Remembering a True Gamecock

The University of South Carolina and the entire Gamecock Family lost a loyal family member Friday.
Longtime Sports Information Director Tom Price died. Many Gamecock fans knew Tom through his commentary on Gamecock baseball games. He was a living encyclopedia of USC sports, but baseball was always his baby. He rarely missed a game and rarely missed a chance to talk about his favorite team and his favorite pastime.
“T.P.”, as most called him, was a throwback to a different era. Arguably, it was a better time. These days, the men and women who “assist” the media in their jobs are often referred to as communications specialists. I’m not in sports anymore, but from what I hear, they aren’t all that special. Tom was. He was there to help you with your job, not hinder or frustrate you. If you worked at WBTW, you were just as important as if you worked at ESPN.
Again, I don’t work in sports anymore, but from what I hear, that’s not often the case these days.
In all honesty, my first recollection of Tom was not positive. I was a sophomore at USC and the Sports Director at the campus radio station. Our “team” decided to broadcast the Gamecock baseball games. I had enough foresight to find out that a local FM station did many of the weekend games and some of the night games. However, the station couldn’t afford to give up its drive-time music programming during weekdays. So we were going to fill the void! What we did not do is fill the athletic department of our plans. Specifically, the first call should have gone to Sports Information Director Tom Price. So on that sunny Spring afternoon, I sauntered on down to the stadium with our remote equipment. It probably weighed 100 pounds back then. I don’t remember. I do remember what happened after I got there. Tom Price asked me what I was doing. I told him we were going to do the game, that the FM station said it was fine with them. Needless to say, it was not fine with Mr. Price. He let me have it for a good minute, telling this dumb, long-haired 19-year-old sportscaster wannabe the proper protocol for such a “plan”. I think he stormed out of the press box. However, I know a short time later, he was calm, cooperative and congenial as he found the right spot for us to set up our gear. He helped me that day and he helped me in my career.
He was different, as was Bob Bradley at Clemson and his successor at Tigertown, Tim Bourret. Tim is still there. However, Mr. B and, now, T.P. are both gone. I hope neither the Clemson nor Gamecock families will ever forget them.
I know I won’t. I will forever be thankful.

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