Why fan articles are a bad idea, Exhibit A

[18IsTheMan]

https://www.si.com/college/southcarolina/football/shane-beamers-journey

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but this article contains some real doozies.

Such as: "Beamer has...cemented South Carolina as a perennial top 25 college football program." (correct me if I'm wrong, but one appearance does not constitute "cemented" or "perennial')

And: "South Carolina closed the year ranked 23 in the final CFP ranking. With the amount of talent returning to the team, jumping 13 spots should be the expectation." (and also states a NY6 bowl should be the expectation)

Not to be outdone: "...make up a team with a serious shot at the playoff." (well, that escalated quickly...from top 10 and NY6 to playoffs)

Not quite as egregious, but still a bit of an exaggeration: "Few coaches in college football have accomplished more than South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer has in just two seasons." (He has definitely far exceeded expectations, but this statement is a bit of a stretch)

Also, the article alludes to our talent-laden roster and returning talent, failing to acknowledge that we are actually losing quite a bit of production from last year.

Don't get me wrong, I love an optimistic outlook and would love a top 10 finish and NY6 appearance as much as anyone, but that is not the expectation by anyone in the fan base. Certainly nobody is predicting playoffs for us. This article reads like something I would have written when I was 16. Back then, I would have vehemently argued Taneyhill for Heisman.

 

[bayrooster]

https://www.si.com/college/southcarolina/football/shane-beamers-journey

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but this article contains some real doozies.

Such as: "Beamer has...cemented South Carolina as a perennial top 25 college football program." (correct me if I'm wrong, but one appearance does not constitute "cemented" or "perennial')

And: "South Carolina closed the year ranked 23 in the final CFP ranking. With the amount of talent returning to the team, jumping 13 spots should be the expectation." (and also states a NY6 bowl should be the expectation)

Not to be outdone: "...make up a team with a serious shot at the playoff." (well, that escalated quickly...from top 10 and NY6 to playoffs)

Not quite as egregious, but still a bit of an exaggeration: "Few coaches in college football have accomplished more than South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer has in just two seasons." (He has definitely far exceeded expectations, but this statement is a bit of a stretch)

Also, the article alludes to our talent-laden roster and returning talent, failing to acknowledge that we are actually losing quite a bit of production from last year.

Don't get me wrong, I love an optimistic outlook and would love a top 10 finish and NY6 appearance as much as anyone, but that is not the expectation by anyone in the fan base. Certainly nobody is predicting playoffs for us. This article reads like something I would have written when I was 16. Back then, I would have vehemently argued Taneyhill for Heisman.

That's it, Shane has completed the job. Can't wait to see all the championship banners around the stadium!
/sigh

 

[CockyCody]

I hope that our players and coaches expect to and believe that they can be in a NY6 Bowl. If you don't then you never will. A positive mindset is a big part of getting there. But yeah, the article is a bit over the top for now.

 

[KingWard]

https://www.si.com/college/southcarolina/football/shane-beamers-journey

I'm as big a fan as anyone, but this article contains some real doozies.

Such as: "Beamer has...cemented South Carolina as a perennial top 25 college football program." (correct me if I'm wrong, but one appearance does not constitute "cemented" or "perennial')

And: "South Carolina closed the year ranked 23 in the final CFP ranking. With the amount of talent returning to the team, jumping 13 spots should be the expectation." (and also states a NY6 bowl should be the expectation)

Not to be outdone: "...make up a team with a serious shot at the playoff." (well, that escalated quickly...from top 10 and NY6 to playoffs)

Not quite as egregious, but still a bit of an exaggeration: "Few coaches in college football have accomplished more than South Carolina Head Coach Shane Beamer has in just two seasons." (He has definitely far exceeded expectations, but this statement is a bit of a stretch)

Also, the article alludes to our talent-laden roster and returning talent, failing to acknowledge that we are actually losing quite a bit of production from last year.

Don't get me wrong, I love an optimistic outlook and would love a top 10 finish and NY6 appearance as much as anyone, but that is not the expectation by anyone in the fan base. Certainly nobody is predicting playoffs for us. This article reads like something I would have written when I was 16. Back then, I would have vehemently argued Taneyhill for Heisman.

