If you can't beat em, join em.....ESPN and Clemson....(long)

Dec 28, 2015, 9:53 PM

A wise man once said, "You are standing at the doorway to greatness. Sooner or later, you're going to have to walk through."

That man was Dabo Swinney, and his words could not possibly be more accurate at this moment; We are on the verge of achieving elite status as a program. While those who follow college football know that Clemson has been on the rise for several years, the general public may not have fully bought into it just yet.

Until now.

The playoff has brought a new level of exposure that makes either of the previous two Orange Bowls look like the Sister Sadie Mae Dinkins Baptist Church "Virgin Mary" Punch Bowl. With this coverage, we are gaining an audience that may not tune-in to ESPN the way many of us do (seeking validation, and getting pissed that we "are disrespected") The National media has seen Clemson for what it truly is, and the marketability is astounding.

We have...

- A COACH...as genuine and humble as can be, yet quirky and odd and even more so, misunderstood. The guy is just likable, and the more you learn about him the more that feeling grows.

- A QUARTERBACK...a bona-fide star who is the true model of a "dual threat" QB that is so coveted and emulated in today's game. Humble and down to Earth, Deshaun Watson only becomes more and more fascinating as you learn his story. Sound familiar? Furthermore, he is not a diva or a drama queen a la Manziel and Winston.

- A recognizable BRAND...As if the paw wasn't iconic enough, the color orange is synonymous with Clemson, while it is merely a shared color for other schools. Clemson's color scheme is offbeat, which only adds to the marketability. Take a look at any of the shoes and cleats worn by recruits (or on the racks of any Nike store) Turquoise and yellow. Pink and green. Neon and chrome.....purple and orange? It fits.

- A good IMAGE...Yes, I know. Clemson was long known for the sanctions of days past, and some stubborn older folks who may have disliked Clemson still hold onto that. But for all who can see for themselves, Dabo truly is one of, if not the most, honest and clean coaches in college football. I don't need to go into detail, we all get it and know the evidence. Now the outside world does too.

- A passionate FANBASE...Not as large of a following as programs like Ohio St, Michigan, ND, Texas, etc, but that only makes Clemson all the more intriguing. Our stadium and gameday traditions/tailgating scene are second to none, with one of the most beautiful campuses to boot. Also included in this category is an athletic department that is 110% committed to the financial needs of the type of program that Clemson aspires to be, which is typically uncharacteristic for a school of Clemson's (relatively) small size.

All of which add up to...

- A sellable PRODUCT...Reputable academics, a breathtaking campus & stadium, an authentic face of the program & star players both past and present, Clemson is the complete package when it comes to "sleeping giants" in the college football world.

Except this giant no longer sleeps.

A second wise man once said, "Clemson is coming." Looking back in time, Stephone Anthony's prophecy was echoed by Dabo two later. We have now arrived at the doorway to greatness, and the world has taken notice and is ready for us to step through. And boy, what a setup we have in front of us...

A date with 1(2) of college football's elite

The chance to cement Clemson as one of college football's premier programs.

The chance to completely erase the term CLEMSONING from the vocabulary of every inbread mouth-breathing kool-aid drinking sorry a$$ journalist or fan on this entire Godforsaken planet.....

Now riddle me this...what if ESPN, deep down in their black, bottomless, SEC loving hearts, has also taken notice of what Clemson has to offer? For years, they profited off of us as a punching bag...coining the "C WORD" and throwing it around at every opportunity that presented itself. All year, they sat and watched and prayed that we would slip up. They probably almost creamed their collective panties when ND lined up for 3 points in a spontaneous monsoon, or when the coots "almost came back and only lost by 5," or when we were (not) called for offsides against UNC....but to no avail.

Maybe they have thrown in the towel. Maybe they want to pump us and pimp us the way they do Alabama. They know we have DW for another year and a host of studs on deck. Problem is, they need us to validate ourselves while they remain skeptical. I can almost imagine them salivating when the Clemson - Oklahoma matchup was announced....

BOB STOOPS, aka, "Public Enemy #1" is the Luke Skywalker to their Darth Vader. Nothing would delight them more than a beatdown on the biggest stage imaginable. How can they help make it happen? Simple:

Step 1: Tout Oklahoma as the "hottest team in America" and proceed to justify them as the favorite to not only win the first one, but the whole thing itself. Inflate OU's ego while feeding us bulletin board material

Step 2: Bulletin Board Buffet - In the days leading up to the game, continue to encourage and publicize trash talk from the Oklahoma players. Highlight the individual matchups for key players a la Sheppard, Mayfield, and the D lineman. We have seen a lot of teams talk this year, and we have seen all 13 teams lose. Talk won't get in our heads or distract us, but it can certainly get to the other guys. They now have the added pressure of living up to their own words. Big mistake.

Step 3: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show as Clemson rides a big 2nd half and wins 41 - 24

After relishing in Stoops' misery, they will then hold a vigil in the hopes that Alabama beats Michigan State...this for two reasons:

1. Further validate Alabama as a contender

and

2. Set the stage for Clemson

That's right. They will trumpet Bama as the favorite in the week leading up to the game, only to offer up their sacrificial lamb to the beast that is CLEMSON. Bama ain't gettin it done anymore, Ohio State is a mess, and they need a new favorite to ride into 2016 and beyond. A favorite that is set up to continue to win BIG. What better way to validate the newest giant than a win over their beloved Alabama in the championship game?

And hey, they also know that it's still a win-win for them. If Bama wins, they can finally validate us with a "quality loss," the only thing we have lacked from our schedule all year. With this, they can still rank us #1 in their FPI despite losing the title game based on the argument that we "only lost to Bama, so that might as well be a win."

You see, my friends? ESPN is a BUSINESS.

JOURNALISM takes a backseat to PROFIT in the Capitalist world of Walt Disney Inc. In other words, anybody who thinks ESPN or any other media outlet isn't biased in some way is out of their freakin mind. They have long profited off of us as comic relief, now they are ready to hop on the bandwagon and Cadence Count all the way to the to the bank while Dabo hoists the trophy and rides off into the sunset

Let them say what they want. They know what's coming. They've had forewarning.

Like I said before, If you can't beat em, join em!

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If you can't beat em, join em.....ESPN and Clemson....(long)

Re: If you can't beat em, join em.....ESPN and Clemson....(long)

Exactly! Did you steal my pitch "CU2013"?! ??

Well said.....***

Re: Well said.....***

Thanks!***

Give this man a Master's degree! TU. +1

Re: Give this man a Master's degree! TU. +1

Yep, very nice piece... +1.***

Thank you

so it's all actually been a giant conspiracy to promote...

Yep....

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