The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 26, 1995, Page 6, Image 6
6
SPORTS IOOK
FOOTBALL B
CORAL GABLES, FTa.?In the wake D
of reports that defensive tackle War- A
ren Sapp failed seven drug tests, the vi
University of Miami's drug-testing tl
program could fall under NCAA scrutiny.
N
Questions about institutional con- a
trol already loom at Miami, where K
in-house investigations of Pell Grant h
fraud and play-for-pay allegations are
ongoing. ESPN and Newsday
said last week that Sapp, selected b
No. 12 by Tampa Bay in the NFL w
draft Saturday, failed six tests for ii
marijuana and one for cocaine. le
MIAMI?The Miami Dolphins signed A
former Seattle quarterback Dan McGwire
to a two-year contract. The Dol- C
phins also signed guard Chris Gray n
to a three-year deal and released r
quarterback Todd Philcox. a
n
HOCKEY C
v
STOCKHOLM, Sweden?Mike Knu- n
ble, Craig Charron and Jon Morris
each had a goal and an assist as the \
United States beat Austria 5-2 in its
Pool B opener in the World Cham- ?
pionships. In Pool A, Canada beat ?
Switzerland 5-3. c
r
NEW YORK ? Boston right wing
Cam Neely, who had five goals and c
two assists in three victories last r
week, was selected NHL player of I
the week. v
I
M|? %
r I jk
11
N"he Carolina baseball team will try
take the season series finale. Today'
I was
Itottb? aSrna
AT FIVE POINTS
^T\
ASKETBALL
ENVER ? Lenny Wilkerts of the
tlanta Hawks, the NBA's career
ictory leader, was selected to coach
le U.S. team in the 1996 Olympics.
USA Basketball president C.M.
fewton made the announcement at
teleconference in Colorado Springs,
[e said three assistants ? one NBA
ead coach and two college coaches
-will be picKea in dune.
IEW YORK ? Utah's Karl Malone,
'ho averaged 30.5 points and 12.5
1 four victories last week, was seated
NBA player of the week.
iUTO RACING
lOMMERCE, Ga. ? Coiy McCleathan
won the Top Fuel title in the
ain-delayed NHRA Fram NationIs,
driving a dragster owned by forler
Washington Redskins coach Joe
Sibbs; McClenathan beat Ron Capps
nth a run of4.806 seconds at 298.90
iph.
ACHT RACING
SAN DIEGO ?Young America beat
Stars & Stripes by 52 seconds, reli-irincr
r!nnripr's rhanrps of
eaching the America's-Cup finals.
Conner now must beat Amerinds
Mighty Maiy today to reach the
natch against Team New Zealand,
f not, the round will finish in a threevay
tie and Young America and
Eighty Mary will have a sailoff
Wednesday to determine the defender.
'''
jyr ; gm
smHm
File Phot<
to slide past Clemson today and
's game starts at 7 p.m.
C-FM^?
TTVP on q
rlllifc '' ?
The Gamecock
Gamecock
E, m JIMMY
CL~ 1 DeBUTTS
jBp>?e Go Cocks!
As my junior year comes to a close, I
can feel the anticipation building for what
hopefully will prove to be a great year
for Gamecock athletics.
I say hopefully because as anyone
who is a die-hard Carolina fan knows,
that anything that can go wrong does,
no matter how bright the future looks.
I did not grow up a Gamecock fan,
but it was not long before I lived and died
with Carolina football. We all know the
exhilaration that goes along with a big
win on Saturdays in the fall. And the
true, loyal fans feel like we've had the
world fall on top of us when we lose games
like the ECU game at last year's Homecoming.
But no matter how dismal things look
for us, we always know there's next year.
I'm sure I've said it before and I know Fll
say it again, 1995 will be our year. January
2 we got our first bowl win, how
sweet it was. No Carolina win can come
easy for the fans. We had to endure the
last minute of the game praying that
West Virginia would not win on a lucky
Hail Maiy pass.
I guess knowing the pain that goes
along with losing made that win so much
better for Carolina fans. The excitement
generated by Coach Scotfs staff and new
system makes the potential for success
even greater for the 1995 season.
Last year I began a countdown for
Gamecock football in March. Now I am
taking time to fully enjoy last year's success,
but I'm sure that by June I'll be
counting the days until kickofif down in
Athens.
