Spurrier's shot

On Nov. 18, 1989, Steve Spurrier's Duke team went to Chapel Hill and trashed North Carolina 41-0.

Then the young, ascending coach took (Blue) devilish delight in trashing the Heels even more by orchestrating a team picture in front of the scoreboard. The grin on Spurrier's face for the photo is not captured in the above picture, but it was pretty darn wide. He loved it.

Spurrier has spent his career taking great satisfaction in gigging his rivals. When Florida made a rare trip to Athens and smashed Ray Goff's hapless Bulldogs, Spurrier tacked on a late touchdown on a trick play and explained afterward that he wanted to score 50 Between the Hedges because someone told him it'd never been done before. There was Free Shoes University, Can't Spell Citrus without UT, and a litany of other stuff.

Most of the stuff has made Spurrier one of the most compelling and interesting figures in college football history. There's always been an element of "Spurrier said what?" And to the detached observer who's not aligned with one of the teams he's gigging, it's been fun to follow.

What happened yesterday in Columbia crossed the line.

On Sunday, Dabo Swinney offered a lengthy, heartfelt show of support for Marcus Lattimore and the devastating injury he suffered a day earlier.

"Just absolutely took my breath away. It just breaks my heart. I just hurt for him and his family and his teammates. He represents all the things college football should be about. I know him personally. He's a class, class young man. Always has been. So is his family. It's devastating because I know how hard he's worked. If there's anybody I'd bet on it's Marcus Lattimore. I know it's going to be a long process, but I'd put my money on Marcus Lattimore in a heartbeat. I know when he can come to terms with this, he'll do everything he can to get himself healthy and well. He's a class individual and a great player. My prayers go out to him and his family. I've had a heavy heart for him ever since that happened. There are a lot of great things for Marcus Lattimore, as coach Spurrier said. We haven't seen the last of him from a football standpoint, hopefully. He's been a great representative of the game and his university. I just lift him up in my prayers."

Now imagine had Swinney said something like this:

"Even though he plays for that school that's not the real Carolina or USC, it just absolutely took my breath away. It just breaks my heart, even though I think his coach is a childish punk. I just hurt for him and his family and his teammates He represents all the things college football should be about, even if I think his coach does not. I know him personally. He's a class, class young man, and his coach could use his class as a lesson. Always has been. So is his familiy. It's devastating because I know how hard he's worked. If there's anybody I'd bet on it's Marcus Lattimore. I know it's going to be a long process, but I'd put my money on Marcus Lattimore in a heartbeat. I know when he can come to terms with this, he'll do everything he can to get himself healthy and well. He's a class individual and a great player. My prayers go out to him and his family. I've had a heavy heart for him ever since that happened. There are a lot of great things for Marcus Lattimore, as coach Spurrier said. We haven't seen the last of him from a football standpoint, hopefully. He's been a great representative of the game and his university even if his coach hasn't been. I just lift him up in my prayers."

The point of this is, there is a time and a place for typical barbs between coaches. Goodness knows we've seen plenty of it between these two over the last year.

Yesterday's ceremony to honor Lattimore was not the time or place.

Swinney offered his support for Lattimore without any snide caveats. It was unequivocal, and the reason for the absence of equivocation or gamesmanship from Swinney was because the tragically impaired health of a fine young man rises above rivalry between two schools and two coaches who don't like each other.

Here's a much more appropriate response:

"You all know that coach up there and I don't really like each other. But on the topic of Marcus Lattimore, we share common ground. We appreciate the support offered by Dabo Swinney and everyone else over the last two days."

Competition at the highest levels is a cut-throat business, and gigging is part of the nature of competition.

But the aftermath of the Lattimore injury presented one of those rare moments when grace and class should've superseded barbs and taunts.

One coach in this rivalry grasped that. The other did not.

LW