I stood nearly frozen on the hill in palpable anticipation..

Nov 27, 2014, 8:37 PM

I had not worn enough clothes and I was frigid, but inside, there was a spark. They had just scored and the air had gone out of the sea of orange. Oddly though, there were embers of hope. Strange for me as I had become a pessimist during a time when losing wasn't as unexpected as it had been in the past. Yet, the embers remained.

I looked around me and it was clear that I was not alone. Time was short and the mountain appeared insurmountable, yet hope remained... endured. I remember the odd sensation that somehow, something great was going to happen.

A return, a few plays, time nearly out, not nearly close enough. Yet, hope fanned the flames. No timeouts, an impossible situation, a clear road to failure. Yet the embers grew bright. Mere seconds remained. A roll out, a deep throw to the other side of the field. I remember the dead silence around me. I remember the impossibility of what was just attempted. I remember the deafening roar. The fire erupted into an all-consuming blaze.

Nearly there, hope well and truly alive. A man trotted out. His questionable history loomed large. No one dared say it. Two scenarios played out through 82,000 folks fighting through the cold. One for a hero; one for whom history would not honor. I remember the air sticky with prayer. I remember the hush as he set up. I remember seeing the ball sail right by me in the center of the hill. The fire was no longer of hope, but of elation and it raged with an untold fury.

The kickoff. A last chance for the deposed. Their failure 14 years ago gave rise to the most joy and celebration I can remember seeing in person at any sporting event. It became my favorite memory of Clemson football. It became folklore. It became 16-14.

And the fire still burns to this day.

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

I was so po'ed after their stupid fumble recovery in the end zone which, along with the xtra point, gave the chickens the lead, that I told The Boss I wanted to start heading out of the stadium and that we'd stop along the way and watch the last few seconds from grassy area just above the locker room entrance (and which no longer exists). She agreed to go just to get out of the way of what was sure to be an end of the game rush to the exits.

Keeping one eye on the field and the other watching my step, we began our departure saddened, pi$$ed, dreading the coming days. For some reason, we instinctively stopped and watched Woody loft that pass to Rod and heard the elation of the orange faithful. Unable to move, we were transfixed by what happened next. The snap, the kick, and before the sound could reach us at the other end of the stadium, we saw hands raised and bodies jumping around...and then the sound.....and knowledge that yet another chicken team had their hearts snatched out of their little chicken bodies and stomped on the ground by our Tigers.

Good game

I stood nearly frozen on the hill in palpable anticipation..

Re: I stood nearly frozen on the hill in palpable anticipation..

Re: I stood nearly frozen on the hill in palpable anticipation..

Re: I stood nearly frozen on the hill in palpable anticipation..

The Catch II***

We need to use that fire early Saturday morning to heat a...

Re: We need to use that fire early Saturday morning to heat a...

TigerBoard POTD