Fan voting unnecessary as century nears end

I've been writing for The Michigan Daily for just over three years, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a century full of excitement! And now you, gentle reader, get a chance to vote for your favorite.

Here are the candidates:

1.) The never-published Holy War Story, in which I argued that, by pulling out of its exhibition basketball game against the Wolverines last year, the Israeli National Team ruined Michigan's two-part Holy War (Michigan's next game was against Athletes in Action, a Christian team). The story was pulled by the editor at the last minute - something about political correctness.

Josh Kleinbaum

2.) Any story that upset women's basketball coach Sue Guevara (see the entire 1997-98 season), who was trying to fill the stands while I was trying to do my job.

3.) Headline: "Women's swimming on verge of collapse."

4.) Story after wrestling coach Dale Bahr announced he was resigning, complete with the quote, "I am not resigning."

5.) This column.

Why, you ask, am I special enough to have my own Story of the Century vote? Simple - I can. That's the approach everyone else is taking in this, the last year of the 20th Century.

Major League Baseball has its team of the century, even though most living fans have seen about 20 percent of the candidates. WDIV is running a whole series of 'Best of the Century' contests on the oh-so-exciting city of Detroit, including Best Decade. How many voters were alive for the oughts, the twentiesand the thirties? (I'm giving my vote to the 60s.)

And most recently, the Michigan Athletic Department is holding a vote for Michigan's football team of the century, even though to most Michigan fans, Oosterbaan is just the name of a fieldhouse between Yost and Crisler.

The Michigan football team has a history as storied as any in the country. The importance of history, and the impact it has on the game, the fans and the traditional is part of what makes sports special. I wholeheartedly endorse honoring that history by naming an all-century team.

But by putting the vote in the hands of that fans, the athletic department is sacrificing the integrity of the team. Fans will vote for players they have seen - not exclusively, but excessively. It's not their fault, it's just difficult to evaluate athletes that you've never seen play.

Instead, historians should determine who is on the team. The best 'century' list put out by anyone, on anything, was a list of the 100 best baseball players of the century compiled by the Society of American Baseball Researchers.

Historians were doing the job that should be reserved for historians. While there were debatable rankings, overall, it made more sense than any other such list.

I've been writing for the Michigan Daily for a little more than three years. But some Michigan football fans have been watching the Wolverines for even less time than that. They should not be the ones determining the team of the century.

- Josh Kleinbaum is anxiously awaiting your votes in his Story of the Century contest. To vote, follow the instructions below. If you just want to chat, you can e-mail him at jkbaum@umich.edu

Apocalypse Now

09-16-99