Page 10, campus carrier Sports January 28, 2010

Broadcasters continue tradition at basketball games

Ashley McIntyre
Sports Editor
There are two men who sit courtside
at almost every Berry basketball game.
They are not hard to find, right across the
court from the sports information table. If
you don’t pay close enough attention, you
might miss them altogether. Both of them
are wearing headphones and are talking
into microphones, so someone, some-
where, is hearing what they have to say.
But who are these people?
Randy Davis and Bob Williams have
been broadcasting sports in Rome on
TalkRadio 1410 WLAQ for more than
30 years, and have covered events from
Rome Braves baseball to Vikings baseball
and from high school basketball to college
basketball. The duo started broadcast-
ing games at Berry sporadically and then
started doing more work as the years went
by.
“The earliest I can remember is in 1978;
we were doing a men’s basketball game
over in Ford Gym,” Williams said.
“I just enjoy doing it,” Davis said. “It’s
something fun we do, and we act as a life-
line to families of the athletes, who can’t
be there for all the games.”
Davis, owner of TalkRadio WLAQ and
95.7 “The Ridge,” began his radio career at
a young age.
“I started off as a kid, at maybe 15 years
old,” he said. “I hung around the station a
lot, they eventually gave me a job, and I’ve
been there for 45 years.”
WLAQ is an ESPN and CBS affiliate
and boasts big-name programs like “The
Rush Limbaugh Show,” the “Glenn Beck
Program” and “The Dave Ramsey Show.”
WLAQ also supports ESPN’s “Mike and
Mike in the Morning,” select Atlanta
Thrashers hockey games and ESPN radio.
Since 2003, WLAQ has been streaming its
content online.
Davis does the play-by-play, while Wil-
liams is the color commentator.
“I try and make things a little more
interesting,” Williams said.
Williams, owner of the Bob Williams
Dodge and Jeep dealership in Rome,
played basketball for and graduated from
Berry High School in 1962. Williams now
serves on the alumni council and said that
broadcasting games provides an escape
from the rest of the world.
“This way, alumni and friends who
can’t be there can listen to games from
anywhere in the world,” Davis said.
“I don’t golf or anything like that; this
is my relaxation,” he said.
Davis and Williams primarily broad-
cast basketball games at Berry and have
not called baseball games in three years.
Williams said he hopes to be able to start Meredith Mcdermott, Photo Editor
broadcasting baseball and softball games Bob Williams (left) and Randy Davis (right) broadcast the Berry/Shorter game on
sometime in the future. Monday night. The duo have been broadcasting Berry basketball games for more than 30
Davis said broadcasting in the Cage years on TalkRadio 1410 AM WLAQ and online.
Center is a step up from Richards and
Ford Gyms. nicest one I’ve ever been to.” “The best part of this is getting to know
“The Cage Center is fantastic,” Davis Broadcasting runs in the Davis family. the kids,” Williams said. “One group of
said. “Out of all the places I have ever been, Davis’ son Matt hosts the morning show students graduates, then the next year
the Cage is the nicest facility to broadcast on 95.7FM “The Ridge,” and his daughter another comes in. You never run out of
basketball. Shorter is probably the second Elizabeth hosts “Good Morning, Rome!” kids.”
on WLAQ.

Rugby works to gain club status Check out

Marco,
Megan Benson ers from the dorms. They played teams such as Georgia Tech,
Asst. Sports Editor

Last semester, a small group of students attempted to begin

a new club sport on campus called The Viking Rugby Club.
Unbeknownst to those students, starting a club at Berry Col-
lege is not nearly as easy as it may seem on the surface. The pro-
cess that new campus organizations go through is a long, but
necessary step in making sure the club being formed is healthy
and stable.
Sophomore co-captains Grant Walter and Matt Higdon
began talking about starting a rugby team as freshmen and
while they thought their plan was satisfactory, it turned out to
be incomplete. They recruited players, began practicing at Berry
and called themselves The Viking Rugby Club. However, they
recently found out that the club could not be associated with
Berry without going through the proper channels to become an
organization.
“Right now we’re trying to get support from the actual
school. Beforehand, we didn’t go through the proper channels,
and so it hasn’t been officially recognized,” Walter said.
Walter said in order to start a rugby club, the team techni-
cally does not need permission from the school. They would
just need to pay the proper dues for their territory, state and
the U.S.A. Association so they could become part of an official
rugby league.
“There were enough people that wanted to play, so we just
needed to get money from [the players] and then we could do
that,” Walter said. “But since they don’t condone contact sports
[at Berry] very much, they really want to go through the right
channels to make sure that the school isn’t found liable for
anything.”
Cecily Crow, director of student activities, said that Berry’s
main concern regarding the rugby club is liability for the col-
lege. If the team uses Berry’s facilities or name, the school could
be found liable if something were to happen.
“If a group gets together and plays rugby, that’s their prerog-
ative, but if they’re going to compete they can’t use the Berry
College name. Unless you’re recognized, you can’t reserve a
space, and you can’t advertise on campus,” Crow said.
Rugby has a brief history at Berry. According to the 1994
Cabin Log, Berry’s last rugby team began in the fall of 1993
when former student Matt Hulgan (C’95) began recruiting play-
Auburn University, Georgia Southern University and Tennes-
see Tech while finishing their first season with one win and six
losses. The club lasted for two years before calling it quits.
Berry’s male
cheerleader
“A lot of times organizations become inactive either because
it was just kind of the latest fad or the leadership didn’t ensure
that the group carried on after they graduated,” Crow said.
That is something Crow said the student life council wants
to prevent, which is why the process for becoming an official
Berry organization is long and arduous. Crow said that they
want to make sure that the organization is “in line with Berry
in action!
College and the mission” and that it is not just “this week’s
interest.”
Higdon and Walter both played rugby in high school and
said they love the sport.
“I’ve always loved rugby, not just because of the physical
contact, but because in rugby there’s more of a social aspect that
most people don’t know about,” Walter said. “It’s more than
just hitting people, it’s a brotherhood.”
Higdon said rugby is a universal sport.
“It’s found all over the globe; Europe, Australia, South
America, places like that. So there is kind of a cultural influ-
ence,” Higdon said. “It’s an all-around fun sport, and I think it
could be another thing that would add to Berry athletics.”
Rugby has a long tradition of sportsmanship off the field.
Many teams go out after games to socialize and form lasting
friendships, Higdon said.
“Rugby is a game of fierce competition on the field and
unsurpassed camaraderie off the field. The players on all the
teams we have played this year are extremely friendly off the
field but take it straight at you while you are playing,” said for-
mer student Marty Sullens in the 1994 Cabin Log.
Walter and Higdon still have a lot of work to do before The
www.
vikingfusion.
Viking Rugby Club can be officially recognized by Berry. There
is always the chance that the Student Life Council will decide
that the rugby club does not deserve recognition by the college.
Going forward, Walter and Higdon said they hope to find a fac-
ulty adviser and begin practices within the next few weeks.
Walter said he thinks people should come watch a rugby
game so they can see what it’s all about.
berry.edu/
“It might be physical, but it’s a lot safer than you think, as
weird as it sounds,” Walter said. “If someone wants to play,
when practice starts back up I’d love to see them.”
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