FMAY, APRM 80, 1054
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
FRIDAY, APRIL SO, 1954 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
btan N .
. . . by Ivan N. Kaye
Frosh Ends Give
Grid Squad Boost
T-
DURING SEVERAL recent issues we have devoted a great amount
of space to various discussions of one of the most perplexing
problems facing the educational community today.
Misplaced goals in athletics constitute in our opinion a threat to
American higher education almost comparable to the spectre of in-
fringements upon academic freedom.
We feel that the solution of this dilemma is of transcendent
importance, far outweighing the results of particular football
or basketball contests, and accordingly we have allotted many
column inches to the subject at a time when some of the less
visionary among us would have preferred to read the box score
of the current baseball game.
The abuses which have corrupted mid-century athletics have
not arisen overnight. They have evolved, rather, through a gradual
process closely akin to the evolution of the society of which they are
but a small part.
* * * *
Reflection of Society ...
HE INTENSE desire for victory at any cost on the athletic field
is as many have pointed out, merely a reflection on the desire
for material success in that other and far more important world away
from the athletic field.
To the idealist who propounds the theory of "the game for the
game's sake" as a solution to the dilemma of present-day sports, the
hardened realist will doubtless point to the futility of such a philosophy
if, for example, it be applied to the business world.
It would be hard to say the least to conceive of the chair-
man of the board of a concern which had just sunk into bank-
ruptcy telling the stockholders that the competition was the im-
portant thing and that it didn't matter so much that the old com
pany didn't win this time.
Leavingthe wry, humor aside, it unfortunately seems to be a
consequence of our system that there is no room in it for a second
best, much as there was no pride in the minds of many at the recent
accomplishments of Michigan's athletic teams which placed well in
the recent Western Conference meets without actually taking the
championships.
* * * *
Drawing the Distinction .. .
WE READILY admit that the athletic and business worlds are re-
flections of the forces which motivate society. Where we would
like to see the distinction drawn is in the fact that athletics can and
should be regarded as games Let the economists work with the
business world; we still think that the sporting public, and that in-
cludes influencial alumni, can reform its own wayward system.
It is not as easy as it sounds; to implant the idea that sports are
games and nothing more. What it really involves is a conscious at-
tempt to divorce the athletic world as much as possible from the other
and more important facets of society.
So far, and for as long as anyone can remember, this has
not been possible. Athletics have grown with and become closely
associated with many aspects of society. Why then can we expect
that virtually overnight the populace will iange its orientation
toward sports competition?
The answer to that question lies in the awareness of the gravity
of the problem. The answer lies in the recent actions of the Ivy League,
in the writings of sensitive men like Washington's Harold Stoke and
the University of Pennsylvania's Ken Doherty; men who have come
to the realization that something is definitely wrong with our system
of intercollegiate athletics.
Beyond the Yictor ...
IT IS NOT SO much in the fact that these and others differ in their
attempts at solution of the problem, but rather that they have
at last recognized that there exists such a problem, that is of the
greatest importance.
We feel that once the sports-loving public becomes fully aware
that it, and it alone, holds the answer to the problem faced by ath-
letics today, we may see a reversal in orientation. Now that the prob-
lem is being discussed and attempts made at solution, it would seem
that a major hurdle has been cleared. It is as in medicine, where the
disease once diagnosed is half-conquered.
Thus we may be able to apply some of our idealism to the
sports world after all. We may be able to put across the senti-
ment of "the game for the game's sake," and bring home the
value of true competition and not triumph alone as the essential
of athletics.
The next time you go to a sporting event, look beyond the win-
ner, whether it be in a track meet, a baseball game or a Big Ten foot-
ball classic in the Michigan Stadium. Look to the man who runs
? second or fifth, to the pitcher who hurls well in a losing cause, and
to the defensive halfback who plays his heart out when his team is
beaten, and perhaps you will catch some of the flavor of this athletic
system of ours, which can be so beneficial to us all if we will only
allow it to progress without undue or unnatural pressures.
U-
By LEW HAMBURGER
Wolverine football hopes are'be-
ginning to take a gradual rise as
the second week of spring prac-
tice comes to a close with tomor-
row's scrimmage.
The most pleasant surprise has
come at the end position, where
MBA Wins
I=M Softball
Contest, 2-I
By BOB JONES
A hard-hit grounder by Snip
Nalan, which got past the left
fielder, allowing Nalan to score,
proved to be the winning run yes-
terday as the MBA Club edged
Delta Theta Phi by the score of
2-1 in the opening round of pro-
fessional fraternity I-M softball.
Sharp pitching by Jack La-
Breck for the MBA nine allowed
the Lawyers only four hits. Their
only run came in the top of the
fifth when Larry King, who had
singled and advanced to second
on Jerry Donley's sacrifice, scor-
ed on an overthrow.to first.
