Ballantyne Magazine covers news, events, real estate, restaurants, shopping, health, schools and business in the upscale Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC.
Issue link: https://ballantynemagazine.epubxp.com/i/79319
DIVIDED THE BROWNS: SOUTH CAROLINA VS. CLEMSON While the Kellys' rivalry goes back decades, Greg and Ashley Brown's is relatively new, though no less heated. The newlyweds united recently in holy matrimony, but their home is divided into two separate camps; although, one is slowly encroaching on the other. Greg graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1998, and is a hardcore Gamecocks fan. For years he kept his bachelor pad awash in garnet and black with USC memorabilia filling nearly every room. But that has slowly started to change, and like many newly married men, Greg is learning resistance is futile. "It was my house first, so there's more USC stuff around, especially in my man room. But Ashley has been trying to overtake everything with adding orange, and I'm not too happy about it." Orange is the official color of Clemson University, Ashley's alma mater (class of 2001), and USC's biggest rival. "When I moved in, I brought all my Clemson memorabilia, and I've slowly infiltrated the man room," she says with obvious glee. Similar to the Alabama-Auburn standoff, the Carolina- Clemson rivalry dates back to the late 1800s, and the two South Carolina universities have since 1909 clashed every November in the "Palmetto Bowl" showdown, which is the longest uninterrupted football series in the South. While there's a long and storied past to the rivalry, Ashley and Greg both arrived at their respective schools with little connection to it. Greg's family is from Pittsburgh, with no previous affiliation with USC, and Ashley's father went to Florida State, and she grew up in Atlanta. After college, Ashley was happy to land a job but not in Columbia, USC's home turf. "That was pretty hard for me to do being a Clemson fan," she says. "I really didn't like USC." Meanwhile, Greg had bought a home in Matthews, and was busy turning it into his own private USC kingdom. The two connected via a dating website. While they were compatible in many ways, they couldn't help but notice that they proudly proclaimed allegiance to opposing universities with a long and bitter rivalry. "When we first started dating, Greg joked if it was okay that he went to USC. I told him I'd have to think about it." She eventually relented, and the couple married in April, even incorporating both of their teams' colors into the ceremony. While they're still in the honeymoon phase, neither is about to give an inch when it comes to their school. Both have season tickets for their team, and on game day they go their separate ways and reconnect later that night, usually for some good-natured trash talking. But it's not all fun and games when the schools meet. Last year the Palmetto Bowl was at USC, and Ashley accompanied Greg, dressed in her full Clemson regalia. "So I'm in the middle of Gamecock seating, and it was really hard to take. I was ready to leave. It was a horrible experience." This year the game will be played at Clemson, but Greg refuses to go. "I just don't want to deal with the fans," he says. "We're both love our teams, but I think it's safe to say I dislike Clemson more than she dislikes USC." Above: When Greg and Ashley married, she began to infiltrate their home with Clemson memorabilia. Right: The couple even compete on behalf of their alma maters in the bean bag game of cornhole. FALL 2012 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE 59