‘Rock-worshiping cultists’: Clemson, USC newspapers trade barbs ahead of rivalry game

Trash-talking is one of the top traditions in the Palmetto Bowl rivalry, and this week the student newspapers at the University of South Carolina and Clemson University took shots at each other ahead of Saturday’s rivalry game.

The Daily Gamecock published an editorial Sunday titled “Clemson, we need to talk,” that was written in the style of someone staging an intervention and expressed concern over Clemson starting “a cult that worships a big dumb rock and an adult man who goes by the name ‘Dabo.’”

The column took shots at Clemson’s mascot, degree programs, the hill inside Memorial Stadium and Howard’s Rock, noting that the writers “feel bad for those poor ROTC students having to protect a rock like it’s the president.” .

“Clemson, we’re serious, we really care about you and wanna see you get better,” the editorial states. “You see, even though we’re rivals, that doesn’t change the fact that we’re both from Carolina and we gotta stick it to those Bulldogs. So ya gotta change and ya gotta change for the better. Because at this rate, all you’re gonna be is bunch of rock-worshiping cultists who’ll finish second to Alabama.”

In an editorial published Tuesday that began “Dear little brother,” The Tiger fired back, taking swipes with trashtalk about USC’s mascot and poking fun at a 2010 federal court ruling that recognized the University of Southern California’s claim to using the letters “USC” on sports clothing.

“South Carolina lost a legal battle about its own identity,” the column states. “... So yes, we may not have the most original mascot, but at least no one can take away the fact that we can put ‘Clemson’ on our shirts.

“You mentioned ‘stick[ing] it to those Bulldogs,’” the editorial continues. “We really have to ask: Do you mean the Georgia Bulldogs? Or the Citadel Bulldogs?” The latter was an apparent dig at the Gamecocks’ 2015 home loss to FCS foe The Citadel.

In years past, the two newspapers have run side-by-side trash-talk columns by their sports editors in the week leading up to the rivalry game.

Clemson and South Carolina will face off at 7 p.m. Saturday in Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.