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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2004
University of South Carolina
www.dailygamecock.com
Vol. 98, No. 48
Since 1908
No storybook ending for Holtz
Gamecocks fail to send
Holtz out with a regularseason win against Tigers
By JONATHAN HILLYARD
SPORTS EDITOR
As USC head coach Lou Holtz jogged off
the field at Clemson Memorial Stadium for the
last time, a Clemson student stood in his path,
taunting the third winningest active coach in
college football.
Needless to say, Holtz’s farewell party did
not go quite as Gamecock fans had hoped.
In a game Holtz said he wanted to win more
than any in his career, football took a backseat
to numerous disciplinary incidents, pouring salt
on the wound created by the 29-7 loss to
Clemson. It was Holtz’s fifth loss to Clemson in
his six years as head coach.
“You never get over these things,” a
frustrated Holtz said after the game.
“Particularly that I thought it was my fault.”
The legendary coach will announce his
retirement at an 11 a.m. news conference
today. As early as Tuesday, USC officials are
expected to name former Florida coach Steve
Spurrier as Holtz’s successor.
The 67-year-old Holtz would not deny his
plans following the loss. In fact, he basically
confirmed what everyone already knew.
“You’d have to not know that President
Bush was elected president to not know what
my plans are,” Holtz said.
According to a number of players, Holtz
told them that Spurrier would be their next
coach.
“That’s like going from J-Lo to Halle
Berry,” USC tackle Na’Shan Goddard said with
a smile. “We’re getting a real good dude.”
Holtz told his players Thursday he would
not be back next year, making the game at
Clemson the close to his final regular season.
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
◆ Please see HOLTZ, page 10
Head coach Lou Holtz embraces senior running back Andrea Gause before kickoff Saturday. The game was Holtz’s last regular season game with USC.
T H E R E C A N B E O N LY O N E
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
Sophomore quarterback Syvelle Newton lays on the ground in pain as both
benches clear in Saturday’s brawl between the Gamecocks and the Tigers.
JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK
Sarah Messer, a third-year media arts student, hands out fliers Sunday asking students to vote for her in the MTVU’s
Campus VJ Search. Messer is one of five finalists in the search for the 2005 spring break VJ. View Messer’s video
biography and vote for her at www.mtvu.com/music/road_trip/ .
USC student vying for VJ spot
By TAYLOR SMITH
STAFF WRITER
A USC student is one step closer to national
stardom since she completed the last phase in
the competition for a position as a MTVU
video jockey.
Sarah Messer, a third-year media arts
student, spent Nov. 6-10 in New York vying
for the job in a series of contests that will be
aired on national television starting today.
“The whole thing has gone by so fast,”
Messer said. “It is kind of surreal.”
Messer said Thursday she and the other four
contestants were placed in the audience of
MTV’s Total Request Live to get accustomed
to the MTV atmosphere.
She said she and other contestants
participated in a game on Nov. 8 that tested
their music knowledge by asking them to
perform various tasks such as recognizing songs
and artists from their lyrics.
IN THIS ISSUE
◆
“I think I did better than most of the
people,” Messer said. “But I was relieved when
it was over.”
After the contest, the prospective VJs were
informed of an interview each was going to
conduct with rapper JaRule later in the afternoon.
“It was pretty nerve-racking at first,” Messer
said. “But after the interview started, it was
pretty laid back.”
She returned to South Carolina on Nov. 10.
Messer said she conducted a set of interviews
on the Montclair State campus that tested her
resilience in unorthodox situations.
“I would be reading the cue cards, and it
would say something like: ‘Now do 15 jumping
jacks’ in the middle of the interview,” Messer
said. “Which I did and luckily the person did
too.”
Messer said that the trip was fun, but not
necessarily exotic, considering she is from
Orange County, N.Y.
If she is selected, she will work as a host for
THE MIX
◆
MTVU’s spring break programming.
Messer’s VJ application process began at
USC, when the MTVU crew visited the
campus on Oct. 21. Of the scores of students
who tried out for the VJ tour at USC, only
Messer remained at the end of the day.
Messer is the only remaining candidate from
a Southern university, something that she is
proud of.
“I am representing the whole Southeast,”
Messer said. “So I guess I am a culmination of
all the trends and styles, etc.”
After finishing the VJ tour, Messer said the
competition is now out of her hands and relies
solely on MTV viewers to pick her as the next
MTVU video jockey.
In an effort to help win votes locally, Messer
has been passing out fliers and has contacted
the Free-Times, as well as agreeing to do an
interview with 104.7 WNOK FM.
VIEWPOINTS
Songwriter
extraordinaire
Kofi Annan
spared again
Listeners get an idea of how
prolific Neil Young’s song
catalog is on ‘Hits’ album.
Page 6
The latest scandal about the
U.N. leader should have
cost him his job.
Page 5
◆ Please see VJ, page 3
Brawls tarnish
in-state rivalry
Fourth quarter melee
draws national attention
By JONATHAN HILLYARD
SPORTS EDITOR
One day after one of the worst brawl’s in
sports history in Detroit, Clemson and USC
brought the fight to the gridiron. Literally.
Highlights of the game aired on numerous
news and sports channels Saturday, but not for
what happened while the game clock was
running. With 5:48 left in the fourth quarter,
USC quarterback Syvelle Newton threw an
incomplete pass to receiver Matthew Thomas.
Following the play, television replays showed
Newton being punched in the facemask by a
Clemson defender while still on the ground.
USC players defended Newton, and in a
matter of seconds both benches had cleared
completely. State troopers and coaches stormed
the field to try and break up the fight but could
not keep the fracas from becoming an all out
brawl.
Newton stayed on the ground throughout
the melee and appeared to be clutching his
ankle in pain.
“I had already thrown the ball and the guy
just laid there on top of me,” Newton said. “I
wouldn’t say it was a dirty shot. But that’s how
it starts. Just one push and it goes into a big
fight.”
On Sunday, USC athletic director Mike
McGee indicated he had spoken with USC
coach Lou Holtz about the fight, as well as with
SEC commissioner Mike Slive. Athletic
officials sent video of all angles of the fight to
the SEC for review and “has begun discussions
related to appropriate sanctions,” according to
a statement posted on the athletic department’s
Web site. The statement also stated the
athletics department’s “deep regret” for USC’s
involvement in the fight.
Officials from USC and the SEC will meet
again Monday. Clemson athletic director Terry
Don Phillips released a similar statement,
apologizing for the fight and calling it an
“embarrassment.” Phillips stated that he is
WEATHER
◆
TODAY
High 70
Low 57
◆ Please see BRAWLS, page 10
INDEX
◆ TUESDAY
High 72
Low 61
FOR EXTENDED FORECAST, SEE PAGE 2.
Comics and Crossword.........8
Classifieds.........................11
Horoscopes..........................8
Letters to the Editor..............5
Online Poll...........................5
Police Report.......................2