C Page 10 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, January 11, 1990 Bo Continued from page 1 "I didn't want to remain in the athletic department and be looking over the shoulder of (new football coach) Gary Moeller," Schembechler said. His experience as a football coach and athletic director has prepared Schembechler for his new role, even if he's getting involved in a whole new ball game. "I've had 37 years in athletics," Schembechler noted. "The difference between baseball and football - its all competition. The business aspect of running a major league ball club can't be too much different than what I was doing as athletic director at Michigan." Schembechler became the Ath- letic Director on July 1, 1988, but the day-to-day operations of the de- partment have been handled by Wei- denbach. Schembechler's talents as ambassador have been the key to his success in his brief stint as Athletic Director, during which he became one of the nations' best-known fig- ures in college athletics. Schembechler the athletic director may be best remembered for his han- dling of basketball coach Bill Frieder's departure to Arizona State University. When Frieder joined the Sun Devils, he intended to coach the Michigan team through the NCAA tournament. Schembechler an- nounced that assistant coach Steve Fisher would lead the team in the post-season. "I don't want an Arizona State man coaching Michigan," Schem- bechler said at the time. "A Michi- gan man will coach Michigan." Schembechler criss-crossed the country to support Fisher and the basketball team, while still coaching his own football team through spring practice. The basketball team went on to win the national title. For the next year, Schembechler will be tutored by outgoing Tiger president Jim Campbell, the Tigers president since 1978. "I'm a reasonably intelligent guy, not the brightest, but I've got the advantage of having perhaps the best executive in baseball to be my men- tor. That's one of the things that en- ticed me to come here." Adam Benson Can anyone fill the void left by Bo? Bo Schembechler spent much of they don't need to be protected," said this last week cleaning out his office associate athletic director Fritz in the Michigan Athletic Department, Seyferth, who is rumored to be the taking his coaching trophies, photos top candidate to fill the the AD job and personal belongings with him. permanently. "That's not (Bo's) "They'll probably stick me in mission, his mission is to get good some cubbyhole somewhere," the people in good places and then get outgoing Michigan athletic direc- them to do the best that they can for tor/football coach said about moving the best of Michigan." out. That cubbyhole may hold Bo's New football coach Gary Moeller trophies, but it is empty without his added: "There is a lot of stability and presence. Bo takes some of the char- a lot of honesty left in this program. acter of the department found at the Bo isn't going to be here, but a lot corner of State and Hoover with of his program is still in tact." him. Associate athletic director Jack Who can replace him, and in Weidenbach stepped into Schem- essence, become Michigan athletics bechler's AD position on an - as many perceive Bo to be? Bo 'interim' basis. He already managed leaves replacements who will at least the day-to-day operations of the de- ensure that the athletic department partment, while Schembechler served still opens its doors every morning, as the department's ambassador even if they are exposed to the cruel within the athletic community. world that Schembechler had shel- "Everything that's gone on in the tered them from. athletic department, Jack has been a "If the people are worth anything, part of it," Seyferth said. "Since they've been a team, they've done everything together." Few doubt Weidenbach's skill as an executive, but can he balance the sometimes contradictory demands of both University administrators and interested alumni and boosters? Schembechler's popularity helped him escape the scrutiny that Wei- denbach will certainly face. Weidenbach's handling of Michi- gan's factions effects Moeller. Some fans doubt a coach who only won six games in three seasons, as Moeller did at Illinois. Quick wins will be expected from Moeller, who should have a strong team next sea- son. An endorsement from Schem- bechler would certainly quiet anxious fans, if Moeller starts slowly. Bear Bryant may have been able to shelter his replacements, Ray Perkins and Bill Curry, better than the University of Alabama adminis- trators who weakened