Replies: 19
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Orange Blooded [2847]
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I saw Clemson lose twice this week.......and I loved it
Feb 14, 2005, 9:50 AM
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And I'll be honest. I loved every second of it.
Let me explain....
Tuesday night I fell into some tickets from a good friend of mine, and I was able to take a disadvantaged 15 year old to Littlejohn who had never been to a game before. Here is a kid who in the past 2 years has moved more times than I have in all my time on this planet. He lives in the same town as his mom and his dad, but currently lives with niether.
Can you imagine that?
So Tuesday after an 10 hour day at work, I drove an hour from his house to Littlejohn, parked, and walked to the game. The kid was so excited you would have thought it was The Final 4. When walking around Littlejohn, he had this reverent hush about him, like he was walking around The Sistine Chapel.
My Tiger Brethren, right then and there I wanted to hit my knees and ask God for forgiveness. You see, I have a tendency to be the worst loser in the history of sport. I get pi$$ed if I lose at cards, sports or anything. I get pi$$ed at Kelvin grant for dropping balls, I get pi$$Ed at Mike O'Cain for not running the ball in Durham, and I get pi$$ed at Olu for shanking jump shots.
But here this kid is, and he has seen 2 games in Death Valley his entire life, and now 1 game in Littlejohn. He was having the time of his life. We both cheered our freaking voices out. We saw a scrappy Clemson team fight for their postseason lives in the first half, and we saw the same Clemson team do what Freshman do in the second half. But to my friend, he didn't care, what mattered was he was there. He loved it.
And my attitude changed forever more. The whole way home he was talking about Moore's dunk, Hammonds defense, anything else. Listening to him, you would have thought we won. I had to smile. The kid flashed his ivory teeth upon leaving, and I had to smile back. Win or lose I am a Tiger, and now, so is he.
So Friday night, the future Mrs. Pole and I stuffed ourselves on ribs at Sardi's, woke up, went to the Miami game, cheered our fool heads off, left Littlejohn and ate cheeseburger's at Macs. My young friend would have killed to be there, and so I thanked The Good Lord for letting me be there, win or lose. . . . . . . . . Now, to you idiots that think Coach Purnell isn't 'the man' there is no hope for you. You are an idiot, and I wish you'd leave Tigernet forever, or until your attitude changes. If you can't see that the athleticism, talent, speed, intensity and everything else is improving, than like I said, You are hopelessly stupid. The disaster of a program that Larry Shyatt left OP can't be fixed with one recruiting class. He is building the correct way. If you can't see that, then give me your tickets, b/c I have a hundred kids that would kill to go. Win or lose.
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Scholar [4406]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Joined: 10/10/02
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Great Post!***
Feb 14, 2005, 9:57 AM
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110%er [5627]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Joined: 6/11/02
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Nice............***
Feb 14, 2005, 9:57 AM
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Scholar [4406]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 6853
Joined: 10/10/02
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Some people don't realize the value sports can have . . .
Feb 14, 2005, 10:05 AM
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I'm in college now, but in high school and my first 2 years of college i was an umpire for youth baseball in Anderson. I loved it. I loved being on a baseball field and getting paid to watch baseball, but the kids were my favorite. Seeing how happy it made them was awesome. I remember one kid. He was in a 4-wheeler accidendt a couple years earlier but his doctors wanted him to play baseball just for the friendship and to get outdoors. He couldn't swing. He either walked or struckout, but everytime he came up to the plate he would turn around and smile at me or my umpiring partner. Well the last game of the season he finally swung and fouled the pitch off. If you only could have seen the smile on his and his mother's faces. I wanted to give him a big hug. Before the season, my partner and I had decided that would be our last season calling rec ball. Needless to say after that, it wasn't.
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Orange Blooded [2565]
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Joined: 2/1/99
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Re: I saw Clemson lose twice this week.......and I loved it
Feb 14, 2005, 10:06 AM
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This is the way real Clemson fans are born. AMEN!
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null [269]
TigerPulse: null%
Posts: 255
Joined: 2/8/05
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Whoever voted this post down
Feb 14, 2005, 10:19 AM
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Obviously did not read the entire post. I suggest that you go back and read the entire post and you might want to changge your mind or apologize.
