100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

January 18, 1980 - Image 11

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1980-01-18

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 18, 1480-Page 11

Temporary
In-Sahn-ity

KEY SERIES FOR ICERS:
Blue seeks revenge vs. Badgers

4
'.4
a

i

I

Boycott Olympics!.

. .

Games ARE political
THE UNITED STATES should announce a boycott of the 1980 summer
Olympics to be held in Moscow. And, it should be announced now, without
any more hesitation.
In light of recent world events, serious doubts about the Russians
hosting the Games must be entertained. In the words of Red Smith, New
I York Times sports columnist, "It is unthinkable that in existing circumstan-
ces we could go play with Ivan in Ivan's yard and participate in a great lawn
party showing off Russian splendors to the world."
The deliberate and continuing Soviet aggression in Afghanistan cannot
and should not go unnoticed in the year of international brotherhood, which
is what the Olympics are supposed to represent. The fact that the host nation
has blatantly initiated aggressive acts must be met with force.
Simply, a boycott is the Ace of Spades in the hands of the West, the one
card that the Soviets probably never thought their foes would throw out on
the table. It will serve as a tremendous embarrassment for the Russians if
the Games fall through. And it will be an historical event that will be directly
related to Soviet aggression.
Discussion of a United States withdrawal at this point in time is just that,
a discussion. Yet the tide of voices favoring such action is gaining momen-
tum. Among such notables are Vice President Mondale, Secretary of State
Vance, Rosalynn Carter and Senator Carl Levin of Michigan.
"I realize that the decision to boycott cannot be made by the U.S. gover-
nment," remarked Levin. "This is a decision that must be made by in-
dividual citizens and the Olympic committee. But the athletes in this country
and around the world should respond to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by
boycotting the Moscow Games."
According to Don Canham, Michigan's Athletic Director, participation
in the Games at this point would be ridiculous.
"I think it's ridiculous," Canham said, "for us to compete in Russia and
let them march all over the world. I think the athletes will be unanimous on-
ce they sit down and analyze it," he added.
Alternatives exist
Undoubtedly, a U.S. boycott would be a major blow to the many athletes
who have been training for years with the intention of competing in the 1980
Olympics, regardless of their location. For many, such an opportunity only
comes once in a lifetime. Nevertheless, for their sake, the U.S. should with-
draw inmediately so as to end the uncertainty.
However, alternatives do exist. Prime Minister Joe Clark of Canada has
calledfor moving the Games out of Moscow. He has offered Montreal, cite of
the 1976 Games, as a substitute. In addition, Munich is another alternative.
But Olympic officials have stated that the commitment to Moscow has
been made, and that it is too late to move the Games elsewhere by summer-
time.
Yet, Smith has proposed that perhaps the Games can be postponed a
year, thereby giving either of these two locations enough time to prepare for
the onslaught of athletes. This proposal has precedence. The 1916 Olympics
were cancelled because of World War I, while the Games were postponed 12
years because of World War II.
The Olympics are a vehicle for murder, remarked U.S. high-jumper
Dwight Stones in an interview with CBS News. "With recent Soviet activity,
they (the Russians) have shown they don't meet the spirit of brotherhood
throughout the world."
Isn't it ironic that such Games, which stand for brotherhoodand the
unification of mankind, are to be held in a nation which preaches a
totalitarian system of politics and life? -
Nevertheless, U. S.and International Olympic Committee officials urge
that the Games go on and that they cannot be sacrificed because of politics.
They implore politicians to keep their hands out of their affairs because the
Olympics are above politics.
But blindness comes in different forms. This one, in particular, is blin-
dness of the mind, of reality. The Games are inherently political.
Each athlete is associated with a particular nation. Points are scored by
team, and therefore by nation. At medal-awarding ceremonies, national an-
thems are played as national flags are raised. Are these actions not political
in nature?
In 1936, the Berlin Games went on despite the public preachings of Nazi
Germany. In 1956, in Australia, the Games proceeded despite the Soviet in-
vasion of Hungary. In 1968, Tony Smith and John Carlos, both of the United
States, raised theirfists signaling "Black power;" both were later suspen-
ded, and their medals were revoked. At Munich in 1972, few will ever forget
the horrible assassination of 11 Israeli athletes committed by the ruthless
,PLO. And in Montreal in 1976, 32 teams withdrew in protest of New Zealand
sending a rugby team to play in South Africa. If anything, the Olympics are
highly politicized.
The fate of 1936
In particular, the 1936 Games held in Berlin draw general parallels
to the problem now in front of us. The Games held in Nazi Germany took
place months before Hitler was to launch his invasion of Poland signaling the
start of World War I. Similarly, in 1980, the Russians have forcively entered
their neighbor's territory in the name of their totalitarian system.
In 1935 as it is now, public sentiment among Americans was strong,
favoririg a U.S. withdrawal from the Berlin Games. U.S. participation was
iewed as an endorsement of Hitler.
The late Avery Brundage, perennial father of the U.S. Olympic
movement, stated then, "Frankly, I don't think we have any business to
meddle in this question. We are a sports group organized and pledged to
promote clean competition and sportsmanship. When we let politics, racial
questions or social disputes creep into our actions, we are in for trouble.
"Certain Jews must now understand that we cannot use these Games in
their boycott against the Nazis," Brundage added. However, Brundage
lacked the foresight, as many did at that time, to recognize the Nazi's ability
to inflict terror. The Holocaust will neverbe forgotten, although Brundage

