The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 20, 2000, Image 11
Tint (Bamccock
Ex-baseball player Brett Butler speaks to
USC students about God, beating cancer
by George Simpson
The Gamecock
Brett Butler’s speech Thursday night was as
solid as one of his famous baseline bunts, and as
usual, it was a hit.
He talked to a large group of USC students
about the acceptance of God into his life and of
the securities and understanding that it’s brought
him.
Butler’s main point was that one has to un
derstand, upon acceptance of God, that with the
good will come the bad, but no matter what, God
will always give people something they can han
dle. Butler’s words rang true in meaning, and his
personal experiences provided resounding sup
port.
Butler had never seen a curveball quite like the
one thrown at him in 1996. Early in the season, he
was diagnosed with throat cancer. However,
with the help of God and his family he overcame
his fears and returned that same season to the sport
he loved. He won’t hesitate for a second to talk
about the impact God had on his battle with can
cer, relaying that importance Thursday night.
“I had to understand that when we accept God
into our lives, then we accept the good and the
bad,” Butler said. “That helped me understand the
death issue that faced me in 1996.”
He had constant support from God and his fam
ily that helped him overcome some of the mind
monsters that come with a major disease, dulling
some of the sharpness on that curveball.
Butler also spoke of the importance of hav
ing the right priorities in life. At one point in his
life, Butler said he “ slept, ate and breathed base
ball.” He adds, “It was not until I formed a bond
slave relationship with God that my priorities
became clear.”
From that point on Butler put God and fami
ly before baseball and all other materialistic ideas.
This helped him gain control of his life and
eventually aided him in his fight with cancer.
According to Butler, this relationship showed,
“God will always give us something we can han
dle,” a wisdom that wasn’t always clear to him.
However, during his battle with cancer he
learned the most important concept to go along
with faith is that even death is something people
can handle because God has prepared them for
it. That’s the understanding Butler loves to share
and preach to young people, in hopes that they will
convey it to others.
Butler’s grip on the reality of death and the ne
cessity of God enables him to keep peace within
himself, something that was necessary because of
all the wrong he did to pitchers in his playing days.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Charlie “Mac” a staple of USC sports
by Chris McCrary
The Gamecock
Can’t make it to the game this
weekend? Well then, there are only
a couple of options, either sit in a tiny
dorm and hope that the Gamecocks
add another victory to the board, or
tune in to the “Voice of the South Car
olina Gamecocks” and get the play
by play from USC’s own Charlie
“Mac.”
Charlie McAlexander, better
known as Charlie “Mac”, has been
putting in the hours in order to pre
pare for each and every broadcast,
logging in around twenty hours prepa
ration for each game in order to make
it great. In fact, his office near The
Roost is often filled with game charts,
player stats, and a TV playing old
game footage, all of which he pours
over in order to get ready for his
broadcast.
Instead of the weariness one
would expect in the eyes of a man
who was faced with all this work, the
first thing a student would notice when
looking at Charlie “Mac” would be
the calmness of his eyes, and the over
whelming friendliness of his per
sonality. Charlie has years of expe
rience in his line of work, and he has
learned how to handle the demands
of the job.
McAlexander has done a lot. He
has been named by the National
Sportscasters and Sportswriters As
sociation as Sportscaster of the year
in four different states, hosted the
NCAA Today on ESPN and has been
sports director of numerous TV and
radio stations.
Accolades aside, the man is great.
With overwhelming friendliness and
a great love for the student popula
tion itself, Charlie “Mac” always has
time to chat with a student. He feels
that by keeping close to the student
population, he keeps close to the pulse
of the university, and part of this close
ness is due in part by his daughter
who graduated here a little over a year
ago.
“Mac” can often be seen chatting
with students during basketball games,
something that he admits he loves to
do. He is always open to a good con
versation with a student.
Charlie “Mac” teaches sports broad
casting in the maymester, and enjoys
getting to know each and every class
he teaches. He does not just broad
cast for the school, or sit in his office
preparing for games. Instead, he
makes it a point to really get involved
with the students, whether it be teach
ing them in class, being a host for
Homecoming, or even judging for
the Homecoming court.
Outside of Homecoming and class,
Charlie “Mac” does have a job to do,
and he makes it a goal to do it well.
Every time he steps into the stadium
or the arena, he is stepping into his
office, and he is ready to get to work.
He works, not particularly for his
boss, but instead for the fans, and his
only goal is to give them “an accu
rate report” and “paint them a picture
as if they had lost their sight and
yet still loved the game.”
Charlie “Mac” is prepared to do
just that this weekend. When asked
about the outcome of the game, he
just simply smiled and said “it will
be difficult. Going on the road and
pulling off a win in the SEC is a hard
thing to do. Especially when you have
a record of 6-1, all the record does is
put a big bulls-eye on your back.”
Perhaps the Gamecocks will per
severe and win on the road where
“Mac” thinks there is “no league bet
ter than this one.” The easiest thing
to do will be to tune in to Charlie
“Mac” and find out.
