Not long ago, a lawyer acquaintance dropped me a note after the University of South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier dismissed starting quarterback Stephen Garcia, allegedly because of his problems with alcohol and marijuana, according to ESPN.
“The reason I thought of you is because a while back, we exchanged a few emails about how alcohol has pervaded college athletics,” he wrote. “I’m sure you have heard of the recent troubles with our quarterback who was finally let go. Alcohol was a big problem for him. The University also had a problem with alcohol and its fraternity rush that was so bad that it had to suspend rush for several weeks this fall.
“It seems to me that it is inconsistent with the University’s and Athletic Department’s policies to have Budweiser as the primary sponsor all of the
pregame shows. At the same time, Coach Spurrier has a line of wines bearing his name and then he appears in radio spots warning against drinking and driving and touting designated drivers. I wrote to the athletic department 2010 but was summarily ignored.”
I’m not all that familiar with the South Carolina situation, but his e-mail doesn’t surprise me. College athletics couldn’t exist these days without the advertising and sponsorship money that major breweries pump into big-time college football and basketball, not to mention the NFL, which has its own problem with far too many athletes drinking too much.
Spurrier, by the way, does own Steve Spurrier Vineyards. A Google search, in fact, revealed the following story posted by a South Carolina television station on the vineyard’s newest product.
It reads, ““Coach Steve Spurrier has announced the latest offering from Spurrier Vineyards–“Gamecock Garnet”–with proceeds set to go to the Steve Spurrier Foundation and USC Golf programs.The wine is offered at more than 50 retail locations throughout South Carolina, including several in the Midlands.
Spurrier said the commemorative wine is offered through a partnership between Southern Wine and Spirits of South Carolina. Southern Wine and Spirits Vice President and General Manager Tom Collins said in a news release that the wine celebrates the Gamecock Football Team’s SEC Eastern Division championship in 2010.
“The wine is a great way to recognize the title and also benefit South Carolina
Golf & Coach Spurrier’s charities,” Collins said.”
Golf & Coach Spurrier’s charities,” Collins said.”
I like a glass of Chardonnay as much as anyone, and I suspect Spurrier must be something of a connoisseur, as well. But the notion that a football coach at a major state university who just released his star quarterback for excessive drinking owning his own vineyard that produces an alcoholic beverage surely smacks of some serious hypocricy, even if the golf team and other charities are beneficiaries.
Wonder how many kids at the school are heading to their local Piggly Wiggly and showing their school spirit (pardon the expression) by plunking down $15 for a little Gamecock Garnet, and then getting blitzed guzzling it down on Saturday night after the big game.
With so many campuses facing serious problems with binge drinking on campus, one might think the university might have something to say about the head coach’s wine business. Apparently, as long as the Gamecocks keep winning, it’s no problem for anyone save the star quarterback, who is no longer with the football team because he can’t handle his alcohol.
armchairquarterblog 