IN THE longest game of the
evening, Psi Omega came from
behind in the top of the last inn-
ing to beat Alpha Omega, 11-8.
Trailing by one run, 5-4, going in--
to the inning, Psi Omega scored
two runs on Chuck Madden's dou-
ble, and added another three as
Harry Migion homered with two
men on. Two more runs were walk-
ed in, completing the Psi O's scor-
ing. Alpha Omega's three runs in
the last half of the inning weren't
enough to close the gap.
Phi Alpha Kappa had a hot
day at the plate, pounding Delta
Sigma Pi to the tune of 21-0 be-
hind good control of its pitcher,
Wes Sikkema. Well supported by
his teammates' 19 hits, Sikkema
pitched an excellent ballgame,
allowing his opponents only two
hits. His inside curve ball was
beautiful to watch.
Nu Sigma Nu scored three runs
in the top of the second inning
and added another in the top of
the fifth to blank Tau Epsilon
Rho, 4-0.
Phi Delta Phi and Phi Rho Sig-
ma fought to a 5-5 tie in the only
other game. Phi Rho drew first
blood in the last of the second,
dropped behind, 3-1, in the third,
tied the game up in the fourth
and that's how it ended.
the graduation of Bob Topp and
Gene Knutson appeared to be a
weakening blow. However, letter-
men Gerry Williams and John
Veselenak, and freshmen Charley
Brooks, Ron Kramer and Tom
Maentz have shown great progress
and might prove to be one of the
strong points on the 1954 team.
Maentz suffered a jaw injury Wed-
nesday, and how long he will be
out is not yet known.
KRAMERS progress has been
especially pleasing. The big fresh-
man has been playing with the
first string squad throughout the
spring drills. In last Saturday's
scrimmage he and Williams were
the starting offensive ends.
The success of John Morrow's
switch from center to tackle is
another reason for the brighten-
ed outlook. His blocking has been
sharp and the move thus far has
been beneficial.
The fullback slot, also weaken-
ed through the graduation of Dick
Balzhiser and Bob Hurley, has
been the scene, of other encourag-
ing showings, as Dave Hill and
Fred Baer have both shown fine
running ability.
* * *
THE TAILBACK problem, how-
ever, is still a question mark in
the backfield, as Tom Hendrix has
shown well in spurts, but is still
somewhat unsteady. Terry Barr,
an ountstanding freshman pros-
pect has also demonstrated his
ability, but a leg injury has kept
him from the last few days of
practice. He is expected to return
soon, possibly in time for tomor-
row's scrimmage. Dan Cline, let-
terman tailback, is playing with
the baseball team this spring so
he is another question mark until
he returns to the gridiron.
Tony Branoff, last season's
regular wingman, is also playing
baseball this spring, but his un-
derstudies have moved into the
position in fine style. Ed Hickey
and George Corey both have been
running and blocking well.
The quarterback situation has
been one of the most stable dur-
ing the spring drills. Lou Bal-
dacci, last fall's regular, has been
running first string over the en-
tire period, and is followed by Dun-
can McDonald. Jim Maddock is
another of the outstanding fresh-
man prospects, and has been see-
ing a good deal of actions.
The spring practices are sched-
uled to close with an intra-squad
scrimmage at the Michigan stad-
ium on May 15, if the weather con-
tinues to favor playing conditions.
I
Y
"THE GUY'LL LOSE
HIS SHIRT!"
".. . walks into this haberdasher just off campus,
see, and ask for a white shirt. He starts givin' me this
song-and-dance about that Van Heusen Century with
the soft collar that supposed to not wrinkle ever. The jerk
starts snowin' me with some 14-day free trial deal, that if
I'm not satisfied after wearing it and washing it for
14 days, he'll gimme my dough back.
"I'm from Brooklyn, see, and I don't trust nobody. I ask the
guy, 'What's the catch, buddy?' He says, 'No catch. Wear
it as much and as hard as you want. If the collar ever
wrinkles or v ,- get your money back. Wash it
yourself. It's .1 just iron the collar flat, flip it, and
it folds perfectly because the fold-line's woven in.
If not, your money back.'
"The guy tells me it's the only soft one-piece collar
in the world, that it lasts up to twice as long as other
shirts and only costs $,.9, for whites and $4.95 in colors
and superfine whites. I tell him, he's nuts to make such a
stupid offer. I tell him he'll lose his shirt. It's a kind of joke,
see. I figure no shirt will live up to all that malarky.
"And y'know what? I been wearin' and washin' it now for
a hunerd and fourteen days, and I still can't find nothin'
wrong with it."
for ARROW shirts .
11
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Cinema SL uidd
"LAURA"
Dana Andrews
Gene Tierney
SClifton Webb
FRIDAY
... 7 and 9
"A Walk in the Sun"
Dana Andrews
John Ireland
III
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