Hockey
Intrasquad Scrimmage
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Yost Ice Arena

WSPORTS
Wednesday, October 5, 1988

Football
vs. Michigan State
Saturday, 12:15 p.m.
Michigan Stadium

The Michigan Daily

Netters

to

Page 7
face Spartans

THE SPORTING VIEWS

What is a Yankee fan?
BY RICHARD EISEN
Once again, New York Yankee manager Lou Piniella is waiting for the
other shoe to drop. And, of course, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner is
holding the shoe.
As has happened before, Steinbrenner is about to fire a manager that is
popular with the fans. As has happened before, he will completely ignore
the fans' pleas for the manager to stay. Eventually, however, as
Steinbrenner knows, the fans will stop pleading.
"What can you do," they will again say. "It's George's team."
In the world of the Yankee decision making, the fans are completely
shoeless. This is what being a Yankee fan is like.
SPORTS FANS are some of the most loyal people in the world, but
Yankee fans are a different breed. Yankee fans must be extra loyal and extra
blind, for their loyalty must constantly overcome their owner's
shenanigans.
Despite all the firings, the stupid trades, the damaging letters to the
press denouncing his team, true Yankee fans, like Billy Martin, keep
coming back for more.
Some fans, however, have not quite come this far. In the past few years,
Steinbrenner's antics became a bit too much for some fans, sending their
loyalty across to Queens. These people are not true Yankee fans.
These are the annoying folks who claim that they like the Yankees, but
they like the Mets, too. Sorry, buddy, that doesn't cut much ice here.
Being a true Yankee fan means bearing the burden of George Steinbrenner.
If you can't stand the heat, then become a Met fan.
DUE TO Steinbrenner, Yankee fans are denied the childish, giddiness
side of rooting for a baseball team. Nothing is more fun for a fan than to
watch a rookie grow and mature for their team. Yankee fans are constantly
denied this pleasure.
For instance, after constantly touting power hitter Jay Buhner as the
next great Yankee outfielder of the future, they traded him to Seattle for
aging veteran Ken Phelps. Many fans who were just beginning to fall for
Buhner had the rug rudely tugged out from under them.
Ridiculous trades by Steinbrenner are another thing through which
Yankee fans must sit idly. Young for old - that has been Steinbrenner's
strategy for the past six or seven years. Maybe that is a reason why his
team hasn't won a thing since 1981.
BUHNER, 22, is a young right-handed power hitter with a great
throwing arm. Phelps, 34, is a left-handed power hitter who cannot play
the field.
Steinbrenner's puppet, otherwise known as the general manager, said he
made the trade because Buhner has a hitch in his swing. Since joining
Seattle in late July, Buhner has hit 13 home runs. Some hitch.
They must sit and watch their favorite players, like Dave Winfield and
Don Mattingly, bicker with the owner. Then they painfully watch
Steinbrenner threaten to trade them away.
Lately, Steinbrenner has made serious attempts to trade Mattingly.
Trading Mattingly would be the unkindest cut of all.
If you think that being a Yankee fan is masochistic and painful, then
you are right.
And as long as Steinbrenner remains owner, Yankee fans will remain
barefoot.

BY STEVEN COHEN
Whenever the neighbors from
Lansing come into town, the
competition attracts the attention of
sports fans across the state.
Tonight sports fans in Michigan
will be even more attentive as
Michigan (10-7,0-4 Big Ten) faces
Michigan State(4-6, 2-2) in what
might be called "Volleyball Night in
Michigan."
Crisler Arena will open its doors
to high school volleyball teams and
coaches across the state. These high-
schoolers will get the chance to see
players who are familiar to them, as
15 of the 24 players participating
come from the state of Michigan.
But there is more to this contest
than putting on a good show for
potential Wolverines and Spartans.
"We aren't playing for the high
schoolers," said Michigan State
coach Ginger Mayson. "We fully
expect Michigan to come out at full
strength at us."
THOUGH Michigan will play
with optimum intensity, the team
will likely be without the services
of outside hitters Marie Ann
Davidson and Kristen Lang. Both
practiced sparingly Monday but it is

unlikely they will be able to play in
tonight's contest due to injuries.
In the absence of Davidson, first-
year student Autumn Collins has
taken over the quarterback role in the
Wolverine offense. Collins, as well
as outside hitter Karen Marshall and
middle hitter Carla Hunter, will have
to play well for the Wolverines to
win
Yet Michigan coach Joyce Davis
feels that a team is no better than
the sum of its parts. Though the
team has struggled in conference
play due to an inconsistent offensive
attack and poor hitting, Davis has
not overlooked the importance of
other aspects of the game.
"We have to have a consistent
performance from all 10 kids on the
roster," said Davis. "Everyone must
be consistent and stat-out in the
positive. Everyone must execute
team systems (which means) a lot of
intangibles such as trust and
communication."
In addition to playing
shorthanded, the Wolverines will
also have to contend with a Spartan
team set on avenging two losses last
year and a loss earlier this season in
the finals of the Ball State
Invitational. All six starters for the
Spartans have returned and Michigan
State's Jill Krumm and Becky
Belanger lead the Spartan attacking
game with over four kills a game.

Kim Glover
Indiana. The
track tonight

(2) goes up for a spike
Wolverines hope to get
against Michigan State.

last
back

JESSICA GREENE /Daily
weekend against
on the winning

CLASSIFIED ADS! Call 764-0557


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