Not So Fast, My Friends!

It's understandable that many USC Gamecock football fans are spending lots of energy these days hating on ESPN Game Day clown/commentator Lee Corso. Since Lou Holtz left the head coaching slot after he failed to establish a strong SEC East program, Corso has been a Gamecock critic more often than not.

His comments about USC and Steve Spurrier after Spurrier was hired as Holtz' successor in Columbia stung the USC Nation, and Spurrier was none too happy, either. Corso said South Carolina's mediocre program could not be lifted to a championship-calibre level, even by a Hall-Of-Fame-bound, National Championship ball coach named Spurrier. Corso said USC couldn't win an SEC Championship even if Spurrier had 400 years to get the job done.

That was enough to cast him into the USC Lake of Hate. Gamecock fans everywhere now love to despise the little washed-up former college coach. And Spurrier stepped into the fray several times in 2005 and 2006, conjuring up Corso's name for some added inspiration, and then reminding the nation of that after wins over Florida and Tennessee.

Before the Louisiana-Lafayette opener this season, a message to the Gamecock Nation from Spurrier played on the big screen over the field at Williams-Brice Stadium. The video featuring Spurrier commenting on the rise of USC football fortunes mentioned Corso specifically to add more fuel to the anti-Corso fire.

When the video was played during last week's Saturday morning Game Day show on ESPN, the cameras showed a fuming Corso afterwards, getting a little aid and comfort from Kirk Herbstreit. His reply? "All that doesn't have anything to do with what happens on the field. Georgia will run all over South Carolina." To which Herbstreit added that because Louisiana-Lafayette rushed for 252 yards against what was supposed to be the strength of USC's defense, Georgia would have their way. In Herbstreit's words, "Georgia will win, and win handily."

The latest volley had Gamecock fans spitting nails again. How did Spurrier respond? I'm sure his players had a chance to see the predictions before they tackled the 11-th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs Saturday night. Spurrier once again showed why he is called the "Evil Genius." He pushed Corso to act on emotion, and in turn, used the resulting verbal assault to motivate his players to a stirring upset victory over the Bulldogs.

Gamecock Nation fans showed take a page from Spurrier's notebook. Don't let Corso's losing verbal rampage weigh too heavily on your stress level. Understand that this little battle between Corso and Spurrier & Company is national publicity, and that it only motivates Spurrier to motivate his players even more.

Don't curse, spit on, or act otherwise untowardly toward Mr. Corso. Use the controversy for your own motivation as a fan, have fun with it, and enjoy the best times ever rising for Gamecocks football.

The alternative, when Lou Holtz was using smoke and mirrors and getting "ups" from Corso, was that while we felt good about the warm and fuzzy Corso coverage, the result on the field was much more disappointing.

I'll take a mad Corso and a great coach and great team today.

Enjoy the ride. Those 400 years will pass just like it's only a year or two.