The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday -September 11, 1999 - 3B
DAVID
DEN HERDER
K. *~ 0
ro his vassals, a
Knight in armor
Hockey price increase put
on ice; deadline Wednesday
1 %
TICKETS
Continued from Page1 B
Martin last spring.
"We're still trying to get that worked
out.' Michigan Miarketing Director Tom
Brooks said. "It's something we definite-
Iv want to do.
On a positive note, Brooks said stu-
dents will again receive a free Maize
Rage T-sh irt, along with other season pro-
miiOtions.
Hockey tickets didn't escape the price
increase either, jumping S35 from last
season to SI95. But looking at an aver-
age-per-game basis, the price hasn't risen
ifVou count the two non-Michigan games
at the Ice Breaker Tournament. Even
without those two matchups, the average
ticket will only cost students about 80
cents more per game.
Students will receive five more games
in total, including a Michigan-Michigan
State matchup that wasn't in the package
last season.
Up to 1,800 student tickets are avail-
able, but the past two seasons, the
Michigan Ticket Office did not reach that
mark, selling 1,580 in 1998 and 1,668 last
year, making the chance of split season
tickets a slight possibility.
Michigan Ticket Manager Marty
Bodnar said that sales haven't been the
same since the Athletic Department more
than doubled ticket prices from S70 to
S155 under Tom Goss in 1997.
in 1997, 3,556 students flocked to Yost
Ice Arena, forcing the ticket office to split
season student tickets. After the prices
skyrocketed, more than 2,000 of them
didn't renew.
But even at 5195, the diehard fans at
Yost don't seem to have a problem.
"I'll still buy them, LSA junior Rob
Lampman said. "It's not like I can go to a
Red Wings game and get the same thing.
It's the whole Michigan atmosphere. I like
it better than going to football games."
Student ticket taty
MEN'S BASKETBALL - $104 for 11 games ($9.50
average)- Foreign National (ex.), Wayne
State, Western Michigan, Wake Forest,
Bowling Green, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan
State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota.
Student tickets available - 4,000
Student tickets sold in 1999 -just over
1,000
Reasons to buy - cheaper season total than
hockey, team features 5-foot-3 uard Avery
Queen and 7-foot-2 center Josh Moore. Free
HOCKEY - $195 for 21* games ($9.29
average) - top games include Ice Breaker
Tournament with North Dakota, New
Hampshire and Colgate, the return of
Michigan State to the student ticket pack-
age and a twinbill versus St. Lawrence.
"I'
or some, it was a man on the
moon. For others, the fall of the
Berlin Wall. For me, it was
B y Knight.
I never thought I would see the
lay.
Meeting Knight is an altogether
mizarre experience. He carries with
him an air that is difficult to describe
- the man commands attention in a
.iniqueand somehow discomforting
fashion.
It is quite
'tn iil g, to a;
ne at any rate,
low well I can
ecall first
:ncountering
he plaid-clad
nan =who
appeared more
ike the leader
>f the Hobbits
it first glance.
AAor all, it4
wMiti the 6
Middle of
-lalloween
veekend --
;ometime after
in all-nighter
it the "Church" on Church St. and
>efor, crazy costume party in
North Chicago.
ButIremember, clear as yesterday,
Sthewriters and cameramen
lockPd.
Sincerely, I never thought 1'd see
he day.
Theyflocked away from current
inal 'oLur coaches Jim O'Brien and
Tom zzo (who would win it all that
year), and hoarded Knight like royal-
y. ..
Yes, I asked a question. And
mellinig --- youth - he gave a sai-
:a and useless retort, which I
ic ted as hazing. It was apparent
ic d|s|ised being at media day - it
nust have been in his contract.
Butit wasn't until an evening in
3loomington that I realized it.
Atthe post-game press conference,
Tnight was pulling another bizarre
tunt. He had taken a little heat the
veek before about a comment le
nade'w a reporter, so as I walked in
al the press room, I found him
valking up and down the aisles,
haking each writer's hand firmly.
I elected not to slide in and await
ny shake. But truthfully, I didn't
bstaiii because I was "too cool." The
cene, for some reason, made my
tonm1ch turn.
Knight had an inexplicable grip on
lie Media - his media. It's some-
hing- I have never experienced.
though people have told mC similar
his about Reagan's White House
ress corps.
