kaela davis – I'll Call It Like I See It

Experience the Power of a G.I.R.L.!

Sunday afternoon, the 9th. of April, 2017 was an absolutely gorgeous spring day in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. The weather was perfect with temperatures in the mid 70s and cloudless blue skies. It was a great day to be outdoors which is where thousands of people gathered on Main Street to celebrate the good times of bringing the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship trophy home to the University of South Carolina with a ticker-tape parade minus the ticker-tape.

Yahoo – we party!! Pretty and I were there as were our Gay Boys Basketball Buddies and #1 Fan Gamecock Matt. Without realizing where we were sitting, Pretty plopped our small folding chairs right next to a local TV news team which was covering the parade so not only did we have great seats, we also were interviewed by a TV newsman and once again made local news. (That interview can be viewed on social media if anyone is curious.)

We watched every car carrying VIPs, every motorcycle, a live rooster (Sir Spur, the Gamecock) riding in a small driver-less motorized vehicle, a deputy sheriff on a real big horse, A’ja Wilson’s DJ brother playing festive music, dancing troupes, Cocky the Gamecock mascot and tons of floats – green ones, red ones, silver ones, gold ones – truly any color imaginable in the midst of a caravan of colors as they passed by us on Main Street which was their route to the State Capitol grounds for the closing ceremonies.

I love a parade – Pretty will vouch for me. I just love a parade. But I particularly love a parade that celebrates women and their achievements. I took 129 pictures at the parade and worked on them last night while Pretty was talking on her cell phone with the Apple Help person for two hours trying to figure out how to make her Mac happy again. Poor Pretty.

As I cropped and re-cropped the images, I was struck by the power these basketball heroes gave to the little girls, teenage girls, grown-up women and yes, even us eat-up-with-elderly older women as we celebrated their victories in one grand final gesture of appreciation.

If I could, I would put all of these images in my post today, but alas, I know that’s asking for a lot of attention which won’t happen. So, as a compromise, I’m choosing my favorites.

The G.I.R.L. Power float

Bring the babies, too – even when they nod off

It’s a Family Affair

(photo courtesy of Pretty)

Dancing in the streets

Women on motorcycles –

rev ’em up, Sisters!

I spy Cocky!!

Gamecock Legend Sheila Foster is jubilant…

other basketball alumni enjoy the ride with her

Our Heroes: The Stars of the Show

Kaela Davis, A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray

These girls and the team made basketball history

Coach Dawn Staley high above the crowds

where a true basketball Queen belongs

along with the Team that made her the Queen

I’m afraid I was too short to see the action on the Capitol steps as the parade came to an end, but that was okay. I found my sights away from the stage.

This little girl had a bird’s eye view

This one did, too

a Pretty face in the crowd

taking a break to tie her shoes

a teenager tweeting her pics

an older woman rode her bike to celebrate

Gamecock colors – complete with pom poms

These girls are champions, too

Which one of these girls will be our next Congresswoman, Olympic medalist, astronaut, teacher, preacher, policewoman, Forbes 500 CEO, President of the United States? The mind races with the possibilities for their futures…and for ours…because we’ve experienced the magic of G.I.R.L. power today.

Whew! We are exhausted – time for us to ease on down the road to Casa de Canterbury where we should be p-a-c-k-i-n-g instead of partying. Oh, well. You only go around once.

Go Gamecocks!!

Pretty and our parade chairs heading home

it’s a wrap for this unforgettable season

SHOW ME YOUR FOURS!!! GO COCKS!!!

Okay, my daddy always told me, She who tooteth not her own horn, the same shall not be tooteth. Here’s my horn, and I’m tooting it today…

GAMECOCK MEN AND WOMEN

BASKETBALL TEAMS

IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH MADNESS!!

GO COCKS!!

Gamecock basketball fans can’t figure out where to make their Final Four reservations this week – the men are going west to Phoenix and the women to Dallas for the final weekend of March Madness in 2017. Question: How much “madness” can the University of South Carolina stand in one wild, wacky, wonderful basketball year? And the answer is Ding, Ding, Ding the Daily Double – both teams are Regional Road Warriors and Winners.

