Popular after any sporting event, most groups of people go get a bite to eat. But what if we compare the sports to the restaurants we all know and love. Lets take the Gamecocks, fry them up, and serve them as fried chicken. Here are different Gamecocks sports if they were different chicken restaurants.

Football: KFC

Over the years, Gamecocks football has been below average, although it has constantly received a lot of hype and high expectations over the years. Like the Gamecocks, KFC has changed their famous recipe for chicken many times over the years, trying to get back to old goodness that people used to love them for. When you go to KFC, you don’t know what to expect, but are often times disappointed with a newer recipe, and cant keep the same. Like KFC the Gamecocks cant just find a consistent coaching staff and have gone through tons of coaches in the last few years, trying to return to greatness.

Also, just think. What does KFC stand for? Kentucky Fried Chicken. Over the past 7 years, the Gamecocks have been smoked by the Kentucky Wildcats, going a terrible 1-6. That lives up to the name of KFC.

Basketball: Popeyes

When going to Popeyes, you constantly get awful service and below average food. But in 2019, when Popeyes released their all new chicken sandwich, the chain started booming and generating a lot of success. That was really the only time the restaurant got fame, and it was short lived. Comparable to the Gamecocks basketball program, they have only really experienced relevance one time in that last 50 or so years. In 2017, basketball was the talk of Columbia, but after their short stint of fame, went back to a below average program, like Popeyes is a below average option.

In comparison to competition, South Carolina doesn’t come close to matching those of stature like Kentucky and Florida, like Popeyes has never been close to Competition like Chic-Fil-A or Zaxbys.

As the Chicken sandwich gets older and isn’t valuable anymore, nobody really goes there anymore. Likewise, Frank Martin is getting older and isn’t valuable to the program anymore. Frank Martin is the Popeyes chicken sandwich.

Baseball: Chic-Fil-A

Chic-Fil-A is a staple. When you think of great chicken establishments, you first think of Chic-Fil-A. Likewise, when you think of South Carolina sports, the first thing you think of is the elite baseball program. You can always go to the Baseball team to produce a reliable experience, and go to a game knowing the team wont lose by 20 runs. When going to Chic-Fil-A, you know that no matter what you get, you wont be taking an L. Over the years, Chic Fil A has always served the best chicken sandwiches and chicken nuggets out there. These 2 options are the best part of the establishment, and the best you can get anywhere. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Gamecocks baseball squads were the best team, and those 2 years still serve fans memories to this day.

Women’s Basketball: Raising Canes

Although Women’s basketball isn’t the most popular sport, the Gamecocks have been the cream of the crop when it comes to college sports, as they haven’t missed the NCAA tournament in 10 seasons and doesn’t look like they will anytime soon. Like raising Canes, It is a top tier option as far as chicken goes, and is personally my favorite recipe. Although it isn’t the most popular, everything about the place is elite. The sauce, the chicken, the toast. Hell, even the ice is the best. Canes is the most slept on restaurant, as is the Women’s basketball program at South Carolina. Although they aren’t very well known about across the country, they always allow for a good experience.

Softball: Zaxbys

Zaxbys is a decent chicken restaurant, a little above average. But think, when was the last time you went to Zaxbys. If you want chicken you go to places that offer better items, like Chic-Fil-A or Canes, not Zaxbys. As for the Softball program, does anyone even support it? It’s a decent program, but nobody watches softball while the other sports are on. They deserve more recognition, as in recent years they have had a solid program, but won’t get it simply because Softball isn’t a very popular collegiate sport.

Although Zaxbys isn’t the first option, the do have those cool soda machines where you press the buttons and get your drink yourself, which does help their case, as South Carolina helps their case by having good talent and being able to be a top 25 program.

Overall: Zaxbys

Although restaurants aren’t the best thing to compare Gamecocks sports to, the similarities are endless. Overall, the university is between a Zaxbys and a Canes rank, but overall closer to Zaxbys. It has tons of potential to be at Canes level, but overall, the Popeyes rank from the Basketball program really drags the university down.