michigandaily.com/sports THURSDAY OCTOBER 4, 2001 11A BENJAMIN SINGER Speculation surrounds Zahn's status as coach 'Yawn: Wake me when somebody cranks 80 s Barry Bonds going to break the record? Did he already? Whatever, I don't really care. Wake me when someone hits 80. I'm going to go take a nap. I have not been able to pinpoint the reason for my indifference toward this year's attack on the homerun record. I'm sure it is the result of several fac- tors - Bonds has been branded as a bad guy, the media "frenzy" isn't half as feverish as in 1998 or maybe it's just that I'm becoming a more apathetic person in general each passing day. Three years ago, the chase was excit- ing. The 1998 season served as a fan- tastic backdrop for the McGwire-Sosa horserace. The homerun record was the centerpiece of a year filled with unpar- alleled accomplishments such as the Yankees' 125 victories, Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game as a rookie and Roger Clemens' fifth Cy Young award. The fact that two sluggers emerged that year to compete against history as well as each other made for a fascinat- ing storyline. But unless Sosa busts out with eight or nine home runs today (or if Deivi Cruz hits about 62 to get back in the chase), Bonds will continue as the sole challenger. What's more is that in 1998, it was new, it was different, it was something that hadn't really been seen in 37 years. Now the novelty has worn off. Bonds is just a Johnny-come-lately. I saw this act already. In 1998, the number 61 was sacred, just as 60 had been for 34 years before 1961. When McGwire-cranked out 70, that was supposed to be the number fans were going to be looking at for another 30 years. But Bonds has obliterated Mark McGwire's homerun pace of 1998. The only thing that has stopped him from destroying the record itself are games ike Sunday's when the Padres threw him one strike in I I pitches. Whether he breaks the record or not, the worst fears for McGwire fans have already been confirmed. The number 70 is not untouchable. Now there is a palpable fear among many baseball fans that if Bonds sur- passes 70, the homerun record will be cheapened. The excitement of 1998 was suddenly all for naught and the record is at risk every year. Nonsense. Babe Ruth's record of 60 in 1927 came under siege before too long. Jim- mie Foxx hit 58 home runs in 1932. Hank Greenberg equaled Foxx's feat in 1938. The number 60 looked vulnera- ble even before Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and a 162-game schedule, but no .one said the sky was falling. I don't find myself actively rooting for or against Bonds (such a move would ruin my whole apathy phase), but I certainly won't be bothered by seeing McGwire's record passed. This does not mean that every three years we should come to expect a new home- run mark. Eventually, an impossibly high standard will be set and will last for another 20 or 30 years. The number might be established this year, or maybe a few years from now. The number might be 75, or 80, or it's still possible it could stay at 70. But some day in the future, we're going to go through this homerun chase again, and marvel at such high numbers that were once only attained by leg- endary names such as Sosa, McGwire and Bonds. And Deivi Cruz. But not enough years have passed since the last time I saw 70 homers hit for me to be bewildered and captivated by seeing it done again. I can't say exactly how many years must go by before a homerun chase will be excit- ing again. I guess whenever I get up from my nap. Benjamin Singer would be more excited if Cal Ripken had 70 homeruns. He can be reached at basinger@umich.edu. By Benjamin Singer Daily Sports Editor When the Michigan baseball team went to practice on Tuesday, it found associate athletic director Megan McCallister waiting to inform them that coach Geoff Zahn was in a meeting with Unviersity administrators. Zahn was missing from yesterday's practice as well. "He wasn't around," junior Jere- my Stein said. "We were told it's between him and the athletic depart- ment." The Ann Arbor News reported Zahn's desk was cleaned out and speculation of a coaching change. has begun to arise. It also reported that pitching coach Steve Foster announced his resignation last Fri- day. But Foster did show up to the past two day's practices. "I know there's been other offers" from other schools for Foster, Stein said. Foster - once a minor league pitcher who was in the Reds' system with former Wolverines including Barry Larkin, Hal Morris and Chris Sabo - was entering his second year as Michigan's pitching coach. Athletic Director Bill Martin could not be reached for comment. Zahn was suspended for several days by Michigan in June of 2000 after players sent the athletic depart- ment letters complaining of Zahn's coaching style. In six years as coach of Michigan, Zahn has a 162-168-2 record, including a Big Ten Tournament championship and NCAA appear- ance in 1999. He also earned the 1997 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year. Last year's team finished 28-28 as runner-ups in the Big