Dissecting a Tradition: Gamecocks 2001 Intro

The South Carolina Gamecocks pre-game tradition of running into Williams-Brice Stadium to the notes of 2001 is considered by Carolina fans to be one of the greatest entrance traditions in all of college football.

[Above: Click to listen to 2001 via Real Audio]

I'll give the Gamecocks the point that their intro beats the hell out of the ridiculous rock rubbin' that Clemson does, but it just isn't that impressive. Auburn's Eagle circling the stadium or LSU's Band walking onto the field at night to the first 4 notes of "Hold That Tiger" all blow 2001 away. Even the Vols running through the T as Rocky Top blares out is better than the 2001. Greatest in all of football? Puhlease.

[Photo: Carolina fans are continually disappointed that the football team runs out to this music instead of Ric Flair. At least Flair still wins a few.]

Origins
Color commentator and former SC quarterback Tommy Suggs knows the real story behind the energetic entrance (Link requires password).

"I felt like we needed something to excite the crowd," Suggs said. "I got the idea when I saw an Elvis Presley show at the Carolina Coliseum, and I just thought it would be great for Carolina. I thought: If it's good enough for Elvis, then it's good enough for the Gamecocks."

Now, to give credit where credit is due, the Elvis line of thinking is solid. Unlike the Gamecocks, he is in fact a winner.

What could have Been
Luckily for Gamecock fans, Suggs saw Elvis do the 2001 intro live in concert. But, what if his only experiences with Elvis had been from the movies? Would the Gamecocks now be coming out of the tunnel to the bustling cords of Blue Hawaii?

Given their complete lack of institutional excellence, I would think "In the Ghetto" would make a ton of sense.

The Future: Is 2001 in Jeopardy?
Gamecock fans have already adopted Steve Spurrier's accomplishments at Florida as their own -- much as they did with Notre Dame and Holtz. This is evidence by gamecock fans asking "What was Spurrier's record against the Dawgs again?"

One wonders if South Carolina fans will attempt to adopt other Florida traditions such as the singing of "We are the Boys" before the 4th Quarter? And more importantly, will they ditch 2001 in favor of mass Gator chomp hand gestures to the tune of "Theme from Jaws".

Conclusion:
For a program without a pot to piss in from a tradition standpoint, the 2001 intro is pretty good. But like all things Carolina, it's grossly over blown. On Sept. 10th, the Dawgs cover the 17 point spread. Cock-a-doodle-doo indeed.

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