Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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USC assistent Johnny M hopetul Carolina gridders in Dietzel: competiti( BY ('IlAIt 1,IE: SIEN N Sports Writer Alter a disappointing season with a highly touted team, Coach lPail Dietzel has started this spring's workouts with a squad somewhat green in places that has an element he hasn't seen much of in the past few years. ''his is the first time we've had an real competition for any spot," said the Gamecock mentor. "Our first couple of years here we just Sn't have that many good people PPP- P ying for us. The way the simuation was then. we just played Ihe people we could get. lhree years ago we had the first team we recruited up on the varsitv and that group of sophomores just played together well. Then the next year they were ROOF JEWELERS / carat' $99.96 -o a mas wme Pees ashsmens vima gacs PumeCaa * 12N1 Jaglm and hRosse S9teesag Ce L~f SBlET RED?T ................ 'Follow Me!' enger leads drill during early spring I 'We have >n for pos lettermen. and their senior years they were two year regulars. Its hard for a bov to break into a lineup in a situation like that. This is the first year every spot has been wide open. No one has won i spot. A) course," said )ietzel," the experienced people are somewhat ahead of the rest, but the com pet ilion is tougher. We don't really know who's going to be where." Saturday's full scrimage should give I)ietzel a better idea of' his material. With officials, and a game like, situation the players sioudd respond with the same entihiisiasm they have shown in practice. Alter the winter's lay off, the (;:am.ecocks have shown little hesitancy in contact drills. There is a tremendous attitude A' e 6S"'' 1%A .:-\ >ractice. real itions, on the squad.'' said I)ietzel. and it - most enjoyable working in it." With only two practices com' pleted. there has been lit tle chance tor manV individials to shine. however, a few veterans are easy to sve. It wotild be hard not to notice .John I,eheup in a contact drill. said I)ietzel..' and flichie Move makes his presence known in one on one drills. Some of the experienced aihletes who have been around. -uch as Pat Kahoot. are naturally standing out more.' With Irosh breathing down veterans necks. and an overall willingness to hit throughout the 'sitiad. IDietzel should have a sIuccesst id spring and good reason for high hopes of next 'all. I tF hump! kes out his hostilities on actice drills at Rex Enright Friday Nites ONL.Y gg plant parmigian Salad - Side order of Spaghetti $125 (TABLE SERVICE ONLY) 256.7179 bill currie MOUTH of the SOUTH When it came right down to the nitty gritty, in the game of chicken between the University of South Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference's other seven members, the Gamecocks proved that they have more grit and perhaps wit than the others. South Carolina flatly said it would no longer be bound by the entrance requirements for athletes prevailing in the conference, and made it perfectly clear that if the others failed to reduce the requirements, the Gamecocks would withdraw Jnd go it on their own as an independent. Ha! [~hey cried trom College Park to Clemson. If the Chickens get out we'll just not play 'em any more. Their tootball schedule will be wrecked. We will show them! South Carolina got out just as it had threatened to. But then the ACC members fell over themselves being nice. Oh yes, they will play the 1971 football schedule as set up since none of the athletes who have been recruited under the lowered rules will be eligible then. After that it will be up to the individual schools as to whether or not they will play South Carolina. Right now--today--five will get you ten trom me that they will all play. 'his, of course, violates the conference rule about in dependents within the conference area. But this is not really important. What's really important is that the Gamecocks are selling their stadium out every time they open the gates, and now they are adding more seats and class.ing things up with artificial turf. It is a big money proposition to play in Columbia, and the ACC schools will swallow their principles and play as long as the long green comes flowing out of the games. What a shame that the conference could not have gone along with South Carolina in an effort to bring athletic requirements to the level upon which NCAA schools operate the country over. The ACC rules have from the beginning been discriminatory against athletes. Bona fide students have one set of requirements, and athletes have another--higher--standard. Institutions all over the country are waiving their entrance requirements to give higher educational opportunities to minority groups and people from deprived areas of the society. Whatever you may think of this, it is a fact of life. The best black athletes in the ACC area are being gobbled up by schools at distant points because black athletes, like white athletes, are not always the best students. In college, though, many of them settle down and become adequate in the classroom, superb on the f ield, and when they graduate they're ready to step intoy a place of business. Ihere has always been a note of unreality in the ACC area. Remember the Graham plan? Dr. Frank Graham, president of the University of ,North Carolina, instituted such restrictions on athletic recruiting that it almost reduced the school to playing with walk-on students. Of course a lot of good athletes who could be good students go elsewhere during such periods. Dr. Graham, of course, was also the man who refused to allow the radio broadcast of UNC games to be sponscred. He was afraid Coca-Cola would buy the broadcasts, and he was convinced that Coke held all sorts of harmful ingredients. South Carolina will, for all intents ad purposes, continue to en joy the benefits of a conference membership. Prin cipal among these is scheduling. On top of that, the Gamecocks will be able to en joy all the privileges of an independent operation. For instance, any time South Carolina gets on television or goes to a bowl or a post season basketball event, all the money -will stay in Columbia, and will not be divided among the conference members. I he Gamecocks, their administration, trustees, and athletic staff came eyeball to eyeball with the conference, and the ACC blinked and backed down.