probably will be.vvv
Then in 1976, after the Munich Massacre, Brundage again sounded his
theme that the Games must go on. And they did, only hours after the number
of dead were counted.0
"The men who run the Olympics are not evil men," wrote Smith in the
summer of 1976 after the violence. "Their shocking lack of awareness cannot
be due to callousness. It has to be to stupidity," the dean of columnists con-
cluded.
Clearly, if the boycott movement is a success, the athletes have the most
to lose. They face the real possibility of spending the summer at home, away
from the gold and glory.
But if history teaches us anything, it's that we must understand events of
the past in dealing with the present and future. Stupidity may be excusable
in the long run, but the loss of life is not.
There comes a time in the life of decent and moral men and women to
draw a line separating what is right and what is wrong. So be the case with
this decent and moral nation. The Soviets are sure to use the Games for their
own good, to show that their system is the best system. They will undoub-
tedly use them as a stage on which to act out their intentions and propagan-
da. Let's hope that we, as a nation, will be able to recognize the line between
what is right and what is wrong. The American people should draw that line.

By MARK BOROWSKI
Revenge.
That is the one word that describes
what the Michigan icers will try to
achieve this weekend when Wisconsin
comesto Yost Ice Arena for a two-game
series.
WHY REVENGE? Because the
Wolverines haven't taken a game from
the fourth-place Badgers (9-7) in their
last five meetings. And in th ir only
meeting this year at Madison, the
Badgers had an easy 8-4 victory on
Friday night and then shutout the ex-
plosive Michigan (7-4-1) team, 2-0, on
Saturday.
Michigan coach Dan Farrell at-
tributed the losses to the outstanding
play of Wisconsin's goaltender Roy
Schultz. "They probably have the best
goaltender in the country in Schultz. We
couldn't get the puck past him in the
second game that we lost, 2-0. We
played loose defensively the first night.
We'll have to come out hitting to win,"
he said.
Even though Wisconsin beat
Michigan convincingly, its coach, Bob
Johnson, has a great deal of respect for
the Wolverines. "Currently Michigan is
in second place in the league, and I feel
they deserve tobe second because they
have played very well.
"I WAS VERY impressed with
Michigan. They have a very good team,
and I saw them battle and come from
behind against Michigan Tech in the
Great Lakes Invitational and was very
impressed at the way they came back.
"Murray Eaves is the number one
scorer in the country and a very good
hockey player. We are familiar with
Murray because his brother was an All-
American here. Michigan's goaltender,
(Paul) Fricker, has played well for
them. They have a couple of other guys
who can put the puck in the net in (Dan)
Lerg and (Bruno) Baseotto," he said.
And Johnson's comments aren't un-

derstatements. Eaves has scored 31
goals and 34 assists in 22 games for
Michigan, and his linemates, Brad Tip-
pett and Ted Speers, are also getting in-
to the scoring action, with 27 and 14
points, respectively.
THE LINE OF Lerg, Baseotto and
Gordie Hampson has been very produc-
tive, accounting for 48 goals. And in net,
Fricker has only lost four games in 18
outings.

