USM Officials Cause Stir in Omaha

by James Jordan, Sun-Herald Reporter

For USM baseball coach Corky Palmer, this year's visit to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, is being viewed as a learning experience.  The Golden Eagles' head man has never made the trip to Omaha for the event in any capacity, and he is taking his time this year as a fan to soak in as much knowledge of the sights and sounds of the baseball spectacle as he can.

Other members of USM's entourage are taking a different approach to this year's event.  Embattled USM President Shelby Thames went along for the ride in order to discuss long range planning issues concerning USM's baseball program with Palmer and other athletic department officials who made the journey.  Thames also brought along another important passenger, a large box containing 3,000 copies of USM: A Work in Progress, the colorful school magazine describing accomplishments made by the Thames administration since May of 2002.

Ironically, it's been Thames' visit to Omaha, not Palmer's, that has caused the biggest stir with college baseball fans at Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the annual Series.  Case in point was the sixth inning raucus involving Thames and Texas Longhorns fans during an opening round game between Baylor and Texas.  "I heard a bunch of yelling just above our dugout during the mid-inning changeover," stated Texas head coach Auggie Garrido.  "At that point I looked up and saw several of our fans pointing and shouting at an older man.  I didn't recognize him," Garrido added.

That "man" was USM President Shelby Thames, and he was embroiled in a heated argument with Longhorn fans about enrollment numbers.  "He [Thames] was up here saying that 'Southern Miss' had a larger enrollment than ours.  We were laughing at first, but it go nasty," stated Scott McWilliams, a Texas fan from Arlington.  "He kept saying something about 'duplicated head counts' and 'coastal site locations,' stuff we didn't understand.  Some of our fans had to be restrained.  All I know is we've [Texas] got 50,000 students either way," McWilliams added.

Later, in a winner's bracket game between Nebraska and Florida, Thames got in a small scuffle in the stands behind home plate, where the two teams' fans meet.  "Who is that little dude?  He was up here saying 'Southern Miss,' where ever that is, gets more external funding than we [Florida] do," said Yancy Washington, a Florida student from Ft. Pierce.  From several rows back, Nebraska fan Cheryl Ingram witnessed the raucus.  "I couldn't hear what that guy was shouting, but our fans and Florida's were pushing and shoving at him.  It was the only thing about the game both Huskers and Gators were united about," Ingram concluded.

Palmer, on the other hand, has been doing everything possible to stay above the fray.  "I'm being hosted by UN-O's coach, sitting in a small box for much of it," Palmer said.  "I saw the raucus during the Nebraska-Florida game, but couldn't get over there to it.  Other times I just look away.  I'm still processing alot of the conversation we had on the way up here," Palmer concluded.

For Thames, the trip was abbreviated.  The USM President is already back at work in his office at the Hattiesburg campus on Hardy Street.  Palmer remains in Omaha, awaiting the outcome.  "It's been real exciting.  I'm gonna get back here soon, and as a coach," Palmer stated.