4 - Friday, September 7, 2007 The Michigan Daily -r michigandaily.com 41 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu KARL STAMPFL IMRAN SYED JEFFREY BLOOMER EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. Allother signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. P * ~ Primary colors Michigan's date change unlikely to help, adds more chaos M ichigan suddenly has the first primary in the country. Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill Tuesday that will move the state's primary from February26 to January15, just one day after the Iowa caucus. While an earlier primary in the state would seemingly make Michigan a battleground for presiden- tial campaigns, the exact opposite is more likely. Many Democrats are refusing to campaign in Michigan, in part because the Demo- cratic National Committee has said it may not count Michigan's delegates at its nominating convention. The Republican National Committee has threatened to dispose of half of Michigan's dele- gates. The rescheduling of Michigan's primary has brought undue controversy to a state that already has enough to deal with. This is life in the technology lane." - Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a written apology to iPhone owners posted on Apple.com after the company announced its decision to cut the price of the iPhone by $200. Apple is offeringa $100 credit to those who bought the phone for the full price ($599) when it hit shelves in July, nytimes.com reported. ComCastic-ally upsetting udging from the stream of e- mails over the past couple of weeks, the Big Ten Network needs my help fighting the big, powerful cable and satellite pro- viders. Just when , I thought politics andcollege football were never going to clash, it seems that the stubbornness KEVIN .of television pro- BUNKLEY viders has brought that about, and fans are the ones stuck in the mid- dle of the fray. Many Michigan fans weren't able to see the Wolverines play on television Saturday because Comcast refused to let them see it. In ~order to broadcast the game, a deal had to be reached between BTN and cable providers by Aug. 31. Only DirecTV and AT&T reached a con- tractual agreement with the network by then. The BTN wanted cable pro- viders to offer the channel on basic subscription packages. DirecTV put BTN on its basic satellite package, which costs less than $50 a month. AT&T added the channel to its U- Verse basic digital TV package, which costs $60 a month. Comcast, the big- gest cable provider on this side of the state, has refused to carry the chan- nel at all, partly because BTN wants Comcast to pay $1.10 a month for each of its 5 million subscribers in the eight Big Ten Conference states. Comcast says unless that premium comes down, it can only include BTN in it's premium package, something the BTN won't accept. Comcast's hesitation is difficult to understand. It made $26.3 billion in 2006. Comcast contends that many sub- scribers won't like paying for a chan- nel if they don't want it. I contend that I don't like paying for Animal Planet, Home Shopping Network and the Evangelical Television Network at my off-campushouse. ButIdowantESPN, Fox Sports Net and Comedy Central. After all, isn't accessibility and choice the beauty of cable television? Comcast itself believes in this ideal. In 2003, Steve Burke, then-president of Com- cast Cable, said in regards to the agree- ment to carry ESPN HD, "The addition of ESPN HD demonstrates our con- tinuing commitment to provide our customers with the most robust high- definition content possible." The Big Ten Network presented Michigan's opener in high definition on DirecTV. DirecTV agreed to put the channel on basic service and pub- licly explained that the proven loyalty fans have to their respective schools warranted this decision. I can hear all 420,000 living Michigan alumni calling for Comcast's head. Those who haven't already dropped their subscriptions, anyway. But that's just where the problem lies. It costs a lot more to drop Comcast's service than to keep it, because subscribers often get Internet and telephone service from Comcast's bundle packages. All three services put together cost $99 a month, a significant savings over pur- chasing each service individually. Even though Big Ten Commission- er Jim Delany publicly claims that the objective of BTN is more national exposure for the conference, you can effectively translate that into: The Big Ten wants to make more money. After all, the Big Ten provides $94 million in financial aid to its member schools for scholarships. This whole process is cyclical to me: If the BTN is seen by as many people as pos- sible, Michigan and all the other Big Ten schools can attract top athletes with that scholarship money to play on their sports teams. Their perfor- mance and that of their teams in turn makes more money for the schools, which can then upgrade their facili- ties and keep ticket prices down. What's a fan to do? Simple: Stop giving Comcast money. If a corpora- tion is so resistant to promoting col- Teach Comcast a lesson for leaving fans hanging. lege athletics, then it has no place in Ann Arbor, East Lansing or Colum- bus. Only when Comcast