We Came, We Saw, We Shocked the World...

Last weekend marked another milestone for the ETSF Movement, as we descended upon The Great State of Florida, for the ACC Championship. In order for you, the reader, to truly understand the significance of this monstrous event, feel free to click here, here, and/or here. The Tour originated in Texas, has picked up steam in Ohio and Oklahoma, so Florida was sure to be a hit. B-Lew and I hit up the Big XII title game in cold-ass Kansas City last year, so this year was a welcome change-of-pace. Along with that, Ed decided to make the trip from Cincinnati, so everything was in place for tomfoolery, shenanigans, and complete and utter chaos to commence.

From the moment we all arrived in Tampa, I already knew the weekend was gonna be a fool. Ed called us to let us know he saw Lou Pinella posted up on a bench, just sitting there, which should be enough to make anyone laugh, if you’re familiar with Sweet Lou at all. David Pollack (former Georgia defensive standout and current ESPN U analyst) was on the same plane B-Lew and I were, and we got a chance to shoot the breeze with him for a few minutes. We also ran into wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat at the rental car place. I am a huuuuge wrestling fan, so seeing him was like being a kid in a candy store. We chopped it up with him for a good ten minutes or so, and he gave us all sorts of war stories from back in the day. The crazy thing was all of this happened in about an hour-long span, right when we got there!

It’s safe to say the majority of the weekend was wrapped around football. We met fans from both sides of the fence (Clemson and Georgia Tech), and the support for their teams was amazing. When they asked us where we were from, and who we were going for, we answered them, and then said we simply wanted to see a good game. On second thought, there were plenty of times when Ed screamed “WRECK ‘EM, TECH!!!!” much to the chagrin of folks walking around in Clemson attire, and this was the day before the game. However, by the time we got to Raymond James Stadium, those screams became whispers, since we were surrounded by Clemson fans all over the damn place, and Ed didn’t wanna get molly-whopped.

These teams played earlier this season, and the game picked up exactly from where the previous one left off. Clemson has one of the best running backs in all the land, in CJ Spiller. I’d seen Spiller in person a few months prior, but B-Lew and Ed hadn’t, and after the first few plays from him, they were more than convinced the man is an absolute monster, and will be a serious problem at the next level.

It’s a shame he isn’t a finalist for the Heisman, and since it seems people are in love with Toby Gerhart (he’s good, don’t get me wrong), he’ll probably get juiced out of the Doak Walker, too. Either way, there were more than enough Spiller supporters in the stands, who made sure to serenade him with “CJ!!!! SPILLER!!!!” chants all night long, which all three of us joined in on. People made signs, and one fan had the livest shirt of the weekend (next to The Shock the World joints, of course). Georgia Tech runs one of the best option-attacks I’ve seen in quite some time, and it was definitely on display that night. Clemson couldn’t stop it at all, and that ended up being the deciding factor in the game.

I say all this to say The Shock the World Tour has moved to new heights. What started out as going to Texas high school football games on Friday nights has become something bigger than I ever anticipated. Football is, in my opinion, America’s favorite past-time, and has been for quite some time, but feel free to draw your own conclusion from your respective experiences. This past weekend was one for the ages, and it’s safe to say it won’t be the last.

Be easy.


From Ed: Just to prove we were there, we tried to cut a video, but the haters (security) made us leave as soon as we got started.

THOUGHTS ON THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP? WHO WANTS TO SHOCK THE WORLD WITH US? DETAILS OF THE NEXT "SHOCK THE WORLD" EVENT IS COMING SOON! HOW DO YOU ALL LIKE THOSE SHIRTS? THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY, STAY TUNED!

-K. Masenda
www.edthesportsfan.com