Tuesday
Best Bet
NBA Playoffs: Charlotte at Milwaukee
5:30 p.m.,TBS
SPORTS EDITOR; JEFF SMITH Smittside@aor.com
Seriously, all of
us should get a
shot... even Alex
ADAM JUDE
Maybe it’s just my random way of thinking, but
doesn’t it seem like more than just a coinci
dence that the Blazers fired head coach Mike
Dunleavy eight days after Jody Runge resigned
from her coaching position with the Oregon women’s bas
ketball team?
Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt had to have seen
all the hype surrounding the Runge controversy in the last
few months. And he most certainly had to notice Runge’s
impressive run in eight years with the Ducks.
While Bill Moos and the Oregon Athletic Department
frantically search for Runge’s replacement, Runge is sitting
at home — collecting a cool half-million dollars — remi
niscing about the good old days.
But c’mon, Jody, get off the couch — the Blazers need
you, girl.
With Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells and a host of have
beens (i.e., Scottie Pippen),the Blazers have a load of talent
and no excuse for not winning the NBA championship.
Put simply, the Blazers need a proven winner.
Runge is a winner.
The 38-year-old Runge compiled an impressive 160-73
record while leading the Ducks to eight straight NCAA
Tournament appearances. Her .687 winning percentage is
the best of any basketball coach — man or woman — in
school history.
She’s perfect for the job. And many of you agree. In this
week’s Emerald sports poll (which you can find at
www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/SEC/Sports or by
going to the Emerald’s home page at
www.dailyemerald.com and clicking on the “sports” link,
located on the left side of the page, the third category from
the top, in red, underlined font) one-third of voters so far
think that Ms. Runge is the best fit for the vacancy in Port
land.
Sure, Magic Johnson has shown interest, but what quali
fications does he have that Runge doesn’t?
Furthermore, Runge’s hard-nosed, rigid coaching style
would most certainly turn around the Blazers’ bad-boy im
age while molding a perennial power.
Whitsitt even said he would consider a woman for the
job.
“I’m thinking in terms of the best head coach,” Whitsitt
told The Oregonian last week. “And it doesn’t necessarily
have to be a male. In the past, I’ve interviewed a woman for
an assistant’s job. I have no criteria. I’m ruling out nothing
right now.”
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably asking yourself,
“What the hell is this dude talking about? Does he even
have a point?”
I’m wondering the same. And, no, I don’t really have a
point.
But, if you think about it, the NBA is due for a revelation.
There are two female referees in the NBA, but no women
head coaches.
Runge is the person for the job. She’s broken ground be
fore. She’s not afraid to stand up for what’s right. She can
and should declare herself eligible for the NBA head
coach’s draft.
If Charles Barkley has a legitimate chance of making a
second appearance in the NBA, then Jody Runge should at
least have one shot. Then we could rest easy at night know
ing that Runge has moved on and was given a fair opportu
nity elsewhere.
In other news, Texas Rangers’ shortstop/aerospace ex
pert/really rich guy Alex Rodriguez has announced that he
will be seeking election as Texas governor.
Adam Jude is a sports reporter for the Emerald. He can be reached at
ajude34@yahoo.com, but may not take suggestions or criticism seriously.
UO expects more from future
■ A disappointing women’s
tennis season has the Ducks
hungry for the 2002 season
By Robbie McCallum
Oregon Daily Emerald
All of the pieces of the puzzle
were there: experience, youth, desire
and the beginning of a winning tra
dition.
But all those pieces didn’t quite fit
for the Oregon women’s tennis team
this season.
After losing only one senior off an
8-14 NCAA qualifying team, Oregon
head coach Jack Griffin added two of
the Pacific-10 Con
ference’s top fresh
men and a junior
transfer to an al
ready stacked ros
ter. Coupled with
the completion of
the Ducks’ new in
door tennis facili
ty, the 2001 season looked to be one
of Oregon’s best ever.
Two injuries and 17 losses later,
though, the Ducks capped a frustrat
ing season and missed the NCAA
Tournament for the first time in two
years.
“It was a frustrating season for
us,” Griffin said. “But hopefully
we’re going to learn some important
lessons from this season.”
A 3-2 start at home with re
spectable showings against Stanford
and California had the Ducks opti
mistic — until Oregon left for a nine
match road trip and its top two play
ers went down with injuries.
Sophomore Monika Geiczys, the
top returning player and honorable
mention Pac-10 selection as a fresh
man, suffered a wrist injury and
TENNIS
Turn to Tennis, page 9
Sophomore Monika Geiczys’ wrist injury kept her out of several matches this season.
Ducks miss NCAAs, still see positives
Smith Emerald
Oregon standout Jerilyn White finished her season two strokes short of the NCAAs.
■The Oregon women’s golf team
looks forward to next season after
not qualifying for the 2001 NCAAs
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
How would you describe a season
that ends seven strokes shy of the
NCAA Championships? What words
would you use when thinking about a
campaign that never quite reached its
potential, then came
so close in the team’s
final tournament?
How about “success
ful,” or “positive?”
Those were the
words used by Oregon
women’s golf head
coach Shannon Rouil
lard, whose team finished seven strokes
behind eighth-place Southern California
and a berth in the NCAA Championships.
Hesitant to use the word “rebuild,”
Rouillard nonetheless described the
2000-01 season as a foundation laid for
the future.
“All our returnees will have that ex
perience [of the NCAA regional tourna
ment] under their belts now,” Rouillard
said. “I think we’ll definitely be back at
the regional tournament next year, and
probably even at nationals.”
Rouillard had to essentially replace a
Turn to Golf, page 9