SPORTS Tuesday, July 30, 1985 Page 11 The Michigan Daily Big Ten has the biggest luncheon ever By PHIL NUSSEL Insurance policies, quarterbacks and league depth were the major topics at last week's 14th annual Big Ten Football Kickoff Luncheon held at the Chicago Downtown Hyatt Regency. With over 300 media personnel and over 2100 others at the luncheon itself, the three-day event was billed as the largest preseason college football extravaganza ever. All the Big Ten coaches - including Michigan's Bo Schembechler - were in attendance along with two stars from each team. Defensive back Brad Cochran and linebacker Mike Mallory were the Michigan representatives. Other notable attendees included Brent Musberger of CBS sports, 37 representatives of postseason college bowls, all the Big Ten athletic direc- tors, and 24 sports information direc- tors. a The issue of insurance policies was brought up several times in the two- day affair. League superstars like Ohio State's Keith Byars and Pepper CCHA and a new corn By DAVE ARETHA In the heat of the summer, Ann Ar- or has been hit with a double dose of Johnson, Illinois' Jack Trudeau and Byar's million-dollar deal is David Williams, Iowa's Chuck Long, probably the best of the group since it and Purdue's Jim Everett have all in- insures him for any injury - not just sured their financial security by football injuries. taking out lucrative health or life in- The coaches all raved about the surance plans in case of an injury. quality of the Big Ten quarterbacks, as nine of the ten starters from last season return. Jim Karsatos of Ohio State is the only rookie QB. Trudeau, Long, and Everett have all broken numerous records. Michigan's Jim Harbaugh was probably the least discussed quarter- back, but Schembechler put in a plug for his man. "With all the great quarterbacks in the conference, Harbaugh may be the most underrated," Schembechler said. All the coaches spoke of the league's overall depth and quality. Schembechler went as far as saying. "This is the best conference in America today. The race is not cut and dried. The league is tremendouly Kerasotes well balanced. I see the conference as Kersokes Q it was in the '50s when on any given ... only rookie QB Saturday and team could beat the other." s oeWithout a doubt, Iowa, Ohio State 1 'and Illinois were seen as the top con- Sctenders for the 1985 title. Some doub- ts, however, were raised about Iowa Sin light of the serious leg injury to tmissioner' tailback Rodney Harmon and a defense that needs a big rebuilding hockey career as a referee in the job.H NHL. After two years on the ice was "Harmon has not been released Tp-from a medical standpoint," said Iowa coach Hayden Fry. "He is ahead didn't seem to bother the all- of schedule on his rehabilitation everything tailback Byars, who program though." checks in at a hefty 236 pounds. Fry did not rule out a red shirt for "They like being a no-name offen- Harmon if he is not 100 percent for the sive line," Byars said. season opener. When asked if he takes the linemen The main reason for Ohio State's out for dinner, Byars responded with high touting is Heisman Trophy can- the quote of the day, saying, "No, my didate Byars. wallet's not big enough for that - I "If Byars has a good year, then take them to White Tower in- we'll have a good year," OSU coach stead." Earl Bruce predicted. "I'd be concer- The Michigan role in the 1985 race ned if it wasn't for Jim Karsotes. Jim could be that of a dark horse. Most has the experience and he can pass predictions put the Wolverines at fifth the football." in the conference - the first time that The Buckeyes lost the bulk of their has happened in decades. offensive line to graduation, but that "I'm distraught that we're not preseason favorites for a change," Schembechler said jokingly. "We're not favored. The players can't accept it, I can't accept it, but it will give us greater resolve. "Don't think we're out of it and don't think we won't have a good team." One of the top players Michigan will feature this season is Cochran, who is being billed as a preseason All- American. The fifth year player talked about the team's incentive. "There's no question about it, there's a lot of incentive. Especially against teams that beat us last year," he said. The Wolverines open the 1985 cam- Cochran paign Sept. 14 at home against the ...lots of incentive highly-rated Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. o&v 10ua111W11 U eUb PPon~e commissioner of e inter- ice hockey news. Central Collegiate national Hockey League, where he Hockey Association officials named a remained until 1978. new commissioner yesterday and an- nounced he and his office will move to BEGAN RESIGNED as IHL com- Ann Arbor. missioner to establish the Eastern Hockey League. That league soon Bill Began, a man of an impressive folded, however, and Began was back although peculiar - hokey to the IHL as owner of the Toledo history, will replace former com- Goaldiggers His team won two missioner Jim Ruehl, who retired oligr.Hsta wnto Jusse J. championships in his three years as July 1. owner, but Began sold the team and "I'M VERY excited about it," became a sales representative for "ega sa f hied jobItn it Gladieux - a food serivce that hap- Began said of his new job. "I think it pens to sell hot dogs to Michigan foot- will be a creditable challenge. ball fans. "College hockey is the new wave. Colleges have the best coaches, and Began, who had been a sales rep more and more college players are since 1982, said he enjoyed his job, but graduating to the pros. There's the needed to get back to hockey. right ingredients here: good education and honest athletics." "You can take the boy out of hockey, but you can't take the hockey Began said his main objective as out of the boy," he said. "I wanted to commissioner will be to sustain the be associated with the high energy of league financially, instead of having college hockey." to rely on football, basketball and other forms of school revenue. Began will operate the CCHA in Ann Arbor, as league officials have BE ADDED that he will try to get a decided that the city is more centrally television contract for the CCHA and decided that the cirre enrally will also try to lure Notre Dame back located than the current league office into the league. The Fighting Irish in Bowling Green, Ohio. dropped their hockey program after Don't expect a huge headquarters to the 1982-1983season. be built, though. The league's new of- fice will consist of one room in the "I'll talk to Notre Dame," he said. Women's Athletic Building. "They have all kinds of, credibility and I'd like to have them back." Began will move from Toledo to Ann Arbor, but he has yet to make any Began, 47, started his strange plans. 4a Associoted rress Chug, chug, chug Former Michigan offensive tackle Rich Strenger (left) and running back Billy Sims go through a light workout at Oakland University in Rochester. Both are coming off injuries.