Tuesday
January 25, 2005
sports. michigandaily.com
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SPORTS
s
12
Energetic crowd
gives Blue a lift
Fans
fickle faith
exposed by Brady
By Jack Herman
Daily Sports Writer
A sea of Maize and Blue lined the
court after the Michigan women's bas-
ketball team came away with its 63-61
victory against Indi-
ana on Sunday.
It was the sight of
hundreds of fans wait-
ing in line to receive
autographs from the
victorious Wolver-
ines. But the crowd of
.......... ........
1,703 did not just make its presence felt
after the game; it seemed to lift Michi-
gan through it.
"They appreciate (us) and gave us a
lot of energy," Michigan coach Cheryl
Burnett said. "We'd do something hus-
tle-wise, and they'd really try to help us
through the next possession, which at
home that means a lot to us."
One instance of the crowd's strong
support came midway through the
second half, starting when Michigan
freshman Jessica Starling nailed a 3-
pointer to knot the game at 46. Soon
after, Wolverine freshman Krista
Clement hit freshman Ta'Shia Walker
down low, and Walker quickly put the
ball in for two, giving Michigan a 48-
46 lead. The two scores caused the
fans in Crisler Arena to explode into
cheers as Indiana coach Kathi Bennett
called a timeout.
"The crowd was really awesome,"
sophomore Kelly Helvey said. "I hope
that carries on every game. I really
enjoy getting the crowd into games.
That's one of my favorite things to do.
When everyone's cheering, that gets a
smile on our faces, and we take pride
in that."
OFFICIALLY BAD: Not only did
Michigan beat Indiana, it managed
to overcome some questionable offi-
ciating as well.
With a little over two minutes remain-
ing in the first half, Indiana sophomore
Jamey Chapman committed what
seemed to be an obvious traveling viola-
tion on her way to scoring two points.
The refs thought otherwise, and the no-
call appeared to upset Burnett, who ran
down the sideline while motioning for a
traveling to be called with her hands.
Later in the game, with under two
minutes to go, a similar play transpired
when Hoosier junior Angela Hawkins
appeared to travel underneath the bas-
ket, and nothing was called. Hawkins
was then fouled and sent to the line
with the score tied at 58. Hawkins hit
one of the shots from the line to give
the Hoosiers the lead.
Although visibly displeased with
the officiating during the game, Bur-
nett declined comment on specific
calls afterwards, citing the possibility
of a fine.
FAMILIAR FOES: Burnett and Bennett
have coached against each other many
times - usually ending in the same
result, a Burnett victory.
With the Michigan win, Burnett
claims her 10th victory in 14 games
against Bennett and her third in four
tries while coaching the Wolverines.
The two have faced off since their
DAVID TUMAN/Daily
Sophomore Kelly Helvey and the Michigan women's basketball team got a major lift
from a boisterous crowd during a victory over Indiana on Sunday.
days in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Burnett's Southwest Missouri State
squad took on Bennett's Evansville
team 10 times during a five-year span.
Southwest Missouri State emerged with
the win eight times.
"I respect her so much, probably
because there aren't many coaches that
have taken a team like Southwest Mis-
souri State to the Final Four - twice,"
Bennett said. "She's one of the best
coaches in the women's game."
NOTES: Tabitha Pool dished two
assists, giving her 196 for her career
and moving her to 20th place on the
all-time Michigan leaderboard ... On
16 attempts, the Wolverines hit just
three 3-pointers ... Michigan's 12
turnovers was its second lowest total
this season ... The victory gives the
Wolverines their sixth straight home
win against the Hoosiers.
Seniors ignite icers with total effort
BOB HUNT
Unleashed
ust two games after Michigan's
national championship season
in 1997, the mob that comprised
the Wolverine faithful was looking for
blood. The target this time was a fourth-
year senior quarterback from California
named Tom Brady. Michigan had lost
its first two games in the fall of '98 to
Notre Dame and a Donovan McNabb-
led Syracuse team, and many fans were
hoping that Brady would hit the bench
never to be seen again.
This was because Michigan coach
Lloyd Carr had one Drew Henson wait-
ing in the wings. If you don't recall,
Henson defined the term "Golden Boy."
Henson was uber-talented in just about
everything that he did during his high
school days in Brighton - so much so
that Sports Illustrated ran a feature story
on him. Henson came to Ann Arbor in
1998 as the future of Michigan football.
Carr even came out and said that Hen-
son was the most talented quarterback
on his roster.
So after Brady faltered at the begin-
ning of that 1998 season, boos greeted
him with any mistake that followed.
Although Brady was the starter during
his final two years as a Wolverine, he
was never really appreciated. Fans may
not have disliked him, but they did view
him as a roadblock, keeping their so-
called savior off the field.
Little did people know that 12 days
from today, Brady could possibly be
receiving his third Super Bowl MVP
award, which would tie him with Joe
Montana for the career record. Mean-
while, Henson is attempting to give the
NFL a shot with the Dallas Cowboys
after failing at baseball with the New
York Yankees.
