A pre-bowl rambling.......

Dec 28, 2006, 11:25 AM

I’m sure most everyone remembers their first Clemson football game. I know I sure do. It was the first game of the 1983 season against Western Carolina. I can vividly recall the sights and sounds of that day and I was astounded by everything that I saw. (If you’re interested, I posted a more detailed account before the Texas A & M game here: http://www.thetigernet.com/forums/message.jspa?messageID=1629954 )

I became a Clemson fan for life that day.

Re-read that last sentence, please.

Yes, a Clemson fan. Not a head coach fan. Not an attendance fan. Not a fluted cup fan (although they were a lot nicer product)

You see, there wasn’t just one particular thing that I could point to that made me like Clemson. I wasn’t swayed by the offensive play calling. I didn’t need the opinion of a journalist to help me make up my mind. Clemson simply sold itself.

I love Clemson. I love its athletic programs. I give money to support them. Many others do as well, and that’s great. That’s what fans do. But somewhere along the way, some of them have gotten misguided. There seems to be a common misconception that something is owed to you in return for your fanaticism.

What a selfish notion!

Don’t get me wrong, I think certain things are implied: A quality education for the athletes, a moral guide that genuinely looks after the athlete’s well-being, and a caring atmosphere that ensures the best chance for success.

But regardless of what you think, Clemson doesn’t owe you an ACC title. Nor does it owe you a National Championship. It doesn’t owe you wins over your rival (although she’s done a great job with that one). Clemson doesn’t owe you a thing except the promise to deliver upon it’s declaration to be a “high seminary of learning” while also upholding a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others.

As far as I’m concerned, anything else can be correctly labeled as misguided fanaticism.

LET’S GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!

BEAT KENTUCKY!!!!!!!!!

See you in Nashville.

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this because I got into an argument with my cousin the other night. He is constantly negative about the performance of the team and coaches. He was ranting about how we should be 7-5, we should've lost to Wake. I countered with the fact that in three of the games we lost that you can pick a play that would have changed the outcome of the game. Of course he kept arguing, so I finally just told him to wait until the end of each season to pick a team to pull for so he can always pull for a championship team. I then asked him why does he pull for Clemson, and he couldn't answer. I'm 33, and I attended my first game in 1981. Six members of my family have graduated from Clemson. I love the small town college enviroment, the surroundings, the hill, tiger rag, orange bowl march, rage defense, memories of Jim Phillips and parking on the streets behind Hardees and walking with my dad what felt like, as a kid, a hundred miles to the game, basically I love EVERYTHING about Clemson. And I'm going to continue to love Clemson win or lose.

A pre-bowl rambling.......

I couldn't agree more...

Funny you posted

My vote for Post of the Year.***

Re: A pre-bowl rambling.......

TigerBoard POTD