The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 08, 1982, Page Page 14, Image 14
Women Get j
J1MCORBETT ygf
Sports Columnist
??a
"I think it stinks," junior softball/basketball player Pat
Dufficy declared.
"It should be a lot better than it is," freshman basketball
player Brantly Southers said.
"I think it should be even. Why not?" junior swimmer
Shelly Cramer said.
"It" is the amount of publicity given women's sports ar,d
athletes. The question has been discussed in some circles
and will come under continued scrutiny, particularly in
collegiate sports, as women's athletics gain in popularity.
A i i ? i _ _ ILI _A. r i J r 4U
as a general ruie, mate aiiueies run iasier anu iaruier, are
stronger, have more stamina and turn in better performances
than females because of these strengths. More
impor' mtly, males draw paying customers.
Women don't draw paying crowds at this point, but that
should not stop them from being promoted. Women's sports
should receive more publicity than they are getting, but not
an amount equal to men's athletics. Freshman volleyball
player Kim Brown agrees.
"I think women's sports should get more publicity than
they do now, but I don't think they should surpass men
because they bring in the big bucks," Brown said.
It's a known fact major men's sports such as football and to
buiiie extent uasnetucin, buppun an muiui auu wumen &
sports. Despite this, Dufficy feels women's sports should get
exposure equal to men's, and should even surpass men in
popularity in some sports.
Dufficy thinks women's sports are more exciting because
"there's a lot more action. I think the girls are more intense."
Dufficy gives her reasons why women's sports haven't
taken hold yet. "I don't think people take women's sports
seriously," said Dufficy, who has played two and a half years
of basketball and is in her first softball season.
"I think people are timid to come out and see us play."
Cramer, an All-American swimmer, said she would
probably prefer watching a men's swim meet over a
women's meet because it is more established.
Prampr thinlrc ?(V>ial ctanrlarHc ctill hamnor u/nmon'c
/ ,, , <f^j g
?x?<^ ,M>> ??????.' uM'MMMiir^MEtc^^MMt^V';r MM^MTOMiMi*
Rent our cs
without credit
unlike many car rental
companies, National gives
college students the credit
they deserve. Because even
without a credit card, you can ^ fi
still rent a great National car at wf
a great rate. Just present a
current student I.D., a valid
driver s license and a cash
deposit, you must be 18. You
nau fnr nic inH r>r%r miicf ha
KMf IVI vjMsl MIIW \/tll I I Vt? J t Wtreturned
to renting location.
Rate applies to car snown or
similar-size car, and Is
available from noon
Thursday to noon Sunday.
Car must be returned by
6 p.m. Monday.
.'HMIilJWL'll
You deserve National <
Available at:
Columbia Metro Ai
V 796-0414
r~
Vo Respect
athletics. "A lot of people don't quite accept women being lr
a man's role."
Brown said a growing concern about physical condition b}
Americans has helped" make women's sports more visible.
"There is more awareness on getting in shape, so more at
tention is focused on women's sports, especially by womer
interested in firming up," Brown said.
Women will eventually form the core of female sport's
fans, and will help to popularize them because of womer
rising in other phases of life ? more women are making
greater amounts of money, hence they spend a greater share
of the entertainment dollar.
But male and female sports fans alike can appreciate
women's athletic event.
Witness this year's 98-91 home overtime win by the Ladj
Gamecock basketball squad over Clemson. It was arguably
Urv /\o 4- f ir\rf KnnlpA^Koll nAnfApfo A1
uiic ui tiic: 111 wot CALIU115 uaoivciuau tuiuuow, 111^11 o ui
women's, at Frank McGuire Arena this year.
Part of that excitement was generated by the fans filing ii
for the men's contest to follow ? and I'm sure many wen
amazed that women's basketball could be so exciting.
Exposure will make new fans. New fans could eventually
mean women's sports making a financial contribution, alonj
the lines of perhaps men's baseball, to the school. That wouli
mean more money to use for publicity for women's sports
It's a minor revision of the chicken and the egg problem.
"If they (women's sports) don't bring in the same amour
of money I don't think they should get it, (publicity)" Crame
said. "But if they don't get any money how are they going t
bring it in?"
