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4BThe Daily Tar Heel Thursday, AdhI 24, 1986 ome day there would be another BiMaggio' Once upon a time, my folks took to me to see an old wise man speak. 1 say "old" and "wise" because these were the traits most evident to me at the age of eight, or thereabouts. This is one of my oldest memories, treasured tenderly ever since 1 was old enough to realize who the old man was. The sage spoke about the glory of sport and cap tivated my imagination at an age when I should have been outside in the summer sun playing baseball rather than inside a stuffy library listening to someone talk about it. But Walter W. "Red" Smith was just that special. Red and I shared a town in Connec ticut. 1 began typing my first byline there, while Red was chiseling his final columns that now stand as the Par thenon of sports journalism. While 1 agonized over whether to trade away my prize frog for a glorious Tom Seaver baseball card, Red sat in his ' office in a barn across town painting prosaic portraits of Tom Terrific. 1 envy Red. Not only because he is arguably the best ever at what I like to do best, but because he was lucky enough to chronicle what I consider to be the golden age of sport. Red philos ophized and preached about everyone from Joe Louis to Joe Namath, Babe Ruth to Babe Didrikson-Zaharias, legendary fisherman Levi Jackson to Reggie Jackson and Secretariat to name just a few. Perhaps Red's most cherished assign ment though, was the Olympics. He called it the "quadrennial muscle dance" for both athletic and later polit ical reasons. In fact, the Olympics epi tomizes Red's transcendence of the best of times in sport. His first Games were in London in 1948. Red was amused by the drama of the opening ceremonies. He called it "hokum" and . . . . pure Hollywood. But it was good. You had to like it," Red said. By 1980, Red's last Olympics, he was writing about wars, not games, and supporting Tim CroahcFQ Thank You Notes the boycott. "In ancient Greece, wars were suspended when the Olympics rolled around," he wrote. "It says here the Olympics should be suspended when the caissons roll." Red's Olympia typewriter was finally silenced in our town on Jan. 15, 1982. Coincidentally, I had arrived at UNC only five days earlier with his torch firmly in hand. Ironically, the first sports article I ever wrote for The Daily Tar Heel was a behind-the-scenes column on the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. I chose to write about the original spirit of the Olympics. In my column, I told a story about a Moroccan skier who finished last in the downhill and was asked after the event if he was disap pointed. "Heck no, I'm just glad to be here," he said. "That's what the Greeks had in mind." I wrote in tribute. I think Red would have been proud. Between the two of us we haven't missed a "muscle dance" in 36 years. What I admire most about Red is his perspective on sports and sportsw riting. "IVe always tried to remember that sports isn't Armageddon. These are just little games that little boys can play, and it really isn't important to the future of civilization whether the Athletics or the Browns win," Red wrote, in 1973. "If you can accept it as entertainment and write it as entertain ment, then 1 think that's what specta tor sports are meant to be." About his craft, Red was characteris tically understated. "I feel keeping the public informed is a perfectly worth while way to spend your life. I think sports constitute a valid part of our cul ture, our civilization, and keeping the ! I . Siskel and Ebert on UNC athletic seasons t s f f i " , It The sage, Red Smith, sculpting a column in his barn in our town public informed and, if possible, a lit tle entertained about sports is not an entirely useless thing." These views are like gospel to me. No further comment is necessary. In Red's final column, written only days before his death, he mentioned a question he was often asked. "Of all the athletes you have met, which one did you like the best?" Red responded in his distinctly cordial voice in the last line of the column. "Some day there would be another Joe DiMaggio," he said. In my final column, I want to say that there will never be another Red Smith, but don't worry Red, 111 keep our torch afire. P.S. I want to thank the Academy, my dog that died two years ago and those people, you know who you are, who deserve my appreciation. I love all of you. Fraternally, of course. See 'ya, Mom ave yu thought f I need of donating money! plasma? ftfl J ATTENTION MEW DONORS Bring in this coupon and recelva On your first donation (new donors ojily) 109 E. Franklin 942-0251 M,TJh 8:30-7:00 ? W,F 8:30-5:00 No appointment necessary AMERICAN CANCER f SOCIETY" GENE: Hi, I'm Gene Siskel, film critic of the Chicago Sun Times. And across the aisle from me is that rotund, renowned reviewer, Roger Ebert, film critic of the Chicago Tribune. Today, on a special edition of our show, we're going to review three UNC athletic sea sons. So settle back and enjoy as we pick the best and the worst from the Tar Heels on At the Movies. ROGER: Well start with the UNC football season. This year the team went 5-6, including a season-ending loss at home to Duke. Here's a film clip of an early-season, 31-0 loss to Georgia Tech. Kevin Anthony calls timeout, goes and confers with Coach Dick Crum, comes back on the field, fades back to pass and is immediately mauled by four def ensive linemen, ' GENE: What I felt that this film lacked is direction. The part of Kevin Anthony was indistinct. I did enjoy Tommy Barnhardt's punts, which came very frequently, but 1 think it says something about this team that its most valuable player was a punter. ROGER: I agree with you entirely. The defense was noticeably improved since the James brothers left and took with them their technique of fronting