0 Page 14--The Michigan Daily- Thursday, April 15, 1993 rf 71 SPORTING VIEWS I I J Racism a bitter real in sports media, too by Rob Pugliese The Pitt News Sports is big time, big business in America. That is part of its intrigue, its glamour and its attraction as an escape from the ugly reality. But sports has its ugly side as well and sadly, much of that is due to the people who cover sports. With all the fascinating personalities, players and coaches, it is the sports media who are perhaps the most powerful of all. When intelligent, well-schooled writers or reporters have something provocative or insightful to say, that's fine. But that does not explain or excuse the complete insensitivity and lack of compassion that most of the media continually display toward human beings. Often lost amid the grind of sports is the human element. People play these games, not robots. Compassion and understanding are lacking, and that is an awful realization, especially when considering the saga of Chris Webber. The Michigan sophomore, a superstar on the basketball floor and an exemplary young man off of it, has been vilified by the media for much of the season. They have painted him to be a cocky, arrogant punk - a black knight symbolic of everything that is evil on the basketball floor. At 6-feet 9-inches and a chiseled 245 pounds, Webber is an imposing figure - imposing enough to forget that he is just 20 years old. He entered the national limelight in the fall of 1990 when, as a high school senior at Country Day High in suburban Detroit, he was anointed the top schoolboy player in America. At Michigan he has met and surpassed all expectations, leading the "Fab Five" to the title game in each of his first two seasons. But that is not enough for some critics. Still, he is criticized - for his on-court demeanor and his supposed bad attitude. See, Webber enjoys playing basketball and is not afraid to show it. He laughs and grins a lot on the floor, hollers when he dunks and occasionally likes to talk a little trash. Many members of the media depict him as a brash, nonchalant person who has no respect for others. And don't think this does not affect the public's perception of Webber and his Wolverine teammates. When you hear people talk about Michigan, it is usually something to this effect: "I hate Michigan ... I'm glad they lost" or "they're a bunch of punks ... they play gangsta ball." Now if they were five talented white kids from suburbia, would Michigan take all the flack it has received this season as supposed "underachievers and streetball players?" I've heard Webber called a "dirtbag," a "thug" and a "street hood," not to mention countless other moronic expressions, many of them blatantly racial. In 1993, crude and ignorant stereotypes abound, ridiculous misconceptions about Black basketball players are still lingering like some sickening stench. It would be a travesty not to point out that a minority of the media, most notably the New York Times, attempted to give Webber and his teammates a fair shake all season. But the average person only sees and reads the waves of negative criticism. The shame of it all is that those people will never learn about the person that wears the baggy maize-and-blue uniform and black shoes. They will miss out on his refreshing candid nature, the soft-spoken, almost shy honesty and politeness that he possesses. He is a genuinely charming 20-year-old with a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts. Raised in a religious setting by two loving parents, he is a young man with the proper focus in his life. And his crime has been having too much fun for the masses to handle, enjoying a game he loves to play - playing it his way. Yost hosts exhibition by Ryan Herrington Daily Sports Editor Yost Ice Arena once again will host some of the country's brightest figure skating talent as Skate Michigan '93 glides into Ann Arbor. Lisa Ervin and Mark Mitchell headline the list of skaters who will perform in the exhibition Saturday evening. The two have both per- formed extremely well in competi- tion during the past few months. Ervin, who has appeared at Skate Michigan since its inception in 1991, finished second at the 1993 United States Nationals. Turning 15 next week, Ervin also placed second at the World Juniors earlier this year, marking the second straight year she finished in this position. Training out of Winterhearst Skating Club in Lakewood, Ohio, Ervin has had a lifelong love for the sport, which she began at the tender age of three. Since beginning her competitive skating career at the age of six, Ervin has excelled so much so that in 1985, she decided to move away from home to Lakewood to train un- der coach Carol Heiss Jenkins. Although her amateur career is still in its infant stages, Ervin has had her fair share of international competition. By placing fourth at U.S. Nationals a year ago, Ervin qualified as an alternate for the American Olympic squad. Her counterpart Mitchell was also the runner-up at this year's U.S. skating Saturday Nationals and took fourth place at the World Championships held in Prague. Since winning the 1986 U.S. Junior Championship, Mitchell has made a name for himself as a formidable competititor, having fin- ished among the top four at Nationals each of the last four years. Born and raised in Connecticut, Mitchell trains full time in the Boston area. When Mitchell is not practicing at the rink, he can be found taking classes at Massachu- setts Bay College, where he is an honor student majoring in public relations and advertising. In addition to Ervin and Mitchell, the duo of Todd Reynolds and Karen Courtland will perform in the pairs exhibition. Reynolds and Courtland finished third at the 1993 Nationals. The pair was the first alternate for the U.S. Olympic team last year. The program will consist of 11 acts, including two pairs and a preci- sion team consisting of 29 skaters. The entire event is produced by Kinesiology students. This is the third year Yost Ice Arena has hosted the event. In pre- vious years former Olympic gold medalist Dorthy Hamell and U.S. champion Jill Trenary have head- lined the event. Tickets are still on sale at Yost Ice Arena as well as at the Michigan Athletic Ticket Office and the Michigan Union. Reserved seats are $8 and $5. Chris Webber and the rest of the Fab Five draw frequent criticism that some have suggested stems from racist attitudes. Who is to say what the proper way to behave on the basketball floor is anyway? And, more importantly, the media should better channel their efforts to learn about the Chris Webber who exists away from basketball. Sports and life are endlessly connected, and as a sportswriter you learn that each is a giant metaphor connected to the other. A lack of compassion is one of our society's glaring deficiencies, and the sports world is indicative of that. Media misconceptions and fabrications destroy the integrity of individuals, a terrible thing to discard. The pen is a mighty instrument, used too often as a weapon against innocent individuals like Chris Webber. Takeacourse in performance and value. $199/month Poiac 3-Year SMARTDRJE It doesn't take an accounting degree to understand the value of this Grand Am SE Coupe. 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