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(03/31/98 10:00am)
After a stellar Penn career, All-American wrestler Brandon Slay inked a deal to join the World Wrestling Federation. Mitch Marrow may be returning to college, but class of 1998 will still be represented by at least one professional athlete next year. Fifth-year senior Brandon Slay, wrestling's captain and school record holder for career wins, announced yesterday he has signed an offer sheet to join the World Wrestling Federation. "I'm living every kid's dream," Slay said. "I couldn't be happier." Slay was an All-American for the second straight year after finishing second in the nation in the 167-lb. weight class. He was defeated 5-3 in the national final by Iowa's Joe Williams. Penn won both the Ivy League and the Eastern titles for an unprecedented third consecutive year. "We are pleased to have someone as talented as Brandon joining our ranks," the WWF said yesterday in a prepared statement. "Athletes with his credentials increase the credibility of our sport and solidify WWF's position as the world's premier wrestling organization. "While boxer Mike Tyson's participation in Wrestlemania XIV brought national headlines, Tyson is only one of the WWF's new recruits. WWF typically signs up to 10 new wrestlers per year. Few, however, are ever as fortunate as Tyson in earning the opportunity to participate in WWF's championship event, Wrestlemania." Slay, who is currently more adept at traditional take-downs and counters, will now have to learn the art of chair throwing and clothes-lining. He said, however, that the idea is still the same. "I'll have some new moves to learn, but WWF provides a summer conditioning program," Slay said. "The goal is still to work hard and be the best. And you still wear tight-ass uniforms." One major difference that Slay said he will enjoy is the lack of a weight requirement. As with nearly all college wrestlers, Slay had to watch his diet to maintain eligibility in the 167-lb. class. Slay began the season at 177, but dropped down after an early season loss. Added weight will be an advantage, not a hindrance, to Slay's career. "He might easily get up to 190 or 200 pounds," Penn wrestling coach Roger Reina said. "Hopefully, despite the weight gain, he will use the same basic techniques that he mastered here. It is unfortunate the the WWF is the only professional option for wrestlers like Brandon." Slay said he has not finalized his professional persona, but would like to represent Penn in some way. "I was thinking of something like the Fighting Quaker," Slay said. To help mold his image, Slay has hired classmate and basketball co-captain Jeff Goldstein to be his personal manager. Reportedly, College senior John La Bombard was passed over for the position after a poor interview. "His questions during the interview really hit me hard," La Bombard said. "At least they didn't hit me in the penis, though." Although Goldstein has no formal wrestling background, he has professed a love for professional wrestling and has likened himself to current star Rick Flair. "Brandon asked me if I would help him and of course I said yes," Goldstein said. "Who wouldn't want to be involved in something like this. Personally, I'm more partial to WCW [World Championship Wrestling], but Brandon said he liked the tradition of WWF." Goldstein downplayed the prospects of getting into the ring himself, but left open the possibility. "I guess if he's the Fighting Quaker, I could be the Amish Assassin or something in a tag-team," Goldstein said. "The Pennsylvanian Pain-Inflicting Pacifists has a nice ring to it, but it is premature to discuss these options at this point."
(02/04/98 10:00am)
Brian Butler's win record was anticipated before this weekend in 1995. The Quaker wrestlers will be making their home debut this weekend, and the change of venue could not have come at a better time. After seeming to be nearly unbeatable this season, Penn (7-3, 2-1 EIWA) fell back to earth in a hurry after it was rocked by Cornell last weekend. Along with the loss, the Quakers' goals of repeating as Ivy champs and becoming a top-20 team were put in jeopardy. With that in mind, the Quakers feel they need a sweep of their three dual meets this weekend to get back on the right track. But to do that, Penn needs to slay Brown, currently ranked No. 1 in the EIWA and No. 22 nationally, at the Palestra Saturday (1:30 p.m.). "They're definitely the team to beat in the conference this season, but I don't want to think about matchups or anything of that nature," Penn coach Roger Reina said. Before the main event Saturday, the Quakers will have to dispatch with Harvard (2-4, 1-2), the weak sister of the Ivy League, and Rutgers (6-2, 2-2), a team that shocked the Quakers last year with an upset win. Both meets take place today at Hutch Gym (3 p.m.). "I don't think we're overlooking the Harvard and Rutgers match," sophomore Brandon Slay said. "But Brown is definitely the biggest match this year." The Bears (10-1, 1-0) present many challenges for the Quakers because they have an entire crew of wrestlers ranked at the top of the EIWA. Hitting leadoff for the Quakers will be senior co-captain Gary Baker at 118. Baker, who was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection last year, was shocked last week when he lost a 3-2 decision to Cornell. Although he was coming off both rib and knee injuries, the senior co-captain knows he must overcome his physical problems. "My match is a big match," said Baker, who might be facing Mike Mulroney, the No. 3 wrestler in the EIWA. "I've got to get everyone going. I'm kind of the spark plug." Other matches to look out for will be at 126 and at 190. Junior co-captain Brian Eveleth will be challenging Dave Gustovitch, who is ranked No. 2 in the EIWA, at 126. And in what looks to be the best match of the day, senior co-captain Brian Butler will square off at 190 against Paul Fitzpatrick, who is No. 1 in the EIWA and ranked 12th in the country. "I think everyone has to wrestle like they have been taught," Butler said. "I think everyone has to wrestle with their hearts. Personally, I have to wrestle for me and the other nine men whose butts are on the line. The people who work in the circle for everyone to see have to perform." Before the Brown face-off, Butler will have a chance to make Penn history. With one more victory, he will have the most career wins of any Quakers wrestler, surpassing 1993 graduate Adam Green's record of 87 wins. His first opportunity will likely come against Crimson wrestler Dan Vandermyde. "I've been thinking a lot about when I take the mat against Harvard," Butler said. "It's going to be for everyone.? It's for all the people who got me to where I am. With that kind of support behind me, I can't lose. It's impossible." With their backs to the wall and their season on the line, the Penn wrestlers overcame a five point deficit to defeat Brown, the top team in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, 16-15. The heart-stopping win at the Palestra against the Bears, who came into the meet ranked No. 22 in the nation, rekindles hope for a repeat as Ivy champions and a place in the national rankings. The Quakers' championship hopes, however, still rely on a Cornell loss, which would most realistically be to Brown. A Big Red loss would give the three Ivy wrestling powerhouses -- Penn, Brown and Cornell -- one loss each. The day before Saturday's victory over the Bears, the Quakers (10-4, 5-1 EIWA, 3-1 Ivy League) embarrassed Harvard and Rutgers, two other EIWA squads. They destroyed the Crimson, 34-3, and then pummeled Rutgers, a team that defeated Penn a year ago, 37-3. But the dual meet against Brown (11-2, 5-1, 1-1) was the main event, and the comeback victory came down to the last period of the last match. Down 15-10 to the Bears, the Quakers were left to their last two wrestlers, senior co-captain Brian Butler at 190 pounds and junior Joey Allen in the heavyweight division. Penn would need to sweep both of these meets to edge out the victory. Although Allen was expected to defeat his opponent, Dimitrios