The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 29, 1993, Page 9, Image 9
Thanks fo
Bobby Cremins, you've got a lot
of nerve.
First you take us on a whirlwind
courtship, leading us the entire
way. For weeks, you had loyal
Gamecock fans worshiping the
mere mention of your name. And
as the weeks went on, we were
patient as you waffled with your
decision on whether or not to
come.
Then you made your decision.
You were coming "home." It had
always been a "dream" of yours to
come back to Carolina to be the
head basketball coach.
Your decision set off celebrations
across campus. Columbia
was on an emotional high the likes
of which I have never seen. It was
all because of you, Bobby.
The press conference was amazing.
More than 500 people
crammed into Williams-Brice
Stadium to welcome home the triumphant
white knight. There were
300 people in the Lettermen's
Lounge. Even 100 people jammed
into an adjoining room to watch
the press conference on closed-circujt
television. There were at least
100 people standing outside the
stadium just hoping tor a glance at
the man who was going to be the
savior of the Gamecock basketball
program.
Personally, it was the most
exciting day I have been associated
with since I have been at USC.
I can't even now describe the
intense joy I felt toward
Gamecock Athletics Director Mike
McGee for bringing us Bobby.
Cremins was a man I liked and,
more importantly, respected for
everything he had done. He had
proven himself to be everything
you could want in a coach. Boy,
was I stupid!
I was suckered harder than anyone
on this campus, except maybe
McGee. I plastered the walls in
my room with newspapers about
Bobby. I dug up all my old pictures
with Bobby wearing garnet
and black and put them up. All I
cm tiff ^there's going to,be one
'bTgjjoniir?' Horseshoe
tonight. I'm burning everything I
own that ties Bobby Cremins to
USC, because, quite frankly, after
this stunt, he doesn't deserve to
wear garnet and black.
The people I have talked to feel
betrayed, and rightly so. Cremins
inst walw^H intrv tr\u/n lilrp cnmp
kind of god and then walked right
away without even saying goodbye.
Do you think he showed up
for some huge press conference to
announce he was leaving? Of
course not.
You might wonder where
wasc-FM
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Cremins was Saturday. Well, he
was out of town. Now there's
class. I cannot and will not ever
forgive Bobby Cremins for what
he has done to this university.
In the long run, I'm now glad
he didn't stay. Obviously, he was
never sold on becoming the
Gamecock head coach. So my
question is, "How could he do
this?" Knowing he had doubts,
how could he accept the job?
Could he really be an effective
coach if he were constantly wishing
he were at Georgia Tech? No!
But he accepted the job anyway. I
wish I knew what was going on in
his head, if anything.
Now, as difficult as it is, we
must move on. The healing
process must begin immediately.
Dwelling on the Cremins fiasco
can do nothing but tear our team
apart at the seams. We must be
angry now, very angry, but we
must get that anger out as soon as
possible. There is still work to be
done.
The work of finding a head
coach is already underway. The
names being mentioned as candi
dates are impressive. John Calipari
of UMass, Ralph Willard of
Western Kentucky and Kelvin
Sampson of Washington State
have all been reportedly
approached. While none of them
have the immediate name recognition
of Cremins, each of them has
been extremely successful at their
institutions and would be a fine
Gamecock head coach.
Believe it or not, someone will
accept the head coaching position
here, and he will even be happy
with their decision. I have the
utmost faith in McGee, and I don't
doubt for a second his abilities in
bringing us a top-notch head
coach. He proved his abilities in
bringing us Cremins. It is in no
way his fault that Cremins turned
around and stabbed him and the
university in the back.
We can't let this deceit ruin us,
though. Sure, Cremins has done a
lot of damage, but we can recover.
Let's just pull together, and give
all our support to the new coach.
T
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Students 1
By TONY SANTORI de
Staff Writer dt
Amazement. Utter disbelief. ^
Anger. More disappointment and ^
anger.
Ihese are just some ot the words
that could be used to describe the m
reaction of students on campus to n
the announcement that Georgia *?
Tech basketball coach and IJSC m
alumnus Bobby Cremins was not ,ai
coming home to coach the Py
Gamecocks. Sc
In a press conference
Wednesday, Cremins appeared -'a
jubilant about returning to his alma 'n
mater for the 1993-94 season. ev
However, following a couple of di:
apparently sleepless nights, sc
Cremins reversed his decision and
decided early Saturday to "return" Pc
to Tech. Ci
As word of the announcement '?
spread across campus, many long dc
faces could be seen on USC stu- un
Compton
i i
: .
