The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 30, 1958, SECTION THREE, Page Page Eighteen, Image 18
BRD CAGE
The most surprising and controversial developMaent com
ing out of the meeting of.the nation's athletic directors and
coaches a couple of weeks ago, was the revolutionary new
scoring rule for extra points.
College football rule-makers decided to allow two points
for a conversion scored on a run or a pass and one point
if scored on a kick. Under the old. rule only one point was
allowed for a conversion, no matter how it was scored.
there wasn't even a hint the new rule was in tih making
and news of its passage hit the public like the rise of a
"Sputnik."
The lawmakers feel that the place-kick has become a
monotonous and dull phase of the game. This surprise move
is designed to stimulate interest in the spectators, who, after
all, are paying the bill.
Much has been said recently about the rise of spectator
interest in pro football. Advocates charge that pro football
is more of a wide open game and a better spectator sport
in general.
Such college coaches -as Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd
contend that this is true and unless something is done,
college football will find Itself in the same position as minor
league baseball. We have to look no further than this city,
and the case of the ex-Coumbia Gems, to find a striking
example of that situation.
Television' it is true, has been the major blame for the
failure of baseball in the minors. Why? Because fans would
rather sit by their TV set and watqh major league ball free,
than go out and pay to see local baseball of a lesser caliber.
This same situation has now moved over into college
football. "Televisionitis" is slowly draining away the life
blood of college football and every Sunday paces it in the
living rooms of millions of American people. There, by
simply turning a little knob, they have all the convenience
of home at their disposal, they have no parking or seating
problems, they have no heavy traffic to contend with, they
have the equivalent of a 50-yard line seat for every play and
they see a brand of football that has surpassed the colleges
in color and excitement.
Average attendance for the six Carolina home games last
fall was 24,000. This figure was ballooned by the 44,000
who paid their way into Carolina stadium for tlae Clemson
game, and the 40,000 who came to see the Duke game.
These approximate figures show that 24,000 more people
came to see these two games than the other four combined.
The figures in North Carolina show an even worse situation.
Duke, North Carolina and N. C. State averaged only 18,000
per game.
Duke University's stadium, with a capacity of 57,000, has
never been filled.
Big time college football has become big business. It takes
(Continued on page 22) -
ONE CONSOLATION FOR COACH
Gamecock's La
Carolina basketball coach Jno owr ikHfmn
Frank Johnson can pluck one altemn saeaig59
bright consolation out of a sea
son that has produced four vie-,adrtrigcne tre
tories against nine defeats thu Fesenzaeaes37 n
far,.te ohmre rdLiso
Four of the Gamecocks' five Paua,K,isvegng37
top individual scorers are boys as
playing their first season of Prcl n ofa,as
varsity basketball,.emae spesesa
Teamleader Ray Pericola, N . eetoo h edn
the Gamecocks' all-conference paeso h 965 ae
guard candidate, is an "old- cc aktaleiin
timer" as a junior, but his four PecoawseontoAl
nearest challengers are still wet AeiaGayWlaei cr
behind the ears, as far as col
lege basketball is concerned. in Wth46pns.Ts
Pericola has scored 179 points rone ouitoa1-it
and is averaging 13.7 per game. aeaeadbt iue rk
Dickie Prater, Pericola's guard Prclas aetescn
partner who enrolled at Ken
tucky, went into the service,
then came to USC, is pushing
for the lead With 170 points and
a 18.1 pace in his first varsity
- sason.
Sophomore forward Mike Cal
lahan of Sussex, N. .J., is next
With an 8.7 average, followed
by sophomore Walt Hudson of
Columbia at 7.8 and soph Bob
Frants of Camden, N. J., at
Ju6o.fra.Dc Hoffman,o
Thefies wrkmnsipata eranable pvri . ,
Weaindrop seri. ntrstre
Reiserd wer,Amried Lem Soeraet.7y n
1414Mathetretsoomre, S.e Lug. o
MA T RPLAducah, Ky . aeaig87
SYPerndSAISFCoTIadOmN,"ls
temae spesesa
thi hmtona Uin iy
Current U,
Three of, theda.mant Caw)bpa
professore, r. Jame" T, P&n,
Dt. W.- 0ji4rand W,b.
