CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — You never know what Steve Spurrier will say next.
The featured speaker at the Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee's fundraising dinner Saturday night at the Chattanoogan, the South Carolina football coach actually had a few kind words for former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer.
"They ought to put Coach Fulmer on an NCAA committee [to change college football]," said the Ol' Ball Coach, who often needled Fulmer when Spurrier was at Florida. "He's a common sense guy and they need some of that. We're really pretty good friends these days."
This wasn't the only time Spurrier mentioned the Big Orange, though it was his only reference to Fulmer.
Continue rreading at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Comments » 30
CrankE writes:
Yawn. Just another Gatroll obsessed with UT.
HallowedHill writes:
Of course he likes Fulmer, did you see what Kiffin did to him?
Volunatic writes:
Actually, spurrier was 7-3 vs Fulmer while visor-tosser was at uf. Only one coach (Bobby Bowden) consistently beat the gators in those years.
The_Ghost_of_Duke_DeLuca writes:
Yes, and few won 3 out of 10 against him, as did Fulmer. As great as Coach Fulmer was (he's a lock for the Hall of Fame), most knowledgeable people would agree that Spurrier or Bear Bryant deserve to be called the greatest college football coach in history.
All programs crest and rebuild. Some don't crest again for many, many years - Alabama is a good example.
I remember when Bama went 6-5 in 1969 and 6-5-1 in 1970. Bama fans were calling for Coach Bryant's job, even after all those championship years (sound familiar). Fans of winning programs tend to let their expectations exceed their common sense.
Over the next 5 years, the Crimson Tide went 54-6. From 1971-1982, Bear's record was 124-19-1 with 9 SEC championships and 3 national championships.
That doesn't happen over a long period of time without a steady course and focus on the long term (not the short term).
Since Bear left, Bama has been up and down, wishy washy about their different head coaches.
We've had the opportunity (and still do) to see great coaches in action in the SEC. I don't think we appreciate the high quality of coaching and competition that we have.
Without looking it up, off the top of my head I can think of 4 former NFL Head Coaches now coaching in the SEC...would be 5 if Rich Brooks was still at Kentucky.
No other league comes close.
We are blessed.
Bigger_Al writes:
I can only think of 3 Duke. Spurrier, Petrino, and Saban.
Speaking of Duke, those were two of Johnny's worst losses at UT. Both were stunning.
CoverOrange writes:
All I remember from 1982 was finally beating Alabama. Nothing else that year mattered.
crutch1966 writes:
whatever.
DroopyDrawers writes:
He is like Fulmer, too old. His name recruits players.
NO_DIGGITY writes:
First you Plagerize a Screen Name then you Plagerize Gomers comment on the Old Ball Coach. OBC used to be good in the early and mid nineties, but he lost that edge after Fulmer Kicked his butt Twice. Should have been 3 out of 4 times since Jabbar Gaffney still hasn't caught that ball thrown to him in the 2000 game. Fulmer embarrased him in the Putrid Swamp in 01 and sent him Packing to the Deadskins. He is a respectable 5 and 5 vs UT since 1998, not too bad for a Coach that used to be Good. He is an abysmal 56 and 53 since Fulmer handed him his Jock, Thank You Travis Stephens.
NO_DIGGITY writes:
Said nothing about being on the Verge Joe Biden.
Just making a point that it was funny that Fulmer led to Old Ball Coaches Downfall in Jortsville.
hueypilot writes:
Spurrier has always acted like a punk, in my view. Can't win with class, can't lose with dignity. What I'd like to know is why is anybody from Chattanooga paying anything to have that arrogant twit talk to them. As for what he's doing now, he's sold his soul for a promised membership to Augusta National (Lou got one for his time rubbing Frank Howard's rock) so he can bump into Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in the grill.
Fulmer sent him to Foley's office the Monday after the '01 game and he ran clean out of college football. I said good riddance then and there's no one I'd rather see beaten than him. There, I feel much better now.
