Unbiased Story, Choosing Clemson Over the Dirt Peckers

Nov 1, 2024, 10:37 AM

We took a large group up to our daughter's ring ceremony last week. The group included a lot of family and two dear friends who have lived in SC for over 20 years now. We started bringing the mom, dad and daughter up to Clemson for one game a year over 15 years ago and since we live near our state capitol they were fringe SCar fans. The first game they were amazed by everything, especially how friendly and welcoming Clemson fans are. Well over the years they began wearing Clemson gear but their daughter wore the Clemson gear but didn't really seem committed. She went to college in the lower state and is now into her career.

I'm talking to the dad waiting to go into Littlejohn for the ring ceremony and he asks if he had told me about his daughter wanting to go to a game. I said no and he proceeded to tell me that early in the season his daughter brought home her boyfriend who they met for the first time. Turns out the boyfriend, not from the USA, had NEVER been to any football game. The daughter asked her dad if they could all go to a college game together and since she had never seemed to come around to Clemson he told her that he would buy four SCar tickets and they could go to the game that weekend. He said she looked at him straight in the eye and said "Oh no, we can't go to South Carolina, we have to go to Clemson". Surprised, the dad said that is great but why Clemson? She said something like "Clemson is beautiful, has the best gameday experience, the environment is amazing and the people are very friendly. South Carolina is ugly, dull and the fans are a bunch of rude rednecks." I guess those years of attending games together touched her more than I had imagined. They went and, of course, had an amazing time at Clemson, the boyfriend was amazed.

This is one of several true stories I have experienced or heard of unbiased people choosing between Clemson and SCar and always choosing Clemson. We have something very special and while I don't believe it is as special as it once was it is still better than anything else that I have seen.

GO TIGERS!!!