I will admit, Jeremy had to wake me up! I sat thru so many baseball games in the past 2 weeks and what do I do but fall asleep in the 10th or 11th inning! Thank goodness for DVR because once Jeremy started screaming, "Leslie, We did it, we did it!!" I immediately made him rewind! Then I was wired and it was well after 2 a.m. before I ever went to sleep. We were so ecstatic. I had tears in my eyes watching the celebration take place. We are some really proud Gamecock fans!
I'm a diehard Gamecock fan which means I don't just focus on one sport and I am anything BUT "fairweather"! I grew up a Gamecock. When going through photo albums at my parents' house you will have a tough time finding photos of me that aren't Gamecock related in some way. Our parents had 2 season tickets for awhile and even after they gave those up they would try to pick a game to take us to. Oh how good was my Mom's tailgate meal...home fried chicken strips with homemade honey mustard, potato salad, and baked beans in a jar wrapped with aluminum foil. My mom even made us Gamecock cheerleader outfits! And we sure did love Cocky! I remember asking for Carolina-Clemson football tickets for a Christmas present and getting to go to a Carolina basketball game for a birthday present. We would usually attend the Carolina Spring Game (for football) and then we'd head on over to take in a baseball game too if they were playing.
Growing up, I was a really sore loser. On the way home after a loss I would complain about mistakes made in the game all the way home! My senior year of high school I had the privilage to attend I believe 3 or 4 home games. The first game of the season we won and I was present. However, the 1998 season was finished 1-10. I still ache when I think about the loss to Marshall by a field goal.
After graduating high school in 1999, I went to Carolina as a pre-pharmacy student in the fall. Our football team under Coach Lou Holtz went 0-11 that year and being the ever loyal fan, I sat through every home game even until the end of each game. That season taught me a whole lot about my attitude on being a sore loser! I learned there are so many more important things in life than winning and losing sports events. Don't get me wrong, I still care a whole lot but I've gotten a whole lot better too. (For example, when someone tells me they've set their wedding date for the fall I think they're nuts for planning a wedding during football season!)
My sophomore year of college Carolina began the season with a win against New Mexico State. After a 21 game losing streak we were so happy for a WIN that the goal posts came down! And as a student, I was right there in the middle of it all! I even submitted an essay to one of the schools' websites and was selected as "Fan of the Week"! That season was so much fun and was topped off with a victory over Ohio State at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL. I had the opportunity to attend that bowl game and was extra excited since my favorite player, Ryan Brewer, had such an amazing game. I stood in my seat with tears in my eyes feeling such a sense of pride to actually be there for our 2nd bowl victory in school history! We had so much fun that we repeated the next year with another trip to Tampa defeating Ohio State again!
Once Jeremy and I got married we became Gamecock Club members and have worked our way up to Full Scholarship Donors with 4 season tickets in the West upperdeck. We've been fortunate to travel to Lexington, KY (win of course), Athens, GA (win), Baton Rouge, LA (loss but LSU went on to become the 2007 National Champions that year), and Birmingham, AL (2010 Papa John's Bowl loss to UCONN). We're planning to go to The Swamp this fall so we'll see how The Register's away record pans out. Our ultimate goal is to see every SEC stadium.
We are passing on our passion for the Gamecocks to Riley. My parents surprised me with a gift to Riley in the delivery room after he was born. It was a small Cocky doll that says "Go Gamecocks!" and plays the fight song. That was so very special to me for his first gift to be a little Cocky! Riley's hospital pictures were done in a garnet Gamecock gown, white gamecock cap, white gamecock socks, a Gamecock blanket, and his little Gamecock! There were only 2 games left in the football season once Riley was born but you better believe he was decked out in Gamecock attire to watch the games on TV! He has pretty much every Gamecock item you can imagine...a football, a basketball, books, jersey, windsuit, t-shirts, sweatshirt, shortalls, squeaky shoes, toothbrush, Mr. Potato Head, etc. He says, "Go TickTock!" for Go Gamecocks. At daycare when the director would tell him Go Tigers or Go Clemson he would cry (seriously). Now he has the whole toddler class saying "ticktock"!! He attended his first basketball game in the 2009-2010 season and he attended his first Meet the Gamecocks last football season (2009). We hope to take him to his first football game this fall. I hope as our little Gamecock grows up he will have the passion and love for Gamecocks like we do!
Being a Gamecock to me is...
- jumping up and down to 2001 then getting goose bumps from it even though it is 100+ degrees
- staying to hear the alma mater being played after football/basketball games
- walking a mile to the stadium from your tailgate spot
- not allowing Riley to wear orange
- not coloring with orange crayons (I bet Riley won't either!)
- naming our dog Garnet
- flying a Gamecock flag outside which entails random acts of rudeness from the neighborhood kids
- insisting on decking the car out for road trips...flags, magnets, etc.
- paying for not only a donation at the full scholarship level, but on top of that seat premiums, 4 season tickets, and a parking space all in the hopes that our child will have the opportunity to grow up going to the football games!
- having a Carolina Christmas tree (1 of 4 trees at my house)
- calling my dad to discuss the game afterwards (or at least the next day)
- standing in long lines for the bathroom at Williams Brice
- flying to New Orleans on a plane with ALL Gamecocks fans out of Cola
- working on the ultimate tailgate...so far we've got the flat screen TV, an antenna, a vehicle with a hookup for all of that at the back, a Gamecock Tent, tablecloth, napkin holder, Cocky salt and pepper shakers, dishes, containters, you name it...
- keeping up with all Gamecock stuff thru TV, radio, and/or internet at all times
I was born a Gamecock. I am a Gamecock Alumna. I married a Gamecock. I'm raising my son to be a Gamecock!
We hail Thee Carolina, and sing They high praise! With loyal devotion, remembering the days when proudly we sought Thee Thy children to be. Here's a health (arm up like a toast) Carolina Forever to Thee!-our Alma Mater
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