The Michigan Daily-Thursday, October 19, 1978-Page 13 THE SPORTING VIEWS On Monte Clark By PETER BORMUTH You feel a faint edge of animosity creep over his voice accenting the syllables as they drop slowly from his tongue. You wonder how much defeat has wearied the moving forces of this man's mind. Perhaps he is merely rankled at having to waste precious time normally spent in preparation speaking to this insignificant reporter; the defeats already banished into the abyss of the irrevocable past. But still you wonder. Monte Clark has always been a winner. As a man he earned his right to respect years ago, battling in the trenched as an all-pro offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns. He has served under such profilic football minds as Paul Brown and Don Shula. He came to Detroit with a sound philosophy, en- thsiasm, an endless capacity for hard work and detail, and a five year contract. His record as head coach of the Lions is 1-6. Looking back at the events which brought Clark to the Lions you begin to see what a competent, calculating man this is. After designing the offensive line which took Miami to three straight Super Bowls, Clark went to San Francisco and resurrected the 49ers in a brief one-year tenure as head coach. He was forced to resign from his post after the arrival of Joe Thomas as the new general manager. Neither man was willing to relinquish control over player-personnel changes so Clark merged into the relative obscurity of the unemployed. Clark spent the onsuing NFL season in the Pacific swell and California sun waiting for the annual season-ending turnover among the professional coaching ranks. San Francisco paid him for this period of inactivity (contract obligations) and when 1978 rolled in Clark was signed by the Detroit Lions. He demanded hard work and respect from his players and quick- ly dispatched the renegades, the unhappy, the unwilling, the un- talented, and the aged. Bill Ford brought Monte Clark (and not Chuck Knox) to Detroit. Clark's regime opened normally enough with the usual press conferences, hiring of assistant coaches, and- long hours spent reviewing game films and assessing personnel. He was committed to developing a winner and his methods mirrored the men he had labored under. He sought to establish a benign dictatorship on his club. He demanded hard work and respect from his players and quickly dispatched the renegades, the unhappy, the unwilling, the untalented, and the aged. His purpose in demanding a long term contract became evident as his program progressed with a total commitment to youth. He turned the mediocre Detroit Lions into a promising young club certain to develop. It is only now seven weeks into the regular season that it becomes evident that he miscalculated. The Lions are perhaps the worst team in professional football. Their roster resembles an ex- pansion team. Injuries, inexperience, and defections damaged his club. Lack of depth and talent may destroy it. The true test of a man's character comes not in vic- tory but in how he handles defeat. It remains now to see how Monte Clark will react to adversity. In this day and age winners are help up for public acclaim, losers for public ridicule. Monte Clark has never been among the losers before. ,But even among the losers he remains a hard man to ridicule. sorority. J 7 / e" n ;4 TONIGHT AT GREEK NIGHT Admission Free with proof of membership in a frat. or I SUNDAY: MONDAY: PITCHER NIGHT TEQUILA NIGHT rMUSIC AND MEA LDEL1( MDDine at the restaurant after 4:00 P.M. and receive FREE admission to Nightclub that eve- ning. SUN.-THURS. $16 E..liberty 994 5350 w 1 ; . " i,"""'" h vi "... a" " iim i t DORM NIGHT Admission Free with a meal card. TONIGHT thru MONDAY The reasons why Clark signed with the Lions are open to conjecture. The five year contract, total per- sonnel control, and the new playing facility are the usual public statements. The more discreet suggest that the Lions' location in the NFC's central division, with the aging Vikings, the one-man attack of the Bears, the apparently inept Packers, and the expan- sion Buccaneers, was the deciding factor. One sportswriter suggested that the Carrol Rosen- bloom fiasco of the previous year was the only reason NEW ADDRESSs You need New Address labels! ! J. Student University of X 112 New Hall Yourtown, State 00000 1000 labels Only $1.25 (Cash, check or money order) RIIDDEPICKS Now that the post election confusion is over and things have pretty much settled down around Vatican City, the new pope, John Paul II, was overheard saying: "Now I can get down to the real business at hand, picking my Gridde Picks and getting them into 420 Maynard by midnight Friday so's I can win me one of them fine tasting two item pizzas from Pizza Bob's." UNDERGRADUATE POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION presents REP. PERRY BULLARD for questions, answers, finding out about Michigan politics and starting a campaign, etc. TONIGHT-7:30 P.M. 2003 ANGELL HALL for further information: call 763-2227 ALL INVITED Information Unlimited P.O. BOX 1443 Grand Rapids. Mich. 49501 List exactly as you want to appear (Please Print) 1. MICHIGAN at Wisconsin (pick score) 2. Purdue at Illinois 3. Indiana at Michigan State 4. Iowa ~st Ohio State 5. Minnesota at Northwestern 6, Arkansas at Texas 7. UCLA at California 8. Nebraska at Colorado 9. N.C.State at N. Carolina 10. Stanford at Washington State 11. Georgia Tech at Auburn 12. Florida State at Pittsburgh 13. Jackson State at Grambling 14. Houston at Southern Methodist 15. Oklahoma at Iowa State 16. Louisiana State at Kentucky 17..Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan 18. Baylor at Texas A&M 19. Virginia Tech at Virginia 20. DAILY LIBELS vs. E. Shifman's B. U. Bench NAME ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP F SCORES I NHL Detroit 3, NY Rangers 3 NY Islanders 5, Pittsburgh 3 chicago 4, Washington 2 NBA Boston 116, Atlanta l9 Washington 121, Philadelphia 111 This space contributed by the publisher as a Public service. Maybe it will go away. The five most dangerous words in the English language. American Cancer .~ ... . ... ~$~~::!2!2::2..::::?:::.........