MY CAROLINA

[Spurticus]

With the school doing ad spots now with the "My Carolina" clips, I thought it'd be fun to see what "My Carolina" is to you.
I'm not an Alumni of the Universtiy, but grew up a fan. I feel as close to the school as someone who actually did graduate from USC and I (like so many) am very proud of the school and it's sports program:

MY CAROLINA is getting hook on Gamecock Football at the age of 11. Listening to Coach Marvin Bass' final game against the Clemson Tigers. Hearing "Carolina Wins" for the first time, and being thrilled evey time I've heard that since.
MY CAROLINA is becoming addicted to Gamecock Sports from that moment on and following it religiously through the newspapers and a transistor radio. It's Benny Galloway, Warren Muir, Tommy Suggs, Freddie Ziegler, Jay Lynn Hodgins, Tyler Helams. It's John Roche, Tom Owens, John Rebock, Kevin Joyce and Kasey Manning. It's Paul Dietzel, Frank McGuire, Jim Carlen and Bill Foster.
My Carolina is listening to the end of a game when we beat Wake Forrest and were declared the 1969 ACC Football Champions. It's watching Kevin Joyce outjump Lee Dedman and tip a ball to Tom Owens for layup that beat UNC to win a Basketball Championship in 1971. It's following a school when they said "Enough is Enough" and withdrew from the ACC that same year.
MY CAROLINA is growing up with fantasies of playing football like so many other kids my age and going through the plays in the back yard with a football in my hands. . . The voice calling the Touchdowns I threw was Bob Fulton, for he was South Carolina Sports to this kid who followed the Gamecocks on a transistor radio.
MY CAROLINA was finally seeing a game for the first time in 1973 with eyes as big as softballs and watching Jeff Grantz all most pull of an upset win over LSU that day. It's Willie Scott, Bill Courier, Marty Woolbright and Jay Feltz. It's Alex English and Ron Bass, and John LeHoupe. It's following the Gamecocks from the seats of The Cockpit and the Carolina Colosium, and waiting until the lights went out, and everyone went to bed to pull out the small radio and listen to the Gamecocks finish up a game on the West Coast.
MY CAROLINA is being in the seat of Williams Brice Stadium when .38 Special tore up Defenses like Like Hurricane Katrina tore up New Orleans. watching with eyes teared as Big George cried while accepting the Heisman Trophy AND DESERVING IT !! It's being at the first game in 1983 when 2001 was first played over the PA system at the Cockpit and still getting chill bumps as it brings the team onto the field today. It's still smiling at the antics of Cocky. It's seeing Joe Morrison win his first game as a Gamecock Coach by convincingly beating the FAKE USC. My Carolina is seeing that game spawn the phrase that adorned bumpers of cars for years to come. . . "If It Ain't Swayin', We Ain't Playin'" !! . . It's reveling in wins over Michigan, Notre Dame, and Georgia under Jim Carlen, and it's agonizing over losses to The Pacific, Appalacian State, Furman and the Citidel and still sticking my chest out and saying "Hell Yeah, I'm a Gamecock fan" !!
MY CAROLINA is seeing the games of 1984 and still waiting for those days to return. . and thinking that now is that time. It's cheering with the crowd as Lou Holtz says he'll be our coach, and seeing him go from 0-11 to 8-4 and within a game of taking the Eastern Conference title. It's Todd Ellis, Sterling Sharpe, Ray Tanner in the National Championship game of the College Baseball world series. It's two NIT Championships and a brilliant future for Gamecock sports as I type.
MY CAROLINA is watching the last game the Gamecocks played, and remembering how I felt that day I heard "Carolina Wins" in 1965 and being just as excited today, as I was then. . . . . . This is my Carolina.


Now let me hear your Carolina

[cockyhoskins]

Hard to top that one Spurt.

My Carolina is moving to the Upstate of SC at a very young age, walking into my Grandfather's house and seeing Clemson playing on ABC. I asked my grandfather who they were and was told it was the local team Clemson. I watched them for a few minutes and saw some serious Miami-like showboating going on. I immediately knew I disliked them and that never changed.

