dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
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Congressman visits campus to support College Republicans Josh Dawsey NEWS EDITOR
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VOL. 104, NO. 16
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SINCE 1908
Wilson responds to ethics investigation
Thursday 93°
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
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A congressional ethics investigation into his travel spending from a 2009 jaunt to Afghanistan is much ado about nothing, Rep. Joe Wilson told The Daily Gamecock Wednesday. Wilson said he spent a small amount of money, $12, to purchase small trinkets for veterans and their families, “knowing
they’ll likely never get to visit a gift shop like this while they’re fighting in Iraq.” “There’s question as to whether funds can be spent on gifts for constituents,” Wilson said, “but my thought is if I can buy a marble goblet for veterans, I should do it.” On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets reported Wilson was among a handful of congressmen under investigation for possible ethics violations. Wilson said the investigation stems from
Courtesy of USC College Republicans
Wilson visited the Organization Fair on Greene Street.
WILSON ● 2A
Pride festival brings color to campus
Reaching for Greatness
Student organization gets involved in LGBT cause
S o u th C a ro l i n a w i d e receiver Alshon Jeffery has his sights set on an SEC Championship this season.
Jocelyn Henline
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
See page 1B Chris Keohan
e/ THE DA ILY GA MECO
CK
The Mix Tape T he Mix Editors get pumped for the first football game of the season and obsess over USC’s top five game day traditions.
See page 5A
Church vs. strip club The protesting strippers of Warsaw, Ohio, fail to see both sides in the argument Chelsey Seidel for free speech and Third-year print journalism respect. student
See page 4A
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Thursday classes still on despite game day Taylor Cheney STAFF WRITER
Hordes of st udents will pack the State Fairgrounds and other c a mpu s t a i lg at i ng a rea s ea rly today, preparing for the muchanticipated season opener against Southern Mississippi. But some w il l be st uck i n classrooms about t wo m i les away, learning about A rmenian g e n o c i d e a n d b i o c h e m i s t r y, among other things. In case you missed it, there’s a football game tonight. And in case you missed another message, University offi cials are happy to deliver it one more time: Game day is not an excuse to miss class. Thursday games pose sig n if ica nt problems for USC facult y and administrators. It’s d if f ic u lt to ex pla i n c a ncel i ng classes so students can prepare for an athletic event. But the reality is si mple — t hat ma ny cha i r s will be empty as students replace t hem wit h foldable chairs near the stadium come this afternoon. A nd for the thousands living in off-campus apartment complexes
near the stadium, traffic even five hours before kickoff can be near impossible. “School s l i ke Un iver sit y of G eorg ia have to shut dow n campuses because their stadium is cent rally located and t raf f ic b e c o m e s a n i s s u e ,” U S C spokeswoma n Ma rga ret La mb said. “It’s very different.” USC of f ic ia ls a lso note t he Un iver sit y of fer s a g a me d ay shuttle so students don’t have to worry about parking. Also, there’s a free tailgate with lots of food so students don’t have to bother with food preparation. Lamb also said that professors need to touch base wit h depar t ment heads before class cancellation. “ Ever yone i s e xc it e d ab out football season, and I know faculty would love to cancel class, but we need to think of the promise we made to the students and to the school.” But for many students, the logic rings hollow. After attending football games last year, second-year psychology st udent Jami Holloway doesn’t expect a full cancellation. “I think there is no reason for a 10 a.m. class to be canceled the
BACTERIA PLAGUES WATER NEAR STADIUM
mor n i ng of a T hu r sday n ight game. But I think later classes, like af ter t wo or t hree, should be con sidered for c a ncel i ng,” she said. “School spirit is a huge a spec t of col lege l ife. Not to mention, there is only this one Thursday night game this season. I wouldn’t be opposed to later classes being canceled so I can go to the game and support my school and other students.” W hile Provost Michael A miridis inst r ucted all facult y to not cancel class, t he stories of c a nc el l at io n s a r e r u n n i n g rampant. Some professors simply don’t take attendance on game day. Ot hers of fer ext ra credit. Jou r na l ism professor Ber t ra m Rantin still requires attendance for his classes today but believes in making it enjoyable. In years past, Rantin said that he has taken students to the State Fair where t hey were given an assignment and instructed class with a picnic on the Horseshoe. “It’s possible to learn and have f un at the same time,” he said. “Whenever I work that in, I try to.”
As you drove through tow n t his week , you may have noticed a color scheme that you are not used to seeing decorating the streets of Columbia: rainbow. For the first time ever, ra i nbow f lag s da ngle from the lamp posts on the streets of Main and Gervais, delineating the route that the SC Pride Parade will follow as it makes its way to Finlay Park Saturday. T he S out h Ca rol i n a Pride Movement is a nonprofit organization with a m ission to “Suppor t, Celebrate, Educate and Advocate t he LGBT c om mu n it y ” i n S out h Carolina, and these flags are a mark of its growing i n f lue nc e a nd s uc c e s s across the state. S C P r i d e P r e s i d e nt Ta m e r a Te d d e r i s encouraged by the community’s continuing acceptance as the organization increased its advertising and visibility this year. “We have received no opposit ion. We haven’t had anyone say no, they wouldn’t put the banners up, so we’ve been rea l plea sed,” Tedder sa id. “In our fi rst march down M a i n St r e e t , a l o t o f t he part icipants had to wear masks to hide their identity.” Now t he SC Pr ide O rg a n i z at ion re c ei ve s
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu
PRIDE ● 2A
SG members watch what they say Comments made by senator to The State results in warning Taylor Cheney
PEPSI REFRESH Help Dance Marathon win $25,000 by texting 10 13 47 t o 7 3 7 74 . The organization is competing in the Pepsi Refresh project.
STAFF WRITER
If you live on Bluff Road near I-77, don’t drink the water. Students who live in off-campus apartment complexes near the stadium, such as Copper Beech, the Woodlands or the Retreat, could have water contaminated with bacteria, according to Coordinator of OffCampus Student Services Jami Campbell. Before drinking water, boil it for at least one minute. Officials say they’ll alert residents when the notice is lifted. More testing is planned in upcoming days.
— Compiled by News Editor Josh Dawsey
Jeremy Aaron / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Sen. Matt Ungar cautioned SG members to be careful of talking to media.
In last Friday’s issue of The State, Student Government Sen. Alex Waelde proposed that a cap should be put on incoming freshmen at USC. Stating that he was late to class due to the record numbers, Waelde said, “If the University is a business, we are its clients. The returning clients are suffering.” A s a r e s u lt , S G P r e s id e nt P r o Tempore Matt Ungar asked members of the Senate not to speak to local or University media outlets on behalf of Student Government. SG ● 2A
The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 2A
LOCAL
NATIONAL
Governor candidate claims bias A third-party gubernatorial candidate is lashing out at South Carolina’s political establishment, saying he’s not getting the attention he deserves because of racism, hypocritical black leaders and censorship under a twoparty system. In an effort to grab attention, Morgan Reeves picketed Wednesday in front of a federal building named after the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, demanding Thurmond’s name be removed from it and other buildings and parks across the state. As the 51-year-old divorced father of three rebuked others, his demands and claims raised questions about his own biography. Reeves will be listed twice on the ballot, with the Green and United Citizens parties. As of July, he had less than $500 in campaign cash. He says there’s a direct connection between his treatment and Thurmond’s racism more than 60 years ago as he ran for president as a Dixiecrat. Reeves said it doesn’t matter that Thurmond later renounced his segregationist views during decades in the U.S. Senate, or that he was revered across the political spectrum by the time he died seven years ago. “His ways have influenced legislators in the state of South Carolina. For instance, right now, I am sitting here, an African-American running for governor, and they don’t even ask me my opinions,” Reeves said. Reeves, who is also running for a Lexington-Richland school board seat, is quick to blame discrimination for his not getting the same attention as Republican Nikki Haley and Democrat Vincent Sheheen. He has called reporters racist and demanded their resignations, and disparaged black politicians and ministers for backing Sheheen, who is white, saying such behavior turns back the civil rights movement. “African-Americans who live on the plantation will vote for him. They are the Uncle Toms,” he told The AP earlier this week. Reeves says he is the only candidate who can bring races together. He is convinced that if black voters saw him in debates, they would vote for him en-masse, and he’d win in this heavily conservative state because Republicans love him too.
