With the recent happenings of the National Championship game between Clemson and Alabama in Tampa, Florida, on January 9^th, many people have sparked the conversation of how special this is for our great state of South Carolina. We now hold the National Championship for football, as well as hold the National Championship for baseball when Coastal Carolina won back in June of 2016. However, most of the people I hear starting this conversation up are people that have been cheering for opposing teams all season.

I was born and raised a South Carolina football fan. My mom and dad took me to my first Carolina game when I was three years old, so it’s needless to say it’s been in my blood since then. The environment, the atmosphere, I knew I’d always be a Carolina fan through and through. Nearly my whole family are South Carolina Alumni. Every time we’d gather as a family, I’d hear countless stories of their great memories in college. Some made me want to go to South Carolina more than others, but it’s needless to say they were all great. Some of my fondest memories growing up come from my dad and I watching Carolina football games together. He’d scream at the television, then I’d scream at the television trying to be like him. It was a never ending cycle that had my mom nearly pulling her hair out, but she couldn’t help but smile. Being raised a Carolina fan, I was raised to hate Clemson, regardless. I think that goes without saying for any Carolina fan. The rivalry between Carolina and Clemson is one of the most intense in college football being similar to the Alabama-Auburn rivalry or the North Carolina-Duke rivalry. Fans go all out for their team. The hatred one has for the opposing team is nearly as great as the love one has for their own. No matter what, you’d never catch a Carolina fan cheering for a Clemson game, or vice versa.

I put a great deal of thought into all of this as I was cheering for Alabama in the National Championship against Clemson. I’ll admit I’ve never really paid much attention to Alabama before the National Championship other than knowing that they were unreal, being the number one team in the country, going undefeated all season. However, the fact they were playing Clemson for the National Title was enough for me to hope they defeated Clemson. I know, I know. I’ve heard countless comments such as, “Alabama fan or Clemson hater?” and “What time does Carolina play tonight?” I get it, our season wasn’t great. We went 6-7 this season, with the record for the last couple of seasons not being much different, including not pulling the victory over Clemson since 2013 when we made it five victories in a row. Regardless, as I sat and watched many people cheer for Clemson due to the fact of, “You should pull for your state, regardless,” I don’t think I had ever been stricken so dumbfounded. These people had never cheered for Clemson before in their lives. These are people that had pulled for Carolina all season, including when we played Clemson. These are people that talk trash about Clemson all year, but when it comes to a National Championship, the card is thrown of “cheering for your home state.” To me, if you’ve cheered for a team all season long, you shouldn’t even be tempted to cheer for the opposing rivalry team. I understand that the recognition of a National Championship is great for our state, but I refuse to cheer for a team I have been against all season. Getting on social media the day of the National Championship was awful. Seeing the number of “true fans” that have cheered on South Carolina all season suddenly wearing Clemson attire and singing Clemson fight songs amazed me. How quickly people jump to a “winning team” shocked me, especially because of how much disrespect Clemson fans were giving Carolina fans during the season and throughout the past. “What’s your team’s record this season?” or “You ever wonder what it feels like to be on a winning team?” Even the night after the National Championship when Clemson had ALREADY won, they were still giving Carolina down the road. Okay, your team beat us during the season, and you now have a National Championship, so what is your point of still trash talking us? What is the point of carrying on? And why would a Carolina fan want any part of this disrespect?

I, on the other hand, as a Carolina fan, wanted no part of it. The night of the National Championship I was a proud Alabama fan as I am a “whoever-plays-Clemson fan” any other game. I respect Clemson as they won the National Championship, and agree that they’re a great team with a ton of talent. However, I was raised a diehard Carolina fan, and you will never see me cheering for the rivalry team, not even when they’re up for a National Championship. I will not be a bandwagon to a team all Carolina fans cheered against when we were beating them. I refuse to be a traitor to the team I’ve cheered for all season just because they’re not up for it. However, I also refuse to talk trash about a team that did, in fact, beat us this season. If these terms do in fact refer me as a “Clemson hater,” then there’s not much more I can say. We’ll be back.