My Carolina is sitting on the pool table in my parent's basement listening to the 1986 Clemson game in middle school, having turned down a date to a movie that night so I could hear the game.

My Carolina is an annual ritual where my brothers and I sit down to divy up season tickets to the coming season's games and being in the stands to see some great victories from the Alabama comeback to the Florida victory.

My Carolina is starting a small website on an old laptop in my wife's closet that turned into 10,000 rabid fans who may not agree on much but agree that we all love our Gamecocks. My Carolina is the friends I've made in life as a result of these dang message boards. My Carolina is knowing that even though I work in Charlotte, all of my co-workers walk in every Monday morning and say "Congrats to your Gamecocks this weekend".

And lastly...

My Carolina is two degrees and about $50k in student loans that I will probably never pay off. :lol:

[ra742002]

My Carolina is growing up in the Upstate with a father who loves his Gamecocks and his football as much as anything else in the world. Watching every single game and seeing the passion on his face. My Carolina, is loading up the car on a Saturday morning, heading down I-26 to Columbia, eating at Bojangles and crossing the street to get to "the biggest stadium ever" (that's what I thought when I was little). My Carolina is the 84 team that celebrated my coming into this world with a 10-2 record. My Carolina is a cool fall day, spent tailgating, laughing with friends and family, shouting "game", "cocks". My Carolina is pretending in the front yard to be Steve Tanneyhill, Anthony Wright, Brandon Bennett, Duece Staley, Zola Davis, Monty Means, Rob Deboer, and many other Gamecock greats. My Carolina is seeing my first game when I was 4 months old, but I don't remember it obviously. My Carolina is a 24-24 tie with Duke (my first memory) and we sat in the South Endzone with my dad and his cousin Terry. My Carolina is beautiful women, dressed in garnet and black. My Carolina is spending countless hours on cockytalk, and other boards, trying to find tickets. My Carolina is everything I've ever wanted to be. My Carolina is driving to Columbia to see us play Clemson, after working 12 hours that day, and not even having a ticket in hand. My Carolina is Black Magic, it's Lou Holtz, it's Sparky Woods, and it's Steve Spurrier. My Carolina is exactly what's happening now, and exactly what will happen in the future.

[swampthing]

My carolina is falling in love with a wild lookin chicken and a coach named sparky.
My carolina is the fact just being one pisses off just the right people.

My Carolina is Garnet and Black

[cack]

My Carolina is being born into a Carolina family ... the only member of my family that is/was a Clemson fan is/was my cousin who is now 14 and has never touched anything Gamecock her life ... til about 2 weeks she showed up at the gym wearing USC cheer shorts and a Gamecock long sleeve shirt ... claims "they're comfortable"

My Carolina is meeting Brandon Bennet at a cook out at Fairview Baptist Church when i was younger ... then that season going to watch Carolina play Vandy when Tanneyhill still had the hair and Bennet went over the top (not UGA) on the far side of the field for the TD ... i remember leaving and running down the whole way throwing my little plastic ball they used to give you

My Carolina is having people come up to me that i've only known for a short period of time and them ask me "do you own any shirts that's not Gamecocks?"

My Carolina is flying Black "GO COCKS" flags with the Block C on them that my dad had when he had season tickets nearly 30 years ago (although smoovie makes fun of them ... they're tradition for me now)

My Carolina the last 2 years ... (http://www.cockytalk.com/showthread.php?t=50573)

[Waya]

MY CAROLINA is riding around campus with my mom as a baby while my dad went to class.

MY CAROLINA is hearing the games through the windows of our apartment because we were too poor for a TV, radio or tickets.

MY CAROLINA is seeing that first game on TV and feeling the excitement it brought our family.

MY CAROLINA is knowing that through the good and bad, "fair weather fan" was not part of our vocabulary!

MY CAROLINA is never seeing Clemson play or meeting a Clemson fan but still hating them as a kid.

MY CAROLINA is knowing that every college graduate in my family came from USC.

