Do Clemson fans 'get it'? You better believe it

Mike Sturgis writes at Tigernet about the gameday experience at Death Valley -- even for a less-than-stellar opponent:

College football is a celebration that comes only to your campus but seven times a season. It’s the pageantry, the tailgating, the game, the post-game tailgating, and the lasting and lifelong memories. ... I was impressed with the crowd at Clemson last time out. It was South Carolina State, it was 12:37, and it was hot. Minus a small pocket of empty seats where visiting fans sit, Death Valley was full. Just twenty minutes earlier David Hood and I commented it looked like there would be a “whole lot of no shows”. That did not happen because Clemson fans get it.

Read the whole thing.

Running down the Hill: The entire sequence

Now that the whole world loves Clemson following its thrilling 38-35 victory over Georgia on Saturday night, here's a video that's really blowing up on social media. It's from ABC/ESPN's broadcast of the game, and it's the entire running-down-the-Hill sequence -- the bus ride from the locker room to the actual sprint into the stadium. It captures a lot of angles I've never seen before. Enjoy.

Students waiting for UGA tickets break out the 'C-L-E-M' chant

That's school spirit, baby.

Man charged in Howard's Rock case won't leave school board

Michael Rodgers, who is a member of the Transylvania (N.C.) County School Board, says he's a victim of injustice in the Howard's Rock vandalism case against his son, Micah:

“My determination to find the truth has resulted in me being charged with a crime that I absolutely did not commit,” Michael Rogers wrote. “Unfortunately my role in trying to find the truth has led to these allegations.”

Michael Rodgers, who is also a Baptist pastor, is charged with obstructing justice by advising his son and others involved in the case "to be untruthful about their actions when questioned by law enforcement."

The NCAA decides whether you can call a sandwich 'Tajh'

Good Lord:

In an attempt to stay neutral in the uber-divisive Clemson vs. South Carolina football rivalry, one SC restaurant might have actually gone and upset both schools. Daniel Island Grille has been serving dishes named after three current NCAA football players – the Tigers’ Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins and the Gamecocks’ Jadeveon Clowney. The move is clearly an NCAA violation, as schools must give permission to use their athletes’ names in any commercial activities.

Sigh. (H/T College Spun)

USA TODAY says Clemson among top 10 stadium scenes

Pretty heady company:

Memorial Stadium, Clemson: Dubbed the 25 most exciting seconds in college football, the Tigers gather at the top of a hill and each player touches Howard's Rock as he sprints down to the field.

Check out the whole gallery here, courtesy of my employer.

People like their Clemson gear

Tigernet is reporting that Clemson ranks 24th in royalties for merchandise sales of things such as T-shirts, hats and so on. Keep buying that orange stuff, folks.

Tiger fan, Gamecock fan hype rivalry on national TV

York County? No, New York. A funny thing happened on the Today show on Thursday:

During a segment with host Savannah Guthrie taking questions from the crowd outside the studio for psychologist Dr. Gail Saltz, two men let their collegiate affiliations known behind a woman who is prepared to ask a question. One of the men holds up his iPhone, which shows a photo of the iconic Clemson Tiger paw. A few feet away, another man, who is wearing a South Carolina Gamecocks polo shirt, holds up four fingers to indicate the number of times the Gamecocks have beaten the Tigers in the past few years.

You can take the boys out of the Palmetto State...

Clemson, USC's rankings help state rake in the money

Interesting story and video on the economic impact to the state of South Carolina on having two college football teams ranked in the Top 10.

Clemson fan live-tweets his trip to the hospital

UPDATED BELOW: Clemson Tom, a huge Tiger fan who talks a lot of smack on Twitter and does some hilarious videos, had a little health problem today while in Las Vegas, and he tweeted about it:

It started with some food poisoning. And got worse:

I feel like Spencer Shuey just "Goldburg style" tackled me in the stomach. I've never felt this bad. The flight home could get interesting
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

He alerted his hotel:

@Cosmopolitan_LV might wanna check some of the fish at Blue Ribbon. I've got food poisoning
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And then called a doctor:

And now I'm going to the doctor...
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And then:

I need an ambulance
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And then:

Dehydrated laying in the sidewalk. My hotel wouldn't pay for a cab. The Hilton man picked me up, walked me to the hospital.
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And then:

