FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1966
THE micnIGAN DAILY
PAGE ELEVEN.
THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE ELEVEN
insights and insults
CHUCK VETZNER
Oosterbaan:
7M'
Gridiron
Legend
i
"Why do Floggs
pocket?"
have a knife
Hail to the Mighty
Sport of Snow
I've been accused of writing about some weird subjects from time
to time, but I've always pledged to maintain a certain degree of
sensibility. Like I wouldn't write about topics which don't at least
vaguely pertain to sports. I had a taboo list-synthetic diamonds,
Serbo-Croatian literature, bowling, the weather, Gregorian calendars,
and the binomial theorem.
The time has come to alter my thinking. From the first moment
I opened the door two mornings ago and thought I was under attack
from a sugar cane, I have nobly resisted the urge to write about snow.
I can hold out no longer, but I can justify my smudge of human
weakness.
Snow is sport as sure as war is hell, knowledge is infinite, and
life is a soapy dishrag.
Now don't get the wrong idea. When I say sport, I don't mean
snowball fights, shoveling the junk, or tobogganing. And I don't mean
to get all aesthetic either. None of this comparison stuff about grace,
beauty, and sparkling jewels. Some folks carry on about a snowfall
the way Helena Rubenstein would describe a powder puff. I think a
night time blizzard under a full moon looks like a flashlight shining
on a roaster pan.
The snow is sport unto itself. Anyone who ventured out of
his dwelling during the last two days must understand. And if
Duffy Daugherty thinks football is the only impact sport, his
bottom side and icy cement have never had an informal intro-
duction.
The sport of snow requires a certain amount of talent. I lost my
balance half a block from home and didn't land until I was at the
door. Bubba Smith would need a 50 pound mallet to produce the same
black and blue mark.
It's even better with a car. Anyone who doesn't think driving
under Ann Arbor snow flakes is a sport could probably joy through a
puddle of mercury and walk a straight line from Montreal to Phoenix
without paying tolls. My Buick and I set a new Olympic record in
the giant slalom. Actually my car deserves most of the credit. Gale
Sayers should have such moves. I was able to parallel park without
turning the wheel.
Then there's the wind. Admittedly wind isn't snow so put an
asterisk beside my unofficial :03.3 timing in the 50-yard fly. The
only trouble was the trip back. I must have looked like Cassius
Clay practicing his bob and weave. If Mary Poppins were to glide
into town she'd become the first air surfing championship. No-
body else could handle the currents.
Of course the sport of snow also earns its title by its effect on
middle class bourgeoise athletic happenings such as college football.
By CLARK NORTON
Rome wasn't built in a day.
Money doesn't grow on trees. You
can't get something for nothing.
Platitudes.
Sometimes you just can't help
it.
Legends aren't built in a day.
Fame doesn't grow, on trees. You
don't become an institution for
nothing.
These are such stuff as mem-
ories are made of.
Bennie Oosterbaan. L e g e n d.
Fame. Institution.
Oosterbaan. Memories. Of yes-
terday. And of today when it be-t
comes yesterday. A living legend.
"Benjamin G. Oosterbaan. Head
football coach at the Universityof
Michigan for eleven seasons. The
only Michigan player ever to be
named an All-America three
times. Now in his 41st year of
service to the University as an
more than me ..."
As part of his present position
Osterbaan is in charge of ar-
ranging speeches that the Michi-
gan athletic staff delivers around
the country constantly.
"I don't really give too many
speeches myself anymore. Most
groups wouldsrather hear the cur-
rent coaches speak than my-
self ...."
Speeches don't have to be made
to remind everyone that Ooster-
baan's "No. 47" is one of only six
numbers to be retired in Wolver-
ine football history.
Never Really Forgotten
Everyone goes to current coach-
es for quotes about the next Sat-
urday's game, But nobody really
ever forgets the games of the past,
in which Bennie Oosterbaan did
as much as anyone to establish
the tradition of Michigan foot-
ball.
all the hard stuff look too easy.'
Until Bennie made two fantasticl
touchdown catches from his end
position to help defeat Michigan
State in the first varsity game
his sophomore year, even Yost
thought he might be loafing.
At the end of the year he was
a football All-America. Similar'
honors followed in 1926 and 1927.
"Off-Season"
In the "off-season" Oosterbaan
didn't have time to practice his'
pass patterns. He was too busy
becoming a two-time All-America
in basketball and "one of the two
best baseball players I ever coach-
ed," according to former Michigan
baseball coach Ray Fisher, a
legend himself.
