10A - Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

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Court case forces
difficult decision


RODRIGO GAYA/Dail
Senior alternate captain Jason Dest and his fellow defensemen are working this week in practice to remedy many of the defensive problems that were uncovered during
the Wolverines' 4-1 loss to Miami (Ohio) on Friday
Loss unveils defensive problems
By JAMES V. DOWD times, the Michigan defensemen partners. One of Michigan's down- reminding myself and all the guys
Daily Sports Writer found themselves overcrowding the falls has been insufficient con- on the team that, every night, othet
front of goaltender Billy Sauer's net, tact between the defensemen and teams are going to give Michigar
Michigan's three-victory run making it difficult to clear the zone. Sauer. Berenson recognized the their best game," Dest said. "Espe-
to start the season took the heat "I think they have to learn (bet- importance of this communication cially when they come into oui
off problems that the Wolver- ter communication habits) by and hopes that improvements will building, they are going to get firec
ines' were experiencing in their practicing," Michigan coach Red help develop trust between Sauer up, like Miami, to take two points
defensive zone. Berenson said. "Repetitions help and the defense. from our building."
But once that streak ended with you learn where your partner is, On top of the poor communica- Beyond working harder, Des1
Friday's 4-1loss to Miami(Ohio),seri- and he knows where you are. You tion, the defensemen all agree that also hopes that the team can play a
ous deficiencies in Michigan's zone can talk about it, and you should get they were out-skated by Miami. more intelligent game in the defen-
were highlighted, making defense a more familiar every week. There's "I think our biggest problem sive zone.
focus of practices this week. not a switch thatyou can throw and Friday night was that we got out- "It's not just working hard, it's
Since arriving at Michigan say now we're going to be fine." worked and out-hustled," Johnson working smart," Dest said. "We
last fall, sophomore defenseman Berenson ran drills in practice on said. "It's not really something we need to work hard to get to the right
Jack Johnson has been known to Monday and Tuesday to help estab- can work on, it's just something spots as a defenseman, and us work-
hold himself and his team to high lish this trust between defensive that needs to click in for everyone. ing bettertogether on the breakouts
standards. Having reviewed the pairings. Freshman Chris Sum- Just because we beat a team up to move the puck up."
Wolverines' play from last Friday, mers, who has played a key part in pretty good the first night, they're With his team having started
Johnson knows that the defensive all four of Michigan's games thus not going to lay down and die the the season as one of the favorites
corps has alot of work ahead. far, believes that these drills will second night." in the CCHA, Berenson knows
"It was a pretty poor perfor- have the desired effect. Throughout practice this week, that his team will need to exhibit
mance on Friday night," Johnson "(We want to have) a lot more senior alternate captain Jason this intelligence and work ethic
said. "I don't really know if we can communication," Summers said. Dest is hoping to help re-instill a on a nightly basis.
narrow it down to one thing, we just "Coach is really stressing to work as strong work ethic in himself and "A lot of the things that we are
need to work on everything." one and tobe in sync with the goal- his teammates. While work ethic talking about, they only happen ii
The breakdown of communica- ies at all times. I think it will make is not something that can always you have that edge," Berenson said.
tion in their own end and the tran- a difference and really unite us as a be repaired overnight, Dest is try- "You need to play with that fight
sition game were some of the most (defensive) core." ing to set a positive example for his and that tenacity. That's part of if
prominent problems the Wolver- The communication problems younger teammates. we have to build into our team - to
ines' blue liners experienced. Many are not just limited to defensive "It comes from constantly be there more consistently."

A s a Michigan Daily sports
columnist, I'm supposed
to have --
strong opin-
ions on any a
issue pertain-
ing to Michi-
gan sports.
Michigan's
defense under
Ron English:M
Good. A
Michigan SINGER
basketball
under Tommy Spitting Fire
Amaker: Bad.
But the developing legal issue
involving Michigan wide receiv-
er Adrian Arrington has my head
spinning in circles.
The situation, in case you've
buried your head in the sand the
last 24 hours, or don't read the
front page of this newspaper,
goes something like this:
A police report states that early
in the morning Oct. 13 in Ypsilan-
ti, Arrington took his girlfriend's
car keys, pulled her out of her car
and then drove away. According
to his girlfriend - who the report
stated had scratches on her hands
from the car keys - Arrington
was drunk at the time.
Charges of misdemeanor
domestic violence have been filed
against Arrington, and a pretrial
hearing has been set for Nov. 1.
So now, the inevitable ques-
tions: What should coach Lloyd
Carr do? Should he suspend his
rapidly improving wide receiver?
Based on what I can tell, Carr's
answer so far is no.
"I think I made a statement
after the (Iowa) game that the
facts do not support the allega-
tion, and I maintain that's still
true, and I think it will prove to
be accurate in the outcome," Carr
said during yesterday's Big Ten
teleconference. "As I mentioned,
that police report ... I think there
are a few cases down through
history where there are inaccu-
racies, and that's really all I'm
going to say on that matter."
To Carr's point, the mere exis-
tence of a police report does not
mean that Arrington actually did
anything wrong. But Carr's vague
reference to "facts" certainly
raises some more questions.

What are these facts? Where
do they come from? Why haven't
they been brought to light?
And finally, the kicker: Are the
Wolverines delaying Arrington's
punishment because they need
him to keep their undefeated sea-
son going?
I wish I had answers to these
questions. I don't.
My instincts say that Carr is
an honorable guy. My instincts
say he wouldn't go to bat for
Arrington unless he had real rea-
son to believe he is innocent.
As college football programs
go, Carr runs a pretty tight ship.
Could you imagine Michigan
players stomping around the Big
House Miami-style, throwing
helmets.at Ball State players?
Not in a million years.
Then again, the Wolverines
do have a potential national title
in their sights. And Michigan's
passing game is hobbled, with
superstar receiver Mario Man-
ningham and two tight ends out
with injury.
The temptation is there - even
if all the evidence were to point
against Arrington - to sit back on
the "innocent until proven guilty"
defense as the case slowly winds
its way through the legal system.
That's fine as a legal strategy.
But considering that Carr has
previously suspended players
who were merely charged with
crimes, presumed innocence is
not by itself a reason to avoid
suspension.
Most recently, Carr suspended
former defensive tackle Larry
Harrison after Harrison was
charged with indecent exposure.
Harrison was eventually con-
victed.
Let's assume for a moment that
the facts in the police report are
correct. In that case, Arrington
should be done for the season.
Even if no permanent damage was
done, Arrington's alleged actions
were reckless, stupid, wrong and
deserving of serious punishment.
On the flipside, if Arrington
is suspended for something he
didn't do, that's an injustice in
and of itself.
I don't envy Carr's situation.
Every decision he makes - or
SINGER PAGE 11A

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