As PJ Dozier said at the Welcome Home celebration for the men in Columbia Sunday at the Colonial Life Arena, Gamecock Fans, Show me your Fours!

The names Sindarius Thornwell, Notice, Silva, Dozier, A’ja Wilson, Davis, Gray, Cuevas-Moore, Harris, Cliney are household words in the homes of South Carolina fans who revere the round ball and will now take their deserved places in Gamecock basketball lore as they have led their respective teams into the record books for the school and the SEC as well.

A’ja Wilson – 1st Team All American

Congratulations to # 22 A’ja Wilson, the junior from Hopkins, South Carolina who was named to the All American 1st Team. The honor couldn’t be more well-deserved because Wilson has been not only the spark plug for the spirit of the team but also the checkered flag- waver to help her team stay focused to cross the finish line of every game this season whether on the bench or on the game floor. This girl has spunk, and I love spunk. You go, girl.

Last night Pretty and I plus our dogs Spike and Charly who had been rescued from the Doggie Day (and night) Care in New Orleans stayed in Patchatoula, Louisiana off I-10 to see if our women were Final Four bound. And so they are, and so we will continue our love affair with Coach Dawn Staley and her team and turn west toward Texas to make sure we are there to support them in person this final weekend of the season.

Whatever the scoreboard says in Dallas or in Phoenix, our young women and men are winners and for us personally have provided more than enough entertainment to lift our family from a self-absorbed political pity party we have had since November. For that, we say a huge thank you and good luck in the next games.

P.S. I couldn’t believe we would leave New Orleans without once hearing When the Saints Go Marching In and Sunday night at the very last possible minute, a wedding party parade outside our hotel had a very loud band playing the song while everyone danced in the streets. Magical moment. Memory Maker, as Granny Selma would have surely said.

New Orleans version of a wedding party

Pretty documented it for us

Say goodbye, New Orleans and Hello, Big D, little a, double l, as.

Celebrate Good Times!

What do weddings have in common with the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament championships?

Ding, ding, ding – and the answer is The Daily Double or, in the case of the 2017 Lady Gamecocks, The Annual Triple. That’s right, Sports Fans. This year’s Lady Gs are the gifts that keep on giving – over the weekend they won their third straight SEC Tournament Championship much to the delight of 8,000 fans who drove 100 miles north from Columbia to Greenville, South Carolina which was the site of this year’s tournament.

(By the way, my new best friend ESPN analyst Nell Fortner was in the stands for the final game Sunday afternoon and finally “came out” as a Gamecock fan after the game when she donned an official baseball cap for the SEC Champions. Nell, Yes!)

A’ja Wilson and Kaela Davis made the All-tournament team and A’ja was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the week to add to her laurels as SEC Player of the Year for the regular season. You know what I love about her? Everything. She plays with grit and gusto, a never-say-quit spirit that inspires her teammates to focus and finish.

As for the rest of the Lady Gamecocks, you know what I love about them? Everything.

As for Coach Dawn Staley? How do I love thee – let me count the ways…

Which brings me to the weddings. Saturday afternoon I skipped the semi-finals of the basketball tournament to attend another event that made my heart sing. Two young lesbians were married in a gorgeous ceremony attended by their biggest “fans,” the family and friends who promised to stand with them as they began their life together.

The setting was a pastoral one outdoors on a lovely farm at sunset. As the colors in the sky changed from blue to shades of pink and red, the two brides exchanged their personal vows mixed with humor, promises to be faithful and most of all, to love. The smiles on their faces as they turned to walk down the aisle between the rows of white chairs and benches for the guests were, I’m sorry I can’t think of another word, radiant.

The party afterwards was perfect with tons of food, drinks and be merry to the tune of live music in the farm’s version of a barn which was way too fancy for anything with four hooves. For sure everyone there had two feet – and most of them were dancing. One of my favorite moments was the first dances with the brides and their fathers…

A wedding and a 3-peat SEC Championship – a beginning and a finish – both the best of times and causes for celebrations.

