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ON THE TUBE
National Basketball Association
Seattle vs. Houston,
TNT (27), 4 p.m.
In just her first season as a Duck,
Karis Howell has been Oregon’s
most consistent javelin thrower
By Ben Kwasney
Sports Reporter
Oregon freshman javelin thrower Karis How
ell’s clutch performance in the last two weeks of
her high school track and field career was cru
cial to her competing at a Division I school.
Still, Oregon never contacted Howell.
So Howell placed a phone call to Oregon
throwing coach Sally Harmon telling her she
wanted to throw for the Ducks. After learning of
Howell’s 146-3 throw at the 3A Washington
State track meet, Harmon wasn’t completely
sold.
“I wasn’t really jumping out of my seat to hear
that a javelin thrower was throwing 146,” Har
mon said. “I thought she’s going to be another
work-along kid.”
Washington and Texas A&M made offers to
Howell as a heptathlete, but none were as ap
pealing as the chance to throw for Oregon.
Once Howell got a chance at Oregon, the Van
couver, Wash, native continued setting personal
bests, with the most recent being a 162-7 at the
All-Comers meet two weeks ago.
Howell’s improvement has come as a surprise
to the coach, who said the freshman’s mechanics
still need improvement.
“Mechanically she’s just not doing what a
good technician should be. The saving grace that
has propelled the javelin this far is her aggres
siveness down the runway,” Harmon said.
“She's just an animal when it comes to throw
ing.”
Howell admits her technique needs improve
ment, but there are other factors that have helped
herthrow 162-7.
“I was excited to be out there and throwing,
and I knew maybe my technique wasn’t going to
be the best, but I knew that there was enough
heart and desire in me to get that javelin to PR,”
she said.
When Howell throws for a personal record it is
truly personal.
“I don’t go out and throw for you; I go out and
throw for me,” she said. “When I get out on that
runway, it’s for me, and I’m throwing because I
want to throw.”
Being only a freshman, Howell has reason to
set her sights high for the future.
Turn to HOWELL, Page 8
MARK McTYRE'EmeralcJ
“I think she’s
fully capable
of being on of
the nation’s
best throwers.
She’s got all
the tools, and
she’s got the
right
attitude.
Sally Harmon
UO throwing coach
Freshman Karis
Howell has the
Ducks’ second
best javelin
throw of the year
with at 162-7.
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
NBA PLAYOFFS
Miami.76 LA Lakers.late
New York.89 Utah.game
Blazers expected to name
new coach this week
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail
Blazers are expected to name their new coach
this week, and all signs indicate Mike Duoleavy
will get the job.
Dunleavy had said he had been contacted by
the Blazers and the Golden State Warriors, but
has since withdrawn himself from consideration
for the Warriors’ job.
Blazers’ president Bob Whitsitt has denied he
has offered the job to anyone.
O’Malley on verge of selling Dodgers to Fox
■ SALE: A deal between Rupert
Murdoch and the Dodgers could be
announced as early as next week
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers
owner Peter O’Malley expects to reach a
sale agreement for his team within two
months, and Rupert Murdoch appears to be
the likely buyer.
The Los Angeles Times, quoting uniden
tified NFL sources, reported Monday that a
deal with Fox Sports and Murdoch was un
der negotiation, a contract that could be
worth $400 million for all the baseball
properties O’Malley owns.
A television source, speaking on the con
dition he not be identified, told The Asso
ciated Press the deal could be announced
next week. New York Newsday reported
Monday a deal between O’Malley and Fox
was finalized late Saturday night after three
days of “intense negotiations.”
Newsday, which said the sale price
would be $350 million, said the parties ex
pected to put the finishing touches on the
deal within the next few weeks.
Any deal would be subject to the ap
proval of baseball owners, which would
take several months. O’Malley would still
run the team during the approval process.
O’Malley, whose family has controlled
the Dodgers since 1950, told the Times if
he had been able to build a football stadi
um near Dodger Stadium, he might not
have put the Dodgers up for sale.
“I can’t deny that was a factor,” he said.
“I must tell you I was extremely disap
pointed when we were asked to shelve our
ideas.”
When O’Malley announced on Jan. 6 he
was selling his team, he said he supported
the city’s efforts to attract an NFL team
even though he wasn’t part of it. His main
reason for selling, he said, was estate plan
ning.
O'Malley said Mayor Richard Riordan
first asked him to help attract an NFL fran
chise in August, 1995 — shortly before
LA’s first season without an NFL team
since 1946. The Rams moved to St. Louis
and the Raiders to Oakland before the 1995
season.
O’Malley figured a new stadium next to
Dodger Stadium would complement his ef
forts to help.
But last summer — before the feasibility
study on the impact of a football stadium
next to Dodger Stadium was even finished
— the city council voted to build a new sta
dium at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Riordan
said Monday the NFL insisted the council
endorse the Coliseum.