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With Amaker hiring comes hope
Brian Ellerbe fired after three straight mediocre seasons
4lichigan '" on"
' excellence
is true attraction
'm not brash enough to know for sure why you chose
Michigan, but I rarely believe people when they say
that it had nothing to do with the athletic tradition of
the University.
I mean, when did the mystique of Michigan really hit
you? Was it when you found out that Jonas Salk
announced the success of his polio vaccine in Rackhamr
Auditorium or when Chris Webber and Jalen Rose
marched the Wolverines to the championship game two
years in a row? Do you care more about Martinus Velt-
man's Nobel Prize or Charles Woodson's Heisman Tro-
phy?
Just as I thought.
~ut stop pushing it aside - admit it and waive it proud-
I~W~ithout sports, Michigan would be, well, Northwestern.
It happens everywhere: Without football, "Rudy" would be
a really shitty movie about a kid trying to get into Notre
Dame. And if not for athletics, what would separate Michi-
gan State from any other community college?
With apologies to the University administration, sports
are, and always will be synonymous with the Michigan
tradition. Let's put it to a test.
For every loud, outspoken University president like
Harlan Hatcher, there is a football coach like Bo Schem-
*hler. For every University professor like Sidney Fine,
who served Michigan for nearly his entire life, there's a
hockey coach like Red Berenson. And for every
Madeleine Albright, a hotshot brought into town by the
University to improve a program's reputation, there is new
basketball coach Tommy Amaker. It can continue across
the board.
Obviously, the University administration doesn't accept
this. They'll never be ready to admit to the fact that the
Michigan name is more recognizable in athletic circles
Sthan academic, even if by a very slim margin. They'll
< p talking about the Human Genome project and Ger-
W Ford, while I'll keep bringing up 12 national champi-
on thips in football and Cazzie Russell. They can continue
thinking that people wear hats embroidered with a block
'M" because of the school's tremendous engineering
chool as long as I'm around to remind them of nine
ational championships in hockey.
Which is not to say anything negative about academics
here in Ann Arbor. By selecting Michigan, you have,
without question, chosen to attend one of the finest uni-
v sities that this country has to offer. But for all of the
lmpts that the University makes for you to recognize
the diverse options that the school presents, it does not
embrace its main selling point nearly enough.
In his book "Intercollegiate Athletics and the American
University: A University President's Perspective," James
Duderstadt, Michigan's president in the early 1990s,
speaks out about the problems that sports cause for col-
leges around the country. There certainly is some truth in
that statement. Michigan could have done without the Ed
Martin scandals. There is no doubt that an athletic depart-
ment's inability to police itself can and does shine nega-
tive light on its respective school as a whole.
ut what about the positives? Duderstadt pities his
replacement, Lee Bollinger, for having to deal with the
trouble of an athletic department in the time of tremen-
dous success (Bollinger took over the year Michigan won
the football championship and hockey championship in
1998.) I'm no politician, and I don't know the first thing
about the job of a university president, but pity is not the
first emotion that would come to my mind.
Do you know of anyone who watched the Wolverines
celebrating in Pasadena and came to the conclusion that
*be Michigan was not the place for them? If there is
n one such person, I could then present 400 others
who that night went online to find out how to get an
application. Not everyone loves football, but does anyone
hate it so much that it could be a turn-off?
Pities?
As I pointed out when I started, I can't speak for every-
one. I can say that sports had a great deal of impact in my
decision. I remember growing up and thinking that Michi-
gan basketball had to be the coolest team on earth. I
remember watching the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 , 1998 and
biting my fingernails until they were gone when Ryan
f was marching Washington State down the field in
t closing minutes.
It was never as though I thought to myself, "I want to
go to Michigan because the football team is the best."
Being from New Jersey, it never seemed reasonable when
I was young to think about Michigan. But as I grew older
and started looking at colleges, I couldn't shake Michi-
gan. I wanted to come here more than anywhere else. And
I didn't choose Michigan because the men's gymnastics
team won the national championship in the same week
tt t I got my acceptance letter or the hockey team won
year before.
I chose it because I was enamored by the Michigan tra-
dition, the knowledge that the block "M" stood for excel-
lence, on the field and in the classroom. I had never seen
Michigan, never walked on the campus, but I felt that I
knew about it because I had watched Steve Fisher cut
down a net on television.
By Michael Kern
Daily Sports Edtor
After Tommy Amaker was announced
yesterday as the next coach of the Michi-
gan men's basketball team, junior for-
ward Chris Young quipped, "If he wasn't
going to be a coach, he could probably
be a politician."
Amaker certainly had all of the right
answers for the media.
When asked if Michigan would be
used as a stepping stone toward a job at
Duke when legendary coach and Amak-
er's mentor Mike Krzyzewski retires, the
new coach rebuffed the suggestion.
"I don't think you ever look at Michi-
gan as a stepping stone to anything,"
Amaker said. "I'm here, and I'm hoping
I can stay here as long as Bill Martin and
the rest of the administration wants me to
stay.
When asked if he minded that he
would be playing second fiddle to Lloyd
Carr and the football team, Amaker
expounded about the example that
Michigan football set for college pro-
grams everywhere.
"It's more than just winning, it's how
they win," the new coach said. "There is
no better example for our basketball
team than our football team."
Just as Rick Pitino's wife's wishes to
return to Kentucky may have been the
deciding factor in his signing with
Louisville, Amaker's wife, Stephanie
Pinder-Amaker, may be the biggest rea-
son he is in Ann Arbor.
"I really don't make the decisions. (If
you want to know) the reason I'm here,
you should probably be asking her all of
the questions," Amaker said. "She made
the call."