Life is good.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

University of South Carolina Lady Gamecock Kaela Davis (#3) stole the basketball from a Vandy guard and dribbled it hard down the court toward her goal as the Vandy player tried desperately to retrieve that ball from her. Gamecock teammate Allisha Gray (#10), who always has a nose for the basketball, ran full speed parallel to Davis on the other side of the Vandy guard. The trio barreled toward the goal at an amazing speed as Kaela leaped toward the backboard apparently for a difficult lay-up when all of a sudden KD made a no-look bounce pass to Gray who caught the basketball and effortlessly made the lay-up for the two-point score.

Man, oh man. Pretty and I were sitting with our Gay Boys Basketball Buddies in our regular seats at Colonial Life Arena which are directly above and slightly to the right of the goalpost – just in the perfect position to see the three women thundering down the court and cheer the beautiful pass from Davis to Gray as the ball swished into the net. It was a Harlem Globetrotters moment.

My words don’t do it justice, but to me, as Granny Selma used to say when she was in her right mind, that pass was a thing of beauty. Whoa, Nellie.

Davis and Gray are both junior transfers from different schools playing their first year in the Gamecock uniforms and figuring out how to maximize their play together is no small task for Head Coach Dawn Staley, but last night’s efforts against Vanderbilt showed a maturity and presence for the whole team that was fun to watch.

For every game this season, my personal heroes have been our big girls who endure heavy blows to their bodies during the games but still have a smile for the fans whether they win or lose.

#41 Alaina Coates

#22 A’ja Wilson

Alaina and A’ja are two fierce competitors who strike terror in the hearts of their opponents when they control the rebounding and scoring in the paint. They don’t mess around, sisters and brothers. You better have on your Big Girl uniforms when you come to play against them because they will be your worst basketball nightmare if you aren’t prepared.

The good news is we won last night – the bad news is we are getting to the end of the regular season play, and Pretty and I are wondering what we will do without the Lady Gamecocks in our everyday lives. Sigh.

Let’s hope our post-season play goes all the way to the Final Four in Dallas this year – now that would be a memory-maker!

(My thanks to the USC Gamecock Basketball Gameday for the unauthorized use of their pictures.)

And thanks to our Best Candy Maker friend Dick Hubbard for another thing of beauty this week…yummy…creamy fudge…mouth-watering…Happy Belated Valentine’s Day to all our cyberspace amigos!

Auburn Breaks Pretty and Slow’s Road Trip Chicken Curse!

The Lady Gamecocks rolled into Auburn, Alabama with their game faces on and had an amazing first quarter that led to their victory in a gorgeous Auburn Arena which held two bus loads of loyal Gamecock fans and a few of us who made the trip on our own.

Next one to miss a free throw…

Lord, I can’t watch – makes me too nervous

Davis in deep, deep concentration before the game –

(she scored a USC record 19 points in first quarter)

Pretty before the game – feeling optimistic

Elaina Coates ready to play

Captains Confab with refs before game

(better known as Let’s All Play Nice)

Star-Spangled Banner

Gamecocks didn’t quite maintain the first quarter intensity and points but played well and managed to score 73 points before all was said and done. Auburn struggled in the first quarter but came back to score 47 points as their defense held our Bigs to the fewest points they’ve had this year so very good effort from the Tigers. Unfortunately, our guards were On Fire and hit 14 of 28 from the three-point line which was another record night.

Everybody happy as they left the battlefield

Pretty happiest of all – Road Trip Curse broken!!

Coach Staley hugs Lady G Road Warriors

Pretty and I discovered why War Eagle Nan loves her Auburn University – it’s a special place. We even got to see the War Eagles themselves when they posed for celebrity photos prior to the game behind our seats. They look ferocious but were tolerant of the paparazzi.

All in all, the Auburn experience was a Memory Maker, as Granny Selma used to say when she was in her right mind.

But…we were all dragging by the time we got back to the motel…Spike and Charly stayed in the car while we went to the game, and Charly destroyed her leash to punish us. Oh, well.

Road Trip continues as we make our way to Gainesville for the Florida game Sunday afternoon.

Stay tuned.