The sports desk am be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Women’s soccer
back in Columbia
by Kyle Almond
The Gamecock
The South Carolina women’s soc
cer team returns to Columbia this
weekend in search of its first SEC
victory.
The Gamecocks (3-13,0-6 SEC)
have lost their last six games, in
cluding four on the road, but they will
try to get back on the winning track
against Auburn at the Graveyard
tonight, followed by Alabama on Sun
day.
So far, it’s been a nightmare of
a season for the Gamecocks. They’ve
been outscored by their opponents
52-16 through 16 matches, and in
their last six losses, the'y’ve been
outscored 24-3. Their opponents have
also been getting offtwice as many
shots per game as the Gamecocks.
USC head coach Sue Kelly wants
her team to forget the past, howev
er, and focus on the future.
« “We have limited our vision to
12 hours,” Kelly said. “We are tak
ing it a practice at a time and a game
at a time.”
Injuries have decimated the
Gamecocks. All-SEC defender Melin
da Carter broke her leg in the team’s
early season loss to Clemson. Junior
midfielder Lydia Bienias tore her
•MCL, a ligament in the leg, while
lifting weights. The Gamecocks’ start
ing goalkeeper, Carolyn Ortega, has
been out for most of the season due
to a hip flexor. Even sophomore de
fender Kelly Hudson has been out
with an injury.
Kelly has joked that her team’s
motto seems to be “We rehab, we
don’t practice.”
Freshman forward Becca Epstein
has been a bright spot in an other
wise dark season for USC. The
Charleston native leads the Game
cocks in goals and points with five
and 12 respectively. Junior midfielder
Morgan McIntyre is second on the
team with four goals.
The Auburn Tigers come to Co
lumbia with a 10-6 record but a dis
mal 1-5 conference mark.
Junior forwards Tammy Waine
and Ginger Selleck are the go-to play
ers on the Tigers. Waine has scored
16 goals in only 12 games and
leads the team in total points with 35.
Selleck, a transfer from Boise State,
is second on the team with eight goals '
and eight assists for 24 points.
Freshman Kellie Evans is the
playmaker for Auburn, leading the
teafn in assists with 10 from her mid
field position. Fellow freshman Joell
Giger starts in net and has a 1.26
goals-against-average and five
shutouts on the year.
Like their arch rival Auburn,
the Alabama Crimson Tide have al
so struggled in SEC play, with a 1
5 record. ‘Bama has a 5-11 record
overall.
Senior forward Melissa McGee
leads the Crimson Tide with seven
assists and 13 points for the year. The
Staten Island, N.Y. native also has
added three goals.
McGee is joined up front by fresh
man Katie Holtzapfel, who has con
tributed five goals, including two
game-winners.
Starting in goal for Alabama will
be either Tasha Denecke or Laton
da Eubanks. Both Denecke and Eu
banks are seniors.
Taking into account their oppo
nents’ conference records, this week
end might bethe best chance for the
Gamecocks to earn that elusive
first win. Kelly remains positive on
her team’s chances and notes that the
team’s struggles will only translate
into good things later down the road.
“Even though this might be an
adverse time for us right now, it brings
us great experience for the future,”
Kelly said.
The sports desk can be reached at
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Football
East
South Carolina
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
West
Alabama
Mississippi St.
Auburn
Mississippi
LSU
Arkansas
SEC Overall
4-1 6-1
4-1 6-1
3-1 5-1
0-3 2-3
0-4 2-5
0- 4 2-5
SEC Overall
3-1 3-3
2- 1 4-1
3- 2 5-2
2-2 4-2
2-2 4-3
1- 2 4-2
Volleyball
East
Florida
South Carolina
Tennessee
Georgia
Kentucky
West
Alabama
LSU
Arkansas
Mississippi
Auburn
Mississippi St.
SEC Overall
7-0 15-3
7-1 16-4
5-2 15-4
2-5 10-9
2-5 4-14
SEC Overall
5-2 16-5
4-3 9-8
4-3 8-9
2-6 10-11
1-6 11-9
1-7 14-8
Women’s Soccer
East
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
West
Mississippi
LSU
Arkansas
Mississippi St.
Auburn
Alabama
otu overall
6-0 10-6
5-1 9-6
3- 2-1 8-6-2
4- 3 11-4
4-3 7-7
0- 6 3-13
SEC Overall
4-2 ‘ 11-4
4-3 12-4
3-3-1 6-8-3
2-4 6-10
1- 5 10-6
1-5 5-11
Associated Press Football Top 25
1. Nebraska
2. Virginia Tech
3. Oklahoma
4. Miami (FL)
5. Clemson
6. Florida State
7. Oregon
8. Florida
9. Washington
i— -rr
10. Kansas State
11. TCU
12. Georgia
13. Mississippi State
14. Ohio State
15. Southern Miss.
16. Michigan
17. Purdue
18. South Carolina
~i
19. Oregon State
20. Notre Dame
21. Arizona
22. Minnesota
23. UCLA
24. N.C. State
25. Northwestern
student Media
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