4 Page 8- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 19, 1985 BA RB'S ARBS By Barb McQuade Football's TV blitz... ...could sack minor sports W HEN A Supreme Court ruling lifted the NCAA's limit on the number of times a college football team may appear on television a year ago last June, athletic directors around the country licked their chops at the prospect of a steady diet of TV revenue. They anticipated a financial shot in the arm for their athletic programs, but failed to consider the losers under the unrestricted system - minor sports teams. Michigan's football, basketball, and hockey programs are the only teams that generate revenue, according to Athletic Director Don Canham. Each of the school's 18 other sports teams lose money annually. They've got good programs and talented athletes, but not much fan appeal. "The Wave" doesn't go over big on the University golf course. Michigan football brings in over $1 million per game in ticket and concession revenue, enough to pay all the Athletic Department's bills. The new freedom with television contracts, however, threatens to change that. Canham fears too many TV appearances could over-saturate the public with Michigan football, which could eventually lead to a decline in ticket sales, the athletic department's bread and butter. Without that revenue you can bet it wouldn't be the football team who would suffer. The cutbacks would fall on minor sports. Canham's worries may seem unfounded after 61 straight football games with more than 100,000 in attendance. But regular appearances on television can eventually keep fans away from the stadium to watch the game in their living rooms or at the local bar. Stanford faced such a problem last year. Televising all its home games, said Canham, at- tendance dropped 40 percent for the Cardinal. A similar occurance at Michigan would be a staggering blow to the Wolverine athletic program. The dollars the athletic department receives from the networks appear lucrative, but not at the expense of ticket revenue. For the nationally- televised Notre Dame game last week, CBS paid out $600,000. The Irish took home half the pie, but Michigan was left with only the crust. As part of the Big Ten, the Wolverines must share their por- tion of TV revenue with the other nine schools. When that $600,000 drops down to $30,000, it loses some of its taste. There's where Canham's concern comes into play. While Georgia and Oklahoma got the NCAA to lift the limits and end what they considered restraint of trade, Michigan's athletic director was against it all the way. The money Michigan takes in from TV cannot compare to the $1.4 million it picks up from tickets and concessions in a sellout game. Canham's actions were consistent with his wor- ds, as he restricted Michigan's appearances this season to two - the contests with Notre Dame and Ohio State. His feelings on the matter - if you want to see Michigan football, buy a ticket. And he is not about to budge in making drastic time changes to accommodate TV coverage. Kickoff time for the Notre Dame game was moved back 40 minutes, but that's where Michigan will draw the line. No portable lights will sneak into Michigan Stadium for night games for the benefit of the networks. What he cannot control, however, is the broad- cast of away games, such as this Saturday's South Carolina contest. Other schools with smaller stadiums have less fear of empty seats. Most of them receive university funding for their athletic programs, and are not as dependent on their foot- ball team as a money-maker as Michigan is. Full-season coverage of Michigan football could boost the team and the school's image, but Canham has more of a long-term -projection in mind. If selling out for some immediate cash means a reduction in ticket sales, then Canham's right in telling the networks to keep their cameras off the playing field. Those loyal Blue fans will have to leave their easy chairs and come out to the stadium to support the gridiron heroes, and those of Michigan's other sports. NO. 300 EL UDES NIEKR O A GAIN: - Tigers trip NY Snap Judgments By MIKE REDSTONE 'Cocks tough infield... ...limp in name W HAT'S in a name? Ah, that age-old question. Most people will tell you that names don't mean too much these days. Well, maybe they don't, but down at the University of South Carolina the highly-touted football team brags about a mascot name rich with pride and tradition - the Fighting Gamecocks. A Gamecock, for those of you who don't know, is a rooster. To be more specific, it is the type of rooster which has been partaking in cockfights for the past 100 years or so. Sure, a rooster is a tough little beast, but it doesn't exude the same nastiness that a Wolverine does. The University of South Carolina, according to its football press book, is a fine academic institution which also happens to possess one of the best football programs in the nafion. I'm sure Bo Schembechler and the rest of the Michigan football team are well aware of that fact as they head down to Columbia this Saturday to face the Gamecocks. Those pesky 'Cocks did finish with a 10-2 record last year, earning them a bid to the Gator Bowl. Alright, South Carolina is a good football school. Despite that, I can't help laughing when I see the way the South Carolina Athletic Department has expanded on this Gamecock theme. First of all there is the 'Roost.' This is the dorm complex where all of the South Carolina student/athletes live. I don't