University of South Carolina Libraries
10 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, July 16, 2003 CONTACT US jMfeinrmmCI FIGURE OF THE WEEK LUINlALtl Uo 1 If/ I L'' I 1V 26: Home runs hit by Albert Pujols in Monday’s Home E-mailusatgamecocksports@hotmail.com \ / | | | Run Derby that tied Sammy Sosa’s record from 2000. USC hires Morgan as play-by-play man Mike Morgan takes over for men’s basketball BY BRAD SENKIW THE GAMECOCK New players and a new season won’t be the only thing different for USC men’s basketball fans next year. They will hear a new but familiar voice when listening to the Gamecocks on the radio as well. Mike Morgan was selected as the new play-by-play announcer to fill the shoes of Charlie McAlexander, Learfield/ISP Sports said Friday. Morgan, who will also host the Dave Odom tele vision show as well, has been call ing baseball and women’s basket ball games, as well as hosting the Susan Walvius television show, since he began working for the Gamecock Radio Network. Morgan will continue to cover baseball and plans not to change his delivery. “Just like baseball, people will have no doubt who I’m calling the games for,” stated Morgan. “It’s hard for me not to get excit ed when Carolina is doing well. By the same token, they will get an honest, knowledgeable and credible account of what is going on.” Since Morgan has already called games on the women’s side, he expects to bring the same ex citement over to the men. “It’s hard for the game of bas ketball to not be exciting, there fore it’s hard not to be excited about calling the action, especial ly in a premiere conference such as the SEC,” Morgan said. “I’ll have fun calling the games and I want the listeners to have fun lis tening to them.” Liz McMillian, General Manager of Gamecock Sports Properties, was pleased to an nounce the hire and thinks Morgan will give the Gamecock fans what they want to hear. “Mike has done an outstanding job for several years working with the Gamecock Radio Network,” she said. “He brings a genuine en thusiasm to the microphone and we believe he has an outstanding future as a play-by-play talent. We feel Mike will provide fans with exceptional descriptions and ac counts of South Carolina men’s basketball.” Before joining on with the Gamecocks, Morgan called base ball games for the Columbus Stixx, a minor league affiliate with the Cleveland Indians, from 1995 to 1997. He has also announced high school games in Georgia and Alabama. Since working for the Gamecocks, Morgan has been on the cable sports television chan nel CSS and called the College World Series Championship game in Omaha last season. Morgan will be teamed up with Casey Manning, a former basketball player who has been with the Gamecock Radio ♦ MORGAN, SEE PAGE 11 FILE PHO'lu,~!E gamecock Mike Morgan is the new host of Dave Odom’s televison show and will call games for the men’s basketball team, replacing Charlie McAlexander. Pride aside, USC should be next to join the ACC BEN SINCLAIR GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM Gamecocks need the ACC for many reasons. What is popular is not always right and what is right is not al ways popular. What has been pop ular in college athletics lately is changing conferences. Even though the move would not be pop ular to many USC fans and alum ni, the right move would be for the Gamecocks to leave the SEC and return to the ACC. Tradition, not talent, is the dif ference between the conferences in football right now. Look at last season’s results. Maryland clob bered Tennessee, Florida State and Miami beat Florida, Virginia Tech beat LSU, and the Gamecocks fared no better against Virginia and Clemson. Wake Forest even beat Purdue and Oregon. I never imagined thinking this, but a strong case could be made that ACC football is as good as the SEC. A home football schedule includ ing Miami, Virginia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Duke would draw no less of a crowd than the current schedule. USC should rejoin the ACC to intensify the Clemson rivalry. The baseball teams could play a series, instead of a game here and there. The basketball teams would go back to playing twice per season, something younger Gamecock and Tiger fans know nothing about. Imagine if ACC championships and BCS invitations were on the line when Carolina and Clemson played. Also, joining the ACC would make it easier to differentiate the Carolina Center from Thomas Cooper Library. Duke, Maryland and North Carolina would sell out immediately. N.C. State, Clemson and Georgia Tech would interest people more than Mississippi State, Auburn and Ole Miss. In fact, the football game be tween USC and Ole Miss might have more scoring at halftime than the basketball game last year, when Ole Miss led that “thriller” 15-13 at halftime — need I say more? Older Gamecock fans will recall that USC was mistreated last time they were in the ACC. I cannot blame USC for pulling out of the ACC in 1970. For reasons ranging from academic double standards to mistreatment from Tobacco Road, USC had reasons to leave. However, to this day no one can agree why USC left and no one wants to take credit for Carolina abandoning the conference. USC should let the past go since anyone responsible for the Gamecocks’ prior mistreatment in the ACC is long gone now. If the ACC is asking USC to join, it’s be cause the ACC will welcome the Gamecocks with open arms, just like they did Miami and Virginia Tech. The ACC is represented heavily by North Carolina schools, but now more members of the ACC are outside of North Carolina than in it. The ACC is looking for a 12th member and they do not have to look far. The time is now for Carolina to rejoin the ACC, and if the ACC calls, the Gamecocks should answer. After all, the phone has been off the hook for 32 years. Sinclair is a graduate student in the education college.