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Wednesday, April 21,1982 The Red and Black Page 7
Georgia’s Higgins knows what she wants
Lady Dogs volatile No.2
happy to be back home
temper."
Dot is 9-4 in both singles and doubles
thus far in the season The April 3 loss
to powerhouse Florida was a disappoin
ting team loss to Higgins, but the match
was also the biggest win of the season
for her. She defeated All-America
Eileen Friedland 4-6,6-2,6-3.
Just as tennis has been Dot’s life
growing up, it's what she wants to do
the rest of her life. "I want to try the pro
circuit for a few years and see what I
can do," Higgins said. "Then I want to
run a tennis club in Florida, or be the
pro at a tennis club."
It seems that she has her life fairly
planned, but then she has always
known.
By CHARLESODOM
Krd and Black Staff Writer
Very few people have the advantage
of knowing what they want in life at an
early age. For Georgia sophomore Dot
Higgins, an abundance of talent and an
overwhelming desire to play tennis
made that decision an easy one.
Dot Higgins was born into a tennis
family, but her mother has had an
especially big influence on her tennis
career. Dot began to take tennis
seriously at an early age, and was rank
ed in the top 10 in the state by the time
she was 10. At this young age, she
realized she wanted to play tennis for a
long time. So she began to work for a
college scholarship.
Higgins competed in the United
States Tennis Association, and par
ticipated in every summer tour. Jamie
Kaplan, who also later attended
Georgia, was ranked No. 1 in Georgia,
and Higgins No. 2 during most of their
teen years. The two joined forces,
though, in doubles to play to earn a No.
7 national ranking.
Because of their ranking, Higgins and
Kaplan went to Europe with a team
representing the United States when
Higgins was 14, and again when she was
16.
Higgins went on to attend Darlington
High School in Rome, Ga., where she
was the No. 1 singles player four con
secutive years. She was also the state
and region singles champion as a
sophomore and senior.
Dot was able to go to college as she
had wanted, but the decision of where to
go was tough. “All my other friends
from high school went to Georgia, and
my sister went to Georgia, and I wanted
to be different,” Higgins said.
Dot decided to attend Auburn, but left
after her freshman year. “I couldn’t
stand Auburn,” Higgins said. "First of
all, it was boring, and the tennis
facilities there didn't equal anything
Georgia has. There were six courts that
were split between the girls and guys,
and they didn’t have any indoor courts.
I just didn't like the school overall."
In the fall of 1981 Dot transferred to
Georgia and had an immediate impact
on the tennis program “It's been a
good surprise for me to be able to come
in and play this high (No. 2 singles and
doubles),” Higgins said. “I really
didn't expect it."
In many schools, however, Dot would
have been able to step in and play No. 1,
but that position at Georgia is securely
held by All-Region player Lisa Spain.
“Lisa and I grew up playing against
each other,” Higgins said. "We were in
the juniors together on the summer
tour, and I used to beat her. She started
beating me when we turned 17. We’ve
been very good friends, and I accept
that she's definitely better.”
One of Dot’s characteristics that
Georgia fans are now familiar with, is
her temper which, at times, can remind
one of the infamous John McEnroe
rages.
“When I yell. I’m both mad and
psyching myself up," Higgins said. “I
get frustrated when I do stupid things
over and over. I feel that I do play bet
ter when I scream and let it out. If I’m
not fired up or showing my temper, I'm
not really in the match."
Higgins says, however, that there are
times when it is better to not exhibit her
temper. “It’s very important to me not
to lose my temper when we’re on a trip,
because it would make Georgia, who I
am representing, look bad. I’ve been
trying real hard to work on my
Slaff pholo/Sam Walton
Higgins has been working on controlling her temper ...
Cable television: narcotics for the sports-minded junkie
(Iwrlcs Auron
Reaching out. switching around the dial
ecstatically, I suddenly realized what I
had stumbled upon. The worries of the
world were rapidly washed away. I
rolled up my sleeves and sat down. I
have rarely gotten up since.
I give you this background for a
reason. There are a lot of people run
ning around these days who think they
can converse authoritatively on the
subject of cable TV and, worse yet,
cable sports.
I am here to renounce these im
posters. They can only bring you
souvenirs. I offer the real thing. Pull
On-Volume, please.
From the time I lost my virgin veins
almost two years ago, the market of
cable sports has virtually been flooded
ESPN (your total sports network),
CNN, WTBS, WOR (New York) and
WGN (Chicago) all offer huge doses of
video sedation for the cable junkie.
