Stefe Garcia sed thar air players gittin cash fer autografs all ov'r t'SEC. (USATSI) Ferm'r South Carolinie quarterback Stefe Garcia, noe a memb'r o't' college football media at Saturdee Down South, is nairy a'skeert ta share sum war steries frum life n' t'seedy underbellee o't' SEC. Durin a...

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It sucks to lose your best running back in Marcus Lattimore right after your second best running option, Stephen Garcia, gets kicked off of the team.  Boy oh boy, does Spurrier wish he was the one that had the drink and not Garcia.  Five-points or the Vista anyone?

I'm aware my reaction to his dismissal is a little late. By now, much of the media -- nationally, at least -- has moved on from the story of his bizarre and tumultuous career. Tuesday feels like it was weeks ago. I've heard and read all kinds of responses by now, ranging from outraged to relieved to cruelly judgmental. My thoughts are no less complicated. This issue feels near and dear to my heart, somehow. Maybe it's because Garcia was the first USC quarterback whose career I followed from start to finish; the one who played the most during my college years. That's probably why I feel a little defensive and more than a little sad. Garcia was both the pride and shame of this football team. He arrived on campus in 2007 with a ton of talent and even more promise, but suspensions derailed his career almost immediately and kept him off the field for his first year. Little did we know that would establish a pattern in which Garcia frequently found himself in Spurrier's doghouse. In all, it totaled five suspensions, a few benchings, and a whole lot of frustration. To compound the situation, his play was wildly inconsistent. His first year as a starter had flashes of brilliance, but just as many plays that had Spurrier tossing his headset. In 2010, he appeared to finally rise to the top of his game, and gave us what we'd all been waiting for. He led USC to its first SEC East title, helped us beat Clemson two years in a row for the first time since the Nixon administration, and guided us to our first win over a No. 1 team. He was on a warpath in the record books, and even if he'd had an average 2011, he would likely still have become the all-time greatest Gamecock quarterback. Unfortunately, Garcia did not have a good or even average 2011. After coming off the bench against ECU to ignite the team to a blowout victory, his play steadily declined, capped by a four-interception performance against Vanderbilt and a miserable loss to Auburn. Fans, including myself, were at their wits' end. What happened? What went wrong? Where was the Garcia of only a year ago? On Sept. 3, he looked like a man who had risen above his issues, but in the end they got him all the same. There are a lot of things I could say. There are a lot of what-ifs. Maybe if Garcia had a better work ethic, he would be the best quarterback in the SEC right now. Maybe if Spurrier hadn't benched him so reflexively and called him out so much in the press, his head would be screwed on a little tighter. I don't know. What is the anatomy of a breakdown? Whatever the case, Garcia leaves behind a mixed legacy, and for that reason, I think that's why fans are confused. Should his dismissal be mourned or rejoiced? USC is now free to wash its hands of the issues its embattled quarterback brought with him. Spurrier's discipline (or lack thereof) will no longer be called into question. Fans won't have to worry about what Garcia has done this time. The team won't be let down by a quarterback who just can't seem to get his act together. We can move on and ahead. But on the other hand, Garcia accomplished things that few USC quarterbacks before him had -- and in some cases, things no USC quarterback ever had. Don't we owe him thanks for some of our greatest moments as Gamecocks? He could have been more. Should have been more. But who should we be angry at? Should we even be angry? Garcia is the Gamecocks' wayward son. Somewhere along the line, he lost his way. Whether he's struggling with alcoholism -- and that is a strong possibility -- he's nonetheless inclined toward self-destructive behavior and bad decisions. I sincerely hope he both seeks and receives the help he needs. Mental health issues have enough of a stigma in this country without the cruelty of sports culture compounding it. And make no mistake -- as much as I love sports, this culture is cruel. I won't miss what Stephen Garcia became; I won't miss the eye-rolling and the embarrassment and the headlines. But I will miss what Stephen Garcia should have been; I'll miss the ridiculous touchdown runs and the hair streaming from his helmet. And above all, I just hate that it had to end this way.