Having lived in Oconee County since 1987 and being a Sandlapper since 1974
I have had the opportunity to witness Orange Fever. Orange Fever is a condition that renders a Clemson Tiger fan slack jawed, glassy eyed, and otherwise unable to function at at any other form of life except those taking place at Tigertown athletic events.
Orange Fever has been especially rampant in the upstate since that g-r-r-r-eat
year of glory, 1981, when the Clemson University football team put us on the map as national champe-e-e-ns. Now mind you I’ve been inflicted myself with mild cases of Orange Fever since graduating from Clemson in 1991. I’m a sports fan, but my arm doesn’t leave an orange imprint on walls and furniture after I’ve been there. However, when I married the late Bill Coogler I married orange imprinted Cooga Mooga with the bright Orange Fever. He was born for Clemson, even carrying the same last initial,(C)oogler and hair a lovely shade of gold/orange. They told me at the blood bank that his blood was red, but I never believed it!
His pocket was heavy with season tickets to football, basketball, and baseball games. Bright Orange Fever makes a person record the game at home while you’re at the game so that you can watch the game again when you get home from the game…
Cooga Mooga would talk to the Sports Talk announcer as if he were in the same
room. Only a person inflicted with bright Orange Fever would search for the Clemson Sports Network while on a cruise to Bermuda. Persons inflicted with bright Orange Fever wear headsets to games and listen to the radio version of the game they’re watching.
During the March Madness portion of basketball season, I considered getting an IV of Orange Gatorade for Bill so that he wouldn’t have to leave the TV to eat. We had to plan family events around whatever game was taking place at the time. Our children cooperated to the point that only one of our grandchildren, Emily, was born during football season. The rest were born in the summer, off season.
Now that Bill is looking at things from a different vantage point, I’m sure that he’s happy about the heavenly record his Tigers have this year. There’s Orange in the End Zone!
Happy Turkey Day! There will be an intermission of a few days from these posts for traveling to New Orleans and back for Thanksgiving.
- Bright Orange Fever Victims
