Ive had my share of controversial quotes aired or published. But in talking to the media, I always strove for accuracy, clarity, and honesty. And sometimes a little fun. A few quotes attributed to me, however, I did not say. Most I did. And all the silly jokes and funny comments were in the off-season.Over the years Ive saved certain special comments for Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee, and FSU. And I always stood behind the quotes I actually made.Probably my favorite quote was a comment I made on why South Carolina always preferred playing Georgia early in the season.I said, I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended. Their AD, Greg McGarity, who I knew when he was at Florida, remarked: How can you be mad at him for saying that? Its the truth! A few Bulldog fans even came up to me and said, I like that one! Apparently, even our rivals sometimes agreed with my comments about their teams.A lot of this back and forth began my first year at Florida in response to some of the stuff said by Georgia fans and coaches. And it sort of carried over to South Carolina.Clemson was a natural target while I was at South Carolina and enjoyed trading light jabs with Dabo Swinney. Dabo and I seemed to enjoy going back and forth. Clemson, of course, has nicknamed its Memorial Stadium Death Valley. So just to have a little fun, I was talking to the media one day when I suggested there were several stadiums with that name -- one being LSUs in Baton Rouge.I said, Most of our guys have never been to Death Valley. That [LSUs] is the Death Valley, isnt it? Or is there another one? Theres two of them? Thats right, theres two Death Valleys. Was LSU the first one or the second one? They were first? Oh, okay.Dabo fired back, saying for sure his stadium was the original Death Valley. And then he added: I am pretty sure that is accurate, but I can see where he might have had a little confusion. Our guys have never been to USC. California is a long way from here. I can see where there might be a little confusion there -- two Death Valleys and two USCs, but there is only one real one. That is classic Spurrier. When he is winning, you can say anything you want. He is one of the best.One quote I did not make, but that was originally attributed to me following our 34-13 win over Clemson in 2011: Todd Ellis, our play-by-play announcer, was actually the one who said, We arent LSU and we arent Alabama. But we sure aint Clemson.Unfortunately, that quote got picked up on our official Twitter account and it was assumed I said it.Coach Swinney fired back: They aint Alabama. They aint LSU. And theyre certainly not Clemson. Thats why Carolinas in Chapel Hill and USCs in California and the university in this state always has been, always will be Clemson ... You can print that, tweet that, whatever.Eventually my friend Dabo and I got that cleared up and now we can look back at it and laugh.Then somehow Dabo and I got to talking about planets and he said about me: Hes from Pluto, and Im from Mars.And I responded: Dabo probably thinks theres only, what, nine planets out there? I think I read where Pluto may not be considered one now. Since I also dont believe in going off the record, everything I said for print or broadcast was often quite candid. My quotes were not contrived. Sometimes they were just spontaneous.Other times in the off-season when I spoke to alumni groups and told jokes, they were meant to stir up a little fun, or in some cases use humor to point out a discrepancy or a serious issue. Such as the shoe scandal in Tallahassee during Florida States national championship season in 1993 when agents were found to have bought more than $6,000 worth of shoes for Seminoles players.At a Gator Club meeting the next year, I said: You know what FSU stands for, dont you? Free Shoes University. That one stuck.A lot of times us coaches would use humorous stuff to fire up our fan bases in the off-season. I just enjoyed commenting and joking about our opponents. And they told jokes on us and it never bothered me. Including Bobby Bowden! Youll never see me upset when somebody says something about us.So just like my visor, my quotes were very much a part of who I am and how I coached.Sometimes it was a case of reacting to a question. One day in Hoover, Alabama, during SEC Media Days 2014, I was asked about the newly created trophy that would go to the winner of the South Carolina-Texas A&M game. The award is a bronze sculpture of James Bonham, a South Carolina student who would become a hero at the Battle of the Alamo. And so I remarked: I dont know. I was raised in Tennessee and we were always taught that Davy Crockett was the hero of the Alamo.A little later, after reading the story of James Bonham, I added: Im sure this guy Bonham was a hero and did a lot of good.Truthfully, I dont look back at what I said unless its called to my attention. But the editors of this book asked me to go over the list of my quotes they dug out for verification. And here are the ones that I claim:At SEC Media Days 2015 when I had been asked so many times about retiring, I opened with this remark to the media: A lot of familiar faces out there. I wouldve figured a bunch of you guys would have retired by now. On retirement: Somebody said, Why are you still coaching? I said, Well, I forgot to get fired, and Im not going to cheat. Thats about the only way you lose your job: You get fired for losing or you cheat and then they get somebody else. Ive not done any of those to any extent big-time, I guess.On critics: I know the critics are out there. Thats why theyre called critics. They criticize everything. We gave them something to criticize [in 2014].On playing more than one quarterback: Ive been a coach to play two quarterbacks. You can win with two. Nothing in the rule book that says you have to play with one.On managing players at my age, I made mention of Pope Francis, and it was one of my favorites: They appointed this guy, and hes seventy-seven years old, and hes the leader of a billion people in the world. They call him the pope, and he replaced a guy that was eighty-five years old. So if he can be the leader of over a billion people worldwide, surely I can get eleven guys on the field.An old joke I used many times at speaking engagements, about at a fire that burned twenty