I 1973 THE MICHIGAN -DAILY' Page Nine THE MICHtGAN DAILY PQge Nine I M =TORmenting chuck bloom The Big Ten . .. ... a study in absurdity V E BIG TEN made a big mistake in sending Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes are not the most representative team; of the conference. For that matter, neither is Michigan. No, the Big Ten representative should have been the vaunted and feared Iowa Hawkeyes. They are healthy-their top performer (Earl Douthitt) is 100 per cent-and the Hawks are quite capable of putting the ball in the air. True, Iowa was winless this campaign (0-11) but the team had to play over a lot of injuries, a rough schedule, and coaching problems. Still they are the most representative team of the Big Ten conference. For you see, Iowa is really horrible-and so is the Big Ten. The "prestige" of the Big Ten, which is second-most on the minds of the Athletic Directors behind the all-mighty buck, has been tarnished by the now-infamous decision even more than by the poor records of its teams against non-conference foes. Tomorrow in Chicago the AD's will hold their annual winter meeting and first on the agenda is to find a new method to select which school goes to the Rose Bowl Classic on New Year's Day. There has been a lot of talk about it since Saturday. Con- ference Commissioner Wayne "The Manipulator" Duke is pushing for sudden-death overtime in the case of a tie in the champion- ship game. Michigan State Athletic Director Burt Smith, who planted the kiss of death on the Wolverines' lips, would like to see the big clash played on a "neutral" field-for example Soldier Field in Chicago. Neither the present system nor these proposals address themselves to the actual problem-that all too often two teams equally deserve to go to Pasadena.It cannot be denied that the Buckeyes also earned the right to go to some bowl gamet-just not at theWolverines' expense. The faults of the present system have been made obvious over the past few days and need not be rehashed here. However, one point should be mentioned: one of the members of the Ohio State team said- "I'm not sure I really want to go. They (the Athletic Direc- tors) have put us in an impossible situation. When we go out to the Rose Bowl, it's going to be win or else. And that is no way to play football." The new proposals, which are not new at all, also have their shortcomings. A sudden-death tie-breaker is a bad way to decide the outcome of a game. Football is a four quarter game and ties, like injuries, are part of that game. the way Duke has presented the plan, the tie-breaker would be in effect only for the "championship" game. How- ever, who is to determine when that will be? If the past is any barometer, it will be when Ohio State meets Michigan at the end of the season. But who is to say that an Illinois- Michigan or Minnesota-Ohio State game will not be as im- portant? A tie-breaker (if adopted) must be for ALL Big Ten games (yes, that includes Iowa, too). And what method will be employed as the tie-breaker? Several alternatives exist. There is. the high-school tie-breaker where the ball is placed at the 10 and each team has three downs to garner six points. IM players are familiar with their "deadlock decider"-the ball is placed at mid-field and after alternating four downs a side, the team which doesn't have the ball in its own ter- ritory has won. Playing championship games on a peutral field is equally absurd-for the same reasons. It would hinder both teams to eliminate the home field advantage. A crowd of 105,000 gives great support to the locals and at the same time provides the visitors with an equal amount of incentive to win. The only fair and just remedy to this whole quagmire is to allow Big Ten representation in more than one bowl game. As ' Michigan coach Bo Schembechler explained, "I've told my play- ers that if you play your best and win, you will be rewarded." Under this system, any team who plays up to its capabilities and is consistently victorious, will be rewarded with an appearance in a major post-season bowl game. To keep the people on the West Coast happy, the confer- ence champion would go to the Rose Bowl. In the case of co-champions, the team that had not gone most recently would get the Pasadena nod. The most equitable compromise this year would have been to send Michigan to play USC and allow Ohio State to play, say, in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. The additional revenue would -do the Big Ten no harm and neither would the added publicity. The Rose Bowl committee believes that its game will be hurt financially if the Big Ten goes to a