THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Seven
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Seven
U
r
Sports of The Daily
PENGUINS TOP LEAFS:
Rangers ward
off Bruins
Michigan fans .. .
... a quiet throng
.. so be true to your school
just like you would to your girl or guy
be true to your school
and let the colors fly...
The Beach Boys, 1963
Fickle Michigan fans. But for a few fleeting outbursts, a
radio-listener to Saturday's basketball game against Purdue
would never have guessed that a sellout crowd of 13,609 had
jammed into Crisler Arena. Or that these two teams, undefeated
in league play, were squaring off for the Big Ten lead.
Drama, tension, excitement. All the ingredients for a 'Big
Game.' How was it then, that when one excited fan jumped up
and spilled some change in the aisle, ten people turned around
to see what all the commotion was about?
Michigan fans are a surprisingly uptight and unresponsive
group. And the basketball team is acutely aware of it. Most
of them emphasize the tremendous crowd reaction the home
team gets at other schools. Joe Johnson, for one, is more blunt:
"Playing at home is more like playing on a neutral court."
The immediate inclination one has is to blame outside fac-
tors-the enormous size of the arena, the detachment one in-
evitably feels from its team at a school as large as Michigan.
But those explanations pale with any scrutiny.
Sure Crisler Arena is huge, antiseptic and glossy. At
once comfortable and efficient, it is also distant and unin-
volving. There just isn't the camraderie and the sweaty
closeness of Michigan State's Jenison Fieldhouse-where
electricity is almost automatically generated.
But that, won't really do. Fans manage to go beserk at
other schools with big modern facilities. Purdue's Mackey
Arena and Indiana's Assembly Hall, for example, are both
similar to Crisler. At Minnesota, 5000 overflow fans watch their
team on closed circuit TV, and still make more noise than the
13,000 at Michigan.
The explanation that Michigan is a huge, impersonal school
fails on the same grounds. Michigan State and Ohio State are
even bigger, if you can believe it, and size is no deterrent there.
Neither team nor crowd explodes
The real reason for the Michigan crowd's intertia seems to
be a result of two intertwined factors: the attitude they bring
to the games, and the style and performance of the team to
date.
Take the team first, as they are simply not crowd-pleasers.
That isn't a criticism, rather an explanation. They play a tight-
lipped generally unemotional brand of basketball. Insofar as
winning games is any team's foremost task, style should, of
course, be sacrificied to quality play when they conflict.
But don't underestimate the excitement a little flamboyance
can create. Michigan crowds can be ignited. When the Big
Fella, Brady, sarcastically raises his hand after getting called
for an unjust foul, 10,000 people are on their feet rollicking.
When Campy Russell flashes a bit of brilliance with a perfect
fast-break behind-the-back pass, to Wilmore, the way he did on
Saturday, the crowd collectively salivates.
If the team isn't flashy, that doesn't mean plenty of
excitement couldn't be generated by good consistent play.
But the fact is that Michigan hasn't been doing that either.
And even worse, from a crowd perspective, they have
shown that they can play superb, precision basketball, only
to lapse mysteriously into the inexplicably listless play.
The team, as was painfully evidenced against Purdue, is
like the little girl with the curl. When they are good, they are
very good. And when they are bad, they are horrid. It's a tease
of sorts. The fans are brought to a peak and then abandoned
without satisfaction.
The fans themselves, however, are not blameless. They
share with the basketball team, a certain schizophrenia. The
crowd too has flashes of interest and inspiration. And yet the
memory of them which lingers is one of complacence, the
wasted potential of 13,000 partisan voices.
The fans came into the season with sky-high expectations,
and even before the first game was over, boos were heard and
the perennial plea to "Dump Johnny Orr" had begun anew.
Big Ten basketball is of such high quality this year that it
is unrealistic to expect an undefeated season. Henry Wilmore'
and Campy Russell are two great players, but there are a lot
of other teams around with super personnel. And no less than
three of Michigan's front line players-Campy, Joe Johnson
and C.J. Kupec, are only sophomores.
Nonetheless, the feeling of being cheated lingers. The
crowd senses that this season is the big chance, the oppor-
tunity to put it all together. Acrid memories of past letdowns
color their attitude and next year Wilmore, Brady, Lockard
and Ernie Johnson will all be gone.
Fans are too complacent
And yet the fans themselves aren't exactly putting out. All
out, unrestrained cheering at Michigan, in fact, seems out of
place, as if basketball just isn't serious enough to merit such
an investment. The lonely fan who stands to shout often gets
a subtle message from those around him, that perhaps he is
misplacing priorities. Michigan, after all, makes its reputation
on academic excellence. Ohio State, by contrast, lives only on
its sports legend.
