10 - Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

10 - Tuesday, December 9, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom ~

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THINK YOU RE AN EXPERT ON MICHIGAN ATHLETICS?
PROVE IT.
WRITE FOR DAILY SPORTS.
E-MAIL ANDYREID@UMICH.EDU

This explains
all the losses

fter going 10-22 last season,
the Michigan basketball
eam has a chance to make
the NCAA Tournament this year.
Some might suggest that the
returning players have adjusted to
Michigan coach John Beilein's sys-
tem. He recruited players to fit his
offense, and returning players have
developed skills
to properly
execute it. A
But they
would be t
wrong. '
The turn-
around this
year has
nothing to IAN
do with the ROBINSON
players on the -
court. It has Fear the 'fro
everything to
do with the
people in press row. Rather, the
people not in press row.
More specifically, me.
In my four-and-a-half years at
the Daily, every team I covered
was historically disappointing
and improved the next season.
Last year's basketball team set
a program record with 22 losses,
including one at Harvard to for-
mer coach TommyAmaker. Heck,
Oakland came into Crisler Arena
and legitimately expected to win.
Three weeks into the sea-
son, this year's team has already
defeated two top-five teams and
is on the verge of the top 25.
Now, you might think I have
nothing to do with this. I don't
even cover the team anymore.
The evidence says otherwise.
Two years ago, I covered the
hockey team. That squad was one
of the most talented teams Michi-
gan coach Red Berenson has
assembled in years. It featured
three NHLfirst-round draftpicks,
five eventual All-Americans and
two players who would become
Hobey Baker finalists, including
last year's winner, Kevin Porter.
That team lost in the first
round of the NCAA Tournament.
It didn't just lose. It gave up 7
goals.
The next year, the Wolverines,
with a much less talented team,
were atop the rankings for most
of the season and reached the
Frozen Four.
I covered the women's basket-

ball team three years ago. It lost 23
games and didn't win a single Big
Ten matchup. The next year, it lost
just 20 and fired its head coach. The
Wolverines reached the NIT quar-
terfinals last year.
If you want to go even further
back, the women's cross country
and men's track and field teams both
faltered when I covered them.
That brings me to this year's foot-
ball team.
Its problem had nothing to do
with first-year coach Rich Rodri-
guez's offense ... his failure to
embrace Michigan's history ... the
lack of an effective quarterback,... a
defense that gave up big plays like it
was trying to ... or four new starters
on the offensive line.
I was the problem.
Butinthe course ofcoveringsuch
horrendous teams, I learned sports-
writing is about much more than
winning and losing.
It has given me experiences and
opportunities no other club at the
University could.
Itraveled more than28,000miles
covering events for the Daily.
The circumference of the Earth
is about 25,000 miles.
Writing for the Daily gave the
opportunity to cover the Michigan
football team through Rodriguez's
first year, with the same access
given to other media outlets. I was
on the field after the Wisconsin win
and later battled through hordes of
Ohio State fans as they rushed the
field in Columbus.
Iwrote aboutthe basketballteam
through Beilein's first year in Ann
Arbor. I got to sit courtside at Cam-
eron Indoor Stadium.
Daily talks with Berenson gave
me an education beyond the game,
although he never knew my name. I
covered the team in Alaskaand even
went dog-sledding.
If I had gotten involved with the
Daily to see winning teams, I would
have quit long ago. Barring an epic
disappointment familiar to teams
that I have covered, I will graduate
intwo weeks.
Despite all the on-field struggles
of the team's I covered, joining the
Daily is the best thingI did at school
- and something you should do as
well.
- Maybe, Robinson should apply
for a job with the Columbus Dispatch.
He can be reached at irobi@umich.edu.

I
4

4

Senior nets hat trick
By GJON JUNCAJ Kampfer will play in the Great Lakes
Daily Sports Writer Invitational, which takes place Dec.
27 and 28. Kampfer is almost fully
EAST LANSING - After nine recovered from the fractured skull
games without a goal, senior for- he suffered in an off-ice assault in
ward Travis Turnbull finally got October.
a bit of puck luck. "He's getting the OK now to take
Entering Saturday's contest a hit," Berenson said. "I should say
at Michigan State, Turnbull had I'm confident in the way he looks,
just one goal, but I'm not the doctor.... But I would
against Ohio NOTEBOOK say everything's going in the right
State on Nov. 1. direction for him."
But in the final 25 minutes of the Berenson said he wouldn't carry
Wolverines' 5-3 victory over the a seventh defenseman if Kampfer
Spartans, he notched three. dresses, which means junior Chris
Turnbull's first goal came on a Summers could move from the blue
5-on-3 chance in the second peri- line back to the forward spot he
od when he put home an errant occupied in the preseason.
shot from freshman Greg Pateryn Kampfer has just a week of prac-
that ricocheted off the endboards tice under his belt since the injury
right to Turnbull's stick. and hasn't played since Oct.11. That
WithMichiganstillonthesame lack of game experience hurts his
shift just 50 seconds later, Turn- chances of returning for the GLI.
bull poked in a puck that Spartan "We might have a discussion
goalie Jeff Lerg thought he had about whether our defense can
trapped against the left post. afford to lose Chris Summers at this
And to cap off his best offen- point for a player who hasn't played
sive performance of the season, in eight or 10weeks,"Berenson said.
Turnbull added an empty-netter "I'd like to think they could but I
that sealed the win. don't think it would be realistic."
While he could breathe a sigh "(Kampfer's) going to be a long
of relief after his first career hat way behind. It might not show up
trick, he figured he was due. in the first shift or the first period.
"I had been getting a lot of But somewhere in that weekend,
opportunities," Turnbull said. he's going to hit a wall, where all
"Sooner orlater, (the puck)is going of a sudden he's going to realize he
to go in. I'm still getting points. I missed all that time."
wasn't too worried about it." Nonetheless, Kampfer's probable
It's no surprise that Turnbull return at some point is a great sign
was patient during an under- for Michigan's defensive depth.
whelming first half of the season. LINEUP SHUFFLING: Sophomore
His father Perry, a three-time forwards Aaron Palushaj and Matt
30-goal scorer in the NHL, has Rust will miss the Great Lakes Invi-
frequently given his son advice tational to play with the U.S. World
throughout this year. Junior Team. In response, Berenson
During the final 25 games last tweaked his lines in Monday's prac-
season, Turnbull showed glimps- tice.
es of his father's scoring touch, Junior Brian Lebler played on
tallying 10 goals. So he knew who the first line with David Wohlberg
to turn to during this season's and. Louie Caporusso. Senior Tim
extended cold streak Miller joined Carl Hagelin and Rob-
"I know when things aren't bie Czarnik on the second line.After
going well for me, and I'm a little Friday, the team is off until Christ-
down, I think (my dad) feels the mas. The coaches will conduct a
same way, too," Turnbull said. practice on Christmas night and re-
"He's been there. He's played in evaluate the lineup then.
the NHL. He knows what it takes. NOTES: Wohlberg was named
He knows how much it can really CCHA Offensive Player of the Week
affect you." for his two-goal, three-assist week-
KAMPFER RETURN POSSIBLE: end. ... Sophomore goalie Brian
Michigan coach Red Berenson Hogan will start against Michigan
said he hopes defenseman Steve Tech in the GLI's first round.

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