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
5 comments:
As a life-long South Carolinian, except for the 4 years I spent at UGA, I think SOS should shut the hell up and worry about problems from his own ass-backwards state (Tenn, for those who don't remember). No high school recruit is gonna steer away from SCUm b/c of the flag. Its because the gamecoots SUCK!
As a history major & SC historian, with ancestors who fought in the war, my biggest concern is that people know their history & understand the TRUE meaning of the Confederate Flag, not what Jesse, Al & the rest of the NAACP want you to believe. My concern is NOT, therefore, consumed by kids, who can barely scrape by in high school, wanting to play ball for a few years at SCUm.
Spurrier: why don't you stick to coaching & trying to shape the thugs you recruit into lawful citizens of our fair state!
Go Dawgs!
Well, dammit. Just dammit. You mean now I actually have to learn to accept the fact that the arrogant, smirking Beast is, at least on this occasion, an admirable and courageous sonuvagun who said the absolute right thing at the right time? Damn. Helluva good job, Ballcoach, helluva good job. This longtime Spurrier hater salutes you.
Whether Darth Visor is the person to speak about it and whether the timing was right, I can't really say. But as the descendant of a CSA vet, who grew up in the shadow of Civil War sites playing North & South more that Cowboys & Indians, I think the flag should go. Just about any shread of what the flad might have stood for is gone. And now, because of both blacks and whites it is a symbol of racial segregation and frankly, both groups need to get past it. And don't have any doubt that the most of the people who fought to keep the flag atop the capitol building or compromised to put it on the ground at the memorial, did so as a gesture to "stick it in the face of Jesse and his cronies". I don't care for Jesse, I put up with years of him grandstanding in Greenville, so I don't say take it down for Jesse or Al, I say take it down because racism is wrong and if I am going to cling to a symbol it will be the cross.
Actually, when Spur isn't whining about holding calls, I rarely have a problem with what he says. He never said anything about Goff that the rest of us weren't saying.
Having lived out of state for some time, it's amazing to see this conversation is still being had and that it still pertains to current events. Quite exactly why South Carolina feels like the St. Andrew's cross is theirs to bear while much of the rest of the former Confederacy has moved on is a mystery to me.
Anyway, kudos to Spurrier for using the bully pulpit responsibly.
the "civil war" or more correctly the "war of northern agression", was not originally fought over racism or slavery. it was fought because the north was trying to tell the south what to do. lincoln made it about slavery during the war. the confederates just wanted freedom, not big government. the confederate flag is not a symbol of racism (which is wrong), it stands for a fight for freedom. in my opinion, slaves would have been freed anyway.plus people need to quit being so sensitive about everything.
Spurrier needs to just shut his mouth
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