the SC flag flap last year saying essentially that I'd remove it rather than sacrifice a competitive advantage in sports. And if SC citizens are willing to lose that advantage, then that's their right.
It's just a fascinating story to me as a Southerner and a sports fan. As a Dawg, I kinda hope they keep it up forever. Can't hurt our recruiting.
See Also:
-- Dixie in the Grove (Video from Ole Miss) -- GSB
PWD
