My Miami thoughts - or - There is NOTHING like the Clemson

Jan 1, 2016, 12:23 PM

Family.

In the car - headed home - wanted to get some thoughts out there before the images fade & blend in with my dull, foggy-headed remnants of last night's celebrating.

Thursday, as the day broke warm & breezy and with endless blue skies, my wife & I had no idea what an amazing day lay in front of us. Funny how you just never know when things you will never forget are waiting on you right around the next corner.

Had to pick up a parking pass at the Stubhub last minute location and there were Clemson people everywhere. And 2 Sooner fans. I couldn't tell if it was just me being excited for GAMEDAY or if there really was something in the air even as we went through the drudgery of the administrative details of getting a parking space. (Stubhub does a great job with their last minute deal - convenient, friendly folks, free ORANGE sunglasses, etc.). In hindsight - electricity was in the air - at 10am - at a community center - well removed from the stadium.

Tailgate by 11. Found a spot under a tree that gave us a respite from the pounding south Florida sun. The breeze was constant and sometimes cool but at other times it had a warmth to it that made it seem like we were in a convection oven with the temp set on 100.

Was calm & quiet - peaceful.

By noon - it was a high definition show of epic proportions that only the Clemson Family can put on. It was a Clemson home game ..... 700 miles from our tiny corner of God's Country.

We were all friends & family - there were no strangers - even the Okie's were welcomed and enveloped in the spirit of Clemson.

We had 2 guys in Sooner maroon that parked beside us. Turns out he was a photographer for a smaller paper in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. They were in a new Jeep that was Oklahoma colors and fully decked out. They were asked by the parking guy if they wanted to be directed around to the "Oklahoma" side of the parking lots and the guy laughed out loud and said "Are you kidding ? Who wouldn't want to be in the middle of all THIS" as he waved his hand out at the sea of orange and Paws and tents & well - you know - that scene that is all Clemson at every home game.

I'm not sure if it was because of the weather or the fact that it was New Year's Eve or that we were in the rarified air of being one of the last 4 fan bases who's team was still playing games that mattered - or a combination of all of it - but the next 3 hours was a PARTY. It was a family reunion but felt more like best friends for life meeting for the first time in 20 years and the conversation is easy and simple, as if it had never stopped. With complete strangers.

And it continued in the stadium.

50,000 Tiger faithful in a stadium that holds 67,000. And it was LOUD - the whole game. 1st down to their tries for the extra point. IT WAS LOUD !!!

And it was FUN .... even trailing at the half. It was fun - being there, witnessing first hand this day that will be talked about for generations. CLEMSON in a college football playoff game for the first time ever. What a day.

We stayed for the trophy presentation and I don't think a single Tiger fan left. We were there and we were there for one purpose - to encourage our guys to be their best.

There was orange EVERYWHERE - top decks, endzones .... EVERYWHERE - 20 minutes after the game ended.

And it was LOUD !!

I have never heard the Alma Mater sung louder or with as much pride & passion as I heard last night. And there were LOTS of watery eyes every where I looked.

On the way out of the stadium there were cheers back and forth - CLEMSON - TIGERS and ORANGE - WHITE. It was eerily similar to coming out of the real Orange Bowl 34 years ago.

We went the long way around the outside of the stadium. Lots of hugging & picture taking and cheering & high-fiving any and every body.

We passed the Oklahoma team exit - where the buses were to get the team out of there. There were a lot of Oklahoma folks there - pressing up against the crowd barriers between them and their guys. Was impressed by the numbers they had there to support their guys and tell them "Next year !!"

We finally got to the car and popped a cold bottle of bubbly that we shared with anyone who wanted some.

And the night, that started as the day, will forever be etched in my memory as a priceless reminder of how thankful & blessed I am to be a part of the Clemson Family.

Thank you Lord and my Dad. Thank you.

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Brad Brownell: Only Larry freaking Shyatt has a WORSE overall winning percentage among Clemson basketball coaches since 1975. Let that sink in. It's Larry Shyatt & then Brad Brownell.

My Miami thoughts - or - There is NOTHING like the Clemson

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