Curses, foiled again!

 

Dawning horror: San Antonio Gamecock fans react to a game-changing fumble

OK, college football fans, admit it: When a player on your team screws up, you take it personally. You clench your fists; your blood pressure rises. And, if you’re like me, you sometimes shout things that shouldn’t be shouted in polite company. (Shh. Don’t tell my mother. She’s the last of the southern belles and she’d be so disappointed.)

 

Last weekend, after South Carolina junior quarterback Stephen Garcia fumbled twice on crucial plays, I let fly with a few choice expletives. I was seriously angry with him. Infuriated. Hurt, even. But the next day, I remembered something: Stephen Garcia is just a kid.

I can’t begin to fathom what it would be like to be a first-string quarterback for a college football team. Imagine carrying the hopes of hundreds of thousands of fans on your shoulder pads.

I’m sorry I cursed at you, Stephen Garcia. I’m sorry I called you a fumbling bast — well, never mind. I still think you’re really cute. And I know you’re trying, so I forgive you.

But not so fast there, Mr. Spurrier. I’m not happy with you.

The Head Ball Coach fumbles

After Garcia fumbled twice, Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier suffered some sort of conniption fit. He yanked Garcia off the field and — with the game against Auburn still winnable — put in a freshman quarterback without a lick of college playing time. I mean, zero.

Why? Because Spurrier was angry. Seriously angry. Visor- and clipboard-throwing angry. Acting on that anger wasn’t fair — not to Garcia, not to Gamecocks fans and not to freshman quarterback Connor Shaw. Sure, you want your backup quarterback to have real-game experience (after all, the sad fact is that starting quarterbacks get hurt), but to put Shaw in for the first time with Auburn fans raging, hopes for a 4-0 start for the Gamecocks fading, and the final minutes of the clock ticking wasn’t rational.

What would have happened if Spurrier had let Garcia finish the game? We’ll never know. But we do know this: Shaw’s debut was marred by throwing two picks (three if you count the one that was called back by a penalty) and a painful loss. And Garcia? It can’t be comfortable knowing Spurrier is on the sidelines with a giant hook, like a vaudeville emcee ready to yank an act with flop-sweat from center stage.

They say patience is a virtue. Some coaches have it; some don’t. Spurrier is definitely among the latter.