Ten Tourna- ment. Zahn pitched in the Major Leagues for 13 years with four dif- ferent teams. DNuNY MULOSUOISaniy After coaching Michigan baseball for six years, Geoff Zahn may be on his way out. He has been absent during the past two practices. After losses, Happy Valley not so happy By Dave Horn Daily Sports Writer "We are? Penn State!" The familiar chant of the fans in Happy Valley will be less a declaration this year, and more a reminder. Fans in the Bryce Jordan Center may not recognize their team, which lost four starters (three to gradu- ation, one to a transfer) during the off- season. Gone are the Crispin brothers - Jon and Joe - as well as guard Titus Ivory and forward Gyasi Cline-Heard. Those four made up the foundation of a team that surprised many by advancing to last year's Sweet Sixteen via wins over Providence and North Carolina, before falling to in-state foe Temple. What is left are a couple of low-level contributors - junior guard Brandon Watkins and senior forward Tyler BIG TEN PREVIEWS As the college basketball season approaches,- inside scoop on every Big Ten team as they count down the days until they release their spe- CONFERENCE cial section "Tipoff" in November. him one of the most valuable post play- ers in the Big Ten. Dunn, however, does not recognize- the urgency of quality production down low. He seems instead to recognize the 2001-02 campaign as a rebuilding year, and with his new five-year contract extension, is able to plan long-term. "I would hope that Tyler doesn't feel any pressure at all," Dunn said. "I would like all the pressure to be on me as opposed to any of the players. Tyler is in a position to enjoy his senior year and all of the success that goes with it. "I think the only pressure I would See PENN STATE, Page 12A Smith -- who managed little produc- tion last season. Things may get pretty sad in Happy Valley, as 'the Nittany Lions will likely fall to the bottom of the conference in an obvious transition year. But head coach Jerry Dunn is opti- mistic, and expects his young team to grow into itself. "I think a new cast with a lot of young players is challenging but also exciting," Dunn said. Smith, who last year averaged 7.6 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game, will now be the go-to guy down low. His rebound- ing - especially on the offensive glass - will need to improve considerably if he is to even begin to fill the large shoes left by Cline-Heard. The departed big man averaged 16 points and just over eight rebounds per game, making 0~ Two goalies for M, but just one goal By Jim Weber Daily Sports Writer to this new defense has made life easie for Grech. U C Y C GJ O u .: a Career Development & Care P a s s i c er Management Purpose3 nn Baianc Reachyour goals 0 w D .*Achieve powerful results in all you do P RS 0 N L .Formulate a ptan for victory for your whole life Livelife more fully and with greater meaning ' . r n . Stress Manaeement . Communication Skills er its After posting three straight shutouts, sophomore goalie Suzie Grech still doesn't know if she will be starting i tomorrow against Ohio State. Grech said the decision will be made during the week as the Wolverines pre- pare for this weekend's games. Grech has split time in net with fellow sopho- more Bre Bennett and could continue to do so. Bennett started the season in goal against Loyola-Marymount but has steadily seen her playing time decrease throughout the season. She hasn't start- ed a game since Michigan's home open- er against Kentucky on Sept. 7. Grech made 16 saves in her three shutout performances, including eight saves during Michigan's 1-0 overtime victory over Wisconsin last Sunday. At 5-foot-Il, Grech has a distinct height advantage over the 5-foot-5 Ben- nett. Assistant coach Scott Forrester said that with her height, Grech is better able to defend high shots on goal. After making the save, Forrester said that Grech displays a lot of power on her punts. She is also suited to handle the pressure of a Big Ten season after starting seven games as a freshman - including one against top-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame. "She does have a lot of high-level game experience, which is very impor- tant to that position," Forrester said. Although Grech is a talented goalie, she does not depend solely on her physi- cal attributes. "As much as goalie is a physical posi- tion, it is also very mental," Grech said. The mental aspect of the game is even more important for the two Michi- "It's not just me getting me shutout - it's the whole team." she said. But Grech shouldn't look over her shoulder because Bennett has impressed the coaches as well. "I think both keepers have improved tremendously. It's not like (Grech) has set herself that far away from Bre," For- rester said. "Gettin a coach in college was the best thing I ever did" - CEO, Computer Gaming Company Call No and ceive a "My coach helped me link COACHING SESSION! t my passions with my career" CI* VP Mkt, Outdoor Adventure Co. Call Toll Free - "Idefinitelytakejob candidates or Staff@Coachin Circlescorn more seriously if