2B - September 8, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com a
28 - September 8, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom ~
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AP PI
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel had Navy run out of the Ohio Stadium tunnel with the Buckeyes on Saturday.
Learning lessons from OSU?
Unfortunately, the only inter-
team exchange that will be
remembered from college
football's opening weekend -
deemed "Sportsmanship Week" by
the NCAA - will undoubtedly be
Oregon running back LeGarrette
Blount's sucker punch after the
Ducks' loss to
Boise State.
Sure, The
Blount Blow
deserves the
media coverage
it has received.
I mean, how
often does a
senior, a sup-
posed leader, ANDY
get suspended REID
for the entire
season in the
first week? But I wish more people
acknowledged the pregame sports-
manship initiative.
On Saturday all over the coun-
try, college football teams lined up
midfield, shook hands and passed
on a "Good Luck." It's a small, sim-
ple gesture that I think could have
major dividends.
College football is one of the
most passionate, emotion-fueled
sports there is, and that can defi-
nitely getthe better of players mid-
game. In 2003, Robert Reynolds, a
hot-headed Ohio State linebacker,
choked Wisconsin quarterback Jim
Sorgi in a dogpile during the game.
In 2006, Miami and Florida Inter-
national suspended a combined 31
players after an on-field brawl. The
problem hasn't escaped Michigan
- wide receiver Greg Mathews
appeared to kick an Oregon defen-
sive back after a reception in 2007.
Heck, even I've lost my cool in
the heat of the moment. During my
senior year of high school, I had a
blatant roughing the passer penal-
ty after going after our archrival's
quarterback.
A pregame handshake could
- if teams continue to commit to
them - humanize the opposing
team. Players can look each other
in the eyes before the game and see
they're people, not just uniforms.
Of course, it didn't work for
Blount, but let's just put an asterisk
on that one and push it to the side.
Instead, look to a certain team
in Columbus that Michigan fans
don't like very much.
Say what you will about Jim
Tressel and Ohio State (and if
you're reading The Michigan Daily,
it's probably negative), their pre-
game pageantry against Navy on
Saturday was a really classy move.
Both teams met to shake hands
well before the game. Then, the
Buckeyes and Midshipmen ran
out of the tunnel together, the first
time that's ever happened in 88
years of football at Ohio Stadium.
When Ohio State runs out of the
tunnel, it's a big deal - just try to
imagine Western Michigan run-
ning through the band and touch-
ing the "Go Blue" banner with
Michigan.
I've been to The 'Shoe. It's not a
friendly place. When Texas trav-
eled there in 2005, Longhorns fans
were so appalled at the Buckeyes'
fans that it led to Ohio State Presi-
dent Karen Holbook issuing a pub-
lic apology.
To see 105,000 Buckeyes fans
applaud for Navy - whether or
not it was accidental, because Ohio
State was simultaneously being
introduced - was really special.
I don't know if the action had
any influence on the outcome ofthe
game, but to extend such a gesture
to the opposing team can only lead
to good things for college football
as a whole.
Michigan's celebration of
Sportsmanship Week was much
more subdued. In fact, if you
weren't payingattention, you prob-
ably missed it. A spokesman for the
Athletic Department said he wasn't
sure if the teams ever talked about
a full-team pre-game handshake,
but Michigan coach Rich Rodri-
guez and Western Michigan coach
Bill Cubit met on the 'M' before
the coin toss and exchanged well
wishes.
I wish Michigan would have had
the teams meet before the game
and made a bigger deal of the hand-
shake initiative, but not necessarily
blow it up as big as Ohio State did.
With so much hype surrounding
the Wolverinesgoing into the game,
it would be been nice to see them
take a breather and meet Western
before kickoff.
The Wolverines didn't have to
sacrifice the sanctity of their pre-
game ritual. No one is asking that.
But a simple handshake could have
gone a long way.
- Reid will shake hands with the
State News players before the annual
Daily-State News flag football game
on Oct. 2, but only because he's trying
to promote sportsmanship. He can
be reached at andyreid@umich.edu.
Sophomore Alex Hunt tallied 14 kills in Michigan's three-set sweep over Notre Dame on Sunday.
Led bHunts kills, Wolverines'
finish undefeated in Cincinnati
By MARK BURNS allowed Alex to get some more
Daily Sports Writer touches and kills for us."
The victory against the Fight-
With a year already under her ingIrish, alongwith four-setwins
belt, Alex Hunt is emerging as against Tennessee and Xavier,
one of Michigan volleyball coach raised the seventh-ranked Wol-
Mark Rosen's young up-and-com- verines' perfect record to 5-0.
ing hitters. Paz and Hunt led the Michigan .
Last season, the sophomore offense in all three matches over
didn't reach the double-digit kill the weekend.
mark in a match until the 14th "We always try to have a lot
game of the season. of balance on our team," junior
But on Sunday, Hunt tallied setter Lexi Zimmerman said.
double-digit kills for the third "(Alex) has just been on fire the
time this year in the team's three- last couple of days and is defi-
set sweep over Notre Dame at the nitely hitting the ball with more
Xavier Invitational in Cincinnati, confidence."
Ohio. Part of the reason for Hunt's
"She has done a great job hit- recent hitting surge has to do
ting the ball so far this year," with the way the Wolverine
Rosen said. "Early on, teams have lineup has been structured over
been keying on (senior outside the past two years. Last season,
hitter) Juliana (Paz), which has then-senior Beth Karpiak logged
a lot of playing time for the Wol-
verines, which placed Hunt a lit-
tle lower on the depth chart. But
with Karpiak's graduation, Hunt
has excelled in her newfound role
on the court.
Additionally, Hunt moved from
right side to leftside this year, giv-
ing her an opportunity to hit from
all areas of the court. With the
timely setting of Zimmerman, the
combination gives Rosen another
weapon in his offense.
"Lexi has been distributing the
ball really well and giving all of
the hitters an opportunity to get
some kills on the court," Hunt
said.
Rosen will look to Hunt to
complement Michigan's offensive
attack as the Wolverines look to
stay undefeated tomorrowagainst
Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti.
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