6 - Friday, March 23, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

6 - Friday, March 23, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

Robinson developing into leader

By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Editor
Denard Robinson is learning
to not smile.
Four days into the Michigan
football team's spring prac-
tice, the junior quarterback has
emerged as a distinct leader of
the offense. Robinson has been
a Heisman Trophy candidate, a
record-setting quarterback and
Big Ten Offensive Player of the
Year.
But Robinson's never had to
take the reins as the unques-
tioned leader of Michigan. After
three years, he's ready for that to
change.
"I wasn't an outspoken per-
son," Robinson admitted on
Thursday. "I didn't do a lot of
telling people (what to do) or
patting them on the butt, so
that's what I need to start doing
and that's what I'm taking on
this spring."
But being a leader also means
being the bad guy.
"Oh yeah, sometimes you've
got to get up in (their faces),"
Robinson said. "Help them out,
give them encouragement. You
can't always be nice to them. I
can't always have a smile on my
face."
Is that even possible? Robin-
son smiled.
"Oh it's possible, it's possible,"
he said, laughing.
It's a work in progress.
Redshirt junior wide receiv-
er Roy Roundtree has already
noticed a difference in Robin-
son's demeanor. The timing is
better. The reads are better.
And the play calls in the hud-
dle are as clear as day.
"I used to tell (Robinson) that
he's so country that you can
barely hear him," Roundtree
joked.
Robinson said he has taken
freshman quarterback Russell
Bellomy under his wing, giving
instructions on timing, patience
and accuracy in the pocket.
The thought of the electric
Robinson's upcoming senior
season as Michigan's starting
quarterback is thrilling. But so
is the thought of him passing on
his lessons to underclassmen.

MARISSA MCCLAI N/Daily
Junior quarterback Denard Robinson is taking a larger leadership role for Michigan after an in-the-spotlight offseason in Ann Arbor.

"It is exciting to me," said
offensive coordinator Al Borges.
"It's exciting to all of us."
Ever since Robinson and the
Wolverines returned from a
Sugar Bowl victory in early Jan-
uary, Robinson hasn't been able
to keep himself out of the head-
lines or off TV screens.
But the soft-spoken leader
hasn't regretted one bit of the
press.
As if Robinson hadn't already
been the face of the Michigan
football program, he was singled
out by President Barack Obama
during a speech at Al Glick Field
House in January.
"Where's Denard?" Obama
asked. "I hear Denard Robin-
son's in the house."
Robinson, hands planted in

the poc
sity jac
found:
ed in
redshir
man Pa
sor
"I h
man,"
good d(

ckets of his Michigan var- Two months later, Robinson
ket, was startled. Obama described the surreal experi-
Robinson to his left, seat- ence the only way he could.
a roped-off area beside "That's one of the days that
rt junior offensive line- I'm going to sit down and tell my
atrick Omameh. grandkids about: 'I've got a story
for you. I met the president.' "
Robinson said. "That's one of
"i ly goal the things that I'll always cher-
My g~alish.
"As soon as I got done meet-
s lo m ake oing him, I called my mom, dad,
n b s brothers and told them, 'I just
met the president. I just met the
ev r da . President of the United States.'"
* The cameras have also found
Robinson in the Michigan stu-
dent sections at Crisler Center
and Yost Ice Arena. In the past
ear you're coming back, three months, in between off-
Obama said. "That is a season workouts, he's attended
eal for Michigan." men's basketball, women's bas-

ketball, hockey and women's
track events. Just how many
games? He couldn't remember.
"I'd go to all of them if I had a
chance," Robinson said.
Still, Robinson doesn't think
the off-season in the spotlight
has changed him. He's learning
not to smile, but it's nothing dif-
ferent.
"No, because I enjoy interact-
ing with people," Robinson said.
"That's one of the things that
I've always enjoyed. I come from
a big family with me, so meeting
people is not a problem with me.
I'd love to meet anybody. If I see
anybody on the street, I want to
say hi to you.
"My goal is to make some-
body's day everyday, so hope-
fully I can do that."

Michigan
water polo
primer
By BOB McWILLIAMS
For theDaily
Every weekday morning, a
cheery group of student-athletes
gathers in Canham Natatorium
to play the strangest sport. The
result of basketball meeting
soccer and jumping into a pool,
water polo mixes familiar ele-
ments into a sport that can seem
very foreign to outsiders.
Though most water polo
matches take place in regulation-
size pools, the No. 10 Michigan
water polo team recently played
in a pool that was definitely not
normal.
"It had a shallow end," said
Michigan coach Matt Anderson.
"We're a team that likes to spread
things out, but since Hartwick
was the home team, they picked
a pool that would negate that."
Sportsmanlike or not, coaches
are allowed to do this in water
polo.
Unlike more popular sports,
where huge high-school tal-
ent pools force athletes to spe-
cialize to stand out, water polo
players have to be a complete
package. Players have to be fast
swimmers, able to throw bullets,
strong enough to fend off con-
tact, quick at decision-making
and tall enough to throw over
outstretched arms to have a
chance of playing at Michigan.
And that's the thing: Michi-
gan is really good at water polo.
In his 10-year tenure, Anderson's
team has never failed to win its
division. The Wolverines have
won five conference titles, quali-
fied for the national tournament
three times and created a rare
water polo powerhouse 2,000
miles from the Pacific Ocean in
a sport historically dominated by
California schools.
This year's edition is no dife-
rent. There's junior attacker Kiki
Golden, an honorable mention
All-American junior who had
39 goals in 37 games last year. A
trio of experienced goalkeepers *
is led by junior Alex Adamson,
who ranks fourth in saves in
Michigan's history. The center
- a key position, also called the
two-meter because that's how
far away from the goal she camps
out = is junior Lauren Colton, a
commanding player who set a
school record for drawing seven
opposing player ejections in a
single game.
The list could go on. Four
other Wolverines have won divi-
sional awards this year. Eleven
different players scored against
Gannon two weeks ago. The
team has been thrashing local
competition and going toe-to-toe
with the best in the country.
Anderson pins his success on
having an established program.
The continuity of coaching style
allows his upperclassmen to
know what to expect.
"Katie (Card, the assistant

coach) and I, we only have two
sets of eyes hetween us, and
we're removed from the pool,"
Anderson said. "We can't stop
things and get into the pool for
any hands-on training. So we
rely on the seniors to bring along
the freshmen because they've
seen everythingbefore."
There's also volunteer coach
Jeff Kacerek too, who isn't afraid
to jump into the pool if an extra
body is needed. But hidden in
Anderson's words is the rev-
elation that the coaching staff is
remarkably small. Much of their
time must be spent on "house-
keeping" tasks such as putting
up nets and timing laps.
"There's a lot of schlepping we
have to do," Anderson said.
It's bizarre that a program
with such a national pedigree
would have so few caretakers,
especially when other collegiate
sports often have a sizable fol-
lowing of trainers and managers.
Even with the backdrop of cham-
pionship banners hanging from
the rafters and plaques of Michi-
gan legends posted on the walls,
there's something that feels
very laid-back and approachable
about Michigan water polo.
Anderson, as always, has an
answer.
"We're a working-man's
coaching staff," he said.

Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com


RELEASE DATE- Friday, March 23, 2012
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 4 Rhea sat 37 Flight of fancy 49 Troy Aikman's
1 Fast food sides 5 How gas prices 38 Cookout alma mater
6Turkey sometimesrise condiment 50 Fake
10 Putaway without 6 Airer of the sitcom 40 Question of 52 Cookout
restraint, with "on" 'Allo 'Allot' identity accessory
14 Unspoken 7 Honolulu's home 41 Columbia River 53 Typical
15'30s boxing 8 Stingy city "Hunger
champ 9 Eastern Australian 42 Old saw Games' trilogy
16 Teatraditionally seaport 43 First X, say reader
made with 10 Musical range 44 NyQuil maker 54 Blood
cardamom 11 Indian loincloth 45" didn't know he components
17BSlate,forsone 13 Not let oer had it5" 5 Buts"The
15vKeepamoe 13vatLED 46 Like aspen leaves Killersco-star
doggfrm 19 0cs-'s nsDodges ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
wandering? 21 Traffic-controlling
20Forced(in) gp A L B S I N S I S T E R R
22Voted out 24Slicker L O U T C R I S C O S A O
23 Emit 26 Shout of P U R E F I C T I O N K I M
25Angus, e.g. encouragement H I P p o A T F L I S A
26 Femalepadre? 27 __ erectus ASS THER FLEMAN
21 Tmopical reefl
denizen 28 Dhow sailor ASS
32Someclaims 29 Second-
33 Brother's title n geneten P L A Y I N G W I T H F I R E
36DhofarRebeion Amecan BURNT SANE A E R O
country 30 Futuristic sitcom B E C K A L O T
37Penusedatsea familyname S L A S H E R F I L M s I SB
38aeFrancisc's a33Blcher'stitlein P A R S T I A A L I C E
_Hill " O U I S T A G E F R I G H T
40 Roller coaster Frankenstein" O R A AALTI M A A M A T
c4es 34SingerCoolidge F A N M E A N T O R A T E
41 Let up 35 Like balsamic
42 Ancntmounted vinegar xwordeditor@aol.com 03/23/h2
police? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 r 10 11 12 13
44 Where tosee a
chin rest 14 15 1
47 Cavils ,7 ,s ,,
48 Poem that ends"I
amthecaptainof a 21 22
my scat'
5 Dce tsanhat
reflectssthe pun- 26 27 2s 2s 3
creatng elements or 32 333 35
fousd int5-,26-
and 42-Across o3 6 373
57 Mauritius money
58 Friends and 36 40 4
acquaintances
59 Croat, e.g. 42 a3
60 More distant 4 4 47
61 Barrie henchman
62 Big._:nickname so 40 so r anu2 s 4
for LPGA great
JoAnne Camer 5 so 5
63 Coverage giant 59 60
DOWN 61 62 63
1 dsrlssl./ly
2 Kisback y Gretm3Bain
3 Il-natured ieu onor~s , ,~03/23/12

MARCH ON IN TO THE BEST
LOCATION ON CAMPUS!
University Towers & The 2nd Floor
are right on Central Campus with
the Best amenities,
the Best service and the Best prices!
Call us for a tour today
734-761-2680
www.UniversityTowers-MI.com
WWW.800FULLER.COM
(734) 769-7520
I & 2 bdrm., modern, clean, quiet
5 min. walk. Free Wi-Fi.

! NORTH CAMPUS 1-2 Bdrm. !
! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking.!
! www.HRPAA.com 996-4992
! STERLING 411 LOFTS - Reserve
now for 2012 (Spring or Fall). U-M's
BEST housing sold out early for 2010
and 2011, reserve your space for 2012
today. Sign a lease on or before Febru-
ary 21,2012 and play to win for one of
tbe following: $50, a100, 5150, $200,
no money down until April 2012 or
FREE laundry for a year (value of
$312). 2 blocks from Central Campus
and downtown. 1 to 4 bedroom, private
baths available. Rates from0$660.
734-998-4400 www.4elevenlolts.com
4 BEDROOM HOUSEAvailablefall.
827 Brookwood. Washer Dryer. 4 prkg
spaces $2300+utils. 734-996-1991
AVAILABLE FALL, 6 bedroom
houses near central and north campus.
Call Michigan Realty at 734-662-5500
or www.nsichcomrealty.com
AVAILABLE FALL. FOUR and
five
bedroom duplex in a quiet neighbor-
hood. Walk to football games and
Kroger. Call Michigan Commercial
Realty. 734-662-5500.
www.michcomrealty.com
AVAILABLE FALL.STUDIOS, One
& Two bedroom apartments loctaed
on UtM Campus. Call Michigan
Conmercial Realty. 734-62-5500.
. www.mnichcomrealty.com
ARBOR PROPERTIES. DISTINC-
TIVE Award-WinningrentalsinKerry-
town, Central Campus, Old West Side,
Burns Park. Now Renting for 2012.
734-994-3157. www.arborprops.com
! STERLING 411 LOFTS - Reserve
a summer only bed space at U-M's
Best housing. Leases will run from
April 30, 2012 - August 13, 2012. 2
blockshfromCentralCampusanddown-
town. Private baths available. Rates
starting at $660).
734-998-440 www.4elevenlofts.com

WORK ON MACKINAC IslandThi
Summer - Make lifelong friends. The
Island House Hotel and Ryba's Fudg
Shops are looking for help in all areas
Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff
Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Hous2
ing, bonus, and discounted meals.(9061
847-7196. www.theislandhouse.com
WE'RE SOCIAL!
LIKE US
ON FACEBOOK

SABBATICALHOMES.COM
Do you have a home to rent? Are you
looking for housing while on sabbati- FOLLOW
cal? We are the academic commu-
nity's US ON
resource for home rentals and home ON
swaps worldwide. TWITTER
SUMMER STORAGE STUDENT
Specials- Indoor and closestto campus.
Book online now annarborstorage.com @M ICH IGA NDA
or call 734- 663-0690
@MICHDAILYSPOI
HELP WANTED @MICHDAILYAF
@MICHDAILYOF
@MICHDAILYPHO
ONE YEAR LEGAL internship posi-
tionavailableatBirminghamMichigan
law firm starting Aug. 2012. Perfect for
highly motivated graduating senior.
Email resume/cover letter/transcript to
h.immigration.s@gmail.com for
consideration.
STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM
Paid survey takers need in A2.
100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.
CEREMONY MUSICIANS
NEEDED: Seeking 2-4 ceremony
musicians for June 15
wedding in Ann Arbor. Email
Katherine at kbmurko@umich.edu

ILY
RTS
RTS
PED
TO

r

A


I

rt