The Badgers, who are coming off a
two-game sweep over last-place Deni-
ver, offer a different method of attack.
"Our balance has carried us this year,
and our defense has played very well in
the last month," Johnson said.hDefen-
seman Theran Welsh leads them in
scoring with five goals and 34 assists.
Michigan may have one edge because
the game is being played in front of its

home crowd. "They haven't lost at:
home yet, and playing them there (Ann
Arbor) is going to make a difference,
Johnson said.
This is an important series for both
teams, as Michigan needs to win to4
retain its hold on second place in the-,
WdHA, and another sweep by Wiscon- =:
sin could move them into the second-
place spot.

1

Michigan center Dan Lerg, second
in the team in scoring with a healthy
49 points, takes a momentary pause
in yesterday's practice at Yost. The
Wolverines will have little rest this
weekend, however, when the
Badgers invade Ann Arbor.
0
Michigan
top ten

A4'

GP
Murray Eaves, C ... 22
Dan Lerg, C.........22
Bruno Baseotto, RW 22
Tim Manning, D .... 22
John Blum, D ....... 22
Brad Tippett, LW ... 22
Steve Richmond, D 22
Ted Speers, RW .... 14
Roger Bourne, RW 19
Dennis May, RW .... 21
(;oallies

G
31
21
21
3
5
11
4
5
7
6

Al
34
28
27
32
26
16
14
9
6
6

Pts.
65
49
48
35
31
27
18
14
13
12

°ti
of

Paul Fricker ........
Rudy Varvari ......

G Per.GAAvg.
19 57 76 4.28
5 13 17 4.42

Daily Photo by CYRENA CHANG-

Olympic boycott?.. .Aii says yes

By the Associated Press
The "rival Olympics" idea surfaced
yesterday, but not much was known
about the Carter Administration's ideas
along those lines. One source said it has
not been decided whether the United
States would want a rival Olympics to
be held at the same time as those in
Moscow or at another date to permit
athletes to participate in both.
"Most people say they don't see how,
at this time, we can go," said presiden-
tial aide Anne Wexler, who has been
sounding out domestic opinion on the
issue. Other officials said the only vocal
opposition has come from the athletes.
"Sure, I'm mad," said Janet Baier,
25, of St. Louis, who had just finished a
workout -with the U.S. Olympic
women's volleyball team yesterday in
Colorado Springs, Colo. "Politics
should never enter into the Olympics.
We have worked so long and so hard. I
don't think he (President Carter)
realizes that."
Weightlifter Pete Cline, 29, of Lake

Tahoe, Nev., said, "I think it's totally
unfair of the President to use the Olym-
pic athletes as a weapon for whatever
the government wants the Russians to
do. I've dedicated 10 years of my life to
a sport that doesn't offer any reward
other than the Olympics."
Most athletes interviewed at the
Colorado Springs training center said'
that if the Games weren't held, they
would not be bitter. "I don't think they
are going to be crushed by it," said
cyclist Brent Emery, 22, of Milwaukee.
"We're more sad that we may not be
able to go." '
But not all athletes disagreed with
Carter's ideas. Miler Craig Masback
said on the CBS-TV "Thursday Mor-
ning" show that a boycott would be a
"legitimate move."
"I was in Moscow last summer for
the Spartacade Games, the Russian
pre-Olympics, and I saw then the
tremendous buildup that they're
making, pointing toward this being a
real show of the modern socialist
state."

