I haven't been to a Clemson- Carolina game since the fight of 2004 so when my cousin called with a couple of extra tickets, I jumped at the chance. Being a Clemson alumnus and diehard fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. As one guy put it coming out of the stadium after the game, "It never gets old beating the Gamecocks."

Despite the fact little has changed when it comes to the outcome of the game, there were a lot of other changes that jumped out at me and I'm not talking about a coach named Dabo. For starters, it seems rap music has taken over the P.A. system at Death Valley. Between every stoppage in play, we were treated to some eardrum rattling, pulse pounding rap, except, of course, when they played that song that makes all the students bounce up and down. I've got nothing against rap music. Personally, I'd rather listen to a couple of kids fighting over a toy from a McDonald's Happy Meal than anything from someone named Ludacris, but if it helps my Tigers rush for 200 yards again, then I say turn up the volume.

Another difference was much more disturbing than anything coming from the P.A. system. The new world order of the bathroom culture at Clemson is completely upside down (at least it was for this one game near our seats).

Relief took a trip through the bizarro world where up is down, cats and dogs live together, and the line is long for the men's bathroom and the women just scoot right through. I've never seen anything like it. I stood there behind my fellow males missing half the game looking like a pre- school kid about to have an accident as my wife disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared minutes later barely missing a snap. Little to no lines at the can was one of the last great remaining advantages to being a guy. Now it's gone…at least at Clemson near Gate 13.

The final change wasn't so much disturbing as it was depressing. Downtown Clemson got me. It wasn't the new parking garage or restaurants that sent me into yet another midlife crisis. It was my wife's and my entrance into Tiger Town Tavern. It's not like we went there to rekindle a spirit that once was. The fact is we just stopped at Tiger Town on the way to our car to use the bathroom, but the entrance was still traumatic. The doorman hardly even looked at us. He didn't ask for I.D. or even give us a second look. He just waved us right on by.

There was a time in my life when I would have prayed for just such an easy entrance, but that was 19 years ago. I guess a 39- year- old man should not expect to get carded, but it sure would have been nice. Of course, the dude probably would have looked at my I.D. and said, "Man, it's been awhile since you had your license renewed."

So goes life. The only sure things are death and the Gamecocks losing to Clemson. As long as the latter doesn't change I can live with the rap music, long lines, and the aging process.