The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - November 25,1991 - Page 3 r rrr--- s Henry The broadcaster speaks on men's and women's basketball, Crisler and more I I -W Jeff Sheran For four years, Larry Henry has been "the voice of Michigan bas- ketball" on WJR radio. Henry, who came to Detroit from Indianapolis, lives in Southfield with his wife and two children. Henry recently talked to Daily Basketball Writer Adam Miller over the phone. Daily: What is your favorite part of being a sports broadcaster? Henry: It's not being in the of- fice, and doing something you have to be thinking all the time. It's re- ally fun. D: When you call Michigan bas- ketball, you don't work with a color commentator. How does that work out? H: I guess ok. We have survived four years that way. I've gotten so used to it, I have to think about (the fact that I don't have a color commentator). It all comes down to being prepared ahead of time with everything. I've got stuff, I've got ._notes of things - heaven forbid a backboard shattering and you've got 20 minutes to fill while they're putting up a new backboard - that I can do by myself. And I end up talking to myself basically, when I'm actually talking to people who are listening. D: Your calls are featured on the Michigan videotape of the 1989 championship, ("The Battle in Seat- tle"). Can you give us some of your reflections on that experience? H: At the time you didn't have time to think. Things were happen- ing so quickly for three weeks. It all started when Bill Frieder left. I got a phone call that morning early in the day. I was set to fly out at noon- time to Atlanta, and instead I had go to a Michigan press conference to handle the Frieder situation. It all started from there, and things hap- pened so quickly that you really had to cover it to enjoy all of it. I think that one of the fun mo- ments was after they won the title and we had a big celebration back at the hotel that night. After that, I was invited to fly back on the team charter and got to ride in the caravan with the team on the buses with the police escort from the airport to Crisler Arena. Walking in and see- ing all the fans, that was neat. That was something I will remember for quite a while. D: If you ask most people what they remember of Larry Henry's calls during the Final Four, most will say your call of Scan Higgins' shot to beat Illinois stands out. What about that one? H: (Laughs) Sean Higgins' shot. Yeah, that one will stand out for a while, that's for sure. That's really funny. At the time that happened, there was a stat crew - all the stats were being done on computers and the people that were doing it, the main company was based in Louisville, Kentucky, - and they just happened to have the one crew that really worked for the company, - were in Atlanta (Michigan's first-round site), where they first stopped, so I got to know them there. Then they were also in Lex- ington, Kentucky (site of the re- gional finals) and they were at the Final Four in Seattle. It was the same guys and they were sitting to my left and right. Right after I got done with (the call) after Sean's shot, Illinois took a time out and I went to commer- cial. One of the stat guys sitting be- side me turned to me in a look of concern and said, "Are you ok?" 'I do criticize the team. If they make a mistake, they make a mistake. You don't gloss over it. I thought Chris Webber was showboating at the end of the game (against Cuba). And I said so. You don't show off on the floor, you play basketball' And I said, "Yeah," but I went off the deep end and he was genuinely concerned that I had hurt myself. D: What do you think of the new student seating plan at Crisler? H: I hope it works. They had to do something. It's the worst Big Ten home crowd in the conference. I mean, to be honest, it's got to get better. It's got to get much better. I realize (the alumni) are giving a lot of money to the University, but the University is there for the students first, and it's really their team. And I have always thought that there's got to be some way to get the stu- dents involved more and to show pride in it and to be there and be a '(Michigan's) the worst Big Ten home crowd in the conference. I1mean, to be honest, it's got to get better' part of the whole show that college basketball is. That's what makes it college basketball; not just the players, - the fans and the atmosphere. That's why 100,000 people in Michigan Stadium is so great. It's the atmosphere. And that's hopefully what Crisler will be. D: That having been said, do you see anyway that the Athletic De- partment can make women's basket- ball ... H: (Interrupts) No. There is no following for it here. Now you go to Iowa, they have 14-15,000. You go to Ohio State, they have 11- 12,000. Go to Purdue, they have 10- 11,000. That's because their wo- men's programs are ranked in the top 20 and in the NCAA Tourna- ment and they're from states where (high school) girls basketball is big time, Iowa especially. If you ever saw their girls high school state basketball championships, it's like the NCAA finals and they just pack them in. It's just not that big in the state of Michigan. D: Do you think it has to do with Michigan's recent struggles? H: I just don't - I think they're doing a good job. I think Bud Van- DeWege does a great job recruiting his staff and putting it together. I just don't think people will spent their two hours to go watch women's basketball. It's no reflection on their tal- ents. It's just that if someone is go- ing to spend their hours, they're go- ing to go watch the men's team or some other 'major' sport. How many people went to a swim meet to see (former Wolverine Mike) Barrowman, who is a world class swimmer? People didn't go to watch him. Same thing. There's just not the interest there, and it's no re- flection on the team or the job the coaching staff has done. D: Getting back to broadcasting, since you are Michigan's announcer, there's never any question about your objectivity or the role you play as an announcer, is there? H: Well, there have been some people that have said I'm a homer, and I admit I am to a point. You know, it makes