EDITORS: Rose Bowl done to death? Looking for something different? As your ongoing coverage and anticipation of the Rose Bowl continues, here are a few story ideas from the academic realm of the University of Michigan that can be connected to the bowl game and collegiate football’s end-of-year bowl rites in general. For more information, contact our office or any of the individuals listed below.

The News and Information Services’ Web site (http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/) also is a gold mine of odd and unusual facts about the U-M. From our main page, click on “M-Formation” and then “Facts About Michigan.” We also welcome your calls for such details as the number of Rhodes Scholars produced by the University (now 24 with the addition of Fiona Rose this week) and the amount of revenue received from U-M licensed merchandise (top in the country at around $5 million per year).

THE CROWD CHEERS. THE ATHLETES APPEAR. The games begin. No, it isn’t New Year’s Day 1998 when bowl games are pitting modern gladiator against gladiator, quarterback against quarterback. It is ancient Rome where athletic spectacles were political and social as well as athletic events; where individuals and teams represented geographical or political regions. David Potter, professor of Greek and Latin whose classes on Roman sports and everyday life are some of the most popular at U-M, is available to comment on sporting events and crowd behavior then and now. Is there a difference between the brute force used in physical contests in Rome’s Coliseum and what will take place on the gridirons in stadiums across the country New Year’s Day? Ask David Potter. Potter can be reached at (734) 936-2249 or (734) 764-0360.

ROSE BOWL WINNERS KNOW HOW TO HARNESS ANXIETY and make it work for them. They also know how to control levels of psychological and physical arousal, says Thomas R. George, sport psychology consultant in the U-M Division of Kinesiology. George, who counsels the U-M women’s basketball and softball teams and individual athletes in a range of sports, tells athletes to: ? Recognize anxious, counter-productive thoughts running through their heads. ? Break the negative train of thought by focusing on positive technical goals. ? Repeat positive phrases rather than negative ones. According to George, “A kicker should not think ‘Don’t hook it to the left.’ He should think ‘Swing the leg straight and follow through.’ A lineman should not think ‘Don’t jump offsides.’ He should think ‘Wait for the snap.'” ? Coaches should not necessarily scream at players who seem clumsy, lethargic and under-aroused. “Yawning, staring blankly and clumsiness can be symptoms of over-arousal. Breathing gets shallow and we yawn for more oxygen. Coaches should reassure athletes and help them focus on positive techniques instead,” George says. George can reached at (734) 647-2711 or (734) 665-7908 until Dec. 31.

IT MAKES FOR AN ATTRACTIVE TV SHOT: A football player with his mouthguard hanging out of his mouth. But the use of mouthguards in all contact sports has significantly reduced jaw and teeth injuries. Custom-fitted mouthguards, because of their fit and comfort, are especially effective in reducing these injuries, according to Dennis J. Fasbinder, D.D.S. Faculty from the U-M School of Dentistry provide dental services for all U-M athletic teams and have been instrumental in the development of materials and equipment for the fabrication of custom mouthguards. Custom-fitted mouthguards are provided for all football players for practices and games throughout the season. Impressions of each player’s teeth are made on the first day of practice from which stone models are fabricated, and then several mouthguards are formed for each player. “The success of our mouthguard program can be attributed to the cooperation between the coaching staff, athletic training staff, and dental professionals to provide the optimum protection for U-M athletes,” says Fasbinder. He can be reached at (734) 647-4450 or [email protected].

THINK FOOTBALL IS HARD ON THE KNEES? It’s nothing compared to women’s soccer, says Edward Wojtys (“Voy-tas”), U-M professor of surgery and one of three official team physicians for the U-M football team. Women playing basketball or soccer or participating in gymnastics are four to eight times more likely to sustain knee injuries than men who play football. A former football player and specialist in sports medicine, Wojtys’ research focuses on how the neuromuscular system protects the knee joint from injury. Even among highly conditioned athletes, he says there is wide variability in individual resistance to knee injuries. Wojtys hopes his research will lead to greater understanding of the causes of knee injuries and how to prevent them. Dr. Wojtys can be reached at (734) 998-8410 or by e-mail to [email protected].

U-M News and Information Services University of Michigan

Division of KinesiologySchool of Dentistrymore likely to sustain knee injuriesU-M News and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan