Go Gamecocks

Josh Kendall

Profession: Sports writer

Education: Bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, 1995

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: Hank Aaron autographed baseball, not because of Aaron but because my grandfather got it for me

Favorite sports movie or book: I hope "Into Thin Air" counts as a sports book

Memorable Gamecock Moment: Watching South Carolina fans carry goalposts out of Williams-Brice Stadium after former UGA quarterback Quincy Carter threw five interceptions and the Gamecocks upset the No. 10 Bulldogs 21-10 in 2000

Quote: "Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean." - Pedro Guerrero on sportswriters

E-mail Josh at jkendall@thestate.com

Phil Kornblut

Profession: Sportscaster

Title: Recruiting reporter; sports director and host of the SportsTalk Radio Network

Education: B.A., University of South Carolina

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: Larry Bird figurine - when I rub it, it has magical powers

Favorite sports movie or book: "Major League"

Memorable Gamecocks Moment: The 1997 basketball win at Kentucky clinching the SEC championship

Quote: "In a crisis, don't hide behind anything or anybody. They are going to find you anyway." - Bear Bryant

E-mail Phil at philtalk@live.com

Gerry Melendez

Profession: Photojournalist

Title: Staff Photographer

Education: B.A., Art Studio, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1993

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: Invitation to play Augusta National (day after the Masters)

Favorite sports movie or book: "Hoosiers"

Memorable Gamecocks Moment: Whit Merrifield's game-winning hit in Omaha

Quote: "There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment." - Cardinal de Retx (17th Century)

E-mail Gerry at gmelendez@thestate.com

Neil White

Profession: Sports writer

Title: South Carolina baseball beat writer

Education: B.A., University of South Carolina, 1979

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: A Metrodome homer hanky from covering the 1991 World Series between the Braves and Twins

Favorite sports movie or book: "Caddyshack" (movie) and "Ball Four" (book)

Memorable Gamecocks Moment: Covering the baseball team's run through the NCAA tournament to win the National Championships in 2010 and 2011

Quote: "You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." - Jim Bouton, "Ball Four"

E-mail Neil at nwhite@thestate.com

Patrick Obley

Profession: Sports writer

Title: South Carolina basketball beat writer

Education: B.S. Communications, print option, Kansas State University, 1992

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: The back of a chair from recently demolished Rosenblatt Stadium, the former home of the College World Series.

Favorite sports movie or book: "Amazing Grace and Chuck"

Memorable Gamecocks Moment: Tracking down the life and times of Doc McJames, USC's first big-league baseball player and visiting his grave in Chesterfield County

Quotes: "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin; and "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway

E-mail Patrick at pobley@thestate.com

Dwayne McLemore

Profession: Multimedia Journalist

Title: GoGamecocks.com editor

Education: B.A., University of South Carolina, 1997

Favorite sports possession/memorabilia: Carolina Panthers autographed football - because my son and I teamed up for the signatures, which include former Gamecock Eric Norwood

Favorite sports movie or book: "Hoosiers"

Memorable Gamecocks Moment: Being in Omaha in 2010 and 2011 to cover the baseball team's National Championships

Quote: "I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." - Larry Bird

E-mail Dwayne at dmclemore@thestate.com