my job much easier if the team wins and also means that people are listening if the team wins. That's part of the job. D: You've been known to criti- cize the team on occasion. H: Oh yeah, I do criticize the team. If they make a mistake, they make a mistake. You don't gloss over it. It's like the other night in the exhibition game (against Cuba), I thought Chris Webber was show- boating at the end of the game. And I said so. Because this isn't high school, you don't show off on the floor, you play basketball. There are players as good or better than you are and that is something that (Webber) has to learn. And I said that. I mean, he's got a world of talent and probably is going to be a super- star and probably a first-round NBA draft pick down the road. But he was doing something that he shouldn't have been doing and I'll say it. D: If we could turn to sports in general. In the past two weeks, if you're a Detroit sports fan, you've been hit with both Magic Johnson's HIV situation and (Detroit Lion Mike) Utley's broken neck. Do you think this will change in any way the way people view athletes and athletics in general? H: No. People have very short memories. Utley's big news today, but it's like the Magic Johnson thing. I mean, for two or three days that's all you heard. Now it's an oc- casional story, but it's buried way on down. People have a very short memory and attention span. They focus in on a story for two or three days and then it's gone. And that's a product of, let's be honest, television. It re- ally is. You take a look at the news, and everything is forced down your throat in short packages and that's the way our attention span has gone. It's here today, gone tomorrow. The time is right for 'M' award-winners Michigan is a football team. Not an assemblage of athletes, but a team. There's some maize and blue synergy that radiates throughout Michigan Stadium that makes the Wolverines greater than the sum of their players. This axiom has held true since the days of Fielding Yost, whose 1901 team outscored its opponents, 550-0. Ensuing injuries must have hampered the 1902 campaign, when Michigan compiled a 644-12 margin. For most of the 20th century, individuals have come second. There may be an "I" in "Michigan," but there has certainly been no "I" in "team." Maybe there should be. A corollary to the above axiom states that the Wolverines will experience success - always. Without the fanfare of an absolute marquee player, Michigan will win. But now, Michigan is rewriting the laws of college football. It is enjoying the same success of its predecessors', and yet also has that marquee player. And another one. And another one. Michigan's Desmond Howard, Erick Anderson, and Greg Skrepenak are each vying for natibnal awards at their respective positions. Howard is a lock for the Heisman Trophy, as his end zone pose divulged after he broke a 93-yard punt return against Ohio State Saturday. Anderson is among three finalists nationwide still eligible for the Butkus Award as America's best linebacker. Skrepenak is one of four linemen in the final competition for the Lombardi Award. But Michigan is a perennial powerhouse. It must have fielded award- winners throughout its history, right? Well, we all know Tom Harmon was the last Wolverine Heisman winner, earning the honor in 1940. Incidentally, before we praise anyone for his performances Saturday, let's first recall what Old 98 accomplished against Ohio State in his final game at Michigan. In that game, Harmon rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed 11 of 12 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored four extra points. He also intercepted three passes and ran one in for a touchdown. He also averaged 50 yards per punt. Now from one incredible fact to another: Harmon was the last Wolverine to win any individual award at all - in 1940. Since then, Michigan has won two national titles and 20 Big Ten Championships, excluding this season. Not one player on any of those teams has ever won a national individual award. But this season, Michigan could have three award winners. Anthony Carter never won the Heisman, nor did Jim Harbaugh. Mark Messner never won the Lombardi. Tripp Welbome never won the Thorpe Award, given to defensive backs. Something must be wrong. But to what can we attribute these players' individual recognition? For years, outstanding players and coaches have graced the Michigan program, which has always drawn publicity and media coverage. It almost seems as if something has been wrong, and the problem is first being corrected this season. Michigan should always have had award winners. Thams can be comprised of successful individuals without sacrificing the community of the squad. Historically, Wolverine coaches have dismissed the importance of these awards, arguing that the team is more important. Such an outlook- ignores the vast benefit of an individual honor to the team. When Anderson acknowledges his Butkus candidacy, he salutes the front three, the secondary and his fellow linebackers. The whole defense. When Skrepenak speaks of his Lombardi chances, he praises the running backs, the receivers, the quarterback, and his fellow linemen. The whole offense. When Howard talks about the Heisman, he extols the quarterback, the linemen, the backs - everyone. All three individuals credit every other individual on the team, and all recognize the positive effect their awards will have on the Michigan program. This attitude is a product of that first axiom; there's no "I" in Anderson, Skrepenak, or Howard. But if we're invoking logical analysis, then we must challenge the historical de-emphasis on personal honors. Notre Dame is a team steeped in team tradition. Amid religious undertones and references to Knute Rockne, the Fighting Irish have become America's team. Yet, while developing a team persona, Notre Dame players have collected a host of individual awards - seven Heisman Trophies, three Lombardi Awards, three Outland Trophies, and many other lesser awards. These accolades have never dampened the group focus that defines Notre Dame. Nor would it dampen Michigan's own group focus. Anderson, Skrepenak, and