MY CAROLINA is season tickets and fighting with my sister over that seat next to Dad every year.

MY CAROLINA is getting goose bumps at the sound of 2001.

MY CAROLINA is singing Louie Louie!

MY CAROLINA is talking football with my dad and sister on game days.

MY CAROLINA is watching our Gamecocks win with my sister at my side!

MY CAROLINA is seeing her graduate next year at the top of the Dean's list.

MY CAROLINA is sending my kids to USC.

MY CAROLINA is knowing my blood runs GARNET!

MY CAROLINA is past, present and future.

MY CAROLINA IS MY FAMILY!!!

GO GAMECOCKS!!

[Trooperdel]

In My Carolina, we paid $150 at an internet café in Brazil to watch us beat Florida in 2005. The locals were leaning over my shoulder pulling for the garnet and black with me.

In My CAROLINA, you recognize former Gamecocks on the street of completely strange cities and thank them for being the great representatives that thay were and are to our University.

In MY CAROLINA, you don't get married on a gameday as it is disrespectful to ask your friends to miss a game for something silly like a wedding.

In My Carolina, you greet anyone wearing Klemson gear with a hearty "Gamecocks, Baby" as they pass you on the street.

In My Carolina, you praise our football warriors for their victories and cry along side them in defeat.


MOD EDIT: changed the spelling of Clemson

[SNEEZ]

My Carolina is a utopian place I can go to escape the nonsensical UGA family members.
My Carolina is the part of the year I want to live in for the rest of my life.
My Carolina is walking into nearly anywhere in Augusta and seeing at least one person who knows I'm a HUGE Gamecock fan.
My Carolina is knowing that one day I'll have tickets.
My Carolina is my first ever game at Williams-Brice, the 2006 UGA game.
My Carolina is CockyTalk. Closest strangers the internet can offer.
My Carolina is:My Carolina is having people come up to me that i've only known for a short period of time and them ask me "do you own any shirts that's not Gamecocks?"

My Carolina Is.

[JAYBEZ]

My Carolina is riding the Wardlaw horse statue outside of the library science building at 2 am...

[willy]

My carolina is falling in love with a wild lookin chicken and a coach named sparky.
My carolina is the fact just being one pisses off just the right people.

My Carolina is Garnet and Black



My feelings exactly.

[CofC07]

MY CAROLINA is growing up in a family in which both parents were USC Alumni. It's going to every single home game the Cocks had from 87 until I moved to Charleston in 2003..even now I make some. It's tailgating on the fairgrounds with the best southern food, carolina beach music, and learning to shag with Williams-Brice in the Background. My Carolina is having my living room painted a shade of Garnet with a giant gamecock painting over the Mantle/Fireplace. My Carolina is growing up with all of my closest friends at the Carolina games. My Carolina is having my dad tell me stories about BLACK MAGIC and JOMO even though I wasn't alive to see it. My Carolina is a family tradition that will be passed down again and again.

[TrueGarnet]

My Carolina is constantly sneaking peeks over at the TV during the UcheaT Carolina game of '01, while my wife was pushing. Just knowing we had it won, watching Petty throw to Watson at the end of the 1st half to tie it and being so disappointed in the final outcome, I ALMOST forgot to be supportive of my wife in stirrups. My Carolina was having that baby girl of mine wear home from the hospital that Gamecock gown, even though it swallowed her whole.

My Carolina was seeing my girl enjoy her first of many Gamecock Games this year and remembering my first walk up that ramp. Feeling her holding on tighter as the crowd was unbelievably loud at times during that UK game and she wasnt quite prepared.

My Carolina is seeing the disgust on the face of my Clemson friend when his kids repeat the "Go Gamecocks!" I whisper for them to yell.

My Carolina is putting all 14 or so Carolina car magnets all over my Jawga neighbors vehicle, knowing that he'll just give them back after he chuckles because hes knows I'd kill over them if not returned.

My Carolina is living in Ga and swelling with pride as Jawga fans say "This is ya'lls year" Its quickly whipping away a tear from both mine and my wifes eyes, at a Jawga Dawg party after beating them, because at that moment, I TOO realized that it was.

