Sunday, September 21, 2014

Clemson Is A Verb

"To Clemson" is a verb, derived from the Latin "clemsono", which means "to hand the ACC title to Florida State". They had the game won and they gave it away, like they always do. To watch Clemson in a big game is to watch a Sean Bean movie: you know he's going to get ganked sooner or later, but what keeps you glued to the screen is the details of how.



Meanwhile, across the field Jameis Winston needed several reminders that he was actually suspended, and that nobody was going to say, "Aww, shucks, we didn't mean to be so mean. C'mon, play with the other kids". Coming out in full pads for warmups before a game you've suspended for does not send the message that you think you're actually suspended. Had to blame Winston, really - between the brutally mishandled sexual assault case and his curious choice to go crab legs al fresco, he's pretty much gotten off without any real consequences regardless of what he did. The latest - jumping on a table and shouting an obscene internet meme - would seem to be so lightweight compared to the stuff he's already gotten away with that the thought of any "real" punishment for it would seem highly improbable.

And of course, the game did nothing to suggest to Winston that maybe he ought to tone it down. The camera followed him everywhere, often ignoring the players who were actually, you know, playing to get a shot of him instead. His team won so the dangling lure of "unbeaten season and back to back championships" is still in place. But they only barely did it, reminding everyone - from the "playoff" voters to coach Jimbo Fisher - how desperately Florida State needs Winston on the field if they're going to continue their run. 

So. Business as usual, then. 

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