friday, november 1 1, 1977
page 14
daily nebraskan
Last game not end of information director's job
By Kevin Schnepf
When the University of Kansas Jayhawks pack their
bags for Lawrence after their game with the Huskers
Saturday, the 7 ajn. to 6 p.m. workday for UNL's Sports
Information Director, will end .
Don Bryant, in his 15th year of putting in 11-hour
days while the Huskers play at Memorial Stadium, said
he wishes UNL would play a home football game every
Saturday.
"Next Saturday, 111 probably wish we had another
football game," Bryant said. "Sure, we get tired and
weary. In fact, I usually end up with a cold at the end of
the season, but it's a very rewarding job.
"Football is a great season, it just goes by too fast."
The Huskers tradition of receiving a bowl bid the past
eight years means Bryant's job with the football team is
far from over.
'The problem is that the season doesn't end with the
last regular season game at Nebraska," Bryant said. "We
have to get ready for a bowl game while basketball,
swimming and other sports are going on. The next three
weeks are the busiest time of the year."
Bryant said his department filled out a two-page
information sheet for the Orange Bowl although UNL is
n6t assured of a trip to Miami. The winner of the Big 8
Championship goes to the Orange Bowl.
Another season
"They request it for early printing," he said. "They
couldn't wait until we know we are going, or else it would
be too late. If we go to a bowl, it's just like starting
another season-with pictures, promotion and television."
Bryant receives help from Bill Bennett, assistant sports
information director and staff assistant Susan Landen.
"This job is a team operation," Bryant said. "There
are no finer people coast to coast to work with than Bill
Bennett or Susan Landen. One guy couldn't handle this
job all by himself."
Bryant begins his work day Saturday attending the
KFOR radio breakfast at 7 a.m. He then goes to his office,
underneath South Stadium, from 8:30 to 9 a.m. to do
any last minute credential checks and prepare pre-game
"dope" sheets. Bryant goes up to the press box from 9:30
to 10 a.m. to check out the scoreboard, radio booths and
assign press box and photo booths. Bryant answers
media and maintenance requests until lunch is served in
the press box at 1 1 :30 a.m.
"Prior to the game, I will go down to tte locker room
to check line-ups while Bill (Bennett) is up in the press
box," Bryant said. "From the start of the game on, we
supervise the press box and are essentially the command
post for the whole stadium."
Almost chaos
Bryant said a "million things" could happen between
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on football Saturdays.
"Many years ago, I got a call from the chancellor in
the middle of the game about a person complaining that
the bass drum was too close," he said. "There are a lot
of problems that do not sound very big, but when you
combine them all, it's chaos."
Bryant said, however, he has help in solving when
chaos occurs.
"The police, the fire department, the health depart
ment, the food department, the ushers and the band are
all busting their tails to put it all together," Bryant said.
"I don't care if it's Podunk University or Oklahoma Uni
versity playing, everybody works just as hard at every
home football game.
"We'll be working just as hard against Kansas as we did
when ABC televised the Alabama game,. It is a very re
warding feeling when you make it through a game success
fully," he said.
The press box, where Bryant and his crew are stationed
on Saturdays, accommodates 50 reporters, nine radio
booths, the scoreboard operators and a photography dark
room on the first level. The second level includes 300
theatre seats which are reserved for those who contri
buted $1,000 or more for stadium construction. Con
tributors have the option to purchase four seats at the
premium price.
The third level is an open-air deck for television, movie
and news photographers.
"Our press box is not as big as Colorado s, Bryant
said. "But it is more than adequate for most our games.
It may be a little small because of the growing interest in
football." ' J ,
When Bryant leaves the press box after Saturday s
game with Kansas, he will supervise the press during post
game interviews. At 5 p.m. Bryant will begin making plans
for the trip to Norman, Okla. for the University of Okla
homa game Nov. 25 and a possible bowl game bid.
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It will just be the end of the another football game and another season for the Fat Fox when Kansas boards
the bus after its game with the Cornhuskers Saturday. The Fox, Don Bryant, has virtual control of what hap-
pens before, during and after home football games.
