The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 25, 2003, Page 10, Image 10
Ex-USC back ends holdout with Eagles
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA — Duce Staley
returned to the Philadelphia
1 Eagles, choosing
to end his 26-day
holdout without
the contract exten
sion he was seek
ing.
“I’m not afraid
to say that I was
Staley stubborn,” Staley
said on his first
day of practice.
“It’s behind us. It’s over. It’s
squashed. It’s time to move on
and bring something new to the
city — hopefully that’s a ring —
and stay positive.”
Staley, in the final year of his
contract, held out to try to pres
sure the Eagles into giving him
an extension.
The Eagles have a pair of
young running backs in Correll
Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook
and made it obvious they weren’t
prepared to make a long-term
commitment to Staley, a fan fa
vorite.
Staley and his agent, Derrick
Harrison, met with coach Andy
Reid at least twice last week and
again when Staley arrived in
Philadelphia on Aug. 23.
“It started with communica
tion,” Staley said. “I had a
chance to sit down and talk and
he let me know where I stood
and where I stand. That’s all I
ever wanted. I want to be here,
there’s no doubt about it. I’m
looking forward to getting an op
portunity to get a contract ex
tension.”
Neither Staley nor Reid re
vealed what was discussed in
their meetings.
“We feel good going forward,
both sides,” Reid said. “It’s im
portant Duce has the time to get
himself back into football shape.
We’re going to ease him into play
ing shape and good things will
happen.”
Staley rushed for 1,029 yards
and five touchdowns last season
and had 541 yards and three
touchdowns receiving. He stayed
away from the team’s voluntary
minicamp in June along with cor
nerback Bobby Taylor, who is
also seeking a contract extension.
Taylor, however, reported to
training camp on time.
Earlier this month, Staley re
leased a statement criticizing
Eagles management for not “se
riously” discussing his future
with the team.
“I really wanted to come back
in and get back with my team
mates,” Staley said after practic
ing with the second-team offense.
“I really wanted to come back and
be with the fans and let them
know I still want to play. I still
want to be here.”
Baseball loses legend in Bobby Bonds
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Bobby
Bonds, one of the first major lea
guers to blend home-run power
with base-stealing speed and the
father of one of baseball’s great
est sluggers, died Saturday. He
was 57.
Barry Bonds’ father had been
ill for nearly a year with lung can
cer and a brain tumor, but he nev
er lost his love for baseball. He
was at Pacific Bell Park on
Wednesday night, watching his
superstar son and the San
Francisco Giants.
Barry Bonds, who leads the ma
jors with 39 homers, will be away
from the Giants indefinitely. He
left the team for five days during a
road trip last week to be with his
father.
“It’s a very sad day, but I want
to remember him the way he used
to be, having a good time and
making jokes,” said Hall of Famer
Orlando Cepeda, Bonds’ longtime
friend and former teammate. “I’m
happy that he’s resting in peace.”
The Giants and their fans ob
. served a moment of silence before
Saturday’s game against Florida.
A sellout crowd rose and stood in
near-complete quiet as pho
tographs of Bonds in his San
Francisco playing days flashed on
the scoreboard.
“All of baseball mourns the
passing of Bobby Bonds,” com
missioner Bud Selig said. “He was
a great player, who with speed and
power, helped redefine the game.
He was a credit to baseball.”
Bonds’ health had been in de
cline for many months. In early
June, he spent time in the hospi
tal while fighting pneumonia. He
underwent surgery for a brain tu
mor in April and also endured
many rounds of chemotherapy.
“My wife called me earlier this
morning and told me when I was
on the way to the ballpark,” Cubs
manager Dusty Baker said.
“It appeared to be inevitable,
but nobody thought it would hap
pen this soon,” he said. “I lost a
childhood hero — we grew up in
the same town, my dad was his
coach and his mom babysat me
when I was young — and a great
friend.”
Bobby Bonds, a three-time All
Star and the MVP of the 1973
game, hit 332 home runs and
stole 461jDases for the Giants,
New York Yankees, California
Angels, Chicago White Sox,
Texas, Cleveland, St. Louis and
the Cubs.
He began his career with a
bang, hitting a grand slam in his
first game on June 25,1968. He’s
the only player in the modem era
to accomplish that feat.
“This is a great loss for the
Giants family,” San Francisco
owner Peter Magowan said. “We
want the Bonds family to know
that they’re in our thoughts and
prayers. Bobby has meant so
much to this organization for
such a long time.
Bobby Bonds was a dazzling
player who approached every as
pect of the game with aggression
—for better and worse. He led the
majors in strikeouts three times
in his first six seasons, setting the
single-season record with 189 in
1970.
Bonds hit .268, had 1,024 RBIs
and won three Gold Glove awards
as an outfielder and his combi
nation of power and speed was
nearly unmatched.
Though he often was over
shadowed by close friend and
longtime teammate Willie Mays,
Bonds became the fourth player
ever to hit 30 homers and steal 30
bases in the same season in 1969
with the Giants.
Mays, Barry Bonds’ godfather,
was the only player to do it more
than once before Bobby Bonds ac
complished the feat five times in
his 14-year career. In fact, Bobby
Bonds nearly became the first 40
40 player in the majors. In 1973,
he hit 39 homers and stole 43
bases.
“He was a little bit ahead of his
time,” said Orioles manager Mike
Hargrove, Bonds’ former team
mate. “You didn’t see a lot of guys
of his stature as leadoff hitters.