My Carolina, though I don't get to see it as often and miss it at times dearly, is True Garnet.

[cack]

some great stuff here

[Cocksgonewild]

Spurticus how could you leave out Taneyhill? Also, some I remember Zola Davis, Anthony Wright, Duce Staley.

[FoghornLeghornCock]

My Carolina is after being a nomad Navy brat in Charleston with no college team to root for to getting my degree at USC and becoming a Gamecock and not wanting to leave so I got an MBA. It is the excitement of graduating with Roche and Owens and being there seeing Frank and the boys in USC's golden age of college basketball. It meant my going to my only away college football game at GA seeing Dickie Harris have the game of a lifetime as a DB/return man. My Carolina is about dreams coming true in that SOS became our coach when I never believed it would happen and being on this board to talk about it and enjoy our golden age of college football happening as we speak.

[Gamecock_girl_west]

My Carolina is a school that took a chance on a girl down and out on her luck (just booted from the Naval Academy), letting her into Navy ROTC and convincing her to fly.
My Carolina is lifelong friends.
My Carolina is breaking my foot two weeks before the Clemson game and getting a Garnet and Black cast at Richland Memorial.
My Carolina is Monday's at Bar None, Tuesday's at Have a Nice Day, Wednesday's at Group, Thursday's at McKenzie's, Fridays at Bar None/Elbow Room, Saturday's at Tally Ho and Crappy Hour.
My Carolina is the best two years of college ever.
My Carolina is skipping finals to party when Lou Holtz as hired and still getting an A.
My Carolina is more than a school its a community.

[TrueGarnet]

Spurticus how could you leave out Taneyhill?

It could be one reason and one reason only.....Mullet Discimination!

[2000grad]

My Carolina is being introduced to college football by the late and former governor of the state of SC, George Timmerman. Taking me to the games for 13 years and sitting lower west 50 yard line.

My Carolina is parking at Tapp's and catching the SCE&G bus to the games and then having a police escort on the way home.

My Carolina is remembering the stands swaying like crazy to Louie, Louie and watching Sterling Sharpe return a kickoff from 3 yards deep in the endzone all the way to the other one.

My Carolina is watching Harold Dingle, Brandon Bennett (set a school record for most rushing yards in a single game), Rob Deboer punish people, Thomas Dendy, and others run the ball.

My Carolina meant saturdays in the fall was something that you looked forward to because Saturdays were game days.

My Carolina was graduating from high school and then going to Carolina and making signs and having our orginization announced as the winner.

My Carolina is doing what I can to leave a legacy for my kid so that he will be proud of the school that is in the city in which he lives and represents the state in a great way!

[IHateOrange]

MY CAROLINA is a place where you wear Garnet and Black before you can even say Garnet or Black. Where Cocky REALLY does magic when he comes out of that box!!! A place where Anthony Wright tearing his knee made me feel sick even as a kid. MY CAROLINA teaches you not to wear orange for ANY reason. Teaches you to get a job that you can get off for gamedays (I quit a job this yr. for that reason.) MY CAROLINA upbringing has taught me that pink polos and green shorts are not made to be worn in the student section... haha.. It has taught me that the word COCKS is not vulgar. It has taught me how to win, loose, and still show up!

MY CAROLINA IS NOT A FAD, A SOCIAL EVENT, OR JUST A TAILGATE PARTY.

IT'S MY LIFE!!!

[COCKDIESEL]

My Carolina is Tailgating at Tally ho.

My Carolina is going for lunch at Baker St.

My Carolina is the Degree I worked so hard for, b/c Graduating from Carolina means so much to me.

My Carolina is the chills that run down my spine everytime I hear 2001.

My Carolina is watching some long haired yankee, school a nationally ranked Mississippi St. team.

My Carolina is watching a childhood friend make one of the greatest catches ever at Carolina to beat UGA.

My Carolina is the butterflies that fill my stomach everytime the Gamecocks take the field, its like at that moment nothing else matters.