Gavriel, Butler was facing the No. 1 wrestler in the EIWA, Paul Fitzpatrick, whose record this year was a cool 17-2. "It was really a dej^-vu situation," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "Last year we were down 10-15 [to Brown] and won 17-15. So I wasn't pessimistic." "Brian Butler. I can't say enough about him. He's a tremendous leader, a tremendous example," Reina continued. "He's got great heart. To me, he's everything this program's all about. I mean everything." In an incredible display of wrestling, Butler, who had set the career-win record for Penn against Harvard on Friday, dominated a lethargic Fitzpatrick throughout the match. In the third period, Butler recorded two takedowns to defeat the Brown superstar, who was ranked 12th in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News, 10-4. The only points Fitzpatrick got from Butler were off four escapes. Allen, on the other hand, had more trouble with his less-regarded opponent Gavriel, who initially enjoyed some success with a slow-down strategy. Deadlocked at two points apiece going into the third period, Allen came through in the clutch, recording a three-point near-fall in front of a cheering crowd of several hundred people. " I felt I had to get some points, so I went after him," Allen said.
(01/29/97 10:00am)
Although Penn has suffered a lower rate of attendance decline than the Ivy League as a whole -- down 13 percent in the 1990s from the 1980s compared to a 22 percent decline for the league as a whole -- the decline has irked Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky. A member of Penn's class of 1971, Bilsky recalls that going to football games as a student was as routine as registering for classes. "It was just the culture of the campus that students went to the football games, whether you were a football fan or athletic fan or not," Bilsky said. "The fact is that the traditional element of going out and 'rah-rah' football, regardless of whether it's a good team or bad team or whatever your background, is gone." Penn fans certainly jumped off the bandwagon this year as the Quakers endured a mediocre 5-5 season. Attendance at Franklin Field dipped sharply to an average of 12,669, the lowest level since the 1981 season. Bilsky singles out student attendance as the main cause of the decline and is focusing on ways to reverse the trend. Penn experimented with an evening game this past season and will likely play another next season in hopes of attracting late-rising students to games. Also, concert promotions and scheduling games against local rivals such as Villanova and Delaware are under consideration. But Bilsky believes the key to boosting the attendance numbers is raising the caliber of Quakers football. "We went from a team that was undefeated to a good team but not undefeated and not an Ivy champion, and we've seen our attendance suffer," Bilsky said.
(01/29/97 10:00am)
Ivy football attendance has dropped one-third since its peak in the 1980s. Is television the cause of the Ivy League's steep decline in football attendance in recent years -- off as much as a third from its pinnacle in the 1980s -- as well as the cure for such decline? That question has become a main topic of conversation among Ivy League officials as they try to reverse the trend of declining football attendance that began in 1984, the year the Supreme Court ended the NCAA's monopoly on televised college football and opened the floodgates to the glut of games now clogging the airwaves. While other hypotheses have been offered to explain the attendance drop -- everything from the boom in youth sports (which presumably keeps alumni parents too busy to attend weekend football games) to increased student apathy -- the negative impact of the Supreme Court ruling is paramount in the minds of most league officials. As David Roach, Brown's athletic director, asked rhetorically, "If Penn is playing a school in the Ivy League on October 5 and you live in Philadelphia, are you going to the Penn game or are you going to stay home and watch Notre Dame-Michigan?" The numbers appear to justify this view. Until 1984, Ivy League football attendance was on the rise, increasing more than 25 percent from the beginning of that decade to an average of more than 15,000 fans per game in 1984. But after that pivotal year, attendance began a steady decline, bottoming out at roughly 10,000 per game -- the level the league has been at for the last five years despite the presence of such future NFL players as Jay Fielder (Dartmouth), Keith Elias (Princeton) and Miles Macik (Penn). "One of the reasons for the decline," Chuck Yrigoyen, associate director of the Ivy League, said bluntly, "was that [Ivy football] was perceived to be an inferior product, especially when TV is flooded with college football games." The league's reputation was tarnished, Yrigoyen added, when the Ivy League moved from Division I to Division I-AA in 1982 -- just two years before the fateful Supreme Court decision. The decline has been a source of concern among Ivy athletic directors. "First and foremost, you want to have many people in the stands so the players feel some support," said Richard Jaeger, Dartmouth's athletic director. "Secondly, it's a matter of revenue -- ticket sales earn money that goes to support the team. I don't think that in the Ivy League there's a single football team that makes enough from the sale of football tickets to support the running of the football team." Ivy League schools have attempted to boost attendance in different ways. Yale adopted a free student admission policy three years ago and has conducted numerous community outreach programs. This season, Penn scheduled a night game (to entice students who feel that 1:30 p.m. is early morning), complete with a laser light show. And Brown recently hired a marketing firm to promote all of its athletic programs. But some feel that the best solution is for the league to fight the flood of televised college football games by joining the fray. "The Ivy League needs to do a better job in promoting and marketing the league," Roach said. "One of the things we need to have is a T.V. package. By having a T.V. package and game of the week, what it does for the public is to give us more credibility." While a television package would likely necessitate corporate sponsorship, Ivy presidents have already indicated to league officials that they believe corporate sponsorship can be accomplished without undue commercialization. In fact, the major concern about a television package has not been commercialization, but rather that it may decrease game attendance even further. "There's always the question that, if the game is at your place, will people who could go to the game just stay at home?" said Jeff Orleans, executive director of the Ivy League. But the feeling among league officials, Orleans added, is that this potential negative is outweighed by the benefits of the increased exposure a television package provides, especially in building the Ivy League's fan base. Orleans is hopeful that a suitable package will be approved by the Ivy presidents in June and will be in place by 1998. However, other league officials feel that a television package will be successful -- and attendance will increase -- only if the caliber of play is improved. "Before you talk about cable deals," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said, "you have to look at the product." What is needed, Bilsky added, is a "commitment from the very top, which in this case means the presidents, [to make] Ivy football better than it is today, because right now there is no television package." However, Bilsky voiced skepticism about the league's commitment to improving the level of play. "I think sometimes things are encouraging," Bilsky said. "But then I go to every game, and I look in the stands and see very sparse crowds, and I don't see anyone jumping up and down and saying this is not right. "I think we're in flux. I think the next five years or so will probably determine whether the Ivies continue to drift in football or take some tangible action to improve itself."
