Once more, but this time with feeling: another poem

n SportsMonday Column

ROSE

JIM

For the second time in as many semesters - back by the demands of the editor - a poetic attempt to provide some background on Michigan's sports scene ...

When the fall is no more

And the snow has arrived,

Of football, this campus

Is sadly deprived.

It's a time of transition

For die-hard sports fans,

It begins a new mission:

Get to March's Big Dance.

But while this is a-brewin'

There's much more at stake;

Other sports, they get movin' -

And they're no piece of cake.

When Lou strokes a three

The hoops team wins acclaim;

Between that and Red's hockey,

They hoard all the fame.

Not that they don't earn it,

Not that they're to blame -

But come on, let's admit it:

Every story's the same!

And so this is where

I come in, loyal reader(s?) -

In this space, if you care,

Other sports will be featured.

For example, the wrestlers

Are as good as they've been -

There are four different grapplers

In the country's top 10.

The swim team has stars,

Take a look toward the men:

Malchow and Potts are

Urbanchek's captains.

The women, it's clear,

Are no less than electric,

And with swimmers like Shakespeare,

You might say they're poetic.

Wilmot and Crews

Set tall standards for divers.

But how 'bout Dick Kimball?

40 years! He's a lifer!

The men of gymnastics

Have improved with a blaze,

And it's now realistic

To think NCAAs.

The women, led by Cain

Are more than just able -

Each year, they're competing

For a title in April.

Tennis and track are,

You'd think, more for spring.

But they start indoors - and are

Now in full swing.

This is some of the stuff

That the winter will bring -

So there's more than enough

To keep busy 'til spring.

- Jim Rose is now 0-for-2 in poetic efforts, but will continue to try.

He can be reached via e-mail at jwrose@umich.edu.

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01-25-99