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-sports Intramural ^ By Andrew Fontanese Intramural football at USC may undergo some changes next year to reduce injuries 1 1- - 41 ctuu mane me game more popular. According to Intramural/Recreational Sports Coordinator Eric Stein, "Intramural football at USCis getting tothe point where the average student is afraid to play." Stein said his staff was considering changing the blocking format of flag football to a "screen-blocking" or "noncontact" style of play, in which linemen are not allowed to use theip hands or arms for blocking. If this screen-blocking style is adopted, linemen will have to use their chests and bodies to screen opponents. "A lot of schools are playing non-contact football with great success," Stein said. "In fact, a tournament has been set up in Florida for the nation's best college teams to compete in. "I'M SURE there would be a lot of complaints about screen-blocking at first, but once people got used to the game, they'd like it. It's a lot faster, and more wide open." Stein said the major reason for considering the rule change was the injury factor. "We received about 45 accident reports this season, which is twice what we got last year. It's our job to see that safety comes first, and if injuries are increasing, then we've got to make some changes in the structure of the game.'' ' 1 Although most of the injuries are minor and accidental, Stein said he thinks many can be prevented. He said one way is to make game officials call more penalties if play gets too rough. Entries due tomorr for intramural bask From Staff Reports Entries for intramural basketball are due I 5 p.m. Entries must be turned int tramural/Recreational Sports Office, Bla Education Center room 102. Preliminary competition begins Sunday League choices include: Fraternity Tuei Fraternity Wednesday 6:30,1 Residence Hali Thursday 1 Independant Wedne: Independant Tuesday? t-aculty, Staff Monday 7 Gamecock Sunday <1 Gamecock Thursday 5 Gamecock Tuesday 7 Gamecock Sunday 4 Gamecock Tuesday 7 > w Gamecock Wednesday 7 Women Monday 5 Women Thursday 7 Co-Rec Monday 5 Co-Rec Thursday 5 USC basketball p By Sammy Fretwell PHOENIX, Ariz. - It was dark when the U1 team and its entourage of trainers, managers, and media arrived in Phoenix last Thursday Fiesta Classic. The flight had been long because of various s plane was 45 minutes late leaving Columbia, finally took off strong headwinds caused a slow* expected. Once in Arizona, it seemed to tak< everyone to get their luggage and board the bus. Then came The Pointe. "We've stayed at the Hons Koncr HtHnti summer's Far East tour) and at the Boston Hya real titzy, bat I think this is the nicest place u This is more of a resort, and I really-enjoy< center-forward Jimmy Foster said. y. .. . f,' , . The Pointe hotel complex in Phoenitf is a c itself. It spans 27 acres and includes three res swimming pools with built-in hot tubs, tennis an courts, a weight room and a stable full of horses The hotel rooms, which housed two playe suites. Each includes a den area, a stocked ba the players (naturally), and a bedroom co i" queen-steed beds.* ' ' ' staff consic 'Wo received ahnut AR anniHont ri this season....lf s our job to see tha comes first and if injuries ere inert then we've got to make some chani the structure of the game.' ? Intramural I Recreational Sport At present, game officials submit sportsmanship evaluations to the Intramural/Recreational Sports Office after a game, rating both teams. The ratings are 1 K ~1 ?i 11 ' * * uaacu uu me uveran sponsmansnip a team demonstrates during a game. The rating scale ranges from 10 for extremely good sportsmanship, to "zero for unnecessary roughness or disorderly conduct. For an intramural team to be eligible to win a division or enter the playoffs, it must possess an overall sportsmanship rating of at least 6.5. "THE RATING SYSTEM makes teams keep their tempers under control," Stein said. "The only problem with this system is that when teams realize they are not going to the playoffs, they sometimes disregard the sportsmanship rating." ow Lady Garni ;omorrow by | o the Intt physical OU.'J.JU "'X*: :30,8:30 9 . *.. T*:30.8:30 * # :30,6:30 :30, 8:30 ' M 1:30, 6:30 USC freshman Michelle fhoma :30, 6;30 layup in a game earlier this seas _?_J play Clemson tonight at the Coli ilayers call The P 5C basketball Tve been involved 1 cheerleaders basketball program fo night for the . . A . . and wave stayed in s etbacks. The hOtelS...but this was ( and when it. er flight than j forever for , ,, ... ... Professional basketball team; W town play Phoenix's hoi! itt, which was Philadelphia '76ert*'and Detroit fa've been-.to.. .WQfcfcwt been involved with C& *'-<s for three years now, and we've ity almost in . especially last year when we we taurants, two of the best," junior forward Bra d racquetball ' happy to have had the privileg this." rs each, are , . . r off limits to ^ ls a nice Place *? sta ntaining two expensive for the average persoi "The ordia nary rate this ptac lers footba Another way officials can control games is through player suspension. "We had 28 players suspended this year," Stein said. When a player is suspended, he is usually held out of the next game. Stein said that although flag football remains one of the most popular intramural sports, the number