policy of multiple-bowl participation. Yet they know full well that the Rose Bowl would still be the most lucrative game-with or without the Big Ten. The Big Ten alleges that sending any school to a bowl other than the Rose Bowl would detract from the conference's attention on the Pasadena game. Yet last Sunday's vote may already have done just that. For too long, the Big Ten and its officials have wallowed in their archaic beliefs while the rest of the football world has passed them by. The Big Ten has lost much of its cherished "prestige" and will continue to do so until changes like the one proposed above take effect. SOVIET J EW RY and ISRAELI SOLIDARITY PICKET LINES The following Russian performers ore official rep- resentatives of the Soviet Union under the Cultural Exchange Program. They are here to demonstrate to us the culture of their society. We picket to bring to light the other facets of the Soviet regime-the cruel denial of freedom to their Jewish citizens. Our Jewish brethren demand their right to emigrate to Israel. We must support that demand here in Ann Arhr Wth ,nIcrle re Soviet cnmnlicit and sun- THE BALD SOPRANO by EUGENE IONESCO Nov. 29, 30 & Dec. 1 & 2 8 p.m. at the Union Gallery I lil st. Floor, TICKETS ON SAL GALLERY HO - - - -- ---- -- Michigan Union LE AT GALLERY-$1.00 FURS: 10-5 Tues.-Sat. lIl D An unidentified Michigan grappler struggles against his Spartan op ponent in one of last year's victorie boys begin their season's campaign this weekend with two matches against Western Michigan and O of a few of last year's champs, Bay had confidence in the skill of his squad. IN WEEKEND SERIES Wrestlers roarin' for By CLARKE COGSDILL graduated M i c h i g a n captain Suppose y o u r e the Michigan Mitch Mendrygal. "He has awful- wrestling team. You've just hadn (331 i v ly big shoes to fill," Bay re- one of the finest seasons in your marks, "but I think he'll do aI history, capturingsthe Big Ten fine job for us." Championships and placing third Freshman Mark Johnson, "an in the NCAA's. So there's only one " outstanding prospect" from Rock direction you can go, right? Island, Ill., presently holds forth If coach Rick Bay, has anything NIGHT EDITOR: at 167, lbs. Eventually, he will be to say about it, that direction is challenged by either Bob Huizenga going to be UP. Most of the regu- THERESA SWEDO or John Ryan, who have been bat- lars from last year's squad return - - thing it out at 177 lbs. in practice. for another year of action-in fact, career includes two Big Ten cha- eHuizenga will wrestle at 177 this several of them have had trouble, pionships (1971 and 1972), three weekend. Three seasons ago, he retaining their spots on the team. All-American citations, and the went undefeated in dual meet com- Wolverine fans should enjoy record for most career victories by petition at 167 lbs. and placed third themselves this weekend, when any Michigan wrestler. in the Big Ten's, but hasn't re- the Maize and Blue host West- At 158 lbs., junior - college turned to the team until quite re- ern Michigan and Ohio Univer- transfer D a n Brink replaces cently. sity. The Broncos invade Crisler Arena tonight at 7:00 p.m., while the meet against the Ohians is is scheduled for tomorrow, im- mediately following the Mich- igan-Southern Illinois basketball game. - Before discussing the m e e t s themselves, it would be well to take a look at the Wolverines posi- Gridders head for sunny sies tion-by-position. Jim Brown leads off the Maize and Blue lineup, wrestling at 118 Despite the California catastrophe, a few Michigan gridders will lbs. Bay describes him as "one of participate in post-season classics. Ed Shuttlesworth, Dave Gallagher the tops in the nation. Outstanding. and Paul Seal are bound for the Hula Bowl on January 5th in sunny We expect a big year from him." Hawaii. Brown has been runner-up for two Gallagher and Seal will get some "practice in at the East-West strai ht years in the Big Tn, Shrine Game in San Francisco, California, in Decenber .29th. NCAA's. Rich Valley, a sophomore outp most-of last year with injuries, This Weekend in Sports wilgrapple at 126 lbs. He won both his matches last year before TODAY being hurt, and has sent Bill Davids up to the next-higher weight HOCKEY-at Michigan Tech class. GYMNASTICS-Windy City Meeting at Chicago Circle Davids, last year's Big Ten WRESTLING-Western Michigan; Crisler Arena, 7:30 p.m. runner-up at 126 lbs., defeated TOMORROW Jeff Guyton in practice to earn Sthe berth at 134. Guyton is mere- BASKETBALL-Southern Illinois; Crisler Arena, 2 p.m. ly the defending Big Ten chai- BASKETBALL-VARSITY RESERVE, Lansing CC; Crisler Arena, pion at this weight. 