University of South Carolina Libraries
Snorts talk radio here needs to set real MATTROTHENBERG GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM In my four years at this uni versity, there has been one thing from home that I’ve always missed: My favorite sport talk ra dio station — WFAN 660 AM. There’s just something to be said for intelligent sports talk. Here, no matter what station I lis ten to, nothing compares to the pro grams you find in New York City. Up north, the hosts and callers aren’t afraid to be straightfor ward, raise their voices to em phasize a point or let someone know that they’re just wrong. In Columbia, I have rarely found that to be the case. What I have found, though, is that among callers and some times hosts, the line between be ing optimistic and being realistic is blurred. Please don’t misunderstand me; I think everyone should have one’s opinion, except when it’s a stupid one. Following USC’s football game Saturday night, I had the pleasure of once again listening to this. Some guy calls up and says the Gamecocks will win 11 games this season. “Is this guy serious?” I thought. “I mean, the same team that struggled to beat New Mexico State will win 11 games?” Now I’m not saying the football team can’t, but this guy is getting a little too optimistic after one game. I think the Gamecocks will have a winning season, but 11 games are a little far-fetched right now. Let’s get realistic here. Sure enough, the host said lit tle to challenge this assertion, and the calls kept coming in a similar fashion. It’s great to be optimistic; it sure beats being pessimistic. But it makes me wonder how these callers’ minds work. Before I get ahead of myself, I know WFAN and its callers aren’t perfect. Usually, you’ll get some one who proposes a trade that will solve every one of the Yankees’ troubles at once — they’re the people that drive me nuts. But callers here take it to an other level. Another guy called the station Saturday night to sug gest that Coach Holtz alter the de fense to a 4-3 setup. Reasonable idea, but come on, man! Weren’t you watching — or even listening — to the game? The problem isn’t the defense’s scheme as much as it is a bunch of younger players lacking experience. It’s amazing to see these hosts “react.” The guy I listened to agreed with nearly everything the callers said. He appeared to resist a conflict with Billy Joe Bumpkin from Sumter. It’s al most like they went out of their way to avoid confrontation or provoke a lively discussion, just to appease the Gamecock faithful. Suffice to say, in just about any major city across the nation, most of these callers would get chewed out. There is no real comparison between Columbia sports talk ra dio and New York sports talk ra dio. After all, they’re two differ ent markets in opposite parts of the country, with dissimilar in terests and points of view. I realize that the football team’s success has been a long time coming, testing the fortitude of Gamecocks everywhere, but can we please get real? I’d like to be optimistic of our chances, but at the same time, I know that a number of roadblocks stand in the way of an 11-win season. I hope these forever-optimistic fans are few and far between, and that the people who don’t call in to sports shows are the ones who have their heads screwed on straight. Finally, I wish the Gamecocks a successful football season, but I also hope these 11-win optimists can cope with disappointment down the road. Rotkenberg is a fourth-year sport management student. Preview CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 USC will try to avenge its 1998 loss to Pacific — the teams’ only meeting. The Tigers hail from the Big West conference and bring a 2-1 record into the weekend. Carolina is hoping freshman Sarah Morgan can continue her excellent start. \~—’ i Morgan collected (two double-dou bles last weekend at the Coca Cola/Michigan State Classic, where USC opened the sea Morgan son with two wins and a loss. Morgan is leading the Gamecocks with 3.70 kills per game. Also leading USC will be se niors Cally Plummer and Megan Hosp, two staples of the Carolina offense. i : Plummer is averaging 3.56 kills per game, and she leads the team with six service aces. Hosp is by far the team lead er in assists, averaging 13.60 per game. The next closest play er is only averaging .60 assists per game. Hosp is also tops on the team in digs with 3.90 per game. Women’s soccer Following a 2-0 start to the 2002 season, the Carolina women’s soccer team heads to Charlotte, N.C., this weekend for the Puma Classic. USC will face host Charlotte on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and it will close out the tournament on Sunday at noon versus East Carolina. Senior forward Morgan McIntyre scored a goal in each Gamecock victory this past week end, tying her for fourth place on the USC career scoring list. The Greenville native has 49 points in her career. Men’s soccer The lOth-ranked men’s soccer team, also 2-0, heads to Durham, N.C., this weekend for the Duke Adidas Classic, where it will face a pair of ACC teams — N. C. State on Friday and Duke on Sunday. Friday’s match is slated for a 5 p.m. start, while Sunday’s showdown starts at 1 p.m. Carolina and N. C. State have met 12 times, with the Wolfpack leading the series 6-5-1. USC won the last meeting 4-0 back in 