Cant express my anger. I can't walk, drink water, and y'all wouldn't pay for a cab to drive me .5 miles, when its you're fault I'm sick?
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And then:

They got me on 2 IVs. I'm better now. Thanks for all your tweets. I've never felt that bad in my life
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

And finally, the Foursquare check-in:

I'm at Harmon Medical Center (Las Vegas, NV) http://t.co/J0dZB8uxhT
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

UPDATE: All's well that ends well:

Haha The hotel sent a limo to pick me up from the hospital to take me back to the hotel
— Clemson Tom (@ClemsonTom) August 6, 2013

Clemson Tom, I hope you feel better soon.

The Esso Club: Where there's always a tailgate party

UpstateToday.com has a nice feature about everyone's favorite Clemson bar, the legendary Esso Club:

Esso started out as a gas station and a bar before it ever became a restaurant. Before 1933, the only known building on the property was a fruit stand. That year a gas station was built, with the gas pumps sitting alongside Highway 93 where there is now a stop sign. Sometime between 1940 and 1952 a bar was installed, and between 1956 and 1958 Esso was the only place in Clemson customers could go in, sit down and have a beer. In the 1980s, Esso stopped selling gas (a full history is available at www.theessoclub.com).

I've enjoyed many a cold beer there through the years.

Football's worst-kept secret revealed: GameDay to Clemson

They tweeted it out in a photo, so it's got to be true, right?

And via TigerNet, here's the official confirmation.

Twitter talk: 'How many UGA students' edition

16 University of Georgia students indicted in fake ID ring. Giveaway that it was UGA students was when they spelled "ID" wrong.
— Richard Chinnis (@rchinnis) August 3, 2013

Twitter talk: Serious Clemson fandom

Seen on Twitter:

There’s a group of guys tailgating in Lot 4 for the 1st practice. Looks like those guys are all in. Where’s everyone else? #Clemson #BeatUGA
— Sons of Clemson (@SonsOfClemson) August 2, 2013

Wow.

Desmond Howard confirms: GameDay at Clemson for UGA game

Tigernet, which seems to watch a lot more ESPN than I do, has a report confirming that GameDay will be in Tigertown on Aug. 31 for the Clemson-Georgia game:

Yesterday (Thursday) on ESPN's College Football Live today, ESPN Analyst Desmond Howard confirmed that ESPN's College Gameday will be in Clemson on August 31. 

All righty then!

Clemson vs. Georgia: The trailer!

I've seen a couple of these out there, but I want to know -- where is the "red band trailer"?
 

Audio: Dabo Swinney says UGA game could be tight

In a radio interview with The Mac Attack on WFNZ in Charlotte, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says the Aug. 31 contest with Georgia will "come down to a few plays."

Listen here.

Book preview: 'Where the Tigers Play'

Check out this video previewing an updated version of Where the Tigers Play. The book, which is a comprehensive history of all Clemson sports, goes on sale on Thursday (Aug. 1).

If you love Clemson (the town), you'll love this

Wikipedia

A former Miss Downtown Clemson who blogs at Heartfelt Confessions revisits Tigertown:

It’s like an old, faithful friend that never changes. No matter how long you’ve gone between seeing each other, you pick up right where you left off.  I made sure to visit some of my favorite spots like the Amphitheater, Tillman Hall and Bowman Field. Of course, downtown is a “must see” spot when wandering around the green hills of Clemson’s campus. 

Be sure to check out her great photos of downtown Clemson today, then contrast them with photos from yesteryear.

What if Clemson and Auburn traded mascots?

Sports Illustrated's Campus Union has the hypothetical details:

1. Clemson trades The Tiger to Auburn for Aubie the Tiger and a repair to Howard’s Rock: Foul things are afoot in Clemson, and seeing as Auburn has been there, done that with regard to vandalism after Harvey Updyke and Toomer’s Corner, the school knows exactly how to make things right at Howard’s Rock. All Auburn asks in return is a jolt to jumpstart its program under new coach Gus Malzahn. Who better to inject a little energy than the Clemson tiger, known affectionately to EDSBS readers as “8-Ball”? This is a win-win for both teams if you ask me. – MR

Clearly, some writers are ready for them to tee up the football.