The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - November 4, 1991 - Page 3
l &ff ESP/V spo tscaste
C iwis L ewm a r
Berman
The -charismatic host looks
Jeff Sheran
back, back,
back on his career
Chris Berman's fame was born
with the conception of ESPN in
1979. Since then, Berman and the
network have grown in stature and
celebrity together. He has become
known for his odd sense of humor
and his multitude of nicknames, as
well as his broadcasting skills. He
will be speaking this Tuesday at 5
p.m. at Rackham Auditorium. Re-
cently, Daily Sports Writer Adam
Lutz "of luck" had a chance to talk
with Berman.
Daily: You are very boisterous
and enthusiastic on the air. Is this
just part of your act, or is this your
true personality?
Berman: I know it's a scary
thought but I'm just being myself
on the air. I get real excited about
sports and I am just following my
insticts.
D: Who had the biggest impact
on you as a broadcaster?
0 B: I was influenced most by Jack
Whitaker.. This is very surprising, I
know, since he is nothing like me.
However, what I admire most about
Jack is that no one uses the English
language better than he does.
D: You're probably best known
for your crazy nicknames. How did
these come about?
B: At Brown University, my
buddies and I were hanging out sip-
ping my favorite drink, talking
baseball, and throwing out nick-
Aames. Five years later at ESPN, I
was doing my first baseball game in
1980 and a nickname slipped out by
accident. I swear. I never planned
this, but it seems as if we have cre-
ated a monster. My friend and part-
ner in the booth, Jerry "Rolls"
Reuss said it best: "It's a game ev-
eryone can play."
D: What are the favorite nick-
names you've created?
B: Bert "Be home" Blyleven and
John "Let it be" Lowenstein.
D: You have dealt with hundreds
of sports personalities. Who are
some of your favorites?
B: There are hundreds of them,
but the two that stand out are
George Brett and Jim Kelly, because
they are little boys inside just like
me. .These two guys would follow
thier respective sports whether they
played it or not; they are great fans
of the game.
D: What was the most difficult
moment you have encountered in the
studio?
B: Last year, Robin Roberts and I
were hosting Sport Sunday and the
whole building had a power failure.
The video blacked out, but the audio
stayed on. The producer told me to
continue speaking and for the next
five minutes, I was doing radio. I
was told I have a great face for ra-
dio.
D: What do you enjoy covering
most?
B: I have fun doing all sports,
yet I think I am best at football
analysis in the studio. However,
there is no replacement for doing
play-by-play at the ballpark.
D: A few years ago there were
rumors of you going over to NBC.
What was the situation with that?
B: Well, they were not rumors;
they were facts. NBC offered me
more money for less work and I
turned it down. ESPN is where my
heart is. They gave me the opportu-
nity and a hell of a chance. I have
made my mark here and I can't see
myself leaving and throwing it all
away. Besides, we report on national
athletes fixing games to cover point
spreads, I think there is too much
money in the pros for that to hap-
pen.
D: What teams did you root for
as a child, and what team did you
dream of playing for?
B: Growing up in Greenwich,
Conn., I rooted for the San Francisco
Giants and the Boston Red Sox, the
New York Jets, the Toronto Maple
Leafs, and the Chicago Bulls; hon-
estly, I did. It's funny, looking at
these teams, they all have one thing
'I was doing my first baseball game in 1980
and a nickname slipped out by accident. I
swear. I never planned this, but it seems as if
we have created a monster'
sports seven days a week, and not
just on weekends like the networks.
D: What is your feeling on the
use of instant replay?
B: It will never be used in all
sports, esspecially baseball. I am
not a fan of it, but I have to admit, it
does work. I would rather see hu-
man judgement make the decisions,
and let the officials do their job.
D: There has been talk of legaliz-
ing gambling. Do you think this
would lead to point-fixing and
other wrongdoings?
B: I think legalizing gambling is
much too dangerous. In terms of
in common: They were all very good
teams at one time, but they never
won it all, excpt the Jets, of course.
I would play for the San Francisco
Giants if I could play for any team.
D: The player getting all the
hype right now in these parts is
Desmond Howard. What is your
scouting report of him?
B: Desmond Howard should win
the Heisman Trophy Award. I am
not sure if he will make an impact in
the NFL. However, if there is a way
for him to make an impact, he will
figure it out. He is a very smart
player.
Stymied stickers drop match in OT, 3-2
by Tim Spolar
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan field hockey team
looked to avenge its 2-1 Oct. 5 loss
to Ohio State in its final home game
yesterday morning. Despite a strong
effort, the Wolverines came up
short, losing, 3-2, in overtime.
The loss, which dropped the
Wolverines to 2-6 in the MCFHC
and 7-9 overall, gave the Buckeyes a
sweep of the season series between
the schools. However, both games
were extremely close, as evidenced
by the single-goal margins of vic-
tory.