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Orange Blooded [2847]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 2049
Joined: 8/8/00
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appreciate it, but points are meaningless......
Feb 14, 2005, 10:25 AM
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Just want people to know that there is more to life than whether or not you like OP's motion offense. I tend to be a tad miopic sometimes as well.
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110%er [5627]
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Joined: 6/11/02
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Just curious..., but how can you tell that someone voted
Feb 14, 2005, 10:26 AM
[ in reply to Whoever voted this post down ] |
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the post down? Whoever did is a jacka$$, but there are plenty of those on here.
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null [269]
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Joined: 2/8/05
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Re: Just curious..., but how can you tell that someone voted
Feb 14, 2005, 11:08 AM
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Because it has a 9.26 ranking, if everyone voted the post up then it would have a 10 ranking.
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Legend [18310]
TigerPulse: 79%
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Joined: 11/3/03
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Commissioner [976]
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Amen, brother.. would you be my daddy?***
Feb 14, 2005, 10:19 AM
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Orange Blooded [4098]
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Joined: 7/1/97
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Re: I saw Clemson lose twice this week.......and I loved it
Feb 14, 2005, 10:26 AM
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POLE, good for you and I understand what U are saying!! things like that help make us all see just what we have and make us see that we need to be thankful!!U will remember taking that kid to that game the rest of your live and he will too!!thanks from your Tiger brothers!!
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null [87]
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Joined: 8/13/99
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Well said!***
Feb 14, 2005, 10:42 AM
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CU Guru [1565]
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Joined: 8/25/03
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Great post, you really put in perspective.......
Feb 14, 2005, 11:06 AM
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that we all can get too emotional sometimes about the game and we should just enjoy the fact that we can go see our beloved Tigers play.
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All-American [561]
TigerPulse: 66%
Posts: 1320
Joined: 3/18/02
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Nothing like taking a kid to Clemson.
Feb 14, 2005, 11:06 AM
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They could care less if we win or lose.I've never seen them to upset to play after a game.You did good with the kid & he will never forget it.We all need to take a kids view sometimes.
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Starter [366]
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Posts: 438
Joined: 11/30/98
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I take two kids 8 & 5 to just about every game..
Feb 14, 2005, 12:11 PM
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we drive from Atlanta and they bring a unique perspective to experience - they both play in church and/or rec. leagues so they view the games from a "how do they do that?" perspective. Of course, they are becoming indoctrinated and receiving their orange blood transfusion early. For instance, last Friday the entire family was at a church conference in Atlanta when a man with a SCU identified garnet windshirt came in and sat near us - as he was walking by my 8 year-old simply stared the cadence and spelled out C-L-E-M-S-O-N T-I-G-E-R-S fight tigers,etc. then told him he shouldn't wear a shirt like that in church. From the mouths of babes...
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Legend [18310]
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Joined: 11/3/03
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We, IMO, cannot have too many Tigers with your superlative
Feb 14, 2005, 11:34 AM
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attitude. You truly made my day!!
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Orange Blooded [3632]
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Joined: 1/20/02
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Well said, I'm glad you got the chance to experience that!!!
Feb 14, 2005, 11:54 AM
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I get mad at the same things, but there are more and more positives than negatives each year and the future's looking better.
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All-TigerNet [12763]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 20268
Joined: 10/16/00
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Great post. I know what you mean.
Feb 14, 2005, 12:17 PM
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We took our 6 yr old nephew (triad resident) to the Duke game last year. I have to get his blood orange so he can defend himself from the likes of the tarholes. The outcome of the game itself was terrible, but I enjoyed going to that game more than any other last year now that I've had the chance to reflect. This was his first college football game and while it wasn't in a large venue, he thought it was the Super Bowl. He looked forward to it for weeks. I couldn't take him to DV because of his soccer schedule. He still talks about that Duke game and how we'll get 'em next year. Now he says he's not playing soccer so that he can go to every Clemson game next year. I'm not sure how that will turn out, but I can't wait to give him a weekend in Clemson and see the look on his face when the Tigers run down that hill as Death Valley erupts!
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CU Guru [1959]
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Posts: 1650
Joined: 1/8/01
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Awesome!! We need more fans like you sir!*******
Feb 15, 2005, 8:54 AM
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Replies: 19
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