AllforTenn writes:
Agree. Can't spell Spurrier Ole Ball Coach without SOB.
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Best thing about the 'old ball coach' is when he throws his visor.... he does so with such great style. No one can toss it with such flair as Stevey.
pingkr62 writes:
Just give the Vols a couple of years, and we will get to watch Spurrier fling his visor again. It's odd that in the article, nothing was said by Spurrier about Coach Dooley, or did I miss something?
LJS1984 writes:
I'm guessing that Spurrier didn't reference his first trip to Knoxville as the Gators head coach?
1990, Tennessee 45 Florida 3. I wonder if that one still causes the Ol' Ball Coach to choke on his asparagus?
brokendownoldvol writes:
He also knew that Fulmer couldn't coach.
Down_The_Field writes:
you gamecock fans seem to speak before you think.
spurrier's record against the Vols:
Duke 1-1 (they seem to forget the 28-6 beatdown in knoxville the year after the '88 win. i was at this game and can tell you majors took his foot off the gas in the 3rd quarter. clarkston hines remembers.)
flar-duh 8-4 (is 8-4 "owning" another team when your coaching in a state that produces 300 D1 players? especially when tennessee produces 25 on a good year)
south carolina 3-3 (mostly against down tennessee teams. this wouldn't be close in the 90s)
spurrier is a combined 12-8 against tennessee.
spurrier's worst defeat as a flar-duh head coach came at the hands of tennessee (1990 Vols 45 flar-duh 3) not nebraska.
i notice spurrier didn't run his mouth after lane kiffin beat him 31-13. he waits almost 2 years after. i guess losing tends to do that.
own? maybe you should leave columbia more than once in every 10 years.
feathersax writes:
My son was in the UT Band the year the Vols went to the 'swamp' & ran visor-boy outta the SEC into the waiting arms of the NFL...ooops, Stevie, you struck out on both counts there!
flafan2001 writes:
How is your paralegal with the sub 500 record at a lower level mid major conference working out? 7 in a ROW. New coach, same results.
LJS1984 writes:
Stay classy.
SummittsCourt writes:
spurrier sucks = hate him!
bigorange61 writes:
How's that guy with the 5-19 record as a head coach when he took over the Auburn program doing?
Colliervol writes:
Yep, you might expect Stevie to get his mouth revved up after he finally backed into an SEC East Title. How many times are you going to catch Florida, Georgia and Tennessee down in the same year? Not many times. Haven't seen many of those won with two losses, much less three.
flafan2001 writes:
Yep keep comparing Coach Shower Hygiene to Chizik, Saban and other highly successful coaches. LMAO.
BigVolFaninSC writes:
All I know is that coach SUPERIOR had his arrogance knocked down a peg in 2001 and then he ate PLENTY of crow along with the rest of the Deadskins for those years of ineptitude! And I enjoy remembering that he NEVER beat the COWBOYS!...Love it! The chickens will be returning to their rightful #4 in the East slot soon enough!...mark it down!
cloudodust writes:
01DEC 2001, Tennessee gives Spurious a farewll gift by whipping the gator in his last home game at The Bog, 34-32...A great night that was.
Outdated writes:
Spurrier expects his team to compete the way he did..he don't accept incompetence very well..I like to watch him coach..and I like to pull for the VOLS to beat him...he lights up crowds..sorta like Ray Mears did...
bigorange61 writes:
Was not comparing Dooley to anybody. Nice try though to change the subject since you couldn't make an intelligent argument. Just pointing out that a losing record at one school doesn't mean a coach will fail at another school.
givehim6 writes:
He needs to teach his coaches where the bathroom is though.
volboy81 writes:
yeah he does! too bad Mr Wizzer wasnt a few days earlier. It would have been interesting to see what excuse Stevie made for that! Spurrier is a pompous, classless, pathetic excuse for a man. Cant wait til he retires and gets out of the news.
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