of teams competing decreases each year because of the present structure of the game. "Four teams from last year did not play this season because Ihoif Koirrt flin nln.nMM ' 4 v..vj uiuii t na?t iuii iasiyear. "Sports like softball have doubled in size over the past five years because people can go out and have fun without having to worry about getting hurt." Stein said he expects more than 200 teams to compete in intramural softball in the spring. According to journalism senior Ralph Stice, his team, the Crusaders, elected not to ecocks face Ck HBy Kevin Sullivj USC's Lady < from last weel Clemson'sLad The Lady Gi Clemson's 1-1 lost to Duke 72 USC Head C point loss to T effect on his te "We'll bourn smaller team, Clemson and I up for the gaim USC is led b native is aver; and 20 rebound Senior. Evel; lineup in last u points in the recovering frc was questiona -- r-M pan 01 ine seas The Lady Tij ^ squad, but All % % year. Kennedy - V Four Clemsi including Peg? in4h>...- Tonpt Knicht s scores two points on a "They're not ton. The Lady Gamecocks close, emotioi seum. mistakes will v 'ointe Resort 'on $130 per night, vith Carolina's through some I QrrllHTlSt Kllfiirt/^ - UMIAVVIV MUOlUCk] r three yeers now, I lot of nice "ThePointev . , was more spaci me of the best. were able to i -use forward generaUygood Brad Jergenson ba^?uf^ 5 stay in Th?Pointe when in XI?. team, the Suns. The wPistons were there over the P e . "Then, when 1 : ^ reason, they st olina'a basketball program sit around and: stayecHn a, lot of nice hotels, for a basketba nt overseas, but this was one because (USC) d Jergenson said. "I was just it," Petrus said ;e of staying in a place like 'There were us out with thin v. the Dlavers agreed hut ic kinri <?f thinac ? i. on longer trips, e charges Joe Public is about II changes play football this year because of excessive roughness. "We Weren't a very big team last year, and usually we got beat up pretty badly. It wasn't much fun playing," he said. STEIN SAID he thinks more people would f *1 11 1* i?-- * > pai uvipaic in nuuiuau ii me ruie cnanges were made. Danny Mahoney, a marketing senior who officiated games and also played for Columbia Hall, said he thinks the rules of the game should not change, but the sportsmanship rating system should be made more strict. "I think the present system of 6.5 to qualify for the playoffs is pretty lenient. Teams should have to meet a high standard of sportsmanship to be allowed to participate in the playoffs." Mahoney said he does not favor the screen-blocking technique. "I don't think tl 2y should change the rules. People like the game the way it is," he said. Kevin Swope, a Columbia Hall lineman, agreed the rules should not change. "I play football to release energy and to take out my aggressions, but not to hurt anyone," Swope said. "Football is meant to be a physical game. I think screen-blockng or non-contact defeats the purpose of the game." FOR STEIN and his staff, the decision to change or maintain the present rules of flag football will not be an easy one. "The only people playing football now are the ones who like to hit," Stein said. "If we changed the rules, we would make the game safer and more popular," he said, "and safety is our biggest concern." imson tonight an Gamecock basketball team will try to rebound mend's 84-62 loss to Tennessee when they face y Tigers tonight in the Carolina Coliseum, imecocks, 2-1, will try to add another lass to record. Clemson beat Jackson State 64-63 and 7n oach Terry Kelly said he doesn't think the 22'ennessee will have a negative psychological am. :e back," Kelly said. "If we were playing a I might be worried some, but we're playing 'm sure the players will have no trouble being e." y sophomore Marsi McAlister. The Columbia iging 21.7 points per game and has 14 assists Is. /n Johnson returned to the Lady Gamecock roAlrnnH'c PAIA J " ' wnvuu o \_/wa"vuici V/idddlC ct 11U clVtJI cl^UU 1U.D two tournament games. Johnson had been m spring and summer knee surgery, and it ble whether she would play during the early son. ^ers return four starters from last year's 20-12 -American Barbara Kennedy graduated last led Clemson in scoring for four years, on players are averaging in double figures, \y Caple, Jackie Jones, Mary Ann Cubelic and Tones leads the team with a 19-point average. ; as big as Tennessee," Kelly said. "I expect a nal game. The team that eliminates its vin it." 10 nl tka Knp*' IV VI tliu UCiOl but we got better than a 50 percent discount legotiation," said Jim Petrus, USC assistant s manager. yas well worth it because of all the benefits. It ious, and it really catered to us. The players eat when they needed to, and these were surroundings for them." paration goes into picking a hotel for the i, Petrus said. "Usually what we do is call the e in the place we're going to stay, in this case-, and. ask them what the fetter three or four ' * *Xl sr ' ' -.v iy: . * j * . the coaches go out to recruit or for some other '-<> ay in those hotels. When they come back they talk about which offers the best surroundings 11 team. For this trip, we chose The Pointe Coach (Bill) Foster had highly recommended i'. always a lot of auxiliary people there to help gs, so it was like it never closed. These are the re look for when we're scouting a place to stay " he added. Sea "Hotel," page 15