(01/22/97 10:00am)
Maryland forward Keith Booth (26 points) and a stifling full-court press lead the Terps to a 30-point victory. BALTIMORE, Md. -- Baltimore is where they shoot the TV show Homicide -- and for good reason, as there was another killing last night. Maryland, ranked No. 7 in the latest Associated Press poll, routed Penn, 103-73, at a raucous, sold-out Baltimore Arena. The Quakers held tough for much of the first half, but the Terrapins, fresh off a win against then-No. 2 Wake Forest pulled away at the end of the first half and continued their surge in the second. Leading the way for Maryland were forwards Keith Booth (26 points, 12 rebounds) and Rodney Elliot (22 points). "We stepped up our competition, and we will get better from it," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I can't say that I am pleased with losing by 30 to an outstanding basketball team, but I'm pleased that we are learning from it." Penn (5-7) has been learning for much of the season as it has been playing the part of the Washington Generals to various Harlem Globetrotter-esque opponents. Maryland (16-2) was the third top-10 opponent for the Quakers, an unbelievably tough set of foes for a green Ivy League team. But Dunphy rejected the notion that playing such a challenging schedule was detrimental to his team's development. "I'm grateful for the schedule we have and the opportunities we have," Dunphy said. "That's what life is about." Bright spots for the Quakers included the play of Jed Ryan (17 points) and the efforts of Penn's two highly-touted guards, Michael Jordan and Matt Langel, who both chipped in for 11 points. In fact, the entire team shot well, 51.9 percent from the field, 38. 1 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 90 percent from the charity stripe. But turnovers, 31 in all, killed the Quakers, and enabled Maryland to open up a big lead. "We turned the ball over five or six times straight and with this much firepower going against you, you just can't do that," Dunphy said. "You have got to play better." In the first half, Maryland jumped out to an early 10-0 lead before sophomore forward Paul Romanczuk went up strong for a lay-up to put the Quakers on the board. After that, Penn seemed to settle into its game, going on a mini 8-4 run, capped off by a Matt Langel three-pointer. The Terrapins lead was cut to 14-10 and the contest remained competitive for much of the half. A long jump shot by Penn freshman center Geoff Owens made the score 33-27 with six minutes, four seconds left in the opening half. But then Maryland -- largely on the efforts of Booth (16 first half points) and Elliot (12 first half points) -- pulled away. By the time the first half was over, Maryland's lead was 47-34. "Penn does a lot of things with their offense -- that made it tough for us," Terrapins coach Gary Williams said. "Tonight, it was important to stop their perimeter game. Their offense has a lot of movement." He added, "They played a lot of good teams early. They haven't ducked anybody. That's going to make them a good team come February."
(11/25/96 10:00am)
Hankinson was found shot in his car. His father daid that he suffered from depression after his basketball career ended. All-time Penn basketball great Phil Hankinson apparently committed suicide last week. The 45-year-old Hankinson was found shot to death in his car last Tuesday in Kentucky, Shelby County (Ky.) coroner Tommy Sampson told The Associated Press. A 1973 graduate, Hankinson ranks as Penn's 15th all-time leading scorer. Playing from 1970 to 1973 for the Quakers, he was an integral part of three Ivy League championship teams that qualified for the NCAAs. In addition, he was the co-captain and MVP of the 1972-1973 team. In that year, the 6-foot-8 Hankinson led the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game. Perhaps his greatest highlight at Penn was scoring 22 points against Villanova in leading the Quakers to a 78-67 win over the Wildcats in the NCAA East Regional semifinal. For his efforts, Hankinson was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1980. After his stay at Penn, he was the Boston Celtics' No. 2 draft pick and received limited playing time before a knee injury effectively ended his basketball career early in his second pro season. "From the time he was in high school, he dreamed of being in the NBA," his father, Rube Hankinson told The State Journal of Frankfort, Ky. "He was an excellent player. When he hurt that knee, it never did pan out. By the time he recovered, the ABA and the NBA had merged. There was no place for him." According to his father, Hankinson suffered through depression after his injury and worked as an assistant coach in New York and a security guard in Las Vegas. Teammates at Penn remember Hankinson as a great player with a warm personality. "[He left] a wonderful legacy," said Bob Bigelow, a teammate of Hankinson during the 1972-73 season. "He is one of the great players in that era of the golden age of Penn basketball. It's very tough to see old teammates passing away. It was quite hard to hear about it." Current Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky, who graduated from Penn in 1971, was a teammate of Hankinson for one year. He remembers the former Penn standout as a "sweet guy." "People are going to think of Phil with a smile on his face," Bilsky added. "It's a tragic situation." Sampson said that investigators discovered a semi-automatic handgun in the car with Hankinson -- found in the emergency lane of Interstate 64 -- but no alcohol or drugs were found. Sampson added that an early autopsy shows that a single shot to the right temple killed Hankinson.
