There’re plenty of reasons to smile about sports
HAKUNA
MAXATA
JEFF SMITH
Hey, you, don’t look so
glum.
Sure it’s February, and
sure the clouds just
keep hovering over you, along
with those professors and those
schoolbooks you haven’t even
opened.
And yes, it’s easy to get stuck in
that same ol’ wake up—go to
class—watch TV—go to your oth
er class—watch more TV—at
tempt to do your homework—and
go to bed routine.
But, for the sake of sports,
smile.
Smile because pitchers and
catchers have reported for spring
training.
Smile because March Madness
is just around the corner, as well
as CBS’ Big Dance theme song.
Smile because the Portland
Beavers return this season as the
Triple-A baseball team of the San
Diego Padres.
Smile because the Portland
Trail Blazers have the best record
in the Western Conference.
Smile because Shaquille O’Neal
and Kobe Bryant are still bicker
ing.
Smile because of ESPN’s
“SportsCenter.”
Smile because Big 5 Sporting
Goods in Springfield is offering
decent basketball shoes for less
than $25.
Smile because of
www.sportspages.com, where you
can go straight to the sports sec
tions of many of the nation’s top
newspapers.
Smile because Mario Lemieux
has returned to the NHL out of re
tirement in mint condition.
Smile because Michael Jordan
hasn’t decided to attempt to be a
professional golfer thus far in his
second retirement.
Smile because the Oklahoma
State men’s basketball team is
continuing its season with pas
sion and tremendous courage, de
spite the fatal plane crash that
killed 10 people associated with
the team less than a month ago.
Smile because “it never rains at
Autzen.”
Smile because the two Lukes on
the Oregon men’s basketball team
are only freshmen.
Smile because Dennis Rodman
hasn’t been in the news in forever.
Smile because where there is a
VCR, there is a possibility of
watching a sports movie.
Smile because Tony Gwynn, 40,
is still with the same team that he
started his career with back in
1981 and he still hits for over
.300, even with bad knees, a sore
back and a belly a tad bit too large.
Smile because of Wrigley Field
and Fenway Park.
Smile because there have been
six different teams in the past
three Super Bowls.
Smile because Tiger Woods has
n’t won a PGA Tour event since
the Canadian Open on Sept. 10
(although he did capture the
“prestigious” Johnnie Walker
Classic on Nov. 19 for his only
win since).
Smile because there are seats at
Seattle’s Safeco Field for only $6.
Smile because you can search
the name “Bobby Knight” on Nap
ster, and it will let you listen to an
actual audio clip of the red-faced,
red-sweatered former Indiana
coach just tearing into his players
during halftime of some random
game.
Smile because of the unpre
dictability of NCAA basketball,
where a 1-10 Clemson team can
beat all-0 top-ranked North Car
olina team.
Smile because at this exact sec
ond, some 11-year old child is
shooting baskets on some empty
court and into a hoop with no net
because of the love of the game
and not the number on the check.
Smile because of “When The
Crowd Goes Wild” and “And The
Fans Roared,” two must-have
books that let you relive sports’
greatest moments with colorful
pictures, vivid written descrip
tions and an accompanying CD
that contains the actual broadcast
of that one-of-a-kind moment.
Smile because of buzzer beaters.
Smile because for the next 40
days until baseball’s Opening Day,
every single team believes it has a
chance to reach the World Series.
Smile because of Oregon Lot
tery’s Sports Action.
Smile because former Wash
ington Huskies safety Curtis
Williams has been released from
the hospital for the first time
since suffering a devastating
spinal cord injury during an Oct.
28 game that left him paralyzed
from the neck down.
Smile because baseball great
Lou Brock once said, “Show me a
guy who’s afraid to look bad, and
I’ll show you a guy you can beat
every time.”
Smile because you live on the
West Coast where late sporting
events don’t start at 10 p.m.
Smile because Bill Walton’s ear
splitting voice and analysis have
been relatively non-existent thus
far on NBA on NBC television
broadcasts.
Smile because there is no joy in
Mudville.
Smile because Eugene golfer
Casey Martin took his case to the
Supreme Court and stood up —
on his bad right leg no less — for
what he believed in.
And yes, even in such heart
aching, tragic moments as «
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt’s
shocking death during the final
lap of the Daytona 500 Sunday,
there’s reason to smile.
Smile because Earnhardt went
out doing what he loved. (We
should all be so lucky.)
Hakuna Matata, folks.
Jeff Smith is the Emerald’s sports editor.
He can be reached at Smittside@aol.com.
