Page 10-Friday, September 25, 1981-The Michigan Daily Runni: n'I for. money: Amateurs and pros faring well A i 31 i By SARAH SHERBER The thought of an athlete earning over$100,000 a year does not seem unreasonable. In fact, that figure ap- pears somewhat modest compared to the million-dollar-a-year contracts which professionals like 'Earvin John- son and Dave Winfield work for. But what if the sport is track, and the participant is supposed to be an amateur? The thought of a non- professional earning so much money seems far-fetched, almost im- possible-but it does happen.. ACCORDING TO Peter Cava, a spokesman for The Athletic Congress (TAC), the governing body for amateur track and field participants in the U.S., a runner is allowed to receive money from a meet and still retain his or her amateur status, as long as the athlete is not paid for running in the race itself. -0Im --u -u ~ VU* This enables sponsors to pay top per- formers fees in the range of $5,000 if the athlete agrees to hold clinics (usually lasting a half-hour or so) or serve as a "meet director." Michigan cross country coach Ron Warhurst says that there is another way to lure the big name tracksters to a race-by paying the athlete "under the table." GREG MEYER, a former Wolverine harrier still being coached by Warhurst, explained how a person could accept money for competing in a race without forfeiting his or her eligibility: "As long as the person, claims the money on their income tax records, there is nothing anyone can do about it," he said. "TAC does not have investigative personnel like the NCAA," reported Cava. "If I suspect any athlete (of illegal actions), there Is not much I can I £ai * * I' 140 do until I get proof. "Your income taxes are private; unless you have a court order, a Federal court order," there would be no way to tell if an athlete received money, explained Cava.- MEYER AND 11 other runners have simplified, TAC's job by openly accep- - ting prize money. Meyer won the Cascade Run Off in Portland, Oregon this past summer and took home. $10,000. On October 5, TAC will almost certainly announce that his amateur status is revoked. The Michigan graduate does not seem upset by the prospect of losing his status, though. In fact, Meyer seems content at being a professional. "I don't think it's fair that a big-name runner can be out of shape and receive money for just running in a meet, while a new guy right out of college wins and just gets a trophy," explained Meyer. The act of turning professional has some advantages in and of itself. Ac- cording to Warhurst, a road racer can make up to $75,000 or even $100,000 legitimately. WHILE MEYER agreed that, for the right people, professional road-racing could be very lucrative, he also believes that, through shoe contracts and illicit funds "an amateur can (also) make that much." At least one amateur agrees. Mike McGuire, an up-and-coming runner, said that "(Bill) Rogers makes well in excess of $100,000 a year." Rogers ... running into money PUBLIC SKATING STARTING SEPT.4 Monday-Friday 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. STARTING OCT. 3 Saturday & Sunday 12:30 to 2:15 p.m. (no skating home football Sat.) Thursday 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. SKATE SHARPENING AND RENTAL AVAILABLE YOST ICE ARENA 1016 S. State St. 763-0064 (located just south of Packard) Palmer hurls Bid past Yankees, 5=1 NEW YORK (AP)- Jim starter Odell Jones, 4-4, beyond Palmer pitched a four-hitter and the right field fence. The hit Rich Dauer slugged his fourth boosted Lee's batting average to homer of the season to lead the .400. Baltimore Orioles to a 5-1 victory Montreal added another run in over the New York Yankees. last the fifth as Warren Cromartie, night. who had four hits and scored Palmer, 7-8, who pitched his fif- three runs, followed Lee's homer th complete game of the season, with a double, moved to third on pushed his career mark against an infield out and scored one out w the Yankees to 27-15. later on Andre Dawson's a DAUER smacked a two-run sacrifice fly. homer in the fifth after Rick Indians 5, Red Sox 2< Dempsey opened the inning with a walk. BOSTON (AP) - Mike The Orioles scored two unear- Hargrove and Toby Harrah ned runs, one in the first and one drilled three hits apiece and in the third, keyed a three-run seventh inning In the first inning, Dauer last night