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February 12, 2001 - Image 11

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The Michigan Daily, 2001-02-12

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3B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - Monday, February 12, 2001

Henson prefers 'spring
break' over spring training

DAVID
DEN HERDER

GAME
Continued from Page 1
without any equivocation there has been to this point
no contact with anybody about being a participant with
us,' Molin said.
While there has been no contact with a possible oppo-
nent for the game, Molin said that Michigan would be
"moving very quickly" in discussing the situation -
especially since it must have the letter of intent from
another school by April 16.
The NCAA football subcomittee will be making its
final decision in meetings April 24-26.
If Michigan does indeed search out an opponent,
Molin said it will be a school that is an "academic peer,
an athletic peer that would be a peer institution" while
also a team that would give the game a "national draw"
for many reasons - most likely having to do with tele-
*ision coverage.
ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY: In this past
Wednesday's press conference, Michigan coach Lloyd
Carr responded to the charges by two Michigan hope-
fuls - linebacker Doug Justice and offensive lineman
Brett Trott - who have told the media that the
Michigan coaching staff reneged on their scholarship
offers.
"The truth is (Justice) waited too long for Michigan,"
Carr said. "When he visited in December, when he came
or his visit and when he left, he knew clearly that there
was a very good possibility there wouldn't be a scholar-
ship left for him. It's very disappointing to read some of
his comments."
_ Carr would not comment on Trott's accusation. Justice
is headed to North Carolina, while Trott will play at
Middle Tennessee State:
INJURY UPDATE: Carr told the media that defen-
sive lineman Jake Frysinger and offensive lineman Andy
Christopfel will miss spring practice despite having suc-
cessful surgeries in the offseason.
Safety Cato June and wideout Tyrece Butler are get-
*ing in better health as well, but could also miss spring

Pros and cons
With the decision still loom-
ing whether Michigan is
going to host an extra, pre-
season exempted game,
there are many positives and
negatives that will be
weighed.
Why play?
Another chance for Michigan to get
national exposure - and more televi-
sion money.
Gives new recruits extra chance to
get adjusted to the collegiate level.
coaches have another opportunity
to evaluate players before non-confer-
ence schedule begins.
Selected charities will be benefit
from the game.
Why not?
e Potential risk for early-season loss
that could hurt national title aspira-
tions.
Chance for key players to get
injured before the regular season even
starts.

DAVID KATZ/Daily
Marquise Walker and the rest of the Wolverines could open season early.

practice. Tight end Shawn Thompson is improving as
well after missing the season with a knee injury. The
spring game will take place on April 14. Spring practice
begins March 17.
QB HAPPENINGS: Carr said that quarterback
Drew Henson will be taking a break from spring train-
ing, including a spring break.
The past two years, Henson went to spring training
with the New York Yankees.
Henson is currently hitting the batting cages, but won't
report to spring training until after final exams in April.
The news is likely disappointing for the Cincinnati
Reds, who owns Henson's rights after they acquired him

from the Yankees last summer.
Meanwhile, Carr is already excited about a possible
future replacement for the soon-to-be senior Henson.
Spencer Brinton, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound quarter-
back, who will come to Michigan next season after
traveling with a Mormon mission is a protypical
Michigan quarterback - one that Carr especially
wanted.
"We were interested in a couple of guys early on,"
Carr said. "But once Spencer Brinton made up his-mind
I didn't really have an interest in anybody else"
Brinton has three years of NCAA eligibility remain-
ing after playing for San Diego State for a year.

