1992_02 The Daily Collegian February 1992

              Sports
Another
futile
attempt?
Viewpoint
TW Daily Collegian • February 5,1992
7
Chris Cocoles
Soorts writer
Sometimes, I ask myself why I take
the time to question the operating
procedures of the Fresno State athletic
department.
I've questioned it more than once in
the past year-and-a half, but my efforts
have been fuuleto say the least.
Oh sure, a friend or colleague might,
say nice things after I blast the
department's lack of respect for the
students and their desire to prevent
them from getting involved in intercol¬
legiate sports at FSU.
So why should I get fired up and
write another column about an old
subject?
Well, like an aspiring actor or singer
trying to get noticed and discovered, I
figure eventually, someone will come
along who appreciates what I'm at¬
tempting to do and will take that first
step in the right direction.
Monday night, the FSU basketball
team defeated the Pacific Tigers 76-67
in a game that tipped-of f at 9 pin. and
was televised by ESPN. For those view¬
ers in the East who stayed up until two
or so to watch the game, the atmos¬
phere at Selland Arena probably
seemed like a typical one for college
basketball: a pep band, cheerleaders, a
Bulldog mascot, and the color red.
But those East Coast hoopsters who
hadn't seen a FSU home game in the
past might have muttered: If this a
college basketball game, where are the
Takedown
ckmm o-ta.ro* Pat# coe-frw
Wrestlers Gerry Abas and Harold Zinkin work out during practice Tuesday afternoon In the wrestling room of
the North Gym. Both wrestlers are nationally ranked by the Amateur Wrestling News. Abas Is ranked No. 6
while Zlnkln Is ranked No. 7. They will be In action this weekend when the Bulldogs go on the roadto face the
Sundevlls of Arizona State Saturday In a dual meet.
students? They are the ones who make
college basketball so special. Why is it
that schools back here like Duke,
Syracuse and Seton Hall have student
bodies who jam their respective arenas
and get the chance to support their
teams? Why is this Fresno State place
so different?
Actually, students are seen in Sel¬
land Arena, but only Columbo or
Magnum P.I. could probably find any.
You have to be a pretty good detective
to locate many Bulldog students watch¬
ing Carl Ray Harris slam, dunks and
Wil Hooker three pointers.
Granted, I've discovered in my expe¬
riences here, that many students don't
care about FSU sports. They have too
many other things to do, like studying,
working or partying.
I wonder if the season ticket price of
$85 is scaring away any of the students.
Perhaps the trip downtown and the
parking fee of $350 per game has an
impact on low student turnout
Student attendance at football games
isn't bad, considering the team's pa¬
thetic competition. Future games with
Brigham Young, Wyoming, Air Force,
and Hawaii should increase the amoun t
of red shirts at Bulldog Stadium. And
35 bucks for a student season ticket is a
pretty good deal.
Ever been to a Bulldog baseball game
at Beiden Held? Take a look at Section
O down the third base line.   What
you'll see is a bunch of students. You'll
hear them as well. The opposing team's
third baseman will back up that claim.
Students have good reason to watch
the Diamond 'Dogs: they're a legiti¬
mate national championship contender
annually and season tickets cost $25
for about 50 games. TWENTY-FIVE
DOLLARS! I'm serious. You won't
find a better deal at a K- Mart blue light
special convention.
Which brings me back to basketball
games. I was among the fans at Mon-
£e
VIEWPOINT page 8
Wrestling' Dogs prepare for Arizona State
Adam Brady
Sports writer
As many already know, most of
Fresno State's sports teams will begin
competing in the Western Athletic
Conrerencenext year as they leave the
Big West for the more competitive
league. The wrestling team has gotten
a head start as it has already become
part of the WAC The change in confer¬
ence has not hurt the Bulldogs as they
are 15-1 after a win against Cal Poly-
San Luis Obispo. The 15-1 start and the
team's number 12 Amateur \Nrestling
News national ranking are both bests in
Fresno State wrestling history.
Head coach Dennis Deliddo, in his
11th year at FSU, says that wrestling in
the new conference has not been more
difficult than when the Bulldogs were
in the Big West because the teamhasal-
wjys wrestled against the best teams
in me WAC as well as the nation.
"If s not any tougher/ said Deliddo,
who is 155-35-3 in his career at Fresno
State. "We've scheduled about the
same. I've always tried to schedule the
best schools we can because the better
schools you wrestle, the better your
guys get"
Deliddo was satisfied with the win
over Cal Poly, a match that was high¬
lighted by Harold Zinkin's 22nd
straight win, brother DeWayne
Zinkin's pin of Cal Poly's Albert
Tabarez, and Robbie Dicks' 11th con¬
secutive victory.
"We really wrestled well/ said De¬
liddo. "It was kind of a revenge match
because they beat us last year, so I was
happy to get that back"
The Zinkin brothers, nephews of
Deliddo, have both been valuable to
the Bulldogs. DeWayne has done his
best to show that there isn't just one
Zinkin in the family mat can wrestle.
He is 22-8-1 on the season while Ha¬
rold (29-3,16-0 in dual meets) is ranked
seventh in the NCAA. Harold is tied
with Gerry Abas, sixth in the NC AA,
for most wins on the team. Abas has
won 12 of his last 13 matches to help
improve his dual meet record to 14-1.
Dicksis23-4-lontheyearandhasl2
pins, which is good enough to lead the
team. His 23 wins equals the amount
he had in all of 1991, a year in which he
led the Bulldogs with 11 pins.
*» ^ * VVV^V^SX •>'•»'•> VnV<»\V-> SV\\