Volleyball
vs. Ohio State
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
IM Building

SPORTS

Hockey
vs. Ferris State
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Yost Ice Arena


The Michigan Daily

Thursday, November 6, 1986

Page 9

I I

urlin (UrLnide
By Adam Martin
can't prove it. I don't even have any indirect
connections. It's just a feeling... a burning
inclination.
Writers, broadcasters, and coaches are deviously
manipulating the major college football polls. They
want a showdown on Jan. 1 between the first- and
second-ranked teams, which~can only happen if those
uteams meet in the nonaligned Fiesta Bowl.
AND THE conspirators, two months before
Bowl day, have already arranged their preferred
showdown.
If the top two teams in this week's Associated
Press and United Press International polls - Miami
and Penn State - remain unbeaten the rest of the
season, they will meet in the Fiesta Bowl to
determine the national championship.
And that's okay - if Miami and Penn State
deserve their billings. Both teams are independents
and present an interesting battle.
BUT WHAT about Michigan? Like the
Hurricanes and Nittany Lions, the Wolverines are 8-0.
Only, after trouncing Illinois, 69-13, Michigan
actually dropped from second to third in the UPI
coaches poll. Somehow the brilliant media kept the
Wolverines at number three in the AP poll, but they
probably debated a demotion.
The whole thing just doesn't figure. Last week
Penn State jumped four spots, from sixth to second,
in AP. After embarrasing Alabama, 23-3, the Lions
deserved to move up. But so did the Wolverines. In
fact, if the words "natural progression" mean
anything, Michigan deserved to stay ahead of Penn
Sate because it began the weekend at number four
,while Penn State was at number six.
Both teams won impressively, so despite
Alabama's fall from number six, Penn State
conceivably should have supplanted Michigan at
number four while the Wolverines took the Crimson
Tide's spot at number two.
THE Nittany Lions, by upsetting the second-

Who's No. 1?..:
ranking conspirc
ranked club, had a legitimate claim on the second
spot. But once again, so did Michigan.
Another club, the Colorado Buffalos (they ain't in
the rankings), upset Nebraska, the third-ranked team
of two weeks ago. But did Colorado supplant
Nebraska? Don't be ridiculous.
Demoting Michigan makes no sense, especially
after the Wolverines beat the Illini by 56 points. The
only possible reason for keeping Michigan out of the
top two is the Wolverines obligation to play in the
Rose Bowl if they win the Big Ten.
ANTICIPATING Michigan's trip to Pasadena,
the conspirators see no reason to put the Wolverines
in a position to win the national championship.
Michigan can't play Miami or Penn State, the
conspirators say, so why give the Wolverines such a
high ranking when a showdown between one and two
- Miami and Penn State - is easy to fix?
The logic is understandable. And the chance that.
Miami or Penn State will lose before Jan. 1 is slim.
The Hurricanes play at Pittsburgh this Saturday and
then return to the Orange Bowl for, get this, Tulsa
and East Carolina. The Nittany Lions have a tougher
three weeks, with games at home against Maryland
and Pitt sandwiched between a trip to Notre Dame.
Penn State might lose, in which case Michigan,
barring a foolish defeat, would finally move up. But
the conspirators have another plan if, by chance,
their dreamy Fiesta Bowl clash between Miami and
Penn State falls through. And it's really simple.
If Penn State loses, Michigan will jump up two
positions to number one and supplant Miami on
strength of schedule (don't forget Ohio State).
Meanwhile, Arizona State, the Rose Bowl's probable
Pac-10 participant, will vault from fifth to second,
and again the conspirators will have an artificial
showdown for the national championship.
If this scheme seems outrageous, it probably is.
But don't put it past the conspirators; they're devious.
Someday I'll prove it.

PALMER ASSISTS ICERS
Ex-Devil turns to Blue


EX-WOLVERINE SPARKS BRONCO SECONDARY:
A Harden-fast safety

By ADAM SCHEFTER
Rob Palmer had served his time
in the National Hockey League.
Six seasons as a defenseman with
the Los Angeles Kings and the New
Jersey Devils to be exact.
But after he finished the 1985-
86 season with the American
Hockey League's Maine Mariners,
the Devils weren't exactly making
an all out effort to sign the 29-year-
old. In fact, there was no contract
offer at all.
PALMER'S HOCKEY career
was at a standstill and he knew it.
"I got to the point where I
wanted to get into something more
permanent," he said. "My wife and
I had enough of the pro stuff. It
was time to get on to something
else."
He thought about enrolling in
graduate school but he needed a part
time job to do that.
ENTER MICHIGAN assistant
coach and good buddy Mark Miller.
After Palmer visited his ex-
teammate this summer, he learned
that Michigan had a graduate
assistant coaching job open thanks
to the departure of Dave Debol.
The opportunity was perfect.
Palmer got the part-time job he
craved while he furthered his
education and the Wolverines got
the experienced player they needed
to help guide their young and
talented defensive corps.
"IT WAS something that was
worthwhile for them and me," said
the assistant graduate coach. "I
have the best of both worlds."
As a graduate assistant, his
responsibilities are essentially like
those of an assistant coach. He is
active with the team on and off the
ice. He tutors the young
defensemen and is involved with the
players' conditioning.
He said his own physical shape
helped prolong his NHL career.
GRIDDE PICKS
Pizza in the Evil Empire? What
next?
The Daily reported yesterday that
PepsiCo Inc. has made a deal to
open 100 Pizza Huts in the Soviet
Union.
Next thing you know, those
Russkies will be wanting to play
Griddes and drink American
brewskies while watching American
football.
Turn in your picks by midnight
Friday to ensure yet another fun-
filled week of Griddes before a
communist takeover.
1. MICHIGAN at Purdue
(Pick total points)
2. Northwestern at Ohio
State
3. Indiana at Michigan
State
4. Iowa at Illinois
5. Minnesota at Wisconsin
6. Maryland at Penn State
7. Miami, Fla at Pitt
8. Florida State at South
Carolina
9. Georgia vs. Florida at
Jacksonville
10. LSU vs. Alabama at
Birmingham
11. North Carolina at
Clemson
12. Nebraska at Iowa State
13. SMU at Notre Dame