Michigan i,
s past weekend found me again
iquestioning my unique propensity
r useless and/or random knowl-
edge. While the swirling facts and half-
truths in my head have often provided for
awkward moments where silence would
have been preferable, I find that the space
otherwise reserved for things like names
and correct test answers is, for me, better
occupied by the cognitive equivalent to
whipped cream.
Awakening Saturday morning in Ann
Arbor was something of a treat - for
the first time in months, the football
practice fields monopolizing my balcony
view reflected their natural, happy green-
ish hue instead of the usual sense-numb-
ing snow-covered white.
A sign of spring? Probably not. But it
was certainly enough to trigger any aim-
less knowledge I've ever acquired about.
Michigan football.
Now, I'd always figured that by the
time graduation rolled around, most of
these tidbits and meanderings would have
gone unused, only to be accrued over the
next four years by a football fanatic as
perceptive to fluff as myself.
But this weekend's unseasonable
weather combined with the convenience
of a weekly column has provided the
ideal forum to pass this filler along.
Everybody on campus has surely
heard one of these, and some students
might even be familiar with all of them.
But for those that care - and even more
for those that don't - a quick lesson in
Things Every Michigan Football Fan
Really Doesn't Need To Know But
Probably Should.
No. 1: T HE ONE. The capacity of
Michigan Stadium is one hundred seven
thousand five hundred and one. The extra
seat is a long-standing tradition in stadi-
um history - and the one thing every-
body seems to agree on is that it's
reserved for the "ghost" of a legendary
former coach. Exactly which coach, how-
ever, is the matter of slight debate.
Some athletic officials have contended
that the seat is set aside for the spirit of
Fritz Crisler, Michigan's coach from
1938-47. But a more widely accepted
story is that "the one" is reserved for
Fielding H. Yost, the coach that lobbied
for and oversaw construction of the stadi-
um. Upon its completion in 1927,
Michigan Stadium's capacity was 84,401,
lending more credibility to the Yost edi-
tion of the tale.
No.2: CHAMPIONS OF THE WEST?
This famous lyric has been the source of
subtle confusion for many fans. "The
Victors," Michigan's well-known march,
was written in 1898 immediately after a
heroic 12-11 victory over the University of
Chicago. The dramatic win gave Michigan
the Western Intercollegiate Conference
crown. No, Ann Arbor is not the untamed
frontier, but back in the day, teams in the

"
wanderings
Western Conference were said to play in
"the West."
No. 3: IRISH TIMEs. Which is the win-
ningest program in historic Division I
football? Going by total victories,
Michigan. Going on winning percentage,
it's Notre Dame. But which has more tray
dition? Not surprisingly, local lore has
given the nod to the Wolverines -
rumor has it that students from Michigan
actually taught undergrads from Notre
Dame the rules of the early game while
visiting South Bend late in the 19th
Century. Two years ago, when the Irish
were discussing joining the Big Ten, we
found that the Golden Domers still con- .
cede. "It was a group of University of
Michigan students, you may recall," said
Notre Dame president Edward Malloy,
"who first taught Notre Dame students to
play the game of football."
No.4: WmG rr. Indeed, Michigan's
head gear may be the coolest in college
football. But what is the significance of
the winged helmets? Few dispute the case
that Crisler actually introduced the design,
back when protection was made of leather.
But what Michigan enthusiasts may not
want to admit is that Crisler likely brought
the pattern with him from Princeton,
where he coached before coming to
Michigan in 1938. While the wing may
have provided extra padding, University
historians have reported that Crisler felt
helmet patterns helped his quarterbacks
distinguish receivers from defenders.
Princeton has since returned to the pattern
which in all honesty resembles a tiger
much more than it does a wolverine.
No. 5: STICK TO THE SCRIPT. The
-pregame "Script Ohio" is a staple of
Ohio State tradition, and being the tuba
player who dots the "i" is apparently an
honor. But the famous routine was actu-
ally first performed by the Michigan
Marching Band as a goodwill gesture
before the 1932 game in Columbus. The
Wolverines prevailed, 14-0, and went on
to win the national title - but the
Buckeyes did not come away from the
game empty handed.
My brain, for better or worse, has ded-
icated far more space to the trivial and
obscure than this column can provide. By
now, you likely think it's for the better.
You're probably right. There are a
thousand things more relevant than what
bounces around in my head. Plenty of
people, for instance, care about the turf
conditions at Michigan Stadium.
Few care that the stadium itself was
built on a natural spring that until 1926
provided the campus with drinking water.
I guess spewing random facts isn't
always pointless - most of the time, it's
simply useless. That always brings a
spring-time smile to my face.