as the Cleveland In- ~> walked, went to second on a wild dians rallied for a 5-2 victory over pitch and scored on Eddie the Boston Red Sox. Murray 's single and left fielder In handing the Red Sox only Dave Winfield's throwing error. their third loss in the last 11 Yankees starter Ron Guidry games, the Indians foiled 11-4, left -the game after the' "Boston's bid to move into a first- } second inning after being hit by place tie with idle Detroit in the Ken Singleton's line drive. The American League East. left-hander bruised the first twow toes on his left foot and was AL East replaced by rookie Andy McGaf- A E figan. W L Expos 7, Pirates 1 Detroit ......... 26 17 - Boston ......... 25 18 1 MONTREAL (AP)- Bill Lee Milwaukee ..... 25 19 1/2 hit his second career home run Baltimore ...... 23 19 2/Z and limited Pittsburgh to six hits New York ...... 22 21 4 over 7 2-3 innings, and Gary Car- Cleveland 21 23 5/2 ter drove in three runs as the Montreal Expos defeated the Toronto ........ 19 21 51/2 Pirates 7-1 last night for their fif- Today's games th straight victory. Milwaukee at Detroit The Expos, who lead the Cleveland at Boston. National League East, held a 1-0 Baltinore at New York margin when Lee led off the fifth Baltimo at New ork inning by belting a 3-1 pitch from Toronto at California saamasseasWe're Saneious .q f . . Ali- Y . i'D').P" /"* i Like Meyer, marathoner Rogers has added his support to the Association of Road Racing Athletes (ARRA), an organization which is trying to gain a stronger voice in road racing. IN M cGUIRE'S opinion, "The ARRA doesn't pack the clout that they seem to have. So many people are wavering. I think that Greg Meyer is the only one who is really into it. Bill Rodgers is pushing for it, but he's pushing for him- self, too." There has been some progress made in favor of the professional trackster TAC recently announced that the Inter- national Amateur Athletic Federation, the worldwide governing body for amateur athletes, gave the United States permission to discontinue the use of the "contamination rule," which stated that any amateur athlete who knowingly participates in a race with a professional automatically losesa amateur status. "I think the time is definitely right for the open system," said McGuire about the recent ruling. "The TAC and IAAF (are) backing down." Regardless of the upcoming ruling by TAC on Meyer's eligibility, amateur athletes will continue to run in professional competitions which offer prize money. Meyer plans to run next in the Boston Freedom Trail-ironically, the meet is being held on October 4, the day before TAC makes a final decision on his status. GRIDDE PICKS First there were "girlie" calendars, in which voluptuous co-eds wore only their smiles. Now we are about to see thinly clad Michigan men spread across each month of the year. What could possibly be next? How about Shirley Temple posing nude with the sailors of the Good Ship Lollypop on the cover of this week's football program? However, none of these cheap thrills could ever compare with that exhilarating feeling one gets after win- ning the Griddes. If you want the chan- ce to experience that feeling, as well as the taste of a free one-item pizza from Pizza Bob's, just drop off your picks at the Daily (420 Maynard) before mid- night tonight. An extra incentive: The winner gets the opportunity to test his gridiron predicting against the Daily football staff experts. 1. Navy at MICHIGAN (pick score) 2. Indiana at Syracuse 3. Bowling Green at Michigan State 4.UCLA at Iowa 5. Ohio State at Stanford 6. Notre Dame at Purdue 7. Utah at Northwestern 8. Miami (Fla.) at Texas 9. Penn State at Nebraska 10. Florida at Mississippi State 11. Oklahoma at USC 12. Maryland at North Carolina State 13. South Carolina at Georgia 14. Auburn at Tennessee 15. Kentucky at Kansas 16. Idaho at Hawaii 17. Holy Cross at Harvard 18. California State at Slippery Rock 19. Humboldt State at Occidental 20. DAILY LIBELS at Edmund Fitzgerald sI ILL oRC i o Ito -* ? * 'g"E~ CV S r. * II~t ~o~ fc~E1i~~ ~Q06005fo Daly 9-6, Closed Su you'es erou n nd hillase Aoth r y iundiavs and hoidays 1112 South University 663.5533 L)dlly Z -V, l.tuxu .. uiauaya oaau ii asvu7 "" ---. -, k 1 a ' L~r~it BUT I DON'T I I N' DBWtdt&ajuf auwkVIf eoitBK 7'~ l iflt1 I O cL5got I aiDjo~ fun -gh w. I 4 ! 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