Dabo Swinney's team lost to Syracuse, but then he did two things that will probably really upset the people of South Carolina who love his team so much. They are holding out hope that he will be so focused on this team that he will not exist at all, but he is allowed to have a life and a heart. However, the people who love Clemson will take all these things the wrong way because they are so hungry for wins.
The loss
The loss to Syracuse hurts, but it is not as if the team has lost without having already won a national title. It is not as if they cannot get back into the race for the final four, and it is not as if they have thrown away their whole season.
Clemson could be fantastic, and they just need to rebound. However, I can see people being very upset with this loss just because it reminds them that their team is very fleeting sometimes.
The visit
Swinney went over to the Syracuse locker room to congratulate them, and that is a very good thing because it means that he is going to spread his love of the game to others. He is, at least, realistic. He knows that his team got whooped by a team that was better on that day. He also knows that college football is better if everyone is better. That is something that a lot of people forget. Take someone like Nick Saban. When was the last time he was ever positive about anything other than his own greatness?
Never. He does not do that, and it makes the game worse, to be honest.
The celebration
Swinney was able to attend a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the 1992 national title team that he was a part of at Alabama. The thing about this visit to Tuscaloosa is that it is a part of who he is. You cannot deny the fact that he walked on at Alabama and had to live with his mom and go through many other things just to have his college football dream.
Therefore, he has every right to be there and enjoy it to the hilt. He has a right to have his own history, and he should not be accused of being some kind of traitor or not taking the loss seriously. I am not sure what he would have to do in order to appease any fans who disagree with this. Is he supposed to tears clothes and wear sackcloth for 40 days and nights?
That is what some people would want because they expect total devotion. I can assure you that total devotion is scary and dangerous for everyone. I hope he had a good time.
Dabo Swinney has worked a miracle at Clemson, and he should be given his due for that. Clemson fans, I hope, will be nice about this past weekend.
