Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich said being swept by UCF over the weekend left a very bitter taste in the Tigers’ mouth, especially to a team “that is very mouthy in the way they celebrate.”
The Knights continued their celebration at Memorial Stadium prior to cleaning up for their flight home to Orlando Sunday evening. And though they were “mouthy” at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, they were disrespectful to one of college football’s greatest traditions at Memorial Stadium.
A video of UCF players running down Clemson’s famed hill made its way around social media Sunday evening, upsetting the Clemson fan base. It’s one thing to go inside Memorial Stadium to look around, and it is okay to perhaps go see Howard’s Rock and charge down the hill. But it is another thing doing what the Knights did, and what they did was not okay.
Prior to the players running down the hill, go back and watch the crude gesture one of them was making right in front of Howard’s Rock. I think, what he was doing gives us an idea of what the Knights were implying here.
This was not just a group of football fans appreciating a great college football tradition. No, this was a team who was intentionally mocking the tradition.
Then, when they all got to the bottom of the hill, they re-enacted their home run celebration. Again, that was not cool.
Look, kids are going to be kids. I have no issues with young men having a good time after completing a sweep of a very historical Clemson baseball program. I get it, it is a very big deal to the UCF baseball program that has the potential to have another very good season.
But the only reason UCF was allowed in Memorial Stadium on Sunday, according to Clemson officials, was so they could use the showers in the visitors’ locker room. It is a standard practice for the visiting team after a weekend baseball series, as they get set to either fly or bus home.
Personally, I am fine with the UCF players running down the hill, but they should have been more respectful of Clemson’s tradition and appreciate the opportunity. There are thousands and thousands of Clemson graduates and fans that would love to run down the hill at Memorial Stadium, but they likely will never get that opportunity.
And that is why Clemson people are so upset. It’s not that they ran down the hill, it’s how they did it and what they did. That is what bothers the Clemson fans the most.
It was a very tasteless display by the Knights, and if there is another fan base that does not understand why Clemson fans are upset, then let’s allow UCF players to shame one of your proud traditions.
To make matters worse, All Clemson learned UCF administrators made the trip with the baseball team this weekend. With the Knights going to the Big 12 next year, athletic officials wanted to see how Clemson operates in a Power 5 Conference.
From what All Clemson was told, Clemson gave them a grand tour of all their facilities and even the ones that are currently under construction. Part of the tour included Clemson’s baseball facility, which is considered one of the best players facilities in the country.
I am not sure how UCF Athletic Terry Mohajir feels about what his baseball team did late Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, but if it was me, I would be very embarrassed. Especially after Clemson opened up their home and was very gracious to UCF officials.
If I was Mohajir I would make head baseball coach Greg Lovelady apologize to Clemson Athletics for the way his players acted.
Understand, no school dislikes Clemson more than South Carolina, but not even the Gamecocks have ever disrespected Clemson’s running down the hill tradition.
This was not cool UCF. You owe Clemson an apology.
