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YOUR BALANCE
Three National Championship
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Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 7:56 PM

Sitting in the Orange Bowl in 1981, I witnessed Clemson's first football national championship. It was a feeling of euphoria, the first ever for a school many people probably did not know existed. The storied victim was Nebraska, a team most people thought would take little olde Clemson behind the woodshed. But the Tigers would not be denied. My wife and one of my daughters were on Cloud 1009. The ride back to Clemson seemed so short. We hurriedly made a sign of the final score and stuck it in the rear window for everyone to see. The smile on my face was probably akin to that of a braying jacka$$. It took several months before I could actually get to sleep before reliving every play in that game.

For years and years I suffered through those "so-so" seasons, wonxdering if there would be another national championzship in my life time. And then came the 2016 season, a seaason with one loss but we took Ohio State to the cleaners and made it to the finals for the second year in a row. And there in Tampa, without my presence, were those Red Eleohants again. The last five minutes of the game was like a yo-yo. We scored a touchdown to go ahead and I thought we had the game won. But no, the Tide marched down the field to take a three point lead with about two minutes remaining. My heart jumped to the moon. So close to victory and the sky falls. It was now time to put the six-shooter away and bring out the big canons. And that is just what the Tigers did. Watson diced the Tide's DB's as we rolled down the field like a run-away freight train. And then, with the clock about to run out of ticks, Watson found Hunter, our glue fingered, 11th. year walk-on, orange and purple shirt, in the corner of the end zone with one second left. My heart, which moments earlier had reached the moon, came flying back and my whole body got a momentary glimpse of heaven.

And now our recent victory in California. I wasn't there in body but I was there in spirit. Two national championships within three years? I thought I had gone to heaven. I pinched myself to see if that were true and discovered I was still earth bound. That, in itselt, made me a winner but the best was the game itself and the final score. Our Tigers played one of the most perfect games I have ever witnessed. They made the greatest team to ever play the game and the best coaching staff ever(according to many so-called experts) look like a high school team and staff. How could this be? If one would watch closely when the cameras were focused on the Clemson sideline, the answer was in plain view. They saw a team and coaching staff having fun and a team and staff showing their love for each other. There is a new sheriff in town and like Andy of Mayberry, he doesn't carry a gun. He doesn't need a gun when he has a QB on the field firing bullets and WRs catching those bullets with one hand.

All this and the best is yet to come.

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Re: Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 8:01 PM

Joe, once again you hit the nail on the head. Good for you sir and once again thanks for your service.

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Re: Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 8:09 PM

I am still dancing !!!

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Re: Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 9:12 PM

Well said. I,too, have lived through the many ups and downs from 1946 to the present. I am so happy that we have reached near the top of the mountain during my “ senior” years and I look forward enjoying the ride to the top.Tbe best is yet to come. I have enjoyed many things that few get to experience. Three National Championshipa
by the Tigers, two basketball National Championships by the NCSU Wolfpack, and the Stanley Cup by the Carolina Hurricanes. OK, no sarcastic comments about the WolfPack, they paid my salary for years. But, I left no doubt who I was pulling for when Clemson played State.

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Re: Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 9:39 PM

We have lived in a retirement community for the past four years. On Tuesday night after the game when we walked into the dinning room we were greeted with spontaneous applausee. The Tigers had lots of support, except the Ohio State guy and a few TarHeels. Tonight a friend told me to wipe the grin off my face,It’s been two weeks. A retired surgeon and big TarHeel stopped by our table on Monday before the game and asked if I wanted to bet on the game, no points. Of coarse I said yes. The next night when I stopped by his table to collect, his wife said,” You bet on Alabama? You dummy”.

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Re: Three National Championship


Jan 17, 2019, 9:50 PM

Love your writing Joe.

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