The Mic~higan Dlv~ - SnnrtAAondiv~ - NlAvumhcpr 1 7 ')flCV- I llc I4lwl II all vpI ly - OJJUI LDIVIUI IUC1y - IN UVCI I IUUF 1! Luu. JC If Blue loses to Buckeyes because of your apathy, you should be ashamed i ANN ARBOR 640 PACKARD ROAD 734-622-0000 MON-SUN 6AM-12AM BAKERY CAFE CATERING COLUMBUS. Nov. 18, 2000. We were surrounded by thousands of rabid Bucknuts. Just measly freshmen at the time, my friend and I were the only Michigan supporters in our section of the Horse- shoe. With a light snow falling< around us, the Wolverines fell behind 9-0 early in the game. We were edgy. The Bucks around us were letting us hear it. Then it happened. Quarter- back Drew Henson hit running back Anthony Thomas on a J. BRADY screen for a 70-yard touchdown MCCOLLOUGH pass. As Thomas rumbled down The SportsMonday the field, I was jumping up and CIolumn down hysterically, and in the process, my hands were apparently coming a little too close to the crazy Buckeye fan sitting in front of me. In his 60s, decked out in scarlet and gray, his hatred of all things maize and blue was embedded in his wrinkly face. After the run, he turned around to me, grabbed my jacket and threatened me. "If your hand hits my head one more time, you're f***** going down," he scowled. Welcome to Columbus, where old men drop the F-bomb on college students who are supporting their school. Fast-forward three years. The Buckeyes, after years of futility against Michigan, are trying to take control of this historic rivalry with their third straight win. And with thousands of Bucknuts coming to town this weekend, the onus is on you to make them, as well as their players, feel as unwelcome as I felt three years ago in Columbus. I'm not advocating threatening their lives. But stu- dents of this University, if there was ever a time for you to turn the Big House from a symphony into a rock con- cert, it's now. There will be a lot of pressure on you Saturday, because at the Big House - unlike the Shoe - either the students make noise or no one does. In other words, there aren't many 60-year-old alumni in Ann Arbor that are willing to come to blows with an 18-year-old. It's on you. If you can't get up for this game and make noise before and during every single Ohio State offensive play, I'm finally going to give up on you. The players will, too. They've got to be wondering how their stadium is so quiet compared to 59,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Oregon. During games such as Indiana and Illi- nois, the atmosphere feels more like a practice than a game. The Big House is seen as a joke by the rest of the coun- try, and I guarantee the Buckeyes don't respect you. Why would they? That crowd in 2001 was one of the most apa- thetic Michigan crowds I've seen, and your team was play- ing for the Big Ten title. There was no excuse then, and there's no excuse now. I know, I know, it's a noon start. You won't be able to sleep in. You won't have time to get as drunk as you'd like. Cry me a river. Real fans don't need alcohol to make noise; they do it because they will do anything to help their team win. The bottom line is that whether you want to make noise or not, this team deserves your best. Shaking your keys isn't going to be enough to help your team beat Ohio State for the first time since 2000. Do it for Chris Perry, who's been running his ass off all season. Do it for John Navarre - make up for three years of boos and will him to Pasadena with your enthusiasm. Do it for these 2003 Wolverines, who've turned their season around by winning five straight games. Do it for your fel- low students, who will get to cherish Michigan's first out- right Big Ten title since 1997 and celebrate it together. We all want Michigan to go to the Rose Bowl. But will you give something in order to get what you want? The player-fan relationship is similar to our romantic endeavors. Reciprocation is the key. Lend the Wolverines your voices for three-and-a-half hours, and they'll give you your trip to Pasadena. Still not convinced you should make more noise Satur- day? You're a tough sell. Try this. Each night before you go to bed this week, think about what it was like to watch Ohio State celebrate its 26-20 win over Michigan in 2001. Think about that huge scarlet flag waving in the far endzone. Think about the real- ization that your team was headed to Central Florida. Think about the Michigan seniors with their heads down, tears rolling down their cheeks after their last game at Michigan Stadium. Then think about it happening again. J Brady McCollough used to be quite the fan and wishes he could be in the stands with you Saturday to prove it (he'll be in the press box). He can be reached at bradymcc@umich.edu. 1 OM - -VTI atlantabread.com Atlanta Bread Company grand apening CELE A IO Ann Arbor Location 'M' cagers cruise in final tuneup By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer Hitting his second 3-pointer of the game and cutting the Michigan lead to 9-8, guard Junie Sanders turned to the Maize Rage with his finger to his mouth telling them to be quiet. Little did he know that it would soon be his squad that would go quiet -real quiet. The Wolverines would go on a 25-2 run en route to a 90-57 thrashing of the Fayetteville Patriots from the National Basketball Development League, the NBA's minor league. After a sub-par first half against Michigan Tech a week ago, Michigan was on a mis- sion, creating 22 turnovers and - fighting for rebounds against a more physically imposing professional team. The Wolverines swatted numerous Fayetteville passes, leading to easy bas- kets, highlighted by freshman Brent Petway's electrifying windmill dunk off a telegraphed backcourt pass, his first of five dunks on the evening. "We had some glimpses of this up in Toronto," coach Tommy Amaker said. "Certainly it was nice to see us regain that form and that energy level to make into the kind of game we want to play, which is full court, 94-feet and using our athleticism." By the end of the first half, the Patri- ots who had played significant minutes, including former Georgia Tech star