The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 1996 - 13A
.Those who
are covered
will be
4hampions
Do n't laugh. I'm not kidding.
ack your bags for Pasadena,
uy your plane tickets and
reserve your hotel rooms. New Year's
Day, there will be a maize-and-blue
party explosion in Southern California.
Michigan is going to win its first
national title since 1948.
The Wolverines.
National champions.
Guaranteed.
Right here.
What did I see
in Michigan's 20-
8 victory over
Illinois on t
Saturday that
makes me so
sure? Well, it cer-
tainly wasn't
iot Dreisbachs NICHOLAS J.
kicking game. COTSONIKA
It was some- The Greek
thing you can't Speaks
see on the field,
something you can't completely under-
stand, something so brilliant it makes
me sick. It's the Wolverines' secret
weapon - a thing of such cunning,
such genius, such sexiness, such humil-
ity, it could only be one thing.
10 Me - for whatever reason.
Don't laugh. I'm not kidding.
Now, I know what you're thinking.
I'm a hot, new recruit. I'm ranked No.
I in SuperPrep, BlueChip and all the
other magazines. Sports Illustrated
thinks I'm the next Joe Montana. NBC
thinks I'm the next Ron Powlus.
You think I don't need to go to class.
You think I've got a new car, leased by
a close relative, of course. You think
ie got herds of hair-sprayed, slightly
light-headed women chasing me as
doggedly as sports agents.
You think wrong.
First, you must stereotype athletes to
think such things. Second, only the part
about the women is correct.
As it turns out, I don't even care if
the Wolverines win or lose. I'm a
sportswriter. I'm objective.
But even in my constant search for
{ th, balanced sports reporting and the
Xinerican manly ideal, I'm Michigan's
biggest and best good luck charm.
Two years, two national titles.
I can't explain it.
My freshman year in 1994-95, which
was obviously my first at the Daily, I
covered swimming. The team won it
all. Everything.
In fact, that wasn't enough, as Tom
Dolan, Gustavo Borges and Tom
'Wlchow won Olympic medals for
their respective countries this summer.
Oh yeah, a ton of Wolverines made
the U.S. swimming team, too.
Why? I covered the trials.
Wait, it gets better. Last year, I cov-
ered hockey, and that team won it all.
Everything. All of those years of over-
time losses, all of that frustration, all of
that futility, and then I show up.
I mean, there were times when the
tkey team would go into the locker-
Wm after winning games, and as soon
as I'd show up at the door, they'd start
singing: "HAIL! HAIL!"
I was really moved. But someone
should tell them my name isn't Victor.
Wait, it gets better. This summer, I
covered four golf tournaments, four
auto races, a sailing race, a volleyball
tournament, and several football, base-
ball and basketball games.
every time I showed up, somebody
a. I can't explain it.
For example: the U.S. Open. Steve
Jones was so overjoyed to win, when I
walked up to him with my notebook,
he was speechless. I mean, he wouldn't
even talk to me.
Neither would Illinois coach Lou
Tepper on Saturday. He knows I don't
root for Michigan. He knows the out-
come is of no consequence to me. But
,also knows the facts.
o matter what I may do, it just hap-
pens. That's why I don't do politics: I
wouldn't want to screw up the country.
Auburn receiver may sit out
season due to academic reasons
The Associated Press
Auburn wide receiver Willie Gosha's
future has been thrown into question
after the NCAA ruled that he is not
making sufficient progress toward his
degree.
The Tigers' leading receiver in 1995
almost certainly will not play in
Saturday's game against Fresno State,
said Scott Stricklin of Auburn's sports
information department.
The senior received a 'D' in a class
he took during the summer quarter.
That dropped him below the grade-
point average that NCAA rules state he
needs to maintain in classes he takes in
his Health Promotion major.
Coach Terry Bowden announced yes-
terday that Auburn will appeal the rul-
ing made by the NCAA earlier this
week because of "mitigating circum-
stances" surrounding the class. A fami-
ly illness kept Gosha from attending
several of the classes, Bowden said.