1997. This will be their first meeting in a neutral setting. The Gamecocks and the Blue Devils have faced off 16 times, with Duke coming out on top 8-6 2 in the series. The fans at The Graveyard witnessed the last meeting between the two teams — a 1-0 Duke win in the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com BRIEFLY v Center Petravicius undergoes surgery USC senior center Marius Petravicius underwent a two stage surgical procedure Monday * to repair knee and heel damage, but he is expected to be at full strength when the Gamecocks open practice Oct. 12. The Kltenenu, Lithuania, na tive had an arthroscope on his right knee to clean up cartilage damage, and an arthroscope on his left ankle to remove a heel spur. He began rehabilitation Wednesday. Petravicius averaged 5.9 points and four rebounds per game in 34 contests for the Gamecocks last season. Women’s golf 17th in preseason poll The USC women’s golf team, which won the SEC title last sea son, is ranked 17th in preseason poll of Golf World magazine. Head coach Kristi Coggins and the Gamecocks will open the new season Sept. 15-17 at the NCAA Fall Preview in Lafayette, Ind. The Gamecocks captured SEC crown in record-setting fashion last season, breaking both school and conference records. USC ad vanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season, its seventh postseason appearance in eight years, and finished 23rd in the fi nal poll. Four of five starters return for Coggins, including two-time de fending SEC champion and first team All-American Kristy McPherson. The Conway native was the MVP of the US A-Japan Collegiate Golf Matches this summer and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship along with team mates Adrienne Gautreaux and Erica Battle. Senior Kacy Thompson and junior Marci Robinson also re turn this season after playing in every Carolina tournament a year ago. SPORTS CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Kyle Matt Chris Mary Erin Gerald The Gamecock’s readers and Almond Rothenberg Foy Hartney O’Neal Smith staff test their sports knowledge Sports Asst. Sports Defending Editor in Asst. VP Reader of with predictions of the Editor Editor Champion Chief Editor the Week weekend’s games. (Rankings G-3) (6-4) (6-4) (8-2) (5-5) (6-4) are from the Associated Press.) 1 Miami at 6 Florida_Florida Florida Miami Miami Florida Florida Alabama at 2 Oklahoma_Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Alabama Oklahoma Furman at Vanderbilt__ Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Furman Vanderbilt Fresno St. at 13 Oregon Oregon OregonOregon Oregon Fresno St. Oregon 19 Colorado SL at UCLA Colo. St. UCLA_Colo. St. Colo. St. Colo. St. UCLA Illinois at Southern Mississippi So. Miss Illinois_Illinois Illinois So. Miss Illinois_ Buffalo at Rutgers_Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers Rutgers New Mexico St. at California NMSU NMSU NMSU California NMSU California Louisiana Tech at Clemson Clemson Clemson Clemson La. Tech La. Tech Clemson 22 USC at Virginia USC Virginia USC USC USC USC 19-17 31-27 24-14 28-21 21-19 31-21 LAST WEEK’S WINNER: Mary Hartney (8-2) - The editor in chief reminds everyone who’s boss by taking the early lead in Sports Challenge. Hartney’s victory was ensured when Virginia Tech dominated LSU on Sunday. Hartney was the only one to pick Colorado State over Colorado, and she was one of only two people to pick Navy over SMU. Sports editor Almond, at 7-3, is right on her tail. Reader of the week Jeremy Register went a respectable 6-4 along with Rothenberg and Foy. News editor Adam Beam, the Gamecock staff member of the week, went .500. WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-mail your selections next week to gamecocksports@hotmail.com. If you have the best record, you’ll win a free Gamecock T-shirt and be able to talk all the trash you want. ---T-1-:---•-1 - - ...\ X Welcome Back! |_[ Stay in touch this year with Cingular Prepaid Wireless.I • No age restrictions • Short Messaging • Voice Mail • Caller ID $69" Price -$40 Relate After Mail-in Rebate Includes $30 worth of airtime! • No Long Term Contract • No Credit Check • No Monthly Fee Save $5.00 on a Prepaid Wireless Phone! | Bring this coupon in and SAVE $5.00 off any Pay-as-You-Go Wireless Phone at Circle K. Offer good at participating Circle K stores. Hurry in today! - ; Customer: Coupon is good for $5.00 off any pay-as-you-go wireless phone at participating Circle K Stores. No cash value. You pay any sales tax. Void if reproduced, taxed, sold or prohibited by law. Your redemption signifies compliance with Circle K's coupon redemption policy. CSR: Process as a STANDARD MANUFACTURER COUPON. At end of day, log to recap code "F" for coupons. Do not log to a serial number. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE. | R#12505 TT~| EXPIRES 12/31/02 % % j Xcingular j ^WIRELESS i -,- , What do you have to say?' • s • • * * _ _ # .T. Ericsson R278d phone -— Offer valid on the purchase of a Cingular Wireless phone from participating Circle K locations through September 30, 2002 on Ericsson R278d, R300z, A1228di or A2218z while supplies last. See store display for terms and conditions. Cingular Wreless is a registered trademark. The graphic icon, and "What do you have to say?" are service marks of Cingular Wireless LLC *© 2002 Cingular Wireless LLC. _:___._I