Crimson Hit By Media Blitz

When Harvard students make the newspapers, you'll usually find them in the news or business sections, not the sports.

That's why the happenings of the past few weeks have been so unusual. Over Spring Break, there were almost daily stories about Crimson athletes, either in print or on national networks.

Harvard athletes made The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union and The Boston Globe. They were seen on ESPN, the sports cable network, and on CNN, the all-news network.

On top of it all, Crimson sportsmen were mentioned in three straight issues of Sports Illustrated, a true sign of making the big leagues.

It all started two weeks ago, with the journey of the men's hockey team to Detroit for the NCAA Final Four. While the outcome of the trip wasn't as good as it could have been, the Crimson still had a chance to play on national television--more than any other Eastern team could say.

And even though the squad lost to North Dakota, I'm sure there were a bunch of people in places like New Mexico and Louisiana who were shocked to find out that Harvard had a hockey team good enough to make it that far.

In that week's Sports Illustrated, there was an article on the rough-hitting Calgary Flames and their intimidator, Neil Sheehy. Of course, the magazine was quick to mention that Sheehy--who is called "The Butcher" in Edmonton--happened to graduate from Harvard in 1983.

Last weekend, Crimson athletes went national three times. First, Harvard crews rowed to victory in a San Diego regatta featuring strong competition from the best crews in the country.

Then, swimmer David Berkoff took the NCAA Championship in the 100-yd. backstroke with a unique underwater start that grabbed the attention of coaches, swimmers and media alike. The New York Times, not known for its thorough sports coverage, ran a piece on Berkoff and his start, picture and all.

But the biggest Harvard sports story came about largely by accident. It wasn't something that the Harvard baseball team did, but rather who the guy pitching against them was.

Roger Clemens ending his holdout with the Boston Red Sox was the biggest sports story of the weekend on all of the major networks. And every one mentioned that the tall right-hander was scheduled to make his first appearance that afternoon. Against Harvard University.

The Crimson didn't do much at the plate against Clemens. In fact, it did virtually nothing. But then again, neither did most of the teams in the American League last year.

Nonetheless, there were many shots of Harvard batters swinging against the Red Sox pitcher, and people everywhere saw them.

Why are so many Harvard athletes marking the national spotlight these days? While Crimson athletes undoubtedly work hard at their sports, most of this attention must be considered a fluke.

If Clemens hadn't come back Saturday, the game between Harvard and the Pawtucket Red Sox would have gone virtually unnoticed. And while Berkoff should be congratulated for his victory, I get the feeling that if he had gone to the University of Florida, the New York Times would have ignored him and his start.

Crimson athletes are generally not the best in the country, despite the recent successes of some teams. And it should be no surprise that the recent barrage of sports coverage will not continue much longer.

But while we have it, I think we should enjoy it. Winning teams are good for school spirit, something that is often lacking in Cambridge.

National attention is good for another reason. Most people consider Harvard University a very strong school academically. Were it to start producing successful teams, people across the nation might view our school in a different light.

Nobody in the United States would consider Harvard any but challenging as a college. But, were Harvard to start winning national championships, it could draw applicants from areas currently unfamiliar with the school.

When Doug Flutie was at Boston College, for example, the national television exposure the Eagles received caused out-of-state applications to skyrocket.

An appearance by a Harvard team on televisions across the country can do something that admissions recruiters and alumni can't: expose millions of Americans to the college, right in their own living rooms.

It can't hurt.

And while this media blitz will probably end quickly, it hasn't stopped. Saturday, on ABC's "Wide World of Sports," there is a good chance that Berkoff's race will be shown as part of the show's swimming coverage.

If you have trouble finding him, it's because he'll be underwater at the beginning. Don't worry, he wins.