12 - The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly -Wednesday, August 4, 1993 Me Hi tgDjai Q: V Ken Davidoff Every rose has its thorns, even sports It has been a time-honored tradition here at the Daily for departing sports editors (the majority of whom go back, crawling and hungry, to their parents) to pen a "farewell column." This piece of writing,usually heavy on the emotions and light on the intellect, always ends with the realization that sports somehow ranks as something bigger than sports itself, that it symbolizes an "escape" from the real world. Indeed, I do get emotional when recalling all the wonderful times I've had here at Michigan, many of them sports-related. But too many problems exist in the world of college sports, and sports in general, for it to get away with the euphemism of "escape." Sports really isn't much different than any other societal institution. It has its heroes and villains, spirit-lifting stories and tales of corruption; a host of intriguing supporting characters; and an overzealous media ready to document andanalyzeeverymovement.Last,butnotleast,itischockfullofdiscrimination. Athletes learn that they must exhibit toughness, that they must "suck it up" and not let anything faze them. They also learn that in the big picture, they're doing nothing more than playing a game. And most sports fans, executives and media seem to adopt a convenient integration of these two psyches as their own. Thus,every time an incident of discrimination is pointed out, it can be easily swiped away by those who suggest the victim needs to toughen up. Besides, it's only a game, right? Some moments stick out: This past year, a mild controversy erupted when a woman wrote into the Daily protesting the use of a female blow-up dollby Michigan football fans. The woman tried to demonstrate how the attitudes leading to this treatment of women's bodies were the same attitudes that resulted in sexual assault and rape. Her comments were ridiculed by many Daily readers (mostly men) who wrote in. Nonsense, they claimed. It's all in good fun, just shutup and accept it. You're too damn sensitive. Don't challenge the status quo. Every year, Michigan plays theIllinoisFighting Illiniin several sports, and every year, Native Americans express hurt and anger over the mocking of their culture by college and professional teams. And every year in response, athletic administrators(few, if any, of whom are Native Americans) tell the Native Americans to stop complaining, that they shouldin fact be honored by having someone dress in agoofy costume and dance See DAVIDOFF, Page 11 What teams played in the first American Bowl in London? *9861 u! S pueS ui Aft u - ~ m FAeno3 suiieo 'a U0O13 gl McLal, students aid AD hunt By KEN DAVIDOFF DAILY SPORTSEDITOR Former Michigan women's bas- ketball player Stacie McCall now re- sidesinColumbsursuingac erin sports. Former women's swimmer MindyGehrslivesinOakRidge, Tenn., studying for the MCAT and looking for a job. And football alumnus Tony McGee is gearing up for his first sea- son in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals. ThethreeMichigan graduates have something in common besides their Michiganathleticexperience:theyhave allservedonthe12-person search com- mittee designated to select the new Michigan athletic director. And de- spite the fact that none of the three can be found within 100 miles of Ann Arbor, McCall insists that she and her fellow student members had and will continue to have plenty of input into the decision. Gehrs would refused to comment on the committee's activities, while McGee could not be reached for com- ment. But according to McCall, the entire committee put countless hours into the search, and its efforts were taken very seriously. "Everyone would send in their re- sumes, and we went all over all those, and looked those over, and then we narrowed them down," McCall said. 'Totwenty-something atfirst,andthen we went from there, and we narrowed them down to 10. And then from there we narrowed them down to seven be- cause you can only interview so many people. And then we narrowed them DOUGLAS KANTER/Dauy Former Wolverine guard Stacie McCall feels that her input as a search committee members has been well received. down to, I think it was four. "We played a great part, and the President (James Duderstadt) calls us and asks us what we think. So ev- eryone plays a significant role in pick- ing the athletic director.So it's not just likewedidthatandthenthepresident's gonna just go by whatever he thinks." McCall could not even approxi- mate the amount of time invested by the search committee, merely labeling it "a lot." "Meetings were scheduled for at least four hours aday, but one day we went six, six-and-a-half hours," she said. "That went until 12:00, 12:30 at night.Sowe putin alotoftime because it's something that's very crucial. DEPARTMENT OF RECREATIONAL SPORTS INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF RECREATIONAL SPORTS INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM You're talking aboutthe athletic direc- tor of Michigan, so it's nothing to play with." Although she could not remember exactly when her commitment began, McCall said the meetings commenced during the basketball season, meaning no later than the middle of March. However, the committee did not get down to the "nitty gritty"untilafter the May 1 graduation. Duderstadt has not dismissed the committee, and McCall fully expects to be contacted again. She said she doesn't have to return to Ann Arbor; she can do her part by making suggestions andoffering input via telephone. Her experiences with the Michigan athletic department - specifically a women's sport that has struggled - gave McCall a unique perspective on what the school needs. "I asked a lot of questions per- taining to women's athletics, to non- revenue sports, to things that I didn't see done when Iwas there as an athlete that I would like to see done to help Michigan's program," McCall ex- plained. "Michigan's traditional, and that willnever change, which is good. But if you see something's not work- ing, you need somebody who can dare to be different. "Traditional is fine, but you need someone who's gonna step in and not try to walkoveranybody,but who will listen to other ideas and say, 'Let's try this.' You might be on top, but you don't stand there." McCallsaidshehadanidealcandi- date in mind, but she would not iden- tify the person. I A For Additional Information Contact: IMSB 763-3562 For Additional Information Contact: IMSB 763-3562