(11/18/96 10:00am)
Brian Russell went 10-16 in his first varsity game. The Penn partisans thinking that the quarterback situation was settled for next year with junior Tom MacLeod replacing senior Steve Teodecki in midseason are mistaken. In fact, freshman Brian Russell's performance in Saturday's game may have vaulted Russell into the early lead in next year's quarterback derby. He was first inserted after MacLeod was crushed by a monster sack from Harvard's Tim Fleizer. Two plays later, Russell -- on his first pass in his collegiate career -- hit senior wide receiver Aman Abye on a third-and-four bootleg to senior wide receiver Aman Abye, who darted into the endzone. The 13-yard touchdown pass gave the Quakers the early 7-0 advantage, a lead the Quakers would not relinquish. "I didn't throw the best ball," Russell admitted after the game, "but he caught it anyway, and got in the end zone." Penn coach Al Bagnoli put MacLeod back into the game, and, overall, the junior did not throw the ball poorly. MacLeod, in limited action went 7-for-12 for 63 yards. But MacLeod was relieved of his duties when, after throwing an interception, he tried to tackle Crimson linebacker Joe Weidle, who caught his errant pass. It was gutsy, but also costly for Macleod as he sprained his shoulder and had to sit the rest of the game. So now, in front of one of the largest crowds for Penn this season -- 21, 509 due to Parents' Weekend -- a freshman from West Covina, Cal., would be responsible for guiding the Quakers to victory in the seniors' last home game at Franklin Field. "The coaches did a great job in getting me ready, but I was real nervous in the beginning," Russell said. "I knew how much [the game] meant." But despite his inexperience and nerves, Russell showed veteran poise throughout the game. For instance, he continued a second-quarter drive by scrambling for eight yards for a first down in a third-and-two situation. Overall, Russell went 10-for-16 for 112 yards and a touchdown. On the downside, he made two interceptions. But his efforts were good enough to earn him Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. "He did a nice job," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "Brian is accurate, he is athletic and he came in and showed a lot of poise. We put him under duress and I thought he handled himself quite well." Russell was promoted to the No. 2 quarterback before the Brown contest in a somewhat surprising move by Bagnoli as he dropped senior Steve Teodecki to the No. 3 spot, and gave the freshmen the backup's role. When asked about the quarterback situation next year, the freshman showed he already mastered the art of diplomacy. "We have five really good quarterbacks. I think it's going to be a war come spring," Russell said. "I hope it's me, but it's going to be a battle."
(11/12/96 10:00am)
The former Harvard starThe former Harvard starreoplaces popular NedThe former Harvard starreoplaces popular NedEdwards at the helm. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Last week, the Penn men's squash team, forever chasing Ivy League power Harvard in the standings, nabbed 1990 Crimson graduate James Masland as its new head coach. The 29-year-old Masland replaces the popular Ned Edwards, who abruptly resigned last September after six years as the Quakers men's squash coach. "I think I bring some enthusiasm and knowledge of the game to the team," Masland said. "I also hope I bring a certain level of determination and concentration on how they play squash and how they think about the game." Although young by coaching standards, Masland brings much experience to the Quakers. After serving as Harvard's co-captain his senior season, he played professionally for two years, regularly achieving a top-30 ranking in the WPSA. In addition, Masland captured the 1992 United States Open teaching pro hardball championship. Moreover, Masland had held a number of interesting positions related to squash. He has served as head instructor, promoter and director at a squash summer camp the past 10 summers. He was also an assistant squash coach at the Berwyn Squash and Fitness Club. And he even taught an accredited course in advanced international squash at Penn State. "My first impression of him was that he was kind of young," Penn co-captain Rajiv Mehta said. "But he looks like he really fits in with the team and is personable and that one can interact with him -- not just on the court, but off the court as well." The Quakers had one of their best performances in years last season. But Edwards, tired of squash after a life dominated by the sport, resigned unexpectedly, leaving the athletic department scrambling to find a replacement. After a series of interviews, Masland was hired -- and now he faces the daunting task of following the beloved Edwards. "I know Ned personally. He's a wonderful guy," Masland said. "Of course it's going to be difficult. It's going to be a challenge." Not one to shy away from difficult tasks, Masland voiced optimism that one day he will lead Penn past his alma mater. Last season, Harvard crushed Penn in the semifinals of the Potter Trophy tournament, 9-0, en route to a national championship. "I don't think it will be as decisive the next time we play," Masland said. "I'm optimistic about the future, so of course we can get past them."
(10/23/96 9:00am)
Penn coach Al Bagnoli admitted as much after last weekend's game, a 28-24 loss to Lehigh, a game in which the Quakers blew a 14-0 first-quarter lead. "To a large degree, we have people that are spoiled here, and these are some tough times that we're going through," Bagnoli said. "There's no reason to think that we're not going to be able to overcome it. But we're going to have to do some intelligent things. We're going to have to look at it, and really take a realistic look at how kids are playing and why they're making mistakes and what we're telling them and make sure it makes sense." In the Ancient Eight, though, not being very good does not mean you won't win the league title. This year, parity has reached the point that each Ivy game is essentially a coin toss -- decided on one play, one bounce, one call. The Quakers lost their first two coin flips -- first to Dartmouth, 24-22, then to Columbia, 20-19, in overtime -- all but elimining from the title hunt. Therefore, it's time to look to the future, and the future is represented by junior Tom MacLeod. The truth of the matter is, neither Penn quarterback -- senior Steve Teodecki nor MacLeod -- has performed well this season. Teodecki has completed just 42 percent of his passes, MacLeod just 43 percent. It is unfair to conclude from this admittedly limited sample that either Teodecki or MacLeod cannot be an effective quarterback in this league. Teodecki has shown leadership in his four years at Penn and is well respected among his teammates. MacLeod, although erratic, has shown poise at times -- specifically against Columbia, in the junior's finest performance. MacLeod went 13-for-26 overall for 123 yards against the Lions and led the team down the field in the final two minutes of the first half, which resulted in a field goal. In terms of arm strength, MacLeod is probably a bit better; in terms of mobility, Teodecki has the slight edge. In terms of sideburns, MacLeod's are longer. But basically, talent-wise, it's a draw. So Bagnoli faces three choices: (1) stick with Teodecki, out of loyalty or out of experience, and start with an inexperienced quarterback again next year, (2) play both QBs, allowing neither to establish a rhythm and not letting MacLeod get the proper experience for next year, and (3) play MacLeod, let him get the necessary reps and get familiar with Bagnoli's passing system. To put it concisely, at this point, MacLeod has proven himself just as effective -- or ineffective -- as Teodecki, so Penn might as well play the younger guy. This is especially so since the Quakers are all but out of championship contention. It seems like Bagnoli, being the smart guy that he is, has already made this decision. MacLeod played nearly the entire second half in a close game against Lehigh last Saturday. It is definitely not an easy decision to play MacLeod --ETeodecki has worked for the team for four years, waiting patiently for his break -- but it's the right one.