they have been g - R coached"- Head of Recruiting, Fortune 100. d 0 a Coaching Circles is one of the largest and most respected professional and personal coaching companies in the country. For more information - CoachingCircles.com i 0 I00 - 0 - 0 Contraceptive In ection] frtk controloultkr aout just medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension + x( a year DEPO-PROVERA' Contraceptive Injection (medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension. USP) This product is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases. What is DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection? DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection is a form of birth control that is given as an intramus- cular injection (a shot) in the buttock or upper arm once every 3 months (13 weeks). To con- tinue your contraceptive protection, you must return for your next injection promptly at the end of 3 months (13 weeks). DEPO-PROVERA contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, a chemical similar to (but not the same as) the natural hormone progesterone, which is produced by your ovaries during the second half of your menstrual cycle. DEPO-PROVERA acts by preventing your egg cells from npening. If an egg is not released from the ovaries during your menstrual cycle, it cannot become fertilized by sperm and result in pregnancy. DEPO-PROVERA also causes changes in the lining of your.uterus that make it less likely for pregnancy to occur How effective is DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive injection? The efficacy of DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection depends on following the recommend- ed dosage schedule exactly (see -How often do I get my shot of DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection.'), To make sure you are not pregnant when you first get DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection, your first injection must be given ONLY during the first 5 days of a normal menstrual period; ONLY within the first 5 days after childbirth if not breast-feeding: and, if exclusively breast-feeding. ONLY at the sixth week after childbirth. It is a long-term injectable contraceptive when administered at 3-month ( 13-week) intervals. DEPO- PROVERA Contraceptive Injection is over 99% effective, making it one of the most reliable methods of birth control available. This means that the average annual pregnancy rate is less than one for every 100 women who use DEPO-PROVERA. The effectiveness of most contraceptive methods depends in part on how reliably each woman uses the method. The effectiveness of DEPO-PROVERA depends only on the patient returning every 3 months (13 weeks) for her next injection. Your health-care provider will help you compare DEPO-PROVERA with other contra- ceptive methods and give you the information you need in order to decde which contraceptive method is the right choice for you. The following table shows the percent of women who got pregnant while using different kinds of contraceptive methods. It gives both the lowest expected rate of pregnancy (the rate expected in women who use each method exactly as it should be used) and.the typical rate of pregnancy (which includes women who became pregnant because they forgot to use their birth control or because they did not follow the directions exactly). Percent of Women Experiencing an Accidental Pregnancy in the First Year of Continuous Use if you have had cancer of the breast " if you have had a stroke . if you have or have had blood clots (phlebitis) in your legs - if you have problems with your liver or liver disease - if you are allergic to DEPO-PROVERA (medroxyprogesterone acetate or any of its other ingredients). What other things should I consider before using DEPO-PROVERA contraceptive Injection? You will have a physical examination before your doctor prescribes DEPO-PROVERA. It is impor- tant to tell your health-care provider if you have any of the following: a family history of breast cancer - an abnormal mammogram (breast x-ray), fbrocystic breast disease, breast nodules or lumps, or bleeding from your nipples - kidney disease - irregular or scanty menstrual periods - high blood pressure " migraine headaches asthma - epilepsy (convulsions or seizures) - diabetes or a family history of diabetes a history of depression - if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications This product is intended to prevent pregnancy. It does not protect against trans- mission of HIV (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamy- dia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis. What if I want to become pregnant after using DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection? Because DEPO-PROVERA is a long-actingbirth control method, it takes some time after your last injection for its effect to wear off. Based onmthe results from a large-study done in the United States, for women who stop using DEPO-PROVERA in order to become pregnant, it is expected that about half of those who become pregnant will do so in about 10 months after their