Hat tip to our friend Beowolf – who is wondering whether we will get a repeat of a very soggy opening night in 1999. I was there, and damn, was it ever wet. Of course, it was one thing to sit through a monsoon to watch a game against the rival Gamecocks, and quite another to watch the Pack take on a division 1-AA opponent, even a very good one like App State. Good luck getting spousal permission if the rains do come pouring down. My practical advice is this – wear umbros, running pants, or even a bathing suit – and flipflops. No matter how much raingear you slap on, you aren’t going to stay completely dry in a 1999-like monsoon.
Back to the 1999 game itself – it was a real circus inside the stadium. As usual, the Gamecock faithful were a tad over-excited – like puppies high on meth. The zero on their side of the scoreboard (which never changed) didn’t seem to faze them a bit. And from the post-game radio show, a classic Lou Holtz line in response to how a coach can prepare his team to play in conditions like that: “Our boys just aren’t quick enough to practice in lightning.”
Please feel free to share your opening night/weather memories and/or your Lou Holtz quotes below.
* Related: Link to RAWFS
