Nov. 30, 2005

Saturday, a week ago, at our game with South Carolina, I committed a faux pas - serious enough that it made the chat room circuit and, there was one really good supporter who emailed her disdain and copied any and all that was on the need to know list.

What happened was absolutely great. To explain - my faux pas was wearing a shirt that did not mix well. Keep in mind, however, I wore an orange sweater that covered the shirt - the only thing showing was the collar. Now, this particular shirt is one that I've been using the last several years when I go quail hunting. It's flannel, well worn, comfortable, and warm. Anticipating a chilly night in Columbia, I felt it the right shirt to wear under my orange sweater. After all, no one would notice - particularly, when the sweater covered the entire shirt. Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!

Never, ever, ever diminish the orange in any fashion! Solid Orange is making significant progress - and that is why what happened is so great. Solid Orange means a great deal to our people. Solid Orange is really, really important. As trite as it may sound sometimes, wearing orange is a highly significant piece of the overall strategy of the University and Athletics. When we wear orange, it symbolizes our spirit, passion, fervor, and unity as it relates to our University and our athletic teams. And, when we are united (as in Solid Orange), it helps remind us that we are all representatives of an outstanding University - that is, "Our actions honor our University, traditions, teams, performance, ourselves, and very importantly, each other.

When people wear orange in this vein, it helps in many ways - particularly in recruiting student-athletes and students in general. When young people turn on the television, come to athletic events, campus, our community, and see a showing of Solid Orange, it creates excitement and shows the pride and passion of Clemson. Solid Orange is About Pride. Young people are attracted to places where it is exciting and there is a sense of pride. That is why we strongly encourage our people to wear orange anytime we play in any sport - why we encourage those in our community, campus, and throughout the state and nation (wherever we're at) to wear something orange on Friday's. For example, while on business last year in Chicago, I actually encountered a chance meeting, in an elevator, a Clemson graduate who was wearing his orange on Friday.

This is not silly or hokey - it can be a huge factor in how we sell our University and athletic programs. Let's become the best in America in exhibiting our pride year round. Solid Orange is more than just wearing a color. It's About Pride.

From this point forward, the only time that I'll wear what I thought was a favorite shirt is when I'm chasing birds in the field.

In Solid Orange,
Terry Don Phillips

Past Columns
November 22, 2005
November 16, 2005
November 9, 2005
November 1, 2005
October 25, 2005
October 19, 2005
October 11, 2005
October 4, 2005
September 26, 2005
September 21, 2005
September 5, 2005
August 23, 2005
August 4, 2005
July 26, 2005
June 28, 2005
May 23, 2005
April 25, 2005
April 4, 2005
March 16, 2005
February 23, 2005
February 15, 2005
February 9, 2005
February 1, 2005
January 25, 2005
January 18, 2005
January 11, 2005
January 6, 2005
December 15, 2004
December 7, 2004
November 30, 2004
November 17, 2004
November 10, 2004
November 3, 2004
October 26, 2004
October 21, 2004
October 11, 2004
October 4, 2004