Steve Spurrier made it very clear that he was none too pleased with writer Ron Morris of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper during a press session on Tuesday in South Carolina. Steve stood up before the interviews began and went on a 2 minute tirade in which he called out Ron Morris for allegedly writing a false story last year regarding Spurrier and his recruiting methods with Bruce Ellington (when Bruce Ellington joined the Carolina football team, Morris wrote that his sources told him that Spurrier had poached the player from Darrin Horn’s basketball team). Spurrier definitely “took exception” with that and finished his diatribe by saying he would not conduct any interviews in a room where Ron Morris was present.
[youtube width=”640″ height=”390″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vslVprDE-c[/youtube]
Here is the transcript:
“This has been weighing on my, on my chest, and I’m getting it off my chest right here today.”
“As all of you know we’ve got a negative guy over here that tries to hurt our football program. He’s got a right to do that. The criticism he shows me is okay. I don’t mind that.”
“I just don’t like stories that aren’t true, and last spring he wrote a story about me recruiting Bruce Ellington, and luring him away from the basketball program, and raiding and jilting Coach [Darrin] Horn. A completely fabricated story, and I took exception to that, but that’s the only thing I take exception from a sportswriters..when they write stuff that isn’t true.”
“I didn’t talk to Bruce Ellington until after he had met with coach Horn and he came over here. Completely untrue story.”
“In 26 years as a head coach, I’ve had have two guys that didn’t write the truth that I had to disassociate with. He’s one of them over here. (Pointing to Morris). Another one was…at Florida in 94, so in 26 years I’ve had two guys. And then I’ve learned that since he sits in on all these meetings it’s basically…I’m helping him to contribute writing negative stuff about our football program, simple as that.”
“So I’m not gonna talk when he’s in here. That’s my right as a head coach. I don’t have to talk to him, and I don’t have to talk to him when he’s in here so what we’re going to do. All you tv guys I’m gonna do a personal interview with you in this other room and the writers that are still left in here I’ll come back and talk to you right after that.”
We’ll do individual interviews with all you tv guys…ok? everybody for that?”
video via Scout
