Clemson football doesn’t need balloons to be exciting

Clemson football has one of the greatest entrances in all of college football. There is no debating this with anyone as it is a well known and documented fact.

Sure, Clemson football haters will claim that an ugly rooster crying, a guy playing dress up in a Native American outfit or a team headbanging to Metallica have better entrances, but those are all child’s play.

Clemson touching Howard’s Rock and running down the hill, truly is the best entrance in sports period. A few years ago, that entrance got a makeover when the school decided to forego the releasing of hundreds of balloons into the atmosphere.

At the time, most Clemson people were upset, I included. However, the more research that comes out about how devastating balloons are to the environment, the more and more people need to realize that getting rid of the balloons was a great idea and one that showed tremendous leadership with a willingness to upset a fan base. (Doing the right thing isn’t always popular)

Clemson balloons have been found as far away as Ohio and all over the coastline, affecting ocean life and disturbing one of the greatest parts of the State of South Carolina, the beautiful coastline. If you are unfamiliar with how bad balloons are for the environment and for wildlife, feel free to read these articles.

Within the last few days, a Clemson student started a petition to bring back the balloons. Well-intentioned I am sure but needless at this point. If you need a couple of hundred balloons in order to get you hyped up and excited to watch one of the nation’s premier college football programs play, you have no business at games anyway.

Howard’s Rock, 82,000 screaming people in orange, and 100 of the best athletes in college football should be all you need to enjoy one of seven Saturdays we get in Death Valley every year. Clemson will do the right thing and keep the balloons retired regardless of how many signatures are collected.