Now, many Michigan fans - the
same people who booed Brady in the
not-too-distant past - have become
some of his biggest fans. "He's a Michi-
gan Man," they say.
But was Brady a "Michigan Man"
when he played in Ann Arbor?
While Brady has been an outstand-
ing NFL quarterback, the situation
just goes to show you the herd men-
tality many sports fans demonstrate
when picking their allegiances. This
year's NFL playoffs were no exception.
Shortly after the Indianapolis Colts
violated the Denver Broncos in the
first round, much of America suddenly
had the epiphany that Peyton Manning
and his boys were going to hoist the
Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.
Although the Colts still had to face the
defending-Super Bowl champion Patri-
ots in Foxboro the following week,
Manning was supposed to pick apart
the Patriots' depleted secondary.
But after the Colts scored just three
points in the frigid New England weath-
er, football fans were once again trying
to jump right back on the Patriots' band-
wagon with the intention of riding it all
the way to the Super Bowl in Jackson-
ville. But just until next season, when
some other team with a new star looks
unbeatable - or when the Patriots sud-
denly look vulnerable again.
While I'm not saying that fans
should be detested for changing whom
they support every so often, I am
simply pointing out that the practice
takes place. Braylon Edwards's per-
formance this year in Ann Arbor was
another example. In 2003, Edwards
had a bad image and sometimes had
trouble holding onto the football.
Thus, many fans didn't like him. But
in 2004, Edwards blossomed into a
spectacular wide receiver, and many
of the same fans that admonished
him the year prior became his big-
gest fans. And you can believe that if
Edwards someday becomes a Super
Bowl MVP, the same fans that made
fun of his dropped passes will be first
in line to cheer his triumph.
If you turn on the TV on Super Bowl
Sunday and decide to cheer for your
beloved Tom Brady, you'll be cheering
on a great story. You'll be cheering on
a player who may not be the flashiest
quarterback in the NFL, but one who is
beloved by his teammates and is part of
a dynasty.
"Dang, I sure hope people appreciate
Brady," Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri
told the Los Angeles Times after Sun-
day's AFC Championship Game. "What
more can you say? The guy has been in
the playoffs eight times and never lost."
If the Patriots win on Super Bowl
Sunday, America will appreciate
Tom Brady as one of the best quar-
terbacks ever.
But just remember to ask yourself:
Did Michigan?
RYAN SOSIN
ON HOCKEY
C OLUMBUS - It finally happened.
It took one of the most heartbreaking
losses of the season, but the Michigan
hockey team finally got inspired performances
out of the eight seniors who are regularly in its
lineup.
It wasn't a perfect performance by any means, but
the Wolverines' senior class - a vital piece of any
national championship hopes - finally looked closer
to leading its team across the boundary separating a
good team from a great one.
During Friday's 4-1 loss to Ohio State,
Michigan seemed lost, and its seniors seemed
in disarray. The Wolverines narrowly survived
a sloppy line change in the second period only
to give up the deciding goal a moment later on
another mental mistake. During a 5-on-3 pen-
alty kill, senior David Moss left his post to
replace a broken stick, and the Buckeyes scored
before Michigan could reset its defense.
The Wolverines spent most of the night watch-
ing the game go by, struggling to clear their own
zone and frequently finding their way into the
penalty box. The effort simply wasn't there, and
Michigan captain Eric Nystrom called himself and
his teammates on it after the game.
"Now that the game is over," Nystrom said. "I
think you can go around our locker room and see that
I don't think everybody gave everything they possibly
had, and that's unacceptable."
A team meeting following the opening contest
seemed to have a profound impact on the eight
seniors in the subsequent game. Led by Nystrom,
the elder statesmen accounted for eight of Michi-
gan's 17 points.
During the entire first period, the seniors did
all they could to set the tone for the game. Wer-
ner delivered a huge check early that fired up the
Michigan bench. Michael Woodford played his
best game of the season by hitting everything in
sight, and the defensive corps that featured three
seniors held the Buckeyes to just five shots.
"It doesn't matter whether they score or not,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Are they
outworking the guys? Are they out muscling their
opponents? Are they winning the races, winning
their battles, setting the tone for our team?"
The tone really hit its high point in the sec-
ond period. After the Wolverines opened up
the series with 80 minutes of weak and often
hesitant passing, junior Jeff Tambellini rifled a
pass from the right circle to Nystrom, who sent
the puck across the crease to freshman Chad
Kolarik, who gave the team its first lead of the
weekend. The quick, hard, tic-tac-toe passes
indicated Michigan's new found aggressiveness
as the Wolverines put four more goals on the
board with similar pass quality.
"I think we just kept a tempo," senior forward Jason
Ryznar said. "We got the puck deep, we limited our
turnovers and started working down low. We got all
of our four lines rolling. It just snowballed."
There is still a ways to go for this Michigan
team. But as the seniors lift their games, the
pieces will fall into place. The biggest obstacle
still facing the Wolverines is the clock. Even in
Saturday's 6-3 win, Michigan fell back on its
heels in the third period, getting outscored 3-1
- with their only goal coming on an empty net
- and returning to some of the previous night's
bad habits.
