Dabo Swinney’s comments stir the pot with Clemson Football fans

Myth 4: Fans shouldn’t be criticized for being negative

One of the biggest problems out there today is understanding the difference between having the right to say something and being right to say something.

Too many people think that because they have the right to speak their minds they should be free from criticism for what they say.

Some criticisms are fair. Others are not. Some are downright ugly and come from allowing emotions to control us too much.

Negative fans are still fans but don’t be mistaken: being a fan doesn’t make you all-knowing. Being a fan doesn’t make you special. It doesn’t wash your bad judgment away and make it alright to say whatever you want just because you pay for season tickets.

Swinney was in the wrong for saying negative people were bandwagon fans who needed to be dropped from the fanbase. That was a step too far. I wouldn’t be surprised if he attempted to smooth this over at some point. If I had one big-picture criticism of Swinney, it is that he often doesn’t frame public comments as well as he could.

I don’t blame Swinney for being frustrated with negativity, and if he had simply said he and his team don’t have time to worry about negative fans, I would applaud him.

I honestly think Swinney has shown a lot of restraint and composure when it comes to negativity from fans. Contrast it with the manner Shane Beamer handled pressure in his post-game press conference this past Saturday.

It all helps put things in perspective.