The Bingham Trophy was supposed to be Harvard's "highest athletic honor," but the press conference Monday lacked the decorum and ceremony that one expects of a Harvard tradition. The audience included all of one reporter and two photographers, one of them from the athletic department. Attendance was so bad they ended up thanking me four times for coming. Even the spaghetti lunch seemed well below the roast beef banquet standard.

But the press conference was assured success because of the one vital ingredient-the all-American hero. Joe Cavanagh started the mystique by announcing that he would bypass pro hockey next year for the long-range advantages of a B.C. Law School degree. Then came the you-wouldn't-believe-it story of a ninth-grader waiting for a basketball game, picking up a tennis racquet for the first time, catching the coach's eye, and playing for the state champion varsity the next spring. By the end of the interview, the reporter was asking coach Jack Barnaby if Joe couldn't beat Rod Laver if he set his mind on tennis.

'Supercolossal'

The CRIMSON has had trouble covering Cavanagh this year. It was too easy during the hockey season to create an exciting story by featuring the exploits of the Cavanagh line. Because of Cavanagh's frankness. I caught myself several times relying on him as the sole voice of insight. The editors have spent the spring watching our tennis reporter-changing "invincible" to "undefeated" and cutting adjectives like "super colossal."

But Barnaby pointed out the failings of the press this year: "Joe's tremendous physical talents have led the press to overlook his strength of character. I campaigned for Joe on his integrity and his devotion to fair play. That's what makes a great sportsman rather than just a great athlete."

The misdefinition of success was apparent as Joe fielded questions about setting a goal of pro hockey and the Olympics. "I've had all the happiness anyone could get from playing hockey right here at Harvard," Cavanagh said. "The pros or the Olympics couldn't offer me more than that."

Enjoy, Enjoy

The same situation will arise in baseball today. Coach Loyal Park began the season by saying his main objective was to "enjoy the program. If everybody is happy, then other things will fail into place."

Today is the test of that theory. A victory means NCAA fame, Defeat brings New England oblivion. But looking toward the game, Park said. "Fun comes in competition, not winning. I wish I could play, because the fun is doing the best you can. The sky's not going to fall in after the game."

It's refreshing to see that athletes aren't caught in the same success-mania that afflicts sportswriters.