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ee ou later,
Hao... and
wkiestoo
S o the halo-haters may have their halo-hating way
after all. Great. Was it worth it? Was it worth
getting worked up into a radio talk-show sized
lather over yards of sheet metal and paint?
s it really the worst scourge visited upon the Big
fOuse since Woody Hayes or four-loss seasons?
Was Tom Goss really the Worst Athletic Director in
the Whole Entire World because of it?
No. But you know who you are, Halo-haters. You
were proud to look down upon the
Halo. It felt good.
Are you feeling a bit empty now Rick
that you will have to find other Freeman
ways to express the fine architec-
tural taste you've cultivated here at
ichigan in classes like
rcrombie 204 and Whining
334?
The Associated Press yesterday
quoted a a Michigan fan from
Indiana who attributed the Halo's
possible removal to ahigher power. FREEMAN OF
"Thank God" it's going, the TH EPRESS
Hoosier Wolverine said.
Wait a minute.
It's not even gone yet. No one said it's definitely
ving. Lee Bollinger simply said he may have acted
hastily when he approved it.
So Lee (who told reporters and the general public
months ago to give him, and not Goss, all the flak for
the Halo.) says he may reconsider and people start
thanking God.
Wrong. God has little to do with the Halo, Michigan
stadium, Michigan football, Nike, Bank One,
Absopure, bottled water policies or anything of the
like.
Thanking God for the possible removal of yellow
s el from your life six times a year is a bit over the
. Give thanks for things that affect you. Thanks
upstairs are in'order when you do any or all of the fol-
lowing:
Find a parking spot, find a best friend, or find ten
minutes to e-mail before class.
That should cover the range of places and times
when that's appropriate.
The halo was a silent lightning rod for every petty
psychological problem people had.
Upset by a boring professor? Blame the Halo,
Sause it, like your class, is not what you imagined in
h school. Right?
Saddened by the impending doom of a far classier
hunk of metal, Tiger Stadium? Blame the halo for the
new wave of untraditional sports venues.
Just the mention of the Halo can get self-righteous
maize-and-blue partisans so worked up that they envi-
sion a 215,001-seat Bank One Stadium with Nike
Luxury Boxes and Steve and Barry's "Sweatshop
Seating" (Buy one ticket, get one free.)
Wait a minute.
The hatred the Halo drew out of people didn't just
Sie from its inaccurate helmets, oversize letters, or
Tab football-shaped number signs. Michigan fans, by
nature, are creatures of habit. They like rushing plays,
fall Saturdays and four-loss seasons.
The Halo was new. Tom Goss was new. It was almost
natural that the Halo should draw the fire of angry
fans.
When people were mad, they would work up some
righteous bile over the Halo, and feel better.
It was like picking on the dorky but mean kid in
junior high. It felt good to be on the side tossing the
*ults, and it was OK, because he really wasn't that
nice a guy. Right?
But what did the Halo ever do to you? Offend your
ideas of tradition? Since when did you invent college
football? Since when did Michigan?

Some of the whining over the7Halo, by people who
knew all there is to know about college football, made
me secretly hope for the ghosts of Red Grange and
Bronko Nagurski to appear and administer a stern beat-
ing.
Michigan may have taught the sport to Notre Dame,
t football was most certainly not invented here on
0 pleasant peninsula.
The people who carved out a niche of hatred for the
halo did it for their own reasons. Things in everyone's
life happen that are beyond their control. Sometimes
we'll take it out on others. Other people, other things.
When someone uses something, rather than some-
one, as a target for deflected aggression, maybe that's
worth thanking God.
Thank God for these things: Autumn in Ann Arbor,
the chance to go to one of the best schools in the coun-
,the ability to read this (I'm not suggesting you
ank God for the column itself, I think that's obvious).
Now that it may be on the outs, you can find a new
target.
Take out your anger on the LSA building. Show your
architectural superiority and cluck your tongue at
North Campus. Whine about the bagels to show how
much better you are than the rest of us.

More blue line blues

- freshman ineligible

By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team lost its second
defenseman in as many days when a NCAA
committee ruled incoming freshman Matt
Bannon ineligible yesterday.
The decision leaves Michigan with just
six defensemen. Normally, a team keeps
eight and dresses six.
"He's a skilled player who could have
added something," Berenson said of
Bannon. "He's a Blake Sloan-type player -
a small defenseman, but with a lot of ener-
gy."
On the good side, Michigan may not have
lost Bannon for the entire season. He can
reapply to the University for Winter Term

and could be with the team at the start of the
next semester.
Bannon's poor grade point average in his
senior year of high school in Canada is at
fault. Because the NCAA evaluates foreign
students based on all of their core classes -
unlike American students, who are reviewed
in only 13 - a few poor grades can drop an
student athlete from eligibility.
"It's a technicality," Berenson said. "It
handicaps foreign students.
"The NCAA committee said it must fol-
low the rules. But they realize he's not the
type of student they want to keep out."
Bannon was evaluated on a combination
of his SAT scores and grades in his core
classes. If he retakes his SATs and gets a

high enough score, he can re-apply to the
University for the Winter Term and attempt
to meet eligibility requirements.
Bannon joins Mike Van Ryn and Scott
Crawford as defensive casualties this offsea-
son.
Van Ryn told the team Tuesday he would
leave school early to play for the Canadian
National Team. Crawford is transferring to
another Division I school, and Berenson
believes it may be Niagara.
An injury or suspension to one of the
Michigan defensemen could now be even
more trouble for the Wolverines. Dressing
only five defensemen could tire the team out
in a long season. But, Berenson likes'the
defenders he still has at his disposal.

