Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Thursday April 8, 1982mmbhbmib GAME( mmmmmmammsammmmmmmmmummmmammammmmmmmrnmMMmmm , Bell Speaks A By JOHNNY BOGGS Sports Editor USC Head Football Coach Richard Bell discussed his coaching philosophies, prospects for the upcoming gridiron season and football in general at the Russell House Ballroom Tuesday nignt. The speech was sponsored by Garnet Spirit, a new campus spirit promotion organization. "I'm a lot like the old story oi Ed Hunts," Bell said. "He got treed by a bear and he said, 'Lord, if You're not going to help me, don't help that bear either. "And that is kind of like my prayer," he continued. "If He is not going to help me, I hope He doesn't help those Tigers or * - Bulldogs. Let's be neutral about it." Bell thanked his supporters who wanted him to be named head football coach. The Little Rock, Ark. native got the job Jan. 9 after Jim Carlen was fired in December. "I felt I would get some support because I had been here for QPl/Pn Vf>arc roer-11111 n rt " Roll tnl/l tho Af\ rvortnlo of fko ? V T VII J U t VVA UIVUI^, 1JV11 VU1V4 VI1V/ T\J pvv/pi^ at VI It speech. "But when it was very much in doubt, my wife and I decided that this would be an important moment in our life simply because of the positive response of the people in our behalf." Bell said he has always wanted to have a chance at being a head coach but knows the bottom line is winning. "If I can't win at the University of South Carolina then I don't deserve to be the coach,"he said. "I feel very firmly about that. "Eventually, I was hopeful that I might have the opportunity to be a head coach," he continued. "And it is nice to Woirn o f/\ ?-* 4U ? ? * 1 - ^ nqvt u Liiantc iu nvc cii tx nicy yuu ve always wamcu 10 live at for the rest of you life." Bell said the support at USC lias been great since he arrived in 1975. He recalled the USC-Georgia Tech game where Carlen had found out Tech was going to run without a huddle, a situation that could have hurt the Gamecocks. According to Bell, Carlen got on the radio and television and asked USC fans to constantly make noise. The plot worked as the Georgia Tech offense could not concentrate and were forced to go back to a huddle. Carolina went on to win the game. "That's what support means," Bell said. . He also recalled the halftime comment of a player when USC was playing Michigan before 104,000 spectators at Ann Arbor. Gamecocks Add To By JULIE JAMESON 6-2. USC's No. 3 seed, Ellen 1 sum writer Oxrieder was victorious over 1 Marbie Brown 6-4, 4-6,6-4. ( USC girls' tennis team Senior Susan Smith of USC < was on the rampage again defeated Katherine Hogan 6- ( this week sweeping their last 2, 6-3. Fifth-seeded Dawn ! two matches against the otto defeated Julie Kirby 6 Universities of Georgia and 3, 7-5. Amy Kneale was : North Carolina. victorious over Pam USC's 6-3 victory over Mclerney 7-6,6-1. < Georgia Sunday boosted UNC's Brown and * their record to 23-2. Vvint? at thf No 1 nositinn Lisa Spain of Georgia defeated USC's Laura Bernstein, 6-0, 7-6. USC No. 2 ^ seed, Johnna Chafin ; . . defeated Dot Higgins 6-3, 6-4. | Maxx Kaufman of Georgia ; defeated USC's Ellen Oxrieder 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. Susan Smith defeated Nancy Cohen Amy Kneale was vielorious over Jenny P'isher 60, 6-4. Carol Iienz was vietorious over Leigh Shephard In doubles Georgia's No. 1 pair ? Lisa Spain and J Shepherd defeated Otto and l< ' Bernstein and Kenz defeated I Higgins and Cohen at the No. I 2 position 6-1, 6-2. Kneale and / \ " -v"" Smith defeated Fisher and J aauri t>-i, o-i. ' n- On Tuesday, USC defeated UNC 7-2. Bernstein defeated USC's Ellon Ovriprior seventh-ranked u, S?"?a.?C Norm Carolinn Tn.nji, r . DOCK m bout Football *82 In I M 1 r: - . ' ? . ----- g f jg|||l?|||| ||||gi|llB gl I c ii; ; : ^ ^ k t ? ? j ( ll^m I 1 ^BBBBBII I ^ Sift iiMBB { &?i$ 1?%'; ( \'V' ::-S ' ' / .' j^ti?8^g^8s3^^; y^SsaE^ggfja^^^g^^^^^SgSS^^SBSaa^^^aSjiSSS^^MKit: Maps M -. :/>< #r Richard Bell spoke to about 40 people in the , Russell House Ballroom Tuesday night. ( t Carolina was down 14-3 nt thp half hut nlavprg cairl tho far. - 7 ? I J ?- ? v"v support was nothing compared to that at Carolina stadium. 1 "The Michigan fans don't have the spirit Carolina fans < have," Bell said. Carolina went on to win that contest, also. ' About his coaching philosophies, Bell said he tries i? treat his players firstly as human beings. ' "If were they only athletes, then I'd tell them to put on that uniform 24 hours a day," he said. "The guy with the big ego, Victories -ltcher Pon Gord Heidenberger defeated 1]W( _ USC's No. 1 doubles 7-6, 0-6, UUV< Tf ^ 3-1. Bernstein and Renz By SAMMY FRETWELL defeated Barton and Hogan sports writer 3-1, 6-0. Amy Kneale and Smith were victorious over D0n Gordon is quite happy Kirby and McNierney 6-4, 6- these days> and for good , reasons. USC's senior right The ladies will travel to hander has pitched his way Jemson for their annual a team-leading record of nvitationals April 16 and 17. 