Early season competition
gets gymnasts into shape
Practice makes perfect, or so says
Husker women's gymnastic Coach Judy
Schalk as her team prepares to leave
for the Phillips 66 Open in Bartles
viile, Okla., Saturday.
Schalk said the Huskers are going to
the meet to get in shape and to gain
experience.
"I chose to go because it is early in
the season and I am using it to force the
team into competitive shape before
most teams, Schalk said. "When the
height of competition comes, they will
be more trained and better able to
handle it."
The meet is an open meet with clubs
and teams from all over the nation
competing in all age groups. Schalk
said there are about 50 participants in
the 15 and over age group in which the
Huskers will be competing.
She said the toughest competition
would come from girls 13 to 16 years
old or at the age when gymnasts
peak.
Schalk said she is not optimistic
about the Huskers chances for winning
the meet.
"I don't expect to win because the
club competition is at the advanced
level," she said. "All I expect it to be is
a developmental meet to get in condi
tion, give them a look at competition
and give them experience."
The Huskers will be competing
without two of their all-arounders,
sophomore Tammy Driscoll and senior
Carrie Buckley. Driscoll has a hyper
extended elbow and Buckley has a
shoulder injury.
Schalk said sophomore Patty Car
michael and freshman Jeanne Con
cannon should do well.
"Patty is a former elite gymnast,
which is the level just below the Olym
pics," she said, "The olympians 'are
chosen from the elite level."
Carmichael, however, has not stayed
at the elite level Schalk said,, because
competition at the college level is not
that high.
Concannon is a "great talent in the
developmental stage,"Schaik said. She
took first in the all-around, uneven
parallel bars, floor exercise and vault
ing competitions at the team's first meet
last week against the University of
Minnesota. Hie Huskers lost that meet
126 to 123.
Prestigious ' tournament
scheduled for gropplers
Bv Kevin Schneof
The UNL Men's Physical Education
Building, 14th and W Sts. will be the site
this weekend for one of the most presig
ious national wrestling tournaments,
according to UNL wrestling coach Orval
Borgialli.
The Great Plains Invitational, an Ameri
can Amateur Union-sponsored event, will
feature 300 to 350 of the nation's top
collegiate and amateur wrestlers. The
tournament will begin Friday at 1 pjn.
The evening session begins at 7. Competi
tion will continue Saturday at 1 p jn. with
the final session at 7 pjn.
The tournament is the qualifying round
to determine which United States team will
travel to Tblisi, Russia in January.
"Last year, eight Great Plains
champions were on the team that went
to Russia," Borgialli said. "There are a lot
of amateurs as well as collegians entered so
it will be a pretty tough meet.
"it's a big national tournament and
wrestlers will be coming from aU over."
Borgialli also said several of the nation's
junior world champions will compete.
The junior world championship, held this
summer, included high school juniors and
seniors.
The Huskers will enter 24 tvrcstlers in
the tournament including team co-cap-tains
Court Vining and George Mink. Yin-
ing, in the 158 pound class and Mink, is the
' r"u"u voja, cue wining iup iwo con
tenders in the tournament.
Borgialli said "every individual who is
eligible and some of our redshirts will be
wrestling."
The Huskers return 1 1 starters including
sophomores Dave Finken, Agron Vasha
and Dave Redding. Recruits Rudy Glur,
a three time high school champion from
Columbus, and Rick Hotz of Grand Is
land bolster the lower weight class divi
sions. The team Includes out-of-state
itcruits Jeff May, (Ohio) Mark Niblo,
(Iowa) Kirby Trump, (Colorado) and Ray
Payne, (Oklahoma). X
"The wrestlers are tired of practicing and
5 ready compete," Borgialli said.
They would prefer the meet to be colle-
jusl toifitr"han freestyIc but they can ad
In freestyle, wrestlers can lock their
hands on their opponents at anytime.
Under collegiate rules a wrestler can lock
his hands only while standing. There are
some modifications in scoring and time of
bouts under freestyle rules, Borgialli said.
Wrestlers from the top three Big 8
schools, the University of Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State University and Iowa
Mate University, will compete in the
tournament.