Thursday, July 1, 2010

Here's a health, Carolina....

today is a day that me and millions around the world that calls themselves "gamecocks" will never forget. On Tuesday night, June 29, 2010, My... No, OUR South Carolina Gamecocks became, for the very first time, in a major sport, National Champions!!! It wasn't in basketball or football, it was in baseball, and it feels good. You can ask any gamecock fan, from the age of 2 to 100, this is what we've all have bee waiting for... we were waiting for the day to call ourselves champions of the nation. Last night, when I watched the game, I missed the game winner... but when I turned it back, I see the team in white and garnet celebrating... and honestly, it took me a minute to gather the fact that the team that I have been patiently, and passionately waiting on for 27 years of my life... I know of many people who have been waiting LONGER than that... a lot longer... but we ALL have waited to actually call ourselves National Champions. For the first time in the 209 year existence of the University of South Carolina, we can say what hundreds of other schools, with thousands of different champions in the major sports can all say, We, too, are national champions! After the game, I went out and celebrated, just like a bunch of other gamecocks around everywhere, and on the way to the bar, I seriously was misty-eyed, and I didn't know what to do... How is a champion suppose to react?! I honestly don't know, and still don't know... I just know that I enjoyed the night. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with, but I seriously had a blast. After the night, I got back online, and I was looking at the forum site that I'm a member of, and to read the happiness from everyone on there was enough to choke a horse... I seriously cried tears of joy for the first time in a long time.

Its evident that, in the south, primarily, fans are loyal, and passionate about there college and high school teams... Reason why, because, that's all we have! We have just those schools that are our juggernauts. These are the institutes of whom sports means so much to us. And some schools have all the luck... Some done, and not saying that we were ever unlucky or cursed, it was just evident that winning was always few and far between for my Gamecocks. We've had the big wins against Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Florida, Clemson, and a number of other schools in our history as a football program; We also had the number 1 ranking in basketball back in the day! South Carolina Basketball was top notch in those days... we were so good, that Michael Jordan was almost a Gamecock. But he went to be a Tar heel, and now he is THE GREATEST. We have always been right there in sports, but for the first time in the history, to be named National Champions in a men's major sport is mind-blowing! Maybe this is what we needed as fans...

For those who doubted, and played on the line of "woe-is-us" and the for the naysayers who didn't want to see this day, due to the heart breaking days of the past, They can finally shut up and just be happy like I am. I know its not a title in football, or basketball, but its a title nonetheless... it doesn't make it any less important... Its just as magical... Those young men have fought tooth and nail to hold on to that title, and to be called champions... And who knows... it might spark something into the rest of our teams, and we will have more than one champion in more than one sport. I always knew that this day would come... I always knew that we would finally be able to call ourselves THE BEST on the fields, courts, and pitch... And on Tuesday, that came true. :) We have the best fans in the world... we will always come back even after a loss, and we will always encourage our boys to do there best, even if it doesn't appear as if they did so. Us fans, embody the spirit of the Gamecock just like those kids who wear those pads, and jerseys. We have waited just as long, and fought just as hard as they did to be in the moment to be victorious! This is a great day for us who considers ourselves to be loyal, passionate, die hard, and patient... We can smile and cry, and just have an excuse to be more passionate for our Gamecocks... A great day for sure... One thing I hope will never happen to us... I hope we do not get big-headed, and egotistical as some of these other schools who have all these titles do... I hope we all stay loyal, stay patient, stay humble, and most importantly, stay hungry for the next one... its not once every 4 years we have a national champion, but we have once in a four-year time to put together magic. and hopefully, not only in baseball, but in basketball, football, soccer, golf, or whatever sport, we can do it again... I hope Pandora's Box was opened... cause its a great time to be a Gamecock fan. :) So to our Yardcocks: Forever to Thee. Thanks again for bringing a smile and a sigh of relief to all of us who calls ourselves Gamecocks. :)

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