Tt ursday, February 24, 1977 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Sever ThursIIIayI Febuar 2, 177 HEMICIGN DILYPIeISve Puckih9 Michigan.hockey.. ... forgotten sport By BOB MILLER PICTURE THIS: a balmy day near the end of the month in a major city in the country. Fans from four universities and local residents converge at a familiar athletic arena. Na- tionwide media relays, articles to anxious fans that could not attend in person. Before you start drooling at the thought, the city is Detroit, not Atlanta; the arena is the Olympia, not the Omni; and the sport is hockey, not basketball. For some reason, especially this year, the Michigan sports fans seem to have forgotten about hockey. Obviously football and basketball are the major sports at most schools, but why ignore hockey? The 1976-77 Wolverine skaters are as exciting as their gridiron counterparts (maybe even more) and because of the rise in popularity of the basketball team, the hosts of Yost are left out in the cold, literally. It is said, but the fact of the matter is that last year when the basketball team was still drawing its 9,000 per game, more fas were filling the bleachers at Yost. Why? Last year the Michigan fan had a choice. Either watch basketball or hockey, but not both. This year it seems that only die-hard hockey fans show up for any of the games. It is, in a word, baffling. The icers are currently in third place in the WCHA with a four-game winning streak and an excellent chance to make the NCAA tournament. The team is high-scoring, providing the most enter- taining games in any sport at Michigan this year. Attendance problem I used to be the avid Michigan fan that accepted nothing but routs, but more and more I have been turned off by these kinds of games. How exciting is 70-14 or 104-63 as com- pared to an offensive hockey barrage of 11-8 or 8-6? My point is this; hockey is a second class citizen at Michigan. Every football game drew over 100,000 last year and every basketball game pulls in over 13,000 fans. But hockey has trou- ble drawing the big crowds. Only Michigan State and Michigan Tech really interest enough people to pack Yost. The real problem though, lies with more than just the fan. Yost the reason? Yost seats 8,100, easily the largest college owned hockey arena in the nation. But the building is old, the heat, lights, seats and public address system are sub-standard. I wonder how many people went to the game against Du- luth when the lights went whacky? I also wonder how manyc of those fans have come back to see another game this year.I Or is it the cost of tickets that scare away the cus-I tomer? It is a little bit ridiculous to expect to lure pros- pective ticket sales with the price as high as it is. Wouldn't it seem more logical for hockey tickets to cost1 less than basketball in the hopes of attracting people to the games? Season ticket prices have taken themselves right out of consideration, the opposite of football and basketball. Why a man like Don Canham, who knows full well the value of revenue, doesn't concern himself with hockey is a mystery. It would seem logical for Canham to want to push the hockey program, sell season tickets at a rate comparable to the other two money-making sports and channel added income into the athletic department. I took these suggestions to Canham himself, but he wasl out of town until Monday and obviously unavailable for com-P It is ironic that at other schools the problem is reversed. At Michigan State hockey outdraws basketball almost every time - forcing all basketball games to be played at night since fans will flock to Munn Arena at any time of the day. At Wisconsin the Badgers play in a beautiful coliseum owned by Dane County. Fans in Madison, like those at East Lansing, can buy hockey tickets for Friday or Saturday, but not both., Even at Duluth where the Bulldogs boast the worst team in the WCHA the fans support the team in admirable style. I know I waited too long to write about this; there is only one more home game to go, but the first round of the playoffs will probably be at Yost, and the NCAA's are closeby. So, if you really want to see an NCAA tournament but can't go to Atlanta for some reason, show up at the Olympia in- stead. I mean, if you squint your eyes the RenCen looks like Peachtree Plaza. ISCORES ii1 NBA Detroit 102, Los Angeles 101 New York Nets 91, Denver 88 Washington 109, Indiana 101 NHL Buffalo 5, Cleveland 3 '"J" New York Rangers 5, Toronto 4 Montreal 4, Atlanta 2 Chicago 5, Detroit 2r COLLEGE BASKETBALLk Miami of Purdue 76, W. Michigan 66 S. Carolina 86, S. Florida 63 Kent State 76, Bowling Green 68 Jacksonville 70, Florida State 64 Youngstown 90, Cleveland State 65 Toledo 69, Central Michigan 61 Alma 90, Hope 65 St. John's 92, Boston College 69 Notre Dame 111, Loyola-Chicago 86t Clemson 67, Duke 63I Syracuse 106, Niagara 82 Kansas State 68, Oklahoma 55 7 k , I Staton: Mr.A Hustie By DON MacLACHLAN was getting better every day in knew that I was at the school game because I don't know bow "At forward, a sophomore practice," Staton said. "As the where I wanted to be - with a to react to poorer forwards. But from Ferndale, number 23, Tom' year progressed, I thougnt I winner." against a team like Indiana with Staton." was getting near the poit FOR AWHILE it didn't look good forwards, I st id, them At the sound of those words a where I could step in. Once I like Staton Was going to enroll hard and fight that little birex- 6-3 forward comes charging got the opportunity it seemed at Michigan. At first Soton e- tra to get over a pick or pick from the Michigan bench, high to make the whole year worth- cided he did not want to go to up a loose ball." stepping and clapping his hands while." . any school in the state of Mich- As a small forward Staton util- until he slaps hands with his Staton's opportunity came in igan - he just wanted to get izes his quickness to drive inside counterpart at forward, Woher- 1the first round of tne NCAA away from home. However, aft- on bigger, foes, and seems to ine co-captain John Robinson. tournament against W i c h i t a er a little coaxing from his fath- have an uncanny sense of find Four of Michigan's starters State. With the Wolvzrines er, the All Stater decided a state' ing the open man underneath from last year's NCAA ruaner. struggling and facing elirnina- school wouldn't be so bad - es- for an easy lay-up. up returned this season. Way- tion in the second half, coach pecially Michigan. "If I don't drive my opponent man Britt, last year's captain, Johnny Orr called on Staton to' to the hle I'm not helping the graduated and through hard do the job. The inexperienced After meeting the ,llas It eam" Staton remarkd "Then work and determination, Tom j freshman responded with keyfetMciawolbeaie Staton earned thevacant start- steals and six points sparking place to go," Staton added" I let the opponents sag on Rick- ing spot. the Wolverines to a last second think I made one of the great- ey and Hub. STATON is an enthusiastic in- 74-73 victory. est choices in my life so far." STATON IS a real competitor dividual. Last year as a resewe "That game gave me a lift,'' Staton's aggressiveness and both on the floor and off. He is he paced the bench before Staton said. "I saw I was going hustle as a small forward, has a fine student and is hopeful of games and slapped hands with to play some so I could fina'ly keyed his fine defense this year. going into law or the ministry all of the starters to keep them prove myself and show I wa Scott May, Phil Sellers and upon graduation. In the mean- fired up. This year on occasion capable of doing what she drian Dantey aju a bew i e pushes hlmseif to do he leads the cheering for his fel- coaches asked." of the opponents Staton has been his best. TEMSsaifig -asked to shut down in the pat f"I' a erbefeig to ls low teammates and provokes THE MOST satisfying perso and hetresponded quite wellp and "ou willrlose feyoungre ot the fans to get in on the ap- al victory for Staton came in:- and you will Iose if you are not plause. the NCAA Midwest Regional, "IT ALL COMES down to my putting all out in bas erball or "I really don't know where when the Wolverines dovmned intensity." Staton said. "Against'in life," Staton said. "But if that enthusiasm comes from," Notre Dame-and center Bruce a team like Ohio State, I don't you've done your best, what can Staton said. "Sometimes it is Flowers. have such a good defensive you say?" hard to generate. I may be a Staton was a guard on ofense - little bit of a ham, I don't and a center on defense as a know." nren caver. Flowers' school "I like to make things happen (Berklev High) nioned Ferndale and it shows on the couet," Sta. High for the league title three ton said. "I guess that carries conseclltive years. The Berklev-' over from my emotional state. Ferndale rivalries were always00 Basically, I'm an intense person highlighted by the pairing of, when it comes down to things I Staton against Flowers-- de- enjoy." snite a six-inch height advan- LAST YEAR was a trying' tape for Flowers. time for the sophomore trom "All last year everyone saw Ferndale. A two-time All Stater Notre Dame games on TV and came to Michigan and found saw how Bruce was startrin himself in a reserve role his # while I was here on .he bench," freshman year, seeing imited Staton said. "People were al- playing time. During his prep ways asking me if I was sorry career he averaged 2.3 points with my decision to enroll here. and 15 rebounds per 2ontest, and "But -when we were up by was the standout on the 'eam. three near the end of the game "I kinda adjusted and knew I last year, I smiled at him and! N T 2 1'N TFEG - Daily Photo by ANDY FREEBERG TOM STATON does "his best" as he leaps to the basket against Ohio State's Kelvin Ransey in a game earlier this season. Staton has been an inspirational leader for the Wol- verines all season. rult T: T2 C CTf 1 I 11y 1Linn ;nltylN r U nl N 1 IIIJO Benson lost for season By The Associated Press BLOOMINGTON - Indiana center Kent Benson will be side- lined the rest of the season, his; brilliant college career ended prematurely by a back injury,' Coach Bobby Knight announced' yesterday. Benson, who has had recur- ring back trouble for severalI years,hre-injured itSunday when he wvas knocked to the floor while drawing a charging foul from Purdue freshman Joe Barry Carroll in a Big Ten game at West Lafayette. The injury was diagnosed as mas- sive bruising and swelling. Benson, who was Indiana's high school "Mr. Basketball' at! New Castle in 1973, ends his col- lege career as Indiana's second- leading all-time scorer and re- bounder, averaging 15.2 points THU ALL Y( FRENCH and 8.1 rebounds. Fuentes, a native of cuba, He averaged 19.8 points a had a career-high batting av- game overall and 21.1 points erage of .280 in 1975 at San in Big Ten competition this Diego, hit .263 last season and season, despite being double owns a lifetime batting aver- and triple-teamed much of the age of .264 in 1,335 games - time. all in the National League. With Benson out, the pivot The switch-hitting Fuentes chores likely will fall to 6-foot-9 broke into professional baseball sophomore Jim Roberson and with the San Francisco organi- 6-11 freshman Derek Holcomb. zation in 1962 and played with the Giants between 1965 and Tito the Tiger 1974, most of the time as a reg- ular second baseman. He was LAKELAND, Fla. - The De- traded to San Diego in Decem- troit Tigers made a move to ber 1974. After Lanier's basket, Los Angeles called a time out. But Don Chaney's shot with four seconds left missed and Carle Russell's shot at the buzzer was short. L a n i e r scored 29 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and held superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to 14 points - 13 below his av- erage. Eric Money had the hot hand for the Pistons in the second half, scoring all of his 22 points after intermission, including nine in a row and 16 points in the final quarter. 1 solve their second base problem yesterday by signing veteran Tito Fuentes to a one-year base- ball contract for $90.000. The 33-year-old Fuentes, who played out his option with the San Diego Padres last year, agreed to the deal by telegram. ** * Bo b-A-Dob DETROIT - Bob Lanier's basket with nine seconds left last night gave the Detroit Pis- tons a 102-101 National Basket. ball Association victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. 1RSDAY SPECIAL OU CAN EAT ! FRIED FRESH SMELT I HAD CANCER AND ILIVED, PRETZEL BELL Restaurant 120 E. LIBERTY Fri. & Sat. Night R.F.D. Boys Band OFF YOUR FIRST PITCHER On Your Birthday! PRETZEL BELL 120 E. 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