I've been in broadcasting for nearly a decade and a half now, and let me tell you - it has been an absolute ride so far. And, I have gotten to do some very cool stuff. I've caught a pass from Drew Brees. I've played a round with Chi Chi Rodriguez (and got run over by a golf cart driven by Gary Player - it's a long story.) I've gotten a sparring lesson from Roy Jones Jr. I've shaken hands with a sitting President of the United States of America. I've watched Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Chris Paul, and a handful of other legendary athletes play from only a few feet away, and interviewed them after their game was completed.
To put it plainly - it has been very, very cool to be me sometimes, y'all.
And, last Friday night, I got to add another very cool moment to my quiver full of sports stories to brag about. I was invited to emcee the championship celebration of your Greenville Triumph as they claimed the USL League One trophy for their own.
But before we get there, I want to walk you up to how I found myself in that position, what it meant to me, and why it was one of my favorite memories of my time in this industry.
(By the way, if it sounds like I'm bragging a little bit in this column ... it's because I am.)
Way back in the beginning of 2020 (oh, how young and naive and optimistic we were!) I was invited to the GSP to audition for the afternoon job on ESPN Upstate, the station that I would ultimately agree to come work for just a month and a half later. I was here for only a few days, but I wanted to see and learn about and experience everything the Upstate has to offer - and there was no shortage of it. The food. The music. The climate. The nature. The people....
....and the sports.
Man, the excitement I felt when I drove down Main Street Greenville for the first time and passed Fluor Field. I've been fortunate to have a professional baseball team in my past - the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. And I loved going to games. It was one of the few things that I would miss about living there, and having the Drive right down the street from me made that decision even easier.
Than, I learned we had a hockey team, too. I spent more than my fair share of time watching the Ice Flyers of Penscacola skate, and knew I would miss live hockey. Problem corrected.
It felt like Greenville was built for me.
And then I learned about the Greenville Triumph. I've been a soccer fan since my college days - I had a few fraternity brothers from other countries that spurred my love for The Beautiful Game. But I had never really had a local team to support.
Until now.
As soon as I got into town, some of the first calls I made were to Chris Lewis, the President of the Triumph, and to Doug Erwin, the Chief Branding Officer and Vice Chairman. I introduced myself not just as the latest sports talking head in the market, but as someone who was a big nethead, a huge believer in the game of soccer, and of supporting local teams. And they welcomed me with open arms. It was incredible.
Chris and Doug responded to every interview request, every bit of information I hoped to learn with enthusiasm. If I asked for something, it was there within a handful of minutes. And, as much as I'd love to say it was solely because I'm just that handsome and charismatic that they couldn't refuse, it wouldn't be true.
They did it because they care about the Upstate, the sports community around them, and their relationship with said community. They care about making sure they invest in the community, so that the community will care about investing in them, as well.
And it was a fantastic ride through the regular season - a regular season in which the Triumph, with two full matches left in the regular season, earned the opportunity to not only play in the Championship match, but to host it right here in the Upstate. To say Triumph SC fans were excited would be an understatement. Our text lines were blown up with folks asking how to get tickets, where they could buy gear before the match, wanting to be a part of the night where the club played for its first trophy (in, by the way, only its second year of exitence. That ain't bad, huh?)Just over a day before the Triumph were scheduled to play Union-Omaha, disaster struck the club from Nebraska. A Coronavirus breakout caused their team to go into lockdown, and since it would be three or more weeks to be able to play the title match, it was determined the championship would be awarded based on the protocols signed off on by every team - and awarded to the team that earned the most points per game in the regular season.
That club, of course, was the same team that earned the right to host the championship match - your Greenville Triumph.
It felt a bit hollow, if we're being honest with each other. No one wants to be handed a title without having to earn it.
But, believe me, sports fans: this team earned that trophy and all of the accolades and celebration that came with it. They went wire to wire as the team on top of the table without looking back. They took everything that the weirdest year in sports threw at them - coronavirus, games without fans, games with limited fans, travel around the nation in the face of a global pandemic - and they handled it better than anybody else in the league.
And, even if I was only the most recent addition to the Triumph faithful, I was proud as hell to have been along for the ride. (Well, as along for the ride as anyone could be without being on the team.)
So, last Thursday night, I got a phone call from Chris. He thanked me for helping to contribute the awareness of the team this year, and had a question for me - he asked me if I would be the emcee for their championship celebration on Friday night.
The team wanted to thank everyone who had purchased tickets to the championship match, and hey, the stadium was sold out (coronavirus season sold out, anyway.) Why not have a party?
So party we did. The team played a intra-squad scrimmage match to entertain the fans - and boy, was it a success. Dallas Jaye taking PKs. Lachlan McLean taking dives in the box worthy of a Razzie award. Coaches checking in as active players, active players acting as officials, officials acting as fans. It was nothing short of the funniest soccer match I've ever seen, complete with full laughs from the entire crowd multiple times.
But then - then the real celebration started.
I stood at midfield, my Greenville Triumph jersey covered only by my Greenville Triumph scarf. I held a microphone and looked towards the Supporters' Section, the home of the Reedy River Riot. I waited for my cue from the PA. I reached down deep.
And I, as loud as I could and with all the bass and growl that I could muster, announced to the crowd - your Greenville Triumph are the USL League One Champions, and this trophy, the one sitting right here on OUR field in OUR city in OUR community, would be calling Greenville home for the next year.
And man, did it feel good.
It felt good to look out the fans who had bundled up to sit through temperatures in the 40's to watch their club receive their title.
It felt good to look at Chris as he hugged his family and celebrated with them.
It felt good to look at Doug and his dad Joe, and watch them celebrate an accomplishment for their team and their family.
It felt good to watch players, these grown men and professionals, jump up and down and chant and cheer while holding up a trophy THEY earned, and shared with the people in the stands.
It felt good because I wasn't just a radio guy there to cover a team. I wasn't just a fan who was there to celebrate a title. I was there because this team was part of Greenville and Greenville was part of this team. And I bought into Greenville. And I bought into this team.
And it felt good to know that we, here in the Upstate, don't just have a professional soccer team.
I've been a lot places with a lot of professional teams of all levels. I've seen what it's like when a team doesn't buy into the community. I've seen what it's like when the community doesn't buy into the team. I've seen what it's like when neither party believes in the other. And trust me - it's nothing to be proud of.
We have a championship winning, community driven, genuine, professional soccer team - and one that can we damn proud of.
Up the Triumph. Up the 'Ville.
Let's Riot.
Congratulations, boys. And let's go do it again next season, eh?