This crowd attitude has both a good and a bad side. On
the one hand, it deprives the fans themselves of the unbeatable
experience of letting loose and getting involved-no strings
attached. Even worse, the whole attitude seems a bit phony
and pretentious. Cheering can be cheering, no more and no less.
But there is a positive side too. Basketball and sports in
general aren't really that important. A football game doesn't
merit rioting in the street, beating up opposing rooters and
turning over cars. That happens perennially at Ohio State.
In contrast, some very different priorities were evidenced
in Ann Arbor last weekend. While the Purdue game was going
on, nearly 2500 Michigan students were in Washington protest-
ing the war, an incredible 4 per cent of the total who showed up
countrywide.
The real point to be made is that basketball and other
priorities need not conflict. Thousands of people braved the
November cold, waiting outside for up to three days, in order
to get season basketball tickets. The team, although far
from perfect, is still very much in the Big Ten race. It hasn't
aI IBy The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Second - period
goals by Brad Park and Billy
e Fairbairn lifted the New York
Rangers to a 4-2 National Hockey
League victory over the Boston
Bruins last night.
The triumph extended the Rang-
ers' unbeaten streak to eight
games and moved them four
points ahead of third-place Boston
in the NHL's East Division.
Jean Ratelle's 23rd goal of the
season gave New York the early
J.V.'s trounce Eastern
Michigan's varsity reserve
basketball team downed a
scrappy Eastern Michigan squad
last night by a 93-70 score.
Lloyd Shinnerer and Chuck
Rogers were high scorers for
the Baby Blue with 16 and 19
points respectively.
lead. But Johnny Bucyk tied it for
the Bruins at 9:08 of the second
. .." :period, converting p a s s e s from
Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge.
Then after Wayne Cashman
t.drew a penalty for the Bruins, Park
t }<.<:gave the Rangers the lead again'
: $ : on a power play goal that glanced,
into the Bruins' net off goalie Ed
Johnston.
That came at 9:42, and less than1
two minutes later, the Rangers
scored again when Fairbairn dash-
..:.. ed the length of the ice and 'fired
AP Photo in a short-handed goal.
PENGUIN RIGHT WING Eddie Shack skates past a surprised New York's Dale Rolfe was in
Maple Leaf Paul Henderson during play in the first period of the penalty box at the time.
last night's hockey game. The Maple Leafs played in a date Ranger goalie Ed Giacomin pro-
all game and ended up losing to Pittsburgh, 5-2. The result en- saves late in the second period
hances the chances of the Penguins in their fight for a play-off in and throughout the third. But Bos-
the Western Division of the National Hockey League. ton narrowed the gap on a goal by
daily
sports
NIGHT EDITOR:
BOB HiUER
Laframboise and Reggie Leach, 3-3 tie with the Vancouver Canucks
made it 2-1 at the 5:47 mark be- in a National Hockey League game
fore Boldirev hit after 8:35 of the here Wednesday.
period. It was the seventh goal of The deadlock moved Chicago five
the year for Leach. points ahead of the idle Minnesota
Leach and Hilliard Graves scor- North Stars in the battle for first
ed California's final period goals place of the NHL's Western Divi-
while Billy MacMillan tallied for sion.
the Flames. Pappin's 25th goal of the season
* * came on a 15-footer after the
Hawk right wing had been sent
Black Hawks tied in by a pass from center Pit
CHICAGO-Jim Pappin's goal at Martin. The shot bounced off Ca-
17:24 of the final period pulled nuck goalie Dunc Wilson's right
the Chicago Black Hawks into a shoulder.
12 OLYMPIANS
Thinelad s debut'
Cashman with less than seven min-1
utes to play.
Giacomin and the Rangers
stood off a furious Bruin attack
in the final minutes and clinched
it when Walt Tkaczuk hit an emp-
ty net for the wrapup goal with
11 seconds to play.
Penguins pounce
PITTSBURGH - Two goals by
Bryan Hextall led the Pittsburgh
Penguins to a 5-2 victory over the
Toronto Maple Leafs in a National
Hockey League game last night.
The victory evened the season
series between the two clubs at
2-2-1.
Hextall's first goal early in the
second period broke a 1-1 tie and
put the Penguins ahead to stay.
His second goal came in the final
period and started the rout of the
Leafs.
Hextall deflected a slap shot by
Duane Rupp over the shouldsr of
Toronto -goalie Jacques Plante.
Toronto's Ron Ellis then sand-
wiched a power-play goal between
scores by Jean Pronovost and
Lowell MacDonald of the Pen-
guins.
