THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAROLINA AND CLEMSON.

In the olde days, it was easy to tell the difference between Carolina and Clemson. Carolina had style and class that Clemson simply did not have. Even their motto was classy,"Emolit mores nec sinit esse feros." which, translated means "I can beat you senseless and still use a napkin," or some such. South Carolina was a smaller state and didn’t need an Ag school. All the gentlemen farmers' sons went to Carolina, anyway. So when Mr. Clemson decided to give the property and the money to set up a rival school in the upcountry, it didn’t even start out as an Ag school. Clemson was a military college. It soon became an industrial & Ag school as well, because the mills needed feeding and nobody much gave a hoot about the Piedmont. The ultimate push toward the lower end of the salt, though, was the inclusion of Agriculture.

Until 20 years ago, it was easy to make fun of Clemson. "Moo U" was a place for learned people, but they were always thought of as people who were tainted by barnyard smells. Robert Townes, probably one of the most brilliant men of our time, was all but ignored by the rest of the state. Not that South Carolina coasted, you understand, but having the world's best English and History department somehow was always thought of as being better than a place where the inventor of the laser went to school.

Somehow, it was OK when Clemson beat the snot out of Carolina every year, in every sport but track, because they were "ruffians" and the Gamecocks were "gentlemen." Even the public image was below the salt. If you wanted to publish a philosophical work on the effect of Spanish moss on Huguenots in the Lowcountry, you did it at Carolina. Clemson you called when you wanted to know what time you should plant your fescue.

That was then, this is now.

You can still call Clemson and maybe get your fescue answered, but you'd have a better chance of finding out the results of the latest neutron bombardment tests and their effects on string theory. Or what is the radial strength of the latest Michelin tire and why their X tire is so much stronger than everything else in the known universe. Or what's the latest buzz in architectural review and why it could effect your business.

Clemson has come of age.

So, you would think that, along with all their new sophistication, they should have a crappy sports department, right? <i>Au contraire mon frere!</i>

No. Clemson can still beat the snot out of Carolina. Pick a sport. Any sport. When it comes to an important game, be it football, basketball, baseball - you name it - The Tiger is right there embarrassing the hell out of the Gamecock. It's like the Orange men have made a deal with Murphy and they have <i>become</i> what can go wrong with Gamecock sports.

So, as we begin this week of Conference Baseball Tournaments, I just wanted to say that I wish all our South Carolina schools all the best. Especially the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, and Winthrop which are way beyond their leagues and could probably play any double-A team in America. Furman and the Citadel, are both excellent schools with wonderful Baseball programs, too. But I would be a big fat fibber if I said I wasn't watching Carolina and/or Clemson the most.

Clemson now has everything going for them just as Carolina has had for years. My guess is that, once again, Clemson will wind up in the world series if they CAN. Carolina will wind up there if the WANT it bad enough.

So, let's PLAY BALL!

- Dick Anderson

May 24, 2005