Sports Editor
Peter Hockaday
peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, February 19,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
Best bet
NCAA men's basketball:
Maryland at Duke
6 p.m., ESPN
Keep war
protests
away from
Mac Court
I witnessed something at McArthur
Court on Saturday that I thought I would
never see.
Or maybe, it was something I hoped I
would never see.
During the National Anthem of the
women’s basketball game against Oregon
State, a large chunk of fans at the game
held up signs protesting the possible war
with Iraq. I’m not going to say what the
phrases said, for the main reason that I
don’t want to give these people press.
Suffice it to say,
though, everyone
who was holding up
something was
looking for “Peace”
in the Middle East.
Does anybody
else see something
wrong with the pic
ture I just painted
here?
The fact that a
sporting contest
featuring college
aged athletes was turned into a semi
protest is a disturbing thought. And the
fact that some people held these signs up
for most of the game disappoints me
even more.
Why buy a ticket for $5 just to protest
something on the other side of the world
that has nothing to do with women’s col
lege basketball in Eugene?
So, yeah, OK, it was the 70th Civil
War between the two teams. I’m not go
ing to lie and say that I love that title for
any sport. I grew up in the Bay Area,
watching games between Stanford and
California denoted the “Big Game,”
probably a more appropriate title for
collegiate contests.
But “Civil War” still doesn’t conjure up
anything more than a game between
Oregon and Oregon State. Why there are
those who think that it denotes anything
more is beyond me.
Of course, I can see where the protest
ers were coming from. Protesting the
Civil War is innovative, don’t get me
wrong, but something that is way out of
line. Where were these people in the
1980s when the term became useful for
Oregon women’s basketball?
So Oregon is a liberal university. I can
see that, and for that reason, I know why
the protests started at games here. That’s
not a surprise.
And I don’t know what’s happening at
other places around the country. But if
it’s happening here, that’s all I care about.
If I was a fan at that game, and for
whatever reason had a sign placed in
front of me that protested the war, I
would’ve been upset. I was at press row
and especially didn’t like what I saw from
that vantage point.
Personally, though, I don’t see this as
a problem for the fans. It’s the athletes
who shouldn’t be subjected to this.
The main problem I see is that it
places too much on the athletes them
selves. Protesting professional games
shouldn’t matter. When you’re making
#10 million to shoot a ball into the bas
ket, what happens on the sideline
shouldn’t be any kind of distraction.
But when you’re on scholarship —
Hank
Hager
Behind the dish
Turn to Hager, page 9
Adam Amato Emerald
Luke Jackson practiced without his finger bandaged Tuesday, for the first time since his injury.
UO shoots
for sweep in
Washington
The Ducks have swept Washington State and
Washington on the road just three times since 1975
Men’s basketball notes
Adam Jude
Senior Sports Reporter
Suddenly, the Oregon men’s basketball team is thinking like
television producers: In February, it’s all about sweeps.
With six games remaining, the Ducks (17-6 overall, 7-5 Pa
cific-10 Conference) are role-playing with the stars of “Malcolm
in the Middle” as they sit alone in fifth place in the Pac-10, but
are primed to make a leap in the ratings with a road sweep of
Washington State and Washington this weekend.
Getting that sweep, though, could be as rare as a compliment
from Simon Cowell on “American Idol.” Oregon has swept the
Washington road trip just three times since 1975.
“This is a huge week for us,” Oregon point guard Luke
Ridnour said.
Saturday’s matchup against Washington should provide all
the thrills of “Must See TV” as Oregon looks to avenge a 97-92
loss in Seattle last year. Despite their eighth-place conference
standing, the Huskies (8-14, 3-10) pushed No. 1 Arizona to
overtime two weeks ago in Seattle, and played Cal and Stanford
close on the road last week, but lost all three games.
“If you’re a smart coach, and a smart team, you don’t look at
Washington or Washington State’s record because they have
played everyone tough,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said.
Consistent with their recent struggles in Pullman, Wash., the
Ducks are not looking past Thursday’s 7 p.m. bout with the low
ly Cougars (5-17, 0-13), who have lost 20 consecutive Pac-10
games. In five trips to the Palouse, Kent is 4-1, but has won
those four games by a total margin of 14 points.
“Washington State is a very, very big game for us right now,”
Kent said. “Our mindset is just to take it one game at a time.”
The Ducks lost at Washington State, 63-62, in 2001, and
needed overtime to pull out a one-point win in 2000 and three
overtimes to win in 1999.
“Playing in Pullman is always tough,” Ridnour said.
“There’s not a lot of fans there, it’s cold, and it’s a long way up
there. The Washington teams always play well against us, so
we have to be prepared.”
Jackson: Finger healed
Oregon forward Luke Jackson practiced Tuesday without his
right hand wrapped for the first time since injuring his non-shoot
ing hand Jan. 23. Jackson needed 13 stitches to repair a cut to his
right ring finger that occurred in Oregon’s win over Washington,
but he said Tuesday that the cut is completely healed.
Turn to Men's, page 10
Ducks end Pac-10 duals in Portland
Oregon heads north to close the dual meet season
in style against the Vikings tonight in the Rose City
Wrestling
Mindi Rice
Freelance Sports Reporter
Oregon has another opportunity to spoil a Senior Night
tonight at seven, as the wrestling squad travels to Port
land State.
The Ducks (7-11 overall, 5-4 Pacific-10 Conference) will
face a Viking squad which has not earned a Pac-10 victory
since a 26-21 win over California-State Bakersfield in Febru
ary of 2002.
The Vikings are led by seniors Quinn Collett and Eric Arbogast.
Collett leads the Viking squad with a 16-10 overall record.
Collett, who wrestles at 174, has won his last seven matches,
including two decisions over Boise State’s Pat Owens.
Arbogast, at 165, had an 11-match win streak on the line Satur
day when Portland State wrestled Wyoming. Arbogast lost the
Wyoming match, but joins Collett as the Vikings’ only two mem
bers with winning records. Arbogast is 12-11 on the season.
Portland State (4-15, 0-8) is coming off four-straight losses,
most recently a 35-9 loss at Wyoming.
Oregon ventures north again after losing 27-13 at Oregon
State on Sunday.
Tu rn to Wrestling, page 9
Adam Amato Emerald
Shane Webster won his Civil War match and wiH look to lead the Ducks against Portland State.