Coming from Tampa, I never knew
how big football is in the South. The Tampa
Bay Buccaneers cannot sell 40,000
tickets for a NFL game, and we can pull
in over 60,000 fans in a non-conference
game. I predict by the time they finish
adding the new sections at WilliamsBrice
Stadium to accommodate 8.000
Baseball still i
Associated Press
Star players are hobbling, and hitters
are ahead of pitchers. The real umpires
are missing, for now, and the schedules
are messy.
No, baseball isn't exactly getting off
to a clean start in 1995.
By the time John Burkett throws the
first pitch to open the season tonight, it
will have been 257 days since tne last
game that counted, the biggest gap in
major league history.
So what will the crowd at Joe Robbie
Stadium for the game between Los
Angeles and Florida, the audience watching
on ESPN this evening and the fans
that will follow later this week see when
the game returns?
A lot of hitting, probably. A spring
training shortened in half to three weeks
by the strike has caused problems for
pitchers, and the overall exhibition ERA
is over 5.00.
Steve Avery, Mike Mussina and Bret
Saberhagen were among those hit hard
in their tuneup starts for the regular
USC lacross
* Staff Reports
Although the USC lacrosse team wor
for the first time in its history and were 1
overall, the Gamecocks finished fifth ii
i eastern Lacrosse Tournament this weekei
Ga.
The second place Gamecocks lost the
against No. 7 Tennessee, 11-10. Tenness
from a 5-1 deficit in the second quarter 1
~ 1 IT J 1 _ J. _ Xl
y-0. 1 he LrainecocRij milieu 1ULB III U1U ga
game, 10-10, but the Volunteers took the
Wednesday' Apr" 2
; football i
USC junior quarterback Steve Tan<
times he played In Clemson. Tane;
season.
more fans in 1996 they have to begin renovations
to accommodate 90,000.
Judging Coach Scott's commitment
to bringing top athletes to Carolina as
well as establishing a first-class program
I believe the Gamecocks aro ready to begin
fighting for a spot in the Top 25 eveiy
week. Coach Scott has done a wonderful
job recmiting for the future, but he has
also instituted a system that utilizes the
talents of his cuiTent squad.
My first year at USC was also the
firet for Steve Taneyhill. He was as naive
as I was about the way Carolina fans
love their football. People criticized him
for his hair and earrings, and before he
had a chance to prove himself on the field,
people were making judgments on him.
Going 5-1 in his first chance at the helm
of the Gamecock offense, expectations
were incredibly high for the following
season.
Steve struggled under that other
coach's 'system? his sophomore year, and
many fans called for the Altoona, Pa. nain
disarray as
season. Bob Welch and Ted Higuera
were released in the past couple of days,
and 11-year veteran Joe Hesketh retired
Monday night after giving three runs in
two-thirds of an inning for the New York
Yankees.
"I busted my rear end for two weeks
to see how it would go," Hesketh said.
"My arm didn't come around the way it
was supposed to."
Hesketh was not the only player hav*
x Ul
mg iruuuie.
Roger Clemens, Juan Gonzalez and
Alan Trammell are among the players
already are on the disabled list. Many
more have been hobbled by pulled hamstrings
and other nagging problems.
"Eveiy baseball player gets a strain,
except maybe Cal Ripken," Gregg Jefferies
said.
Ripken begins the year having played
in 2,009 consecutive games. He's on target
to break Lou Gehrig's mark of 2,130
on Sept. 6 in Baltimore. Even in a season
chopped to 144 games, cutting out
almost any chance of the record chases
e team finis
in the last two minutes c
l its division The Gamecocks nex
anked No. 2 the Georgia Bulldogs. Sc
tithe South- gia in their final game ol
nd in Athens vision title several week
er close contest,
sir first game Trailing 5-2 , the Bu
ee came back less than a minute to pit
to pull ahead seven seconds left, but time,
tying the the Bulldogs down,
lonri fnr crnnH USC beat AublllTl 9
in the 14-team conferent
A
IP"
Spaces at
So don't let this <
we're now preleas
SOUTH COUP
Properties Inc.
6, 1995
one wild,
>yhill has led the Gamecocks to v
fhill will be looking to improve hi
tive to be replaced. I have never been o
to jump on a bandwagon, and I feel if y
support someone in the good times, y
should have the heart to stick out t
bad times. To all of you who ever, evi
I repeat ever called for Steve to be ta
en out of a game when things weren't j
ing perfect please do me a favor st
home this season. I want to see him le
us to a great season without having
hear ignorant fans demanding Scott ta
him out after one incomplete pass.