There is no dispute the popularity of women's athletics i
one the rise. The question is, how popular will women'
sports get? What will be their impact? And perhaps eve
more importantly, how should women's sports be treated, i
terms of finances and promotion?
The answer lies somewhere between an equal footing wit
men and being relegated to secondary status. Fairness to a
ib, ui uuui se, a uiajui cuiisiuci ctuuu.
Keeping this in mind with the fact women's sports, lik
minor sports, will never be self-sufficient, an athleti
department can reach a happy medium.
Give women athletes their just due and allow them I
compete to on the highest possible level ? according to yoi
finances. The result will be a women's program with th
opportunity to be as viable in its sphere as male sports are i
theirs.
And that's fair.
^ i
WMm We Gesture 0)
|J1| CM cars X
Chevrolet ft AII thp
JttWI Citation. / ^
| you can eat
ft Wednesday
irs |
cards. |
995
PER DAY ft
UNLIMITED (\
FREE /
MILEAGE V
m
ittentionr i>
port I
Gordon Had Problems
i From page 16
when problems began to set league contract. He is no
f in. He worked out with the different from other
4 L-" "nnf Vinrn Kilt Kollnlfivorc ln fhiC rftClarH
leaill Ilia 111 St Jfcai lit! V wuv wunpiujvia 111 vu>u I VHU. V..
due to NCAA regulations ,4T^ _
. was not allowed to play in Ev" s!n?e 1 was "m,e
any games. In 1980, he began year! 1 have w.ant.ed llh
t to feel pressure? put on by Coach Raines and Coach
1 himself? when he struggled u on ,lr 1 av? a
! to an 0-1 mark after ex- chance and most of the guys
perienceing arm trouble. I have talked to who have
"I got very discouraged ^en 0 , m.
because Coach Raines and Y snot, it s jus
the team had high hopes for le",ng th,aj one 'Ucky.^re(t
i me. I was pitching one day in ?}?a could make all the
f spring practice when difference.
f something popped in my Gordon is confident about
eibow. After that I just tried his performance the rest of
i to be as positive as I could to the way and feels equally
b do my best." confident the USC team will
Hp aHHpH that a snmmpr nf Hn wpII
y playing baseball in a , .4 . . ,
? collegiate league and a "I m going to pitch better
i strong showing in fall as ^le season goes -on
? practice helped. It was not because I plan to stay more
until the actual 1981 season, intense. The ganies this year
it however, that Gordon that I have had trouble in
r established himself as a have been when we ve had a
o reliable starting pitcher. big lead. It's easy to lose
"I struck out 10 batters in y?ur concentration in
s five innings against Furman situations like that Our
s (in relief) I started the next team has got a lot of talent. A
n game against Ohio U. and new P^aYers have
n shut them but. That put me filled their positions well. We
in *he starting rotation. I have some tough games
h think that revived ahead but 1 think we re
11 everyone's confidence in really prepared. We can win
me " the College World Series."
' O T A- *< V* *1 /] V* #\? w V-v r?/i mm ? ...
ii auuuiu wave, nc jn talking With Don
lc went on to lead the staff in Gordon it is evident that he is
ERA and shutouts, and where he wants to be,
^ amazingly enough gave up without being complacent.
ir only 16 walks in over 110 Through a series of struggles
innings pitched. after initial success, he has
in Hopefully, Don Gordon matured and come through
says, his recent successes to establish himself as one of
will propel him to a major- USC's top pitchers.
THE LOBBY |
922 S. Main j
252-9420 V
a t ? I - I y
? ?
j ////vySteamed 0
Oysters ? y
Champagne /
x\/^ every X
-V^? I Jv Thursday ft
i r/ |mI( lOftby^ [ $ 1.00 cover y
IY i ^ > ?<|f ? | j |
presents $
CORRFTT -1IROIIIA RANID *
Fri? April 9 |
Sat., April 10 |
Happy Hour Sat., 4-10 t
25<t Draft Saturday y
I - 5 p.m. ft
Hot Dogs 75C y