2010 National Champions!

One thing you learn as a long suffering Gamecock fan, never get your hopes up. Things may look great, but, usually we will find a way to mess it all up. Well not this time.  The University of South Carolina, only a strike away from elimination several times during the playoffs, managed to do what has only been done twice in the history of the school, they won a National Championship (ok, so the other 2 championships are in Women's Track and Equestrian...I'll wait why you regain your composure....).

I really could not believe it. It is still hard for me to believe.  It really happened. They really did it. To top it all off it was the last series played at the famed Rosenblatt Stadium.  Next year they will move the series to a new, fancier, state of the art facility. The team toured that facility today. I can imagine what Coach Ray Tanner must have told the team: "Fellas, there is only one way to top winning the last series at the old stadium and that will be to come back next year and win the first series at the new stadium".

For now, however, I will not think about next year. Those of you that are Gamecock fans will recognize the irony in that statement.  The battle cry of all Gamecocks has always been, "wait until next year"...this time, fans, we don't have to wait. Some will cry foul and say, "it's only baseball, no one cares about baseball". I beg to differ. To those fellas and those fans it is the only thing. It is BASEBALL! It is a major sport and it is still a national championship. South Carolina fought through the losers bracket, came back many times to prove they had the depth, the heart and the skill to never give up.  Another trait of a true Gamecock...we never give up. 


I can only hope that the football team will somehow find inspiration in what the baseball team did. I can only hope they will play with the heart and soul and desire that our baseball team did.  I can only hope they will make us as proud as these fine baseball players have.

I heard on Friday the city of Columbia is having an old fashioned ticker tape parade down Main Street for our champions.  They packed the Colonial Center today to welcome home the team and watch the game.  I heard "2001" and the fight song several times today and it had the same affect it always does...chills.


I am a true Gamecock through and through.


Way to go Gamecocks and way to go Gamecock fans for never giving up.