(10/11/96 9:00am)
Struck by injuries on defense, Lions make move toStruck by injuries on defense, Lions make move toclear roster spot for free-agent DL Shane Dronett Former Penn All-American wide receiver Miles Macik was fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL when he received some upsetting news -- he was being demoted to the Detroit Lions practice squad. According to the Lions, Macik was cut from the active roster on Wednesday and designated to the taxi squad yesterday. The move was made in order to make room for defensive lineman Shane Dronett, who was picked up by Detroit to fortify a defense that has been recently been hit by a rash of injuries. "At first I was really upset," said Macik, a 1996 Penn graduate who set the all-time Ivy League record for career receptions with 200. "But the more I look at it, I realize there's nothing I can do." Macik is hoping to be put back on the 53-man active roster when Detroit's injured defensive players heal. For now, Macik will still practice with the Lions, but can be picked up by another team while he is on the practice squad. "My role hasn't changed at all," Macik said. "I do exactly the same things. I still take reps with first team. I'm still backing up Herman Moore. I caught balls with [Detroit quarterback] Scott Mitchell today." The two injured players that Macik is waiting on to get healthy are defensive lineman Luther Ellis and Tracy Scoggins. "When both are healthy, it is very likely that they will do something with the roster," Macik said. The former Penn star originally signed with Detroit as a free agent after not be selected in last spring's seven-round NFL draft. By leading the team in the preseason with nine receptions for 120 yards, Macik defied the odds and made the team as an undrafted rookie, grabbing one of Lions' last roster spots. On a team with one of the NFL's deepest receiving corps, stuck behind the likes of Herman Moore, Brett Perriman and Johnnie Morton, Macik has yet to receive any playing time through Detroit's first six games. Macik feels that the decision was not a reflection of his play, but rather part of the realities of playing in the NFL. "It didn't happen because I played poor or they thought less of me," Macik said. "It's a business."
(09/18/96 9:00am)
Welcome to the 1996 debut edition of Ivy Roundup -- the one (and sometimes only) place where Penn always comes out on top. For those kids out there who do not know who we are, here's a primer: We here at Roundup find out the zany, wacky and just plain nutty happenings around the Ancient Eight and report all that good stuff to our faithful readers -- yes, all three of you. If we're in a particular creative mood, we set it to a theme. Today's theme is just something that's on the mind of one particular Roundup staff member, for no particular reason. Reading Comprehension of the Week For this section, one can either obtain a copy of the September 15 edition of The New Haven Register that chronicles the decline of Yale athletics in a three-part series or just guess at the answers. 1. The major criticism that can made about the series is? A) To say that "neglect" has led the Yale athletic program, to "ruin" is an exaggeration. B) To title the series "Yale athletics: Mastery to mediocrity" is sensationalistic. C) Yale football coach Carm Cozza was mistakingly called a Wharton junior (sorry, I was thinking about another newspaper). D) It should have been a 27-part series. 2. Register columnist Dave Soloman describes Yale in all the following ways EXCEPT A) mediocre B) stupid C) as a place that "surrendered control of its athletic destiny to the self-serving impulses of the Ivy League presidents in 1980" D) smelly Logical Reasoning of the Week At about 4:45 on Monday, September 16, a member of the crack staff at Roundup requested an interview with Dartmouth running back Greg Smith, who is the son of former NFL Hall of Famer Jackie Smith. But much to our chagrin, we were told, in the harsh words of a Dartmouth sports information flunkie, that he was a "problem." We were then redirected to more amiable Mark Abel. From this scenario, one can infer that Smith's problem was? A) that he's moody. B) that he's mute. C) that he's a mathematical question. D) that he does not realize that his father was the good football player. Pete Carril, who spent 29 years coaching Princeton basketball (and who bares an amazing resemblance to Yoda), retired from the Tigers staff this past year. Subsequently, he was hired by the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach. Since the Curmidgeon is best known for running an offense that encourages his players only to shoot after the defense (and fans, referees, vendors, etc., etc.) fall asleep, Kings All-Star guard Mitch Richmond will lead the team with 2.7 points a game this season. Which of the following will weaken the assumption that this conclusion is based upon? A) Carril will be kidnapped by a Jedi warship. B) The Force will be with the Kings. C) Carril will change his coaching philosophy. D) Carril's coaching role will be limited. Logic Games of the Week In Ivy League football, the eight schools finish in reverse order of their rankings in U.S. News and World Report. However, no matter how low Cornell sinks academically, the Big Red will never win the Ivy League championship because of their innate ability to suck. The team that will win the Ivy League championship is? A) SUNY-Binghampton B) Cornell College (in Iowa) C) Ithaca College D) Not Penn State Six for six? Did you discover Roundup's not-so-cryptic pattern to the answers? Well, that's a 180 -- enough to get you into Yale. Of course, who would ever want to go to Yale (except for a certain Roundup writer).
