48- The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, September 25, 1995 Michigan Experience attracts huge crowd BARRY SOLLENBERGER Sollenberger in Paradise Right: A youngster participates in roller hockey action at the Michigan Experience yesterday. Below: Kids play on mne of the many structures set up for young fans. Photos by MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily By Michael Levy For the Daily Maize and blue was worn proudly yesterday at Crisler Arena. However, this time it was for all sports and not just basketball. The Michigan Experience, in only its second year, was very crowded. The event was filled with all 22 ath- letic teams from gymnastics to foot- ball. The area looked like an amusement park but, instead of having rides, it had games, music, prizes and enter- tainment. Many of the fans who attended were kids and their parents. All the games were free and the athletes were sign- ing autographs for their fans. Jarrett Irons, middle linebacker for the foot- ball team, had this to say about the event: "It's a great thing. It brings the fans closer to the players and it's a great experience for both." "This is really fun," said football player Amani Toomer. "It's a change of pace and its relaxing. Its great to see fans so interested." The area had many basketball courts, roller hockey games and bat- ting cages. It also had entertainment from the cheerleaders, the marching band and the stage, where music was played and prizes were given out. Finally, the free posters from all the sports were provided, which by the end were filled with signatures. One poster was of the catch made by Hayes against Virginia. The Michigan Experience was sponsored by Nike, Coca-Cola and others. This had a major effect on the event. Basketball stars Maurice Tay- lor and Maceo Baston agreed that the sponsors were important. "This year is way better than last year," Taylor said. "Last year, it was almost all inside Crisler Arena, but now there are so many things to do and there is much more space to do it in. For freshman athletes, it was a new experience. Basketball newcomers Robert Traylor, Louis Bullock and Albert White enjoyed the occasion. "It's fun doing things for the fans," Traylor said. "They support us all season and this is one of the ways we get to show that we appreciate it." "It's great doing things for kids," Bullock said. "This is really fun do- ing things for fans who are faithful." Admittance to the Michigan Expe- rience was free, but concessions were not. Long lines for autographs were common. NoFNz126 MIkes 4zka IL t is kind of sad, actually. The NFL has been reduced to this. Of the season's 251 games, only two are important, you know. On Nov. 12, the 49ers and Cowboys hook up in Dallas in a game that should be a lot of fun to watch. The loser will be sorely disap- pointed. It will then need to be content with lawn-mowing the rest of the league and finishing the season, 15- 1 - only the second-best record ever. Barring upsets along the lines of Mondale over Reagan, the same two teams will then square off Jan. 14 with a Super Bowl win at stake. Now that neon-Deion has made (what could become) his annual defection from the KGB to the CIA (or vice versa, depending on what team and murderous organization you prefer), Troy and his 'Boys are the favorites to capture their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Wait a minute ... I almost forgot. The real Super Bowl is Jan. 28 in Tempe, Ariz. January 14 is "just" the NFC Championship game. This is the United States of America, where you are innocent until proven guilty, so I mustn't presume the AFC to be a joke of a conference just yet. Could someone in that league actually win the whole bean burro for the first time since 1984? Let's take a gander at the Miami Dolphins, for example. Many think they will indeed make that trip to Phoenix in late January. They have possibly the greatest coach and greatest quarterback of all time on their side, which helps. But, dadgumitall, what does all that matter when it comes time to line up with the 'Boys or Niners in the big game? Nada. The last time Don Shula won a Super Bowl, a dumb-looking hotel named Watergate was getting a lot of ink - 1974. Over that span, San Francisco and Dallas have won five and three Super Bowls, respec- tively. And despite all of his mileage through the air, Dan Marino has as many Super Bowl rings as I do - zero. But to tell you the truth, I'm tired of everyone always blasting the AFC. Thirteen of the 15 teams in the NFC stink, too. Let's see: Who could possibly knock off the Big Two? How about someone from the NFC Central, or the Philadelphia Eagles or the (St. Louis to Phoenix to Arizona to Los Angeles?) Cardinals? 4OO v the are A team from the NFC Central last beat a non-NFC Central team in the playoffs in 1992. The Eagles haven't been good since Buddy Ryan took his defense and wonder- ful personality out West. Which brings me to Arizona. Nice joke, huh? Back in August, there was genuine excitement in the Valley of the Sun about the Birds' chances this season. A Zonie might be heard saying: "Gee, maybe we can actually have a winning season for the first time since 1984 and make the playoffs." Sports Illustrated picked the Cardinals to go 10-6, beat Green Bay in a wild-card game and lose to Dallas in the divisional playoffs. After Arizona's 1-3 start, Buddy is more likely to lose 100 pounds, but that's not the point. Miracles do happen,.and if the Cards were to finish, say, 9-3, and actually play a post season game for the first time since 1982, what would that really mean? A trip to the Bay Area or the heart of Texas and a 41-0 loss. Now is that something to get excited about? Save your interest (and money) for the Suns, Phoenix. It's not just the Cardinals, though. In seven games this season, San Francisco and Dallas have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 216-93. So what's my brilliant idea on how to improve the parity of the league? Unfortunately, I don't have one. Until Emmitt Smith loses about four steps and Jerry Rice actually starts to play like he's not 21, the 'Boys and Niners will be two superpowers among 28 other Haitis. Something could be done, though, to at leastmake the league more interesting. If I were to write a letter to Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, assuming he wouldn't toss it in the trash, I would say: Dear Paul, Even if 93 percent of the league is terrible, we can devise a plan to ensure that the Super Bowl won't be a joke anymore. Let's junk this current playoff system and set up an inter-confer- ence one based strictly on seeding, like the NCAA Basketball Tourna- ment. That way, the 49ers and Cowboys would be seeded No. I and No. 2 and could play their ways towards Super Sunday - in opposite brackets. Wouldn't it be nice for the Super Bowl to showcase the top two teams for a change? - Barry Sollenberger can be reached atjsol@umich.edu if YOU ::?:: you can read this . can write this. Daily Sports. GOLF Continued from page 1B top honors after shooting 218 for the weekend. Michigan's best finisher was Brockway, whose 226 was good enough for 14th in the tournament. Sophomore Justin Hicks also faired well, shooting a 229 in his first college tournament. Kyle Dobbs played "progressively better," according to Carras, and is "right on track," after shooting a 230 for the week- end. Carras knows what the team needs to work on in preparation for the Windon Memorial Classic Oct. 9 at Northwestern. "We need to work on finding the five right guys," he said. "Nothing more, noth- ing less." The Windon Memorial Classic fea- tures several powerful teams, including Big 10rival Northwestern, Florida, North Carolina and Stanford, which is led by phenom Tiger Woods. EVERSON Continued from page 3B campus with such chips on their shoulders. Of all the whining I've heard over the past year while playing basketball, soft- ball, flag football and so on, Fox says that only six people officially filed pro- tests. So given the circumstances, Fox and Rademacherare quite pleased with their officials. "I think with most of the officials, you'll see a learning curve," says Rademacher, who is reminded ofa first- time soccer referee he observed. "I watched her the first week, and she had no clue what she was doing," he says. "After that, she was in complete control ." - Darren Everson can be reached at evey@umich.edu. [I II mLADRID Take the Syracuse advantage! I I Informational meeting with Madrid faculty member at the International Center (next to West Quad) r Room 9, 4:00 p.m. / Monday, September 25 ' ..va- These days, to stay ahead of the game, you need more than ability. You need versatility. The more you can bring to the team, the more chances you have to be a key player. At Ernst & Young, every Management Consultant is cross-trained in Information Technology (iT) and Performance Improvement. Our integrated approach gives our knowledge-based consultants more involvement, more responsibility, and more opportunities to deliver value. Programs also available in Florence, London, T *__ -A 17~ 1