By the Associated Press
The 32 members of the Muhammad
Ali Amateur Sports Club, including.
track and field stars Houston McTear
and Greg Foster and boxers Davey
Armstrong and Tony Tubbs, announced
yesterday they have voted unanimously
not to participate in the Games or in
any event in which Rtussian athletes are
involved.
They met in Santa Monica, Calif.,
Wednesday night with Ali, the former
world heavyweight boxing champion.
Ali told the Associated Press by
telephone yesterday, "I feel that the
American people should do everything
that we can to show dislike for what
they are doing in Afghanistan and to let
them know that we're ready to go to
war if we have to."
Other prominent members of the club
are runners John Smith and Rosalyn
Bryant and boxers Jeff Stoudemier and
Jeff McCracken.
"Sports don't mean nothing," added
Ali. "If it means sacrificing the Olym-
pics to wake these people up and make
them think, then it's all worthwhile. My
contribution will be to sacrifice my
boys and girls and pull them out of the
whole thing."
The AFL-CIO, the most important
U.S. labor organization, intensified its
call for a boycott yesterday to deprive.
the Soviet Union of what it called a
"propaganda coup."

The executive council of the 14
million-member AFL-CIO called for a
boycott as long ago as August 1978. A
spokesman said yesterday that
federation President Lane Kirkland
plans a new statement in light of the
Afghanistan situation which prompted
President Carter to threaten an Olym-
pic boycott last week.
Spokesman Allen Zack said claims by
"The International Olympic Committee
and commerical interests that politics
don't belong in the Olympics are self-
serving and ignorant."
NBC-TV, which is scheduled to
televise the Games to the U.S. and also
to provide the international video feed,
has said it will not cover the Games if
this country does not send a team.
The network already has paid the
Soviets $60 million for rights to the
Games and owes three more $5 million
installments. But it has an insurance
policy with Lloyd's of London that
would pay off 85 per cent of the money.
Broadcasting Magazine quoted an
NBC source Jan. 14 as saying "If the
U.S. team participates, we'll cover the
Games. If not, we won't."
Sources in the television industry
have said the network counted on the
Games to promote its fall program
schedule and jump the network from
third to first in the ratings race.
"We would have an entirely adequate
opportunity to promote our fall 1980
schedule," a network statement read.

wrestlers ready
for Indiana teams
By DREW SHARP
The gutsy Michigan Wolverine wrestling team, although ravished by injury of
late, managed to pull out three victories last week and now hungrily awaits its
matchups with Indiana State and Indiana this weekend.
Coach Dale Bahr's grapplers defeated Hofstra and Northwestern and also
pulled off an extraordinary upset against eastern power Penn State last Sunday.
THE WOLVERINES WILL be facing one of the top heavyweights in the country
in Indiana State's sophomore Bruce Baumgardner. Baumgardner was the United
States Wrestling Federation national champion a couple of summers ago and is an
excellent Olympic possibility.
The other prominent members of the Sycamores' attack are junior Mike
Breeden, wrestling in the 177-pound weight class and senior Kurt Geib, who
wrestles at 142. r
The Hoosiers are not without their star. Senior Angelo Marino is a 118-pounder
who has an undefeated record this season.
OTHER PERFORMERS INCLUDE Mark Galyan, who competes in the 126-
pound class, Ken Sheets, and Rod Chamberlain.
Coach Bahr has been praising his team of late because of the competitive per-
formances they have submitted in light of injuries to standouts Steve Bennett and
Lou Joseph.
"I'm really proud of the way the guys have come together as a unit," said
Bahr. "And with (Eric) Klasson returning to the heavyweight spot this weekend,
we can move Steve Fraser back to his normal position at 190."
The Wolverine squad is on an emotional high because of the way they have
overcome adversity. They are a young team, but one to be reckoned with.
PEILESTIMNIEN
HUMEIN
RI(HITS

TEACHERS
Ask a Peace Corps volknteer why she teaches
deaf education in Thailand.. .ask another volunteer
why he works as a teacher trainer in Kenya.
They'll probably say they want to help people,
want to use their skills, travel, learn a new language

a

4 us

'!

Ir

i

i

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan