SPORTS Wednesday, November 2, 1983 IM Football Playoff Sign-up Thursday at Intramural Building 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. a". Pae F~ I Dixon is pic By RON POLLACK Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler says that Wolverine center Tom Dixon has a future in movies. "I could put a highlight film together on Tom that would knock your eyes out," Schembechler said. "Action, " barks Schembechler, the film producer. Dixon, the actor, springs into action, vividly portraying a center. In scene 1, he buries an opponent on a run block. In scene 2, he snaps the ball flawlessly. In scene 3, he is seen frustrating a defensive lineman who rushes quar- terback Steve Smith in vain. "Bravo, "shout the critics. "Four stars. An Academy A ward caliber performance of a stan- dout center." One of the biggest fans of this film is Michigan offen- sive guard Stefan Humphries. He has seen it hun- dreds of times and never tires of it. "Tom Dixon, in my estimation, is one of the best centers in the nation," Humphries said. "Playing next to him makes my job easier." Schembechler walks out of the sneak preview of his movie. He is beaming. He knows he has produced a hit. "In my honest opinion he's the best center we've ever had," Schembechler said. "He's quicker than (1980 Michigan All-America center) George (Lilja). Whatever you want done he can do." Not all the critics leave the sneak preview wan- ting to see "The Tom Dixon Story" a second time. Nonetheless, these reviewers grudgingly admit that the film is an impressive portrayal of how the center position should be played. ture perfec "Dixon is a tough blocker," Illinois defensive tackle Don Thorp said. "He surprised us (last Satur- day in the Fighting Illini's 16-6 victory). He did a good job." These glowing reviews, especially Schembechler's are pretty heady stuff for Dixon who merely seeks to turn in steady performances whenever he plays to packed houses at football fields near you. "Those are nice things to hear," Dixon said. "There have been some pretty good centers here. But you have to keep improving. My personal goal has been consistency and you can't say you've achieved that until the end of the year. The most satisfying thing for me is consistency. You have to be good day in and day out." In this case, Dixon should feel overcome with satisfaction. Not only has he been consistent this season, but according to Schembechler, he has been consistently outstanding - especially the last two weeks, when he was the team's Offensive Champion. "It seems like I am talking about Tom Dixon every week regarding either the Champion of the Week or Hustler of the Week," Schembechler said. "Tom was our best player on the field Saturday against Illinois as he continued to play outstanding football for us. I certainly hope Tom does receive the recognition he deserves for being one of the finest, if not the finest, centers in the nation." Flashback - Dixon is not the star of Schem- bechler's movie. He is not the center of attention He is not even the team's center. "I was a guard until the spring before my sophomore year," Dixon said. "Then I became a center. It was a little bit awkward at first because you have to snap the ball before you block. If you don't snap it right everything else is irrelevant. Steve Smith and I had some problems. It took Steve and I some time to get coordinated." But there is nothing wrong with Dixon's coor- dination these days, especially after he has just snapped the ball. "He's got tremendous body balance and footwork you just can't teach," Schembechler said. "He's just got the perfect position. Sometimes with a taller kid you can't get that position. And Tom has good physical. strength, even though he's short (6-2)." Although "The Tom Dixon Story" traces the. immense success of the Ft. Wayne, Ind. native, it also shows the human side of the senior. In Michigan's loss to Illinois, tailback Kerry Smith- is seen busting a 31-yard run early in the fourth' quarter with the Wolverines desperately trying to=: overcome a 14-6 deficit. For a moment, there is burgeoning confidence for the Michigan players because of this run. Hope quickly turns into" despair, however, when it is learned that Dixon has been called for holding and the play will be called back. "It was the type of thing that happens often," Dixon said. "I came out and the linebacker had his arms out. I brought my arms out and hooked inadvertan- tly. It just happened. The ref was right there and looking. That was disappointing. I felt bad about that. "I've been called for two holding penalties in three years. What can I say? I've seen things much more blatant, but the ref called it. The most disappointing thing was that it came on a great play." Indeed it did, but-any movie worth its weight has a little conflict sandwiched in between rousing suc- cesses. Such has been the case with "The Tom Dixon Story." at cente Daily Photo by JEFF SCHRIER Michigan center Tom Dixon may be the nation's best, according to coach Bo Schembechler and fellow All-American lineman candidate Stephan Hum- pries. Dixon is shown here ready to snap the ball to quarterback Steve Smith against Indiana earlier this season. .3 'M' STAR SHOOTING FOR OLYMPICS: Ask the Fan Do you think Michigan deserves to be in a bowl game this year? ETto plo By DOUGLAS B. LEVY Seizing control, setting the tempo and spurring a team to perform at its highest level are rare qualities. They are the qualities of an Olympian. Eric Turner, the Michigan basketball team's talented point ard, has these qualities and more. And come the summer of 1984, Turner could be displaying his electrifying skills in front of the world, as the United States Men's Basketball Team attempts to capture the gold medal. "JUST BEING considered is a tremendous honor," said the junior from Flint. 