In yesterday's match at Ooster-
baan Field House, neither team en-
joyed a decided advantage in the first
half. Play was confined mostly to
mid-field skirmishes, with occa-
sional offensive outbreaks which re-
sulted in a 2-1 Buckeye lead at half-
time. Forward Kristin Shaiper, a se-
nior co-captain, notched the lone
Wolverine goal of the period, her
first of the season.
However, the teams suffered
from a feast or famine scenario of-
fensively in the second half and
overtime. After a few isolated scor-
ing opportunities went unconverted
by each side in the first fifteen min-
utes of the second half, Michigan
took control of the game.
For a ten-minute span, the
Wolverines put constant pressure
on Ohio State's defenders and goalie
Sue Wilson. After missing three
penalty corner opportunities, junior
forward Katie Vignevic finally put
home a rebound, tying the game at
two.
"In the beginning of the game
they were beating us to the the
ball," junior forward and co-captain
Katie Thomas said. "But I think we
amended that. We started to dom-
inate a little bit in the first half and
for a good part of the second half.
When we were dominating, they
were clearly frustrated."
However, Ohio State regrouped
and returned the favor by holding
5-0 Michigan must
improve for final 4.0
Midterms have passed, and grades arc being assigned. Five games into
its Big Ten football season, Michigan football is receiving its report
card.
The problem, if it can be called a problem, is that the Wolverines are
5-0 in the Big Ten, and 7-1 overall. They're ranked fourth in the nation.
They're virtually Rose Bowl-bound. And if Miami beats Florida State
and Florida beats Miami... well, we get the idea.
This makes grading Michigan a difficult task. By virtue of its record,
it deserves high marks all around, and anything less would be purely aca-
demic, not to mention cynical.
But, as Wolverine coach Gary Moeller asserts repeatedly, Michigan
needs to do more than just win - it needs to improve while it wins.
Hence, such evaluation is worthwhile.
And now, on to the offense...
Quarterback: Elvis Grbac has dazzled on some occasions, and fizzled
on others, in each game proving that he alone controls the Wolverines'
offensive fortune. Moeller lauds Grbac's accuracy, and says his ability to
read defenses has improved steadily. In addition, his precision at
throwing the endzone fade earns him extra credit.
But sometimes it seems that, as much as Grbac finds Desmond
Howard downfield, he doesn't find him enough. Howard makes Grbac
look good; but he also makes Grbac look poor by getting too open. We're
occasionally left wondering how Grbac failed to hit him.
But overall, Grbac is on much more than he's off. Grade: A-
Running backs: Ironic that Moeller's biggest concern before the '
season was depth at tailback, isn't it? Now he's got three.
Though sometimes overshadowed by Howard, Ricky Powers has
proven his worth with performances like the Notre Dame game, when he
killed more than six minutes in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
But, as he admits, he must time his cuts better and become more patient
with the holes.
Then there's Jesse Johnson, who exploded onto Michigan's offensive
scheme like he explodes through the line of scrimmage. And Tyrone
Wheatley, another welcome newcomer. Though reputed as a sprinter,
Wheatley has yet to break into the open field and showcase his record
sTeed.
Burnie Legette is this season's most improved player. He blocks as
well as any fullback in the conference, and rushes well when given the
ball. Now that Legette is injured, his substitute, Greg McThomas, has
blocked admirably.
Michigan averages 230 yards per game on the ground, but should aver-
age more, as Moeller maintains. As with Grbac, the running game is ex-
cellent but seems as if it could be even better. Grade: A-
Receivers: Desmond Howard singlehandedly earns this corps an A+.
It's amazing that he can dominate so consistently. His exploitation of
opposing defenses spreads them wide open for everyone else to exploit as
well. And, he can block with the best.
But credit Yale VanDyne, who has stepped into the starting flanker
spot and done a first-rate job as Michigan's second receiver. Grade: A+
Offensive Line: They're big, but their size makes for big expecta-
tions. Greg Skrepenak has played well, but hasn't been the omnipresent
force on the line people thought he'd be. Matt Elliott has shined, but in-
juries have forced him to shuffle between guard and center. The pass
blocking has been sharp, but the run blocking should be sharper. We can't
have many complaints, but we can expect more. Grade: B+
Defensive Line: Though tight against the run, this unit has struggled
with its pass rush. Mike Evans has emerged from anonymity on the line,
while Chris Hutchinson has been perennially solid, and Tony Henderson
and Buster Stanley have improved at middle guard. They excelled against
Purdue; now they must prove whether they can excel against a better
team. Grade: B
Linebackers: On the inside, the linebacking has been stellar. Erick
Anderson deserves the Butkus Award simply because no other linebacker
could possibly play much better than he has played. In addition, Steve
Morrison and Marcus Walker complement Anderson more than
adequately. Though most depleted by injuries, this is the strongest part
of the defense. They get an A- by themselves.
