With Ray Tanner's Gamecocks on a fast track back to the College World Series, we're all in the mood to reminisce about what it was like to see Carolina finally take home an NCAA National Championship last summer. I think I speak for us all when I say that was probably one of my fondest moments as a Gamecocks fan. One of my favorite memories of the game was that we had to endure badmouthing from the announcers, only to put the vaunted UCLA Bruins to sleep in only two games. This was a watershed moment in Carolina athletics, one where stepped out of our traditional role as a have-not and finally finished something. I hope to remember it as a day when we experienced a permanent change in fortunes, and considering the success both football and baseball have experienced since then, I'm confident that that may actually be the case.
To commemorate this magical moment, artist Michael Hunt has put together something very cool that he's asked me to share with you. As you know, we're not much for advertising and pointing you towards consumer opportunities here at Garnet and Black Attack, but this is too cool to pass up, and it's the perfect time of the year for it. Hunt has produced a limited-edition, fine-art lithograph commemorating our big win last year. Here's an image, although be sure to check out Hunt's site for further information:
The print has a number of distinguishing features. First of all, each has been individually hand-signed by Carolina legends Whit Merrifield and Blake Cooper. Each one is numbered and thus unique. Catch Merrifield and Cooper signing prints in this video:
South Carolina Gamecocks 2010 National Baseball Champions (via TheNolaFineArt)
The print itself is notable for how it uses multiple types of advanced printing techniques in its images. This gives it a bit more complexity than your average two-dimensional print. Lastly, this is a limited edition item, with only 500 regular editions and 100 remarques in existence.
Hunt says that one of the things that really sticks out at him about this game is its storybook quality. Carolina fans certainly won't argue. This was the last game at Rosenblatt Stadium, which had hosted the College World Series for decades, and it was Carolina's first title. The end of one era, the beginning of another. And to top it off, the way we won it was classic, with a prized veteran and team leader walking off. Hunt captures all of this in his art work. I encourage you to check it out. It would definitely be a nice addition to any Carolina fan's collection of memorabilia.