Rick Kessell had started the
scoring for Pittsburgh midway
through the first period. Jim Mc-
Kenny tied it for Toronto on a
power-play 4 minutes later.
* * *
COOPERSTOWN BECKONS:
Spahn
NEW YORK (IP)-Stylish Braves',
left-hander Warren Spahn, winner1
of 363 major league games,
scored "the greatest victory of my
life" yesterday by being elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"This is the epitome," he said.
Spahn was a landslide choice,'
named on 316 of 380 ballots of the
Baseball Writers Association of
America. He' had 20 triumphs 13
different seasons and is the win-
ingest southpaw in history.
A 75 per cent vote is required
McCafferty to
coach Lions.?
'DETROIT (A')-Will Don McCaf-
ferty be the next coach of the
Detroit Lions of the National Foot-
ball League?
The Oakland Press reported in
yesterday's edition that McCaffer-
ty, former head coach of the Balti-
more Colts, has the inside track.
Bruno Kearns, sports editor of
the Pontiac, Mich., paper, said
McCafferty had a lengthy talk in
Detroit on Monday with Lions'
General Manager Russ Thomas.
"I can't say anything," said Mc-
Cafferty, when contacted by phone
at his Baltimore-area home. "I
talked to a lot of people and I
know nothing about having the in-
side track or anything else."
Later he admitted speaking with:
Thomas and said, "I think it would
be a good job up there."
Joe Schmidt resigned as Detroit's
head coach Jan. 12, saying the job
wasn't fun anymore and that he
wanted to spend more time with
his family.
LAST CALL!
MIXED,
BOWLING LEAGUES
SIGN UP NOW
UNION LANES
OPEN 11 A.M. MON-SAT.
Flames extinguished
ATLANTA - Stan Weir and Ivan
Boldirev drilled in a pair of sec-
ond - period goals, snapping a 1-1
tie and helping the California Gold-
en Seals to a 5-2 National Hockey
for enshrinement at the Baseball announcement. "My head on a League triumph over the Atlanta
Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., and plaque behind Babe Ruth, Ty Flames last night.
the 51-year-old Spahn had 83 per Cobb, Walter Johnson and all the Morris Mott scored the Seals'
cent. others. What more can a man first goal after 6:32 of the open-
Whitey Ford, onetime clutch ask?" ing period, beating Flames goal-
lefty of the New York Yankees, Spahn was at the home of his tender Phil Myre before Keith
came close in his first shot at the 77-year-old father, Edward, in McCreary tied it up for Atlanta
Hall with 67 per cent. He got 255 Buffalo, N. Y., when word of his with a power play tally at the
votes and a total of 284 was re- election came about midnight 14:55 mark.
quired. Tuesday. Weir and Boldirev, however,
"Nice going, Spahnie," F o r d "You ask about my smooth mo- 'connected in the next period with
told the newest Hall of Famer. tion my high leg kick? Well, my goals three minutes apart to' send
"Maybe Mickey and I can go to father taught me that," Spahn the Flames to their third straight
Cooperstown as a two-man entry said. "He drilled it into me to loss.
next year" nron el the ball and not simply Weir, taking passes from Pete
By JEFF CHOWN'
Michigan's track team will kick
off its 1973 campaign amidst a
star-studded field of 12 Olympians
and other Midwestern talent Sat-
urday at the Michigan Relays in
Yost Field House.
Highlighting the Olympic aggre-
gation will be the appearance of
800-meter gold medalist and co-
world record holder Dave Wottle.
The Bowling Green superstar will
be flying in from a San Francisco
engagement the night before to
anchor two relay teams.
The most exciting race of the
program could be the 60-yard dash.
Olympic gold medalist Gerald
Tinker of the U.S. 400-meter team
will compete against the likesof
Herb Washington of MSU, who
holds the world record in that
event, his teammate Marshall Dill,
another Olympian Haisley Craw-
ford, and Michigan's Godfrey Mur-
ray. Murray, the Wolverines pre-
mier hurdler, will be running
sprints in addition to hurdling this
year in order to help out Michigan
in that otherwise weak event.
Murray is also favored to cop the
hurdle event, in which his team-
mate Mel Reeves should also do
well.
Another interesting event could
be the 300-yard dash where Mar-
shall Dill, the world record holder
in 29.5 will be exhibiting his skills.
In the triple-jump John Kraft
who placed fifth at Munich will
make an appearance. Michigan's
hopes in the long-jump and triple
jump lie in George Gilcrest, who
placed fifth in the Big Ten outdoor
long jump, Abraham Butler, a
freshman from Jamaica who has
gone 23'10" in the long-jump, and
Pete Hill who has gone 23'1".
Another field event Michigan
HAIRSTYLING
As You Like It !