11:30 a.m. Out for revdnge at 142 lbs. is SWIMMING-Big Ten Relays; Matt Mann Pool, 2 p.m. returnee Bill Schuck, who last se.- WRESTLING-Ohio U.; Crisler Arena, 4 p.m. son finished a disappointing fifth. in the Big Ten tournament and- ----- - - failed to qualify for the NCAA's. SUPPER SEMINARS ON iCaptain Jerry Hubbard is the de- fending NCAA champion at 150 lbs. CURRENT T WOR L D CONFLICTS Need I say more? His spectacular Friday, November 30-6:30 p.m. "THE MIDDLE EAST: PERSPECTIVES ON THE CURRENT CONFLICT AND THEF UTURE" F ig Bookale aily Photo by KAREN KASMAUSKI s for the Wolverines. Rick Bay's hio University. Despite the lack opener ! 190-pounder Dave Curby is "ab- solutelv determined" to win a con- ference championship this time out. Last year, he was the top seed in the tournament, but fin- ished fifth. "He's the kind of guy any coach loxves to have-a hard worker-a great example for the rest of the team," Bay claims. Back at heavyweight will be popular Big Ten champion Gary Ernst. Bay terms his perform- ' ance "remarkable in view of the fact that we have no other big guys in the room for him to practice against." If footballer Greg Boik decides to come out, MICHAELANGELO THE PAINTER, by Valerio Ma- this problem should be licked and riani. Publ. by 1Harry Abrams. This book is one of Ernst could be better than ever. the big ones and one of the best buys. Retailed at Michigan's opponents this week- $75 and just recently released as a publisher's over- end frankly don't look too formid- stock. 95 full page color illustrations. Get one at able-on paper. Western Michigan Borders for has 167-pounder Doug Wyn, last s$ year's NCAA runner-up in his class, and five freshmen in the lineup. Of the frosh, possibly the VINCENT VAN GOGH. This book weighs over 12 mot interesting is Randy Cotton pounds, published at $55 by Reynal and Co. 56 at 134 lbs-he won an Ohio State color plates and 2000-you read it right--200 high school championship last year. black and white-a catalogue of Van Gogh. Many Ohio University is THE wres- books done on Van Gogh for the casual art student tling power in the Middle Ame- -this is going deeper Van Gogh. Reference-Art. * an Conference, nhaving posted Sale priced at five straight conference cham- Sl rcda pionships. Last year, the Bobcats $29.95 battled Michigan to a tight 19-13 Wolverine victory not clinched REMBRANDT. H. Gerson. Again by Reynal,once a until the last match-which was year you can buy this book at a reduced price, in- decided by a single point.,. stead of the $50 tag. Buy it in Spring and most The Wolveries have put in more likely will cot $50. Buy it now at Boders for half. eager for the chance to show off Over 750 illus., 80 full page color plates. Text is their skills. If past performance is extraordinarily precise and true, combine the facts any indication, wrestling may very of Rembrandt's life with aspects of his art. Big, well be the Michigan winter sport big book (5 kilos). Sale priced at to watch this year.. $24,98 F PICASSO POSTERS by Czwiklitzer, publ. by Random House at $60 and it was worth it at that price. Over 350 illus. most in full page color. I love this book. Limited supply. Sold out at the published the first week. We've got some. An asset to any Picasso freaks collection. Sale ! $24.98 OPEN evenings 'til 10, Sun. 11-6 316 S. State FRIDAY and SATURDAY 8 and 10 P.M. COUZENS CAFETERIA Indisputably Michigan's most literate Admission 75c bookshop; 105,617 titles in stock Season Pass $3.00 A CFC Presentation I --- NHL Atlanta 4, Detroit 3 New York 2, Philadelphia 2 Buffalo 2, Los Angeles 1 WHA New England 5, Houston 2 Edmonton 3, Jersey 2 ABA Denver 127, Indiana 111 Kentucky 102, Memphis 92 S Iai HOUSE OF IMPORTS 1st ANNIVERSARY SALE! Wholesale PRICES ON A2'S LARGEST SELECTION OF SHEEPSKIN COATS! MAXI: Reg. $185 NOW $115 } 3/4 OATS: Reg. $149.95 NOW $95 JACKET: PANEL: RICHARD P. MITCHELL, Assoc. Prof. of Middle Eastern History. DARRELL DYKSTRA, Doctoral Student in Middle Eastern History, 2 years in Egypt. KENNETH STEIN, Doctoral Student in Middle Eastern History, 2 years in Israel. ECUMENICAL CAMPUS CENTER 921 Church Street SUPPER--S$1.00 RESERVATIONS: 662-5529 it FOR THE SNOW LEOPARD! KNEISSL MC 1000 SKI PACKAGE I December 7-"CHILE: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES" -IIII_ _ Attention all Phi Sig's The DELTA DEUTERON CHAPTER is recolonizing on the Michigan Campus Your support is needed in this endeavor Kneissl fiberglas ski Koflach racer boot Tyrolia step-in binding 3arrecrafter alum. pole 55.00 39.95 7,50 A A r ~ ~ -AL " -fV.V, -12MV7d'MI" 4 1 1ii11fi