But a heavy schedule of viewing does
not always mean a pleasant nod The
key to a good experience lies in a vital
third party, and in cable sports this
relationship is unique I refer, of
course, to that relationship we have
with our friends, the sports announcers
We have all had peripheral
acquaintances with these tools of the
tube through network broadcasts, but
the cable experience is different When
someone pays out big bucks and spends
long hours to satisfy his/her cable
sports fix, that announcer on the screen
becomes a friend Possibly the only
friend he/she has. Sad but true, isn’t it?
ESPN prides itself on being the
purest cut of cable sports drugs The
announcers on "your” total sports
network are walking, talking examples
of the "friend on TV” concept. These
guys are about as informal as you can
get They work on the assumption that
the only people watching are sports
fanatics. This is a wise assumption
Only a true sports fan would put up
with the endless stream of nicknames,
cliches and vocal sound effects that
these clowns spew forth. Don't get me
wrong, I love ESPN. It’s a lot of fun.
But let’s get serious, some of the
broadcast personnel are a little
questionable. Just check out one of the
Sportscenter programs A greater
collection of old hacks has never been
assembled.
Lou Palmer is a cliche-ridden oaf,
David Sullivan is a WXIA reject,
Rhonda Glenn is a token female, Roger
Twibell is a boob and Tom Mees looks
like somebody put starch in his un
dershorts. Sal Marchiano may be the
best boxing commentator in the
business, but Sal needs to avoid events
like water skiing, auto racing and
tennis. He looks as uncomfortable as he
is.
While this undistinguished group may
discourage ESPN viewing, hold your
opinion for a second. Cable does have
its promising stars and ESPN is no
exception. Chris “Boom Boom” Bcr
man and Greg Gumbel provide light at
the end of this dark tunnel
When it comes to relating sports
events, Berman has no peer His en
thusiasm makes WSB's John Buren
look like he’s in a catatonic stupor The
master of the moniker, Berman has
coined such nicknames as: Manny
"Kingston" Trillo, Britt "Third
Degree" Burns and Jose “Can You
See" Cruz. Also adept at livening up
dead videotape, Berman has a pen
chant for yelling “boom” on every
dunk, home run, etc. He is sometimes
irritating, always amusing.
Providing the steadying influence
over Berman is Gumbel, one of the
smoothest professionals working today.
Brother of NBC’s Bryant, Greg is
probably in for a short stay at ESPN.
The networks can’t overlook his talent
for long.
Battling for the scraps behind ESPN
are two superstations (WGN and WOR)
and CNN. CNN only provides assorted
sports news programs but, hey,
everybody needs a little criticism.
WGN gives the most complete
coverage of sports of the three,
broadcasting basketball games with
Depaul, Loyola and Chicago Bulls, and
baseball with the Cubs and White Sox.
Unfortunately for WGN, its coverage is
bogged down by the inept blathering of
former Atlanta Braves commentator
Milo Hamilton. Hamilton has already
been run out of two towns (Atlanta and
Pittsburgh), and it's a wonder that he's
stuck this long in Chicago. At least the
Cubs have hired Harry Caray away
from the White Sox so he can yell "Holy
Cow” every time Milo blurts out his
latest incoherency
WOR broadcasts New York Mets
baseball plus New York Knicks and
New Jersey Nets basketball Its efforts
would be fairly forgettable if it wasn't
for Marv Albert's work with basketball
Albert’s catchphrases such as "Yes"
for a made basket, and “using glass"
for bank shots, are classics My main
beef with WOR, however, is its effort
(or lack of it) at graphics. Scores and
statistics are rarely flashed on the
screen, keeping the fans in a
simultaneous state of suspense and
disgust
CNN is at a distinct disadvantage to
start with, being an all-news station,
but they do a pretty creditable job,
considering certain limitations. CNN
always seems to come up with the in
formation, but I feel sorry for some of
the poor souls they stick in front of the
cameras.
First to mind is the station's lone
female anchorperson, Debbie Segura
Simply put, Miss Segura can't speak
Even if she’s staring straight down at
her copy (which she does quite often),
she cannot mouth a complete sentence
without major incident
You may have noticed that I left
WTBS for last There is indeed a
reason. Of all the cable sports outlets
besides ESPN, "The Superstation" is
unquestionably the best Outside of the
seemingly inexhaustible schedule of
Hawks and Braves games. Channel 17
provides college basketball, pre-season
Falcon football and, most important to
cable sports nuts, Georgia Cham
pionship Wrestling with Gordon Solie,
the nationally syndicated wrestling
commentator.