know about you, but if I was a hotshot high school football player with my pick of colleges, and some school told me I would be living in the Roost, I'd probably tell them, "Sorry, but living in a barn is not my idea of a good time." Okay, so they call their dorm the Roost. I could get used to that in a couple of years. But with their special weight club, the SC football team has gone too far. I'll let you try and guess the name first. Think of the crudest, most obnoxious name possible, remembering that it must con- tain that special word - cock. I'll bet there are some pretty interesting names going through your mind right now. Thought long enough? The strongest players on the South Carolina team are allowed to become members of the prestigious Iron Cocks Club. Currently, 28 players can proudly call themselves Iron Cocks. Come on South Carolina. I think you're taking this cock business a little too far. I would like to know, though, do these guys wear cups during the game? If not, I'm sure the Michigan players would love to see the list of Iron Cocks before Saturday's game. I'm sure students at South Carolina are used to cock being tacked onto the end of words all the time, but I wonder how familiar they are with this Iron Cock Club. I'd love to see the reaction when a smooth-talking 877- pound offensive tackle approaches some girl in a bar with the line, "Hey baby, I'm an Iron Cock." It could get ugly. I will admit that this Iron Cocks Club is pretty funny, and I'm sure the players get a lot of laughs with it. In fact, I think the South Carolina sports braintrust could easily come up with a few more titles with cock in them. For example, how about changing the name of the football stadium from Williams-Brice Stadium (boring) to The University of South Carolina Cock Ring. That way they could get the word cock in there while simultaneously stirring up images of the great South Carolina pastime of cock fighting. With the new stadium name, something would have to be done to let the people of America know that those Fighting Gamecocks mean business. Of course, I am referring to the future New Year's Day classic - The Cock Bowl. Once that becomes the most popular bowl game, a huge plaque will be erected (pardon the expression) commemorating the South Carolina mascot. It will read something like: "THE HOUSE THAT THE COCK BUILT." After all this talk, I'm really excited about Saturday's game. I think the only suitable thing to say at this point is: Go Wolverines, whip those 'Cocks. By ADAM MARTIN Special to the Daily DETROIT - Every little thing was arranged perfectly. Boston would pummel Toronto. The Yankees would edge closer to the Blue Jays, and 46-year-old Phil Niekro would etch his place in baseball history with win number 300. BUT IF Niekro wanted that piece of history and the Yankees wanted a pennant, neither wanted it bad enough last night at Tiger Stadium, as the Roar of '84 returned for an evening and the Tigers dumped the, second place Yankees, 5-2. Tiger pitcher Mickey Mahler, 1-2, came on in relief of a dismal Juan Berenguer with one out in the first in- ning and completely miffed New York the rest of the way. Meanwhile, after tying the game in the bottom of the first on back-to-back homers by Kirk Gibson and Darrell Evans, Detroit needed just one inning to dispose of the hapless Yanks. EVANS LACED his second hit of the night to right field in the sixth, advan- ced on a passed ball, and scored the winning run on a Johnny Grubb up- the-middle single. Before the rally ended, the Tigers made it 4-2 and iced the game in the eighth inning on Nelson Simmons' up- per-deck shot. Niekro, whose career mark is now 299-249, just wasn't sharp enough. The Yankees handed the gray haired one a 2-0 lead in the first, as Rickey Hender- son and Ken Griffey teed off on Berenguer. Griffey singled home Henderson, who had tripled to open the game, and Detroit was quickly down 2-0 when Dave Winfield knocked in Griffey. But once Mahler stepped on the mound, the Bronx Bombers fizzled. The San Antonio native fanned six Yankees in seven and two-thirds in- nings, as New York could scratch but one hit off Mahler after the first frame. The loss pushed Niekroas close to 300 wins as he is to 250 defeats. And New York booted a glaring oppor- tunity to gain ground on Toronto, as Boston crushed the Blue Jays, 13-1. Associated Press Yankee hurler Phil Niekro throws a knuckleball in the first inning of last night's 5-2 loss to the Tigers. Nilekro was unsuccessful in his bid to win his 300th career victory. Haji-Sheik h sidelined EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)- The New York Giants yesterday said that former Michigan place-kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh has been placed on the in- jured reserve list because of a recurring hamstring injury in his left leg. The Giants signed University of Maryland place-kicker Jess Atkinson on Tuesday, but team officials refused to comment on the status of Haji Sheikh, who reinjured the hamstring muscle and missed a 47-yard field goal attempt late in Sunday's 23-20 National Football League loss to Green Bay. GIANTS Coach Bill Parcells said Haji-Sheikh was moved to the injured reserve list Tuesday. "I think it was the right decision; otherwise, I would just go on and keep pulling it every other week," said Haji-Sheikh who will be sidelined for four weeks. ANN ARBOR JEWELRY EXCHANGE Your best buy! 322 S. 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