starts los- ing money by the truckload will it see the error it has committed. Comcast has said it's willing to risk subscrib- ers jumping ship, so why not? When I turn my television to channel 225, I see the BTN logo emblazoned there on the screen, taunting me. I can't justify paying for something that I can walk across campus to see when others who don't have that luxury are blacked out. Michigan football isn't supposed to be for the select few. Lucky for us,tomorrow's game will be nationally televised. Kevin Bunkley can be reached at kevrbunk@umich.edu. 0 Aside from the fact that the Michigan legislature should be focusing on other more important issues than the state's pri- mary date (funding higher education, for example), the bill itself also comes with its share of problems. After passing in the state Senate, the House added amendments that make the funding for the primary come out of Michigan's general fund. Michigan tax money - upwards of $10 million - will provide funding for a process designed to give parties unprecedented power. The state's Republican and Democratic parties will be given information like voters' per- sonal information and party preferences. The parties will have complete control of and can also sell the information to whom they please. The move is also likely to make other states move up their primaries. New Hamp- shire, for example, is mandated by its state constitution to hold the nation's first pri- mary. This national trend to move primaries closer to December adds even more frenzyto an already overlong and arduous campaign process. The primary system is becoming more wasteful of time and money, both for the candidates and the country. The tendency of states to move their primaries forward also demonstrates the flaws of the process itself. With each sub- sequent presidential campaign starting earlier than the previous one, a new, fairer system is long overdue. Finally, lawmak- ers seem to be coming to this realization. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) have proposed a regional plan, where different regions of the coun- try take turns being first to host primaries, starting in March. Another plan - quite possibly the fair- est - would have every state hold its pri- mary on the same day, just like the general election. This would allow all states the same exposure and all candidates the same opportunity to target the states most likely to support them, instead of having to campaign in a state just because it has the first primary. The governor had good intentions for Michigan when she signed this bill, hoping it will bring Michigan's key issues to the forefront of the campaign. Unfortunately those intentions will almost certainly be overshadowed. With some candidates avoiding the state altogether, voter turn- out and the national significance of the Michigan primary will decline. But as Nel- son said, "Out of this chaos, order must be brought." .1 BOB LUPTON L EOlT In defense of Michigan football ALEXANDER HONKALA Campus Construction T NF 0 XC.O OhT -t~Ec CL..T, I write this viewpoint in the midst of perhaps our most somber moment as Michigan Men. Losing to Appalachian State, a Football Championship Subdivi- sion (formerly Division I-AA) team, hurt us all. It was a reflection of too many mistakes and a lack of prepa- ration and execution. Ultimately, Saturday's tragedy on the hallowed grounds of Michigan Stadium was the product of chance. Even the best fall down sometimes. Does the loss sting and fill us with a sense of disbe- lief? Is it humiliating to witness pundits trash us on television, radio and in the newspapers? Yes. Are we willingto accept the loss as an indication of larger fail- ures or allow it to diminish our support for Michigan football? The answer is unequivocally no. Michigan is one of the world's greatest educational and research institutions, and it is the nation's great- est football program. The current coach, beleaguered and constantly under fire, is one of the best to have ever roamed the sidelines at Michigan or anywhere else. Michigan has been unranked for-just a handful of weeks in Lloyd Carr's 12-year tenure. He has won out- right or tied for five Big Ten Championships, appeared in four Rose Bowls, participated in a New Year's Day . bowl game in 10 out of the past 11 seasons and com- piled a 6-6 record against Ohio State. Lest we forget, he delivered the national championship that even Bo Schembechler could not. I am a dogged supporter of Carr and of what he has done for Michigan football and the University, but I did not design this message to rally support for Carr. Most fans and I reasonably disagree about his legacy as head coach, but we must unify behind Big Blue. Since Schembechler ushered in the second golden era of Michigan football nearly four decades ago, there is not a single program in the nation that boasts better credentials. The loss Saturday supplied ample fodder for detrac- tors, but what the critics do not realize is that their negativity only makes us stronger. When ESPN.com columnist Pat Forde uses the headline "Hail to the Victors" to describe the Mountaineers, he is highlight- ing the ubiquity of the most beautiful fight song ever