Southern hospitality

I spent the day in Charlotte, North Carolina yesterday and got a taste of southern "hospitality."

The guy who told me he "went to the original USC," meaning South Carolina, was annoying enough. But then I met this other dude on the plane ...

He saw me reading SI and asked me if I follow football. I told him I was an 'SC alum, and the first thing he says is, "USC is over!" I asked him to clarify, and he continued: "They lost 90 percent of their team. They don't have Linehart [sic], Bush and that big running back."

Attempting to politely steer the discussion, I asked him, "Who do you follow?" But, he went on: "USC lost a bunch of lineman. What's that guy's name, Lucy? I don't like USC."

Of course, he was trying to refer to Deuce Lutui, but since he already identified himself as a less than educated fan, I decided he wasn't worth correcting. I asked again, "Who do you follow?"

"I'm an SEC guy," he said, proudly, as I held back a chuckle. "I like Auburn. And, in the Big East I like ... uh ... notre dame."

Again, as Reggie says in his ESPN commercial, "That's messed up." What an idiot.