Clemson’s #DISRESPEKT machine always needs gas

When a football program’s coached by a guy that constantly tells you his team’s counted out — even when they’ve been national title contenders for years on end now — it can start to seep into the fan base. Or maybe, in the case of the Clemson Tigers, it was always there. We never really interacted with them much pre-Dabo Swinney to say for sure.

But by this point, we’re pretty familiar with the way the Clemson #DISRESPEKT machine works, especially when it comes to the Syracuse Orange:

1. Syracuse does something that barely has anything to do with Clemson

2. Clemson fans get MAD

3. This may or may not get to the team

4. Rinse, repeat

Some of the more notable examples:

This article by yours truly that rankled those not familiar with #jokesandgarbage.

The time Jerome Smith endorsed his quarterback (as most teammates would) over Clemson’s. CJ Spiller was mad and called us “scrubs” as a retort while everyone over thre acted super offended.

This moment from Scott Shafer that feels like a decade ago and okay, maybe this one holds some water.

The fact that we exclaimed we were going to enjoy hating Clemson for years to come (and we have!).

Naming an award after DABO was fun.

J SLATER FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.

Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Really, just mention Syracuse in any Clemson comment thread before last year’s upset and the RAGE coming from fans of a superior program on the field is incredibly illuminating about the fragility of many Tiger fans’ respective psyches. Afterward, there’s far more respect for Syracuse, and we give many of them night terrors. Still, #DISRESPEKT is strong with a good portion of the fan base. You could see the next slight coming from a mile away when SU announced that homecoming would be moved to the same weekend as the Clemson game. And that was before Nate Mink dragged up this 2016 quote from Dino Babers about what caliber of teams should be homecoming teams.

Predictably, it all ended up here, where Tigers fans spent a hell of a lot of time ignoring the fact that the athletic department has no control over when homecoming is (though I’ll admit, probably lent some opinions to this move). Plenty of the comments are actually complimentary of Syracuse under Dino Babers, and applaud the program elevating the game. But of course, the #DISRESPEKT was alive and well, even less than a month after the team’s second championship in the Playoff era...

“Thug mentality” seems like an interesting choice of words

Its not so much courage as it is a thug mentality. Yes, Syracuse wants to be competitive and take out #1, but not the same way Clemson wanted to be #1, and not the same way Pitt plays hard to win upsets.

Ah yes, THIS program teaching people how to be humble

They need to be taught a lesson in humility.

27-23 is a beatdown?

“... but realistically, especially after the 2018 beatdown, they should have designated better to save face.”

You must not be familiar with our long-standing scheduling strategy of pick a date against a team that’s probably pretty good

That may not have been a good choice for a home coming game but, Cuse folks are full of themselves and this helps even more to prove it!!!

/Saves this one for September, just in case

It’s wau way way way way way too early to have bulletin board material but N.C. State got a little big for their britches. Talking about close games and finishing things off. I think Syracuse is doing the same thing... Now they’re losing their senior QB and Dino is about to get slapped back to reality. Syracuse is a great basketball school. Stick to what you do best.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

What I will say, once you get through the nonsense above, is that a good deal of Clemson fans do appreciate what the Orange have become under Babers. It benefits them to have quality teams in the division and interesting opponents every week, so they have wiggle room to take on a loss if a team like, say... Syracuse jumps up and beats them.

And for as much as we joke around here about this internet rivalry, it’s become one of the more entertaining dates on the schedule, and one of the few opponents we have some real animosity toward and excitement around playing. So for that, I guess let’s just keep feeding this #DISRESPEKT machine until it can’t run anymore.

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