Ports
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Page 16
Tuesday, July 21, 1981
The Michigan Doily
Small-and-slow rap stands
Ceralooked: ais bigobstacle
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By RON POLLACK
Daily sports writer
Fourth in a sx-part series
This is the fourth in a series of six
articles examining the attempts of
recently-graduated Michigan foot-
ball players to make an NFL team,
their thoughts about the endeavor,
and their new pro coach's analysis
of their abilities and future in the
sport. The series was written by
Daily sports writer Ron Pollack.
While scanning their long lists of
prospects during this year's college
football draft, player personnel direc-
tors around the NFL moved to the name
"Andy Cannavino" and read some
rather impressive facts about the
Michigan linebacker: Senior year-AP
second-team All-American; UPI
honorable mention All-American; AP
and UPI All-Big Ten; 168 tackles (tied
for second on the all-time single-season
tackling list at Michigan); co-captain.
Career-385 tackles (second on the all-
time career tackling list at Michigan).
But then the player personnel direc-
tors read the single sentence that over-
shadowed all of the aforementioned
honors and statistics, a sentence that
contained Cannavino's speed and size
(6-1, 225 pounds). And so the player
personnel directors passed over the
Wolverine's name, selecting athletes
who did not match Cannavino's lofty
collegiate accomplishments, but
possessed better physical attributes.
Cannavino was finally chosen in the
10th round by the Detroit Lions.
"I WAS MORE disappointed than
surprised," said Cannavino. "I knew I
wasn't going to be a high pick because
of my size and speed. I was glad to go to
the Lions because I had some publicity
from U-M. So I wasn't some no-name
10th-rounder like I'd be at, say, St.
Louis."
Cannavino's pre-draft outlook was a
result of the testing conducted by NFL
teams prior to the draft.
"I ran for the teams, and so I had a
pretty good idea where I'd go," said
Cannavino. "I thought.I'd go in the sixth
or seventh round. As it was, I missed by
a few rounds."
THE TOO-SMALL, too-slow rap is
nothing new to Cannavino, though. Ac-
cording to him, they have been voiced
for quite some time. "I had the same
thing in high school," he said. "People
always said that about me. But I've
been in this position before, so I'll just
have to prove to them that I can play in
the NFL."
In defense of the emphasis placed on
a player's size and speed during the
college draft, Lion head coach Monte
Clark said, "You have to look at the
whole picture. Certain talents are
needed to compete in this league.
Sometimes you can excel in college, but
the pros are another step."
Clark discussed the difficulties that
Cannavino will face. "I think the
biggest problem will be pass coverage,
because of his speed. Hopefully he can
overcome that."
POSSIBLY THE individual least con-
cerned about the criticism is Cannavino
himself. "While I may not run a 4.5 (40-
yard dash), when they see me for two or
three weeks, they'll see some of my
other qualities-my leadership . . . I'll
play hurt," he said. "I have a lot of faith
in my ability. I think I can help on
special teams. I think I'll get a good
look and havea shot."
Although the Lion rookies have not as
yet been in training camp for the two to
three weeks Cannavino said it would
take for the Detroit organization to
notice his better attributes (rookies
reported this past Wednesday), the
head coach is already aware of many of
his strengths.
"He's just a performer, an excellent
competitor and a play-maker," said
Clark. "He always seems to find a way
to make the play. We like his leader-
ship. He's a quality individual, and I
always like to have as many people like
that on the team as possible."
One last asset that both player and
coach feel that Cannavino brings into
training is a solid background. "We.
have a lot of admiration for the
program he came from under Bo
Schembechler," said Clark. "So I think
anyone who excelled at Michigan has
an advantage. I think where he'll excel
is when we put on the pads. And expect
him to help on special teams-that's a
priority here."
"I think that with my (college)
coaching, I'll be ahead of a lot of
players, since I came from a good
linebacker school," said Cannavino.
TOMORROW: JOHN POWERS
4
Doily Photo by BRIAN MASCK
EX-MICHIGAN LINEBACKER Andy Cannavino meets a Purdue ballcarrier head on during the Wolverines' victory
over the Boilermakers last year. Cannavino, now trying to make the Detroit Lions, must overcome the skepticism of
many coaches and NFL scouts who feel that he is too slow and small to be an effective professional football player.
NFL 's income revealed
as trial nears finish
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LOS ANGELES (AP)-The National Football League had
$326 million in total income in 1979, but the league's net in-
come after taxes was estimated at just $22.5 million, or
$836,000 per team, according to an NFL exhibit introduced
yesterday at the Oakland Raiders' anti-trust trial against the
league.
Paul Tagliabue, an NFL attorney, said outside court that
the report is the basis for testimony to be given by an auditor
today-to show that the Raiders' income is above the league
average and among the top nine clubs.
THE RAIDERS brought the lawsuit when other NFL teams
blocked their planned move from Oakland to Los Apgeles in
1980. The Raiders contend they need extra income available
in Los Angeles to remain competitive in the future.
As the 11th week of the trial in U.S. District Court began,
presiding Judge Harry Pregerson told jurors he expected it
would be the final week of testimony, and the jurors may get
to deliberations in the middle of next week.
The league income and expense figures were presented by
John R. Schoemer, an auditor for Arthur Andersen & Co. of
New York on behalf of the NFL. There was no testimony con-
cerning the report presented at the end of the day's court ac-
tion, and Schoemer was to be questioned by attorneys today.
THE BULK OF the league's income came in television and
radio rights, with the league collecting $150 million. The 27
teams, not including the Raiders, received an average of $5.5
million from the TV-Radio. Next in income was ticket sales of
$144 million in 1979, with each club averaging $5.3 million, the
exhibit said.
The report showed that 1979 player salaries, bonuses,
deferred compensation, medical benefits, workmen's com-
pensation, payroll taxes, retirement funds, insurance trust,
and pre-season and post-season pay totaled $140 million,
averaging just under $5.2 million per club.
Team expenses, including coaching, scouting, travel,
training camp, uniforms, equipment and day-of-game ex-
penses totaled $64.3 million, the second highest category of
expenses.
GENERAL AND administrative expenses, including front
office salaries, rent, insurance, donations to charity,
publicity, promotion and utilities totalled $52 million.
Stadium rents amounted to $14 million, while league
operations, including officiating and security, cost $8.3
million.
"Taxes and extraordinary expenses of each team, figured
on a pre-tax income of $45.1 million, were estimated by the
auditor at an average of 50 percent per team, leaving a net
after-tax income of $22.5 million.
a