'Playing in the Olympics is a once-in-a- lifetime thing." Turner's desire to compete in the Olympics was strengthened last summer, when he was a member of the U.S. team that captured the bronze medal at the World University tames in Edmonton, Alberta. "I see how important the Games are to everybody, how important the in- ternational competition is," said Tur- ner. "Like when we played Canada in the World Games, it was so intense for the players and the people that were there to watch." INTENSE is a good word to describe the competition for a guard pot on the Olympic squad. But Tur- e , who prides himself on being an "original passer," is confident. .In that particular sense (as a pas- see'), I think I am the best point guard . .. dreamn right now," said Turner. 'Now-a-days everybody can score, but everybody can't make that great pass, and hit the open mn consistenly. Passing is programmed into my game," said Turner. INDEED, AS A freshman Turner led Michigan with 120 assists, and added another 160 last season. But, Turner has ,also been forced into the role of a scorer, which he believes is helped his overall game. Turner scored 14.7 points per game in his first year in the Big Ten, and 19.2 points per game last season, which placed him third in the conference. 'I've had to learn how to score since I've been here and that has helped my game a lot," Turner said. "It's easier for a passer to become a scorer than for a scorer to become a passer. , in LA? In addition to scoring and passing, however, the Olympic selection committee is looking for athletes who are receptive to coaching and discipline. "ATTITUDE AND the ability to accept coaching. The committee looks for players who are coachable and have good attitudes," said Iowa head coach George Raveling, an assistant coach for the Olympic Team. "I've never seen (Turner) play. I've only heard about him. He's got an excellent overall reputation," said Raveling. "Eric is a prime basketball player," said Kim Anderson an assistant coach at Missouri, who coached Turner at the World University Games. "Eric performed very well for us. He was a great asset to the team and contributed nothing but great Things." THE MOST important opinion on the Olympic basketball scene, however, is Indiana head coach Bob- by Knight. Knight, who will be the USA team's head coach, and the selection committee will pick the team from a pool of 50-60 of the nation's top players next April. "He's had a couple of things to say to me personally," Turner said. "He's pretty impressed with the things that I can do. in"Before one of the games we played in Canada he came, into the locker room and talked to us," the 6-3, 173- pounder added. "Then he pulled me off to the side and told me that he wan- ted to see me make ever body else play great. He just wanted to see me ng of gold dominate the game. He felt that I could do more things than all the other ballplayers. He wanted to see me do the things necessary to pick a team up, to control the tempo. AND WHILE Turner said that he was flattered by Knight's praise, he added that he sometimes dreams of leading a team of the nation's best basketball players, and controlling the tempo of the big game. But even Olympic dreams take a back seat to preparing for the upcoming Michigan season, according to Turner, who added that his first priority is leading the Wolverines. The significance of the Olympics is not, however lost in Turner's family. "We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Linda Turner, Eric's mother. "We're all very happy about (Eric's career at) Michigan. It's been a dream come true. The Olympics would be something extra special. Sure, if a Big Ten team like Wisconsin went last year with a 5-4 record, Michigan certainly deserves to go this year. Dan Berent Michigan businessman I don't think they deserve to be in a bowl game, because Bo Schembechler is going to live by Steve Smith and he's going to die by him too. Derek Coley LSA junior I don't think you can decide right now. If they win the rest of their games and go 9-2, they should make the Cotton Bowl. If not, then maybe the Fiesta Bowl. If they lose two more games then they dont deserve to go. Monty Levy First year law student They are a good team and they deserve to be in a Bowl game, but not the Rose Bowl. they're just not as good as Illinois. Joan Roesnstock LS&A freshman CMU 's Hnoskis buries spikers By STEVE WISE Joanne Hoskins earned her doctor of volleyball degree last night, and the clinic the Central Michigan University junior put on left the Wolverine spikers looking like a group of terminal