INTERNATIONAL
Woman suffocates in chimney BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A doctor whose decomposing body was found in a narrow chimney suffocated after she tried to get into the home of her boyfriend, authorities said Wednesday. The body of Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac was found Saturday — three days after she slid feet first down the chimney of the Bakersfield home, police said. “The pressure being placed on the chest wouldn’t allow her lungs to expand and she suffocated,” Kern County sheriff-coroner spokesman Ray Pruitt said after an autopsy. The coroner’s of f ice also r uled t he deat h as accidental. Foul play was not suspected. Police said Kotarac, a 49-year-old internist, wanted to confront the man with whom she had an “on-again, off-again” relationship. Her corpse was discovered when a house-sitter noticed an odor coming from the fireplace. People in the home had noticed nothing until then, police said. Kotarac was reported missing Thursday when she failed to show up for work, Bakersfield police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said. The night before, she tried to get into the house with a shovel then climbed a ladder to the roof, removed the chimney cap and slid down, police said. Meanwhile, the man she sought left unnoticed to avoid a confrontation and slept elsewhere that night, authorities said. Firefighters spent five hours tearing up the chimney to extract the body that was wedged about two feet above the top of the interior fireplace opening.
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WILSON ● Continued from 1A his purchase of gifts, but it’s unclear whether there are other aspects of the investigation. Committee rules say possible violations can’t be made public in the three months prior to an election. T he Sout h Ca rol i n a Democrat ic Pa r t y sa id W i l s o n’s d i s m i s s a l of the charges was t y pical in a statement released Tuesday. “Joe Wilson represents everything that is wrong with Washington, D.C.,” said the party’s Executive Di rec tor Jay Pa r m le y, “He’s a career politician who’s lived a good life on the public dime while hardworking South Carolinians have had to tighten their belts. And now that he’s found himself under fire for playing fast and loose
U.S. troops still in combat HAWIJA, Iraq — Even as President Barack Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, American soldiers were sealing off a northern village early Wednesday as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents. While the Obama administration has dramatically reduced the number of troops and rebranded the mission, the operation in Hawija was a reminder that U.S. forces are still engaged in hunting down and killing al-Qaida militants — and could still have to defend themselves against attacks. That reality was front and center at a change-ofcommand ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces outside Baghdad that the American military now uses as its headquarters. Officials warned of a tough road ahead as the U.S. moves into the final phase of the 7½-year war. Of paramount concern is Iraqi leaders’ continued bickering, six months after parliamentary elections, over forming a new government — a political impasse that could further endanger stabilit y and fuel a diminished but still dangerous insurgency. “Iraq still faces a hostile enemy who is determined to hinder progress,” Gen. Lloyd Austin, the newly installed commander of the just under 50,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, told the swelling crowd that was clad in military fatigues and political suits. “Make no mistake, our military forces here and those of the Iraqi nation remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed.” V ice President Joe Biden presided over t he gathering at al-Faw palace, Saddam’s gaudy former hunting lodge replete with fake marble walls and a huge chandelier made of recycled plastic. The remaining U.S. forces in Iraq would be “as combat ready, if need be, as any in our military,” Biden said, flanked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen for the 75-minute ceremony, which also changed the U.S. mission’s name from “Operation Iraqi Freedom” to “Operation New Dawn.” — Compiled by The Associated Press
with our tax dollars, he has the temerity to claim t hrough his spokesman t hat t h is i nvest ig at ion ‘doesn’t reflect American p r i o r i t i e s .’ D o e s J o e Wilson really think A m e r i c a n s d o n’t c a r e whet her or not t heir elected officials meet moral a nd et h ica l st a nda rds? He should be ashamed of himself.” Wilson was on campus to help t he College Republicans recruit new members at the Student O r g a n i z at io n Fa i r o n Greene Street, but it was a visit that almost didn’t happen. University leaders originally said Wilson was unwelcome at the event, but last-minute wrangling bet ween t he Col lege Republ ic a n s a nd USC officials allowed Wilson to come.
SG ● Continued from 1A “Watch what you say and speak only on your behalf,” Ungar said Wednesday night, “Everything that is said on SG is on behalf of SG.” T he a r t icle has received over 30 com ment s a nd h a s c au sed c u r rent students, faculty and alumni to state their opinions. One user wrote, “I struggled with parking, living space, etc., as a student, and I sur vived and graduated. I love the way everyone says ‘We need more parking,’ but no one wants to pay for it. I PRIDE ● Continued from 1A widespread support from the community. “ We a r e m a k i n g progress here in Columbia and in South Carolina,” s h e s a i d . “ Pe o p le a r e moving forward.” Students can also show support and cheer on their fellow Gamecocks, as the USC BGLSA is building a float for the parade, and members will be marching along with their creation on parade day.
“We asked for him not to come, as it was hard to say whether or not it’d be chaotic,” said Allison Toney, coordinator for st udent org a n izat ions. “This is about Carolina organizations, not outside events or vendors.” There was hardly any chaos at his appearance. W i l s o n , i n a b lu e t ie and Palmetto tree belt, stayed near the College Republicans table, shaking t he h a nd s of st udent s who approached h im a nd engag i ng i n qu ick conversation. “Each year I try to be supportive of the College Republicans,” Wilson said, “Their efforts have always been important to me ever since I joined back during my college days in 1969.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu
have to walk approximately 3/4 of a mile to my office every day, up a hill. Guess what? Don’t care. I have a job, a car and I manage.” SG Vice President Taylor Cain said that although the second-year senator is entitled to his opinion, she wished that it was not on behalf of Student Government. In defense of Student Government, Cain and Ungar have written a letter to the editor that has not been printed. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu
The parade will beg i n at noon at t he intersection of Assembly a nd Lau rel st reet s a nd will arrive at Finlay Park at approximately 1 p.m. Pandora Box x, t he star of Ru Pau l’s Drag R ace on LOGOTV, will act as Celebrity Grand Marshal of the parade, which will be broadcast live on WXRY 99.3 FM with commentary starting at 11 a.m. The parade, however, is on ly t he k ickof f for
SC Pride Day, a day of events aimed to celebrate the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of South Carolina. The parade will be followed by the SC Pride 2010 Festival and t he Of f icial A f terPride Block Party. T he Fest iva l w i l l be headlined by entertainers, including Taylor Dayne , C r i s W i l l ia m s , Ja n ic e Robinson and Danielle Howle. Live entertainment will begin in Finlay Park immediately following the parade. T he O f f ic i a l A f t e r Pride Block Party will be held at PT’s 1109 at 1109 Assembly St. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 4A
Pole dancers, pastor debate free speech
EDITORIAL BOARD KARA APEL
Protests in Ohio receive national media attention
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Classes in session despite game day Contrary to popular demand, classes will still be held today, even though the Gamecocks will play their first football game of the season tonight. There are several reasons behind holding classes on game days. Many professors believe students are their customers. By canceling classes, students get ripped off. A bigger issue is the fact that Williams-Brice Stadium is located off campus, a factor t hat makes “Classes will be ca ncel i ng classes a held today, although less realistic idea. All schools in t he SEC the first football t hat c a ncel cla s se s game is tonight.” on g a me d ay h ave stadiums located on campus. Although the stadium is technically off campus, many students live in apartment complexes located off Bluff Road, including the Woodlands, the Retreat and Copper Beech. Game day traffic typically blocks entrances to these apartments before kickoff, which inconveniences residents. If classes starting after 3 p.m. were canceled on Thursday game days, these students would be able to go home before the game and still get to the stadium by kickoff. After all, we’re in the South where football is practically God. Who would want to mess with our religious ceremonies?
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Student body treasurer defends SG’s farmer’s market funding decision The decision to discontinue funding for the farmer’s market was not made lightly. Student Government recognizes it s va lue to t he st udent body a nd absolutely wishes that it will continue at USC. However, our modest budget could not bear its cost indef initely, particularly because the federal grants that supported its first year were not guaranteed to be renewed. Healthy Carolina was given warning of our decision and, as indicated by Mr. Dawsey’s article yesterday, was d i s app oi nt e d but u nder s to o d ou r reasoning. Student Government has a history of start ing programs t hrough b ot h m a np ower a nd f u nd i ng a nd t hen releasi ng t hem to be f u nded through other means. For example, Homecoming was once a program of SG, but it has outgrown our capacity to fund and has therefore found other ways to sustain itself. T h is proce ss of mat u rat ion a nd release is beneficial to the student body for t wo reasons. First, t he St udent G over n ment budg et i s e x t remel y limited. The $3,200 required to run the farmer’s market constitutes 12 percent of our budget for the entire fiscal year. We could not maintain funding for a program like this over time without eliminating programs that are essential
to the purpose of Student Government, such as the Congressional Advisor y Board. The second advantage to developing programs in this way is that it prevents u nwanted prog rams f rom draining a budget for too long. If t here is a large student demand for the farmer’s market, which SG believes there is, it will fi nd funding. Student Government, however, should not and cannot sustain such a substantial amount of fi nancial support. The new budget item to which you referred, the New Initiative Fund, is not as expensive as the farmer’s market. It was created in lieu of the customary discretionary fund, an even more vague budget item whose disbursement has been left up to the executive officers alone in years past. The intent of the New I nit iat ive Fu nd is not for t he executive officers to “raise a new pet project,” as you suggested yesterday; on the contrary, its purpose is to solicit idea s f rom st udent org a n izat ions, i nd iv idua l st udent s a nd fac u lt y to a l low t hem to i nt roduce new a nd better programs to our school. These programs, if successf ul, will follow the route of the farmer’s market in becoming self-sustaining institutions at this university to the benefit of all. With kindest regards, Peter Schaeffing Student Body Treasurer
Troops not entirely withdrawn from Iraq 50,000 remain, political analysts still skeptical about president’s decision to end combat in seven-year war President Obama announced an end to combat operations in Iraq on Tuesday, much to the jubilation of mainstream media outlets. If only this were true. Lost in all the proclamations of a “historic announcement” about a seven-year war that has killed 4,400 troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis was the fact that 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq. They are supposed to remain in Iraq until at least 2011, but the administration will undoubtedly seek approval from the United Nations to revise the status of forces agreement so they can remain in Iraq for years to come as an occupying force. Unless the new transitional troops will not be going on patrols, expect the U.S. body count to increase even though “we are out of Iraq.” The State Department won’t believe 50,000 troops is enough to protect diplomats, so they are going to Congress to request funds for upwards of 50,000 mercenaries as body guards
and military equipment to protect the new colossal diplomatic embassy. One can imagine Hillary Clinton leading a “Lawrence of Arabia”style raid with her new army on an Iraqi village suspected of hiding terrorists. Don’t worry, though. Gen. Odierno was emphatic that the U.S. can infuse more troops if the situation in Iraq f urt her deteriorates. However, that shouldn’t happen because the surge worked even though the Iraqi government did not meet most of the October 2007 benchmarks of stability. Even if the Iraq situation was able to match the rosy predictions Will Potter of foreign policy, analysts don’t Second-year expect any of the troops leaving economics Iraq now to be coming home for student good. After all, the U.S. needs all the manpower it can get to fight in Afghanistan. Now Obama is going to increase the war effort in Afghanistan and essentially adopt it as his war that will help define his legacy. According to most historians, the greatest presidents such as Roosevelt, Wilson, Lincoln,
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etc. have one thing in common: a war they could call their own. All the goodwill that Obama will gain from liberals about the withdrawal gives neocons around the Washington, D.C., area a golden opportunity to push for war against Iran and their supposed ability to wipe out Israel. I am sure Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol will be slaving over their keyboards to recreate the propaganda that worked so well to dupe the American citizenry into believing there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So now the American government continues the never-ending wars that endear it to the rest of the world. Instead of hope and change, the Obama administration’s foreign policy resembles a third term of George W. Bush. Obama even made campaign lies when he claimed we would be out of Iraq in 16 months. This statement turned out to be as true as Bush stating he would follow a non-interventionist foreign policy during his 2000 campaign. I am guessing this withdrawal announcement by Obama will end up being his “mission accomplished” moment.
Freedom of speech at its fi nest has sparked national debate recently as strippers in Warsaw, Ohio, protest outside of a local church in a battle of prayers versus poles. On Sundays, strippers litter the lawn of New Beginnings Ministries brandishing signs with Bible passages. Th is impromptu protest arose as retaliation toward the church, which has been picketing the Foxhole strip club for four years. What amazes me about this story is that the st rippers of the Fox hole Chelsey are acting Seidel Third-year print of fended journalism about the student c on s t a nt protesting f rom chu rchgoers. These women should understand that if they have t he f reedom to live off perverted men’s money and dance around naked, parishioners have every right to protest something that is against their beliefs. Many have pointed fingers at the church for being judgmental and too pious for its own good. Some s ugge st that the people of New Beginnings Ministries s h o u ld w a l k a m i le in the strippers’ shoes before they can criticize. However, I don’t think many people know how to walk in 6-inch plastic heels. Pastor of New Beginnings Ministries, Bill Dunfee, proclaimed that if someone did not rescue these women they would surely perish. W hat Du nfee fails to realize is that in a o n e - s t o p l i g ht t o w n of 90 0 people, many of the Foxhole’s loyal customers are likely the men and women sitting in the pews during his Sunday morning service. The solution to this f ac e - of f i s for b ot h s ide s t o r e a l i z e t he importance of respect. New Beginnings Ministries should preach the power of forgiveness. The st r ippers of t he Fo x hole s ho u ld understand that what they do for a living, while legal, offends people and f launting their bikiniclad bodies on the lawn of the church is not the way to gain respect for themselves.
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“After being here, I can really appreciate how the Carolina people love football.” — Steve Spurrier
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
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bell CamIpX EDITOR n i l o C A NT M
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In case you hadn’t pieced it together, the Gamecocks’ first game of the season is tonight, and like the rest of campus (and the greater Columbia area, for that matter), we at The Mix are caught up in the excitement of another great season of SEC football. This week’s Mix Tape features five annual USC football traditions we’re obsessing about.
1
Tailgating
T he b i g g e s t a nd most time-honored tradition of all — tailgating before college football games — goes back further than anyone can remember. Our fathers, mothers, mothers’ fathers, and fathers’ mothers have all enjoyed the great food, drinks, friends, music and thrilled anticipation of the big game that we as college students love and cherish today. Not much has changed about the ancient spectator sport that is tailgating, from the early birds who show up at 8 a.m. and earlier, to the smells of different pregame barbecues and the sounds of rowdy football fans impatiently awaiting the opening kickoff. Beware the heat; drink lots of water, lather on the sunscreen and get out there as soon as your last class ends today. That is, if you can handle missing enough tailgating time to go to class at all.
