Today is opening day for what is sure to be another amazing season for the University of South Carolina football team. The Gamecocks take on Texas A&M at 6 p.m. tonight at Williams Brice Stadium, hoping to continue their 18-game home winning streak. Tailgaters are probably already getting into the swing of things as you read this; but if you can’t be in downtown Columbia to watch the game in person, tune in to the SEC Network and cheer for every first down. Or follow the game on your phone with the new Gameday app.
Here are my top ten reasons it’s great to be a Gamecock.
10. Sir Big Spur
Seriously, who can resist a live rooster at a football game? Particularly one who tweets? This one lives on a farm in Aiken when he’s not inspiring Gamecock fans.
9. Dylan Thompson
This fifth-year senior is the QB to watch this season.
8. Williams-Brice Stadium
Putting all other college football stadiums to shame since 1934. 80,000 fans can’t be wrong.
7. “Sandstorm”
Admit it, as soon as you read that word, you started jumping up and down and swinging a towel in the air. The urge to take part in this kickoff ritual is irresistible.
6. Steve Spurrier
The man, the mystery, the visor. Seriously, you’ll never see the legend without his signature headwear. In his 10th season at USC, he’s now the winningest coach in school history.
5. Cocky
Something about a six-foot-tall dancing chicken just makes you feel good inside.
4. Hearing that Gamecock crow every time we score
Even if you don’t understand the first thing about football, when you hear that crow, you know a celebration’s in order.
3. Being part of the SEC
All other conferences are laughable in comparison.
2. The incredible team spirit on and off the field!
You can’t go anywhere in Columbia without meeting a Gamecocks fan; and if Williams-Brice were a city, it would have the fourth-largest population in the state.
1. BEATING CLEMSON FIVE YEARS IN A ROW (soon to be six)!
November 29. Bring it.
What is your favorite part of being a Gamecock?
Photo credit: photoman_sc / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)