Cyymnastics sessions set
The top-seeded women's gymnastics
team was selected to compete in
Session I1 of the NCAA champi-
onships on April 13. Check online to
see the team's competition.
nichigandaily.corm/sports
P 9
WEDNESDAY
APRIL 5, 2000
11
0
.April flurries bring
cancellation for 'M' Nine
By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
If it wasn't obvious by the periodic snowflakes
nd chilling northern wind yesterday, it became
pparent after stepping into the p'arking lot at Ray
Fisher Stadium.
Instead of P.A. announcer Jim Schneider's far-
reaching player introductions and the occasional
windshield-bound foul ball, the
stadium stood in hulking silence,
reflecting its cross-tracks neighbor, UpCoUli
Michigan Stadium.A
On account of the winter-like Friday, Apr
conditions, the Michigan base- at Illinois, 6
>al did not take the field yester-
day against Toledo. A make-up Saturday, A
game is scheduled in Toledo on at Illinois (D
April 12.
The cancellation marked the Sunday, Apr
second cancelled home game in as at Illinois, 1
many weeks for the Wolverines,
the first being their opening day Tuesday, Ap
contest against Eastern Michigan Ball State, 3
on March 22.
"It was 12 degrees on the field Wednesday,.
with the wind chill," outfielder C.J. at Toledo, 3:
. hannam said.
"The chances of pulling (a mus-
cle) are too great, it's just not worth it to go out
there"
Michigan coach Geoff Zahn and Toledo coach
Joe Kruzel made the decision to cancel tlle game
late yesterday morning before the Rockets were
scheduled to leave Toledo for Ann Arbor.
A native of Farmington, Ghannam said the can-
cellation was not due to the reluctance of the team
to play.
"Being from Michigan, we're used to playing in
this weather," Ghannam said. "It's the coach's call
- it's mainly injury prevention."
Senior lefthander Bryan Cranson echoed
Ghannam's sentiments, but he also viewed the can-
cellation as an opportunity to work on fundamen-
tals before the Wolverines' four-game tilt with
Illinois this weekend:
"Our tools are pretty sharp," Ghannam said.
"But a day off like this might not be too bad for us.
We'll have a long practice tomorrow outside."
ng games
l 7
:35 p.m.
pril 8
)H), 4:05 p.m.
ril 9 -
:05 p.m.
ril 11
:00 p.m.
April 12 _
00 p.m.
For the Wolverines, Toledo
looked like a good opportunity
to advance in its steep climb
back to .500. The lowly Rockets
are 8-13 overall, 0-4 in the
MAC.
But with a weekend of crucial
Big Ten play ahead of them, the
Wolverines opted to play it safe
and limit possibility for injury.
Sophomore Kirk Taylor was
scheduled to start on the hill.
Though he's only seen five and
one-third innings of action this
season, the southpaw currently
sports the team's second-lowest
ERA at 3.38. All three of
Taylor's appearances were in
relief.
The game was Taylor's oppor-
tunity to stake his claim for the 25-man weekend
traveling roster
"A lot of pitchers in the bullpen don't get a
chance to throw," Cranson said. "We like to start
them in some of these midweek games to see what
they can do to earn a weekend spot."
The Wolverines' scheduled home opener with
Eastern Michigan was cancelled on account of bad
field conditions.
The two teams are scheduled to play in Ypsilanti
on May 3.
PETER CQRNUE/Daiy
The Wolverines were hoping to start their climb back to .500 yesterday, after splitting the series with
Indiana last weekend. Unfortunately yesterday's game was canceled due to the cold weather.
No.20 Michigan home again with
crucial match-up against Spartans
By Brian Steere
Daily Sports Writer
With all of the excitement in East
Lansing centering around the
Spartans' basketball team, most of
the Michigan State fans probably
weren't thinking about their school's
tennis program.
But Michigan State's men's tennis
team is traveling to Ann Arbor
tonight to take on the No. 20
Michigan men's tennis team at the
Varsity Tennis Center.
"Any time that a Michigan player
looks across the net and sees a green
and white opponent, it's obvious
what's at stake," senior Matt Wright
said. "Playing against Michigan
State definitely pumps everyone up
and provides an extra incentive to
win."
Tonight's meeting marks the 99th
time that the schools have met on the
hard courts, and Michigan owns the
all time series, 8 1}-17, including
eight straight victories.
If there's one sport where the
Wolverines should beat the Spartans
this year, tennis is it. Michigan State
is entering today's match with a 5-14
record, and the team has lost its first
three Big Ten contests.
Michigan, on the other hand, has
compiled an impressive 8-3 record
and is unbeaten at home.
Despite starting the conference
season 1-2, the Wolverines are ready
to return to the Varsity Tennis Center
and prove that they are a dominant
Big Ten team.
"It's definitely nice to come back
home after being on the road for so
long," Wright said. "The fans give
us an extra advantage along with the
familiar slow courts."
Michigan has been away from Ann
Arbor for its last six matches.
During that time, the team went 3-
3 and was shut down by No. 23
Minnesota and No. 6 Illinois, the
three-time defending Big Ten
Champions.
The Fighting Illini match showed
Michigan that it can compete with
the best talent in the Big Ten.
"Nobody likes to lose, but (play-
TODAY
VARSITY TENNIS CENTER
Who: Michigan (1-2 Bi Ten, 8.3 overall)vcs
MichiganState (0-3, -14)
When:6 pm.-
Latest: After a tOugh start totheBig Ten season, -
the men's tennis team returns homerto take
advantae of their in-state rieal.
ing Illinois) was a positive experi-
ence," head coach Mark Mees said.
"We really felt that we could play
with anyone on their team."
Although the Wolverines lost to
the Fighting Illini, 6-1, the score
was not indicative of how they
played.
Two of the team's defeats occurred
in 3 sets, including a 9-7 tiebreaker
loss by senior John Long at No. 2
singles.
With the Michigan State match
marking the start of a six-game
homestand, the Wolverines are
entering the most critical part of
their season.
If the team has any chance of win-
ning this year's Big Ten champi-
onship, it has to make a run starting
tonight.
"We need to win these six match-
es at home," Wright said. "Anything
less would be a disappointment."
Nice try,
CBS, but
I'll see you
next March
ince the national champi-
onship game has concluded, I
will now return to my normal
habit of ignoring all CBS program-
ming until March Madness 2001.
Sure, CBS tried to hook me. The
network did its best, I have to give
it that. The advertising nerds at
"The Eye" thought they were pretty
sly, slipping me
"Falcone" pro-
mos every 10
seconds in an
effort to show-
case how badly
a mob show is
going to fail
playing to a CHRIS
senior-citizen D PRy
audience. Dupe's
Even worse, Scoop
after Verne
Lundquist and Billy Packer finish
reading off their cue sheets about
CBS' latest failure, the cameraman
finds the "star" of Falcone, sitting
in his seat and enjoying the game.
This leads to fil.l-in ad-lib com-
mentary by Lundquist and Packer,
neither of whom have seen the show
- neither of whom probably want
to, either.
Way to go, CBS. I'm impressed.
You really got all your big guns to
come out this time.
CBS paid a pretty penny to retain
the rights to broadcast the NCAA
Tournament, a very wise move for a
network that doesn't have much else
to boast. But instead of selling
high-priced comnercial spots to the
Big Three and other corporate
giants, it wastes all its commercial
time promoting its loser shows. The
network loses twice.
The thing is, maybe I would take
a glimpse at some of these new
CBS television series if the network
hadn't shoved them in my face so
much these past three weeks.
Perhaps, after the tournament fren-
zy had subsided, I would find
"Falcone" to be a gripping, thrilling
drama. Maybe, despite the odds, I'd
become hooked on it.
Now I'll never get that chance. I
made a pact with myself- I refuse
to watch any CBS sitcom, whetheir
it was one that was overhyped dur-
ing the tournament or not. I'm
penalizing the network for its
behavior.
It's one thing to oversell commer-
cials to National Car Rental and its
bothersome rhythmic clapping -
"Let's Go!" ads. At least you're
earning some money off that com-
pany. That's understandable.
But to shamelessly promote
yourself by annoying the hell out
of your only loyal viewing audi-
ence? You deserve everything
you've got coming. You're worse
than the office loudmouth who
totes her son's Little League
fundraiser order form around the
office and asks if you "would like"
to buy something.
it's not some secret that CBS i a
second-class network. Back when
Seinfeld was wrapping up its run,
David Letterman said that the best
way for the show's producers to
keep the ending a secret was to "air
it on CBS." There's some truth to
that.
Still, CBS could rise above the
cheap shots by wielding its power.
stick, the NCAA Tournament, with
great care. I never notice outra-
geously frequent promos when
CBS hosts NFL games on fall
Sundays. Maybe those promos
exist - they're just not the in-
your-face kind that make you feel
so used.
Someone has to hold CBS
accountable. You MBA advertising
twerps think commercials increase
sales? Well, I'm going to teach you
a lesson for once.
I don't have a Nielsen ratings
box, a direct line to the president of
the network or even 100 shares of
CBS stock. So, technically, I have
no power whatsoever. I do have this
column, though, and I'll use it since
1 hsa tn.
DAVID KATZ/Da iy
John Long and the rest of the No. 20 Michigan tennis team face Michigan State
tomorrow evening for the Wolverines first home meet in over a month.
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