Charle 'A Meeer; sey
coachm athietle teams at the pai
versity and pontributed greatly to
the athletic program here. Xah' of
the three had many fond and in
terstig reoetions ol their
teams of yesteryear.
Dr. Penney, the pre.t Dean
of Men, was coach of tle track
team back in 1948 and 1944.
Dr. Penney was ably assisted by
Dr. M. r. Christophersen, who is
the present _USC debate coach. Dr.
Christophersen assisted with the
hurdlers.
Probably the most outstanding
trackman during Dr.' Penney's
tenure as coach was Norman
"Scooter" Rucks from New York.
Rucks won the state and South
ern Conference championships in
the 440-yard dash.
After the war, Rueks won the
NCAA championship in the 440,
working under Coach DuPree.
Other outstanding performers in
cluded Jimmy Ratliff, who Is the
present USC swimming coach, and
McKeva Riley, who won the Bouth
ern Conference championship in
the 100 and 220-yard dashes.
Both . of the Penney-coached
teams won the state championship.
His first team placed fourth in
the Southern Conference and the
relay team set a state record. "I
inherited a very good team from
Coach DuPree, who went in serv
ice," Dr. Penney stated.
His second track team was
largely composed of Navy Pre
Flight boys, (V-5 Program). "I
had only three civilians on the
team in my second year as coach,"
Penney mused.
At present, Dr. Penney is the
Faculty Chairman of Athletics at
the University. When the present
ACC members broke off from the
old Southern Conference, Dr. Pen
ney was named the first president
of the new Atlantic Coast Confer
ence.
Dr. Penney has somewhat of a
unique distinction in that he has
missed only one Carolina 'home
football game in 29 years. That
one game was this year's Wofford
contest, when a combination of in
fluena and bad weather forced
him to stay away.
Dr. Wagner of the Englian de
ck Vars
team All-AGO Tournament lSht
March.
Hoffman was a regular at
forward last season and re
corded 815 points for a 10.9 per
game mark and added 218 re
bounds. He was third among
the Gamecocks in both the
scoring and rebound depart
ments.
Callahan led the Freshman
squad in scoring last season
with a 22.5 mark and was one
of the Biddies' top rebounders.
Hudson's scoring output for
the 1956-57 yearlings was just
under the 20-point mark and he
too was a strong rebounder.
Walt, along with twin brother
Bury, led the Dreher High Blue
Lents Callahan
Congnd
THE R.
C Faculty
when he.wastkiW h^ot the Car
olita tennis 60"
Wagner was e coath from 1I
ia"k In those days the Athletic
hibeciaton' 4dt think tbo highi
of minor sporto, and on0eguently
the tesnis team receved verl litth
aid.
Dr. Wagner bisheelf rpeelved ne
pay for his coaching duties, and
'vety little'thahks," he said.
"Why, some years I had to buy
the racquets," he said. "One year
I even bought the uniforms. Thq
Athletic Association did buy us a
few tennis balls."
Back in those days tennis was
plkyed on courts located in the
area between the present sites of
the Administration Building and
McKissick Library.
The Gamecock netters -won the
state championship -in 1985, '86
and '87, going undefeated in state
competition each year.
Sam Daniel was the star of these
teams that also included Francis
"Dinky" Williams. "Without a
doubt, Daniel was the greatesi
player I ever coached," said Wag
ner, "and he was probably one o:
the best college tennis players evei
produced."