2
Game day dress code
A USC classic, a nd a ver y ser iously t a ken custom at that, is the game day dress code. For males, this means “Garnet on Game day.” Go with a garnet polo, a “Cocks” T-shirt or something garnet colored. Or if you have absolutely nothing g a r ne t i n y ou r w a rd r ob e , something saying “USC” or “Gamecocks.” Or even that “Moore School of Business” shirt you got at orientation. If you have absolutely none of the above, either paint your chest or wear something red and hope no one notices... and that we’re not playing Georgia. For ladies — dress to impress. Wear a cute, skimpy black or garnet dress. I realize that it makes no practical sense, but it’s a big deal. Flops are crucial.
3
USC chants
A l t h o u g h some are more complicated than others, most revolve around variations of the words “USC” and “Go Cocks” and are simple enough to learn. All involve the “spur-hand.” Fre sh men , pay at tent ion , this is how you look like a knowledgeable upperclassman to all your friends and that cute girl/guy in the row behind you: thumb out, pinky out, all the rest of your fingers crunched into a fist (go for a Hawaiiansurfer “hang loose” motion), a nd t hen f ist pu mp l ike a Jersey champ to the beat of the music or the tempo of the chant. Also, the response to “That’s a(nother) Carolina...” is “FIRST DOWN.” And lastly, when you hear someone scream “GAME,” you are, as a South Carolina student, obligated to yell back as loud as you physically can, “COCKS.”
4
The band
Vastly underrated in t he rest of the excitement of the game, t he ba nd prov ides us w it h accompaniments to the glorious game — the fight song and other contemporary compositions. An essential part of the game, the fight song follows every touchdown and feat ures an interactive ending which, like the chants, is not difficult, but must be learned and performed each time the Gamecocks score. Halftime is anyone’s bet, (unless you live in Bates, Bates West or West Quad and have to hear them warming up every day) as to whether they’ll be covering the King of Pop, the bro hero — Dave Matthews — or any of the slew of fantastic other music they perform note-fornote. Other songs to keep an ear out for during breaks in the game: “Hey Baby” and “Sweet Caroline.”
5
Moshing to “Sandstorm”
This last tradition is the most insane, emotional, highenergy, game-changing event that occurs every game of the season. At the press of a button by a sound technician in a booth far above the student section, a soft shimmer of a cymbal brings everyone to their feet, rising in anticipation of the most powerful unification that our student body knows. As a bass drum sounds and the synthesizers build, each student sheds his or her individuality and summons every ounce of whatever energy is left over from a long day of tailgating, and the heart and soul of Gamecock nation comes together as one. When the drum intro rises to a climax and the sound of late-’90s techno fi lls the air and hearts of thousands, everything else ceases to matter. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@sc.edu
Full Color Footage releases ‘Induction EP’ Columbia-native band creates unique, indescribeable sound, combines indie, pop, jazz Sydney Patterson
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
With the opening notes of “Snakes and Sparklers,” the fi rst song on Full Color Footage’s debut EP, “The Induction EP: Tough Luck, K id,” the listener is exposed to the energ y and soul of a local band. The band, and in turn the music, is a mix of tastes, inf luences and experience. Full Color Footage is unique, blending indie rock with hints of pop and jazz, and its members’ tastes range from Regina Spektor to Biggie Smalls. The band’s name even comes from a book written by Henry Rollins, whose own hobbies range from being a punk frontman to writing poetry about his travels. W hen t h ree of t he ba nds’ member s: M a r io McClean, 21; Matt Crumpton, 22; and Scott Smith, 23, met while working at a Books-A-Million in the summer of 2007, none of them knew that they would eventually write music together. W hen the three joined forces with guitarist Jeremiah Negron, 24, to play a mutual friend’s New Year’s Eve party, they had no idea that in eight short months they would be recording and releasing their own EP. The group has evolved since that fateful New Year’s Eve. In the beginning, says lead singer McClean, he mostly wrote songs and put them out there for the band to play, but after a few lineup changes, the foursome agreed that they all had something to bring to the musical table. Since then, practices have become more of a meeting of minds than a set rehearsal. They agreed that their procedure is generally that someone brings some idea or musical part to rehearsal and everyone adds to it, changes it, and molds it to the band’s individual sound. Negron
says of the musical process, “I love how everyone brings individual parts to the practices and the end result is never anything like what any of us were thinking when we came in.” Crumpton jokingly adds, “It’s always beautiful though.” Bassist Smith remembers how an unreleased track, “Shovels,” went from classic rock to a funk number. As the EP flows into the next track, fan favorite “Love or How to Fake a Drowning,” the careful listener can pick up on the emotions and themes of the lyrics. McClean identifies relationships as a main lyrical theme but points out that they’re not always about his own. The words to “Snakes and Sparklers” were actually inspired by Crumpton and his girlfriend, and McClean jotted them down one day at work. He also says that he sometimes writes based on the feel of the music brought in by other members of the group. The production of any recorded music is often an arduous task, especially for a band so new to the field. McClean had never been in a band before, but when the four got together and started cooperating and compromising over the songs, “That was when we knew this was right; everything flowed together and we worked off each other.” As the group sat together eating pizza, laughing and talking about their collective efforts, the friendship and bonds among them were obvious. Full Color Footage recently played a show at the New Brookland Tavern for their EP release, and even as they were decorating the set beforehand, the group’s down-to-earth attitude and excitement for the show were apparent. All the members made signs for their part of the set, and though most were quotes from the songs on the EP, Crumpton’s was a quote from Harr y Potter, popular among most of the band members. Midway through the show, the band members all started playing their
Photo courtesy of MySpace.com
Full Color Footage brought energy and excitement to New Brookland Tavern, engaging fans in their EP release party. instruments in what seemed to be a between-song improvisation. Crumpton moved to the front of the stage, and as they jammed, the tempo picked up and they became more and more energetic. After Smith ruthlessly destroyed three plastic tambourines and Crumpton f lung multiple pairs of drumsticks FULL COLOR FOOTAGE ● 6A
The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 6A
Online dress, accessory rental service offers designer fashion for limited college budget ‘Rent the Runway’ brings high-end styles, expensives pieces to fiscally-conscious women Amber Rose