6-0 and a cool 2.35 earned run average, so there is little wonder that he is in good spirits. Coupled with last year's overall record of 8-3 (2.85 ERA) he has quietly put together an impressive portfolio. This season he has dpff?atf?d Virginia nrirt What does Don Gordon say 4k about all of this success ? "I'm excited about my pitching, but some days | when you're out there you mMm&just don't have it. Against sun Photo by MiKt f tsiHR Mercer (IJSC won 16-6) I won 0-4, 4-6, 6-4 as the ^ave UP a C0UPle of 8()od Gamecocks defeated shots"1 was stru^lin^to ^et uametotKS cieieaieu the ball over the plate and *y- got behind in the count, so I tussell House 'm really not too much for him. "The guy I feel can be part of our porgram has to have ibility," Bell said. "You can't go anywhere in this day and ime if you don't have ability. But he can also have class, character and leadersip." Bell added, "When you get a bunch of average athletes who lon't feel like they're average, it's amazing what they can iccomplish." Bell said there is not an aspect about coaching that he does lot enjoy, and says that his greatest moments as a coach :ame in tne games where the outcome was not settled until he last play of the game. "I'd like to win every game by 35 points," he said. "That vould be just great. But for me, the greatest thrills have :ome down to the wire." Bell said he coaches football from a motivational standjoint and deals mentally rather than physically. "A lot of people say that football and life is more physical. I ;ay it is much more mental. Therefore, I look for people who ire self-motivated and self-starters. "When it comes Saturday night, he's got to start himself >ecause I can't run out on the field." About what he wants from his players, Bell said, "I want he players to be close. More than teammates, I want them to >e friends. "Secondly, I treat them as individuals and not on how Y1 Qn\; for?Hoic fkmr maLrr* T fK? ??!??? ^ ? U11J WUV.111VO VIIV-J mane. * imtiiv uic VdlUC CUIU WU1 II1U1 CVCi y jlayer has already been determined. "Thirdly, I want all of them to graduate," he concluded, slot every athlete will graduate. Not every player has a 4.0. "But I'd like to see everyone get something from the Jniversity of South Carolina that they can say no one can ;ver take away from me. And that is a degree." About the upcoming year, Bell commented, "We've got ive guys trying out for quarterback now.I'm hoping one will aise himself above the rest. I'm not much for a two quarerback type of system, but right now we don't have a star ;ing quarterback. "I think the quarterback should be knocked around some in practice," Bell said. "I think it makes him more team sriented and has more of a team attitude." Bell also stated that Kent Hagood would not be back at USC in the fall. "I like Kent and I will say nothing but good things about him," Bell commented. "He made a decision in his life and I'm all for him." See BfLL page 13 I ion He Always Wanted To Be In the few years prior to 1981, Gordon did not have to *Tffff lirfllil'? worry aoout sucn questions, as he spent time struggling to gain the respect of his coach and fellow players. An excellent freshman year at |||F^ |p The Citadel in which he ,1| jiL& * posted a SouthernConference W. leading 1.72 ERA, was ^ rii- followed by two years of frustration after tran. > sferring to Carolina. He had to out 1979 season in iflffliEBlW ' " order to become eligible to play for the Gamecocks, and Don Gordon in 1980 Gordon suffered an elbow injury that limited did give up some runs. I'm him to only 21 innings of rtla/1 T iimn nUl/\ *? -.-I? -4 ' giau t was duic IU Will 11. JJltiy. Pembroke State (USC won "The Citadel was the only 11-5) was the same way, but school to offer me a full the Pfeiffer (USC won 1-0) scholarship, so I took it, but game was just the opposite, the whole time I was there, because I had my good everybody always talked stuff." about how great Carolina When asked if he felt his was. 1 didn't like the military role among starting pitchers atmosphere down there and was as the "stopper," he I was impressed with quickly replied that others (USC's) facilities and the u/nrp HnincJ nnitn ^ ? 1 1 11 1 ' v uv/iii^, vjun.*.; wen, in v^aiunua uiiscuciu oynasiy. baseball, you all have your When I pitched against own way of stopping other Carolina, I did well, and I teams. Dennis (Lupert) and think that impressed June Joe (Kucharski) have both Haines." done really well. That's a Gordon continued by tough question because I saying he enrolled at USC have confidence in myself, and was eventually given The others are good pitchers scholarship status. That is too. See (iOHI)ON page 14