The Big Fizzle
December 6th, 2007
November 17, 2001:
As thousands of my friends and classmates came rumbling down from the stands and onto the field at Williams Brice I had a daunting task attempting to photograph the celebration while also attempting to partake in it. It was the first time that I experienced a Gamecock pigskin victory over our dreaded backwoods orange rivals (and future Waffle House employees) from the Upstate. Several tears rolled down the side of my cheek as I stood motionless in awe, the screaming Gamecock faithful rushing by on the turf like hurricane Hugo. In the chaos my friend Amanda passed by for a moment and then returned as I stood like a statue in some pseudo pharmaceutical daze.
“What’s wrong Sean?” she asked.
A few moments passed before I realized what was happening.
“We beat Clemson… we beat Clemson… we won,” I uttered and grinned like Rosie O’Donnel in front of a table of doughnuts.
It was a good day. Much better than when that cold rain harassed me following the Rod Gardner push off as I trekked in solitude in the dark across the Clemson campus returning to my vehicle.
It was better than momma’s breakfast with no hog and it was better than this year. Well at least the second half of the season when we couldn’t play football in the first half of a game.
Carolina would make a return trip to the Outback Bowl that year after beating Clemson and I looked forward to the pleasures of Ybor City, the steak and potatoes in the press room at halftime and the “You’re nuts can’t hang with our Cocks” signs in sunny Tampa Bay. And I wanted to see Brutus again, what a silly mascot.
Once actually in Tampa I would consume too many vodka Red Bulls, meet Nick Carter at Club Fun the night he was arrested, and awake in some roach motel while some hooker pounded on the door next to us. Or maybe it was our door.
Happy New Year. And it was, past tense. This year there will be no game winning field goals for Carolina on New Year’s day. But the way things have transpired this season why would we want to subject ourselves to another heartbreaking Gamecock football game? Instead let us cheer on LSU and the rest of the conference as they prove they prove that the SEC is the nation’s toughest.
Like my fellow garnet bleeders another season has passed and we’ve cussed and swore, destroyed furniture and exchanged massive group high fives. With an emphasis on a lot of cussing and swearing.
So what will 2008 have in store for us Gamecock fans? Cussing and swearing for damn fucking sure. I’ll hit at least something with a baseball bat and throw back a few shots of Grandma. I can guarantee that. I’ve got faith though. You always have to have faith because when you don’t have a winning season that’s all that remains.
Next year man- next year.
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