Clemson and GAME DAY!

To preface this post, it might be of some use to know that I came from a family whose father was the furthest person from a sports fan.  Our home growing up, had more of a library theme than a sports hall of fame.  I was the only one in my family to try sports as a kid.  Little league baseball in elementary school, basketball in jr. high school, and golf in high school.  My dad did not attend any of those events, that I recall.  Although I wonder how my adolescence may have been different had he been more supportive of me in athletics, he did not prevent me from trying any of them.  The only evidence of sports equipment I discovered in our basement were his golf clubs, that he claimed to use every ten years...sort of like his "annual" beer.  Other than playing with kids in the neighborhood, the biggest sports influence growing up was my new brother-in-law John, who was all about sports.  He got us into the front yard and organized touch football games and taught me to play golf.  I did not attend a big sports university (Go Mules!) and most students split on weekends, including me.  Tailgating was as foreign to me as foreign language.  To summarize...I liked sports growing up, but didn't have as much exposure to them to become the radical body painted fan you may see on TV in the stadium, vibrating wildly after a home team score...or maybe that is just the alcohol?

If you have kept up with these posts over time, you may well remember that Miki's nieces, Callie and Grace, go to Clemson, home of the Tigers, in South Carolina and are well into their second year there.  When Miki planned to help out at Bunny's this time, we also made plans to travel to Clemson to visit the twins to see where home was for the next few years before we headed back home.  The plot thickens by an invitation from Miki's brother, who lives in the Charleston, SC area, to attend a home football game while we were there.  After spending a couple of successful days fishing on the Upper Nany, I didn't think things could get any more exciting (I need to get out more!).

Upon arriving in the Clemson area, after saying goodbye to our friends in western North Carolina, we tracked down our lodging near a small town called Westminster.  It was a rental we found that would let us bring the boys and give them a place to stay while we got to experience Clemson and visit family.  Imagine a lake community (huge lake), where the roads meander  around the lake shore and you keep your eyes peeled for deer on the road late at night.  Our navigation app on our Droid lead us to the end of a road where there was a gate.  There appeared to be some nicer new homes in the area, but I didn't remember anything about going through a gate.  Long story short (made longer), we pull up to the gate and it automatically opens, we pull in and we see the owner nearby.  His story made short...they built the rental while building the one they are in next door and now rent this one. The pictures we saw on the internet did not do it justice.  I could not believe that the dogs would be spending more time in this place than we would.  Right on Lake Hartwell, the owners and the other two or three families with homes in this little gated peninsula have obviously done well for themselves.

Not terribly imposing, but I guess discourages the riffraff.

Through the nice landscaping, the owners home is on the left and the rental
on the right.

The lake side of the rental.

We unpacked the car, got the dogs settled in, and called the girls to make plans to meet.  Agreeing to a 3:00 rendezvous on campus, we thought we would relax for a minute.  This was cut short after looking at the clock on the stove and realizing we did not have as much time as we thought.  A 40 minute drive got us our first look at Clemson University.  Checking the time again, some how we had GAINED AN HOUR that no one else did.  Turns out, the stove clock had not been reset after daylight saving time the previous weekend.  So with an extra hour to spare, we did what any time challenged individuals would do...we decided we would drive around for an hour.  It took us about thirty minutes to realize we just needed to call the girls and admit they had idiots for an aunt and uncle.  Callie was gracious enough to drop what she was doing (studying I believe for a test...oops! sorry Callie) and put on her host hat early.  We met under the clock tower, which we knew exactly it's whereabouts, due to our self guided campus driving tour.  At that point, our Clemson weekend took off.

After collecting Grace, who had been arranging a parking pass, the girls gave us a walking tour of the campus, including where their classes were, the library (their home away from the dorm), the best places to make out (just kidding mom and dad...not really), and we ended at their dorm.  As it sits right across from the football stadium, it has an awesome view from the 4th floor.

The common area overlooking the stadium on game day...
can you tell one of the school colors?

We continued a driving tour of the rest of the campus (including a fun little game of moving their cars (worthy of its own blog posting!), something they do for home games) until it was time to meet up with mom and dad (Marty and Kathleen).  We ended the day at a tasty Mexican restaurant and made plans for following day.