A
H
r
' -S 1 1
TV
Sophomore Darlene Garreis hurl
finish in the South Carolina Roui
J
BSSph
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>rts
hurt by C
:nts. Can these sad-looking stumUs
be this way because of m
remins' announcement? ab
:cording to their comments, prob- fr<
ilv so. w;
Freshman sports administration cc
ajor Keith Kuceris said, "We an
:eded a coach, and when we dc
und one, he left. He (Cremins)
ight have made his team and de
mily back home in Georgia hap- Jce
r, but he disappointed everyone in su
>uth Carolina." wi
Freshman marine biology major co
son Roach reiterated the sad feelgs.
"I think that I speak for M
eryone when I say it was a big th;
sappointment to the fans and the a
hool," he said. w<
Roach also brought up a valid
lint about the adverse effects of fa
emins' decision. "He (Cremins) Sa
st the school many millions of H<
>llars. What he did was very M
[professional." " co
foi
earns 300
JijL
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ed a one-hitter in leading the Lac
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Freshman chemical engineering i
ajor Byron McKie also spoke
out the emotional roller coaster 1
im the entire ordeal. "Everyone s
is looking forward to having a 1
>ach like Cremins. . . it (the *
nouncement) was a major let- *
wn," he said.
Some students took Cremins' 1
cision as a sign that USC's bas- I
tball program would undoubtedly J
ffer because of the loss of what
ould have been a "big-name
ach."
Frpchmnn nnlilipal cripnr-p mair\r ?
att Feldman said, "We thought
at we would have a good team in
couple of years, but now we
an't."
Cremins released a statement by
x from Atlanta at 9:30 a.m.
iturday through his agent Richard
Dwell. USC Athletics Director
ike McGee hastily called a news
nference at the athletic offices
r 12:30 p.m. to make the official
th victory
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x Pete
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ly Gamecocks to a first-place
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From //i? people who brought
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SH
CARPI .INA PROG
This Week s j
Monday, 3/29/93 Dance Lessons in the Golden
Monday, 3/29/93 Display of Sections of the All
Dedication of New Panels 7:00pm Russell Hou:
Speech By Jeanne White, Mother of Ryan Wh
Ballroom
Tuesday, 3/30/93 Robin Greenstein, New Yor
Spur 7:30pm
Wednesday, 3/31/93 Video Buttons in the Rus
Sunday, 4/4/93 Cockstock, An All-Day Outdo*
Toasters With Special Guests Channel Zero, Tl
Mary (of 10,000 Maniacs) P.E. Field Begins at
All programs arc paid for, in part, by
All programs arc subject to change due to budge
All events are free for USC-Columbia students, undt
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Thank you, B
decision
innouncement.
One student, however, apparenty
did take the announcement in
;tride and had a different assessnent
of the situation. "I think that
t'o A
I O piV/lljr lUUll^ , ScllU ilCMJlllrtll
)usiness administration major Sean
larding. "There was no way that
>ne guy was going to turn the
vhole program around in one year,
rhey (the team) aren't gonna do
inything until after I graduate, anyvay."
This pessimistic view was rare
imong students.
Anger and disappointment did
pve way to amazement in certain
nstances. "This is an unprecedent;d
event in college basketball. I
Till cannot believe it," engineering
iophomore Robbie Prunty said.
Neither could lots of other peo)le.
Some still can't. And the anger
ind disappointment of many could
ast for quite a while around these
>arts.
' at USC
ly KEVIN COULTER
staff Writer
As Bobby Cremins was fleeing
rom his job at USC, the Yellow
ackets' softball team was unable
o find the same escape route as
he Lady Gamecocks handed
hem a 9-0 loss.
The victory by USC in the first
ound of the Winthrop
nvitational marked a milestone
or South Carolina Head Coach
oyce Compton, who won her
100th game in "eight seasons as
he Carolina head coach.
Earlier this year, the 18-year
:oaching veteran notched her
:r>A.v. u: ? u
fwwiii tdicci viciuiy, which
ncludes her stints as head coach
it Mattatuck Community College,
he University of Missouri and
JSC.
Freshman pitcher Kim Sheridan
mproved her record to 6-3 while
)ana Fulmer provided a three-run
tomer in the first inning.
USC received another strong
(itching performance from
)arlene Gareis in their next game
igainst Ohio University. Gareis
)icked up her 10th victory of the
eason as South Carolina whipped
)hio 11-1.
With the wins, the Lady
Jamecocks improved their record
o 19-9-1. South Carolina continled
play in the tournament over
he weekend, but results were
inavailable at press time.
the Spin Doctors to
who they were...
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ir Music Festival Featuring The
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11:00am
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