2008 Woodie Awards
Cheap seats are the best seats
By: Creswell Curtis
Issue date: 6/13/08 Section: Sports
Baseball tailgating at Clemson puts other schools to shame, even creating a better atmosphere than other football tailgates. If you are a fan of Carolina Cup or Bonaroo, Clemson baseball tailgating will be the time of your life. Clemson tailgates are arguably the best in the nation, and I don't care what event that might be. While not a fan of baseball tailgating growing up, my time here at Clemson has provided me with an evolving appreciation and passion for the event outside of the event. Here's my breakdown of the progression of baseball tailgating over the better part of a decade that has been my time at Clemson, as experienced with my fraternity brothers and friends.
Freshman Year (2003)
At this point in my career, my rookie status did not provide me with much in the way of insight. My friends would get together in the early parts of the morning and decide whose vehicle would be "donated for the cause." That most gracious humanitarian would then drive their truck around to right field and back it up near the outfield fence. As the afternoon wore on, someone would acquire a keg/cooler/grocery bag full of drinks and place it in the truck. That was the tailgate. A bunch of drunken college students sitting in the bed of a pickup truck yelling rambunctiously at the opposing right fielder all game long. We, as students, became so notorious for our efforts that we received publicized recognition.
Coaches and players were polled at one point in the spring concerning aspects of ACC baseball. Who had the best stadium? Who had the best tradition? Where was the best travel location? Who had the best fans? One question asked players to name the worst place to play a baseball game in the conference. An overwhelming majority voted Clemson. Many of us could not figure out why anyone would think that a spring afternoon in the Upstate was a bad place to play a baseball game. That is until we noticed that every response specifically referenced right field as the hardest place to concentrate. While we normally are quite proud of the pristine image we all have of our Clemson home, this is one of the few instances I have ever witnessed where students were proud of negative press. Opposing teams be damned.
Freshman Year (2003)
At this point in my career, my rookie status did not provide me with much in the way of insight. My friends would get together in the early parts of the morning and decide whose vehicle would be "donated for the cause." That most gracious humanitarian would then drive their truck around to right field and back it up near the outfield fence. As the afternoon wore on, someone would acquire a keg/cooler/grocery bag full of drinks and place it in the truck. That was the tailgate. A bunch of drunken college students sitting in the bed of a pickup truck yelling rambunctiously at the opposing right fielder all game long. We, as students, became so notorious for our efforts that we received publicized recognition.
Coaches and players were polled at one point in the spring concerning aspects of ACC baseball. Who had the best stadium? Who had the best tradition? Where was the best travel location? Who had the best fans? One question asked players to name the worst place to play a baseball game in the conference. An overwhelming majority voted Clemson. Many of us could not figure out why anyone would think that a spring afternoon in the Upstate was a bad place to play a baseball game. That is until we noticed that every response specifically referenced right field as the hardest place to concentrate. While we normally are quite proud of the pristine image we all have of our Clemson home, this is one of the few instances I have ever witnessed where students were proud of negative press. Opposing teams be damned.
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