"We've got size, character and toughness".
Berenson said.
Senior captain Sean Peach will lead the'
defense along with senior Kevin Magnuson-
juniors Bob Gassoff and Dave Huntzickerr-
and sophomores Jeff Jillson and Jay Vancik:
Because it is almost impossible to find'
another defenseman this close to the season
Michigan may have a walk-on back up the
starting six.
Berenson already has an eye for one play-,
er who played juniors last year, but didn';
give the player's name.
"We have one guy who wants to try out,
and he looks like he's going to be in the right
place at the right time," Berenson said. "H$
has a good chance of making the team."


Defense
gets thei~r
tackling
tog9ether
By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Editor
All 215 pounds of Tommy
Hendricks exploded through a hole
meant for Notre Dame tailback Tony
Fisher, Saturday with a message
meant as much for the Irish as for
his teammates.
On ,third-and-two, the Michigan
senior safety hit Fisher hard, and
wrapped him up to secure the tackle.
Notre Dame had to punt, and
Michigan's defenders had to notice:
that their summer of extra tackling
work could pay off. Now.
"That was a major key to the
game," senior defensive end Josh
Williams said. "From the first quar-
ter to the last quarter, we came out
there to hit, and it helped us win the
game."
Which was a change. Last year,
Michigan's tackling technique may
have helped them lose their season
opener to the Irish.
Last Saturday, though, Michigan's
tackles were thorough, encumbering
things. Few Michigan defenders
tried to knock ballcarriers down
with size and the weight of their
national championship rings. Twice,
junior safety DeWayne Patmon
made touchdown-saving tackles by
wrapping up his man.
Just the way he and his teammates
practiced all summer.
"We knew for us to get to our
goal, we needed to tackle better."
said Williams, who had three tackles
and recovered a fumble Saturday.
See HENDRICKS, Page 46

DANA INNANE/Daily
Michigan safety Tommy Hendricks stuffs Notre Dame taliback Tony Fisher for no gain Saturday. Hendricks' tackle inspired the Wolverines,
who last year had been doomed by poor tackling against the Irish.


JUST

ANOTHER

COMEBACK

Dreisbach,

known for

his refusal to

quit, recovers from

broken leg to make

Raiders

By Tracy Sandler
Daily Sports Writer
By the end of Michigan's Aug. 26, 1995 vic-
tory against Virginia, freshman quarterback
Scott Dreisbach was the toast of Ann Arbor.
Fans of the Wolverines were planning the next
four years with images of national champi-
onships and Rose Bowls.
Minutes earlier, these same fans had been
about ready to give up on the Wolverines and
their possible successes. But then something
happened.
Dreisbach, who is currently a member of the
Oakland Raiders, came alive on the field. With
13 minutes left in the half, Michigan decided
that losing was not in the cards, and it was time
to get down to business.
"Scott was pretty nervous, because it was his

It was emotional game for the whole team, and
he did a good job of proving himself."
Led by Dreisbach, the Wolverines scored 18
points and won the game. Dreisbach set single-
game school records in passing attempts (52)
and passing yards (372). He capped off his
game with a last second touchdown pass to
receiver Mercury Hayes to win the game.
"I think it's one of the great performances
that we've ever had from a Michigan quarter-
back," said Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. "It was
my first game as a head coach, and neither I,
nor anybody who saw that game, will ever for-
get what he did that day."
"It was incredible," former Michigan line-
backer Rob Swett said. "To be down by 17
points and have your roommate lead the team
and throw the winning touchdown was amaz-

things looked pretty good for the kid from
Mishawaka, Ind.
After winning his first four starts,
Dreisbach's season was cut short on Sept. 26 of
that year. During a passing drill, he sprained
his thumb when he hit the helmet of the player
in front of him. Two surgeries later, his season
was over.
By the first game of the 1996 season,
Dreisbach was again the Wolverines starter,
and he picked up where he left off. But on Oct.
21, 1996, Dreisbach's 218 yards against
Indiana were marred by a 48.6 completion per-
centage and two interceptions.
Dreisbach started every game for the
Wolverines that year. He threw four touch-
downs, tying a school record, to beat Michigan
State on Nov. 2, and he ended the season with

I