Hold the mayo: Shane Beamer clarifies hot dogs remark that generated national buzz

Coach Shane Beamer didn’t think he’d be talking about weekend hot dogs on Tuesday.

But his comments after South Carolina’s 31-17 loss to UNC Saturday night regarding the chain crew and its mid-game meal went viral.

“Kind of the story of the night,” Beamer said Saturday night after the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte. “Clock was wrong the whole dang game. We’re trying to kick an onside kick to start the second half and we’ve got to wait on the chain crew because they’re eating a hot dog. That’s the only disappointing thing about tonight.”

To be fair, Beamer said he was literally told the chain crew was in the locker room eating hot dogs at the moment the Gamecocks were set for the surprise onside kick to start the second half.

“Shane Beamer not happy because chain crew can’t eat hot dogs as fast as Joey Chestnut,” Action Network’s Brett McMurphy posted to social media.

But Beamer clarified Tuesday that UNC was South Carolina’s issue that night in Charlotte — not the officiating crew. It was unfortunate, though, that such a critical play was delayed by their tardiness.

Beamer also said UNC coach Mack Brown admitted he told his team at halftime to watch for a trick kick to start the third quarter. The break served as an unofficial extra timeout for UNC, Beamer said, which could’ve iced placekicker Mitch Jeter.

Overall, no hard feelings, Beamer said.

“There were a lot of reasons we didn’t perform well,” Beamer said. “The chain crew wasn’t one of them.”

Beamer on hot dogs

Here were Beamer’s full remarks Tuesday:

“I didn’t think on a Tuesday I’d be talking about hot dogs.

“The chain crew was not our issue on Saturday night. North Carolina was our issue and the way that we played.

“The point I was trying to make was that’s a really really critical play to start the second half when you’re going to surprise onside kick.

“It’s disappointing that our kickoff team took the field. UNC’s kickoff return team took the field and then game management comes over, and I didn’t make up the hot dog comment. I was literally told the chain crew was in the locker room eating hot dogs. This wasn’t me being a smart you-know-what. I was relaying the information that was told to me which is disappointing because that’s basically another way to ice the kicker. That’s not an easy kick, what Mitch did.

:That’s an extra timeout for them because the chain crew wasn’t out there. That was the frustrating part of for me.

“I thought the chain crew was phenomenal the rest of the night, other than that one thing. one of the best chain crews I’ve ever been around. no hard feelings with the chain crew. That’s not why we lost the game. There were a lot of reasons we didn’t perform well. The chain crew wasn’t one of them.”