Bowden said he didn't know how
long it would take for the NCAA to rule
on the appeal, but he was hoping it
would decide before Auburn's
Southeastern Conference opener, Sept.
14 against Mississippi.
He said the issue likely wouldn't have
surfaced were it not for Auburn's non-
traditional quarter system and the early
start to this year's football season.
Classes are split into four 10-week
quarters at Auburn. The summer quar-
ter ended the Thursday before last
week's opener. It meant final grades
and an analysis of each players' status
had not filtered through the NCAA
clearinghouse until early this week.
Had the class been taken during
spring quarter, or had football season
started later, the problem could have
been resolved without Gosha missing
any games, Bowden said.
But the timing kept Gosha out of
Auburn's opener and this week's ruling
will keep him out of the Fresno State
game barring an unusually quick
response from the NCAA on the
appeal.
Gosha had 58 catches for 668 yards
last season, but failed to catch a touch-
down as Auburn many times went to a
run-oriented offense when it got near
the goal line.
Gosha still has his redshirt year
remaining and could be forced to take it
if a decision from the NCAA doesn't
come soon.
Meanwhile, Gosha is practicing with
the team, Stricklin said.
Auburn is still evaluating the acade-
mic status of redshirt freshman fullback
Brandon Morrow, who also was held
out of last week's game.
Defensive end Michael Mallaid,
another redshirt freshman whose status
was in question, has been cleared to
play against Fresno State.
Former California coach faces
accusations of sexual harassment
Wolverines handbook
gushes football history
The Associated Press
BERKELEY, Calif. - As the NCAA looked into allega-
tions of recruiting violations in the California basketball pro-
gram, former coach Todd Bozeman prepared to head back to
court to face accusations of harassment.
Bozeman was scheduled to appear in Alameda County
Superior Court this morning in a case in which a former Cal
student has accused the coach of threatening her and making
repeated phone calls to her with "highly sexual connotations."
A temporary restraining order was imposed late last
month against Bozeman, requiring him to stay away from
former student Suzanne Wilson. Today, Judge Dawn Girard
will consider whether to make that order permanent.
Bozeman, forced to resign as Cal coach last week after
leading the Bears to a 63-35 record in 3 1/2 years, has denied
Wilson's accusations and claimed she was the one who
sought a sexual relationship with him.
Meanwhile, two reports said the NCAA is investigating a
charge that a member of former Cal player Jelani Gardner's
family was paid to help persuade the talented point guard to
play for Bozeman at Cal.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday that
Gardner's relatives were given about $30,000. Sports
Illustrated reported the payment was about $15,000.
Athletic director John Kasser acknowledged last week,
when he sought and accepted Bozeman's resignation, that
Cal's basketball program was the subject of an NCAA inves-
tigation and acknowledged "there could be a few things out
there" that could attract the interest of investigators.
Kasser refused to be specific about those problems.
Bozeman, who repeatedly has denied recruiting violations,
told the Chronicle he could not comment on the newspaper's
allegations.
The NCAA will send a letter of inquiry later this month
and may subject the team to sanctions, the newspaper report-
ed.
The Chronicle and Sports Illustrated both quoted Tom
Gardner, Jelani's father, as saying an agreement for payment
was reached during Jelani's recruitment that included
Bozeman, former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Butch
Carter and former agent James Casey.
Jelani Gardner, a 6-foot-6 guard who played for the Bears
the past two seasons, transferred to Pepperdine in April. He
may be hoping that if Cal is placed on probation, the NCAA
would waive his one-year waiting period before he is allowed
to play for Pepperdine.
Tom Gardner said he brought the issue to the NCAA two
years after the alleged payment in an effort to get Bozeman
fired. The elder Gardner reportedly was unhappy with his
son's playing time.
By Ryan White
Daily Sports Writer
As an off week for the Michigan foot-
ball team approaches, do you find your-
self looking for something to do
Saturday other than just drink beer all
day?
Maybe not, but if you are, one sug-
gestion would be to brush up on your
Michigan football history.
And the best way to do that, aside
from pillaging through the Bentley
Historical Library and Sports
Information archives, is by reading "The
Wolverines Handbook: Stories, Stats
and Stuff About Michigan Football"
(Midwest Sports Publications).
Written by the editor and the assistant
editor of The Wolverine - John Borton
and Paul Dodd, respectively - the book
covers the entire 117-year history of
Michigan football in just 158 pages.
Despite an avalanche of facts, the
book is an easy read.
The Wolverine Handbook comes off
as a quick reference to everything the
Michigan football team has ever accom-
plished, making it much more useful
than your physics book.
The $9.95 price tag also makes the
book more economical than said physics
text.
For example, did you know the archi-
tect of both the Michigan Union and the
Michigan League, Irving Pond, scored
the first touchdown ever for Michigan?
He did, May 30, 1879, which is where
the book begins. It ends Dec. 28, 1995 at
the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Another of many interesting stories is
of how on one early trip, Michigan
stopped by a little town in Indiana called
South Bend and taught the folks at Notre
Dame how to play football.
Amidst the book's season-by-season
approach are quite a few photos, as well
as sidebars about Michigan's greatest
coaches and players.
The book finishes up with a records
section and alphabetical index of every
Michigan football letterwinner.
There is one group of fan, however,
this book is not recommended for -
those who dislike Michigan football.
Pure and simple, it is a book for the
Michigan fan.
The Sporting Views:
Atlanta chops again
By Jacob Wheeler
For the Daily
Want to know which teams will win
their respective pennants this year?
Look no further than Major League
Baseball's best pitchers. Atlanta's John
Smoltz and the Yankee's Andy Pettite
will lead their teams into mid-October
this fall, leaving Cleveland and all the
rest in the dust. Sorry, Albert Belle. The
Indians have lost too many veteran faces
to see the Fall Classic again soon. Gone
are Carlos Baerga, Eddie Murray and
Dennis Martinez.
The Yankees are the only team capa-
ble of beating Cleveland, and without
Seattle to stomp on pinstripe dreams,
Pettite will take New York to its first
World Series since 1981. The Mariners
upset the Yankees in a tight five-game,
first-round playoff series last year, but
without its "Big Unit" (Randy Johnson),
Seattle is doomed. That leaves Texas
running away with the American
League West. The White Sox will win
the wild card race over the Orioles by a
slim margin in the American League,
but it won't matter. The only race in the
junior circuit that matters will be settled
in the Bronx.
The reason New York will beat
Cleveland in the American League play-
off's first round this fall is simnle.
Tommy Lasorda. The weight of the
franchise is on the shoulders of catcher
Mike Piazza.
And that's always a scary risk.
San Diego is finally giving its fans
more than just 81 warm days in the sun.
Revitalized by their genius skipper,
the Cardinals have been chasing the NL
Central title all summer. Escaping from
a sunken Oakland ship, Tony Larussa
and pitching coach Dave Duncan have
breathed life into the Cardinals. Though
it isn't as deep as Houston, St. Louis
will find a way to win the division.
Montreal will grab the wild card and
probably meet the Braves in the
National League Championship Series.
But the Expos' season will end there.
A lack of commitment to winning on the
part of Expos' brain trust, and its stingy
pockets, have kept Montreal out of the
World Series. These tales of success are
heartwarming for the Padres, Astros and
Cardinals, but stories alone are not
potent enough to beat the Braves.
The Braves have shown their ability
to adapt to just about anything, in over-
coming injuries to key players like
David Justice and Jeff Blauser. Terry
Pendleton, a familiar face from pen-
nants past, and another host of rookies
have stepped up in their absence.
Through all the iniuries, Atlanta still
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1140 south university (above goodtime chadeys), AA
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The only reason I keep covering
Michigan is because I live here. I know,
it's not fair. But since I'm not your
vision of a hot recruit, I have no lease
car, and I can't get anywhere else.
The Wolverines are just lucky.
Lloyd Carr and Steve Fisher must
Je gotten the word. Caring so much
ut the University, and obviously
wanting each other's program to suc-
ceeo reports said they argued over
which team I would cover.
"YOU TAKE HIM!" Carr said.
"NO, GEE WHIZ, YOU TAKE
HIM!" Fisher renortedly renlied.
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