patien- ts. Using her 32-inch vertical leap as a scalpel, Hoskins cut up the Michigan defense with the precision of a surgeon and led the visiting Chippewas to a three-game sweep, 15-12,15-5, and 15-6. "(HOSKINS) IS an outstanding jum- per," said Michigan head coach Sandy Vong. "We tried to stop her by moving our blockers, but as you can see, it didn't do any good." Hoskins, a 5-6 hitter, put the ball around, over and through Michigan blocks, collecting a total of 14 kills, more than half the Wolverine team total. Her two errors and .522 hitting percentage (comparable to a baseball batting average) show that she didn't often miss either. But lest anyone think Hoskins is only an offensive player, her 15 digs topped that defensive category, and her two block assists were tops for CMU. "SHE'S ALWAYS been an awesome hitter," said Chippewa head coach Marcy Weston, "but this was one of her best all-around performances." Gridde Picks Weston also credited senior setter Karen Bitz, who Weston said made the rest of the CMU squad look good. The match, according to Weston, was a chance for the Chippewas to regain some pride after a loss to Western Michigan last week destroyed their chance at the NCAA tournament. "THIS WAS GETTING it back together," Weston said. "I wanted the starting lineup to get it in high gear and keep it there." The loss is Michigan's fourth straight and drops the Wolverines to 15-13 on the season. The losing streak has Vong worried the Wolverines may have lost their competitive spirit. "Losing can be a habit,'' he said. "Sometimes you can't snap out of it." a0 se' O if SPORTS OF THE DAILY: Freshman Bell saves stickers By STEVE HUNTER A lot of funny things happened yesterday in Michigan's 2-1 field hockey victory over Toledo. For most of the first half the game seemed pretty normal, turning into a defensive battle with a 0-0 score. IN THE SECOND half, however, things got weird. For starters the Wolverines pulled starting goalie Jonnie Terry despite the fact that she had 3 saves and was playing well. The reason was to give freshman Maryann Bell some ex- erience in goal. But with the score 0-0? According to Terry, however, "Maryann's perfectly capable of playing in any of our games." As it turned out, Terry was right. Bell looked good under pressure, making 5 saves and showing why, according to junior Lisa Schofield "We (the team) have 100% confidence in Maryann." The next strange thing to happen was when a baseball was hit out of Ray L. Fisher stadium and onto the playing field. (It was quickly removed and play did not stop.). SOON AFTER THAT, Toledo, whose hard hitting and un- dercutting of the ball kept both teams running all afternoon, manaed to score when Rnoket iuinir Tis Whitmever gnt a That brings up the last strange thing that happened. Senior co-captain Kay McCarthy, playing her last game said, "It was fun. I had a good time, but we have no advantage on this grass (playing surface). Unfortunately we have all these facilities and can't use them." Her discontent with the field was echoed by several teammates. Michigan closes out its season this Saturday in East Lan- sing against Michigan State, and a victory coupled with a Purdue loss would give the Wolverines (3-6 in the Big Ten) third place in the conference. Pistons 106, Bucks 93 Special to theDaily PONTIAC - Bob Lanier's visit to Detroit certainly wasn't a pleasant one. Lanier, one of the all-time great Pistons and currently a Milwaukee Buck floored Detroit's Bill Laimbeer with a roun- dhouse left hook just before the first half ended in last night's 106-93 Piston victory over the Bucks. "THE DOBBER," escaped both foul and ejection but he Another campus group that is not too successful at Griddes is the freshman class. It takes the average freshman four to five weeks to figure out that Griddes is not an advertisement for frozen waffles. It takes him or her another two weeks to find Pizza Bob's or the Daily, to turn in the actual picks. Freshmen are so intimidated by all the older students that they find them- selves subconsciously picking Youngstown State every week. They like to pick USC because the trojan on their helmets looks so much like the stamp at Dooley's which they have been trying to obtain for so long. If you see freshmen who look con- fused, stop for a second, help them with their picks, and point them toward the Daily or Pizza Bob's on S. State or Church. Tell them to hurry, since even a freshman's picks must be in by mid- night Friday. 1. Purdue at MICHIGAN (pick score) 2. Illinois at Minnesota 3. Ohio State at Indiana s N A 4. Michigan State at Northwestern 5. Iowa at Wisconsin 6. Pittsburgh at Norte Dame 7. Washington at Arizona 8. Arizona State at California 9. Oklahoma at Missouri 10. Stanford at Southern California 11. Alabama at Louisiana State 12. Maryland at Auburn 13. Georgia at Florida 14. East Carolina at Miami 15. Clemson at North Carolina 16. Colgate at Pennsylvania - 17. Holy Cross at Harvard 18. Prairie View at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 19. Southern Conneticut at Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo 20. Purdue Trouble-Makers at DAILY LIBELS SCHOOL OF LAW WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY