TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 195$
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
ol verines Plagued by Series of 'Family Sqt
abl3rJE V.
iables
A r £Au nfAle64h...
WITH PHIL DOUGLIS
Daily Sports Editor
EOPLE make mistakes every day-and most of them never get in
headlines. But when an athlete makes a mistake, he must pay
a bitter price, for his career is public domain-and his supporters
feel it their right to know the reasons behind his downfall.
Such is the case of Jack and Bert Wardrop. Such is the case
of Don Haney. Such is the case of several Michigan basketball
players.
As a sports editor, we are torn between many factions. You,
the reader, deserve the real facts, for the reasons stated above.
Yet think for a moment of the athlete. If you were in his shoes,
would you want your dirty linen washed in public view? I doubt it.
For this reason, many sources cover up the real facts in order to
protect the individual in question. What the reader gets is a watered
down version of the truth from second hand sources.
This writer has a duty to both his readers and the institution
which he writes about. In line with this, then-we will try to
present to you the stories behind some of Michigan's athletic squabbles
as fairly as we can-to both sides.
Is there an overall ugly shadow looming behind the events of
recent weeks? Is one single factor to blame for the Ohio State
football fiasco,. the suspension of two hockey players for "expense
money" charges, the dropping from competition of two swimmers
and a wrestler, and wild rumors of dissension on the basketball team?
Our answei is a simple-NO.
Every single case has its own causes, and it is just an unfortunate
coincidence that they all had to occur within four short months.
It is our purpose here to take a brief look at a few of these cases-
and we will let you be the judge as to who is right, and who is wrong.
As Michigan's Athletic Director H. O. "Fritz" Crisler put it to us
yesterday-"personnel troubles are commonplace on most athletic
teams, and our trouble here this weekend was unfortunate to be sure
-but in the coming weeks and months it will be forgotten. It was
an unhappy Saturday afternoon for those two boys.' I think they
made a mistake, and they realize it."
Victims of a Culture Clash .. .
THERE is no doubt about it-the Wardrops did make a mistake.
The causes behind it however, were partly due to something be-
yond the personalities of these world famous swimmers. The Wardrops
were victims of a culture clash. In the British Empire, it is the cus-
tom to recognize superior achievement with acknowledgement. This
acknowledgement comes in the form of the captaincy of a team.
At Michigan however, the captains are elected by the team on the
basis of leadership. The Wardrops, probably the best in ability,
came out second-best in the election. An American would shake his
head, and forget it. But to people who have been accustomed to an
entirely different tradition, it goes much deeper. And it went too
deep for Jack and Bert Wardrop.
They were the victims of an unfortunate circumstance. How-
ever, their behavior following it, was not what any standard would
term desirable. They made a mistake in this respect.
The real story behind the election and other difficulties are not
known. It was, however, an unfortunate turn of events for Michigan
and for swimming.
Coach Gus Stager is not to blame for this altercation. It hadt
entrenched its roots before he even took over last year. He did his
best, and now that it has exploded he finds himself with a weaker, yet
better integrated team. The direction should be upward from now
on in.
A similar problem existed with Wrestler Don Haney. Haney -
quit his team for a while due to a personality clash. However, in thist
case, he realized shortly that Michigan and its family of students
and alumni stood above his personal problems-and he rejoined the
team. He currently is regaining his old form, and the unpleasantness
of the past is receding rapidly into the background.s
* * * *.
Eyebrows Rise as Cagers Fall...
A THIRD facet of Michigan's recent problems has been the current
decline of its basketball team, which fell to a Big Ten foe for
the sixth straight time Saturday night.
In a team game like basketball, everybody is a grandstand coach
--and it appears from the grandstand that Michigan has been playing
rather uncoordinated basketball, to say the least.
This has given rise to rumors of dissension-and the more they
I multiply, the more they are believed.
We asked Criser point blank about these rumors, and he said,
"When your team is losing in any sport, you get second guessing.
Pretty soon even the players start second guessing. When they start 1
doing this out loud, it is labeled as dissension. I don't believe there t
is any dissension on Michigan's team . . . only individuals speaking
out their personal beliefs." 0
I guess the only tonic for this ill would be a few victories. How- t
ever, time is running out-and it will take a lot more unified play q
to achieve these lofty heights. C
c
Crisler summed it all up, when he said, "We shouldn't do so much S
worrying about intra-family squabbles. Let's concentrate on the
goals and objectives of inter-collegiate athletics instead, and we will t
be a lot better off." I heartily agree. e
4-
Suspension of Wardrops
Brings VariedOpinions
(continued from page 1)
Cage Rankings rBIG TEN STANDINGS
Scores WV L Pct.
1. San Francisco (20-0) 1,301 Illinois ................ 10 0 1.000
2. Illinois (16-1) 1,078 Michigan State 96,-Northwest- Iowa..................9 1 .900
3. Louisville (21-2) 809 ern 93 Ohio State.............7 4 .636
Purdue ............. ...6 5 .545
4. Dayton (20-2) 782 Ohio State 79, Wisconsin 71 Michigan state ........ 5 5 .500
5. Vanderbilt (18-2) 529 Iowa 87, Indiana 83 Indiana ................5 6 .455
6. N. Carolina St. (19-3) 509 Illinois 102, Purdue 77 Minnesota.............. 4 6 .400
7. Alabama (16-3) 403 Kentucky 76, Vanderbilt 55 MICHIGN............ 3 7 .3
8. Kentucky (16-4) 308 Wake Forest 76, Maryland 60 Northwestern...........0 10 .00
Jack "was examined and had a
respiratory infection."
The doctor said the infection
was not serious and he told Jack
he could do himself no harm by
competing. He said however, that
Jack probably was not up to peak
efficiency.
Wardrop finished third in his.
one event, the 220-yard freestyle
in a time of 2:24. He set the world
record for that distance last year
by swimming it in 2:03.4.
Another of the Wardrop's team-
mates expressed the opinion that
Stager .was possibly at fault for
not suspending them sooner. He
added that he did not believe the
spirit of the squad would be vastly
improved.
A third member of the team had
still another viewpoint. "We had
trouble getting the team together
all year." He felt that the appear-
ance at practice of the Wardrops
added a spark to the squad. He
said that the team will now "lack
the punch needed to beat the big
teams."
Not Available For Comment
Neither of the Wardrops were
available again today to comment
on the story that they were-upset
over last year's elections for team
captain. The story, which also ap-
peared in the Detroit newspapers
said the Wardrops' poor attitud
stems from last season when the3
were not chosen co-captains of the
team.
As far as the people the Ward-
rops live with are concerned, the3
are ideal boarders. Said Mrs. Pres-
ton Slosson, wife of the noted
University professor, "I have never
met more charming boys." The
Wardrops live in a room in the
Slosson home.
Mrs. Slosson remarked that the
Wardrops are "marvelous boys,'
whom she couldn't recommend
more highly. She said that "the
adults at this house are 100%
behind the Wardrops."
e
t.
t
aI
eI
CHEMISTS -ENGINEERS
H. O. "FRITZ" CRISLER
... backs Stager
THREE TOUGH LOSSES:
Latators Win One Meet
GUS STAGER
... "nothing new to add"
Santee Asks
Court Order
Against .Ban
NEW YORK (A-The Amateur
Athletic Union last night advised
track meet directors their organi-
zations will lose AAU sanction
"forever" if they permit Wes San-
tee to compete.
This will hold even if the premier
American miler succeeds in ob-
taining a court injunction against
his lifetime ban as an amateur.
The AAU announcement also
said any athlete participating in
any meet in which Santee was al-
Walker 4-F
EDMONTON (AP) - Art
Walker, football tackle for Mi-
chigan in 1954, has been de-
clared'4-F by the Army, and
will return to the Edmonton
Eskimos, Canadian Grey Cupj
football champions.
An old knee injury kept him
from passing his U.S. Army
physical.
owed to compete would "jeopard-
ze" his amateur standing.
Dan Ferris, secretary-treasurer
of the AAU, said the meet direc-
ors had been told the conse-
quences of allowing Santee to
ompete in an official telegram
igned by Ferris.
Only a few hours earlier, San-
ee's attorney had said he expect-
ed "quick action" on his attempts
o have the courts nullify the ban
imposed by the Executive Com-
mittee of the AAU Sunday.
By ALAN WINKELSTEIN
(First of Two Parts)
This just isn't a Michigan swim-
ming year..
With the 52-50 loss to Indiana
last weekend, the natators showed
that they will more than likely
have to adopt the old expression,
"wait till next year."
The Indiana meet demonstrated
once again that ' Michigan just
doesn't have quite enough to beat
the top squads in the Conference.
Prior to this meet, the natators
had lost close decisionsto Michi-
gan State and Iowa in Conference
competition.
Close Meets
In all three of the meets, the
losing margin was three points or
under. One more victory, or even
a second place finish, would have
been good enough to give the team
victories in each of these meets.
Going into the final dual meet
of the season against powerful
Ohio State this weekend, the Wol-
verines have the unenviable rec-
ord of only a single wM, against
Starting tonight at 7:30, and
each Tuesday hereafter, there
will be a body-building and-con-
ditioning class at the I-M Build-
ing in the weight training room.
-Earl Riskey
impdtent Purdue, and three losses,
and one tie.
Unless the team can pull a ma-
jor upset over Ohio State, this
will be the worst record that has
been compiled by a Michigan
swimming squad in many years.
Coach Gus Stager commented
that Michigan was defeated in
each of these meets by teams that
swam much better than expected.
He also added that the Wolver-
ine natators are not a bad squad
despite their record. The Big Ten
is stronger now, than it has ever
been.
Other Contenders
This is the first time in a good
nuiber of years that anybody
with the exception of Michigan
and Ohio State has even been con=
The Dascola Barbers
* distinctive
0individualistic
9 suave
--Hair Problems Invited
Men of Michigan!
near Michigan Theatre
sidered as a potential Conference
title holder. Iowa, Michigan State
and Indiana all have excellent
teams that might possibly com-
pete strongly for the Big Ten hon-
ors.
One of Michigan's biggest weak-,
nesses has been the lack of cham-
pionship sprinters. In all of the
meets the Maize and Blue have
been defeated, they lost on the
final race of the program, the 400
yard free-style relay, a sprint re-
lay race.
Contact
.. ti
Pioneer and leading producer of silicones
will have a representative on campus
February 22 to interview 1956 graduates.
PLACEMENT OFFICE for interview appointment
Read and Use Daily Classifieds
Lt
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electrical * mechanical
ENGINEERS,
PHYSICISTS
MATHEMATICIANS
bachelor - master - doctor
research
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EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEWS will be made Feb-
ruary 23rd and 24th, 1956. Mr. R. K. Patterson
will interview candidates for St. Paul, Minnesota,
location. Mr. D. A. Bowdoin will interview candi-
dates for the Philadelphia, Pa. location.
PLEASE APPLY THROUGH
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California Division