The first Clemson home game is Saturday, and if you live in South Carolina, you know how big of a deal this day is.
Clemson. Game day. Death Valley, the real one. Where orange is not just a color but a way of life. Where you can witness the most exciting 25 seconds in football. Where you can witness the best team in the state.
Football in the south is kind of a big deal in case you didn't know that. People come out from all over to support their favorite team. They cheer to the top of their lungs, deck out in their team colors, and spend the whole day in one of their favorite places. However, no matter how far you roam, there is something in the hills of Clemson that is unlike anything you will find anywhere else.
The hype all begins on Friday with the First Friday Parade. Fans line the streets and floats ride through. This tradition is sort of like the calm before the storm as tigers get pumped to return to Death Valley and kickoff the season.
When you hear the phrase "Clemson Family," it really means something. Clemson fans are a unique breed. They live, breathe, and bleed orange. They support each other. They win together. They lose together. They win with class. They lose with class. They come together to support this team because they know how special it is. There's very few team where you see all the head coaches family sitting in the stands EVERY Saturday. They're devoted. Clemson Tigers don't turn their back on the Clemson tradition, they're All In. "Give me 110 percent or keep your filthy hands off of my rock."
Death Valley rocks on game day. From the sounding of the "Tiger Rag," to screaming the Cadence Count and celebrating a touchdown, the sound of Clemson can be heard from miles away. There is a sea of orange, and opposing team colors cannot do not even appear to be present. Clemson fans come out to represent. When the players run down the hill or look up in the stands, they are never disappointed. Whether they're winning big or losing bad, the fans stick around. The team has their full support. Dabo said it best, "They ain't Alabama. They ain't LSU. And they're certainly not Clemson. That's why Carolina's in Chapel Hill and USC's in California and the university in the state has been, and always will be, Clemson.
One of the greatest things about Clemson is when everyone gathers at the end of the game to sing the Alma Mater:
"Where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness,
Where the Tigers play,
Here the sons of dear old Clemson
Reign supreme alway.
Dear old Clemson we will triumph,
And with all our might,
That the Tiger's roar may echo
O'er the mountain height."
Clemson, you are truly a special place for everyone who experiences you. With all that said, GO TIGERS!