the receiver on deep passes. But where was Arnold Franklin anyway? I saw him on the cover of The Daily Tar Heel football tab, and then he just faded away. I think we can both agree on this one ... ROGER AND GENE IN UNISON: Thumbs down! ROGER: Our next season to be reviewed is the UNC basketball team, which started the season 21-0 and was ranked No. 1 for 13 consecutive weeks, but lost in the Final 16 for the second straight year to the defending champion, Louisville. Here's a clip. Brad Dougherty drives the lane and smashes a thunderdunk into a Utah Ute face. Fade to black, and then Billy Thompson and Pervis Ellison hit innu merable jumpers as UNC tries in vain to defend. GENE: Well, in an odd sort of way, I disliked the likeability of this picture. The beginning really got to me, the way they romped over everyone. And then the Marquette game ... ROGER (interrupting): But dont you think the beginning was oversha dowed by the disappointing end, Sco Foivlcr The Far Sideline where the senior class becomes the first one not to make a Final Four? GENE: No, I think that's part of its existential beauty. I believe this season is conveying the message: So what if you have an exemplary program and the best coach in America? All your hopes can still go down in flames of a freshman with braces. But still, since I love to be disagreeable, THUMBS DOWN. ROGER: I thought that several per formances that looked awfully good in the first part of the picture slumped miserably toward the end. And where did Kevin Madden go? This picture was just too uneven for me, like when I try to eat a piece of cheescake while someone is shaking my chair. I also say THUMBS DOWN. GENE: For our third and last film, we always like to pick a French film with subtitles that youVe never heard of so that we can impress you with our intellectual dry wit and ability to pro nounce words like "magnifique? How ever, since we have no French teams at UNC, we thought we'd review a little known club sport called "Jumping on Overcooked Pancakes with your Mid dle Toes And Eating the Remains, Ruminatively." Let's take a look. Film clip shows a couple of old men on Franklin street wearing berets and jumping on a white, gooey mass. They then ease down to pick up a chunk of it and chew. It appears they may be ruminating. ROGER: I went back and saw this picture four times, and each time we came to that scene I began sobbing uncontrollably until I had to be forci bly removed by three ushers. So I never did see the end, but nevertheless I absolutely loved it. GENE: I couldn't agree with you more. I would say these are Oscar winning performances by these two unknown actors. Absolutely magni fiquel And that concludes this week's episode of At the Movies. Tune in next week when well review three UNC coaching performances. Until then, well see you on At the Movies. I V Zi t i V- i lJ I ' - " SENIOR PORTRAITS This Week Only! No Sitting Fee, No Wait! It's your last chance to get your picture in the yearbook. Call 962-3912 or come by the Union J LOOKING IHTO GRADUATE BUSINESS EDUCATION? GEORGIA TECH'S MSN MAXES THE DIFFERENCE r--m ; . Th 1 unaaanonr arairn i not iuat another orattv face. Wc mx'i roip 6fBaiyt41ruuin acallanca in aanaicaant . Wa. foster tlBulating academic nviroaaettt -caphasisin't solving business problems with J analytical methods. At Georgia Tech's College of Management ife take education seriously. We welcome students from all academic backgrounds, as we require only one item from eaeh student: commitment. At time when conventional NBA programs are coming under sharp criticism from business leaders the MSM stands tall. 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Win or lose, we always take time to celebrate after the Let't talk Interested? Send now for information or call our Director of Admissions. Tou might ask us to put you in touch with one of our students; they are, after all, our best salespeople. Georgia Inatitote of Technology 217 College' of Manageaent Atlanta, Ceorgia 30332 (404) 894-2623 dp S MM - Mm How Sweet It Is T le A Tbv HeeS2 Perfect Gift Idea! For the authentic Tar Heel Ean! rv rf pa hkf STATE greensBorOj rue. Official Signatures of Coaches: Dean Smith, Dick Crum, Mike Roberts and athletic director John Swofford. L 1 Name to be placed on certificate (please print): Date to appear on certificate (Birth, Registration, Graduation, or when you became a Tar Heel Fan!): If multiple order, please add information on blank sheet. Name of purchaser: Address: City .State .Zip. MasterCard CheckMoney Order u Account if C3 Certificate only-$ 19.95 Certificate matted-$24.95 Certificate framed (Free ACC T-shirt)-$39.95 Visa .Exp. Date Amex T-SHIRT: Quantity Total Amount Enclosed: .; Color: White Grey Navy; Size: S M L XL Tax Included add $3.00 Shipping and Handling per order. Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery: Mail to: Carolina Graphics, 1507 E. Franklin St., Suite 136, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Striking Carolina Blue Certificate. Great for home or office. Certificate features the individual's name and chosen date rendered in eye-catching Carolina Blue hand calligraphy. Available as certificate only ($19.95), matted on Carolina Blue mat ($24.95), or matted and framed w Glass Front Frame ($39.95). Plus Tax, Shipping and Handling. Official ACC Tournament T-Shirt FREE with purchase of matted and framed certificate above. Or purchase separately. All ACC schools printed with school color surrounding the ACC Emblem. Five colors total. T-Shirt is high quality 5050 blend available in White, Grey, and Navy. $9.95 each. m mum WEES RMS Try A Fresh Sandwich Or Salad Get S&eSfi&A&watue Franklin Centre Willow Creek Shopping Center Eastgate Shopping Center
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 24, 1986, edition 1
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