(09/11/96 9:00am)
Heather Tillet's success replacing Heather Glick is key In Feeney's system, the setter runs the offense as a quarterback does in football: she calls and directs the plays, and, when things are clicking, the setter is in firm control of the action on the floor. No one ran the Penn attack better than Glick, who is now playing professionally in France. In her four years as a Quaker, Glick racked up 3,584 assists. So good was Glick that, according to Feeney, she was worth three or four points each game. Feeney knew that one day she wouldn't be able to rely on her ace, so she has been preparing for this day. Tillet got plenty of reps in practice even with Glick ahead of her on the depth chart, and the elder Heather worked with the younger Heather in the spring to fine tune her technique. Of course that is all fine and good, but it does not substitute for live game action. "The biggest question mark is how long it will take her to feel comfortable, and that's just going to come through match play," Feeney said. In an ideal world, Tillet would have received a lot of court time last year in preparation, but for a variety of reasons that did not happen. Tillet played in just five games, although she performed well (58 assists and 17 digs) in her limited action. Initially, Feeney wanted Glick to break Penn's all-time assist record. Glick needed 931 more assists at the beginning of her senior year to break the mark. While that was a good bet going into the campaign (she recorded 988 the year before), it was in no way a sure thing. But the real reason for Tillet's lack of floor time, Feeney concedes, is that the Quakers "played so inconsistently," they needed Heather Glick on the court. Glick won't be there anymore, and Feeney has been been busy getting Tillet up to par. Right now, the coach says, Tillet is going through "growing pains" and has technical adjustments to make. In the early going, Feeney admits, "we may take our lumps." One might suspect the biggest challenge for Tillet may not be the technical adjustments, but rather the pressure of being a focal point of the team after being merely a footnote the past two years. And the fact that she's coming after one of the top player in Pennsylvania volleyball history cannot make things any easier. Tillet, however, rejects this premise. "I don't know if I call it pressure," Tillet said. "Glick was a great mentor for me and helped me a lot. I feel confident in myself." Tillet shows this confidence on the court by taking control verbally during games. Feeney believes she is an even better communicator than Glick was on the court. And at 5-foot-6, Tillet is also a bit taller than Glick, which is usually an advantage in volleyball. But comparing Tillet to Glick is not really fair. Glick was the focal point of the team her four years, while Tillet is just one of many lights. Tillet is not expected to carry the team like Glick was, and other players will have to elevate their games if Penn is going to compete for the Ivy title. And maybe the lack of a superstar will actually help the Quakers as they can no longer rely on one player to carry them through their struggles. After all, for all of Glick's accolades, Penn did not win an Ivy title in her tenure. One thing is certain -- Tillet is anxious to make her mark. "I feel like I've had two years to sit back and observe?" Tillet said. "I'm ready to step up."
(09/06/96 9:00am)
After six year, he cites need to move on Citing a need to do something else in his life, Ned Edwards -- the head coach of the men's squash team and the director of the squash program at Penn for the last six years -- resigned, effective Sept. 5, 1996. "I've been in squash for so long, I knew at some point I had to make a shift," Edwards said. "And now seemed like the time to do it." A 1981 graduate of Penn, Edwards was the No. 2 ranked squash player in North America for five years. He also won the North American Open title in 1987 and the 1979 intercollegiate championship. Edwards is currently part of the No. 2 ranked doubles team in North America and was selected to coach the U.S. junior men's team at the World Championships this past summer. What made the move all the more surprising was that Penn had one of its best seasons in recent history last year -- ending up as the No. 4 ranked team in the country. "He was an excellent coach," Quakers sophomore squash player Bryan Abrano said. "The move was sudden? but I'm confident that [athletic director Steve Bilsky] can find a new coach." When discussing his accomplishments at Penn, Edwards voiced regret that he did not have stronger recruiting classes. "I think probably I would liked to have recruited more new talent each year, giving our guys a chance to compete for the national championship," he said. After a life dominated by squash, Edwards plans to go into business in New York -- "something outside of sports," Edwards said. Bilsky could not be reached for comment.
(09/04/96 9:00am)
When Napoleon was asked what troops he considered the best, he replied, "Those which are victorious." "...They're stretching [the rules] as if they're plastic," Steve Tosches, coach of the arch-rival Princeton Tigers and head of the unofficial 'smear Penn with innuendo' committee, told Sports Illustrated last year. "When does the plastic break?" But for anyone who actually watched that Penn class compile its 26 victories knows it was not due to overwhelming talent. Indeed, many of the games were of the nail-biting variety -- seven of the games during the streak were decided by four points or less. Like plastic, you could bend the Quakers, but they did not break. But that magic touch waned midway through last year. First, Columbia made the Quakers wobbly with a 24-14 victory, snapping Penn's 24-game winning streak. And then Princeton delivered the wallop -- 22-9, on Penn's homecoming day, no less. The Quakers tied Cornell for second place in the league. The Tigers, suddenly mum about the compatibility between victories and academics, took the top prize. The plastic for the Quakers indeed broke. And to add to Bagnoli's challenge this year is the fact that he can no longer rely on his two aces -- his All-American wide receiver Miles Macik, whose hands are as sure as his smile, and his gifted if erratic quarterback, Mark DeRosa, who would have been perhaps the greatest of Penn's throwers, save for his habit of passing the ball to the other team. The eternally optimistic Macik overcame the odds and made the Detroit Lions opening day roster despite not being drafted. It did not take long for Lions coach Wayne Fontes to notice the abilities of Macik, as well as the alliteration of his name. "Miles Macik -- what a great name for a player, a movie star maybe, " Fontes told The Detroit Free Press. Coaching football, fortunately for Wayne, is not rocket science. DeRosa, on the other hand, who doubled at Penn as a shortstop on the baseball team, gave up his remaining football eligibility after signing with the Atlanta Braves, who drafted hin in the seventh round. The Braves sent him to Class A ball in Oregon, where the curves are tougher than in Wharton classes; he batted a respectable .242. But on the bright side for Bagnoli, he fields a trio of talented runners -- the speedy Jasen Scott, the rough-and-tumble Aman Abye and the green but ready Jason McGee. Penn will replace DeRosa with the forever-in-waiting Steve Teodecki, who will get to prove he is more than just a backup, or not. But the fact that Bagnoli never deigned to replace DeRosa with Teodecki, despite DeRosa's struggles last year, gives the Penn partisan some pause. The defense loses some too, especially in their secondary. Gone are all-Ivy selections Tom McGarrity, Kevin Allen, Nick Morris and Dana Lyons. But Mitch Marrow, arguably Ivy League football's best athlete, along with the wrestler-cum-gridder Joey Allen and co-captain Tim Gage, leads a still-strong defensive front seven. But the most important returnee is Bagnoli himself, who took over a 2-8 team four years ago and has won 33 out of 39 as the Quakers' commander-in-chief. A record like that breeds optimism in any season. And this year, Bagnoli will get to prove that he's a great general, and not merely a cheerleader for some very winning troops.
(08/30/96 9:00am)
Allen signs with Indiana Jerome Allen, a 1995 Penn graduate, signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers on August 17. Although the Pacers would not disclose the terms, Allen's agent, Arn Tellum said it was a one-year guaranteed deal. This will be the second pro team for the two-time Ivy League Player of the Year. Allen spent his rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who selected him in the second round of the 1995 NBA draft. In 41 games with Minnesota, Allen averaged 2.6 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. Allen's playing time dwindled significantly after Flip Saunders was fired and replaced by Bill Blair as coach of the T-Wolves mid-season. After an unproductive year with Minnesota, Allen became a free agent on July 1, since he had signed only a one-year deal with the Timberwolves. He attended free agent camps with the New Jersey Nets and Atlanta Hawks before signing with the Pacers. Allen came to the Quakers in 1991and helped lead Penn to three straight NCAA appearances. He ended his career as the Quakers' all-time assists and steals leader and second all-time in three-pointers made. Allen might be best remembered for the leaner he hit with 4.4 seconds left against Michigan, giving Penn a 62-60 victory on ESPN, arguably the greatest upset in recent Quakers history. Known for his cross-over dribble and his tenacious defense, the biggest weakness in Allen's game is his jump shot -- which probably dropped him to the second-round in the 1995 NBA draft. -- Michael Hasday
(08/30/96 9:00am)
Macik led DetroitMacik led Detroitreceivers with nineMacik led Detroitreceivers with ninepreseason receptions When Miles Macik approached his locker and saw that it had been cleaned out, the former Penn All-American wide receiver thought that he had been cut by the Detroit Lions, perhaps ending his dream of playing in the NFL. But a quick glance to the row of veterans' lockers produced a mood swing in the usually staid wide receiver. Macik's equipment was right there along side Barry Sanders's and Herman Moore's. Miles Macik had achieved a life-long goal -- playing professional football. "It's something I dreamt of for a long time, but I didn't expect it," Macik said. "I just kept working on getting better." In the confines of the Ivy League, the 6-foot-4, 200 pound Macik towered over Ivy corners, catching a league record 200 passes in his three years on the Quakers varsity football team. But perhaps because of his lack of speed, Macik was not selected in the seven-round NFL draft, and he was forced to go the the free-agent route. But it only took a few days for Detroit to sign him. This signing was especially sweet for Macik, who lives only a few minutes from the Pontiac Silverdome. That allowed Macik to work out with Detroit quarterback Scott Mitchell two weeks before training camp began, getting an extra jump on the other rookie hopefuls. The pre-preseason work paid off for Macik, who quickly raised eyebrows among the Lions coaches with his glue-like hands and his above-average size. "Miles Macik -- what a great name for a player," Detroit coach Wayne Fontes told the Detroit News on July 25. "A movie star, maybe. I'm impressed with the way he's catching the ball. He's definitely caught my eye." Although most of Macik's action was with Detroit's second team, his performances impressed the coaching staff enough to garner some action with the Lions top squad. The fact that there were holdouts and injuries in Detroit's receiving corps no doubt helped the coaches make that decision. Macik ended up leading the team in the preseason with nine receptions for 120 yards. Perhaps the highlight of the preseason for Macik -- and maybe the Lions -- was his grab of a Hail Mary from Lions quarterback Johnny Johnson with no time remaining in a game against the Saints. The touchdown brought Detroit within a point of New Orleans, but the Lions missed a two-point conversion and lost the game. "Things couldn't have gone better," Macik said. "I played well enough to take the pressure off myself and put it on the administrators who were making the decision." Macik feels that the Lions, even though they have perhaps the deepest receiving corps in the NFL, with Moore, Brett Perriman, Johnny Morton, Aubrey Matthews and Glyn Milburn, gave him one of their last roster spots because they were afraid another team would pick him up. The Lions kept seven wide receivers, and Macik, as a rookie, is realistic about his playing time. He expects to see occasional action on special teams, but he will primarily serve as Moore's backup on the right side. Moore, a five-year veteran out of Virginia -- which Moore dubbed the "Ivy League of the South" -- quickly bonded with Macik. However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Macik, who received his fair share of monster tackles in the preseason. "I didn't get tackled like that in college," Macik recalled. "The tackles [in college] didn't hurt me." Welcome to the NFL.
(06/30/96 9:00am)
Tigers guard listsTigers guard listsPenn as one of 30Tigers guard listsPenn as one of 30possible new schools Scarsdale, NY Freshman Brian Earl, Princeton's starting point guard this past year, is considering transferring from Princeton -- and has not ruled out coming to arch-rival Penn. Earl, who was the Tigers' second-leading leading scorer last year at 9.2 points per game, cited a "the lack of freedom" in the famous Princeton famous slow-it-down offense as a primary source of his dissatisfaction. He added that the move was in no way due to the Tigers players or coaching staff. Although The Philadelphia Daily News announced in a headline that "Princeton's Earl might join enemy," the 6-foot-2, 165-pound freshman downplayed the possibility of joining the Quakers, saying that Penn was just one of roughly 30 schools he was considering. Earl said that he was not looking at Penn "more than other school." "I wouldn't say they are on the top of my list," he added. Earl cited two factors that were not in the Quakers' favor -- the heat he would take for joining Princeton's biggest rival and his friendship with incoming Penn recruit Matt Langel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Moorestown, N.J. Earl explained that he does not want to be in a situation where he is competing for playing time in the Quakers backcourt with Langel. Working in the Quakers' favor is Penn's close proximity to Earl's home in Medford Lakes, N.J., which is about a half-hour drive from University City. Earl added that Penn is the only Ivy League school that is on his list. Princeton coach Bill Carmody -- who replaced legendary coach Pete Carril following the Tigers' NCAA tournament run -- said that he granted Earl permission to talk to other Ivy League schools, which is required by NCAA rules. But he did not want to further comment on the situation. However, Carmody hinted that he may open the Tigers offense up a bit, which may induce Earl to stay. "I'm different from Coach Carril," Carmody said. "I believe a lot of Coach Carril's philosophy, but also that you look at the players, what their strengths are and basically go from there." Regardless of whether Earl comes to Penn or not, if Earl transfers it will be a blow to the Tigers chances of repeating as Ivy champions. Princeton returns the core of last year's team that defeated defending national champion UCLA in the NCAA tournament last year. Although Earl lost his starting spot in the rotation to Mitch Henderson after struggling in the middle of the season, Earl was one of the top rookies in the Ivy League last year and was expected to play a big part in any future Tigers successes. Earl says that his decision to transfer "depends on the interest" he gets from other schools. "If I feel its the right place for me, if I feel its better, I'll go," Earl said. Penn coach Fran Dunphy, who unsuccessfully tried to recruit Earl out of high school, said that he received a fax Tuesday afternoon indicating that Earl was a recruitable athlete. But Dunphy was precluded by NCAA rules to further comment. If Earl does transfer to Penn or anywhere else, he will have to sit out a year in compliance with NCAA rules.