Howard are all deserving players, and have all achieved excellence with or without actually winning their respective awards. Their honors would be unequivocally positive for Michigan. And, it would be about time. The Michig an women's swimming and diving te am won both ends of a double-dual meet against Iowa and Penn State on Friday. swimmers rout Iowa, Penn State SILVESTER Continued form page 1 with others her age, a new experience for Silvester. "We all worked together, were the same age, and had a lot of fun," Silvester said. "We had an awesome team and had awesome relays, and that's basically how I started improving." But as a high school junior, Silvester recalls, an unexpected turn for the worse occurred - she flopped in the biggest meet of her life. "I just turned 16, and could go to European junior championships, which was a really big deal. If you win an event there, you're set when you go on and can possibly represent your country at worlds. "I was one of the favorites to make the junior team, but I really screwed up at the trials. I totally bombed. It was my first year that I was doing well nationally, and there was a lot of pressure. By the end of the summer I saw my friends go there, and I thought I put it behind me, but that whole year I did really bad, and swam slower the whole year. Suddenly, I didn't care anymore." One summer later, Silvester re- emerged on the swimming scene with an outstanding performance at Holland's nationals. . "On the first day of nationals, I won my first national championship in the 800-meter freestyle. The next day I had to get fifth in the 200-meter freestyle to go to European championships. At night I swam a second and a half off my best time and got fourth." However, the future of Holland had moved to Marquette, Mich., and acted as foster parents during Silvester's short career at Northern Michigan. Upon arrival at Northern, Silvester quickly increased her training time and efforts, and cites then-coach Ann James for much of her initial success. "I wasn't a very good swimmer when I came over, but (James) helped me so much. She and I had such a great relationship, and she knew exactly what my body needed in swimming," Silvester said. "We worked together very well, we talked about everything together, and I totally looked up to her." At Northern, Silvester strived academically, concentrating in math, and athletically, dominating her sport. 'Here it is logical that you attend the big meets, and that you will be swimming against the best swimmers often' - Kirsten Silvester Michigan swimmer by Sharon Lundy Daily Sports Writer The Michigan women's swim- ming team showed complete team unity in defeating Penn State and Iowa in a double-dual meet at Canham. Natatorium Friday. "Although events are swum in- dividually, no.one was thinking of individual times or swimming per- sonal bests," assistant coach Margo Mahoney said. "It was a total team effort." Michigan beat Iowa, 208.5-95, and Penn State, 198.5-116.5, to bring. their 1991-92 record to 4-0 in the Big Ten and overall. Despite the team emphasis, two first-year Wolverine swimmers set records Friday. Lara Hooiveld set a rn ncl rn rrld n e100-ya ord 1.n i- Junior Mindy Gehrs won the 200 fly in 2:04.74, and the 400 individ- ual medley relay in 4:27.12. Hooiveld and Humphrey, in addi- tion to their record times, also won the 200 breast in 2:18.71, and the 200 back in 2:01.15, respectively. The Wolverines started the meet with a victory in the 400 medley re- lay. Humphrey, Hooiveld, Gehrs, and captain Jennifer Love won with a time of 3:50.5 5. "We were really nervous, and it was good to start the meet off with a fast race," Love said. Other Michigan event winners include captains Michelle Swix and Love, who won the 1000 and 50 free, needed to get (my math degree) from a big and well-known school, otherwise it wouldn't count. So that was a good reason to come to Michigan. "Overseas, nobody has heard of Northern Michigan," Silvester added. "And not to put it down, because I had a great time there, but the people back home and in other places - when you talk about being a math major at Michigan, they know it's a great school." Silvester has experienced some fine performances in her first few meets as a Wolverine this year. Friday afternoon against Iowa and Penn State, Silvester swam to season-best times in the 200 and 500 freestyles, with a 1:50.30 and 4:55.82, respectively. Both are well within striking distance of her previous bests at Northern Michigan. While her training technique as a Wolverine is similar to what it was at Northern, the composition of the team is stronger. "There, (James) had me swimming my own intervals, doing my own workouts, so I didn't swim with the rest of the team," Silvester said. "Here, the team is split up into different attend the big meets, and that you will be swimming against the best swimmers often," Silvester said. "Instead of having to make all the arrangements yourself, here it is done for you, so it is easier to think only about swimming fast. "On this team, there are many very good swimmers, which make practices very good. There is a lot of competition, but it helps us swim faster." Senior distance freestyler Katherine Creighton commented on Silvester's potential to help the team. "Certainly she will add to our team depth, and she is a pretty versatile swimmer," said Creighton. "Traditionally our 800- free relay places top-eight at NCAAs and she will add to that relay and probably the 400-free relay." "We hope she will achieve her . NCAA cuts soon," said senior co- captain Jen Love. "This program has helped those of us who came in without our cuts, so hopefully she will blend in." This upcoming summer, Silvester plans to remain in Ann Arbor and train with Club Wolverine, Michigan's club affili ate to imrrr le her 100 She not only achieved Division II qualifying times, but at nationals won four individual titles: the 200, 500, and 1650-yard freestyles, and the 200-yard butterfly. Originally, Silvester had planned to return to Holland after one year in America, but chose to -remain after her success. In her second season at Northern, Kirsten set a new Division II record in the