Women motivated after heartbreaking loss

BEAM
Continued from Page 11B
t that point, it seemed as though
aeorgia's all-time season record of
11-0 against Michigan was in jeop-
ardy.
With a commanding lead,
Michigan needed only not to falter in
its final event to finally put away the
Bulldogs.
But, with the capacity crowd howl-
ing, Michigan fell to the intense pres-
sure and lost its focus - and the
meet - on the balance beam.
Melissa Peterson, Elise Ray and
annon Mackenzie each fell, forc-
ing Michigan to take a team score of
48.300.
This gave Georgia the opportunity
it had been waiting for. With the meet
hanging in the balance, Sears, last
year's floor exercise national champi-
on, delivered with a 9.975 on
Georgia's final routine to put the
&ulldogs ahead for good.
For Michigan, there is no easy

solution for its beam difficulties.
"If I had the answer to that I would
have done it a long time ago," Plocki
said. "There is no room for error in
this event. The slightest lapse in con-
centration and it's over. Plus, it was
really hard when the crowd cheered
every time we fell."
Aside from their performance on
the beam, the Wolverines also
demonstrated their vulnerability in
pressure situations. Thus far through
the season, Michigan has been unable
to capture wins over ranked oppo-
nents that help build confidence and
turn out to be so essential late in the
season.
Still, Plocki feels that her team's
performance in Georgia built their
confidence for future meets.
"Initially, I think they were devas-
tated," Plocki said. "But, I think after
we got together and talked about the
positive aspects, we settled down a
bit. It will provide great motivation in
the future. We just have to get on with
it and focus on the next meet."

Balance problems on the balance beam
Michigan had almost assured its win over Georgia until prob-
lems during the final rotation allowed the Bulldogs to barely
beat it out. A look back at the highlights of the final rota-
tion and where things went wrong for the Wolverines
Michigan entered the final
rotation with a commanding
1.225 point lead..
Michigan suffered three con-
secutive falls on the beam and<
could only manage to finish with {
a 48.300, easily its lowest score p
of the night.-
With the door now wide open,
Georgia capitalized by finishing ''
with a 49.525 on the floor exer-
cise, highlighted by Suzanne
Sears' 9.975, the final routine of
the night.
Michigan remains winless BRANDON SEDLOFF/Daiy
against Georgia during then
regular season. *

David Den Herder can be reached
at dden@umich.edu.

Key injuries continue to plague
for high ranked men gymnasts

I

I T

11

By Rohit Bhave
Daily Sports Writer
Justin Toman is possibly out for the
season with an ACL injury.
Kevin Roulston is dealing with a
serious knee injury, as well.
Scott Vetere is nursing a pulled
muscle in his back.
Without its top three gymnasts, the
Michigan men's gymnastics team
needs its other weapons to bear the
* oad.
While his teammates recover, Kris
Zimmerman continued to demon-
strate that he is capable of carrying
the team by placing sixth at the
Winter Cup in Las Vegas last week-
end.
In an individual competition fea-
turing American gymnastics' finesti
athletes, he narrowly missed the top-
three finish required to make the U.S.
National Team.
All season, the Wolverines pour
heir sweat into team goals..But this
past weekend, they were able to mea-
sure themselves individually against
the nation's best. Though none of
them were able to qualify for the
National team, Zimmerman and three
of his teammates showed that they
have improved enough to lessen, if
not completely offset, the impact of
their team's injury problems.
* Coming off a first-place finish in
the all-around against Penn State last
weekend, Zimmerman has stayed
solid. Last year, he was predominant-
ly successful on the still rings and
parallel bars - he had yet to make
his mark in other events.
N Saturdav. Zimmerman scored

horse.
Friday in the individual event
finals, Diaz-Luong and Dehr notched
second-place finishes on the high bar
and pommel horse, respectively.
Diaz-Luong's strong performance
in the high bar bodes very well for the
Wolverines in the second half of the
season.
Michigan's traditional weakness
has been the high bar - the

Wolverines appear to have found
someone who can bail them out with
a high score.
Dehr's high individual event finish
on the pommel horse comes as a
remarkable achievement as well.
The fifth-year senior had earlier
expressed his joy about simply com-
peting in the Winter Cup. Friday, he
showed that he was among the best
pommel-horse performers in the

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