Clemson fans didn't react well to their team's Thursday night loss at Georgia Tech. It was the kind of game that drives fans into fits of rage. One moment your team is down 24 points and you're sitting in the stands thinking, "I hope these bums get their scholarships pulled. I'm never watching another game. Ever. Why did I drive all the way to frigging Atlanta to begin with?" Then, miraculously, the winds of college football fate shift direction. Suddenly you find yourself standing in the visiting section of an eerily quiet stadium screaming at the top of your lungs as your team storms back to take a 27-24 lead in the fourth quarter. All is right in the college football universe.
Except, of course, it isn't. Which leads to the above vignette we like to refer to as the Cry of the Tiger. Here's what happened.
First, Georgia Tech ties the game with a field goal. Then your team uncorks a 38-yard pass that puts them in position to win a tie game. Only the play is called back for a phantom holding call. Next, Georgia Tech takes possession and Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who up to that point has been 2-for-13 for 44 yards passing and two interceptions, inexplicably uncorks a 39-yard pass that sets up the game-winning field goal.
Emotional rollercoaster, thy name is college football.
If you root for any team, we've all been this guy -- hopeless, dejected, wearing our lucky hat and flip-flops in an opponent's stadium and wondering why we even bothered going to the game. Why the entire world is allied against your team, the inglorious self-obsession of fan defeat. But usually our shame is private, our self-defeat shared only within our circle of fan-friends.
Unless, that is, the ESPN cameras pick you and your buddy out of an entire stadium and make you a national punchline. First, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, and Chris Fowler ridicule you off-air for your reactions (the first part of this video was taken from the ESPN feed and not broadcast). They even break out the telestrator and circle you for television debasement. Then they top this off by taking shots at your hat, your posture, your pained expression. All with the ultimate goal of setting up their jokes so that when they return to the broadcast, your misery, your agony, your self-defeat will be all the more pungent.
Yep, Clemson fans can't even be allowed to wallow in their own misery anymore. Somewhere Tommy Bowden is counting his millions and chuckling.
Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, "On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era" chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season and is on sale now.
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In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy talks with coaches during a fourth quarter time out in his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech in Austin, Texas. McCoy had the flu last week, causing him to miss a day of practice and kept him out of most drills. By Saturday night's game, he said he was still not feeling 100 percent. But a halftime spent downing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and slugging back a hydration drink, made him feel better. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
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In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas wide receiver Dan Buckner is shown during the pregame warmup before his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech in Austin, Texas. With Buckner in the lineup, quarterback Colt Mc Coy has a new passing target in the Longhorns' offense. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
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A swarming Alabama defense stops North Texas running back Jeremi Mathis (24) during the second half of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Defending for Alabama is Cory Reamer (13), Luther Davis (96), Nick Gentry (58) and Kerry Murphy (64). Alabama won 53-7. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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Texas head football coach Mack Brown talks on his headset during the fourth quarter of his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. For the second week in a row, the Longhorns used their quick-snap "jet" tempo to pull themselves out of the doldrums of a clunky first half and rode it to a victory. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
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Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy talks with coaches during a fourth quarter time out in their 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. For the second week in a row, the Longhorns used their quick-snap "jet" tempo to pull themselves out of the doldrums of a clunky first half and rode it to a victory. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
AP
PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: UCLA Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel looks on from the sideline in the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rick Neuheisel
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PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder looks on during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bill Snyder
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PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Alterraun Verner #1 of the UCLA Bruins is brought down by Brandon Banks #83 of the Kansas State Wildcats after intercepting a pass in the first half at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alterraun Verner;Brandon Banks
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PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Kevin Craft #3 of the UCLA Bruins congratulates teammate Eddie Williams #62 following a touchdown against the Kansas State Wildcats in the fourth quater at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Craft;Eddie Williams
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PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder yells towards the bench during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bill Snyder
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Comments (Page 1 of 21)
Who cares what the analysts do, its freekin hilarious and im glad they got laughed at. i found this as very amusing and the hardest i laughed all day. stop ridiculing the analysts and give them a break. they pointed out something that was wicked funny and wanted to put a liottle humor into their broadcast.
ya your right
I thought it was funny. You win some, you loose some. I'm glad someone caught it and showed everyone. Clemson tried, that's all that matters. You can't sue. If you come to a game that's televised, you know you might be filmed. If he bet on the game, he should have checked the stats first.
that is stupid you cant broadcast a person when they are sitting there fuming over a defeat when they have no knowledge of you doing it. Its like sitting in a room and everyone pointing and laughing about the shirt your wearing behind your back. how would you like to be embarrased like that
Heh...if i was that dude, i'd track those idiot and give them a good beat down on camera and laugh as they roll around
Of course you could sue. And then the LAWYERS would sit around laughing at you while they counted your money.
Yeah, sure you would, robtheblogger6, because you're such a tough guy, right? What a dumb sh!t.
Not that funny. I expected something really over the top, but you can see this same thing at EVERY game, college or NFL.
I'm sorry, how was it funny? Would you like it if you were broadcasted on national television & the internet for as long as these guys were without permission??
Without their permission? Are you kidding me? Why else would you act like that except to be noticed!
Hey guys... just fyi... there are kids your age dying over in Afghanistan. I'll bet they would like to trade places with you right now.
cracked me up. if you act like that you deserve to get laughed at. i understand it was your fav team and you thought it was gonna be a win but come on,did you think no one would notice?
Gee, one minute we are upset because a tennis player goes ballistic, then we go postal because a member of congress tells the president he"lied" (BTW, he did) and now we are laughing it up because ESPN decided to join the low class bunch and not only broadcast some disgruntled and disappointed fans, but chose to make fun of them. I'd sue.
You'd sue? For what? Something tells me you had a hard time on the playground growing up.
man it's just college football. If you get that upset about college football you deserve to be made fun of. sue? it's people like you who can't take a joke that make this country so damn retarded. yes they should have been more professional, but to sue over somethin like this is retarded. i'm sure there were more people makin fun of them at that game, even worse then these guys, that weren't on national tv. why not sue them too while you're at it?
You couldn't sue.
I agree with you, I wish someone would tape the announcer having a bad moment and make fun of them...
Great job of staying on topic... oh, well, after finishing reading your comment, it's pretty obvious you're a friggin' idiot to begin with, I guess it should be expected.
Yeah way to diss Obama ina a sports story blog idiot. Go back to Fox New's.
Unfortunately, the right of privacy has been Court ruled into near extinction. While there are some limitations, what it boils down to is that if you have the audacity to venture out of your home into the "public domain",you can be photographed or videographed without your consent.
Jesse Palmer for one should NOT be making fun of anyone. This former QB from Fla. And former NY Giants QB might have had a future in football if he had NOT gone into reality TV. Thinking he "was all that" on The Bachelor..The Giants gave him the boot soon after. To bad he couldn't turn out like his Daddy wanted him to be.. He sucks on TV as well..Go back to Canada and make fun of some hoser's up there...What a loser.