TheState.com: Sports

Swim Lessons

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:09 EDT

The cool water laps gently against the sides of the pool at Greenview Park.

It is an invitation, and one by one, the 54 members of the Greenview Dolphins swim team accept.

Drawn from across the city, Greenview’s swimmers are, with a few exceptions, black. Though in the majority on the Dolphins team, the black swimmers are minorities in a sport long dominated by whites.

While a few black swimmers can be found on other Columbia-area teams, the Greenview squad is the only one consisting primarily of minorities.

Greenview joins with a team from Maxcy Gregg Park to form the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department team that is competing in the Columbia Swimming League city tournament this weekend.

Loss shapes bond for Clemson football duo

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:26 EDT

CLEMSON — The news came as Jamie Harper reached his public-speaking class late one March morning.

His teacher had received a phone call with word that the father of Harper’s close friend and future Clemson football teammate Daniel Andrews Jr. had died after a relatively brief bout with cancer.

Harper and another friend skipped the class and made the quick drive to Andrews’ home.

“If we had gotten into trouble, well, we’d have gotten into trouble,” Harper said.

Harper and Andrews, recent graduates of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., have been by each other’s sides for more than a decade — a key factor in their decisions to play football at the same college.

No more fear factor? No problem for Liebler

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:09 EDT

While winning an unprecedented nine Fairway Outreach City Tournament titles the past 14 years, Steve Liebler knew his reputation often had opponents beaten before play began.

But after capturing victory No. 10 on Saturday at The Windermere Club in a three-hole playoff against regular foe Jarrett Grimes, the 49-year-old former PGA Tour player acknowledged his one-time psychological advantage might be gone.

“The first eight or nine times (he won), a lot of the guys probably thought, ‘I can’t beat him,’” Liebler said. “But now I’m playing Jarrett and he’s thinking, ‘I’ve whipped you before. You don’t scare me.’

“The ‘fear factor’ is gone.”

In fact, as he stood over his 15-foot birdie putt to win on the par-5 18th green — almost at the same spot where he earlier left a potential winning putt short —Liebler was the one giving himself a pep talk.

Brooks still finding his way

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:25 EDT

For Robert Brooks, football was the dream.

The attention that came with success at the sport was merely a byproduct.

That doesn’t mean the former University of South Carolina wide receiver did not enjoy his time on the grand stage of Lambeau Field.

“There’s an effect that comes over you, when you walk out onto that field,” Brooks said. “When you can look around and the stadium is full of people cheering for you and you know there are millions more watching on TV; there’s a feeling that comes with that. And I don’t think you can duplicate that in any other arena.”

Still, 10 years after retiring from the NFL with a Super Bowl ring, Brooks is enjoying a quiet, albeit busy life away from the lights in Phoenix, Ariz. He is the pastor of Trendsetters Church, an outgrowth of his Men of God charity organization, and owner of an asset management firm, Brooks International, Inc.

Fairway poster child reports to U.S. Army

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:09 EDT

Danny Priester was 13 when he became the de facto “poster child” for Fairway Outreach, Columbia’s golf-based youth initiative.

Ten years later, the “child” is a man.

On June 6, Priester, 23, who grew up in north Columbia, graduated from the U.S Military Academy, and will report to Fort Benning, Ga., on Aug. 1 as a newly commissioned U.S. Army second lieutenant. At Friday night’s participants’ dinner for the Fairway Outreach City Tournament at The Windermere Club, he was honored for his accomplishments, and talked about how the program influenced his life.

“This was the guiding light for me and a lot of other inner-city guys,” he said. “It put us with a lot of good and positive people who showed us outlets to be successful. It’s been a great thing.”

Also honored were former The State columnist Bob Spear for service to the golf community; Jerry Daniel, winner of the Scott Hannon Memorial Sportsmanship Award; Windermere for hosting the past two tournaments; and the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association, the David Bennett Service to Golf Award winner.

Carolina Panthers keys to success?

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:26 EDT

The opening of Carolina Panthers training camp Saturday in Spartanburg will bring anticipation, eagerness and excitement.

But it will also bring something else: urgency.

The franchise hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2006, and it has never produced back-to-back winning seasons. Last season, the Panthers never recovered from a season-ending elbow injury to quarterback Jake Delhomme and finished 7-9.

Through the draft and free agency, coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney hope they have found the keys that will guide them back to playoff contention. Five of those keys:

KICKOFFS

Former QBs help transform S.C. secondary class

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:51 EDT

South Pointe High quarterback Stephon Gilmore was asked at the recent High School Sports Report annual Media Day what position he would prefer to play in college.

He didn’t take long to answer, and his response could be repeated at many high schools across the state as the recruiting season shakes out.

“I don’t really care what position they play me at,” Gilmore said. “I feel like I can go out and do whatever is needed, but more than likely I will play corner at the next level.”

Experts agree.

“The top guy coming out this year is probably Gilmore because he is projected as a corner in college,” rivals.com South Carolina recruiting analyst Tony Morrell said. “With his size and flexibility, he has a chance to be a great one on the next level. He’s in the 6-foot-1 range, and you don’t find many corners with that size.”

Big front nine stakes younger Dargan to precarious lead

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:51 EDT

Robert Jr. and David Dargan grew up in a golfing family, playing on Saturday mornings with their father, the late Robert, at Camden Country Club. Nowadays, the brothers are partners in the family’s cleaning-supply business and golf partners every Friday — “work permitting,” Robert Jr., 38, said.

Both have had success on the links, but in the Fairway Outreach City Tournament, Robert has two titles; David, 34, none. In 2002, when Robert won his second title, David was tied for the lead before shooting a closing 74.

“He’s had his chances before,” Robert said. “I’m sure he wants to win this.”

Thanks to a nearly perfect front nine at The Windermere Club on Friday, he has perhaps his best chance.

The younger Dargan birdied six of his first eight holes — and had an “easy” 20-foot putt, which he missed, for a 29 — en route to a tournament-best 6-under-par 66 and a share of the second-round lead with Tom Kennaday. Both are at 6-under 138.

Let's have a Gonzo get-together

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:27 EDT

THE REASON I bought Hunter S. Thompson’s “Hey Rube” a few months ago off the Barnes and Noble discount rack was simple. I wanted the book of his collected ESPN.com columns within reach so I could cherry-pick a brilliantly cruel one-liner in a pinch.

In fact, I’ll do so right now. Here’s something Dr. Thompson wrote in March 2001:

“If I owned a baseball team, I would want Jeter in it. He is a certified Winner in more ways than that bitchy-rich shortstop from Texas will know for the next 10 years.”

If you’re not familiar with Thompson, he’s the inventor of Gonzo journalism. That snippet should tell you about how clearly he sees into his crystal ball on The Way Things Should Be.

I’ve had HST on the brain the past few weeks since I got to read a biography of him written by one of my college journalism professors.

Columbia lands Simms comeback

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54 EDT

A big fish is coming to this small boxing pond.

The first step on former WBA light middleweight champion Travis Simms’ road to redemption will be taken in Columbia on Aug. 9 as the headliner of a card at the Radisson on Bush River Road.

It’s a big step up in competition and venue for the local boxing scene, which arguably has not played host to a boxer of Simms’ caliber since the late 1980s.

“It’s more upscale, and it’s what we’ve been pushing toward,” said local promoter Andrew Stokes, who has overseen events at Jamil Temple. “We’re bringing in the biggest and the best.”

The 37-year-old Simms is 22-1 with the loss coming in July 2007 when he fractured a hand while defending his title against unbeaten Joachim Alcine. That also was Simms’ last bout. While taking time off to heal, Simms asked for and received his release from Don King.