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PETA asks USC to change mascot Animal rights organization says gamecock is violent symbol BY GREG HAMBRICK ' THE GAMECOCK One of the nation’s leading animal rights groups wrote USC on Tuesday, asking that the school change its mascot from the Gamecocks to some thing less violent. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals faxed the letter to President John Palms as well as William A. Meehan, President of Jacksonville State University, in Alabama. Jacksonville’s football team is also the Gamecocks. “The Gamecocks are named af ter the birds used in cockfighting, a hideous ‘blood sport’ that, like spousal abuse, bank robbery and driving while intoxicated, is ille gal in South Carolina,” wrote Kristie Phelps, a campaign coor dinator for PETA. USC spokesman Russ McKinney said the school had not received the fax and that, at this point, it didn’t deserve a legitimate response. “I’m sure there aren’t too many ' people in the Carolina family that will be in favor of changing the mascot,” McKinney said. The team’s name came from The State newspaper in 1903, which named the team after ' Thomas Sumter, a revolutionary war general who was nicknamed 1 “The Gamecock.” The letter to Palms described the punishment cockfighting places on birds. “Cockfighting en thusiasts attach long spurs made from sharpened razor blades to the * birds’feet to make fights more‘ex citing,’ i.e., bloodier,” Phelps wrote. Not all animal rights activists agree with PETA’s request. Eric Mills, the coordinator for Action for Animals, has worked with PETA on several campaigns but doesn’t feel the name really needs to be changed. “Though I feel it’s a good idea, Pm not convinced the name alone prop agates cockfighting,” Mills said. He noted that teams with American Indian names are re thinking both their names and mas cots and said USC’s use of game cocks was “just as egregious.” Prior to the late 1970s, the USC football team did use a live, leashed gamecock as a game-day mascot, but ended the practice partly for humane reasons. Phelps’ letter contained an ex ample of a sports team changing its name. The Washington Bullets became the Washington Wizards to avoid references to violence. PETA officials could not be reached at press time. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com. Letter to USC President John Palms from PETA October 15,2001 Dr. John M. Palms University of South Carolina Dear Dr. Palms, The Washington Wizards basketball team did it, and now, on behalf of our more than 750,000 members and supporters, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is asking the Carolina Gamecocks to do it—make a long-overdue name change to better reflect society’s increasing awareness of, sensitivity to, and rejection of need less violence in all its forms. The Gamecocks are named after the birds used in cockfighting, a hideous “blood sport’’that, like spousal abuse, bank robbery, and driving while intoxicated, is illegal in South Carolina. Cockfighters pump the birds full of stimulants, hormones like testosterone, and blood-clotting drugs. Cockfighting enthusiasts attach long spurs made from sharpened razor blades to the birds’feet to make fights more “exciting, ’’ i.e., bloodier. The birds suffer hideous injuries, including wings and legs slashed to shreds, punctured lungs, severed spinal cords, and split eyes. It’s a safe bet that officials at University of South Carolina would never dream of call ing their athletic teams the Dogfighters, Wifebeaters, Looters, or Road-Ragers! By calling them the Gamecocks, USC sends a message to sports fans that cruel, illegal cock fighting is something to cheer about. Millions of compassionate people—-and the law— agree that it’s not. After deciding that they didn’t want to be associated with lethal projectiles, the Washington Bullets changed their team’s name to the Washington Wizards. On behalf of animal-respecting, law-abiding sports fans everywhere, we ask you, in all earnest ness, to score points for kindness by benching the name “Gamecocks. ’’Show the nation that USC athletes are first-string champions of compassion. The ball is in your court— and we’re eager to know the final score. Thank you for your consideration. Very truly yours, Kristie Phelps, Campaign Coordinator International Grassroots Campaigns Football Coach says USC played poorly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 away. The Gamecocks began their final opportunity with 6:23 left on the clock. After going 65 yards in 11 plays, USC lined up for a third-and-four on the ' Arkansas 10-yard line. A Carolina penalty resulted in a third-and nine play from the 15-yard line. Petty dropped back and threw a pass intended for Brian Scott in the end zone, but Scott couldn’t get to the ball in time. On the following play, Daniel Weaver lined up to attempt the field goal. Weaver kicked the ball, but it only found the hands of Carlos Hall. Arkansas landed on the ball and proceeded to run down the final minute of the game to hold onto the victory. But even in light of the missed opportunity on the final drive, Holtz credits the loss to poor play throughout the game. “We had a lot of missed assign ments. The last play we were in the wrong formation. It was a nightmare.