Wagner also recalled memories
of another one of his protcges
"We had a boy from New Jerse3
by the name of Stanley Brose
Stanley didn't have an over-abun
dance of natural talent, but he ha
more desire than any boy I hav<
ever seen. In his senior year hi
became a pretty good tennis playei
and was named. captain of th(
team. Presbyterian College had a
fine tennis player who had nevei
been beaten in the state. We playe<
P.C. down here and Stanley cami
up against this player. Using
sheer guts and determination
Stanley beat him, and overnigh
he became a campus iero."
Today, tennis still occupies a
place of minor importance in mos
college athletic programs, althougl
their position has been somewha
strengthened.
Dr. Wagner bemoans this fact
because, as he put it, "Tennis is
a game that you can continue play
ing 20 to 25 years or more aftei
you finish college. I would cer.
tainly like to see more emphasis
placed on this sportV"
Prof. Mercer, of the Physics
department, was probably the firui
ity Ex1
Devils to two straight class AA
now class AAA) state cham
pionships in 1955 and 1966.
Frantz came to Carolina "on
his own" last season after play
ing some four games for a
teachers' college in Pennsyl
vania. He was ineligible for
both varsity and freshman com
petition last year, but his per
formances in daily scrimmages
and workouts impressed Coach
Johnson enough to earn himself
a full athletic scholarship.
Lentz, although a regular last
season, hles seen only limited
action this year. Fred' has been
alternating with Frants in the
piot slot and. ~us continued to
give sterling performances. The
Luise Printer
uliations to T HE G AME
n its Fiftieth Annivera
L BRYAN CDI
1440 Main Street
lumbia, South Carolf
Enens. of Q.dIM . . . MSina
Most
of South Caroling iml be,e
Florene Igh shvoo
Rhame had e-w drdya alV
those 9 miles to the statp sIN
just to see a basketball
others waited 'nervously
home.
He joined a throng -1 o ,90
who begang nudging their way
through the fld house *ors as
early as 7 o'elck to. se ' POW
season game between the East's
two most outstanding t4ms of
1984--Pittsburgh and 1ou*bCkro
link
Not Diseesraged
The high price of tickets-a
separate track coach In U80 his
tory. He was coach in 1921 and
1922. Several of the football
coaches had done a little work with
track before, but Prof. Mercer was
the first to handle the task alone.
"I wasn't really a coach because
I didn't know that much about it,
but I sort of kept them together,"
he said.
Prof. Mercer was responsible for
the track that was laid out when
I he first started coaching. This
track was used through the 1954
season, when the Russell House
was built on its site.
Prof. Mercer was able to re
member such names as Bill Poole,
Burney Smith, Frank Meeks, who
I is now a professor in the school
of business, Billie Hanahan, "Sock"
Ervin, Dewey Brock, Alex Waite,
Steve Prevost, W. C. Mann, and
Harry Hampton as having been
members of his track squads.
"About the biggest track meet
we had, was a triangular meet
L with the Universities of Georgia
and North Carolina," said Mercer.
"beorgia beat us by one point."
One of the amusing incidents
Prof. Mercer recalled, was the
'time, "We had a man running in
the 220 low h6rdles. He was well
ahead with only a few yards to
go, when he looked around to see
how elose. he others were. -He
i stumbled and before he could get
up, all the othirs passed him."
6-7 North Carolinian pulled
down 860 rebounds in his first
season of college bail last year.
Luigs, possessor of a deadly
jump shot, has shown. poise in
recent games and has slowly
earned a starting berth on the
Carolina quai n tet. Although
Luigs played guard on the
rangy frosh team last year, he
is used solely as a forward for
the varsity.
Coach Johnson was encour
aged by his team's Improve
ment in a recent 74-47 upset
over archrival Clemson in the
Carolina Field House, and he is
lioping that the two-week layoff
'for mid-year examinations won't
make his charges forget what
they were doing in that game.
Carolina ended their brief
hiatus from the basketball wars
against the Georgia Bulldogs at
Athens last Monday, but results
of the game were not available
at press time.
