Handful of Arkansas Fans Shout Down Entire Stadium of Gamecocks fans
Broadcast commentary destroys South Carolina's lack of atmosphere for big game against No. 2 Razorbacks
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It's a good thing no one in the family drinks because between Gabe Gaeckle's hat and the announcer ripping on how bad the South Carolina fans were Friday night, the dog would have ended up wrapped in Christmas lights and hung in the tree out front with angel wings strapped on.
Those playing the Gaeckle drinking game probably woke up this morning feeling pretty rough and have no clue Arkansas held on for a 2-1 win in the opening game of the series. That's because his hat went flying off on nearly every one of his 42 pitches, meaning the drinks were coming in large quanities and often.
Those partaking in the announcer calling out the lifeless South Carolina fans game probably made it through the end as it had more of a social drinking pace to it. He casually dropped a couple of references each inning before unloading on them in the ninth.
"It's just been one of those ballgames" broadcast analyst Kip Bouknight said. "It's kinda wierd. It's just so quiet. It's 2-1. I'm still a little bit amazed by the lack of energy and atmosphere here at Founder's Park. The No. 2 team comes to town and you just think there would be a little bit more. I know some may say 'There really hasn't been much happening,' but I just go back to that pivotal moment in the fourth inning when Hagan Smith was pitching and rattled a little bit. I saw it happening. There was an opportunity there for the crowd to make it really tough on him when he hit Petrie and asked for the review and didn't get it and I think threw six straight balls."
It was a steady beat of ridicule that was well earned. Had it not been for a loud handful of Razorbacks fans providing the soundtrack for the game, it would have been very similar to 2021 when Major League Baseball played with the cardboard cutouts in the stands.
There were reportedly 8,000 people in attendance. Quite a bit short of an SEC West Friday night crowd, but a solid number nonetheless. They should have easily drowned out the Hog calls and back and forth of "Arkansas," "Razorbacks."
Yet, despite getting shown up by a high school English class number of Arkansas fans scattered around the stadium, there was no pride. Instead, the zombied masses who looked like they were in the stands by force, simply ignored everything going that might be game related.
There was a point with just over an inning left and the game at 2-1 that Gamecocks fans started streaming out, making Arkansas fans, with their swoopy A's on their gear and beer hats that got put to repeated use to little avail, stand out prominently on the broadcast.
Finally, South Carolina coach Mark Kingston had enough. Every time he or his pitching coach went to the mound, he had to try to talk over the Razorbacks fans acting like the game was in Baum-Walker. Knowing his team needed an emotional spark in the final inning, he went after home plate umpire Mark Winters for correctly calling a hit-by-pitch.
Kingston did his part to lay into Winters with as much theatrics as he could muster. Finally, Winters looked at him and pointedly asked Kingston if he would like to be thrown out. Apparently the answer was yes because at most two seconds after asking, Winters threw Kingston out of the game.
His move had the effect he was looking for, just not to the degree in which Kingston hoped. A few fans snapped out of their glazed looks to see what was happening and even a few put their phones down. Before long, Gamecocks fans worked themselves up enough to give a light smathering of boos when pitches on the outside corners weren't called in their favor.
It was tepid at best and overall embarrassing, but in the end, it was as animated and supportive as Gamecocks fans were going to get. They failed their team with a weak, disorganized effort that provided nothing in the way of an adrenaline boost.
"Arkansas comes to town and you really want to make it tough for them," Bouknight said. "It's just eerily quiet tonight."
Arkansas' Stone Hewlett slammed the door shut by overcoming a buzz akin to crickets on a warm summer night. It was the kind of performance and commentary Arkansas will want to highlight on the recruiting trail.
Not only can Arkansas easily outdraw the Gamecocks by thousands on a Friday night, it only takes one percent of a usual Razorbacks home crowd to go on the road and drown out the entire South Carolina contingent. While Arkansas fans took to social media to jovially talk about all the ways Friday night's game gave them reasons to drink, it's South Carolina crowds like this that might lead Kingston to do so in the most depressing of ways.
But, at least Arkansas fans were there to keep it from sounding like attending a wake.
HOGS FEED:
• Hogs hold on late for win over South Carolina despite cold bats