Swinney's rant against Florida State is on brand
The previous weekend Swinney's Tigers were scheduled to travel to Talahassee to play Florida State. On the day of the game, it was called off.
According to an ESPN report, Clemson traveled with a player who had tested positive for COVID 19. In short, testing was conducted Friday on both teams, per policy, but Clemson did not get the results back until they were already en route.
The player, an unnamed offensive lineman, was reportedly quarantined and had arrangements to be sent home.
That Saturday morning, the teams were informed of the postponement after Florida State reportedly was not comfortable going forward.
Clemson-FSU was not the only game affected.
"The ACC also announced a number of schedule changes on Saturday.
The Louisville at Boston College game that was moved to Dec. 12 will now be played Nov. 28 and Wake Forest at Louisville has been moved to Dec. 19.
The Wake Forest at Duke game will not be rescheduled. Wake Forest has now been approved to play a nonconference game Nov. 28."
The ACC is working to find another date for the game.
Cue Swinney's weekly teleconference the following day. There, he said FSU used COVID as an excuse to get out of playing his team, a team I might add is coming off a 47-40 loss to Notre Dame.
Dabo Swinney was straight to the point in his Sunday teleconference saying that, "This game was not cancelled because of COVID, COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game. To me the Florida St. administration forfeited the game."
— Todd Summers (@ToddSummers7) November 22, 2020
Listen here:@WSPA7 pic.twitter.com/1PSsS5KCps
There is not much doubt Florida State is outmatched against Clemson, and likely would have lost Saturday.
Contrast Swinney with Clemson AD Dan Radakovich's response.
"We are disappointed that we will not be able to play today's game against Florida State. Clemson has followed all of the ACC's protocol in preparation for this game. We look ahead to returning to action next week against Pitt for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day."
While Radakovich's response can be taken as mere lip service with a slight dig at FSU, Swinney's remarks are off base here.
No question it is frustrating traveling the entire way there, only to have to turn around at a key juncture. I get frustrated if I forget something and have to turn around just when I leave my neighborhood.
But for a sport and coach who toutes overcoming hardship, staring adversity in the face and rising above it, he sure did crumble and point fingers quickly here.
Second, how if Florida State ducking a beatdown when all reports indicate they are working to reschedule the game? If the game is played in two weeks, I'm pretty sure Clemson will have the same players it does now, and FSU will still march the same team out.
Unless the Seminoles are hoping this one lineman can infect the entire two-deep at Clemson and force third stringers and walk-ons into service for Dabo's crew. If that sounds crazy to you, it's because it is.
This reflects poorer on Swinney when you consider a few months ago he was uncharacteristically mum following the death of George Floyd and the mass Black Lives Matter protests that swept the country.
LINK: Swinney's remarks on race fall short
LINK: COVID ends sports as we know it Pt. 2
LINK: COVID ends sports as we know it Pt. 1
Realistically, this in on brand for Swinney. His history of going on rants and tirades has become something of a yearly expected spectacle of "what is in his crawl now" or "what is he going to say about this?"
It is hard to get behind him on this one. He and his school is out a large sum of money and time for travel, while others in this country have lost their jobs, and/or loved ones to COVID.
To paraphrase Rocky, life isn't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you get it and what you do after. Here, Swinney got a slight tap from laugh, and flopped like a petulant child and threw a tantrum.
But then again, that is what he has always done.
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