Gamecocks celebrate regional title with beloved fan, USC vendor
For the past few seasons Sam Srisuwan, better known to Gamecock Nation as TK, has been waving his South Carolina flag and holding his custom sign in the last row of the left field bleachers at Founders Park.
But according to a close friend of Srisuwan’s, that was put to a stop on Saturday night.
“Sam called me after the (NC State) game and was upset,” former University of South Carolina firefighter Ben Bowers tweeted on Saturday. “It appears NC State people complained about his sign because it is supposed to a neutral site game. He was upset, but I calmed him reminding him that we now have the upper hand: Victory!”
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Before we go any further, some of you may not know who “TK” is. So let me get you caught up.
Known for his popular Thai food and kind heart, Gamecock fans have fallen in love with TK. For more than 20 years, he’s been working as a vendor at USC. His most popular item with fans from his Thaikingdom Oriental Kitchen stand? Chicken on a stick.
Covering the Gamecocks since 2016, I’ve done several stories on TK over the years. One involved him paying money out of his own pocket so that a South Carolina fan who was struggling financially could see their beloved Gamecocks play at Williams-Brice.
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The point is, TK goes above and beyond when it comes to the Gamecocks. Just ask USC baseball coach Mark Kingston. TK has been driving over to Carolina Calls this season with his sign while waving his towel for several minutes just to say hello before heading back to work.
Speaking with TK’s wife on Sunday, she said he was crushed about what happened on Saturday when he was approached about his sign. Unbeknown to TK, with South Carolina hosting a regional, the games are supposed to be treated as neutral sited games. So while he’s been doing this all season at Founders Park, he was unaware of the NCAA’s rules.
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According to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship rule book, signs, flags, and banners are deemed as “impermissible items.” It reads:
The stadium management is responsible for enforcing the NCAA policies in this area, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
Noisemakers. Artificial noisemakers, air horns, cow bells, electronic instruments, etc. are not
permissible. Stadium management is responsible for removing such instruments from the stadium.Promotional Items. Promotional items (e.g., cups, shakers, flags, etc.) with commercial slogans or
identification are not allowed on the premises without the permission of the NCAA. Items such as
newspapers, caps, t-shirts, etc., may not be distributed on the premises.Signs, Flags and Banners. It is the responsibility of the tournament management to confiscate all
NCAA.com
prohibited articles. Items that can be held by one individual, reflect good sportsmanship and do not
block the view of other ticket patrons may be permitted.
As much as I’m in favor of home-field advantage, I get what the NCAA is trying to do, to a degree. But at the same time too, TK is sitting in the last row of the stadium in the bleachers. And while the crowds were great this weekend, no one was around him as he held his sign. This sign being the one in question.
For those wondering why it says “no gas,” it’s because, “it’s powered by the unstoppable sandstorm warriors,” as he likes to say.
Word quickly spread within USC’s program about what happened to TK. It didn’t take long for them to show their support heading into Sunday’s regional final.
As South Carolina took the field on Sunday against Campbell, TK was back in his familiar spot. Despite not having his sign or flag he continued to stand up throughout the game waving his towel for the entire game. Only occasionally giving himself a break during the three-hour plus contest.
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In the second inning Will McGillis smacked a two-run home run. There had to have been around a dozen fans who ran up the bleachers that were sitting near him to come over to either hug or high-five him to celebrate it. But it was far from the cherry on top.
Leading 16-7, TK watched on from his perch in the left field bleachers swinging his towel even more. It didn’t go unnoticed. As South Carolina hauled in the final out the Gamecocks stormed the field to celebrate their regional championship with their teammates. Freshman star Ethan Petry came out of the dugout holding TK’s sign and pointed in the direction where the beloved Gamecock fan has been standing all season to support them. A spot that he was at even last year when things were rough, regardless of how hot it was.
But that was just the beginning for what the Gamecocks had in store for TK.
Following South Carolina’s win, the team welcomed him onto the field to celebrate with them. They reunited him with his sign and placed the home run helmet they use on his head. Even from the concourse, TK’s smile stands out like you’re right next to him.
Isn’t that baseball though? One day you go to the park and things don’t go as planned. But you show up the next day and you never know what might happen. That was the case for TK. Even though in the grand scheme of things, he didn’t do anything wrong. Especially not intentionally.
As South Carolina advances to their first Super Regional since 2018, one thing is for certain. Regardless of how far this team goes in the NCAA Tournament, they’ve given a man who loves and supports them unconditionally a moment he’ll never forget.