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Have you ever had one of those moments where you are staring at your full closet, but you still feel like you have absolutely nothing to wear? If you are anything like me, then this occurs a lot. Luckily, there is a website out there that can actually help you pick out an outfit for that special occasion even on a tight college budget. Rent the Runway is an online fashion website that is specifically geared toward making girls feel confident and beautiful in a unique designer look, for up to 90 percent off retail price. Some examples of these world famous designers are Diane Von Furstenburg, Proenza Schouler, Matthew Williamson and Badgley Mischka. These include looks for any occasion including game days, formals, weddings, vacations and parties. Still can’t decide what to wear? This website even includes trend reports, blogs from the team themselves and on-call stylists to ensure you find that perfect look. The motto of the website is “love, wear, return,” and it presents these ideas through its very stylish and user-friendly website. The three steps include: searching for your look through resources (such as color, designer preference and body type), picking the date and returning it within four to eight days after the event in a prepaid package. It even sends a backup size in case for free. While this may sound too good to be true, the business is completely legitimate. The idea was originally thought up by two college friends back in their days at Harvard Business School, Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss. The Mix caught up with these fashion-forward creators at their Trunk Show yesterday to talk about all things fashion and how they put their idea for this ever-growing company into action. The idea was bred from an experience that Hyman had with her sister, Becky, while on a break from school at home in New York City. Becky was going to an upcoming wedding and had a moment where she could not find anything to wear and couldn’t afford the highend look she desired with her limited budget. Inspired, Jenn came up with a simple idea: “What if there was a way to have a different look for every occasion?” Jenn went back to school and told her idea to her close friend and classmate, Jenny Fleiss. In no time, an idea was born and business plans were made. “We used to travel around doing trunk shows exactly like this one on college campuses in order to get our names out there,” Fleiss said. The two put together a website and a mix of thirty high- and low-end designers grew into a collection of over 120 designers. When asked if they had always wanted to go into fashion, Hyman said that she always maintained an interest in fashion while growing up in New York City while Fleiss was interested in the field of being an entrepreneur. Hyman said she doesn’t consider Rent the Runway a fashion business, but more so a service company. Their goal, she said, “is to create magic in giving every girl the opportunity to have a Cinderella moment.” The pair aims to give every woman with high fashion taste the means to wear that piece without having to invest in a piece worn only on one occasion. “Every woman has that little black dress in their closet, but this gives the opportunity to experiment,” Hyman said. Rent the Runway has allowed Hyman and Fleiss to follow their dreams by building their own business on their own terms. When asked about the best part of their job, Fleiss said, “the job has many components every day including traveling on trunk shows like this, visiting fashion shows, doing photo shoots, working in our New York City office and even
Photo courtesy of Renttherunway.com
High-end fashion website allows girls to rent clothes and return them within eight days. unpacking boxes in our warehouse.” As for going into business as best friends, they both agreed: “It’s a blast.” According to Fleiss, it provides them with “the understanding of each other strengths and weaknesses, which is great in business.” Thinking of becoming an entrepreneur? The two shared great advice for following one’s dreams. Hyman advised to “come from your own life, be the customer, find a need in your own life and a way to fill it.” Fleiss simply said “be actionable” in your ideas and “go for it.” When asked which trends will be popular through the fall 2010 season, Hyman replied, “Red is the big, wow color for fall, as well as lace, intricate detailing, power shoulders and the return of femininity.” Their style advice specifically for college students was to put more style effort into being out and going to class. Hyman emphasized “not to wear those Nike exercise shorts and T-shirts constantly” and replace it with “some cheap basic tanks found at retailers like Target and two pairs of great jeans — one a dark wash for going out, wearing heels, and another acid wash for daily use.” For more information about Rent the Runway, visit www.renttherunway.com/sc. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@sc.edu
FULL COLOR FOOTAGE ● Continued from 5A into the crowd, McClean literally beat the insides out of a Spongebob piñata. Continuing his antics, McClean tossed free T-shirts and packs of pins into the crowd, as well as covering the stage w it h silver confet t i. The spectacle had t he c rowd st a r i ng i n wonder, cheering and laughing along with the band, showcasing exactly how FCF approaches their music: with passion and a fun attitude. As for what the future holds, the band simply hopes they can keep playing the music they love. Negron says one of his personal goals, as well as one for the band, is to write more songs, while Crumpton wants to get as many
people as they can to hear their music. Smit h says, “If we could just make enough money to just play music and quit our day jobs, I would be happy,” as McClean jokingly adds about fame and fortune: “If it happens, it happens.” Full Color Footage has tentat ive plans to play a show at New Brookland Tavern in late September as well as one in m id- October in Rock H ill. Their EP is currently only available at shows, but will hopefully be on iTunes soon. For more information and to follow the band’s progress, check out their MySpace at www.myspace.com/ fullcolorfootage. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@sc.edu
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 7A
Spurned ● By Jarad Greene / The Daily Gamecock
interest meetings: Day
Time
RH Room # 302
T Aug. 31 W Sept. 1
8:00 pm 7:00 pm
T Sept. 7
8:00 pm
304
W Sept. 8
8:00 pm
302
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PhD ● By Jorge Cham / The Daily Gamecock
gamecockfeatures@sc.edu THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE 5:15 p.m., 8:30 p.m., $6.50 Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main St.
The Scene TODAY
By Stan Papajohn, South Carolina College of Pharmacy graduate
HOROSCOPES
1234567890-=
A R I E S Yo u a n d your favorite person have e ver y t h i ng i n place to h a ve a m a r velou s d a y. Handle e-mail or ot her communications early and then go outdoors. TAU RUS
A l l t he team members are on the same track, but one is more serious than the rest. Your best efforts include clear, logical communication.
GEMINI Focus on communication today and use a balance of imaginative a nd log ical la ng uage. Draw upon images from dreams or meditations for inspiration. C A NCER
Familyrelated activities require that you remain at home and work in private. There’s u ncertaint y concern ing f inances. Take t ime for logical organization.
LEO Develop balance between logic and passion. Allow your imagination to range freely. Then identify choices that appeal to your feel i ngs. Group energ y helps. VIRGO Someone at
work questions your logic and motives. You feel you don’t deserve the criticism and could snap back. Try to understand their position.
L I B R A Yo u m a y w ish you had your ow n wings to carry you off to a distant holiday escape. Be sure to confirm travel arrangements in advance. S C O R P I O
Imaginations work overtime t o d a y t o g e t e v e r y o ne excited about your plans. Bring it back to Earth by scheduling how it will play out.
SAGIT TA RIUS
All the components of your plan come together when t he g roup sit s dow n to discuss the details. At fi rst they don’t like the structure but eventually agree.
C A PR ICOR N
Take your love affair on t he road. You may need t o mo der at e b eh av ior s in social circumstances. Spend something to up the glamour ante.
AQUA RIUS
Use your imagination to i n d e p e n d e nt l y m o d i f y communication structures. Beautif y your e-mails or expand your website. You have plenty of ideas.
PISCES Extra energy goes toward clearing up quest ions concer n i ng major changes. At least two ot her people cont ribute sig n if ica nt ly to you r decision. 09/2/10
TOMORROW
FILM: CRAFT IN AMERICA: COMMUNITY Noon, $5 Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St.
TOWN MOUNTAIN 9 p.m., $10 The White Mule, 1530 Main St.
GET COCKY: STUDENTS AND ATHLETICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., free McKissick Museum
ALOHA FEST II: DAY 1 — CAPITAL CITY PLAYBOYS, THE SOUL MITES, THE STELLAS 7 p.m. doors, donations only New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL KICKOFF: USC VS. SOUTHERN MISS 7 p.m. doors, free New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St.
IMPERIAL SPLENDOR: RENAISSANCE TAPESTRIES FROM VIENNA 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., $5 students Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main St.