Jason Collier, looked befuddled by the Michigan 2-3 and 2-1-2 zones. At times, the Wolverines were showing more intensity just standing in the zone waiting for a pass to be made than the Patriots had in their offense all together. During Michigan's first-half run, Fayet- teville went nine minutes and 23 sec- onds without a field goal. "We were disappointed by the way we played team defense (against Michi- gan Tech)," said freshman forward Courtney Sims, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds. "We focused on that at practice this whole week." Leading the charge was senior for- ward Bernard Robinson, who had a stellar evening on both sides of the floor with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. "I thought tonight (Bernard Robin- son) played as good as any player can play," Amaker said. Robinson had his mid-range jumper in mid-season form as he finished 8- for-13 from the field. In addition to his shooting and play on defense, he assist- ed Petway from almost the half court line for an alley-oop slam. "I felt good out there," Robinson said. "The team did a good job getting every- one in the flow early in the game, and that really opened up some things for us." Unlike the Michigan Tech game, which starred guards Daniel Horton and Dion Harris, the Wolverines' front- court blossomed against a team that had four seven-footers. While Michigan shot a poor 2-for-10 from behind the arc, the frontline held strong despite playing without Graham Brown for the second straight game. Sophomore for- ward Chris Hunter narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, and the Wolverines out- rebounded the Patriots 40-34. "I think we came out with more intensity," Hunter said. "We were more focused. I think we executed our game- plan well, trying to keep those guys off the glass and keep balls alive on the offensive glass." The game finishes off the Wolver- ines' long preseason which started with two weeks of extra practice before a three-game exhibition tour in Toronto in addition to a regular pre season sched- ule. The regular season begins Friday at Crisler Arena against Oakland. Monday, November 17-Sunday, November 23 Celebrating all week at the Ann Arbor Atlanta Bread Company"! Monday * Buy one 1/2 & 1/2 combo and get a free 1/2 & 1/2c " Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 5pm combo h half off se Tuesday *"Buy one full sandwich and get a second full sandwicl Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday *Free bowl of soup with any full sandwich purchase *Free half house salad with any full sandwich purchas * Free cookie with any full sandwich purchase *VIP Cards to ist 100 customers *Michigan vs. Ohio State- Atlanta Bread Company giveaways all day long! BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily Freshman Brent Petway became known to all Michigan faithul with five dunks. Sunday * Free kid's meal with purchase of any full salad or full sandwich * Pastry tasting from 7am-10am * Bread tasting from 3pm-5pm *Register to win drawing -~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~--~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~- ~ Petway ignites crowd in debut By Dan Rosen Daily Sports Writer Fifty-five seconds. That's all the time it took Brent Pet- way to get the crowd into a frenzy. Less than a minute into his first appearance on the Crisler Arena floor, the 6-foot-9 freshman was already a fan favorite. Petway sat out last weekend's exhibi- tion game against Michigan Tech with a shoulder injury. So Friday night's con- test with the Fayetteville Patriots of the National Basketball Development League was his first chance to play in front of the home fans. He didn't waste any time before making an impression. Midway through the first half on one of his first possessions on defense, Pet- way stepped into the passing lane at the top of the key and knocked an errant Fayetteville pass up court. He glided ahead and picked up the ball in the open floor, all alone. Once he got into the paint, Petway did his best impression of a Dominique Wilkins windmill dunk - one he watched a lot growing up. The Michigan faithful went nuts. "That was something else;' forward TI' Mathie csa "H-e QinrnrikA me with the same count in the Georgia state semifinals at the end of last season. Michigan coach Tommy Amaker doesn't want Petway to lose sight of how he got those opportunities. After the game on Friday, he emphasized the freshman's intelligence on the floor, including reading the play on defense and finding seams to grab offensive rebounds, as the most promising sign of what is to come. "You get blinded a bit by the extraordi- nary leaping ability that he displays all the time,"Amaker said. "But frankly, he's going to be a good basketball player." That doesn't mean Amaker's going to stop Petway from letting loose when he does get open, though. "We want our kids to go for it; obvi- ously with intelligence (and) in the right way," Amaker said. Petway also grabbed three offensive rebounds Friday, the most spectacular of APARTMENT HOMES which came on a missed shot by J.C. Mathis. Petway caught the ball high above the rim and slammed it home with both hands before returning back to earth. "Coach tells me to be active," Petway said. "He wants me to be the best offen- sive rebounder on this team. When the ball goes up, I know I've got to get to the offensive glass." Petway ignited the crowd again at the end of first half, when Bernard Robin- son lobbed the ball to him from half court for a two-handed stuff. So far those two have developed good com- munication on the floor, which should lead to more alley-oops in the future. "When we make eye contact, he'll see me," Petway said. On his first night at Crisler, everyone saw him. TALL REGULAR COFFEE ATLANT *0 EAD BA K ERY CA F E . with any bakery purchase Coupon valid Monday, 11/17/03 - Friday, 11/21/03. Offer valid only at Ann Arbor location and is based on availability of product. Not valid with any other offer. One coupon per person per visit. Cash Value 1/100th of 1 cent. 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