[Tuck4Bama]

LEE CORSO HAS had plenty of time to digest the recent attack on him by the USC athletics department. It became quite clear in a telephone conversation with Corso on Monday who the class act is in this brouhaha.

“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Corso said, “But I don’t have any control over that. You can’t control the reaction and the emotions and the rationale of somebody else. I can’t control what they do or say. I can just give my opinion.”

USC athletics officials continue to stand behind their promotional video shown minutes before kickoff at the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette. Athletics director Eric Hyman says it was all in fun. For whom, I’m not sure.

Sure, USC fans loved it. They were particularly enamored with the showing of USC victories in 2005 against Florida and Tennessee, and, of course, the 31-28 win at Clemson this past season. On its own, that would have sufficed and been just as effective in pumping up the crowd as well as igniting their interest in USC’s capital fund-raising campaign for improved athletics facilities.

Unfortunately, USC resorted to its old ways by showing two-year-old comments by Corso, the ESPN analyst who is paid to offer his opinions on college football. The video and the letsshowcorso.com Web site represent a lot of the misguided mindset that has permeated USC athletics for just about forever. It once again played to USC’s age-old inferiority complex and its identity crisis.

Where USC went awry in its “The Game Is On” promotion was in singling out Corso, particularly the sophomoric attempt at humor by having Internet users throw footballs at his likeness on the Web site.

The sad part is that USC finally has something to tout and does not need to stoop to such amateurism. Corso will tell you that Steve Spurrier is among the best coaches in college football. In three short seasons, Spurrier has USC in position to challenge for the SEC East Division championship. More importantly, he is building a program for the long term.


GoGamecocks.com | Football | Video shows lack of class