books at an Auburn University football dorm: But the real tragedy was that fifteen hadnt been colored yet!To a photographer as our team posed in the Georgia Dome in December 1995 after winning our third of four consecutive SEC championships: This is becoming our annual team picture.A reporter asked who our punter Josh Korn was: Im not sure, but I think hes Jimmy Cracks brother.Asked about a streaker who ran onto the field: In my experience, Ive learned women are better streakers.Asked by Tennessee reporters how I felt being in Big Orange Country: I thought this was Vanderbilt country.When Jadeveon Clowney got a speeding ticket: I didnt know Jadeveons car could go that fast. He doesnt have a pretty car like those FSU guys used to drive.When the Gators were playing at Tennessees newly refurbished Neyland Stadium facility, asked at halftime how loud it was: It was really loud, possibly louder than the Swamp. And then the game started.At a Gator Club meeting in Orlando in the summer of 1997 after Tennessee had played in the Citrus Bowl three straight years: You cant spell Citrus Bowl without a UT in it.After our kicker Josh Brown made a career-long forty-nine-yard field goal to beat Tennessee 16-15 at Neyland Stadium in 2005: Ive finally got a new line: God is smiling on the Gamecocks.And finally, this next one is not my quote. It was a story written and told by writer Chris Harry, then with The Tampa Tribune. He and his wife had gone to the movies and their babysitter answered the phone when I called, for some reason Ive forgotten. It went like this, according to Harry:She asked, Is this Coach Spurrier? This is Christine. Im Jeff Mitchells girlfriend. [Mitchell was one of our best our offensive linemen.]Jeff Mitchells girlfriend? I responded. Jeff Mitchell jumped offsides today!I guess its true. After all, we coaches take advantage of every teaching opportunity we can get!From the upcoming book Head Ball Coach by Steve Spurrier, reprinted with permission from Blue Rider Press, an imprint of Penguin USA. Click here for more information or to pre-order a copy. Air Max 90 From China . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Clearance Air Max 90 Shoes . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. http://www.outletairmax90.com/ . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Discount Air Max 90 Online . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Cheap Air Max 90 . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. MILWAUKEE -- Craig Counsell gave Junior Guerra an opportunity to complete a shutout.But once the Pittsburgh Pirates put the tying run on first base, the Milwaukee manager decided to go to his closer. It took Jeremy Jeffress one pitch to work out of trouble to give the Brewers a 3-1 win Friday night.The Pirates managed Andrew McCutchens RBI groundout off Guerra (7-2), who departed with two on and two outs in the ninth. Jeremy Jeffress got Jung Ho Kang to ground out to third base on one pitch to record his 25th save in 26 chances.He really earned the right to get through that inning, I thought, and I did want him to get through the inning, Counsell said. I really wanted him to get through the inning. I thought he pitched like he deserved to, and I dont think he was tiring or anything like that.Guerra entered the ninth with a scoreless streak of 19 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one. During one stretch, the 31-year-old rookie retired 12 straight Pirates.Counsell visited the mound after Guerra walked John Jaso to put two on with nobody out in the ninth. The right-hander thought he was coming out of the game, but his skipper kept him in.Gregory Polanco and McCutchen then hit into fielders choices before Starling Marte chased Guerra with a single up the middle that hit off the second-base umpire.I really wanted it, Guerra said through an interpreter. Im thankful Craig had confidence in me to get it. Unfortunately I didnt get it. But thats baseball for you. Sometimes it doesnt go your way.Making just his second major league start, Pirates rookie Steven Brault (0-1) gave up three runs and seven hits over six innings. Recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Brault kept Pittsburgh in the game. He stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings.There wasnt a clean inning out there, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. However he made pitches.Chris Carters two-run hoome run in the first inning was his 23rd of the season and his first since July 8.ddddddddddddPirates catcher Francisco Cervelli had to be helped off the field in the eighth inning after a pitch from Juan Nicasio glanced off Scooter Gennetts leg and hit him directly on the inside of his right foot.Guerra has been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers since coming to the major leagues on May 3. He is 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA over his last seven starts.Fastball command was really solid, Hurdle said. Hes got swing-and-miss stuff after that whether its the split or the breaking ball, changeup.HOME COOKINGCarters home run Friday was his 17th of the season at Miller Park, giving him the most by any player in his home ballpark this season. Colorados Trevor Story and Baltimores Mark Trumbo each have 16.STOLEN BASE RACEBrewers SS Jonathan Villar and Marte entered Friday tied for the most stolen bases in the major leagues at 36. Villar took the lead by swiping his 37th base of the season in the seventh inning.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong made his fourth rehab start Wednesday. He allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings. Vogelsong has been out since May 24 with facial fractures.Brewers: LF Ryan Braun missed his second consecutive game Friday with right side tightness. Counsell hopes to have Braun back Saturday. Just a little bit tight; waiting for it to loosen up, Braun said.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.60 ERA) will make his eighth career start and his second against Milwaukee. He allowed one run on five hits over six innings July 19 against the Brewers.Brewers: RHP Chase Anderson (5-10, 5.40) will try for his first quality start since June 8 when he faces Pittsburgh. He snapped a four-game losing streak last time out by allowing two runs in five innings July 25 against Arizona. ' ' '