"When you're up on a team 5-0, its hard to stay
focused," Nystrom said. "But that's where mental
strength comes in, and that's where a good team is
going to stay focused and play the whole 60 minutes."
The true test for the seniors - as well as the
rest of Michigan's roster - is piecing together
an entire night of focus. This team knows what
it's capable of and must show it for the last two
months of the season. A roster with as much
experience as the Wolverines' should know that
suddenly playing a full 60 minutes when the sea-
son is on the line doesn't work.
"Before we know it, we will be sitting in that locker
room and the season's going to be over," Nystrom said.-
"So that urgency has to pick up, and I think guys have
a little more sense of desperation after this weekend
and of how good we have to play."
It's time to show they are ready to take the next step.
Bob Hunt can be reached at
bobhunt@umich.edu.
FILE PHOTO
New England Patriots quarterback Tom
Brady was often criticized at Michigan.
Netters feed
offAnving S
work ethic
By Scott Bell
Daily Sports Writer
With the recent success of blue-collar teams such as the
Detroit Pistons, it's no surprise that the trend would spread to
other sports. Hard work and determination are a part of men's
tennis senior David Anving's repertoire, but they are anything
but a fad. Although his hometown of Tvaaker, Sweden, is any-
thing but Detroit, Anving has picked up the city's perceived
work ethic without missing a beat. Anving has been the work-
horse for Michigan for four years now. And although it wasn't
always the glamorous thing to do, his hard work has always
benefitted his teams.
"I pride myself in coming into practice each day ready
to work hard," Anving said. "I hope that it rubs off on my
teammates."
Anving shouldn't have to worry much about his teammates'
perception of him. He was elected team captain along with fel-
low senior Vinny Gossain.
"It was nice to be voted a captain along with Vinny," Any-
ing said. "It's especially nice knowing that it's voted on by my
teammates."
But Anving doesn't just contribute behind the scenes. Along
with his motivational encouragement, he certainly does his
part on the court, as well. He began his dual season with a bang
earlier this month against Western Michigan. After the Wol-
Phelps breaks pool records
By Anne Ulble
Daily Sports Writer
Michael Phelps is used to blowing away
the competition. But this weekend in Can-
ham Natatorium, his only competitor was
a stopwatch.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist
swam in four exhibition races by himself
on Friday and Saturday in the only home-
stand of the season for the Michigan men's
swimming and diving team.
Before an excited crowd of fans -
made up of mostly young kids hoping to
get a peek and possibly an autograph from
the accomplished swimmer - Phelps
dove into the pool and produced three
record-breaking performances.
On Friday, he swam the 200-yard
individual medley and the 100-yard
backstroke, breaking pool records in
both the events. His times excited the
crowds, and Phelps couldn't help but
feel a similar emotion.
"Coming into today, (Michigan coach
Bob Bowman) and I were talking about
maybe doing a 1:45 (in the 200-yard indi-
vidual medley), which I'm pretty sure is
my best time," Phelps said. "Being able
to come in and swim 1:43.0 was pretty
good. I'm pretty happy with that. Plus,
being able to come back and go 1:46.4
in the 100 back, which is a little over a
second under my best time. So, two best
times n a day a~nd1 beingable to get a'tck
On Saturday, Phelps swam the 100-
and 200-yard freestyle. He broke the pool
record in the 200-yard freestyle with a
time of 1:34.41. Phelps went on to swim
the 100-yard freestyle but missed the pool
record by just 0.61 of a second.
Phelps said he doesn't enjoy only
racing against a clock, but added that,
when it's necessary, he can do it. Bow-
man noted that having the large and loud
crowd - like the one over the weekend
- made a difference in everyone's rac-
ing level.
"We were just glad (the fans) were here,
and we hope they come back," Bowman
said. "I do think it's more fun to swim
before a lot people, and there is a lot of
energy created. We actually spread the
word about swimming to more people. I
was happy with the turnout and, hopefully,
we can keep that going."
Since Phelps is unable to compete
at the collegiate level due to his pro-
fessional status, he is only allowed
to compete in exhibition races with
the Wolverines. Bowman is unsure
if he'll get the opportunity to race
in this weekend's dual meet against
Ohio State but said that, in the future,
Phelps will race exhibition in every
home meet.
"It's good for Michael (to race),"
Bowman said. "It's good for the team
particularly because we get the people
in. It's good for swimming; it's good all
the way around."
0I
ALEXANDER DZIADOSZ/Daily
Senior David Anving was elected to serve as a men's tennis
team captain largely due to his admirable work ethic.
"I have no personal goals," he said. "I think the focus for
everyone is what we can do as a team.
"The only record that we care about is our team record, and
we want to do whatever we can to make (our record) the best
that it can be."
The No. 51 Wolverines will have a chance to enhance their
1-0 dual record this weekend when they travel to Virginia for
a full slate of matches. First, they will stop at Williamsburg on
Saturday to face No. 46 William & Mary. With no time to rest,
Michigan will head a few miles west to battle Virginia Com-
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