w w w w qw wr w MF E3 Te icignpaiy W dnsdyApil9,00 Weneda, prl ,00.: h Mc iga al MARTIN From PAGE 5B No 1t/S /SNT A 7+K /fOME 4v/TNKVgW! YOU CAN'T MAKE UP THE EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK with GABE NELSON A look at the big news event his week and how important they really are. Conveniently rated from one to 10. THE BIG HOUSE ISN'T BIG ENOUGH D ets a sharp increase in dewand tforstudent teotball tickets, the Athletic Departwent has had the unpleasant job of deciding who gets screwed in M the deal. First, officials tried to give some graduate 3 students the lowest ticket priority. The policy was reversed after they protested. The Athletic Department has now decided to pass on the buck to students on the University's Flint and Dearborn campuses, who promptly protested. Maybe the Athletic Department should take away tickets from the drunken tailgaters who don't show up until halftime. They're not real fans anyway. MAHMOUD THE LITTLE BROTHER Iran announced yesterday that it plans to triple the number of centrifuges-at the country's main uranium ' venrichment facility. Some experts dismissed the announcement as a political gambit, particularly because it came on the same dayAhmadinejad went on the air to accuse the U.S. of using the 9/11 attacks as a "pretext" for the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. For some reason, Ahmadinejad seems to get no greater pleasure than from annoying the United States. Maybe we should just ignore him. Otherwisewe're just giving him what he wants. MCCAIN WITH A SIDE OF RICE? After a former White House spokesman let it slip on Sunday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pushing to become John McCain's run- ning mate in this year's presidential election, Rice denied it yesterday. If selected, Rice - who is not only a black woman but also describes herself as somewhat pro-choice - could add some crucial diversity to the Republican ticket. Rice told report- ers that she still plans to return to her post as a professor at Stanford but didn't rule out the pos- sibility. Seems like vice president's a betterjob, if only to avoid those tedious office hours. right for the program but not wise in pure business terms, he offered this example: "The business deci- sion would be putting advertising in Michigan Stadium, adding four to five million (dollars) a year, which would make our job of being able to do all the other things we need to do a lot easier," he said. "But that's not who we - we Michigan - are" One area that doesn't seem to get short shrift in favor of the bottom line is upholding aca- demic standards. Bates - amem- ber of the subcommittee of the athletics advisory board charged with making sure athletes meet GPA requirements and someone who has the reputation among his peers as a strict enforcer of eligibility requirements - said Martinis ethical when it comes to academics. It's not an uncom- mon view. "He doesn't' claim to be an academic himself, and he doesn't intervene," said Smith, the SACUA chair. "But he begins just about every board meeting by turning to me and saying, 'I con- sider the faculty the most impor- tant part of this meeting.'" When he was hired, Martin developed a four-part plan for the department: 1. Remember we're an academic institution first; 2. I'm going to focus on ethical behavior; 3. Continue the tremendous legacy of winning; 4. We're going to pay our own bills. "His character is what makes him successful in both areas - as athletic director and as a busi- nessman," said Psychiatry Prof. Stanley Berent, who knows Mar- tin through the athletics advi- sory board. But can the businessman pick coaches? ' John Beilein, the new basket- ball coach, and Rich Rodriguez, the new football coach, have taken over programs that have disappointed in recent years. Detractors of Martin note that 'he's produced relatively few national champions and none in the big, revenue-producing sports like basketball, hockey (though this year's team has reached the Frozen Four) and especially football. It's no chal- lenge to find Michigan fans dis- gruntled with Beilein - whose first team missed the NIT, let alone the NCAA Tournament - and Rodriguez. The selection of Rodriguez is an interesting case. In the Daily's recentsit-downwithhim,Martin grew defensive when asked about the coaching search. He failed to snag his first choice, national cham- pion LSU's head coach Les Miles, who decided at the last minute not to come to Ann Arbor.Miles was a fan favorite, and the sports media exploded with criticism of the athletic director's han- dling of the search. The Detroit Free Press ran an article about Nebraska's new athleticldirector, Tom Osborne,using a profession- al firm to find a coach. The article questioned why Martin -who lacks says he did hire one, but he refused media. Rumors swirled about rejec- Osborne's football coaching expe- to talk about it at the time because tion from coaches at lesser powers rience - didn't use a firm. He now he didn't want to discuss it with the See MARTIN, PAGE 8B Magazine Editor: Jessica Vosgerchian EditorinChief: Andrew Grossman Managing Editor: GabeNelson Photo Editor:Shay Spaniola The Junk Drawer Brian Teog Designer:HilarypOla Coer ,photo: Shay Spaniola I RANDOLPH COURT APARTMENTS ^I 2 Bedroom Apartment Homes ~ Ground Floor Ranch Style! Private Entrance! Patio! Spacious Kitchen! Air Conditioning! Laundry Facilities! 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance! Pets Welcome! And much, much more! Call today to reserve your new address! 734"97=-2828 EqualH eusing Opportunity L wgo-tme-carleys. co