tidPOatSttlU
SPO RTS_____
Page 11 Wednesday., une 8,1994
Q: When was the last time
a Western Conference team
won the NBA title?
-(see-i seia6uy so)l 886L :
Women's track
21st at nationals
Focus off
'n NBA
S HAQUILLE O NEAL: Do you
want me to slam it?
ALLEGED FANS: Yes
-from a recent Reebok ad
Actually, Shaq, what we would
really like is
for you to
win a play-
off game.
a Winning
games used
to be every-
thing in the
NBA. In the
MICHAEL 1 9 8 0 s,
ROSENBERG Magic and
Roses are Bird did it
anyone else,
nd they were lauded.
But the NBA's marketing strat-
egy has changed in the past few
years. They don't market winning
anymore. They mostly market dunks
these days, although a dunk is noth-
ing but a glorified lay-up.
But dunks sell T-shirts and
sneakers, which is probably why
you haven't seen too many pick-
d-rolls in commercials recently.
Hey, the marketing strategy has
worked. The NBA has made tons of
money this way and gained immense
popularity. A recent poll showed
that Michael Jordan was the world's
most popular athlete.
That's understandable. Jordan
was a phenomenal player, so when
the casual fans come to admire him,
it's justifiable.
P The problem is that, while Jordan
proved himself on the court, many of
today'sso-calledstarshavenotearned
their popularity. And once they get
thatpopularity,they seemtolosesight
of why they play the game.
Witness these recent events:
1) With 1.8 secondsleftinGame
Three of his team's series against
theNew YorkKnicks,ChicagoBull
Scottie Pippen removed himself
From thegameaftercoachPhilJack-
son designed a play in which Toni
Kukoc would shoot the final shot.
Pippen probably realized that being
a decoy would only help his team,
not his endorsement deals.
2) When Isaiah Rider was drafted
by Minnesota last June, he made a
bold guarantee - he would win the
slam dunk contest. Hey, Isaiah, are
Owesupposedtocare?Congratulations.
You won. Your team still stinks.
3) After signing a three-year
contract extension, Phoenix Suns
See RosEs, Page 12
By Michelle Lee Thompson
FOR THE DAILY
The Michigan women's track team
was getting used to winning its meets.
After all, they had won the Big Ten
"triple crown" - the conference's
cross country, indoor and outdoor
championships.
After that, all they had left to do
was party. That party was in Boise,
Idaho, last weekend at the NCAA
Championships. A tie for 21st place
with 10 points was the season's part-
ing gift, as Louisiana State won the
nationalchampionship with 86points.
"The second-most important thing
is the national championship," coach
James Henry said."The mostimportant
thing is the Big Tens, and we won that.
The national meet is the team's party."
Two individuals - junior
Courtney Babcock in the 3000-meter
run and senior Molly McClimon in
the 5000-meter run - went the dis-
tance. Both ran all the way to the
finals, where they took All-American
honors by placing in the top eight.
McClimon, who claimed her sixth
All-American certificate in her last
NCAArun,placed fifth(16:42.92)on
Saturday.
"It's been a long road this season,
and Molly ended on the top," Henry
said, praising McClimon's efforts.
Improving on her 1993 finish,
Babcock finished third Friday
(9:27.58), after taking the same place
in Wednesday's qualifying heat.
McClimon andBabcock wereonly
twoofnineMichiganrepresentatives.
In other finals action, thrower Car-
rie Stewart took 13th in the javelin
finals (156'0") and Ronda Meyers
placed12thinthediscusfinals(155'8").
Senior heptathlete Laura Jerman came
in 10th with 5296 points, and Chris
Szabo finished 12thinthe 10,000-meter
run (35:33.25).
Senior sprinter Richelle Webb
failed to qualify for the finals, finish-
ing eighth in the 100 and 200 semis.
Henry said that the team's goal
was to finish in the top 15, but that he
was not disappointed.
"You always want the teamto finish
the season at their best, but in my mind+
they left their beston the track at the Big
Tens two weeks ago," said Henry.
Molly McClimon finished a stellar collegiate career in Idaho last weekend.
Sullivan fIIshes third at men's NCAAs
By Brent McIntosh
DAILY TRACK WRITER
Who could ask for anything
more?
Toyota's former slogan seems to
be an apt theme for Michigan track
star Kevin Sullivan's freshman year,
which ended with a third-place fin-
ish in the 1500-meter run at the
NCAA National Outdoor Champi-
onships held last weekend in Boise,
Idaho.
"I had a good, solid year," the
Ontario native said. "From fourth at
cross country nationals, to third in the
indoor 1500, to third outdoors, I re-
ally couldn't ask for anything more."
Sullivan had been seeded first go-
ing into the meet, but his time of
3:44.14 was not enough to put him
ahead of Arkansas's Graham Hood,
who broke the tape in 3:42.10. Hood
finished ninth in the 1992 Olympics.
Sullivan's teammate, Scott
MacDonald, failed to qualify for the
finals of the 1500, getting outkicked
in the slower of the two semifinal
heats.
The times were nowhere near
Sullivan's season best of 3:39.22, but
See NCAAs, Page 12
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Department of Recreational
Sports
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