Thursday September 02, 2010

Blessed

Blessed
I count my blessings everyday and am thankful for every one of them. But this weekend I am perhaps feeling a little more enlightened to what I can experience again.

I do television for high school football on Friday nights so I don’t get to see the First Friday parade this year and will miss the Kudzoo Kids but this is one of the few things I will not enjoy this weekend in Tigertown.

This year is a little different for me because we have a new addition to the family. My nephew, Jamison, was born in March and is six months old tomorrow. He is going to his first Clemson game this weekend and I have told my sister that I think we should make it a goal that Jamison never misses a Clemson home game. At least we can take him until he decides he doesn’t want to continue.

We have so many traditions but each year is also a little different and a little special in its own way. I guess it is a sign of old age but I try to take it all in now. I see my family and friends often but tailgating with them is just more special than most of our interactions. Our food is always a little better at tailgates compared to other meals. Maybe its just my imagination though.

Saturday is Hall of Fame Day at Clemson as eight new members will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame. PGA Tour professional D.J. Trahan is a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2010. This is pretty special to me as I have known D.J. and his dad, Don, since 1991. I must admit I knew D.J. had talent as a junior golfer but I did not know he would have such a big impact at Clemson. I could not have foreseen him as a four-time All-American and a member of a National Championship team at Clemson.

We will also honor the late Bob Pollock Saturday. This Hall of Famer was the men’s track coach at Clemson from 1988 until 2008. He won 21 ACC championships in his time at Clemson. He was the 19-time ACC Coach of the year. Pollock’s teams finished in the top 10 seven times and 13 of his athletes won NCAA titles.

Pollock passed away in the spring after a battle with cancer. He knew he had an uphill battle with his illness and was offered a chance to be inducted this spring by himself in a ceremony at a Clemson baseball game. Pollock knew there was a chance he would not live to see the day but he still chose to go in with the rest of his class. All you need to about Bob Pollock came from this action. Here is a man that did not want to draw attention to himself and instead wanted to be inducted with the rest of the class. He wanted to be known as part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 and did not want a special Bob Pollock ceremony. I know I will have a special feeling when his family is introduced on the field Saturday.

This year is a little different for me also because my good friend David Stein of Sporting News radio will be co-hosting the Tiger Tailgate Show this year. David has fallen in love with our community and the Clemson Nation. I can’t wait to hear him spread his positive message to our fans.

We started the Tiger Walk two years ago and I try not to miss this new tradition. I have to admit it is now my second favorite Clemson tradition (Howard’s Rock and the Hill are first). I can’t wait to see the team get off of those buses and greet the fans for the first time. Dabo created a sense of unity with this new Tiger tradition. If you have not seen this, try to get there about two and a half hours in advance to get your orange blood pumping.

And most importantly I get another chance to see the Tigers run down the hill Saturday. I wrote this in a blog last year about the greatest Clemson tradition, Howard’s Rock and the hill:

This is really what gets most of us going. This makes the hair stand up on your arms. This is the adrenaline pumping. This is what Clemson football is all about.

The way I see it, I am about half way through a normal life expectancy for a male. If I am lucky enough to live another 40 years and if Clemson plays seven home games a year, then I get to see this about 280 more times. Therefore, I cherish every time I get to witness.

The anticipation of seeing the video of the buses starting their journey is the first step. This is when your heart is not only a supplier of blood throughout your body, it now provides the bass beat and your chest starts to feel the energy.

Then you actually see the buses come around the corner and you start to see fans at the top of the hill get excited.

One of the most unique feelings I have ever had is the one I get every time I see the first Clemson player emerge at the top of the hill. By this point, my heart rate is between 150-190.

This is when noise becomes a feeling.

How about the first note of the Orange Bowl March? Does any single note of any song strike that kind of emotion?

Then the band makes its way towards the hill and the energy is climbs even higher.

The cannon sounds. Tigers pour down The Hill into Death Valley. Fans spell out C-L-E-M-S-O-N the loudest they do all day.

I get to see this again Saturday. Yes, I feel so blessed.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, Steve Cato, the Nicolopulos family, Cason Palmer, Scott Jackson, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle familty, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Richard Crawford, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, Steve Williams Jr, Steve Williams III, Kim Thomas, Reid Thomas, Sam Thomas, Linda Wiggs, Emily Claire Young, Dr. Wallace Honeycutt, Stacy Fowler, Kitty Bowers,Julie and Austin Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family.