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 -- I * I TRANSCENDEN TAL M ED!TA TION as taught by MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI 0 NATURAL TECHNIQUE DEVELOPS FULL CREATIVE ABILITIES 0 PROVIDES DEEP REST AND RELAXATION * LIFE EXPANDS IN FULFILLMENT I I PARTICIPATE in University Committees 14 Graduate and Undergraduate Student Seats Are Vacant SU-Cellar Board (3) " Research Policies (1) " University Coucil (2) ... ma kes concrete feel like grass MENS Sand or brown suede; black, brown or white calf $30.00 Boot style: sand or brown suede .......... $32.00 WOMEN'S Sand or brown suede; brown or white calf . . ........ $28.00 Boot style: sand or brown suede $29.00 Teacher Awards (1 ) " Civil Liberties (1) " Proper Role (1) * Student Relations (2) INTRODU)LJCTORY LECTURE I F -4AI