A Clemson Tradition

It’s over.

The Clemson Tigers football season, that is. Now that it has happened I can actually speak it out loud. I had a depressing feeling the Tigers were going to lose to the Florida State Seminoles. After the Georgia Bulldogs were upset by the Vanderbilt Commodores, I just knew somewhere deep inside that we were going to be next.

But, naturally, I proceeded to go to Union Bar – a Florida State bar – with all my cheering gusto, hoping again hope that the sinking feeling in my stomach was from the something I’d earlier consumed and not because the Tigers were going to blow it.

Sure enough, in spite of my best efforts to help Dabo Swinney, Clemson’s coach, by not voicing my concerns, we lost. And I’m only mildly despondent about it because, frankly, we’re the Tigers – the school where “pulling a Clemson” originated. Now consider Florida State plays in the same division of the Atlantic Coast Conference as the Tigers... it doesn’t bode well for the remainder of the season.

So I will gracefully say well played, Florida State.

It helps tremendously that I have lived through darker days than this with the Tigers. I mean I proudly yelled C-L-E-M-S-O-N T-I-G-E-R-S all through the Tommy Bowden era. I know what real pain feels like and this isn’t it. There is potential in Clemson’s future as soon as our offense remembers scoring points leads to wins and our defense learns that tackling means you stop someone from running into your end zone. Oh, and turnovers are bad. Very. Bad. Especially those on the first play of the game. That's a lesson that might have been of value pre-Saturday night. 

And I will love Sammy Watkins forever because he is a warrior.

I wish I could say the rest of the night was delightful. But the Tigers of Clemson were not the only Tigers to go down; Detroit ended it's season as well. Boyfriend would be real upset, if I expressed any boo hooing over this. He simply doesn't understand all my loyalties. If the Boston Red Sox destroy the St. Louis Cardinals, I'll be much more apt to find a place in my heart for them. 

I shifted gears to the NFL on Sunday, where the Kansas City Chiefs picked up their seventh win… and the Denver Broncos went down in epic fashion in Indianapolis against Peyton Manning’s replacement – Andrew Luck.

Oh sports, I hate and love you so.