Ultimate and rugby highlight Club Sports weekend
■The Oregon ultimate teams
prove to be strong in San
Diego while rugby teaches
its opponents a lesson
By Jesse Thomas
for the Emerald
’ 'The“ Oregon Club Sports ulti
mate frisbee teams performed ad
mirably last weekend, with the
men advancing to the semifinals
and the women to the quarterfi
nals, respectively, in the San Diego
President’s Day Tournament.
On the women’s side, Oregon
finished second in its pool on Sat
urday, going 2-2, and advanced to
the quarterfinals in Sunday’s pool,
where it went 1-2.
The Ducks’ first game on Sun
day was aga'nst Berkeley, where
the women found themselves
down 5-1 early, but fought hard
to secure the 11-10 comeback
win. Oregon then met British Co
lumbia, which entered the tour
nament ranked first, and defeated
B.C. 14-7.
“We had to step it up and be the
best team we could be,” women’s
coordinator Izzy Stohler said.
The men started the tournament
finishing 4-0 in their pool on Sat
urday, and had continued success,
placing second in their pool on
Sunday by winning big games
down the stretch. The Ducks upset
higher-ranked UC-San Diego 13-10
and made a strong comeback
against British Columbia, after be
ing down 3-6, to pull out the 13-9
victory.
“We scored some big games
against powerhouse teams,” men’s
coach Joshua Greenough said.
Then came Oregon State, who
didn’t cause any trouble for Ore
gon as the Ducks won by a count
of 15-9. Next came the semifinals,
with Oregon and Colorado facing
off. The Ducks stayed close and
made a strong push at the end, but
lost 15-13. Colorado went on to
win the tournament.
“The game against Colorado was
huge,” Greenough said.
Oregon will soon have another
chance, though, when it will like
ly meet Colorado again in the
Stanford Invitational on March
10-11.
The women will also be travel
ing to Stanford on March 3-4,
where the Ducks will have another
chance at British Columbia, along
with other top competitors.
“Everyone played better than I
have ever seen them play before
this weekend,” Stohler said.
Rugby teams cruise to victory
After the beating it took against
Brigham Young, the Oregon Club
Sports men’s rugby team was
fired up to capture a win and had
no trouble doing so against Wash
ington.
The A-team dominated the
Huskies, 47-6, and the B-team
put on a strong performance as
well, pounding Washington 27
15.
Washington only scored against
Oregon on the B-team toward the
end because of line-up changes
that consisted of less experienced
players. The men are currently 2-2
with two conference games re
maining.
“We were due to break through,”
coach Bob Snyder said. “It is al
ways really nice to beat Washing
ton.”
Oregon was satisfied to see all of
its hard work pay dividends.
Freshman Tim Schulze had a
breakthrough game for the B-team
and senior forward Jake Hays was
strong for the A-team, scoring four
times.
“It was reaffirming that we
could put a good game together
against a solid team like Washing
ton,” Hays said.
The defending league champi
ons host Central Washington this
weekend and then in-state rival
Oregon State on March 10. The
Ducks will need to defeat both
teams in order to advance to the
32-team national tournament at
UC-Davis.
“When we play our game, we
are almost unbeatable, and our
chance for nationals is good,” Sny
der said.
On the women’s side, the club
rugby team destroyed Southern
Oregon, 80-0, last weekend in Ash
land. The women have a lot of new
players this year and are 1-0 for the
winter.
“Everyone stepped up and
played very well,” senior coordi
nator Shelby Frail said. “It wasn’t
much of a competition for us.”
Golf brief
The Oregon women’s golf team
improved upon its first-round
score by 22 strokes, but only
climbed one spot in the stand
ings from a last-place 16th to
15th.
Led by the play of senior Jerilyn
White, the Ducks shot a 303 Tues
day in the second round of the
three-day Wildcat Invitational in
Tdcson, Ariz. While the odds for a
dramatic final day comeback for
the overall team are slim, the
chances for White finishing high
among individuals are strong.
White rose all the way to the
No. 9 spot from No. 44 in the indi
vidual race after shooting a 3-un
der-par 69 to give her a total score
of 147. The round of 69 ties her
career best. White must finish
strong today if she wants to make
a run at Duke’s Candy Hanne
mann, who is leading the tourna
ment, but is only seven strokes
ahead of White.
Oregon junior Kathy Cho con
tinued her solid play with a round
of 77 that has her tied for 29th.
Dawn Berry (77th), Lacy Erickson
(tied for 82nd) and Katie Cunning
ham (92nd) round out the Oregon
individuals.
The tournament wraps up today
as host Arizona looks to protect its
four-stroke advantage over sec
ond-place Duke.
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