Better late than never

The Citadel swept a doubleheader Saturday night. The Bulldogs clobbered Webber International and rust, not necessarily in that order.

Fans got a 54-7 season-opening win and, what's more, a bulldog the size of an SUV. A rout was expected, considering The Citadel a year ago pummeled the Warriors, 76-0.

The new, improved, renovated, overdue version of Johnson Hagood was a pleasant surprise, even factoring in the long wait.

Until this week, the main seating area hadn't changed noticeably since aging Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis was a Citadel assistant coach in the 1950s.

Well, OK, they added Tony The Peanut Man.

But it was fun Saturday night to see smiles on so many Citadel supporters who suffered such a dump for so long.

Now they have a fancy Club Level. A distinct exterior blending splendidly with the castle fortress Altman Athletic Center previously on display between an end zone and Fishburne Street. Great views of the Ravenel Bridge.

The obvious highlight, though, is a 10-foot tall, 800-pound bulldog.

AC/DC and HDTV

The mascot monument, officially unveiled Friday night, is on permanent display in the stadium plaza near the corner of Congress and Hagood. It's an instant icon.

The bulldog statue Saturday was the most photographed thing in a postcard city.

Then again, you expect bells and whistles and oversize animals for $42 million, a mix of public and private funding.

This is not your father's Johnson Hagood Stadium experience.

His idea of a suite seat was the chair back brought from home. You can step onto an elevator, hear a pleasant female voice announce "Fourth Floor," walk out and pick through the air-conditioned buffet while sneaking peeks at the Clemson game on High Definition TVs.

Or just sit outside and listen to the public address system blast AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" after a Citadel touchdown. They didn't play that when Al Davis was here.

Of course, when times are tough in America it can be argued $42 million is a bit steep for a non-major college football stadium used just several times a year. Our priorities seem out of whack, even if the National Guard shares stadium space.

But Furman, South Carolina State and Wofford long ago had nicer stadiums than the old Johnson Hagood. The rust and paint peeling on bleacher seats was bad enough as recently as a few seasons ago to prompt phone calls for ticket refunds.

Guard The Dog

Much of the credit goes to lobbying and arm-twisting. The stars were just-retired Citadel athletic director/fund raiser Les Robinson and facility facilitator Tommy McQueeney.

Was Webber the ideal christening foe? Only a little better than Trident Tech, which explained the slightly disappointing crowd of 11,247.

Will attendance shoot up over this season and next?

Probably not that much.

But if a better facility attracts a few more good players, maybe they will help win a few more games, which might draw more fans. And so on.

A warning, however: That big, beautiful bulldog is more than a photo op. It's a target, too. Citadel cadets might have to be posted on rotating guard duty.

You certainly would hate to see smart aleck students from a rival school decorate the thing in their favorite colors during game week.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com