last injection; about two thirds of those who become pregnant wili do so in about 12 months; about 83% of those who become pregnant will do so in about I5 months; and about 93% of those who become pregnant will do so in about I 8 months after their last injection. The length of time you use DEPO-PROVERA has no effect on how long it takes you to become pregnantafter you stop using it. What are the risks of using DEPO-PROVE RA Contraceptive Injection? }.Irregulor Menstrual Bleeding The side effect reported most frequently by women who use DEPO-PROVERA for contracep- tion is a change in their normal menstrual cycle. During the first year of using DEPO-PROVERA, you might have one or more of the following changes: irregular or unpredictable bleeding or spot- ting, an increase or decrease in menstrual bleeding, or no bleeding at all. Unusually heavy or con- tinuous bleeding, however is not a usual effect of DEPO-PROVERA: and if this happens, you should see your health-care provider right away With continued use of DEPO-PROVERA, bleeding usu- ally decreases, and many women stop having periods completely in clinical studies of DEPO-PROVERA, 55% of the women studied reported no menstrual bleeding (amenorrhea) after I year of use, and 68% of the women studied reported no menstrual bleeding after 2 years of use. The reason that your periods stop is because DEPO-PROVERA causes a resting state in 60ther Risks Women who use hormone-based contraceptives may have an increased risk of blood clots or stroke. Also, if a contraceptive method fails, there is a possibility that the fertilized egg weli begin to develop outside of the uterus (ectopic pregnancy). While these events are rare, you should tell your health-care provider if you have any of the problems listed in the next section. What symptoms mar signal problems while using DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection. Call your health-care provider immediately if any of these problems occur following an injection of DEPO-PROVERA: - sharp chest pain, coughing up of blood, or sudden shortness of breath (indicating a possible clot in the lung) sudden severe headache or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, problems with your eyesight or speech, weakness, or numbness in an arm or leg (indicating a possible stroke) - severe- pain or swelling in the calf (indicating a possible clot in the leg) - unusually heavy vaginal bleeding - severe pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area persistentpain, pus, or bleeding at the injection site what are e possible side effects of DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection? I Weight Goin You may experience a weight gain while you are using DEPO-PROVERA. About two thirds of the women who used DEP0-PROVERA in clinical trials reported a weight gain of about 5 pounds during the first year of use. You may continue to gain weight after the frst year. Women in one large study who used DEPO-PROVERA for 2 years gained an average total of 8:1 pounds over those 2 years. or approximately 4 pounds per year Women who continued for 4 years gained an average total of 13.8 pounds over those 4 years, or approximately 3.5 pounds per year Women who continued for 6 years gained an average total of i6.5 pounds over those 6 years, or approx- imately 2.75 pounds per year. 20.ther Side Effects In a clinical study of over 3,900 women who used DEPO-PROVERA for up to 7 years, some women reported the following effects that may or may not have been related to their use of DEPO-PROVERA: Irregular menstrual bleeding, amenorrhea, headache, nervousness, abdominal cramps, dizziness, weakness or fatigue, decreased sexual desire, leg cramps,'nausea, vaginal dis- charge or irritation, breast swelling and tenderness, bloating, swelling of the hands or feet, back- ache, depression, insomnia, acne, pelvic pain, no hair growth or excessive hair loss, rash, hot flash- es, and joint pain. Other problems were reported by very few of the women in the clinical trials, but some of these could be serious. These include convulsions, jaundice, unnary tract infections, allergic reactions, fainting, paralysis, osteoporosis, lack of return to fertility, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, breast cancer, or cervical cancer If these or any other problems occur dur- in your use of DEPO-PROVERA, discuss-them with your health-care provider. Should any precautions be followed during use of DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection? /.Missed Periods During the time you are using DEPO-PROVERA for contraception, you may skip a period, or your periods may stop completely if you have been receiving your DEPO-PROVEPA injections regu- larly every 3 months (13 weeks), then you are probably not pregnant. However, if you think that you may be pregnant, see your health-care provider. 2.Loborotory Test Interactions If you are scheduled for any laboratory tests, tell your health-care provider that you are using Lowest Method Expected Typical DEPO-PROVERA 0.3 03 implants (Norplant) 0.2 0.2" Female sterization 0.2 0.4 Mae ailann 01 1 i