14. Arkansas at Baylor
15. Houston at Texas
16. Arizona at Washington
State
17. Stanford at UCLA
18. Washington at Oregon
State
19. Morehead State at
Middle Tennessee State
20. DAILY LIBELS at
Purduped

"ONE OF MY major assets
was that I always reported in good
condition," Palmer said. "I had to
use my head and work extremely
hard to survive."
"He was not as talented as a lot
of players," said head coach Red
Berenson. "He continued to play
because of his ingenuity, his ability
to learn and adjust, and his smarts.
He became a skilled defensive
defenseman and hopefully some of
that will rub off on our young
players. The younger players are
fortunate to work with a player of
his caliber."
Palmer gets the chance to view
his results from a bird's eye view.
During the games he is stationed on
the top of the arena. Last weekend,
he got to see his team's dismal

overall effort. If he wasn't ill from
the hotel food, as some of the
players were, then he was certainly
sickened by the team's performance.
THIS VIEW HAS been able to
help him put things into
perspective.
"Now that I'm a coach, I never
made a mistake while I played,"
Palmer said.
"Sitting up in the press box
makes it easier to evalute the
team's performance. If I had had a
set of eyes in the press box while I
was playing, I'd still be playing.
But it's so easy to see the mistakes
that are being made. In a way it is
almost frustrating."
And it is the graduate assistant's
job to correct those mistakes.

Daily Photo by PETE ROSS
Graduate assistant Rob Palmer draws from his six year experience in the
pros to help instruct the michigan hockey defense.

By ADAM SCHRAGER
The tension mounted. Two
minutes remained in Los Angeles,
the Broncos leading, 14-10. Raider
quarterback Marc Wilson dropped
back... looking, looking...
throwing..." it's picked off by
Denver safety Mike Harden. He's
going all the way. Touchdown -
Broncos, 20-10. The Broncos are
going to move to 8-1."
With that touchdown return, one
other interception, and five tackles
on the day, Michigan graduate Mike
Harden was named American
Football Conference defensive
player of the week. Harden has been
productive in a secondary that has
played a major role in the Broncos'
successful season this season.
"OUR SUCCESS can be
attributed to the fact that our
younger players, such as John
Elway, have matured tremendously
and that the older players with more
experience have provided

leadership," explained Harden. "We
knew we had the talent. It was just
a matter of time before we put it
together."
The Broncos lead the Western
Division of the AFC by 2 1/2
games. But with players like
Elway, Gerald Willhite, Sammy
Winder, and Karl Mecklenburg, the
secondary tends to get ignored in all
the commotion.
"We've received more
recognition than before, this year.
Our coverages are a lot more solid
now than in previous years," added
Harden. "We have played together
for almost five years. We know
each other very well and this has
allowed us to become better.
"THE ACQUISITION of Mark
Haynes before the year made people
realize that we are a talented
secondary. Our talent is also aided
by the fact that the defensive line
has placed an incredible amount of
pressure on the quarterback so far

this year," said Harden.
As a two-time All-Big Ten
safety, Harden earned the coaches'
respect with not only his talent, but
with his effort. Harden was named
Defensive Hustler all three years he
spent with the Wolverines (1977-
1979).
"If there was one thing that I
learned at Michigan, it was to play
with emotion and intensity. Bo was
an amazing motivator. He made it
so when you went into a game,


FALL FOR

CANOEING
AT THE
OUTDOOR
RECREATION
CENTER

there was never a time where you
wouldn't be prepared emotionally
and physically," explained Harden.
HARDEN'S BEST year came
when, as a senior, he was second on
the team in interceptions (two),
sixth in tackles (64), and first in
fumble recoveries (three), passes
broken up (eight), and touchdown
saves (four).
Being part of a winning team is
no strange occurrence for Harden. In
his three years in the Michigan
secondary, the team compiled a 28-
8 record. He played in three Rose
Bowl losses for the Wolverines.
Because of those defeats in
Pasadena, the urge for victory grew
even stronger for Harden.
"As far as winning is concerned,
I have been on teams that have won
lots of football games, but never
the big one. I am hoping of course
that we can go to the Super Bowl
because I want to be a part of a
winning team," stated Harden.
As personal goals go, Harden
would like to be honored by his
contemporaries. "I set my goals
higher this year than my previous
years in the pros. I would like to
look back upon the regular season
as one in which I played
consistently for all 16 games. After

Plymouth
Hubbard E
Fuller

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Recre,
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9

1

THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO
BECOMING A NURSE IN THE ARMY
And they're both repre-
sented by the insignia you wear
as a member of the Army Nurse

,i m. r,-