That-post-game stunt actually got
more air time than Indiana's 85-50
romp over Michigan. Knight had a
way of telling the press to jump, and
those writers had a way of barking,
"how high'?''
He got me, too. But it wasn't obvi-
ous until after I removed my blazer
for the evening.
It was the only time -- before or
since - that I've worn a jacket to
cover a game.
Never then (lid I think I would see
the day.
When Knight
came to Ann
hounds were
salivating as
usual for another
bone from their2
master. Knight
of course oblig-
ed, partially
bcauIse at that
point it seemed
like everythin
he oid or said
w dias newsworthy.
AFB PH O But he put on
itshow far the
Crisler press
corps. Late again, I caught him
cussing out the NIichigt.an students fur
their "bullshit" behavior. Reporters
arriving behind me whispered franti-
cally as he marched from the room.
"What did he say? What did he
do?"
Bob Knight had the press under his
thumb.
Then iin the spring, former players
began to conic forward, accusing the
coach of colsistent physical and ver-
bal abuse.
T hen former co-workers began to
coie forward.
Ihein, somehow, somebody had it
on tape.
And when Indiana's Miles Brand
slapped his wvrist and turned away, it
was clear that Knight also had the
university under Iiis thu mb.
Bob Knight, it seemed to me, was
larger than life --- and answered to no
ma n.
He was going to be around as long
as he determined, and would keep
throwing out boiies for all of us to
chew on.
It made my stomach turn in that
same bizarre way it did when I first
shook Knight's hand in Chicago last
IHalloween.
I never thought I would see the day
whenl dogs finally dci ded they had
had enough.
Master or Inot, Bob Knight has
finally been stripped of the only
terms he worked under for so many
years. His.
-David Den Hiedcr ca; be reached
at ddanumich..
Student tickets
available - 1,800
(split season will be
offered if requests
exceed that number)
Reasons to buy - Yost
Ice Arena atmosphere
best in nation, team
should be one of the
best in the country
PAST HOCKEY TICKET SALES
How sales have reacted to
recent price increases
Year
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
Sold
1,800
2,733
3,556
1,580
1,668
Price
$55.00
$90
$70
$155
$160
195
Games
11
17
13
18
18
21*
Price pe game
$5.00
$5.29
$5.38
$8.61
$8.89
$9.29
doesgnot include two non-Michigan games that are incuded in the
Ice Breaker Tournament. If included, average per game is $8.48
I
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Michigan Men's Basketball
Student Manager Mass Meeting
Monday, September 11, 2000
7:00 p.m. at Crisler Arena
si
Please bring class schedule,
, 'a© For more info,
call 763-5504.
AXD Martin creates
:lub-varsity tier
LUB-VARSITY
ontinued from Page 1B
But to the athletes and coaches that
ledge their time and effort to their
espective teams, the change is a wel-
-ome one that is long overdue.
"I think it's great," Carl Enroth, a
ower. "It's something that our whole
ca ecls is incredibly important."
Despite the change, most of the
esponsibility for raising money will
till rest in the hands of the team
tself. But the hope is that the new
itle will help to improve the teams'
erformance.
"It's mainly a psyche thing."
Iartsuff said. "There is a stigma
ttached to being a club in that it's
css erious. Just the simple change
n Mus is going to be huge.
"This is a big, big philosophical
:batge."
All those involved said they expect
lie new classification to impact the
eam's credibility and increase the
ibility to perform on the national
as a progressive movemiienit Iihat
should at some point lead to a more
competitive environment that should
translate into a more successful pro-
.gram.
Last year, the rowing team was
able to raise Sl25,000, very little of it
coming from the athletic department.
But over the course o thlie season, the
team spent in the neighborhood of
S 150,000.
So straped for funds, the squad
borrowed boats from Trinity College
to use in the nationil championships.
So while the teams will not be
handed money by the athletic depart-
ment the expectation is that as the
team improves, funding may as well.
A conventional hope is that as the
teatim improves media attention will
increase. leading to easier recruiting.
With better players a broader fan
base will likely grow from which
fIundraising will be easier.
Because the athletic department is
investing so little money into the cre-
ation of the new tier, Martin could
find fev reasons to deny the coaches