NEW TRENDS FOR 1972
TRIMS=-'SHAGS
AND RAZOR CUTS
2 SHOPS
611 E. UNIVERSITY
615 E. LIBERTY
Dascola Barbers
should be strong in is the shot-
put. Junior Steve Adams holds the
Michigan record and is the second
putter in Big Ten history to place
the shot over 60 feet. Adams, how-
ever, is presently suffering from
an arthritic finger which may hold
him back somewhat in the' early
season.
Rounding out the field events are
the pole-vault and high-iump in
which Michigan has six talented
freshmen. Wisconsin state ch:±m-
pion Mike Nowaki whose best jump
is 6'10" leads a promising four-
some including Doug Gibbs who
has gone 6'7", Jesse Meyers who
has jumped 6'7", and walk-on Will
Saunders who has done 6'6" in
practice.
Michigan again has some able
quarter milers. Kim Rowe and
Greg Spyhax, co-captain, finished
1-2 in the Big Ten last year, and
are joined by very capable Eric
Chapman who last year rai a
1:48.8 half mile leg of the two-mile
relay. Michigan as usual has some
other fine half-milers in Al Carn-
well at 1:52.7 for a relay, and Bob
Mills who has run a 1:53.9.
Mickey Mantle, the Yanks' pow-t
erhouse slugger during Ford's erai
becomes eligible in 1974.
Spahn's first chance at the Hallr
of Fame was delayed by two sea-l
sons due to his brief appearancesl
in the Mexican League in 1966 and.
with Tulsa of the Pacific Coast
League in 1967.3
"Those were stunts, attempts
to draw more fans into the ball 13
park," he said. "I'm in the Hall1
of Fame ,that's all that matters.
Better late than never."
Ralph Kiner was a high also-ran1
for the fourth straight time. The:
ex-Pittsburgh home run king had,
235 votes - the same as last year
-and was next behind Ford.
The late Gil Hodges, former;
Dodger first baseman and mana-
ger of the New York Mets, was
fourth with 218 and Robin Roberts,
a 20-game winner six straighti
years for the Philadelphia Phillies,3
was fifth with 213 in his first shot
at the Hall.
"Cooperstown . . . it's great toI
be there," Spahn said after the,
throw it. I am delighted he lived
to see this great thing happen."
Warren was born April 23, 1921,
at Buffalo and began his minor
league career as an $80-a-month
pitcher for Bradford, Pa., in the
Class D Pony League.
Two seasons later, in 1942, the
Boston Braves rewarded Spahn's
success in the minors by promot-
ing him to the National League
for the tailend of the season.
"One of my greatest moments
was walking into Braves Field, my
first big league ballpark," he re-
called. "I looked at the other play-
ers like they were idols. And, they
were."
World War II was rolling and
Spahn was drafted into the Army.
He missed 1943-44-45, winning a
battlefield commission in Europe
while participating in the Battle
of the Bulge. Spahn came back
to the United States after the
1946 season was underway. He
married his sweetheart, Lorene
Southard, and posted an 8-5 re-
cord in only 24 games.
NHL
New York 4, Boston 2
Pittsburgh 5, Toronto 2
California 5, Atlanta 2
Chicago 3, Vancouver 3, tie
Montreal 6, New York Islanders 1
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Detroit 67, Bowling Green 65
Alma 87, Albion 76
Toledo 90, Central Michigan 73
Fordham 77, Army 68
EE
WwALLABI.
sxcWsw"il
I-
A Philippine Evening
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
6 P.M.-FILIPINO DINNER
ECUMENICAL CAMPUS CENTER, 921 Church
Reservations 662-5529 Cost $1.50
8 P.M.-"THE STRUGGLE FOR NATIONAL
DEMOCRACY IN THE PHILIPPINES"
SPEAKER: MELINDA PARAS, student activist
recently deported by the Philippine government.
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM.UGLI
Sponsor: Ann Arbor Group for the Restoration of
Civil Liberties in the Philippines
A REMINDER:
PSYCH U N DERGRAD ASS'N
MEETING: TONIGHT (Thurs.) at 1:00 p.M.
3540 Student Activities Buiiding
Students interested in doing academic counselling
are urged to attend.
REFRESHMENTS AND RAP SESSION FOLLOWS MEETING
--
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TRANSCENDEN TAL
M ED!TA TION
as taught by
MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI
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CREATIVE ABILITIES
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* LIFE EXPANDS IN FULFILLMENT
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PARTICIPATE
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concrete
feel like grass
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Sand or brown suede; black,
brown or white calf $30.00
Boot style: sand or brown
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Boot style: sand or brown
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INTRODU)LJCTORY LECTURE
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