Crossword
Edited by Wayne Robert Williams
09/2/10
Brought to you by:
Columbia Charlotte Shuttle
The Charlotte Airport Just Got Closer Heyents! d $49 each way • Pick up/drop off at USC Stu www.ColumbiaCharlotteShuttle.com • (803) 783-5123
Across 1 Stinging flier 5 Unifying idea 10 Let the cat out of the bag 14 Seed cover 15 “Boléro” composer 16 Monetary unit of Cyprus 17 Notion 18 Repeated question in Matthew 19 Dollar dispensers, briefly 20 1978 movie set in a Turkish prison 23 Part of ESL: Abbr. 24 One of a “Great” quintet 25 Evian, e.g. 28 Hotpoint appliances, familiarly 30 Peppery root veggie 35 Volatile situation 39 Because 40 Island feast 41 Peaceful protest 43 Sgts. and cpls. 44 Real estate units 46 White legumes 48 Escaping, with “on” 50 Observe narrowly 51 Observe 52 “Gilligan’s Island” shelters 55 E. Coast border 57 Big name in Danish porcelain 65 Early sibling rivalry victim 66 Mall booth 67 Cass’s title 68 Scintilla 69 Run off to get hitched 70 Shades of it begin this puzzle’s four longest answers 71 Island garlands 72 “Robinson Crusoe” author 73 Back talk
Solution from 09/1/10
Down 1 Caprice 2 Car company whose name is Latin for “Hark!” 3 Winter ride 4 Carpentry smoother 5 Gun activators 6 Diner hodgepodge dish 7 Online party notice 8 Curbside payment collector 9 Cure-all mixture 10 Yogi or Boo-Boo 11 Mandolin relative
12 Second Solution for 09/1/10 Amendment subject 13 Chief 21 “Bus Stop” playwright 22 They may be split in soup 25 Water balloon sound 26 Marsupial’s pocket 27 Cognizant 29 Dermatologist’s concern 31 Eat in style 32 Machu Picchu architects 61 Hockey Hall of Famer 33 Pastry at a Devonshire tea Phil, to his fans 34 “Siddhartha” author 62 Festive party Hermann 63 Avian Aussies 36 Hamilton-Burr engage64 Hamish’s refusals ment 37 Greek “H” 38 Rhett’s last verb 42 Pinstriped ALer 45 Humorist Mort 47 “Little Women” woman 49 Folded (one’s hand), in poker slang 53 Patterned fabric 54 “SNL” staple 56 Symbols of gentleness 57 Pool table border 58 Bassoon cousin 59 Legendary Himalayan 60 Sighed word
Sophomore’s work ethic rubbing off on teammates James Kratch
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
P
R ACTICE H AS EN DED, but Alshon Jeffery is still out there. Still working under the scorching sun. Still catching footballs. The rest of the USC receiving corps is following suit. Jeffery doesn’t have to do this and neither do his teammates. But, if you ask Jeffery why, he won’t hesitate to give you the reason: “I’m trying to do anything it takes to be great.” Great. It is an often overplayed word — a run-of-the-mill adjective, a commonplace descriptor, a declaration made by cereal box felines. W hen it comes to sports, it carries immense meaning. To be great is not to have gaudy personal statistics or transcendent fame. Rather, it is a destination, one reached with sacrifice and hard work. When one reaches the summit of the desired mount, one is greeted with the unwavering respect and admiration of coaches, teammates and opponents, as well as a legacy of excellence and winning. Jeffery desires to reach that point. “Alshon’s kind of a neat guy,” said wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. “He doesn’t have a ton of expression, doesn’t have a loud persona l it y. But he’s a n extremely hard worker. He really wants to be a great player, so it’s kind of fun to work with him.” T he ex t r a ba l ls af ter pr ac t ice a re a tradition Jeffery has had since he was a four-star recruit at Calhoun Count y High in St. Matthews . It was his talent and work ethic there that earned him a plethora of accolades: All-State fi rst team honors, invitations to the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Under Armour A ll-A merican game and a spot on the Rivals Top 100. At USC, the hard work has become contagious. “It r ubs of f on ever yone,” receiver DeMario Bennett said. “You see one person working hard, you feel like, OK, he’s a great receiver, and all of us want to be great. Everybody puts in their extra work.” It seems f it t i ng t hat Jef fer y ’s quest for g r e at ne s s i s part of his unit’s larger quest, because personal accolades are not of i mp or t a nc e t o t h e sophomore. W hat mat ters most is his team’s success — the team he arrived to after a long and sometimes tumultuous road. JEFFERY ● 5B
Photos by Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
PAGE 2B
The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
Quarterbacks battle for playing time Garcia to start, Shaw readies for first collegiate snaps Chris Bilko
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
A c c ord i n g t o US C c o ac h St e ve Spurrier, freshman quarterback Connor Shaw has only four priorities: faith, goi ng to cla s s , h i s g i rl f r iend a nd football. It is u n k now n wh ich is most important to the Flowery Branch, Ga., nat ive, but his football prowess has earned Shaw the right to some playing t i me i n T hu r sday ’s sea son opener against Southern Mississippi. Shaw has impressed coaches with his work ethic ever since he arrived in Columbia for spring practices. “He’s done a lot in the short time we’ve been here, and he k nows t he offense very well,” Spurrier said. “He’s a good athlete. He can run when he needs to, so we’ve got to see how he does in some real action here Thursday night.” Throughout t he of fseason, much ado was made about the competition bet ween Shaw a nd redsh i r t ju n ior Stephen G a rcia . G a rcia’s appa rent lock on the starting job was constantly q u e s t io n e d , b u t h i s 16 g a m e s o f experience gained him the inside track to starting the season opener. W hile never formally announcing Garcia as the starter Tuesday, Spurrier implied that the incumbent would be under center to begin the fi rst quarter. “We’ve probably got an idea who’s going to start, Spurrier said. “I’ve generally always played the older guys first, unless something happens right before the game, but we’ve got a couple days to see if somebody sprains an ankle or something before we send one out there. Usually if the older guys have played pret t y well and been pret t y consistent in practice, we’ll go with them to start the game.” It is almost commonplace for Spurrier to play two quarterbacks in one game. In the 2008 season, he f lip-f lopped bet ween Garcia and Chris Smelley, and in some games that season he even swapped the two out on every play.
Of the eight conference championships he has won, Spurrier rotated quarterbacks for four of them. In his last SEC Championship season in 2000, Spurrier changed between Rex Grossman and Jesse Palmer en route to a 10-3 overall record. “I have found that there’s nothing wrong with playing two quarterbacks if that’s what it takes to win the game,” Spurrier said. “Even the year at Duke, we used two throughout the course of that season. The object is to win the game, and as long as everybody’s on the same page, you use all the players necessary to win the game.” If there was any defense to test out young Shaw, it is the Golden Eagles. I f Sh aw c a n prove i n a rea l g a me situation that his work ethic has paid off, then South Carolina may have a real quarterback controversy on its hands.
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportspage@sc.edu
Sam Bennett / The Daily Gamecock
Richard Pearce / The Daily Gamecock
Sam Bennett/ The Daily Gamecock
Defense remains bedrock for USC Unit perseveres despite injury, suspension Ryan Velasquez
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Kara Roache / The Daily Gamecock
Kara Roache / The Daily Gamecock
In recent years, playing lockdown defense has been a cornerstone for South Carolina, and many believe 2010 will be no different. Regardless of preseason predictions, however, the nation will get its first cha nce to see ju st how tough t he defense is when the Gamecocks take on Southern Mississippi in tonight’s season opener at Williams-Brice Stadium. Returning eight of 11 starters from a defense that was among the best in the country last season, Carolina will be looking to its veterans to set the tone early on. One in particular is senior defensive end Cliff Matthews, whose seven sacks tied graduated All-American linebacker Eric Nor wood for the team lead in 2009. Enter i ng h is t h ird season u nder associate head coach for defense Ellis Joh n s on , t he C her aw n at i ve w i l l likely be looked upon as the leader of Carolina’s unit in 2010 and will be charged with making things difficult for Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis. “[Being the leader] feels good. It feels really good,” Matthews said. “I know that we’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, but we’re going to do enough to get better each day and keep peaking each week.” The l i neback i ng cor ps is a lso expected to have another strong season, de spite st a r t i ng t he yea r w it hout junior Shaq Wilson , who has missed most of the preseason with an injured hamstring. W i lson, who led t he tea m w it h 85 tackles last season , will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by either senior Tony Straughter or sophomore Quin Smith. “We’ll miss Shaq in there, but that’s part of the game,” coach Steve Spurrier said. “One guy gets hurt, another guy gets an opportunity to play. That’s the way it is.” The Gamecocks also face a potential quest ion mark at spu r w it h ju n ior A nton io A llen recovering f rom an
injury suffered at practice earlier this week. Sup r r ie r s a id A l le n p u l le d h i s hamstring while covering a punt and does not know if he will be able to play. With Allen’s health an uncertainty, the starting job could potentially fall to sophomore DaMario Jeffery, who has spent much of the preseason competing for the top spot. If A llen is cleared, however, bot h are ex pected to see considerable playing time. “Me and him toget her are like a tandem. Our lockers are right beside each other; we help each other out,” Jeffery said. “Any time he messes up I’m on him; if I mess up he’s on me. We’re not letting each other down, and we’re not letting each other slip.” A rg uably t he most heralded part of t he defense entering t he opener is the secondar y, led by sophomore cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore, who was named to t he Thorpe Award watch list and First Team All-SEC during the preseason, w i l l b e ch a l lenged w it h stoppi ng Sout her n M is s receiver De A nd re Brown , who led t he Golden Eagles with 47 catches for 785 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009. “[Brown’s] a good one. He’s a big g uy, obviously. 6-foot-6, about 240 or whatever,” Spurrier said. “He’s had some big years there, so we’ll have our hands full as we know.” The G amecock s w ill be look ing to hit Southern Miss early and often and continue to show why they are con s idered one of t he mo st el it e defenses in the country while facing an offensive attack that was second in Conference USA last season with 5,413 total yards. “It’s going to be a down-to-the-wire, probably ver y tough, physical game for us. We know that,” Spurrier said. “We know it’s a tough, physical game, very similar to a lot of our conference games. We’ll f ind out what k ind of team we are early and go from there.”
