My opinion on all this Non grad vs grad Clemson fans....

Apr 19, 2010, 7:15 PM

you would never have heard this kind of talk 10, 20, 30 years ago among Clemson fans. Basically this all stems from President Barker's obsession with making Clemson this elite university according to standards of magazines like US news and world report. But if you look at these rankings closely you find out there pretty phony. I was reading a publication that had a different take on college rankings and they had Texas A & M rated as the number one school in the country based on there contributions to the american economy and the fact they bring in students from all segments of society, including low income students. So in the first place it is not a good tactic to be making decisions based on getting higher rankings on phony list.
So now the academic side of things brags about these rankings all the time now, even though with a little research you find out these rankings are really meaningless. So some recent Clemson grads and current Clemson students, believing the hype of these meaningless rankings, think that they are apart of some elite group and feel the need to demean Clemson fans who did not attend Clemson. These recent grads and former students have a feeling of superiority to Clemson fans who did not attend Clemson. Lets face it each fan that did not attend Clemson have multiple reasons or factors which prevented them from attending Clemson, so there really is no point in discussing that.
And yes Clemson fans who did attend did get to experience something different from Clemson fans who did not attend. But that doesn't make them any better than Clemson fans who did not attend.
Another example of fracture in the Clemson family, is the way the marching band has gotten the shaft from the university the past 10 years. About 10 years ago the marching band's budget got slashed big time, lowering the number of band members. I remember the director of the marching banding lamenting this, stating that by the motto at the time Clemson was one family, but the band was getting done wrong. This is a situation that has been down right pathetic. When SC State played us in the 2008 season their marching band far outnumbered ours, this from a school that has significantly less funds than our university does.
Another thing for the Clemson grads demeaning Clemson fans who did not attend Clemson. The reality of it is without us you probably would have never attended Clemson in the first place. The money we spend on IPTAY, athletic events, and clothing and other apparel far outweighs any tuition you ever paid to Clemson. Since you went to Clemson you should be understand this concept I'm about to present. Anytime something with Clemson on it, whether its clothes, figurines, a flag, furniture, sticker, or anything else, Clemson gets a cut of the money. See for these companies to sell products with Clemson's name they have to pay a licensing agreement. The money from this greatly enriches the university. So all this money us non grad Clemson fans spend has helped the academic side of things also.
Also a major attraction for Clemson over the years to prospective students has been the fan atmosphere at athletic events. With out this atmosphere and attraction and the money made off of this Clemson would be a much smaller school, lessening the chances that some of you grad Clemson fans would have ever attended Clemson in the first place. And with out non grad Clemson fans this atmosphere would never exist.
Not only do you see Clemson fans going against each other on this board, you see at athletic events. Fans talking trash to each other even though they pull for the same team. This kind of stuff you wouldn't have saw 10, 20, 30 years ago among the Clemson family. You don't see this among other schools fans, and this should definitely should not be happening among Clemson fans.
To end this long post being a Clemson fan isn't what it used to be. Being a Clemson fan used mean you were in lock step with your fellow Clemson fans.
So stop all this ridiculous bickering and pull for Clemson in lock step with your fellow Clemson fans to beat whomever WE play. ONE CLEMSON, ONE FAMILY.

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I think this makes for good argument. As a student myself at a different school, I can see where grads and students can say that non grads should never have a say so in the academic body of Clemson. At the same time, if you pay taxes in the state of SC, you should have a say so in how your tax dollars are spent, but this just brings in more a larger debate on what money is used to build and invest in Clemson University. Though I do have to say that this debate should never spill over onto gamedays when all our fans should be united against who ever is unfortunate to line up against us in Death Valley, Littlejohn, etc. My personal take on the matter is that if anybody ever downs someone for not graduating from Clemson and is wearing the same Orange they have on, that person should go F*** his/herself.

My opinion on all this Non grad vs grad Clemson fans....

The only thing different than 10, 20, or 30 years ago is

yes sir, the more things change

Amen. I was a student 33 years ago, and I was thinking the

You mean there was a bar it the student union ??????

Lots of folks don't.***

I have two degrees from Clemson

I don't think anyone said it makes you a better fan. I

Craziest arguement ever ...

Obviously not when you have a job but if you don't think the

Re: My opinion on all this Non grad vs grad Clemson fans....

Re: My opinion on all this Non grad vs grad Clemson fans....

My opinion on your post.

Re: My opinion on your post.

I'm not interested enough to read

need a degree for that...***

I agree in part but

nailed it***

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