(05/17/96 9:00am)
Walker's three-year record was 27-51 Al Walker, Cornell's men's basketball coach since 1993, has stepped down from that position after three trying years as the Big Red's leader. The move was made April 29. "Based on conversations with Coach Walker over the past few weeks, we decided that it's time for a change in the men's basketball program," Cornell Athletic Director Charles Moore said in a statement. During Walker's tenure, Cornell went 27-51 overall and 12-30 in the Ivy League. "It's been a difficult personal year," Walker said in a statement. "Right now, I need to step away from Ithaca and put basketball in perspective. Our team is maturing, talented and moving in the right direction." Diane Murphy, the Big Red's Associate Athletic Director, will be heading the "national" search for a new coach. "Were looking for the person who is the right fit," Murphy said. "That includes a person who has a great deal of integrity, is a teacher, role-model, has outstanding coaching credentials, great communicator, obviously an excellent recruiter, and committed to the student-athlete concept."
(04/22/96 9:00am)
Penn receiverPenn receiverlooking to signPenn receiverlooking to signas a free agent Senior Miles Macik, the All-American wide receiver who helped lead the Quakers to a 26-3 mark and two Ivy championships in his three years of varsity football at Penn, was not drafted in this weekend's seven-round National Football League entry draft. "I wasn't sure what was going to happen," Macik said. "I was hoping to be a late-round draft choice." Macik still hopes to sign with an NFL team as a free-agent, and that agent -- John Macik, his cousin -- was talking to several NFL teams yesterday. Macik added that he probably will find out in the next day which NFL teams, if any, are interested in him. What might have hurt Macik was the draft's depth at the wide receiver position, which was generally thought to be the strongest position in this year's collegiate crop. Of the 254 players selected over the weekend, 33 were receivers, including five first-rounders and six second-rounders. Macik, however, discounted speculation that the depth at his position hurt his stock. "It's hard to say," Macik said. "Just because it was a strong year for wide receivers doesn't mean that it would necessary hurt me, that I'm not going to get a chance." Macik tried out with 10 NFL teams -- Carolina, Detroit, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Minnesota, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and the New York Giants -- before the draft and said he thought the workouts went "pretty well". "I'm in the best shape of my life," said Macik, who added that he weighs nearly 215 pounds -- 15 more than he was listed at during his senior year -- and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds. Macik, a 6-foot-4 receiver known for his glue-like hands, set an Ivy League record with 200 catches in his three years of varsity football. A three-time first-team all-Ivy selection, Macik is also second in Penn history in receiving yards with 2,365 -- just 54 yards short of Don Clune's mark of 2,419 yards, set from 1971 to 1973. For now, Macik is in a waiting game that could work out in his favor. If more than one team requests his services, Macik would have some leverage in terms of salary. If he was drafted, he could only negotiate with that team. Macik also has the benefit of signing with a team where he felt he could receive the most playing time. If he had been drafted by a team with a deep receiving corps, Macik may have been cut or relegated to practice squad duty. Macik recognized that not getting drafted may turn out for best. "I'm pretty positive about the whole thing," Macik said. "I'm just waiting to get my shot."
(04/19/96 9:00am)
Freshman Brian Earl, Princeton's starting point guard this past year, is considering transferring from Princeton -- and has not ruled out coming to arch-rival Penn. Earl, who was the Tigers' second-leading leading scorer last year at 9.2 points per game, cited a "the lack of freedom" in the famous Princeton famous slow-it-down offense as a primary source of his dissatisfaction. He added that the move was in no way due to the Tigers players or coaching staff. Although The Philadelphia Daily News announced in a headline yesterday that "Princeton's Earl might join enemy," the 6-foot-2, 165-pound freshman downplayed the possibility of joining the Quakers, saying that Penn was just one of roughly 30 schools he was considering. Earl said that he was not looking at Penn "more than other school." "I wouldn't say they are on the top of my list," he added. Earl cited two factors that were not in the Quakers' favor -- the heat he would take for joining Princeton's biggest rival and his friendship with incoming Penn recruit Matt Langel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Moorestown, N.J. Earl explained that he does not want to be in a situation where he is competing for playing time in the Quakers backcourt with Langel. Working in the Quakers' favor is Penn's close proximity to Earl's home in Medford Lakes, N.J., which is about a half-hour drive from University City. Earl added that Penn is the only Ivy League school that is on his list. Princeton coach Bill Carmody -- who replaced legendary coach Pete Carril following the Tigers' NCAA tournament run -- said that he granted Earl permission to talk to other Ivy League schools, which is required by NCAA rules. But he did not want to further comment on the situation. However, Carmody hinted that he may open the Tigers offense up a bit, which may induce Earl to stay. "I'm different from Coach Carril," Carmody said. "I believe a lot of Coach Carril's philosophy, but also that you look at the players, what their strengths are and basically go from there." Regardless of whether Earl comes to Penn or not, if Earl transfers it will be a blow to the Tigers chances of repeating as Ivy champions. Princeton returns the core of last year's team that defeated defending national champion UCLA in the NCAA tournament last year. Although Earl lost his starting spot in the rotation to Mitch Henderson after struggling in the middle of the season, Earl was one of the top rookies in the Ivy League last year and was expected to play a big part in any future Tigers successes. Earl says that his decision to transfer "depends on the interest" he gets from other schools. "If I feel its the right place for me, if I feel its better, I'll go," Earl said. Penn coach Fran Dunphy, who unsuccessfully tried to recruit Earl out of high school, said that he received a fax Tuesday afternoon indicating that Earl was a recruitable athlete. But Dunphy was precluded by NCAA rules to further comment. If Earl does transfer to Penn or anywhere else, he will have to sit out a year due to NCAA rules.
