Thursday September 03, 2009

Five Things This Old Man Will Enjoy Saturday

Five Things This Old Man Will Enjoy Saturday
I t is finally here! We made it to the season.

I think we have talked enough about this team, the players, coaches, schemes, etc. So here are five non-football things I am looking forward to on Saturday:

8:00 AM-Tailgating, Family, Friends and Food
We might not have won any championships on the field since 1991 but no school in America tailgates like Clemson. As I get older, this means less drinking, more food and more times with family and friends.

But tailgating has changed in other ways in recent years. Thank goodness for Direct-TV. The tailgates are better when don’t have to miss any of the other action across the country. Plus my guys put in old DVDs of Clemson games to watch in the mornings.

Is 8:00 AM too early to start?

3:45 PM-Tiger Walk
Dabo started this new tradition last year and I have to admit it is now my second favorite Clemson tradition (Howard’s Rock and the Hill are first). I can’t wait to see the team get off of those buses and greet the fans for the first time. Dabo created a sense of unity with this new Tiger tradition. My advice is to be there around 3:30 or 3:45 Saturday in order to get a good view.

5:00 PM-The Band’s Parade
This one is probably more for my two five-year old nieces. They love the band, cheerleaders, rally cats, twirlers, etc. But I have to admit, it is pretty cool to see the masses following behind as they head down the hill behind the east endzone.

Hall of Fame
I really enjoy the Hall of Fame weekend because it brings back some great memories. This year, eight former Tigers will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rob Bodine has to be considered one of the greatest walk-ons in Clemson football history. No one knew who he was when he stepped on campus and four years later he was a first-team All-American in 1991. He became just the second original walk-on to earn All-American honors. As a senior the quick nose guard tied the school record with 27 tackles for loss. The three-year starter is still in the top five in school history with 48 tackles for loss.

Sheri Bueter played women’s soccer at Clemson from 1994-98. She was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team in 1998 and still holds the career assist record at Clemson.

Brian Dawkins might be the most successful former Clemson Tiger in the NFL. The Jacksonville, FL native was not highly recruited out of high school but was an All-ACC and second team All-American at Clemson. He broke the school record with three interceptions in one quarter. Dawkins has played in seven Pro Bowls which is more than any other former Tiger and some think he will be the first former Clemson player to be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Jean Desdunes played men’s tennis at Clemson from 1980-83. He was a first-team All-American in 1982 and 1983. He is the only player in school history with 150 wins in both singles and doubles.

John Engler played golf at Clemson from 1997-2001. He was a three-time All-American and a three-time All-ACC performer. In 2001, he won the ACC championship. Engler was the first player in school history to have two rounds of 64 or better.

Chuck Kriese was the head men’s tennis coach at Clemson from 1975-2008. He is the all-time winningest coach in ACC history with 685 wins and 166 ACC wins. He took 24 teams to the NCAA tournament including 12 appearances in the Sweet 16 and seven appearances in the Final Eight. Clemson had 16 top 25 finishes in his coaching career. Kriese was the ACC coach of the year six times and national coach of the year in 1981 and 1986.

Grayson Marshall played basketball at Clemson from 1984-88. He is the school’s career assist leader with 857 which is fourth in ACC history and in the top 20 in NCAA history. Some consider Marshall the best point guard to ever play at Clemson.

Jodi Steffes played volleyball at Clemson from 1998-2001. She was a three-time All-ACC selection and the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1999. Steffes is one of four players at Clemson to have 500 kills, 1,000 digs and 200 blocks.

5:55 PM-The Hill
This is really what gets most of us going. This makes the hair stand up on your arms. This is the adrenaline pumping through the veins. This is what Clemson football is all about.

The way I see it, I am about half way through a normal life expectancy for a male. If I am lucky enough to live another 40 years and if Clemson plays seven home games a year, then I get to see this about 280 more times. Therefore, I cherish every time I get to witness.

The anticipation of seeing the video of the buses starting their journey is the first step. This is when your heart is not only a supplier of blood throughout your body, it now provides the bass beat and your chest starts to feel the energy.

Then you actually see the buses come around the corner and you start to see fans at the top of the hill get excited.

One of the most unique feelings I have ever had is the one I get every time I see the first Clemson player emerge at the top of the hill. By this point, my heart rate is between 150-190.

This is when noise becomes a feeling.

How about the first note of the Orange Bowl March? Does any single note of any song strike that kind of emotion?

Then the band makes its way towards the hill and the energy is climbs even higher.

The cannon sounds. Tigers pour down The Hill into Death Valley. Fans spell out C-L-E-M-S-O-N the loudest they do all day.

IPTAY’s Bob Mahoney and I dry our eyes and head to our seats. Now the fun really starts.

It is here. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day weekend. Go Tigers!

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Ann Fallaw.