But what sets WTBS apart from other
cable stations is its coverage of the
Hawks and Braves Skip Caray has no
equal when it comes to basketball play-
by-play. Caray is impartial in his
assessment of the action on the floor,
and his humor is refreshingly arid.
Even saddled with the inane comments
of his sidekick in the booth, Fred
Hickman, Caray overcomes all and
presents a professional and en
tertaining performance He is good
even when the Hawks are bad.
Coverage of the Braves is equally
excellent Ernie Johnson and Pete Van
Wieren are seasoned pros who work
like clockwork with Caray when he
joins the crew after basketball season
The only sore spot is Darrel Chaney — a
former Braves player Chaney has an
uncanny knack for stating the obvious,
but that can be overlooked. At least he
is improving
So is cable sports improving, for that
matter Of course, it doesn’t really
matter to me. I’ve got to watch it,
anyway.
Charles Aaron is a staff writer for The
Red and Black.
Gemson considers installing lights to stadium;
Tigers look to cash in on night football profits
This is not a pretty story.
Mental and physical decay is
threatening to pound our society into
obli .ion. Temptation arises in countless
guises. All our life is sin and vice. The
pressure to give in is inexorable. I
know, I am one of those who gave in.
My vice? Need you ask? That in
tellectual scourge, that true ruler of
minds — cable television. Yes friends,
TV OD.
My hideous tale has its beginnings
here, on the humble Georgia campus.
Little did I know what awaited me when
I arrived here almost two years ago.
Oh sure, I'd experimented with cable
before. A few doses of HBO here and
there at a friend's house, and an oc
casional hit of ESPN. But never a bad
trip. Nothing to prepare me for what
was coming.
The minute I entered Russell Hall, I
should have sensed trouble. But heck,
how was a naive kid to know? All I
wanted was a little recreation. I quickly
found more.
There it sat with its cable dangling
like bait. I didn’t know what to think.
CLEMSON, S.C. (UPI) - Permanent
stadium lights for night football games
may be installed so Clemson can cash
in on television opportunities, school
officials say
“I think having lights puts a school in
better bargaining position with the
networks when it comes to deciding
whether a game is to be televised or
not," Athletic Director Bill McLellan
said.
“An example was our game last
season with North Carolina," he said
"We felt the game should have been
televised nationally (instead of just
regionally), and if North Carolina had
had lights, it's conceivable that it might
have been shown nationally at night "
McLellan said Penn State once
refused to play an early-season af
ternoon game at Clemson because of
the heat
"If we had had lights, we could have
played at night and the heat wouldn't
have been as much of a factor," he said
"And Penn State might have agreed to
come down under those cir
cumstances "
He said installation of the lights
probably will coincide with decking the
north stands at Frank Howard Field,
which may not occur for one or two
years
“It would be strictly to give us the
option of a night, or twilight television
game," McLellan said
But McLellan said Clemson's
location, in rural upstate South
Carolina, poses problems for fans who
would travel there for night football
games
“We’ve got to get our people back
home before a ridiculously late hour,”
he said. "And when we aren't playing
on TV, we would continue to play our
home games at 1 o’clock
"But if the opportunity comes along
for a national TV game, like we’re
going to have with Georgia next season,
I would not want to lose that chance due
to a lack of lights "
The profit incentive television sports
offers has triggered an interest in night
football by schools that previously
played only day games McLellan
called night TV games "the wave of the
future in college football."
"Conferences are going to become
more involved in making decisions
pertaining to the installation of lights
because they have a financial stake in
it," he said. “I think the conference will
look for ways for the schools that don’t
have lights to get them.
“I think stadium lighting, as it per
tains to playing on television, is the
prime consideration of every athletic
director in the Atlantic Coast Con
ference," he said.
Sanford Stadium gets a facelift
Sanford Stadium will have a new look when football season rolls around this fall.
The North and South lower stands are undergoing a complete steam cleaning pro
cess and the fiberglass-covered wooden stands are being replaced with aluminum
bleachers By G-dav game this Saturday, the South lower stands will he com
pleted but the north lower stands will still be under construction The new facelift
will include the addition of lights for the Georgia-Clemson season opener on Sept. 6.