Bobby was a big, strong guy.”
He played just one season with
the Yankees, but became the first
30-30 player in the team’s storied
history with 32 homers and 30
steals in 1975.
Bonds played seven seasons
with San Francisco, and he was
with the organization for 23 sea
sons as a player, coach, scout or
front-office employee.
Bonds served as the club’s hit
ting coach from 1993-96, and since
then has been a special assistant
to general manager Brian
Sabean.
Bonds is survived by his wife,
Pat; a daughter, Cheryl Dugan;
and three sons: Barry, Ricky and
Bobby Jr.
“Bobby was a good man, a
great ballplayer,” said Arizona
manager Bob Brenly, who
coached with Bonds on the
Giants’ staff for two seasons.
“I know how much that’s been
weighing on Barry’s mind and
the entire family. Hopefully, they
can find some peace in this,” he
said.
BRIEFLY
Men’s soccer ties
UVA in exhibition
The USC men’s soccer team
tied the 14th-ranked Virginia
Cavaliers 0-0 in an exhibition
game at Klockner Stadium in
Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 23.
Carolina freshman goalkeep
er Bradley Guzan had a strong
showing with four saves, while
Ryan Best recorded two saves for
the Cavaliers.
USC had 10 shots on goal, six
comer kicks and 18 fouls, while
UVA edged Carolina with 11
shots and seven comer kicks, but
was called for 21 fouls in the
scoreless tie.
The regular season gets go
ing on Aug. 29 for the
Gamecocks when the Boston
Terriers visit Columbia at
Eugene E. Stone III Stadium.
The game is scheduled for a 7
p.m. start.
Football rehearses
for season opener
With a little more than a
week until the first USC football
game, the team performed a
dress rehearsal Friday at
Williams-Brice Field that in
cluded pre-game warm-ups
and proper behavior on the
bench. Also, the offense and
kicking game received heavy
preparation.
Quarterback Dondrial
Pinkins looked sharp with a 9
yard touchdown run in the of
fense’s first series and a 68-yard
pass to wide receiver Chavez
Donnings that resulted in anoth
er rushing touchdown by
Pinkins.
The junior quarterback also
threw a 9-yard touchdown strike
to Troy Williamson after a
Deandre’ Eiland interception off
Blake Mitchell.
Freshman linebacker Ryan
Brown also picked off a pass
and returned it 53-yards for a
touchdown.
“All in all, there were too
many missed assignments,”
head coach Lou Holtz said. “We
gave up some plays on third
down, and we had too many
penalties.”
The Gamecocks had a light
practice the following day and
watched film on the previous
practice.
“We were able to correct a lot
of things from last night,” Holtz
said. “Our running backs caught
the ball well in the scrimmage
and our offensive line protected
pretty well.
The players were given the
day off on Sunday, but will re
sume practice this afternoon to
continue to prepare for
Saturday’s game against
Louisiana-Lafayette at 7 p.m. at
Williams-Brice Stadium. ]
USC (livers compete
at University Games
USC divers Andy Bradley
and Allison Brennan finished
the first day of competition at
the 2003 World University
Games.
Bradley was a last-minute re
placement in the 3-meter syn
chronized diving competition
and finished in sixth place with
Caesar Garcia.
The two shared a score of
27b.bo. in ner tirst internation
al competition, Brennan com
peted in the 1 meter spring
board and finished 19th with a
score of 217.62.
Bradley will compete in the 1 •
meter springboard on Aug. 25
and in the 3 meter springboard
competition on Aug. 28.
Bradley earned All-American
honors last season for Carolina
in both events, including a sec
ond-place finish in the 1 meter
board at last year's NCAA
Championships.
Brennan will next compete in
the 3 meter springboard compe
tition on Aug. 26, and was a fi
nalist in both the 1 meter and 3
meter board at the SEC
Championships. Brennan also
qualified for the NCAA
Championship.
China won both events that
the U.S. was in. Bo Peng and
Kenan Wang scored 347.13 to
win the the 3 meter synchro- .
nized and Minxia Wu won the 1 *
meter springboard with a score
of 309.99.
CjiTiki
FOOTBALL
Student Ticket Distribution
Season starts early, so get yourself ready
Student Distribution Schedule
Louisiana - Lafayette Aug. 21, 22, 25,26,27 r
Virginia Aug. 25,26,27 \
Sept. 2,3,4 ’
Alabama < Birmingham Sept. 2, 3,4,15,16,17
Kentucky Sept. 15,16,17
Oct. 6, 7, 8
LSU Oct. 6, 7, 8,15,16
Vanderbilt Oct. 15,16, 20,21,22
Florida Oct. 20,21,22 ,
Nov. 10,11,12 I
I UPPER LEVEL
=.gr m. M.
\ | 36U B 3
\ = AOPT wt TW> >Al| M.r
Sign up for Clemson Lottery <
Nov. 10,11,12
Clemson Lottery Pick Up
Nov. 17,18,19
Jj Students must have your I.D. Card with you
/ to get into the Stadium with a Student Ticket.
The Student Section is located in the North
Section of the Stadium Sections 23 - 34.
For more complete information about student tickets, pick up a copy of the
Student Football Information Book
at the Russell House lobby information Desk.
Student Tickets will be distributed at the Russell House, room 205 9am - 4pm
Students are not guaranteed a student ticket to each game, only
^ie right to a ticket as long as student tickets are available.
Handicapped or disabled students can get assistance by calling
* 777-6742. ? $