GAME DAY
As a novice to on campus game day culture and the fact it was homecoming weekend, we had made plans to meet at the girls church parking lot, where we would park and tailgate, then work our way over to the stadium for the game later in the day.  The color of the day was ORANGE and lots of it.  I participated by wearing some orange shorts and a Clemson hat the girls bestowed upon me at an earlier date.  I was looking good, but not necessarily outside of this moment in time, but I fit right in.  I avoided face and body painting, only because I wanted to stay with the rest of the family.  

When Marty and Kathleen arrived, the vehicles were parked butt to butt, which made for a cozy tailgating space.  The girls had a number of friends that found and visited with us, along with others that knew Marty and the family from work.

After eating, visiting, and more eating, we headed for the campus via downtown to try and score a purple wind shirt to compliment the vast amount of orange above and below my torso.  I struck out, but Miki got a baseball hat.

The main drag, headed toward campus.

As we trekked across campus, we passed stationery homecoming floats that had something to do with a theme we could not figure out.

Further across campus, we came to the amphitheater where the marching band, cheerleaders, and baton twirlers (really?) were pumping up the crowd at a pep rally...maybe not so much pumping up as putting out an entertainingly positive vibe.

The pond behind had been known to be orange on game day.

We continue across campus and towards the stadium where I encounter cheerleaders as the street is lined with fans awaiting the marching band as they too head for the stadium.

She was quite taken by me, not in an abduction kind of way (pun intended)...
maybe it was the orange shorts?

Soon the marching band came down the hill, joined by alumni band members, as they were celebrating some landmark (who cares)...let's get on with GAME DAY!

Most every available space around and on campus is used as a tailgating spot.  This area is right outside Callie's dorm room window.

The trailer in the center actually has two big screen televisions on the outside
along with a fully stocked bar nonetheless. 

We make it to the stadium and are welcomed by throngs of fans sporting the colors of the day.  Don't confuse that with being welcomed by fans sporting thongs, wearing colors and being gay.  Two totally different game days and places, I'm sure.

Throngs seen in all directions entering the stadium as kickoff nears.

In search of Marty's boss, we scan rows and rows of tailgating fans and signs of Clemson Tigers everywhere you look.

We head into the stadium on a warm, southern November day as the Clemson Tigers take on the Maryland Terrapins...that's right...Terrapins (turtles living in fresh water).  How do you even get psyched up for a game if you are a turtle...maybe a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but just a terrapin?  Okay, no more judgement here, other than what is still floating around in my head...in fresh water!

Okay, as kickoff is minutes away,  the team crowds into one end of the stadium where there is a rock they all rub as they enter the stadium and run down to the field (you'll have to google the whole story behind it).  The stadium is a sea of orange and would challenge Arrowhead Stadium for size and spirit any game day.

The students are packed on either side of the isle the players are about to run down.

The fans, the band, and balloons greet the team as they enter the stadium.  Notice the words between the upper and lower deck of the stadium...

Death Valley!  Not as arid as I imagined (sorry!  bad joke)

More pomp and circumstance, introductions are made, and the game begins against the turtles Terrapins.

It is apparent, as the game begins, that the three Maryland fans that made it to the game have been seated in the right place, because they are directly in front of the Maryland cheerleaders and their mascot, that made the journey with the team that is now having their ass handed to them by the TIGERS only minutes into the first quarter.  If you are going to travel hundreds of miles to support your nieces educational endeavors, this was the way to do it, by kicking turtles to the curb!  

Really?  For three fans?  Really?

The game was exciting, we had great seats (thank you Marty and Kathleen!) and at half time, the girls found their way from the students rowdy section to ours.

While the Terrapins contemplate getting a different mascot for next year as they leave the stadium, with a 45 to 10 loss to the Tigers, the fans rushed the field and we headed out.

Not only did we have a great day, with a great victory, with great family, but then we were treated to some great BBQ at a kind of after party tailgate sponsored by Callie and Grace's church.  Man was that good stuff...topped off with brownies to die for!  Before we would need a fork lift to carry us off campus to our cars, we stopped eating and walked a couple of calories off as we headed back to where it all began in the morning, the church parking lot.  

We hugged and said our goodbyes.  And as Miki and I drove back to our rental it was comforting to know and see where the girls were continuing to grow up and see them turning into some great young ladies.  Growing up in a family where athletics was not as appreciated as other aspirations, today was a pretty exciting day.



My Zen from the Road:  You are what you eat is just as true as you are who you hang out with.  It was nice to see Grace and Callie surrounding themselves with good people.  Now where is that bag of Snickers?