Dabo gave me a tour of the WEZ several days ago...

Aug 8, 2009, 4:55 AM

and it was AWESOME!

I was fortunate to be included in a small group of folks who advertise during football radio broadcasts. Part of the deal, which included recording commercials for the upcoming season, was a 30 minute meeting with Dabo in his office.

He engaged us as if we were long lost friends. As we have come to expect, he was upbeat, positive and downright enjoyable.

Near the end of the 30 minute visit, he said, "Y'all be sure to walk around the WEZ and make yourselves at home. This place is great! Take a self guided tour. HECK, I'll take you. Come on!"

For the next 30 minutes Dabo played tourguide.

We passed by McCorvey, Powell, Scotts, Pearman and found Napier holed up in an office. Napier said, "Pardon the mess, but the pallet on which my dry erase boards were got dropped. Eventually we'll have dry erase boards from floor to ceiling." I could envision the plays that win championships scrawled from top to bottom.

We walked through the coaches' locker room and into the players lockerromm. Dabo had said 20 minutes earlier that "never again will we lose a recruit do to the WOW factor!" I have to believe he is correct. I lingered at the back of the line long enough to say grace over CJ's shoes when I passed locker #28.

The training room was great...let's hope it is not needed much, except to tape ankles and such.

The team meeting room was an ampitheatre with 158 wide leather chairs and a video/audio control panel that could handle a rock and roll concert. Dabo explained that they also have scaled down versions for offensive and defensive meeting rooms.

There were some great graphics that adorned the hallway walls and, according to Dabo, more are on the way.

We were locked out of the weight room but we could see through the glass walls that the place was fancy.

I cannot imagine CTB or any other major college coach taking the time to play tour guide...and he certainly would not have been the kid in the candy store, as Dabo clearly was.

Dabo wants the practice fields moved to Lot 5 and a museum added so the Clemson family can take interactive tours of the history of Clemson football. What impressed me was he mentioned names like Stuckey, Fuller and others. It was obvious he has embraced our past moreso than some others ever did.

And he was excited about the 500 lb stuffed tiger that will be placed in the middle of the foyer of the new facility. The tiger once lived at the Spartanburg zoo, he said. Once it arrives, it will be visible to the outside world through the glass walls.

When Dabo's tour was complete, I and one other went to see Terry Don Phillips. We were ushered into his office and right there on the corner of his desk was a manilla envelope titled "ACC OFFICIATING STUDY."

Thank God someone up there gets it. As he said, "It's been bad for a long long time."

TDP was absolutely great! He told us that the parking deck in lot 5 was DEAD. And that it did not take long to kill it.

He said twice that Bill D'Andrea is the best he's ever worked with.

Somewhere during our 1 hr visit with him, he said, "Fellas, y'all are the highlight of my day." Probably b/c we were not complaining to him. I believed him, b/c at one point he physically blocked the door so that we could not leave.

TDP echoed a sentiment of mine when he told us that "all Dabo's got to do is win a national title and they'll make a movie about him."

Anyhow, it was a day for the ages for my cousin and I, both lifelong diehard Tiger fans. We left feeling as good as we ever have in Tigertown. And we spent a combined 13 years in school there.

It was great to see that my IPTAY dues and other donations, along with those of many others, have helped our program tremendously.

GO TIGERS!!! and don't you dare pass up the opportunity to tour the WEZ if given the chance.

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Dabo gave me a tour of the WEZ several days ago...

I saw the WEZ a couple of weeks ago. It is incredible!

Re: I saw the WEZ a couple of weeks ago. It is incredible!

Re: Thanks for sharing.***

Thanks for sharing, great Info!! NOW SPOT The DAMM BALL!***

Passion is not a gimmick. Thanks for sharing this

I really enjoyed reading that and I thank you for sharing it

You mean lavander, don't you? :-)***

Wish I could give an extra point for your prayer at 28locker***

Great story! Thanks so much for sharing. Dabo is special.***

Thanks for sharing but of course I hate you now!!

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