Amaker left Seton Hall under difficult
circumstances. The announcement came
suddenly and caught many of his former
players off-guard. The Pirates held a
team meeting with their former coach
yesterday to say goodbye. More than a
few tears were shed.
"It's unfortunate. I think we all recog-
nize it is part of the landscape (of college
basketball)," Amaker said. "I tried to get
up and get a haircut before I got on the
plane this morning, and I was told by my
barber, 'Well Coach, the fact is that
maybe people are upset and disappoint-
ed, but it beats the heck out of people
throwing a party that you are leaving.'
"So that's one good way of looking at
it."
During Amaker's introductory speech
yesterday, the team stood behind their
new coach, smiling with approval.
Amaker met with the team for the first
time for about an hour before the press
conference, taking the time to get to
know one another.
See AMAKER, Page 4E
AP PHOT(
Tommy Amaker has a plan to get Michigan back on the
winning track.
Loastir1ig quality
and quantity Yi~i + 1:~~
in class by itself
By Benjamin Singer
Daily Sports Editor
At a speech Athletic Director Bill Martin made this past
year in the Business School, he estimated athletics account-
ed for 99 percent of Michigan's public image.
"i'm not saying that is right, I'm saying that is life."
And Football represents 99 percent of Michigan athletics.
It may not be right, but it's life.
Michigan is a football school. It's a hard-nosed, smash-
mouth, bruising-back, run-it-up-the-gut, three-yards-and-a-
cloud-of-dust football school. No Fab Five could change
that and neither could continued success at Yost Ice Arena.
Of course, the excitement of a Football Saturday isn't a
concept unique to Ann Arbor. But Michigan is as much a
contributor to college football frenzy as any other school.
Tailgaiting, marching band, large crowds (the largest, in
fact) and a history and tradition richer than any alum who
comes back to Ann Arbor every Saturday to attend a home
game.
The Wolverines boast 11 national championships, a
school record of 805-262-36 (the best in Division I), 26
years in a row of attending a bowl game and what many on
campus like to believe is the best helmet and fight song in
college.
TiE BIG HOUSE
Michigan Stadium, often referred to as "The Big House,"
currently holds 107,501 seats as the largest football stadium
in the country. Packing in thousands at a time for "the most
people watching a football game anywhere today," as is
always announced with the game's attendance, is a source
of pride for Wolverine fans. The last time a game at Michi-
gan had fewer than 100,000 in Michigan Stadium was on
October 25, 1975, vs. Indiana. Instead, 93,857 watched a
55-7 Michigan victory.
1927 - With a capacity of 72,000, Michigan Stadium
is completed for the cost of $950,000.
1930 - Michigan Stadium is the first to use electronic
scoreboards to keep official time, as the equipment is put up
at either end of the stadium.
a 1949 - Michigan Stadium is expanded to 97,239 as
the wooden bleachers are replaced by steel ones. Michigan's
A~BBY ROSENBAUM/Dily;
The Big House or "the house the Bo built" is the largest football stadium in the country with a capacity of 107,501.
Although it has such a large capacity nearly every home game eclipses the maximum by about 3,000.
average of 93,894 fans per game demolishes second place
Ohio State's 76,429 in the first year that NCAA keeps
records for attendance.
1956 - Expansion in the Big House increases capaci-
ty to 101,001 seats. On October 6, over 100,000 people
come to a Michigan game for the first time against Michi-
gan State.
0 1969 - In a growing trend of the athletic world due to
cost efficiency, Michigan Stadium's grass is replaced with
artificial turf.
® 1991 - At a cost of $2,250,000 Michigan Stadium
converts back from artificial turf to Prescription Athletic
Turf -real grass.
1998 - Renovations include adding 5,000 seats, video
scoreboards on both sides of the stadium and the "Halo," a
gold ring around the outside of the stadium reading "Hail to
the Victors" in large, gold letters.
2000 - Due to public outcry, calling the Halo "tacky,"
the letters are taken down.
FLRST-CLASS COACHES
Sixteen different coaches have walked up and down the
sidelines at Michigan games, but not all of them reached a
level at which the school named something after them in
their honor. Whether it be a drive (Kipke), field house (Yost,
now an ice arena, and Oosterbaan), basketball arena
(Crisler) or hall (Schembechler), the following men have
been immortalized at the University.
The first varsity victory may have come in 1879, but
the true road to legendary status as a football program start-
See TRADITION, Page 6E
Women gymnasts place third in
NCAAs en route to best finish
By Chris Burke
Daily Sports Writer
ATHENS, Ga. - The best team score ever posted
by the Michigan women's gymnastics team at the
NCAA Championships - 197.275 - still wasn't
enough to overtake defending NCAA champion
UCLA and home-favorite Georgia on April 20.
Yet even with a third place finish in the Super
Six, the Wolverines came away feeling pretty good
about themselves.
"There's only a tiny little part of me that is won-
dering what could have been, but we are so excited
about the way we performed tonight," Karina Senior
said. "We all came together as a team, and we can't
be disappointed with that."
A crowd of 8,245 invaded the Stegeman Colise-
um for the meet. The host Bulldogs scored a 197.4
... ~
NCAA championship meet history with a 39.625.
The lowest score Ray had all night came from a
9.875 on the balance beam. That mark was still high
enough to match teammate Shannon MacKenzie for
the best score posted by a Michigan competitor on
that event during the evening.
Add in scores of 9.9 on vault and floor, as well as
a 9.95 on the bars and the result was a second con-
secutive superb night from Michigan's freshman
star.
"I couldn't have done half as well as I did without
the team behind me," said the ever-humble Ray.
"I'm strictly focused on team - all the individual
stuff is kind of extra.
"I've never, ever had this much fun doing gym-
nastics before, so that in itself is just wonderful. I
think that plays a huge part in how I did."
The Wolverines began the evening on bars and
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