The outside linebackers have been erratic. Early in the season, they
were neither effective on the pass rush nor on defending the short pass.
Brian Townsend has led the revival of this squad with solid, if not
extraordinary, performances of late. Grade: B+
Secondary: Though the defensive backs hit hard, they always seem to
allow the reception first. They'll contain the opponent for two downs
and set up third and long, but will too often make a mistake in this
situation. They rarely let up the ball go past them, but get burned in
front of their eyes.
However, this unit is comprised of 10 eager and increasingly able bod-
ies. They have the most room for improvement, but have begun to close
the gap in recent games. Grade: B-
Special Teams: J.D. Carlson has squandered his opportunity to be the
conference's best placekicker. However, he never misses extra points, a
quality teams nationwide have lacked. Eddie Azcona manages to get the
job done on punts. The Howard-led return teams are fearsome. Grade: B
Overall Grade: B+/A-
Garcia wins MICHIGAN
New York MEN'S CLUB
Marathon BASKETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Salvador ORGANIZATIONAL
Garcia, a sergeant in the Mexican
army, led a stunning 1-2 Mexican MEETING
finish in the New York City
Marathon yesterday, while brash Liz TUESDAY:
McColgan of Scotland ran the fastest
race by a first-time women's
marathoner. 8 P.M.
Garcia, 31, the runner-up in last MICHIGAN UNION
year's race, broke away between theLO B
17th and 18th miles with a blister- LOB
ing mile time of 4 minutes, 26 sec-
onds. CALL 668-3154
He finished in an unofficial
2:09:28, the fastest of his career, in
earning the $20,000 first prize and a
new Mercedes Benz sports sedan. He r
also earned a $35,000 bonus for
breaking 2:10:00.DISCOUNT
Andres Espinoza, 28, who never a .
Senior speedster Kristin Shaiper leads the Wolverine defense in attacking Ohio State during one of the
Buckeyes' numerous penalty corner opportunities yesterday. OSU won in overtime, 3-2.
play in the Wolverine defensive
zone for the remainder of regulation
play. The Buckeyes drew four
penalty corners in the final five
minutes, and appeared to score on
one with two minutes remaining.
But a controversial moving-ball
call by the referee negated what
verines were unable to mount a
counterattack through the remain-
der of overtime.
"They came back in overtime and
pretty much dominated the whole
way," Thomas said. "We never got
through (offensively)."
Penalty corners were again the
'They came back in overtime and pretty much
dominated. We never got through offensively'
- Katie Thomas
Michigan co-captain
stretches that the Wolverines dom-
inated, they passed the ball amongst
themselves quickly and accurately.
However, throughout the rest of the
game, they depended on individual
efforts to move the ball downfield,
a tactic which proved less than suc-
cessful.
"We need to work on quicker
passing," Thomas said. "We got
caught in possession a lot. We need
to pass the ball off and keep it
wide."
"We really need to pass more,"
Vignevic concurred. "We were
holding the ball (individually) too
much. If we were quicker with our
passing, we could use our superior
team speed to our advantage."
The loss eliminated the Wolver-
ines' chances of finishing in the up-
per half of the conference. With two
conference matches remaining, the
Wolverines are three games behind
the third-place Buckeyes.
would have been the game-winning
the goal.
Ohio State continued to draw
penalty corner chances through its
aggressive play in the overtime
period. The Buckeyes' Danielle
Dayton finally scored the game
winner off a penalty corner, her
second of the match, four minutes
into the extra period. The Wol-
key to the game's scoring. All of the
Buckeyes' goals came on corners, as
did Shaiper's first-half goal for the
Wolverines. Ohio State held an 11-7
advantage in penalty corner oppor-
tunities, including the final seven of
the game.
Michigan's offensive shortcom-
ings were attributable to a lack of
team ball movement. During the
" Spikers top Hoosiers, fall to Buckeyes again
by Ken Davidoff
Daily Sports Writer
Comedian Steven Wright once
;lamented, "I'm having deja vu and
,amnesia at the same time." The
Michigan women's volleyball team
experienced neither this weekend,
although it did encounter similar
results from only a few weeks ago.
outside hitter Aimee Smith said. We
crushed Indiana this time, and we
got to put some other players in. We
fought a lot harder against Ohio
State. We can upset anyone on any
given day."
"We've made huge amounts of
progress since the last time," mid-
dle blocker Fiona Davidson added.
Thompson contributed 37 assists.
"We had a lack of discipline,"
Davidson said. "We were too fo-
cused on individual discipline; we
should have focused across the net
and fought the opponent."
The Indiana match was a much
more nleasant exnerience for the
really flowed."
There were mixed emotions
from the Wolverine players on the
weekend as a whole.
"I thought it was pretty
tive," Smith said. "We
bummed out about the Ohio
posi-
were
State
match hut we had a great win