The Birds had previously
whipped Georgia in the season
lidlifter at Charlotte, but s.f-.
fered a thrashig from the Bull
dogs in the Gator Bowl Touna
ment about four weeks later.
COCK
PANY
t adn't
e or a new
Won0 the
SAw fhaW s bat
Uo m7 th* past 86,
trt 6 big round
etn'tete Dan&
Henderson wis out because of Ill
ness.
~Theg04 had been arranz*A
ben, It, , learned that .he
panthers would be heading Ou
foi 4emonstations at the national
coaches' meeting In Atlanta, where
tlooka s ."tucky and 11i
'**$IiYalan-IW-ft also lon the
program Pitt agreed to stop over
and unofficially settle superiority
of at least the Eastern part of
the United States.
Arrival of Pitt
Pitt arrived in Columbia the day
before that March 28 meeting with
a record of 19 wins - against but
three defeats, including a perfect
10 wins in the Eastern Conference
and triumphs In their latest 18
straight games.
Panther coach H. C. Carlson sent
his team through a short workout
the night before and then gave
them their usual post-practice por
tions of ice cream.
A tense crowd watched the
teams begin their warmups at 8
o'clock the next night, and the
USC band kept the place echoing
with inspiring marcheo, mixed
with a few popular tunes.
Evenly Matched
Finally the game wds under
way, and the teams were as
evenly matched as everyone- had
suspected before hand. Seven
times during the first half the
score was tied, and it took a last
minute field goal by center Dana
Henderson to send the Gamecocks
out front, 17-15, at the half-time
intermission.
As the second half got under
way Pitt moved ahead on Don
McCamant's field goal, plus a
free throw, but Freddie Tompkins
scored to send Carolina into a lead
that they would never relinquish.
Vi
Gray
Iy
For Tradii
Collegio
Enro
Knox
Roble
Campus Styl
Boi
Holbrook S
Campus Tog
Campus
GRAY
Ssl e1qu7
1934
Freddie droppOd 4Wetb
and forward Vie ss@
:n. in to hoost the d d
to -e, an4the crow bow*U
Ing for W cemplet rout, as e
score seted to *6*4
W)A eight -,in*0ft
BenWe Tompkins, halt
Gainowk brother
from the national
Athens ' Tex. high b1ch6
wett out on,tour r
080 coach tock o
him with Hank Gooding.
Most Important
Gooding immediately became-the
most i4portant man in plmdtia
*by w4rinjon two free throws Aft
a field goWI, which combined with
a hook shot by- Freddie Tompkins
to send Carolina into a.eompad
Ing 85-25 lead.
The' Gamecocks apparently "had
it made," but the visitors from the
smoky city were spunky. Al
though their coach had to leave
five minut4s before the end I of
the game to catch a train for At
lanta, there was still plenty of
fight left in the Panthers.
Guard Russ Ochsenhirt hit three
straight goals from near mid
court, and McCamant added a
fourth to narrow the margin to
86-88, as time was running short.
Gamecock Victory,
However, Gooding and Freddie
Tompkins hit foul shots to offset
a last-minute field goal by Ptts
burgh, and the Gamecocks were
carried off the court the proud
owners of a 8885 victory.
An usual, Freddie was the lead
ing scorer for the Gamecocks with
18 points, while Dana Henderson
had eight, Laurie, six, and Good
ing, five.
Carolina's shoothfg accuracy
was better than that of the visi
tors, as the Gamecocks made 14
of their 41 attempts, while Pitt
was good on 11 of .89.
That victory ended the two
most glorious years to date in
South Carolina's basketball his
tory, as that great team began to
break up the following year.
Still whenever they talk about
basketball in Columbia, and It'll
probably be that way for a long
time to come, someone always asks
the questions, "Do you remember
that game back when the Tomp- o
kins boys were playing. . .?"
8t
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