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportspage@sc.edu
The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 4B
Southern Mississippi sports editor breaks down the Golden Eagles What is being made of Larry Fedora’s comment guaranteeing a win over USC by USM? Fedora is really excited about this team and is just trying to get them excited about the game. I think he knows this is going to be a hardfought contest Davin against a Morrow ver y tough Southern Mississippi Southeastern Sports Editor Conference opponent. It has been some time since USM’s last win over an SEC opponent, and I think that Fedora is looking at t his game as a t urning point in Southern Miss football.
James Kratch
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
San Jose State at Alabama Saturday at 7 p.m. Pay Per View Alabama (-37.5) Nick Saban’s team won the national championship this past January and many expect it to do it again this year, but to Saban, last year’s records and accomplishments mean nothing, bot h in t he case of t he Crimson Tide and its opponent, S a n J o s e State, wh ich went 2-10 l a s t fall. “ I t h i n k t he me s s a g e here is we have all kind of agreed as a team that our record last year is pretty irrelevant to what we do this year. It won’t have one thing to do with it. Therefore, I think that San Jose [State’s] record last year will be totally irrelevant to what happens in this game as well,” Saban said. “They have quite a few players back. They have a new coach. Mike M acI nt y re ha s a good coaching background, has been very successful, is a good coach and is going to do a good job there.” M i a m i (Ohio) at Florida Saturday at noon ESPN Florida (-35)
Can that guarantee become a reality? It can absolutely b e c o me a r e a l it y, b ut some things do have to fall in place. The Golden Eagles have to be able to avoid t u r n i ng t he ba l l over on offense and create t u r nover s on defen s e. Special teams will also be crucial. The USM kicking game struggled last year, but should be improved t h i s se a son. Howe ver, Southern Mississippi does have excellent return units and coverage teams.
Tim Tebow has graduated and gone to the NFL, but UF coach Urban Meyer has already begun to build a strong bond similar to the one he had with Tebow w it h new st a r ter Joh n Brantley and his family. “ Jo h n [S r.] a n d I a r e very close. There’s not a better family than John and Karen Brantley and his uncle Scot. I texted h im t he ot her day a nd I just watched t he way Johnny managed practice and I texted him and I’ll share wit h you because I’m proud of this. I said, ‘ E njoy t he r ide . You r son is growing up to be a man.’” Meyer said. “I hope I get that same text someday from someone because that’s pretty cool. That is the truth. What he’s done here in the last year has been exactly what we need to have happen. He’s grown up. He’s the leader of this team and he’s Johnny Brantley, which is good enough for us. He’s Johnny Brantley.” Kentucky at Louisville Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ABC
Kentucky (-3) Ne w U K c o a c h Jok e r Phillips and fi rst-year UL coach Charlie Strong have more in common than this game as both their first gorounds with a new team
For the unknowing USC fan, what should we know about USM? La r r y Fedor a’s tea m i s ver y de ep a nd ver y t a lented at t he sk i l l positions on offense. Its star player on offense is w ide receiver DeA ndre Brown, who stands 6-foot6 and is a top prospect for next year’s N FL draf t. South Carolina will have to focus on containing him, which shouldn’t be a huge problem for it s talented secondar y. On defense, USM probably has the most talented front seven in Conference-USA. T he seconda r y shou ld be improved, but is still you ng a nd somewhat inexperienced.
— the two were assistants at Carolina once upon a time. Phillips was USC’s wide receivers coach in 2002 while St rong was the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator f rom 1999 to 2001. The t wo were neighbors in Columbia for a period, and neither saw this day coming. “A house was in between him and me. We used to work out every day together. We used to talk about if he got a job, that I would go w it h h im,” Ph ill ips said. “We never envisioned this, that we both would be head coaches and head coaches 80 miles apart and in-state rivals. We never envisioned this.” LSU vs. North Carolina (in Atlanta) Saturday at 8 p.m. ABC
PICK T here’s a t remendou s amou nt of u ncer taint y swirling around the UNC program t hanks to a massive ongoing NCA A investigation surrounding defensive tackle Marvin Austin and several other players . The NC A A is looking into alleged dealings with a sports agent and new issues relating to academ ic dishonesty. Many expect the Tar Heels to be without many starters on Sat urday in the Georgia Dome. Don’t include LSU coach Les Miles in that group. “Again, it probably benefits us best to focus on where they are most capable, and that’s what we are going to do,” Miles said. “We are going to see their best players playing against us and preparing a game plan for that. I don’t think it’s changed much. Until I see a starting lineup or until I get firm information, I don’t think there is much new.”
So how the heck is Brett Favre gonna do this season? Brett Favre will be the National Football League Most Valuable Player and the MinnesotaVikings will win the Super Bowl. The Vikings will go on to win nine more Super Bowls w it h Fav re at t he helm until he finally retires at the age of 50. He will come back at 52 and win eight more. What can I say? I’m a Favre lover.
Give us your prediction and why. My heart is telling me that USM pulls this one out, but my head is telling me that the Gamecocks are going to have a little too much for the Eagles to handle. Gamecocks 27, Southern Miss 20.
Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportspage@ sc.edu
Southern Mississippi at South Carolina Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Location: Williams-Brice Stadium Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia, XM 199, Sirius 220 TV: ESPN Line: USC -14 On the call: For ESPN, Rece Davis will serve as play-by-play with Craig James and Jesse Palmer serving as analysts. Jenn Brown will serve as the sideline reporter. For 107.5 FM, Todd Ellis will call play-byplay with Tommy Suggs providing color. Injury report: For USC, linebacker Shaq Wilson is out with a hamstring injury. Spur linebacker Antonio Allen is doubtful with a hamstring injury he suffered last week. On the suspension front, tight end Weslye Saunders is indefinitely suspended for a violation of team rules while several additional players could be ruled out at the last moment due to potential NCAA infractions regarding their stay at the Whitney Hotel. Cornerbacks C.C. Whitlock and Akeem Auguste, offensive tackle Jarriel King and defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye are among the players that could face suspension. For USM, the only player in question is senior cornerback C.J. Bailey, who should play against USC despite not being at 100 percent. He continues to recover from a torn ankle ligament suffered prior toward the conclusion of the 2009 season. Traffic notice: Normal traffic patterns will shift around 3:15 p.m. while the reverse pattens will be initiated beginning at the third quarter. The streets affected include the length of Assembly Street, any cross streets with Assembly Street and other streets surrounding the stadium. Uniform update: According to the University of South Carolina football Twitter, which is operated by the Sports Information staff, USC will wear garnet tops and garnet pants for the opener. Last season, the Gamecocks went 3-0 in the all-garnet uniforms which included wins over then-No. 4 Ole Miss and a 34-17 win over archrival Clemson. Teams honored: The South Carolina baseball team, which captured the school’s first national title in a men’s sport in June, will be honored prior to kickoff and run out with the team to “2001.” Additionally, the men’s soccer team will be signing autographs in the Gamecock Village. Other notes: Seven thousand rally towels will be handed out in the USC student section. Battle of the Bulge honorees will serve as the honorary captains. The Gamecock Village will move from the fairgrounds to the farmer’s market this season. —Compiled by Sports Editor Chris Cox
The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
PAGE 5B
College football kicks off strong Three games featuring nationally-ranked schools highlight start of 2010 season Sam Davis
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech This battle involves two teams who have national championship dreams, which makes it the best game of the opening week. A loss by either team will all but eliminate any chance for those dreams to come to fruition. This is the chance for the Broncos to show the nation that they are truly a top program and a real championship contender. Virginia Tech is the premier team on Boise’s schedule, which overall is rather weak because of the competition they face in the WAC conference. It will be very difficult to beat Virginia Tech, despite playing on a neutral field in Washington, D.C., because it will give the Hokies an unofficial home field advantage. VT also has great players across the board, including an offense led by senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor and stud sophomore running back Ryan Williams. The Hokie defense, however, will have its hands full with a Boise State offense that led the nation in points per game and features Heisman-hopeful Kellen Moore.
