EDITORIAL
Basketball will never
be the same again
If you haven't taken the opportunity to watch the
U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team in action, you've
missed history in the making. The greatest team of pro
fessional athletes ever assembled is currently wreaking
havoc on a group of woefuUflp^smatched national
teams, and the only point of contention is whether or
not the margin of victory will exceed 100 points.
Watching the Globctrotteresque shenanigans of Mi
chael, Magic, Clyde, et al, the initial sense of awe is
quickly replaced by boredom and pity. There is simply
no competition. And isn't that what the Olympics aro
supposed to be about?
The NBA game .is exciting because every couple of
minutes, a great looking play occurs, bringing the
crowd to its feet (or silencing it) and increasing the
adrenalin flow of the players. What the U.S. team is
subjecting its opponents (and spectators) to is forty
minutes of highlight film. Much like the slam-dunk
competition during the All-Star break has become rou
tine (how many ways can you stuff a ball through a
hoop?), so will the U.S. Dream Team.
In fact, the NBA may actually suffer next season.
Fans will have grown accustomed to super-basketball,
and the real thing could lose its appeal.
The U.S. team is an over-reaction to the fact that
foreign players are getting as good as our college play
ers. and that this is somehow a threat to the United
States' pre-eminence over the game.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Most international players are well-paid profes
sionals (road: government subsidized) yet retain ama
tucr status. That after 100 years of trying, these players
can beat a hastily assembled group of 18-21 year olds
should alarm no one.
FIBA, basketball's international organization, saw
the opportunity to continue improving only if NBA
players competed. Whether the Dream Team was what
FIBA had in mind is uncertain. The ideal arrangement
would have been at least a 50-50 split between pros
.and collegians. Instead, the U.S. sent 11 players whose
combined salaries probably exceed the GNP's of many
of the countries against whom they are competing.
The Dream Team could just as easily win with
three players on the floor as they do with five, so why
not give those surplus positions to a collegian. Hope
fully. the 1996 Games will see the return of college
players in red, white and blue, along with a smattering
of pros (just in case).
But for now. with an average margin of victory of
61 points over three games, the novelty and excitement
of Team USA will fade nearly as quickly as its opposi
tion.
Oregon Daily
Emerald
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Wake up call
A Vancouver-based white su
premacist group distributes
halo-flyers to “recruit now
members" from our urea (Kogis
ler-Guard, Juno 4). Surprised?
America's underbelly board the
clear Invitation when Oregon
Citizens Alliance Measure
20-08 passed in Springfield.
It's also served to wake up
others who hud told me that
my concerns about the OCA
wore unfounded, that tho OCA
was loo "extremist." “too unbe
lievable." Those same people
arc now Involved in preventing
(tho) further spread of OCA
(sponsored) oppressive meas
ures In our state. The OCA got
a toehold in Springfield. In a
hard pressed economy, people
want to kick anything at all ...
including fellow human beings
So now the OCA alms at plac
ing an even harshor discrimina
tory measure on the state ballot
this November. Pay attention to
the Springfield wake up call.
Sharo with friends and neigh
bors the message that thero's no
room for hate in. at least, the
rest of our stale.
Springfield has my sympathy
and will continue to have my
business. Their Chamber of
Commorce, representing 550
businesses, solidly opposed
OCA Measuro 20-08 with only
one business objecting. These
businesses deserve our patron
age. I’ll continue to support
those merchants who did not
support hate.
Springfield is a town that
needs compassion and under
standing.
Carol Barg
Eugena
Can't fool God
1 would like to correct a mis
conception about Christianity
convoyod In Angie F room’s lot
tor [ODE, Juno 23). Her Impres
sion soomod to be that Chris
tians can commit crimes and
sins and still he admlttod to
heaven, regardless of tholr acts.
This Implication that our ac
tions are irrelevant to Cod is in
correct.
A primary thesis of the Bible
is that it is people's sinful acts
that separate us from Cod, even
though wo all seem to have at
least some redeeming qualities.
Just as a single criminal act in a
normally law-abiding life war
rants legal punishment, so do
sins against Cod warrant His
punishment, even sins commit
ted in a life normally character
ized by goodness.
The great news of the bible is
that Cod freely extends pardons
to all who seek his forglvonoss
and turn away from thoir sinful
ways. Such people are true
Christians, and they will be the
ones populating heaven. The
Bible is equally clear that those
who continua to practice sin
fulness. e g. lying and murder
ing. have no place in heaven
and will receive just recom
pense for thoir doeds, Those
principles apply to all, regard
less of one's profession or faith.
The point of life is not to see
how much one can "got away
with" and still get into heaven
Cod is not foolod. The point is
to acknowledge Cod as mastor
of all, and to live lives of love
and obedience as disciples.
Kyi* Gm
Chemistry
God is for all
I'm afraid Angie Froom (
ODE, Juno 23) is right. There
are some very unsavory charac
ters on their way to Heaven. I
was as guilty as any of them,
undeserving of the promise of
salvation. But I have it because
of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Eternal destiny is not a mat
ter of degrees. Either you are
bound for glory or you aren't.
And no one, regardless of how
fine a life they lead, is entitlod
to membership if they have un
forgiven sin in their life. And
all have sinned. The only rele
vant question is whether it has
been forgiven. I certainly had
fallen short, and exempted my
self from fellowship with God.
But Jesus loved mo enough to
pay my debt. He continues to
forgive my sins when I fall. All
I did was choose to believe his
promises.
God is the same yesterday,
today and forever. He is not
democratic, swayed by public
opinion, or afraid of ridicule.
He is not God just to please An
gie Froom. Or me. But He is
God. And He does not give par
tial credit Only his son has the
answer.
Kan Thomas
Eugene
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