4B - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 6, 1995 Company trying to take advantage of Moeller caper saw a disturbing sign yesterday on campus. There at a kiosk on neon yellow paper was an advertisement for an audio cassette and a transcript. This is no ordinary cassette or transcript, though. It seems as if some sick people are trying to make a profit off of an event that nearly destroyed a former Michigan football coach's life. Team Solutions, a Royal Oak, Mich. business, is selling copies of these items, trying to make a few bucks on the incident that finished Gary Moeller's 24- year career at .. . ANTOINE plTTS Pitts Stop Cincinnati Bengals. Moeller returned to the area when the Bengals played the Detroit Lions in a preseason contest Aug. 10 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Moeller is coaching tight ends - including former Wolverine Tony McGee - on coach Dave Shula's staff. During games, he sits in the press box and assists the offensive coordinator in making substitutions. The trip to the Detroit area marked the first time that Moeller addressed anyone from the local media since the April 30 incident at the Excalibur Restaurant. He held a press conference Aug. 9 and answered questions on everything but his past. The only thing he would say about longtime friend and current coach Lloyd Carr and the Wolverines is, "We've got to have Michigan in the Rose Bowl." Following the game the next night, I talked to Moeller as we walked from the press box to the lockerroom. I couldn't recall a time in recent years at Michigan when Moeller smiled and looked like he really relished what he was doing. "I've enjoyed it," Moeller said of his time with the Bengals. "The hardest adjustment is in terminology." Moeller waved to fans that called his name and grinned from Michigan. Another disturbing fact is that there has been significant interest in the items. Advertisements in college football publications across the nation have received quite a response according to Team Solutions. ' The real fact of the matter is that r this is a dead issue. Moeller does FIL..not talk about his firing from FILE PHOTO/Daily Michigan publicly. He never denied anything that happened. His A Royal Oak, Mich. company is trying to make money on last spring's arrest of then Michigan football coach thoughts have turned to his new job Gary Moeller. Team Solutions is offering consumers copies of the 40-page arrest report and audio cassette. as an assistant coach with the How to han full coursel( ilea )ad. Kipling "Strength" backpack in black, hot brown, red or spruce, $69. cheek to cheek, looking like he really liked what he was doing. It definitely seems that Moeller has put the past behind him. He talked about learning everything he could about the NFL - he really looks forward to spending a long time in the league. Returning to college is not in the current plans. What happened last spring doesn't seem to be consuming his thoughts. Other people just can't seem to forget, though. A representative from Team Solutions said they are offering the tape and transcript as a public service. It seems the only service they are providing is to their pocketbooks. These same documents are available to anyone via the Freedom of Information Act. In the day and age when souvenir salesmen set up outside the Los Angeles County Criminal Courts Building to hawk merchandise on the O.J. Simpson trial, this kind of thing should not be a surprise. Team Solutions steps way out of bounds in trying to capitalize on Moeller. You have to wonder if they have any t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc. that they are about to market. That would really be taking one for the "team" all right. Let's forget about this issue folks. Let it rest in peace. - CommentsforAntoinePitts can be directed to apitts@umich.edu. 'M' garb dominates Niketown By Nicholas . Cotsonik Daily Sports Writer CHICAGO - The team sports section at Niketown in Chicago dis- plays a who's who list in collegiate athletics. The Dukes, Florida States and Colorados ofthe world each have their own little set-up, but they can't compare to Nike's new kid on the block. Michigan has its own wall. "(The Wolverines) are our biggest sellers," said Niketown manager Steve Kichakawa. Wandering through the shoe company's commercial complex, fans can choose from a wide assort- ment of Michigan apparel. There are T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts and even maize and blue shoes. The Wolverines are big business to Nike and, since the company struck a $7 million deal with a university last spring, sales have been strong. "For every two Seminole or Buf- falo hats we sell, we sell three Michi- gan ones," Kichakawa said. "(The Wolverines) are definitely popular. Maybe it's because we're close (geo- graphically)." Sometimes, it's even simpler than that. "I just like the colors," said Rob Dowd, 12, of Skokie, Ill. "The 'M' is pretty cool too." Forwhatever reason, Michigan Avenue and, of course, Ann Arbor is flooded with Wolverine parapherna- lia donning "Swooshes." But Nike isn't the only party benefiting from the partnership. Michigan's 22 teams receive workout clothes, uniforms, shoes and other accessories worth a total of $1 million a year for seven years. In addition, the University receives more money for women's athletic scholar- ships and a sports writing fellowship has been added. The deal was cut when Michigan Athletic Director Joe Roberson got fed up with his coaches doing their own endorsement deals with sporting goods manufacturers. Roberson fig- ured that if the school's reputation was to be used for marketing, the University, not the coaches, should reap the rewards. But not everyone is cheering about the little logo on the left breast of Michigan's football players. "The re- markable thing about this is that the crass commerciality doesn't seem to bother people any more," said David Ross, a professor of Classical Studies at the University. ,r ---... .... ...L .... . . * Choose from a huge assortment of backpacks, all at great prices. Saratoga backpack from Eastpack in black, navy or forest green, reg. 47.50, SALE 39.99. 36" duffel from Eastpack in black, navy or green, reg. 62.50, SALE 49.99. Sonoma day pack from Eastpack in black, navy or mallard, reg. $45, SALE 34.99. Nappa leather flapover Convertible backpack from briefcase from La Salle in Ciao! in black only, black only, INCREDIBLE reg. $75, SALE 39.99. VALUE 69.99. a+:::..