12 - The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly - Wednesday, August 12,1992
FULL COURT PRESS
Nix the split.
season tix plan
by Adam Miller
Daily Basketball Writer
Everyone likes banana splits. Accounting majors
enjoy split transactions. Gymnasts love to do the splits.
But there should be very few fans of the Athletic
Department's split-season package plan for Michigan
men's basketball student tickets.
Anticipating a ticket rush the size the University has
never seen before, the split-season proposal was devised
to allow up tof6,200 students to purchase ticket packages.
The plan was delineated in the "Michigan Basketball
News" that accompanied student season football ticket
deliveries. Here's how it works.
Ticket applications will once again be taken at Crisler
Arena, this time on Sunday, Oct. 11 from noon until 3
p.m. Tickets cost $78.00, and do not include the home
games during winter break against Central Michigan
(Dec. 21) or Eastern Michigan (Jan. 2) or the game
against Minnesota, which falls during mid-winter break
(Feb. 20). Once again, the passes are not for specific
seats, and students must arrive at Crisler 90minutes early
to get the bestseats. Same as last year. Aslong asno more
than 3,100 students apply.
But if 3,200 students apply, the new split-season plan
comes into effect. The 3,000 students who have pur-
chased tickets the most consecutive years receive full-
season tickets. The other 200 receive one of two split
plans. Both plans contain an assortment of games from
throughout the season.
Ah, but you'd hate to be one of the splitees. A Plan-
A student gets to see the game against Michigan State on
March7, but misses the games against Ohio State Jan. 26
and IndianaJan.12.For Plan-B'ers, it's just the opposite.
Since the plans necessarily have no games in com-
mon, there are other, similar"omissions"fromeach plan.
Plan-A sees Illinois, Plan-B sees Iowa. And so on.
Should we get to 4,500 applicants, more students
receive splits (2,800) than not (1,700). At 6,200, every-
one gets a split ticket. This seems silly, definitely contro-
versial come October, and probably unnecessary.
This whole mess makes you long for the old straight
seniority system, or even hockey's system: first come,
fist serve.
And I say that firmly, cohesively, and with great
conviction.
No split decision here.
SPORTING VIEWS
Bring NBA stars
back to Atlanta
by Greg Richardson
Daily Sports Writer
As an Olympics filled with controversy ends, we can now
look forward to a less controversial Olympics in Atlanta four
years from now.
For the rest of the world, the fact that the United States sent
some of its best NBA players was practically a godsend.
Players like Michael, Magic and Larry represent figures of
divine likeness that captivated tie people of Barcelona and the
rest of the world. Beyond a mere all-star team, the Dream Team
distinguished itself by featuring two of the game's pioneers,
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Another showcase was Jordan, who is not only the best
player ever, but the most popular athlete in tie world. IHe
angered many people with his position about wearing Reebok
at the medal ceremony. And everyone remembers the Isiah
Thomas controversy, where experts figured that Jorda's
anger kept Isiah off the team.
Despite these incidents, Miichael, along with other all-stars,
deserved to participate in these Olympics fornsmay reasons, the
foremost being that these guys are dse best. Isn't that what the
Olympics are all about? The Dream Team should not have to
apologize to anyone because it destroyed its opponents by an
average of over 40 points. The rest of the world asked for it. The
majority of other nations voted for NBA stars to participate in
these Olympics, while USA Basketball voted against it.
While there are many quality arguments for using colle-
gians instead of pros, the pendulum tilts to the pros playing
again in 1996. To start off, the players were moved by the
experience. Granted, some of them were there to make a buck,
but so are most other Olympic athletes.
Furthermore, if the tournament is not that exciting, that's
too bad for the other countries.It's not often they get to see these
players dunking awayand the fact is the 1956 team led by Bill
Russell obliterated there opponents by the same margins.
It is a fact that the rest of the world has elevated its game in
hoops. The same Croatian team that lost to the U.S. by 32 may
very wellhavebeaten ateam of collegians. After all, the United
States did not win the gold in 1988, and international compe-
tition has only gotten better. In 1996 the world will not be as in
awe of the NBA, and there is a good chance a team like Croatia
could be wearing the gold in 1996 unless we send our pros. The
collegians are not good enough to guarantee a win anymore.
We should send our best, because of what the Olympic
motto states: citius, altius, fortius. The rest of the world was
captivatedby the NBA players. That is what the Olympic spirit
is all about.
I
Under the new basketball studentseason ticket plan, some studentsmay be forced
to have a split-season ticket which allows them to attend half the games.
RECEPTIONISTS
THE MICHIGAN UNION SCHEDULING OFFICE
IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 1992.
GREET CLIENTS -FILE TYPE
TUESDAY 8AM -5PM
THURSDAY 8AM- 2:30PM
FRIDAY 8AM -OAM
APPLY AT 1400 MICHIGAN UNION.
MICHIGAN UNION
GRADUATION
Continued from page 11
the programs and made sure there was
a support system here."
Assistant Athletic Director for Aca-
demic Services Phil Hughes, who runs
the Academic Support Program, feels
one of the important parts of the pro-
gram is to help student-athletes with '
ine management.
"Themainideaistogive back time,"
he said. "We have to keep the kids
organized and work with problem solv-
ing andgive tutorialsupport. They need
more time tobe successful. The athletes
give time to the University on the field
and we give it back through these sup-
port programs."
The AthleticDepartmentgivesback
time through its many programs, in-
cluding itsnightly two-hourstudy tables,
tutoring, counseling and the Mentor
Program which pairs each athlete with
faculty and staff volunteers on a one-
on-one basis.
The NCAA has tried to increase the
ratesbypassingProposition48in 1986,
which requires athletes to score an 18
on the ACT or a700 on the SAT as well
as have a 2.0 grade point in 11 core
courses.In January, the NCAAchanged
the requirements to a 2.5 grade point in
13 corecourseswhileloweringthemini-
mum ACT score to 17. Higher test
scores can offset a lower grade point.
While Hughes has not seen conclu-
'In general, Michigan coaches
look for three things in
prospective student-athletes
- solid students, solid
athletes and solid kids. They
want all three. That's what I
like so much about Michigan
coaches - one-of-three or two-
of-three is not enough.'
- Phil Hughes
Assistant Athletic Director
sive evidence supporting the success of
Prop 48, he does feel the Michigan
coaches do a good job recruiting dedi-
cated student-athletes.
"In general, Michigan coaches look
for three things in prospective student-
athletes-solid students, solid athletes
and solid kids. They want all three.
That's whatIlikesomuchaboutMichi-
gan coaches -one-of-three or two-of-
three is not enough."
The study also broke down the rates
by gender, race and different sports.
Women graduated at a rate about 20
points higher than men, while whites
had a rate 15 points higher than their
Black counterparts.
The regular rate of baseball is 31
percent, however baseball is hindered
because many players leave school af-
ter theirjutnior years to play profession-
ally. These students do count in the
refined rate.
Here is the refined rate for selected
sports - football, 76 percent; men's
basketball, 75; baseball, 71; women's
basketball, 50;andeveryother women's
team had a 100 percent rate.
While Hughes is pleased with these
rates, he feels too much emphasis is
sometimes placed on them.
"Degreesareonething,butitdoesn't
end there," he said. "What are the em-
ployment statistics? Are the kids able to
securejobs. That'snimportant too.We're
not a vo-tech school. We don't guaran-
tee jobs, but we want to give the kids an
opportunity."
While there is no job placement
program specifically for athletes,
Hughes works with Career Planning
and Placement to help the athletes find
interviews and jobs.