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The Michigan Daily - michigandail'
Soph
signs
wil
Kings
By SCOTT BELL
and JACK HERMAN
Daily Sports Editors
Michigan star defenseman Jack
Johnson finalized a contract with
the Los Angeles Kings yesterday
afternoon and will likely make his
NHL debut Thursday night.
Johnson's agent, Pat Brisson,
confirmed the deal was made, but
did not disclose the terms of the
sophomore's contract.
"We just wanted to make sure he
gets a fair deal in the marketplace,"
Brisson told The Michigan Daily
yesterday. "The Kings treated him
well. Sometimes it just takes time."
Jack Johnson, Sr. also confirmed
the deal in a voicemail he left a
reporter last night.
The Kings are expected to make
the announcement today.
Johnson was flying from Denver
- where the Wolverines lost to
North Dakota 8-5 in the first round
of the NCAA Tournament Saturday
- to Los Angeles last night.
The contract was to be signed
once the plane landed in Los Ange-
les, but the terms for the deal are
already worked out, according to
Johnson, Sr.
y.com
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - 9
Daily Sports for hire
For those of you who don't frequent the NCAA job listing website, you might not
have realized Michigan has posted an ad lookingfor a new men's basketball coach
(seriously, we're not joking, check out our blog at michigandaily.com/thegame for
the link). Some of the responsibilities include "coaching," "recruitment of qualified
student-athletes," "support of academic progress oftstudent-athletes," "budget
management," and "community relations." A bachelor's degree is required, but a
graduate on is preferred. Someone with "a thorough knowledge of NCAA rules
and regulations" is wanted. Anyway, we'd like to throw the Daily Sports name in
the ring for the position.
41E. Huron St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Bill Martin
Athletic Department
UniversityuofMichigan
1000 Snuth State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2201
Mr. Martin:
We at Daily Sports would like to officially applyfor theopening of men's bas-
ketball coach, job ID 7593. Despiteour lack ofthead coaching experience, we
feel wecan be a valuable addition to the Michigan program.
We know basketball ust ask the State Nws writersnwhotwecrushad in East
Lansingljust a tewweeks agn. adding tourextensive intrastate rivalry trnphy
case. Even more important, we know New York. After all, thanks to Tommy,
we've taken quite a few trips out there.
Asfor the rules and regulations thing, don't worry, we've got that covered, too.
We haven't been sued for at least three years, and iftwe are sent totrial, we'll
dress up in more thanjust a turtleneck. We promise.
Bottom line, we realize thedollar is also important to you Bill, and that's why
we want to let you know we work cheap. It won't take much to beat the $1 an
hour salary we earn here. And we won't complain about Crisler Arena; it's a
step upfrom our place on Huron Street -- and the holes in the wall.
Sincerely,
Daily Sports
PETER sCHOTTENFEL /Daily
Sophomore Jack Johnson will likely make his NHL debut for the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.
The CCHA's Offensive Defen-
seman of the Year's debut won't
occur tonight like he originally
planned because he hasn't under-
gone an NHLPA-mandated physi-
cal yet. Instead, he will most likely
play against Vancouver on Thurs-
day night in Los Angeles, according
to Brisson.
Contract negotiations started
after the NCAA Tournament loss
late Saturday night and continued
for about two days until the two
sides came to an agreement yester-
day afternoon.
If he debuts Thursday, Johnson
could play in Los Angeles' final five
games. The Kings are out of con-
tention for a playoff spot.
Johnson will return to Ann
Arbor after the NHL season to take
classes rather than playing for the
Kings' minor league team in Man-
chester, N.H.
"He's only going to be gone for
three weeks," Jack Johnson, Sr.
told The Michigan Daily Sunday.
"He's coming back. He's going
to get a degree from Michigan.
That's the No. 1 thing: He promised
(Michigan coach Red Berenson) he
will graduate."
The Carolina Hurricanes picked
Johnson with the third-overall
pick of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft
- two spots behind his friend and
NHL superstar Sidney Crosby.
After Johnson turned down multi-
ple contract offers, the Hurricanes
traded his rights to the Kings on
Oct. 1, 2006.
This time, however, Johnson
couldn't let the opportunity pass
him by.
"I thought I was ready for a
new challenge," Johnson told the
Daily Sunday. "With all my close
friends, the seniors, now gone and
everything, I thought it was time
for me to pretty much go for a new
challenge."
- Amber Colvin and Nate
Sandals contributed to this report.
Fans of all kinds at The Fish
By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
Daily Sports Writer
The Opening Day rendition of
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game"
was interrupt-
ed between NOTEBOOK
verses with-
shouts of, "FI-
SHER! FI-SHER!"
The fans weren't cheering
because they were excited to be at
the Fish for the first time this year.
Twenty members of the Sigma Phi
Epsilon fraternity were supporting
senior Matt Fisher in an effort to
get him into the game.
Last year, the same cheers dur-
ing the home opener helped Fisher,
a walk-on who made the team as a
junior, make his Ann Arbor debut.
"The coach admitted last year
that we had an influence on him
givingFisher an at-bat, sowe'retry-
ing to plant the seed that he should
be in the game," said junior Rich
Nemesi, a member of the fraternity.
"I think he likes about 80 percent of
the attention, and 20 percent of the
time, he wishes we weren't here."
Sophomore Kerry Hance, a
defensive specialist on the Michi-
gan volleyball team, lived in South
Quadrangle last year next to sopho-
mores Adam Abraham and Mike
Wilson. After Friday's volleyball
practice, she and her teammates
ran to the field to cheer for her for-
mer hallmates and her boyfriend,
junior Nate Recknagel.
"They come to all of our games,"
Hance said. "We come to all the
games that we can, but we also
have a (volleyball) spring season,
so we're missing all day (Saturday).
We try to make it at least to the tail
end of the games."
Senior Jeff Monahan, a member
of the Maize Rage, attended some
oflastseason'sregular-seasonbase-
ball games and the Big Ten Tourna-
ment. Monahan brings a cowbell
to games, along with six or seven
members of the Maize Rage to "yell
nonsense at the other team."
"Tobehonest,I'malittleashamed
because this is my first opening
game at (The Fish)," Monahan said.
"I haven't been able to make it out
See BASEBALL, Page 10
Junior Nate Recknagel
was just one of the many
Wolverines who received
warm fan support last
weekend. Many fans
came out for opening
weekend at The Fish.
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