a season of

hope

is well under

way

but our soft zone

coverage

leaves me wanting

to drive nails through my eyelids

Oh my God

how could we leave 18 so open

and whats the freaking

deal

with the clock management at the end

OHGODITHURTSWHYDOYOUTORTUREMESO

[ahem]

if one more ctu

fan

makes another stupid

OHGODONEJUSTDIDWHYDOIEVENFOLLOWCOLLEGEBALL

[cough]

so as i

contemplate

the now critical

vandy game

OHWHOAREWEKIDDINGSHOULDIJUSTBUYPJBTICKETSAGAIN?

/collapses on laura ashley print divan

Be advised: subject Cobb had Cheesy Biscuits as recently as Thursday night.  Original Source Doc follows:

confused?  Check it here.

As a public service to those of you struggling with the series of tubes that is the internet, we occasionally offer explanations for viral internet phenomena.

This week, we will look at the “Leonardo DiHapprio” Meme.

As defined by www.knowyourmeme.com,  ”Leo Strut (also known as “Leonardo DiHapprio”) is a photoshopped exploitable that uses an image taken of Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”. The original image is of DiCaprio doing a jolly strut down a street, but has been photo shopped into several scenes that usually depict a catastrophe or terrible happening, similar to Disaster Girl. DiCaprio is shopped into the scene, as if he could have stopped the incident or helped people nearby, but instead continues throughout the scene doing his jolly strut.”

And so we at TRC offer this example as an illustration:

You’re welcome.

[Note: this post can be found as a guest commentary on the excellent Saturday Down South blog.]

Last week was big. As in BIG. REAL BIG.

But it was also Last Week.

This week the Gamecocks travel to Lexington, KY to face Joker Phillips and 3-3 (0-3 SEC) Wildcats. It’s a contest that is easy to overlook, as this Kentucky team has struggled on defense and may be without both a starting defensive end and tailback phenom, Derrick Locke.

There’s also the fact that the Gamecocksown a ten year winning streak over the Wildcats.

So, time to breathe easy, right?

Not on your life. Setting aside the general paranoia that haunts the Gamecock faithful (see Navy game, circa 1984), the SC-KY matchup is always a particularly tough hurdle. While much has been made of South Carolina’s ten game streak, the individual games in that streak have generally been nip and tuck affairs, particularly those played in Commonwealth Stadium.  A quick recap of those Lexington games will illustrate:

2000 – Ahead 17-13 in the second half, Jared Lorenzen led his Wildcats on a potential game-clinching drive. After driving deep into SC territory, Lorenzen was picked off by future NFLer Sheldon Brown, who returned the ball to midfield. On South Carolina’s next play, Derek Watson took a simple pitch left from Phil Petty and raced 58 yards for the second half’s only score. Final, South Carolina 20 Kentucky 17.

2002 – South Carolina everyman and cult hero Ryan Brewer scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the 4^th quarter. Jared Lorenzen answered with a drive that brought the Wildcats to the SC 35 yard line, only to see his last-second end zone pass fall to the bluegrass incomplete. Final, South Carolina 16 Kentucky 12.

2004 – Kentucky scored late in the contest to take a 7-6 lead. South Carolina, without injured QB Dondrial Pinkins, saw backup Syvelle Newton leave the game with an ankle injury. When the young Blake Mitchell failed to get the Gamecocks moving, Head Coach Lou Holtz inserted 4^th string, JUCO transfer Mike Rathe into the contest with the game on the line. An improbable 80 yard drive followed, culminating with a desperate Rathe scramble and pass into the back of the end zone. Speedy Troy Williamson grabbed the floater, kept his foot inbounds, and Gamecocks escaped with the victory. Final, South Carolina 12 Kentucky 7.

2006 – With the game in a 4^th quarter balance, Carolina QB Syvelle Newton innocently handed off to RB Cory Boyd. Boyd trotted casually toward the sideline, and then recklessly flipped the ball to WR Kenny McKinley. McKinley, surrounded by UK defenders and looking doomed, threw a rainbow-arched pass into the back of the end zone, where Syvelle stood waiting. Both dangerously conceived and poorly executed, the trick play worked beautifully in the end. Final, South Carolina 24 Kentucky 17.

2008  The Wildcats led 17-14 going into the 4^th quarter. Gamecock quarterback Chris Smelley, the reigning SEC player of the week, was pulled in favor of freshman Stephen Garcia (Oh, HBC, you never change). Garcia manufactured ten 4^th quarter points with his feet, his arm, and blind luck. Final, South Carolina 24 Kentucky 17.

So, if history is any guide (and for the Gamecock faithful, history is more than a guide, it’s a rent-collecting mob boss) then the Kentucky contest will come down to a play or two in the final quarter. Any expectation to the contrary, whether on the part of our coaches, our players, or our fans is a recipe for disaster.

Otherwise, next week this space may be full of moaning about how the last game was BAD. REAL BAD.

Some folks follow college football.  Some are fans.  Others could be described as passionate about their favorite school. 

But every once in a while you run across a guy that transcends fan-hood, and enters batpoop crazytown.  Witness the following fan IN HANDCUFFS but still taunting the exiting Crimson Tide.  Watch at about the 2:00 mark, black ‘Carolina’ shirt, yellowish hat gelcoat hair, in the end zone, and 100% committed:

 

He’s ‘all in’ in a manner of speaking.  Of course, Dabo’s favorite phrase may have had additional, and disturbing, relevance for our super fan a little later on in the Richland County Hoosegow.

(side note:  McElroy +1 – watch him salute the fans as he exits)

Dabo is a

winner

or so he

tells us

like the friend

who claims

to be cool

but isn’t

So ESPN’s Gameday chose Alabama/Carolina in Columbia over Michigan/Michigan State in Ann Arbor.    A state of general hysteria followed, with many (up north) questioning the decision.  Saturday Down South, an excellent SEC blog weighed in with five good reasons for the decision.

We would like to add five more strong reasons to their list:

#6 Early morning Ann Arbor tailgating temps.

#7 Possibility of running into Ric Flair is significantly higher in Cola.

#8 Neither ‘wolverines’ nor ‘spartans’ can be ‘accidently’ shortened into an FCC infraction.

#9 Catherine Bell is currently somewhere in the State of South Carolina filming ‘Army Wives’. Late night hookup COULD happen.

#10 Steve Spurrier’s visor toss = ratings gold.