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Page 12 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 14, 1989

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Fans must adjust to
change of seasons

By Peter Zellen
Daily Sports Writer
The beginning of fall can be a trying time for a
sports fan's psyche, as well as to his or her television
remote control.
As the leaves start to come off the trees and a crisp
chill wafts through the air, there begins a
metamorphosis for the sports fan. All through
summer, the fan has been focused on baseball. But
now the autumn season provides new distractions.
The best example of this dilemma was last Sunday.
At any given moment that afternoon, one had a
premiere choice of sporting events.
On one station one could watch a variety of season
opening football games. On another channel, the
division-leading Chicago Cubs were pitted against the
second-place St. Louis Cardinals providing
representation for baseball. And on a third station one
could have watched the men's U.S. Open
championship between Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl.
IN JULY and August it was easy. The sportsworld
exclusively featured baseball. Pennant races and the
interleague trading deadline were the only concerns.
Now, however, the calendar page reads September.
The winners of those pennant races are becoming more
obvious now and, to some, whose home teams have
been eliminated, reading the box scores can be a
painful experience.
While a bear spends its fall season trying to find a
winter bed, there is no hibernation for the sports fan.
The baseball season has yet to end but the sports fan
uses September to break in a new sport: football.
This adjustment period is not easy and has to be
handled in the right way as the fan is slowly weaned
off baseball. Thursday Night Baseball has long since

ended and now the fan must read the football columns
in the papers and the weekly football preview shows.
Kevin Mitchell and the San Francisco Giants are
now being phased out for Joe Montana and the San
Francisco 49ers. The home run becomes the long
bomb and the double play changes to an interception.
Even the tragedies change form as the suspensions
of steroid users and the departure of Pete Rozelle re-
place the banishment of Pete Rose and the death of
Bart Giamatti.
THE BALL changes shape as Vin Scully and Tom
Seaver hand it off to Bob Costas and O.J. Simpson.
The crack of the bat is now the crunch of a quarterback
and a home run trot transforms into the Ickey Shuffle.
The fan is almost unconscious of the change and
frequently doesn't realize it until the final out of the
World Series. There is an empty feeling in their hearts
as the fan contemplates almost six months until
another baseball game.
During the winter though, the ultimate baseball
fans are not left totally deprived. Most Valuable Player
and Cy Young honors are awarded, along with winter
meeting trades and free agent signings.
But by then the fan is immersed in stats of a
different kind. Yards rushing and yards passing are the
new batting averages. These new numbers will remain
to b6calculated until that Super day in January.
But then what does the fan do in the months
between the Super Bowl and Opening Day? They can
listen to those familiar swishes, squeaks, and slam
dunks of the wooden court. The new acronyms become
NCAA and NBA.
But until pitchers and catchers report and the umpire
shouts the first "Play Ball!" we can never be the same.

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Winging It
Red Wing center Steve Yzerman lies one by goaltender Glen Hanlon in practice yesterday. Detroit opens
their regular season Oct. 5 at Calgary.
Rugby Club faces Fighting Irish in opener

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From Staff Reports
Michigan vs. Notre Dame this
weekend, right? Bo vs. Lou, right?
Well, another Michigan team plays a
Notre Dame team also this weekend.
The Michigan Rugby Football Club
starts off this eventful weekend with
two matches against the Fighting
Irish and two matches vs. the
Chicago Lions.
The Michigan RFC, celebrating
its 30th anniversary this season, has
high hopes for the '89 season. The
club just recently joined the Senior

Rugby League of the United States.
With matches against clubs such as
Chicago and Notre Dame, the All
Blues are facing much tougher
competition than in past years.
Last year, only hours before that
famous field goal that sent Michigan
to a heartbreaking defeat to their
South Bend rivals, the Michigan
RFC drubbed the Irish 50-0 on
enemy turf. The Wolverines' rivalry
with the Chicago Lions is being
renewed after the two clubs last
match two years ago.

The rugby club is looking forward
to an exciting season this fall with
matches against Michigan State,
Ohio State and Senior League games
against some of the best clubs in the
Midwest.
Kickoff at Mitchell Field is at 11
a.m. - only a few hours before their
gridiron counterparts. The club is
always looking for newcomers of all
skills. One can come to any practice
Tuesday or Thursday at 6:30 p.m
across from the Tartan turf on State
street. Phone 663-7574 for details.

Welcome Students
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Execs name
Vincent new
Baseball head

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Fay
Vincent was elected baseball com-
missioner Wednesday, less than two
weeks after A. Bartlett Giamatti died
of a heart attack.
Vincent, 51, had been deputy

commissioner under Giamatti. His
election was recommended Tuesday
during a meeting of baseball's exec-
utive council, which had been
running the sport since Giamatti's
death Sept.I.

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