Re: TNET: TigerNet Giveaway #1: Are YOU the Ultimate Clemson Fan?

OneJedi®

Gridiron Giant [15863]

TigerPulse: 100%

Posts: 4146

Joined: 2011

Apr 16, 2025, 10:59 AM

Some say at birth, so I was born into being a Tiger (1971) but my first memory was going to my first game in 1977. It was a love affair from that day on. I only missed six games the next 45 years. My Fathers season tickets were next to some blue blood people and the wife hated me. I was just a kid being a kid. I spilled one drink and it touched her foot and she never let my Dad forget it. We walked up to the seats Vs UNC and someone was mistakingly in his seats and Dad confronts them, the lady looked at me, rolls her eyes, and says:”they’re his seats alright!”

My most legendary Tiger memory is watching the 1981 Championship with my Dad and being able to share two more with him. I even talked to Roy Philpott about it.

The honorable mention for most legendary was being able to take my Dad to games on my season tickets. He says he wished he’d have done it like I do; Lot 5 parking and the ridiculous spread with tent and televisions. We have had to sell my tickets to get tickets closer to the tunnels so Dad can still go.

The worst game I ever went to was when Ken Hatfield lost for the first time ever to Virginia. Two things a coach cannot do: lose to UVA or lose to the coots.

You said legendary but didn’t limit it to good legendary so there’s some legendary bad ones in this portion. The greatest game I went to is almost impossible to nail down. I remember George Rogers (Heisman winning coot) being kept out of the endzone. I remember Hershel Walker being shut down in the Valley. I watched Charlie Ward work miracles and beat us. I watched a rookie WR named Megatron being Tech all the way back. I saw CJ Spiller put his team on his back and juke dudes out of their shoes. I saw Danztler break ankles and work miracles. I watched Watson and Lawrence look like NFL starters against kids. Perhaps it’s the meeting at the PAW!

I might catch some flack here. I have a certain pair of underwear I wear for each game. I started wearing these around 2010 when Dabo started his run. I am also very particular about my undershirt and hat. I have this very worn out purple clemson tee I wear under my jersey to every game and EVERY-TIME we play. I started wearing this shirt when Dabo started the run. I also started wearing this purple fitted hat at the same time. Both are in sad shape. I carry the hat on my person as it’s too stretched out and dirty to ever wear again.

My favorite player is a tough one as well. I know Steve Fuller really well and he was the first elite QB I watched play in person. Watson and Lawrence hold a special place in my heart for obvious reasons. Woody Danztler made me hold my breath and scream as he made impossible plays routine. Whitehurst was a magician and made 3-21 possible. Boyd took us over the hump and 4-16 lives forever in Clemson lore. But nobody got me as excited as CJ Spiller. Oh the numbers he coulda had if Davis wasn’t there. He shoulda been our first Heisman winner. That ACCCG against Georgia Tech says all about CJ. He could barely walk yet carried us inches shy all by himself.

Total number of games would be tough so I’m gonna estimate. Over two hundred football games but less than 350. 6 a year for 45 with just a handful missed piles up in a hurry. Not to mention road games and bowl games. I’ve watched quite a few games at DKS and LittleJohn and a few at McWhorter with a handful at Riggs Field.

I haven’t named any pets for Clemson legends but my Dachshund wore a Clemson jersey on game days for 17 years. Since she passed in 2022, baby Yoda now adorns this legendary jersey. As far as tattoos, all of mine are where a short sleeve shirt hides them but one is the paw.

Another cool Clemson fact about my family is that between my Father and I we’ve been Iptay members since 1969. We have a plait family as well. Most of my family and cousins are Clemson grads. However, we have one group that married into USC and they are all department heads or Deans in their system. Two were psychology chairs and one is the Dean of MUSC. I remind them regularly how superior we are! Hahahaha!

I did play the NCAA 25 trial on PS5 and Cade is really good when you turn his stats up to 99. I beat UGA in the opener 143-0. I’ve been thinking about buying it but since I’m about to win it, I don’t have to.

My favorite GameDay tradition is tailgating in Lot 5. We setup a tent, have multiple TVS, family banner, open bar, fresh smoked meats and a huge spread. Being able to do this with my father is a dream come true. He started this obsession in 1977 when he took me with his season tickets. Now he goes on mine. I honestly didn’t think I’d get to celebrate another National Championship with my father but 2016 and 2018 brought things full circle. I’m praying for more before the day arrives I cannot celebrate it with the man that started this love affair.

Cut me, I bleed orange and purple. Fan is short for fanatic and I am that. 2009 I may or may not have broken a few memorabilia items over some loss that shouldn’t have happened. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Anger fades and destroyed stuff don’t come back.

Another Clemson thing I love is my TNet family. There is a core group of poasters that I read their poasts religiously. I love calling a first time poaster a coot, it’s a right of passage. I try to stay away from the doom and gloom poasters. It’s my morning coffee ritual, wake up, brew cafe, read TNet articles, and check favorite poasters content.

In all seriousness, it’s great to be able to poast some of my favorite memories and what goes through this Tigers mind. Good luck to all and congratulations to the winner, coot! 🤣

GO TIGERS!

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My Clemson fandom started in the womb. My mom was 8-9 months prego with me in the fall of 1966. She recalled fans around her asking her to calm down as they were scared she would give birth in Section UQ (seats they kept from the early 60s until the 2000s. I was born on Nov. 14th yelling "Go Tigers!"

My most legendary Tiger memory was being in the stands as young lad watching the Bowl game when we beat Ohio State and Woody Hayes ran out of luck. Everyone around us was like, "Did he just punch our guy?"

My favorite memory for pre-game was in the 1970s when my parents bought an old Winnebago. We would leave the house at a too early 6 am on game days. UGH! One game, my dad wanted to park to the edge of lot 1 at Fike where it was first come, first served. He told the attendant that he had a couple of special needs kids in the back (my sister and I). Dear old dad...

My fav player is and always will be Levon Kirkland. He worked with my uncle Joe Francis, a huge Clemson supporter, at Francis produce each summer (thorugh Danny Ford) and even came to Thanksgiving one year and joined in our "Turkey Bowl". Yep, he dominated... actually played full time QB to make teams fair.

When and how you became a Clemson fan? I was born that way... See above.

My most memorable game attended at Clemson was the Georgia game of 1981. We knew then we had a special team. Every just stayed in the stands for a while and soaked in the win.... never saw that before or since.

My wife and I go to Clemson games by boat these days since we are lucky enough to live on Hartwell... You know what they say... If you're lucky enough to live on the lake (and go to Clemson Games), You lucky enough!

Total number of Clemson games attended... I lost count in the 70s when I was 9.... rough estimate 220 - ish ....

My favorite Clemson moments were in 1989 when I earned my B.A. in Math Science and in 2009 when I earned my Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. I take it back... This wasn't better than the days and nights spent with the friends and family that I have loved over the years while visiting and attending the best place on Earth.

Well... Our Family name is Howard.... actually we are different Howard's than Frank and Jimmy... but still fun!

Clemson is truly a special place that I am lucky to have experienced throughout my life.

TNET: TigerNet Giveaway #1: Are YOU the Ultimate Clemson Fan?