Clemsoning

Clemsoning is a term that is used to define a highly disappointing performance. The term is primarily used in the world of sports, specifically in the context of college football. Urban Dictionary defines clemsoning as "the act of delivering an inexplicably disappointing performance, usually within the context of a college football season".[1][2][3]

History

The term came into use in the college football lexicon in 2007 after it was used by Ty Hilderbrandt and Dan Rubenstein on their podcast The Solid Verbal. Hilderbrandt had clarified that he did not invent the term but was responsible for codifying it into the 21st century Urban Dictionary. In 2006, Clemson Tigers were among the favorites to win the ACC Championship but did not manage to do it. A similar story followed the next season. In 2008, Clemson Tigers were contenders to win the ACC and even compete for a spot in the BCS National Championship and they failed to do so. Amidst the high expectations and the consistency of failures, Clemsoning as a term was devised.[4][5]

While the Tigers could not technically Clemson in the following two seasons because they were not really expected to achieve anything, 2011 saw something similar happen when the Tigers undefeated for eight games ranking number six on the AP Poll before losing three of their final four games including a 37-13 defeat against a weak N.C. State team.[6]

While the term still has a negative connotation and is used by football commentators and pundits, Clemson Tigers’ performance since 2012 has helped them get rid of the Clemsoning tag and their reputation as chokers.[7]

Dabo Swinney incident

In 2015, Tigers beat Georgia Tech to continue a streak of five wins without losing any throughout the season. In the post-match conference of the match, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was asked by a reporter about how did he intend on approaching "Clemsoning" that season. Swinney answered,[8] "I’m sick of it, I don’t even know why you bring up the dagum word? How about these other teams who lose to unranked teams all the time? We ain’t lost to anyone unranked since 2011, but I have to come to a press conference in 2015 and get asked that. And that’s all media bull crap."[9][10]

References
  1. "Clemsoning is a thing of the past for playoff-bound Tigers". ESPN.com. 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  2. Piellucci, Mike (2015-12-30). "A History of "Clemsoning," or Why Oklahoma Is Favored in the College Football Playoff Semifinal". Vice. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  3. Phillips, Carron J. "Clemsoning isn't just about football anymore, it applies to the whole school". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  4. "The End of Clemsoning: It's time to stop using this inaccurate and asinine term". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. 2016-12-23. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  5. ""Clemsoning": A History of Heartbreak". Student Union. 2016-09-22. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. Sapakoff, Gene. "Benefits of 'Clemsoning'". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  7. Jun 30, Chris Johnson/Sports Illustrated; ET, 2017 at 10:28p (2017-01-13). "Clemsoning isn't just dead-it's been completely redefined". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  8. "Dabo Swinney has just about had it with your 'Clemsoning' talk". For The Win. 2015-10-11. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  9. Rickman, Martin. "The end of Clemsoning? The mindset of Dabo Swinney's program in 2014". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  10. "Clemsoning, Dabo Swinney, and the reality of entrenched ideas". Awful Announcing. 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
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