"I liked each sport in its sea-
son," Oosterbaan relates. "I can'tl
say that I liked one the best or
that I was better in any one of
them."
Bennie played on nine Michigan
teams, won nine letters. Six won
Big Ten championships.
Oosterbaan was named one of
the two greatest ends of all time
by the Associated Press in 1961.
"Bennie to Bennie"-Michigan's
Bennie Friedman to Bennie Oost-
erbaan-became one of football's
most outstandig passing combina-
tion.
Follows "Hurry-Up"
Pro offers abounded, but Oost-
erbaan, inspired by his coach,
Fielding Yost, decided to remain
at Michigan after graduation a
coaching capacity. In 1948, after
coaching basketball and serving
at various assistant coaching posi-
tions since 1927, Oosterbaan be-
came head football coach at Mich-
igan.
"We won three Big Ten cham-
,pionships the first three years I
was coaching. In 1948 I was
"Coach of the Year, and in 1951
we won a Rose Bowl champion-
ship," Oosterbaan explains. "But
the quality of the individuals I
coached is more important and
gratifying to me than the actual
quality of any team.
"Many of my players have gone
on to be great successes in many
professions, and this is a great
source of pride for me. I have
wonderful memories from every
year I coached."
Another Akron
Enough memories to render his
office a veritable miniature foot-
ball "Hall of Fame." Autographed
footballs, p i c t u r e s, trophies,
plaques . .
Memories. Building blocks in a
legend.
Today, besides doing the "color"
portion of Michigan football
games for WWJ radio, Oosterbaan
is "Supervisor of Athletic Public
Relations" for Michigan. Ban-
quets, the press, alumni, alumni
clubs .. speeches to be arranged,
bills to sign. People to meet. Not
a bad guy to help sell Michigan
athletics.
I enjoy every minute of my
service to Michigan.
The feeling is mutual, thank
you.
"All doors open to him who can
spread peanut butter."
Another public service dialogue
from
FLOGGS
by J P
Direct further questions to
GREGG HAYWARD, SAE House
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Bennie Oosterbaan: Devoted to Wolverine Sports
athlete, coach, and builder of the The "This I Remember" series
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Just Won't Work
Press releases can't sum up a
legend. If you try to put the life
of Bennie Oosterbaan in a nice
little box, the lids will keep flap-
ping open. It just won't work.
Memories can't be wrapped up
and stored in one corner of the
attic. Michigan fans, old and new,
won't let them be. And most of
all, Bennie Oosterbaan won't let
them be.
Fielding H. Yost? "I could talk
about him for hours," claims Oost-
erbaan.
Coaching career? "That's a real
subject," laughs Bennie.
Playing highlights? "A lot of
'em."
You wish he, had the time to
just talk, and talk, and talk. You
get the idea that he really wants
to.
"But people would really rather
hear about the current coaches
football games was an idea orig-
inated and today brought into ef-
fect each week by Oosterbaan
himself. He conpiles all the sto-
ries and the pictures. The cover
of each program portrays a Mich-
igan star of the past, and inside
is his story.
A Yost Decision
1925. Fielding H. Yost had come
out of retirement to guide Michi-
gan back to a championship.
Oosterbaan, kicked off the scrub
team for "a lazy attitude" a few
days earlier, had been told Yost
"wanted to see him."
"I mean to find out your atti-
tude," Yost told Oosterbaan. "No
fellow who earned twelve letters
in high school could afford to be
lazy. Now report to the equipment
room."
It seemed Oosterbaan was
"jinxed" by the same problem that
plagues a Willie Mays. He made
P
I
Daily-Michael Badamo
Bert Katzenmeyer Shovels Snowu
Snow turns the blue blood of athletics into something respectable as
a game of poker down at Sam's Place.
There 8.9 inches above the Michigan Stadium turf stand mighty
athletic director Fritz Crisler and his second in command, golf coach
Bert Katzenmeyer. Or rather there they shovel snow.
No one can doubt that they will efficiently complete their
task but the danger of injuries will be great. Somebody is bound
to incur a knee injury wadding through the slush on the way to
the locker room.
Need anyone point out what Dave Fisher will look like when his
uniform becomes covered with snow? And unless Crisler hires enough
workers to sweep out the bleachers, this will be the first crowd to
give a standing ovation for three hours.
Naturally Crisler, Sonny Eliot's heir apparent, promises balmy
weather at kickoff. But I have to hope he's wrong. No true sports fan
likes to see a sport melt from the scene.
sa COO
lovig
Starting Nov. 8
WAR AND PEACE
in the Michigan
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