It's not easy being a Tiger fan!

Dear Chase,
You probably don't have much choice in the matter. You're going to be a Tiger fan, and sometimes it's not easy. Every Saturday you'll dress up in your orange and hope for the best. When things don't turn out the way you hoped, it's okay, you can blame your parents for getting you into this mess! You've been a Tiger from the beginning... you were wearing orange on your trip home from the hospital and from now on, whenever you see orange you'll get that crazy feeling that maybe you should be in the upstate of South Carolina, watching a game. Trust me, I know, because I've been dressed in orange from the beginning too.

I feel like we should apologize to you in advance, because by introducing you to Clemson football, we're setting you up for a little heartache. You'll love those Tigers so much that you can't stand to watch them lose, and sometimes they will. Just when you think that it's going to be a GREAT season, things start falling apart and it turns out just average. We're great at having average seasons. I'm not really sure why it happens, but it just does. That's alright though, you just keep cheering your heart out and don't let it get to you.

When you get lucky enough to see a game in Death Valley, here are some rules to follow:
1. Never leave a game early. Your papa once told me that only Gamecocks leave the game early. And don't you worry about those Gamecocks, at least we can almost always count on winning that game!
2. Don't boo the Tigers. I'm not sure why anyone would do this, but they do. If they're not playing to your liking, for heavens sake don't get them down in the dumps by making them feel worse about themselves! Give them a little encouragement!
3. If we do lose, don't let it ruin your day. Stay until the end, sing that alma mater with all your heart, and then head back to your tailgate spot for some cold fried chicken (although as your mother I feel obligated to tell you that a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread would be a much better choice)!

And if you're watching the game at home, don't be alarmed if you start pacing the floor like your dad, throwing your hands in the air like your papa, or rubbing your eyebrows like your mom. That's all completely normal! Just don't forget to keep smiling and keep hoping that one day we'll win the ACC championship and one day we'll win the National championship again. They tell me it's been done before, but even though I was alive for it, I don't remember it so I can't say that I believe it really happened. But one day it will.

love, your mom