written. Many of our opponents are jealous and wish they could have what we enjoy - the unfailing promise from the Wolverines to compete every week of every season and win a vast majority of games. Mean spirits from East Lansing to Columbus to California can savor Michigan's heartbreak for now, but we shall endure. In five weeks the Wolverines will be ranked high once again, in five months they will have played in a BCS Bowl and in 50 years this loss will be but a foot- note on the pages of time. Left in its place will be the enduring spirit of Michigan. One loss cannot and will not diminish the greatness of the University, its foot- ball program or the 2007 Wolverines. Hail to the Victors today, tomorrow and forever. Bob Lupton is a 2007 LSA graduate. I i E E T TE ETSEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@UMICH.EDU Alabama, Georgia would not have put up with Carr's failures Hart makin senior years; to the nation one week int has fallen fr poll to not b they deserve Viewpoint Policy The Daily welcomes viewpoints from its readers Viewpoints have one or several authors,though preference will be given to pieces written on behalf of individuals rather than an organization. Editors will run viewpoints according to timeliness, order received and available space. Viewpoints should be no longer than 700 words. The Daily reserves the right to edit for length, clarity and accuracy. Sendviewpointsubmissionsto edilpuge.edilors a umich.edu,orcontacttheeditorsatthataddress to arrange one inadvance. COLUMNISTS WANTED LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Daily Opinion is looking for new columnists to fill out Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the its columnist roster. Columnists are expected to turn editor. Letters should be under 300 words and in a column of 650-750 words every other week. Inter- must include the writer's full name and University ested parties should contact the editorial page editor affiliation. All submissions become property of at syed@michigandaily.com right away. the Daily. Send letters to tothedoily@umich.edu. TO THE DAILY: I know, y I witnessed first-hand the col- coach; that's lapse of Michigan's football team leader of thi against USC at the Rose Bowl in lead them or January. Now, having seen one of football rep: the most anemic performances by nished. It's t a Football Bowl Subdivision (for- merly Division I-A) team ever, I Luke Klipp will reiterate what I said after that Alum Rose Bowl in a letter to the editor (Michigan football deserves better M than Lloyd Carr, 01/05/07) and what i ore st I think is now so readily apparent that it goes without saying. adopt h Fire Lloyd Carr. If this were Alabama or Georgia TO THE DAI or Florida, Carr would have been According gone the day after that pathetic "recycling i performance against Appalachian materials int State, which followed two losses clinggeneral to close out the previous season. potentially u Instead, Michigan keeps him on, es the consu as if utterly incapable of acknowl- als and redu edging the damage this season hence greet has already done to the immediate compared to and potentially long-term future of The disc Michigan football. warming ha This was supposed to be the sea- alternatives son - with Chad Henne and Mike ever, anothe g a return for their and pushing Michigan al championship. Now, o the season, Michigan om 5th in the preseason eing ranked at all. And e it. ou can't blame just the too simple. Buthe's the s team, and he did not n Saturday. Michigan's utation is forever tar- ime to fire Lloyd Carr. ates need to ottle deposit LY: to Wikipedia.org, s the reprocessing of vo new products. Recy- ly prevents the waste of seful materials, reduc- .mption of raw materi- ces energy usage, and nhouse gas emissions, virgin production." ussion about global s focused primarily on sources of fuel. How- r very important pro- environment tool is recycling. The effort must involve more than the consumer and the government. It must involve those who sell and profit from those products that can be recycled. For example, the manufacturers of bottles and cans, the producers of what's sold inside them as well as the grocery stores that distribute them must take on a greater eco- nomic role in the process of recy- cling. The voluntary "blue bag at the curb" approach is a good start, but it relies primarily on the altru- ism of the consumer. Does the consumer bear sole responsibility for what happens to a can or bottle that contains the prod- uct? Or should some ofthat responsi- bility fall on those who profit from its use? Are these responsibilities being borne already and are they equita- ble? In some states, bottlers charge a 5- or 10-cent deposit on a bottle to be refunded whenthe consumerreturns the bottle. This concept should be expanded to all states and a larger variety of products. When all parties involved have an economic incentive to participate, recycling will make a much larger contribution toward preserving the environment. Joe Bialek Cleveland, Ohio Editorial Board Members: Ben Caleca, Mike Eber, Brian Flaherty, Emmarie Huetteman, Kellyn Jackson, Gavin Stern, Jennifer Sussex, Neil Tambe, Radhika Upadhyaya. 4