I know the people who do this ne^
believe they are like that so I guess tl
plea will go unheard. But I will say tl
I predicted Steve would win the He
man and lead the Gamecocks to a r
tional championship, and although I pr
ably got a little carried away, he has be
a consistent leader on the field and 1
shown more heart then most people g
him credit for.
Some DeoDle don't like his brash hi
esty. I personally love it. I want the qu
terback of my team to believe he is g(
shortened s<
that made 1994 so special, Ripken's p
suit will draw considerable attenti
throughout the summer.
This spring, meanwhile, might s
a lot of players challenging umpir
The regular umpires have been loci
out by owners and plan to picket, ste
ing tonight in Miami. Replacement ere1
made up from former major and mil
league umps ? many of them releas
from those jobs ? and college amatei
have been lined up to call the games
Even in the exhibitions, there were pi
ty of arguments.
In 1991, umpires and owners worl
out a deal just a few hours before 1
first pitch. This year, neither side seen
too optimistic about a settlement.
"Ifs with regret that we can't mi
a deal," said Robert Kheel, managem
negotiator. "We would rather have
disruption at the present time, how
er unattractive that may be, rather tl
at a time of the association's choosir
For the fust time since a strike lop;
off a week in 1972, fans will go int
hes season
if the game. champi
t game pitted them against 0). US(
?uth Carolina defeated Geor- jng.
F the season to capture the di- Gr(
s ago. USC won 5-4 in anoth- macle j
illdogs came within one with S?
ly. Georgia had a chance with an 11
le Gamecock defensemen shut *a
Year"l
3 Sunday to secure fifth place na fini
e. Overall Vanderbilt won the divisio
' I
Lease an a
Summer or F
refilling up fast
opportunity pass you by!
ingfor summer/fall (9
211 Main Street
254-7801
crazy ride
KIM TRUETT The Gamecock
Ictory at damson's Death Valley both
s record to 3-1 against the Tigers this
ne enough to lead his team to victory against
ou anyone. In my three years of covering
ou the Gamecocks I have never heard Steve
he say anything derogatory about an indisr,
vidual player. He may get a little excitik
ed on the field, but this is football not the
jo- ballet. If you don't want emotion, stay
ay home and water the plants, leave footad
ball to players with heart and emotions,
to Give 'em hell in '95 Steve,
ke Stanley Pritchett is another player
I'm anxious to see hit the field this sealer
son. Stanley will be the man in the back
lat field for USC this season. Eric Sullivan
lis, will be without his Laurens teammate
is- Stacy Evans on the defensive line this
la- year, but I believe Eric will have a caob
reeryear in "95.
len Sept. 16 Williams-Brice will be rocklas
ing, Talley Ho will be packed. I can smell
ive the popcorn, taste the beer, hear 2001
and see the smoke coming out of the tunon
nel. Oh by the way, only 130 days until
ar- Gamecock football.
>od
3ason begins
ur- season knowing that it will not be a full
on 162 games.
With 18 games missing ? even with
see odd, one-game series jammed in ? there's
es. almost no chance that Ken Griffey Jr.,
ted Matt Williams or two-time MVP Frank
irt- Thomas can come close to chasing Roger
ws, Mails' home-run record, as they did last
lor season.
sed "I haven't been swinging the bat the
urs last couple of days," Griffey said Mon3.
day night Tve got to change a few things
en- and go back to hitting line drives."
There still may be 20-game winners,
ted but there's no hope of seeing a magical
die year when someone ? three-time Cy
led Young winner Greg Maddux, maybe?
? is on pace to win 30.
ike By the time Randy Johnson faces
ent Cecil Fielder in Seattle's opener Thurethe
day night, will fans have rushed back
ev- to embrace baseball?
lan Five teams have cut their average r
lg." ticket price for the whole season. An
ped other 15 teams have kept their average
,o a price at 1994 rates. i
ranked No. 5 j
I
onship while having an undefeated season (13- \
1 received a trophy for their fifth-place rank- J
' I
ig Fagan, Scott Allen and Dan South from USC
;he All-SEC team. Fagan, a midfielder was alled
Player of the Year, while scoring 39 goals
3hing out eight assists in 13 games,
e USC lacrosse team was named "Club of the
oy the USC Sports Club Council. South Caroli- J
shed their season with a 9-4 record, 7-1 in their *
n.
9
I
here's
still
ime
i
partment now for
all at Whaley's Mill.
15 iWiSP>
i where hom^sn't far away!