July 1, 2011
South Carolina baseball is as famously hot as Columbia.
Several thousand garnet and black-clad fans jammed Main Street and the steps of the Statehouse on Friday as the back-to-back national champions enjoyed their second straight victory parade through the Capital City. The Gamecocks were applauded by waves of fans on each side of the street as they inched along through the 94-degree heat, and were again issued congratulations and appreciation from mayor Steve Benjamin and other personnel.
The heat affected a few fans but the others willingly stuck it out to welcome their conquering heroes home. Not many ever figured that little USC would ever win the big one; now the Gamecocks have won two in as many years.
"They've transformed what they used to say - 'Wait til next year,'" USC President Harris Pastides said. "They now say, 'We'll do it again next year!'"
Signs and posters were abundant, some with the "famously hot" slogan slipped in between "national champions," many with "battle" inscribed upon them. Flashbulbs popped and video cameras whirred as the champs were handed proclamations and framed keepsakes, before giving away a few of their own.
Benjamin was presented with an autographed baseball, and coach Ray Tanner accepted a key lime pie from Florida Governor Rick Scott in lieu of the real winner, Governor Nikki Haley. Haley bet Scott a barbecue dinner from Hudson's Smokehouse against a key lime pie from Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe that the Gamecocks would win; Scott had to pay up for the second time in a month after he also bet a key lime pie on the Miami Heat to win the NBA championship.
Tanner held the pie, encased in a Styrofoam cooler, aloft as third baseman Adrian Morales took the microphone and asked for something else. "On behalf of the players," Morales said, looking at Benjamin, "can we get a key?"
Friday was declared Gamecock Baseball Back-to-Back National Championship Day in the state of South Carolina and Ray Tanner and Gamecock Baseball Day by the city of Columbia. Senator John Courson (R-Richland County) again publicly proclaimed his wish for USC to re-name Carolina Stadium as Ray Tanner Field, and catcher/designated hitter Brady Thomas had the line of the afternoon.
"I think this is probably a little bit better than Clemson's parade, isn't it?" the senior from Anderson asked to the delight of the crowd.
The Gamecocks, as they have all season, managed to trademark the celebration with their own tags. Bryan Harper wore a life-size replica of the former World Championship Wrestling championship belt while Scott Wingo held his smaller plastic version, emblazoned with "Back-to-Back Nnational Champions" on it. Just before the parade began, Morales picked up the title trophy and dropped it, the two-foot fall and the cushioned surface of the parade float preventing any damage but earning him plenty of ribbing.
Michael Roth wasn't there, after leaving Friday morning for Alicante, Spain, where he will spend the next six weeks learning Spanish and windsurfing. "We tried to get him as far away from the Cleveland Indians (who drafted Roth) as we could," Tanner joked, and then let Wingo, Thomas and Morales handle the players' thank-yous.
Through it all, USC's players seemed as comfortable and relaxed as they did on the field at TD Ameritrade Park for the past two weeks. Some are off to play summer-league ball, some will relax this summer, some will head to the professional ranks.
All will be champions, today and forever.
"It doesn't get any better than this!," Tanner shouted.
After leading the crowd in a group cheer of "Three-Peat," Benjamin agreed.
"We're gonna see you guys again here next year!"
Several thousand garnet and black-clad fans jammed Main Street and the steps of the Statehouse on Friday as the back-to-back national champions enjoyed their second straight victory parade through the Capital City. The Gamecocks were applauded by waves of fans on each side of the street as they inched along through the 94-degree heat, and were again issued congratulations and appreciation from mayor Steve Benjamin and other personnel.
The heat affected a few fans but the others willingly stuck it out to welcome their conquering heroes home. Not many ever figured that little USC would ever win the big one; now the Gamecocks have won two in as many years.
"They've transformed what they used to say - 'Wait til next year,'" USC President Harris Pastides said. "They now say, 'We'll do it again next year!'"
Signs and posters were abundant, some with the "famously hot" slogan slipped in between "national champions," many with "battle" inscribed upon them. Flashbulbs popped and video cameras whirred as the champs were handed proclamations and framed keepsakes, before giving away a few of their own.
Benjamin was presented with an autographed baseball, and coach Ray Tanner accepted a key lime pie from Florida Governor Rick Scott in lieu of the real winner, Governor Nikki Haley. Haley bet Scott a barbecue dinner from Hudson's Smokehouse against a key lime pie from Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe that the Gamecocks would win; Scott had to pay up for the second time in a month after he also bet a key lime pie on the Miami Heat to win the NBA championship.
Tanner held the pie, encased in a Styrofoam cooler, aloft as third baseman Adrian Morales took the microphone and asked for something else. "On behalf of the players," Morales said, looking at Benjamin, "can we get a key?"
Friday was declared Gamecock Baseball Back-to-Back National Championship Day in the state of South Carolina and Ray Tanner and Gamecock Baseball Day by the city of Columbia. Senator John Courson (R-Richland County) again publicly proclaimed his wish for USC to re-name Carolina Stadium as Ray Tanner Field, and catcher/designated hitter Brady Thomas had the line of the afternoon.
"I think this is probably a little bit better than Clemson's parade, isn't it?" the senior from Anderson asked to the delight of the crowd.
The Gamecocks, as they have all season, managed to trademark the celebration with their own tags. Bryan Harper wore a life-size replica of the former World Championship Wrestling championship belt while Scott Wingo held his smaller plastic version, emblazoned with "Back-to-Back Nnational Champions" on it. Just before the parade began, Morales picked up the title trophy and dropped it, the two-foot fall and the cushioned surface of the parade float preventing any damage but earning him plenty of ribbing.
Michael Roth wasn't there, after leaving Friday morning for Alicante, Spain, where he will spend the next six weeks learning Spanish and windsurfing. "We tried to get him as far away from the Cleveland Indians (who drafted Roth) as we could," Tanner joked, and then let Wingo, Thomas and Morales handle the players' thank-yous.
Through it all, USC's players seemed as comfortable and relaxed as they did on the field at TD Ameritrade Park for the past two weeks. Some are off to play summer-league ball, some will relax this summer, some will head to the professional ranks.
All will be champions, today and forever.
"It doesn't get any better than this!," Tanner shouted.
After leading the crowd in a group cheer of "Three-Peat," Benjamin agreed.
"We're gonna see you guys again here next year!"
No comments:
Post a Comment