Gerry Broome / The Associated Press
No. 21 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina
John Bazemore / The Associated Press
No. 24 Oregon State at No. 6 TCU Oregon State decided to schedule the two toughest non-BCS teams in the country, and TCU is the first of these two games. The Beavers have two of the more electrifying offensive players in the nation with Jacquizz and James Rodgers, who combined for 32 touchdowns last year alone. To score touchdowns in this game these two will have to bust out gamebreaking plays. They will clash against a TCU defense, which ranked No. 1 in the nation last year and led the Horned Frogs to a BCS bowl appearance. While TCU is typically known for defensive prowess, its offense is nothing to laugh at. This experienced group will pose trouble for the Oregon State defense, which was only average last year. TCU’s fan support will make it even tougher for the Beavers to pull off the upset.
The 2010 Chick-fil-A Kickoff game takes place on a neutral field in Atlanta and features the LSU Tigers, a team trying to return to the top of the SEC West, and the up-and-coming ACC contender the UNC Tar Heels. Both teams pride themselves on defense. In 2009, North Carolina ranked sixth while LSU was 26th in total team defense. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, several of their players could be suspended due to multiple NCAA probes. The most important of these players is defensive tackle Marvin Austin, a possible NFL first-round draft pick after this year. With all the distractions surrounding the UNC program, LSU has a chance to take advantage of the situation and establish itself as a legitimate contender in both the SEC and the nation. For this to happen, LSU needs junior quarterback Jordan Jefferson to step up and realize his immense potential. The team that will win this game is the one who limits turnovers and controls the clock. Greg Wahl-Stephens / The Associated Press
JEFFERY ● Continued from 1B Jeffery committed to Southern Cal during the summer before his senior season then decided to re-open his recruiting process, taking official visits to Tennessee and USC. As National Signing Day 2009 approached, UT and USC seemed to be his two finalists, with USC as his choice. It is on the eve of Signing Day that then-Tennessee, now-Southern Cal coach Lane Kiffin did or did not make his infamous 11th-hour “pumping gas” comments, making Jeffery part of a story that received national attention. He was then part of a local story, a mild flap over Jeffery wanting to wear No. 2 as he did in high school, which would have meant that Sterling Sharpe’s No. 2 would be taken out of retirement. Jeffery ultimately settled on wearing his current No. 1. Then, there were the concerns that Jeffery wouldn’t have the test scores to gain admittance to USC, forcing him into prep school, but Jeffery got the scores he needed and made it to campus. From there, it was simple — just let him learn and wait for the day he put it all together and began to reach toward his endless potential. Jeffery didn’t begin the season with much of a bang, putting together only three receptions for 29 yards in USC’s first four games before catching his first career touchdown late against S.C. State on Oct. 3. That catch foreshadowed what came a week later. The ball kept on going into the air, and Jeffery kept coming down with it. One hand, two hands, in stride, in the air — it didn’t matter. Alshon Jeffery had arrived and had arrived to the tune of seven catches for 138 yards and three touchdowns against Kentucky in a 28-26 USC win. A star had been born. Jeffery didn’t slow down for the rest of the year, finishing the year as USC’s leader in receptions (46), receiving yards (763) and receiving touchdowns (6). His performance earned him Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-America honors — recognition that has led many to project high expectations for what Jeffery, a year older and stronger, can accomplish this fall. If you ask Jeffery, he’ll tell you he harbors no aspirations
for strictly personal achievements, rather only ones pertaining to the name that lies atop his uniform shirt. “I don’t have individual goals. My goals are the same as the team,” he said. “Win an SEC championship and a national championship.” Jeffery is one of 51 names on the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, awarded annually to the nation’s best receiver. Don’t think that has him distracted, though. “It’s a great honor, but I don’t get too excited about that,” Jeffery said. “I just go out and play.” Jeffery’s work and devotion to the team may allow him to reach some of the lofty goals put out for him by some. After an entire offseason in the strength-training program, Jeffery has emerged in top physical shape, adding muscle and improving his conditioning. “Alshon’s got a good work ethic. You don’t become a truly great college football player without it,” USC head coach Steve Spurrier said. “I think Alshon is an improved received from last year. Physically, he’s in a lot better shape than last year.” Jeffery will lead a very talented receiving corps around him — one that has boasted, much to the elder Spurrier’s chagrin, that it could be one of the nation’s best. “There are some quick, pretty fast guys,” Jeffery said. “We’re going to be very explosive, and we’re going to try and put up as many points as we can this year.” There’s sophomore D.L. Moore. Seniors Jason Barnes and Dion Lecorn. Bennett and true freshman Ace Sanders and the player almost synonymously named with Jeffery, redshirt sophomore Tori Gurley. All last season, fans were clamoring for Gurley and Jeffery to be put on the field at the same time to cause havoc for opposing secondaries. It will happen at times this fall, although just how much is uncertain. Even if they don’t line up side-by-side often, the constant pairing has developed a rapport between the two. “We push each other,” Gurley said. “We know that guys look at us as leaders, so we just have to continue to work extremely hard and set examples for the younger kids because it’s a total team effort.” Jeffery is the standout, but he makes it clear that stats and touches won’t get in the way of wins.
“If I’m a decoy, I’m still going to block and do whatever it takes for one of my teammates [to] score,” Jeffery said. “I’m trying to get better at everything: catching the ball, running, blocking, whatever it takes.” Down the road, there’s a chance USC could add to its crop of impressive pass catchers this coming recruiting season with a guy very familiar to Jeffery — his younger brother. Shamir Jeffery, a senior at Calhoun County, is a highly sought after player in his own right. The star quarterback and receiver is fielding offers from schools all across the region, some wanting him as a quarterback, some as a receiver. Many people are telling Shamir to stay home and make the short drive to Columbia, butAlshon isn’t one of them. “I just talk to him just like a brother,” Alshon Jeffery said. “I don’t talk to him about [any] school.” While his little brother finishes off his last year of childhood, his big brother has plans for a special year of his own. “This is the year for our team, our receivers, linebackers, D-line, O-line, running backs, quarterbacks, coaches, everything,” Jeffery said. “This is our year.” *** Fast forward a few weeks later. It’s night. Kickoff is fast approaching, mere days away. The Proving Grounds are almost barren. Practice has been over for about 20 minutes. All that remains are field and equipment crews and a handful of lingering media members. And Jeffery. He’s still out there, still catching footballs, still working. “Trying to get better, work hard every day,” he said when he fi nally relented from the night’s extra work, running parallel and in tandem with a thrower five yards apart and catching balls. But, he adds, there is something in the back of his mind. “I’m trying to get myself prepared to be the best receiver ever.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportspage@sc.edu
THE
G AMECOCK E G N E L L HA C
Colorado at Colorado State Purdue at Notre Dame Kentucky at Louisville Connecticut at Michigan UCLA at Kansas State No. 24 Oregon State at No. 6 TCU Washington at BYU No. 21 LSU vs. No. 18 North Carolina No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech Southern Mississippi at South Carolina
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The Daily Gamecock ● THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
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