to the cries oo fans. Woody Hayes' support could have quieted the Ohio State faithful that demanded for Earle Bruce's fir- ing. . Moeller claims that he is ready to face the world, even if Schembechler can't hold his hand. "We've got to run a football pro- gram, and a Gary Moeller footbal program, I'm looking forward td that," Moeller said. "He will be vis- ible at times when he is needed." Yet the Michigan athletic de- partment is suddenly suffering from a spiritual void. As Schembechler leaves, the personality cult that he had assembled over his 21 years at Michigan anxiously awaits to find i this gang of three - Weidenbach, Seyferth, and Moeller - can create a similar fervor for Michigan athlet- ics. 'Cs. EISIEN Continue from page 1 look like Charles Manson on a bad day. You see, the line judge, Charles Czubin told Schembechler he saw Bobby Abrams block Trojan Bruce Luizzi below the waist. Horrendous call. Abrams wasn't anywhere near Luizzi' s waist. To exacerbate the situation and Schem- bechler's ire, Czubin then reported to the head official, Jim Kemerlin, that Abrams was guilty of holding. Did I say blocking below the waist? Silly me. It was clipping.. .No, no wait a minute...Holding? Yeah, that's it. Holding! But, let's move on. Sour grapes can be ugly, just as ugly as sour play, an infraction of which the entire Wolverine team was frequently guilty. The defense bent - I mean really bent - but did not break until the last minutes of the game. The offense was stagnant and the special teams looked as if they were playing Notre Dame. And it's a testament to the Wolverine talent that Michigan was still in the football game at the half, let alone the fourth quarter. What a shame. A historic, un- defeated Big Ten season bookended by heartwrenching losses. Frustra- ting. This game had all the earmarks of a Wolverine loss. We've all seen these symptoms before and we know how deadly they can be. For instance, we saw one running play after another snuffed out at the line of scrimmage. Those huge, bullish ANN 1S PRIME PROPERI'I ES I The Abby -The Algonuquin -The Dean-7/e'7eu-m 'hic Lion -The Lodge - .ยข -515 E. 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After the blocked kick, the Michigan defense performed boldly and admirably, forcing Todd Mar- inovich and the Trojan offense into a tight fourth-and-inches situation. Marinovich went under center, took the ball and shoved towards the first down marker. The stadium, more than half filled with Michigan fans, shook as it seemed Marinovich fell short of the first down. And then came the ball place- ment. Wonder if Czubin was in charge here? The Wolverine faithful moaned. The chains fell to the ground for the measurement. And I give you Exhibit C. The tip of the ball, and I mean the damn tip, barely peeked past the tenth yard of chain. Marinovich got the first down by centimeters. Just two plays later, Marinovich kept the ball on a busted play to go in for the score. Exhibit D. We're running out of letters here. Even though the cards seemed stacked against them, Michigan still had a chance to win it. A desperation bomb to Desmond Howard fell in- complete in the waning seconds of the game. There were still two timeouts left. Alas, we can run through the scenarios, replay the entire game in our heads, and ask "Why" over and over again. But that will do us no good. It's just too painful a process. Without saying a word, linebacker Alex Marshall summed it all up. We've seen the pictures. A 6- foot-4, 235-pound man, tears streaming down his face. Quite an incongruous image, but then again nothing really made sense that day. "I want to apologize to Bo Schembechler. We didn't send him out right," Marshall hyperventilated through the tears. How can this have happened? Can't we start Winter Break all over again? After 21 years of service, THE DAILY CLASSIFIECL ARE A GREAT WAI' TO GET; FAST RESULTS CALL 764-0557 Express yourself in Daily Arts Call 763-0379 Schembechler left with the scarlet letter of "L" burnt on his chest. He almost left with grass stains on the seat of his pants. And now he's completely gone, with no recourse, no way to come back and help us# forget. That's Gary Moeller's job now. It was as if someone went into our heads and saw our nightmares, the things that lurked underneath our bed when we were children. You know, the stuff that really made us feel alone and unprotected when all we cared about was Bugs Bunny and Schoolhouse Rock. Who knew the thing buried deep in our worst fears was the 1990 Rose Bowl? 0 lII 77 / l 1 u fYf I f M a