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com. “A game like this you could play over a million different times with a million different outcomes. What it comes down to is we wouldn’t make the big plays when we had to.” LOU HOLTZ USC FOOTBALL COACH Anthrax Letter to Daschle tests positive CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 No ABC workers were being tested or treated with antibiotics on Tuesday, said Sandra Mullin, a spokeswoman for the city Health Department. The testing inside the build ing “is the focus of the investi gation, but it’s not clear whether that’s where the exposure took place,” Mullin said. She said the testing was ex pected to last several days. Mullin did not say exactly where the testing was taking place, but ABC spokesman Todd Polkes said the child and his mother had visited news offices on the West 66th Street building’s sec ond floor and editing facilities on the third floor. The boy and his mother were there for a birthday party. The two didn’t visit the studio where ABC’s World News Tonight is broadcast, so the net work can continue operating there, Polkes said. In Washington, there was no immediate word on whether anyone in Daschle’s office test ed positive, but aides who may have been exposed to the letter were tested with nasal swabs and being treated with the an tibiotic Cipro as a precaution, said Dr. John Eisold, attending physician in the Capitol. “They are-innocent people caught up in a matter for which they have nothing to do,” said Daschle, who was not exposed to the letter. “I am very, very dis appointed and angered.” The letter to the South Dakota Democrat prompted a halt to all mail deliveries in the Capitol. Many already were nervous about working in a building that could be a target for terrorists. Officials cautioned that the ini tial tests finding anthrax were not necessarily accurate because they might simply reveal the presence of a less-dangerous germ. president tsusn told reporters “there may be some possible link” between the anthrax incidents and Osama bin Laden, who ad ministration officials say was be hind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With the FBI investigating, one official said authorities be lieve there is a link between the .letter opened in Daschle’s office on Monday and one sent to an employee of NBC in New York last week. Both carried a Trenton, N.J., postmark, and this official said they also bore other similar markings and a similar message. The official, who spoke on con dition of anonymity, said au thorities believe the spore sam ples in the letter to Daschle were produced in a sophisticated way. In New York, investigators moved into newsroom mailrooms after learning of the ABC case. At-The Associated Press on ^Monday night, eight police offi cers — one wearing a protec tive biohazard suit — took spot swipes from surfaces in the mailroom looking for any an thrax residue. Other news or ganizations to be tested includ ed CNN, CBS, Fox, Daily News and New York Post.* No anthrax had been detect ed in the initial tests of media sites, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Tuesday. The New York Post said four employees also underwent tests. Bob McManus,’head of the Post editorial page, told WROW-AM radio in Albany that one of the four has a lesion that first became visible about three' weeks ago. She has not tested positive for anthrax but was undergoing “a heavy an tibiotic regimen,” McManus said. Thenewspaper would not comment on McManus’ state ments. The skin version of anthrax that the infant boy contracted is not the more-lethal inhaled form that infected two Florida men who worked at a supermarket tabloid, killing American Media Inc. employee Robert Stevens, 63. Co-worker Ernesto Blanco, 73, has been treated for anthrax since being hospitalized earlier this month with what was thought to be pneumonia. Officials earlier said Blanco had anthrax bacteria in his nasal pas sages, but indicated Monday that he contracted the inhaled form. They said he was showing sighs of improvement. His step daughter, Maria Orth, said he underwent surgery Monday to insert tubes into his lungs to drain collected fluid. Since the Florida cases, pre liminary tests also have discov ered at least traces of anthrax in Nevada. Tests indicate that at least 13 people either have an thrax or were exposed to the an thrax spores. One of those people was an assistant to NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw who handled a let ter addressed to the host of Nightly News. Another NBC em ployee is being tested for expo sure. Brokaw said on his Monday newscast that not all of the anxi ety and outrage over an anthrax attack has worn off at NBC as he held up a bottle of antibiotics, saying, “in Cipro we trust." He and hundreds of employees are taking the drug. It's your life, choose accordingly. Nokia 5190 $1999 With Activation Downloadable Ringtones a Mobile Messaging and Chat Hurry! This great phone offer is only available for a limited time. NOKIA Connecting People f Get 325 anytime minutes, plus choose \ one of the following with a $29.99 rate plan: © BELLSOUTH Mobility * is now a part of Cingular Wireless For jobs that rock, visit us at www.cingular.com Xcingular ' WIRELESS What do you have to say?" 1-866-CINGULAR BARNES & NOBLE KIOSK UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA MEDICAL BOOKSTORE 6439 Garners Ferry Road Building One UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BOOKSTORE The Russell House 1400 Greene Street Limited time offer. 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