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Quote, Unquote ‘They're huge, and they’re hairy. And they’re not something we see every day. ’ Gale DuBose, Visitor at the new Riverbanks Zoo gorilla exhibit Wednesday, August 1,2001 'Che (Samecock Serving the Carolina Community since 1908 Editorial Board Mackenzie Clements, Editor in Chief Ann Marie Miani, Managing Editor David Cloninger, Sports Editor Cristy Infinger, News Editor Rick Johnston, Asst. Sports Editor Ticket problems indicate football on-field positives Lots of USC football fans might be a little peeved right now. After all, tickets are hard to come by, even for Gamecock Club members. But the difficulty in finding a ticket to any of the games played in Williams-Brice stadium shows what an incredibly large and loyal fan base our football program has. In addition, all the tickets for the games at Tennessee and Georgia have been taken. It’s a sign that fans finally feel the Gamecocks are legitimate SEC opponents — something that’s been a long time coming. Of course, Lou Holtz gets a lot of the credit. Not only did he change a losing team into a winning one, but his legendary status has helped USC to attract national attention and gain re spect. This year’s record ticket sales surpass the previous mark, which was set the year Holtz was hired. USC is in the Big Boys Club, now. Fans of schools like Tennessee and Florida are accustomed to ticket sell outs. And now that we’re being taken seriously again, it’s time for USC fans to get used to it, too. While it might seem unfair or unfortunate that some of the most hardcore Gamecock fans can’t get tickets to this year’s games, it definitely indicates the on-field talents fans have come to expect of our team. About Us The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the iaH and spring semesters and eight times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Gamecock, The Department of Student Media is the newspaper's parent organization. The Gamecock is supported in part by student activities fees. One free copy per reader Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar each from the Department of Student Media. Address The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia. SC 29208 Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Student Media Area code 803 Advertising 777-3888 Classified 777-1184 Fax 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Gamecock 803-777-7726 Editor in Chief gamecockedrtor@hotmail.com News gamecockude8k@hotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com Soort^^^^gamecocksporte@hotmaifoorn The Gamecock Betsy Baugh Jia U Community Affairs Page Designer Student Media Erik Collins Sarah Sims Faculty Adviser Advertising Manager Ellen Parsons Maegen Thornton Director of Advertising Sales Student Media Carolyn Griffin Susan King Business Manager Creative Director ,, , Sherry Holmes Todd Hooks Classified Manager — College Press Exchange 5^/£Y: many ree^ rue &>5k q?$iao^(/~ .Z' aa^'AAAAAAA AAAA 7)/ 5ai0ThaT xv/Ay /weu yZ/ Zl so^eOAi we'ZZZ' 1 Know. Th£ Pakt \ 7/ /a zeop&i we r//f. [ That said risk y//' A gv/6£ 5TA*f£C? I^y, m6 ppfHATwKEt/ <Z> 4\ -tw/NNWA-ry^^ \ f(P5T/ AaA AzAaA'AaA j-k ( ^zAZTiyzAA A/ X.AAaa~taaAz rp5i&iEzX Am\ aA/VzAA,yA Accusations pollute world of sports If anyone has seen the Damon Wayons character on “In Living Color,” you know his spelling - of the word “C Colby Nelson O-N-spiracy” is is a guest columnist ... . and can be as ridiculous as reached at the politically gamecockviewpoints motivated @ hotmail.com. accusations polluting sports. For example, the recent assertion that Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win at the Pepsi 400 was the result of anything other than sheer racing pedigree is, in the slurs of Mike Tyson, “ludicrous.” I could honestly care less about the pointless sport of Nascar. However, when ability isn’t accredited because some whiny theorists can’t contain their skepticism, it bothers me. Give the guy a break — he’s racing on the same damned track his legendary father died on only five months earlier. Not only does he have to endure the intense emotions involved in driving on a cursed course, but he also has to deal with callous, invading journalists nitpicking every word he chooses to divulge. I just can’t comprehend why a momentous event like this has to be evaluated so inscrutably when it should be held in reverence. Junior won because he was the most talented driver on the track. Sure, the fact that Michael Waltrip finished second is even more miraculous given the circumstances surrounding it, but who cares? That’s life saying Jeff Gordon lost the race because that insipid, curly haired little girl from the Pepsi commercials was distracting him while his car was refueling in the cockpit. I can just hear a fan now. “Hey, Jimbob, I know why that there Gordon lost the race. It was that early-heard bitch that gits us faird up so mutch!” Now, I know not all Nascar fans enunciate like the nipple-rubbing farmer from “The Waterboy,” but it seems like an applicable comparison. Anyway, next time a sporting event so incredulous occurs that it appears fixed, take this into account. Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few engage in it.” Uneducated conjectures and jealous entreaties envelop the Dale Earnhardt Jr. situation the way Jared from the Subway commercials engorfs his Cold Cut Trio. Though my tone is abrasive and sarcastic, it’s also brutally realistic. Athletes are given no room to breathe when it comes to occurrences like this. Of course, some pros are pampered entirely too much. I think Earnhardt Jr. is an exception because of his heritage and his willingness to have to work twice as hard to live up to the legacy of his father. Hopefully, this issue of repetitive doubt will close faster than Gary Condit’s pants come off. That way, the political agenda of sports can be levied correctly.