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McGwire won H name names; Sosa denies steroid use GERALD HERBERT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former baseball player Mark McGwire testifies at a hearing in Washington on Thursday on the use of steroids in professional baseball. Three of the top 10 home run hitters of all-time were present. By HOWARD FENDRICH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Retired slugger ^ Mark McGwire told Congress at a hearing Thursday on drugs in baseball that he would not "participate in naming names" of players who used steroids. McGwire, one of six current or former stars appearing before the House Government Reform Committee, did not say whether he used steroids. In a forewarning to lawmakers, he said his lawyers advised him not to answer certain questions. "If a player answers, 'No,' he simply will not be believed," McGwire said. "If he answers, 'Yes,' he risks public scorn and endless government investigations." Two current players, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, told the committee they never used steroids. McGwire and Palmeiro were accused of using performance-enhancing drugs by Jose Canseco in a best-selling book that helped prompt the hearing. It was an extraordinary sight — some of the top names in baseball history wearing business suits on Capitol Hill instead of uniforms on a diamond. Two top sluggers were not present because they testified in 2003 to a San Francisco grand jury investigating a steroid-distribution ring: Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, and Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees. In a tense scene, Canseco sat at the same table as the other players as he told the lawmakers that he could not fully answer their questions because of concerns his testimony could be used against him. During a break after the players' opening statements, five of the stars gathered in one nearby room, and Canseco went to another. Choking back tears, his voice cracking, McGwire said he knows that steroid use can be dangerous and will do whatever he can to discourage young athletes from using them. "What 1 will not do, however, is participate in naming names and implicating my friends and teammates," said McGwire, who ranks sixth in major league history with 583 homers. The hearing came after committee members accused baseball of ignoring its steroids problem for years and then, only under congressional pressure, embracing a weak testing program. Lawmakers were particularly critical of the plan's penalties, including a provision allowing for fines instead of suspensions. A first offense could cost a player $10,000 instead of a 10-day suspension. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig sat with arms crossed and lips pursed for much of the hearing. He craned his neck to get a better view as the players spoke. In prepared testimony he planned to give later in the day, Selig defended the steroids policy drawn up in January, saying it's "as good as any in professional sports" and adding that he agreed to shorter bans "on the theory that behavior modification should be the most important goal of our policy." Baseball had fought attempts to compel the players to testify, but committee chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California threatened to pursue contempt charges if they did not appear. More than four hours after the hearing began, the players walked in one by one as spectators, lawmakers and media in the cramped hearing room fell silent. Curt Schilling, the Boston Red Sox pitcher who's been outspoken against steroid use, was the first to enter. He sat at one end of the witness table, with Canseco at the other. Palmeiro, Sosa, McGwire and the players' lawyers were in between. Schilling took a shot at Canseco, saying the former slugger's claims "should be seen for what they are: an atterrjpt to make money at the expense of others." All of the players offered condolences to the parents of two young baseball players who committed suicide after using steroids. The parents testified earlier, along with medical experts who talked about the possible effects of the drugs: heart disease, cancer, sterility, depression. "Players that are guilty of taking steroids are not only cheaters — you are cowards," said Donald Hooton of Piano, Texas, whose son, Taylor, was 17 when he hanged himself in July 2003. "You hide behind the skirts of your union, and with the help of management and your lawyers, you've made every effort to resist ■facing the public today," Hooton said. The group of players included three of the top 10 home run hitters in major league history — McGwire, Sosa and Palmeiro. McGwire and Sosa were widely credited with boosting baseball's popularity in 1998 when they chased to break Roger Maris'· season record of 61 homers. Canseco, the 1988 American League Most Valuable Player, wrote that he used steroids and that he injected McGwire with them. But Canseco, who retired in 2001, told Thursday's panel that "because of my fear of future prosecution ... I cannot be candid with this committee." At the hearing's start, almost all of the congressmen shared a personal baseball anecdote or professed their love for the game before leveling their harsh critiques. The panel's first witness was Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., a former pitcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. He called the sport's steroid penalties "really puny." Bunning and others said Congress should impose tougher rules if baseball doesn't. There's no pending bill; Davis and Waxman set out to shed light on the issue Thursday, but they've said there could be future hearings. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has raised the possibility of pursuing legislation down the road. Swim teams prepare for NCAAs By BRIAN DAVIS THE GAMECOCK Following respectable fifth and eighth place finishes at the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, the women's and men's swimming teams will take their battle-tested skill to the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. The diving regional tournaments came to a close Sunday, and senior diver Andy Bradley was the high finisher on the men's side, placing fifth in the 1-meter springboard with a score of666.80. The top four spots, unsurprisingly, were all held by SEC competitors, with Steven Segerlin of Auburn leading the way. In the 3-meter competition, Bradley was again the leading USC performer, finishing in 11th at 520.05. Trailing by a little more than eight points, senior Dean Emmerton finished 14th in the competition. With his performance at the NCAA Diving Zones, Bradley qualified for the NCAA Championships to be among the top 13 men in the country. An All American in the one and 3-meter boards, Bradley will be vying for the championship after being the runner-up in the 1-meter last year. In the women's competition, senior diver Lauren King finished first in the 1-meter competition and battled to earn third place in the 3-meter the following day. Following King's lead, junior Tracey Richardson and senior Holly Hodges both also received top-10 finishes, closing with scores better than 273.70 and 270.65. The USC men's and women's performances at the SEC Championships at the end of February were respectable, considering the 11 freshman on the men's team and 15 on the women's side. With traditional SEC powers Auburn, the SEC men's and women's champions, as well as Georgia, the youthful swimming teams and the experienced divers hope to have a similar affect on the three-day event in Minneapolis. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu ψ ■ SPRING Continued from page 10 appeared to have gotten thinner through recent altercations involving the players. At the moment, only four starters from the 2004 squad are penciled into the 2005 depth chart. Rising sophomore Ko Simpson will lead the way and is the projected starter at free safety. Simpson led the team in interceptions a year ago with seven, and he looks to anchor a talented young secondary. Returning starters Fred Bennett and Jonathan Joseph, both rising juniors, will man the cornerback spots. These returning starters will most likely be joined in the r secondary by redshirt freshman strong safety Τ rent Usher. Rising junior Ricardo Hurley will look to follow up a breakout season and lead a linebacking corps that includes senior Orus Lambert and sophomore signee Mike West. The defensive line is a point of concern for USC entering the season. With the loss of Moe Thompson at defensive end, rising senior De'Adrian Coley will most likely fill one of the end spots. Joining Coley will be rising senior Charles Silas at the opposite defensive end position. Silas will serve a one-game suspension for his part in the Clemson fight on Nov. 21. A semi-experienced tandem will line up at defensive tackle in 2005. Rising sophomore standout Marque Hall will be joined by rising sophomore Stanley Doughty, as both players saw significant playing time in 2005. USC will practice basically three times a week for the next month, with their first practice being held this Saturday. The practice will be open to the public at 11 a.m. in Williams-Brice Stadium. For the first time ever, USC's Garnet and Black Game will be televised both on ESPN2 and ESPNU on April 16 at 1 p.m. SMITH ARRESTED USC receiver David Smith was arrested Tuesday night, marking the ninth player since the end of the 2004 season to be taken into custody. Smith was charged with a number of crimes including first degree burglary and criminal domestic violence. Spurrier said Smith would likely not rejoin the team. "I cannot control how they act off the field," Spurrier said of his players. "But we do control whether they put on a Carolina jersey or not." STADIUM UNDERGOING ADJUSTMENTS Williams Brice Stadium is undergoing a few additions at the request of coach Steve Spurrier. Garnet and black paint is being applied to areas of the stadium and the οΓ ball coach said that banners honoring the 1969 ACC Championship team and a few all time great players will be hung soon. He also mentioned honoring Joe Morrison, coach of the Gamecocks during the program's 1984 season, in which it posted its best record of 10-2. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu ■ FASTENAU Continued from page 10 while hoping Gamecock faithful slowly forget that a tenth of the team has been arrested in the past six months. Things will probably start slowly. The Gamecocks are so thin at the wide receiver position that Syvelle Newton has been named No. 1 to stan the spring. Being a receiver requires having a quarterback to throw you the ball, a position Blake Mitchell will get the first shot at. Let me give you a quick run 'own of what Mitchell can do for USC: throw interceptions. He has yet to demonstrate the ability to do anything otherwise, but has shown flashes of brilliance and may be effective given the extended chance. Spurrier said he wul keep the atmosphere light for the spring. "We're going to make it fun," he said. "We're going to make spring practice fun. We're not going to try and beat each other up so much as we're going to try and learn what to do." That being said, fans may be in for an enjoyable experience if they stop by and watch Spurrier in action. Spurrier expects the learning curve to be somewhat small. The quarterbacks will be chucking the ball, and the running backs will not have to keep up with the intricate ground game put in place by Lou Holtz. Criminal problems aside, this has been the most anticipated spring since Holtz's hiring, and I think it's with good reason. Spurrier may not win right away, but he will make each game interesting. If USC loses, it will be "We're going to make spring practice fun." STEVE SPURRIER use FOOTBALL COACH a 52-51-on-a-late-field-goal type of game. In Spurrier's first game as Florida head coach in 1990, the Gators put up 50 points against Oklahoma State in a 50-7 win. It should not take long for USC players to buy into the fun 'n' gun philosophy. The οΓ ball coach will be on the sideline in front of a national television audience soon. There will likely be no visor tossing, as it is still months from the time in which games count. But it will give a glimpse to fans as to what base system Spurrier will work from and what the), can expect in 2005 2006. Bamafalls in day 1 action By MIQUELJACOBS STAFF WRITER The first day of the NCAA Tournament got under way Thursday, and every team put on its best dancing shoes for the spodight. In the end, one SEC team failed to stay on beat, while the rest of the favorites in the field of 64 went down to the wire without major upsets. Alabama, a legitimate No. 5 seed and co-SEC West champion, became the first team to fall prone to an upset, losing an 83-73 setback to No. 12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Horizon League champion proceeds to face No. 4 Boston College in the second round, one of the few teams that managed to win easily with an 85-65 victory against Penn. Washington, a No. 1 seed in the Albuquerque regional, used a strong first half to outlast No. 16 seed Montana, 88-77. The Huskies advance to play No. 8 Pacific, the victor against No. 9 Pittsburgh in a 79-71 decision. The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, Wake Forest and Gonzaga, respectively, also ran into problems with their opening round opponents. The Demon Deacons trailed No. 15 Chattanooga 27-24 at the half before sophomore Chris Paul, an All-American candidate, rallied the Deacons after returning from a one-game suspension. Paul's 20 points helped Wake to cruise in the second half to a 70-54 victory. Gonzaga had a little more trouble against No. 14 Winthrop, also trailing at the half. The Bulldogs responded by outscoring the Eagles 41-29 in the second half to claim a 74-64 decision courtesy of senior Ronny Turiafs 11-of-16 shooting from the charity stripe. The Chicago regional was also discourteous to the higher seeds, as No. 3 Arizona trailed No. 14 Utah State at the half before using a strong second half to take the game 66-53. In the other matchup between No. 9 Nevada and No. 8 Texas, the Wolf Pack became just the second lower seeded team of the day to claim a victory, squeaking by the Longhorns, 61-57. The Austin regional offered the only other SEC team playing on the first day of the tournament, featuring a game between No. 2 Kentucky and No. 15 Eastern Kentucky, schools separated by 30 miles of road and talent. The Ohio Valley tournament champion held its own against the Wildcats but could not match bodies inside the paint as Kentucky powered its way to a 72-64 decision. In the remaining games, No. 6 Utah (60-54) and No. 7 Cincinnati (76-54) held off the opposition thanks to stronger first halves, while No. 3 Oklahoma bounced back from a rocky start to shake No. 14 Niagara, 84-67. Games featuring No. 1 Illinois and co-SEC West champion No. 6 LSU were played late. The Fighting Illini played No. 16 Fairfield Dickinson and the Tigers played No. 11 UAB, the; culprits of last season's upset against Kentucky in the second round. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu LEARN ONE OF 21 LANGUAGES ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ As a Soldier at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, you'll learn one of 21 languages. And you don't need to speak a foreign language to qualify. > > Call Sgt. 1 st Class Kelly Greene at 777-4812 about college loan repayment and more Army benefits. And see how you can become AN ARMY OF ONE. > > Or talk to a Recruiter at the Lagare College, 902 Sumter Street in Columbia. Monday through Saturday 8=00 a.m. through 7=00 p.m. or call toll free 877-264-3876 U.S.ARMY goarmy.com 02001. Paid for by the U.S. Army. All rights reserved. i· AN ARMY OF ONE