Springlike weather is making people manically euphoric. Sheer craziness is breaking out.

 

[KingWard]

I hope that our players and coaches expect to and believe that they can be in a NY6 Bowl. If you don't then you never will. A positive mindset is a big part of getting there. But yeah, the article is a bit over the top for now.

It's Looney Tunes.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I hope that our players and coaches expect to and believe that they can be in a NY6 Bowl. If you don't then you never will. A positive mindset is a big part of getting there. But yeah, the article is a bit over the top for now.

When you said NY6 and top 10 finish as an expectation, then anything short of that is a failure. We can fall well short of the top 10 and a New Year’s six bowl next year and still have a wildly successful season.

Now if you want to say that’s the goal that’s fine. But a goal and an expectation are two different things.

 

[bayrooster]

When you said NY6 and top 10 finish as an expectation, then anything short of that is a failure. We can fall well short of the top 10 and a New Year’s six bowl next year and still have a wildly successful season.

Now if you want to say that’s the goal that’s fine. But a goal and an expectation are two different things.

What's wrong with failing to meet a goal? If you don't aspire to reach a higher level you'll just be content with doing better than average, every year. When your job is to prepare to win every game you play, that's just lazy.

 

[18IsTheMan]

What's wrong with failing to meet a goal? If you don't aspire to reach a higher level you'll just be content with doing better than average, every year. When your job is to prepare to win every game you play, that's just lazy.

That's my point. And, obviously, there are differentiations here between coaches/players and fans. Sure, as a coach and player, you go out to play every game to win and play like you expect to make the playoffs or whatever. That's very different from fan expectations, though. Nobody, aside from whoever wrote this article, thinks we SHOULD be a top 10 team and make a NY6 bowl next season, much less CFP. Do we hope to? Of course. Is it fine to have that as a team goal? Sure. If a fan goes into this next season thinking we are a top 10 team, they will be a disappointed fan at the end of the year. The clear differentiation here is between coaches/players goals and fans expectations. The former are important for striving to make forward progress. The latter are not.

 

[bayrooster]

That's my point. And, obviously, there are differentiations here between coaches/players and fans. Sure, as a coach and player, you go out to play every game to win and play like you expect to make the playoffs or whatever. That's very different from fan expectations, though. Nobody, aside from whoever wrote this article, thinks we SHOULD be a top 10 team and make a NY6 bowl next season, much less CFP. Do we hope to? Of course. Is it fine to have that as a team goal? Sure. If a fan goes into this next season thinking we are a top 10 team, they will be a disappointed fan at the end of the year. The clear differentiation here is between coaches/players goals and fans expectations. The former are important for striving to make forward progress. The latter are not.

I'm 100% in the camp that says the person who wrote the article is deluded.

 

[will110]

That was an embarrassing piece of "journalism." Beamer's done a really good job here so far, but dang that article jumps way ahead of itself. He's had some great moments, but also some really, really bad ones.

2021 Texas A&M might have been the worst offensive performance in school history.
2021 Tennessee = really bad.
2022 Missouri was embarrassing.
2022 Florida was pathetic.

So while I'm excited for the future, let's pump the brakes before "expecting" NY6 or playoff. 7/8 wins seems like a reasonable expectation. Expecting more than that will just lead to disappointment.

 

[DrMickeySC]

“Expect a top 10 finish” is a quite steep for a team that has a grand total of three in its history. Set a goal of a top 10 finish? Sign me up. “Expect” and “goal” are not the same.

 

[Prestonyte]

Next year is definitely a stretch. But, I see the ground work being laid with the change in culture, pride, leadership and recruiting for those goals to become expectations in the near future. I'm really impressed by the leadership coming from the freshmen, newly signed recruits and commitments and believe accountability will become a theme for this team going forward which will lead to good things!

 

[Cackmandu]

I've said it recently with the bump in recruiting and the Shane to Dabo comparison, you have to start somewhere and a year or two ago who would have thought to write an article comparing USC to Clemson, it's a start, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.