Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
NBA Playoffs:
Dallas vs. Sacramento
7:30 p.m.,TNT
Hank Hager
Behind the dish
Bring us
back to
our lost
innocence
When we grow up, we all want to think
they're superhuman.
We want to believe they can do no
wrong, that when they step on the field
they'll do it with grace and dignity.
We want to think when they step off the
court, they're going to be model citizens.
We want to believe they'll act in good be
havior.
Then somewhere along the way, proba
bly in between middle school and high
school, reality begins to hit. Those artides
our parents used to hide from us suddenly
start to appear. When we watch ESPN's
SportsCenter, our parents don't suddenly
turn the channel anymore.
That's when innocence was lost. I know
it was for me.
When innocence is lost you start think
ing they're no more than money-munching
machines. The errors turn into curses, loss
es into full-blown tirades. They're not your
heroes anymore, just statistical entities that
can help win or lose fantasy leagues.
You care no more about the 108 stitch
es on a baseball. It doesn’t matter that
the puck isn't just made out of rubber;
it's vulcanized rubber. That basketball
doesn't have the same bounce anymore.
The football just can't be thrown in a
tight spiral.
It's just not going to happen.
Along the way, this all happened to us.
It's a shame, a crying shame.
It is reality.
There's a way to get around it, a way to
find the foundation of love that we all
once had in our lives.
It's simple. It's easier than one might
think.
Want to know? The answer won't cost
you.
Allow yourself to be amazed. Go to a
game; sit in the stands, order two — no three
— hot dogs. Grab a soda, grab a beer. Spend
too much money on a giant foam hand.
Go to batting practice. Watch as the
players run out from the tunnel. Go
Turn to HAGER, page 9
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
Erin Goodell, seen here earlier this season, hit a home run Friday against Washington and another Sunday in Oregon's loss to UCLA.
Offensive improvement sparks Ducks
Second baseman Erin Goodell's
two-home-run weekend is an example
of Oregon's recent surge in offense
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
Second baseman Erin Goodell rode a bit of an
offensive streak through the weekend.
Friday, Goodell hit what ended up to be the
game-winning hit, a home run over the left field
wall in the top of the seventh inning. In Sunday's
10-inning loss to UCLA, Goodell provided Ore
gon's only offense, a two-run home run that tied
the game in the fifth.
On the weekend, Goodell went 3 for 10, total
ing four RBIs, two runs and two home runs.
"I'm feeling really good and I'm seeing the ball
really well," Goodell said. "It makes me confi
dent. I've just been going in each game with a
positive mentality. I
think our whole team
gives me that confidence,
just knowing we can win
each game has helped
me individually."
The weekend added 12 points to Goodell's
season batting average, raising it to .196, or 13
DUCK
SOFTBALL
points higher than her average last season.
"(Erin) has been working with (assistant
coach) J. Gaudreau on her hitting," Oregon head
coach Kathy Arendsen said. "1 like where she's at!
She has confidence when she comes up to bat
and you can tell.
"She hit a hit-and-run for a home run (Sun
day). I wish I could say I called for a hit-and-run
home mn. It was a great hit."
Goodell's weekend is an example of the bal
anced offensive attack that Oregon has this year.
"We're a better all-around team in our offen
sive lineup than last year," Arendsen said. "Each
Turn to OFFENSE, page 9
Focus falls on backups for week three
The Ducks will practice
Tuesday and Thursday
this week before their
third scrimmage Friday
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
The Ducks got started just two days
early. Oregon head coach Mike Bel
lotti said Monday that the emphasis
of the final two weeks of spring prac
tice will be on the team's non-starters.
In other words, the No. 2 and No.
3 guys on the Ducks' depth chart
who will have valuable roles come
the 2004 season as backups.
Bellotti said. 'To me, we need to re
ally evaluate and coach the new
comers. The guys that we perceive
will be playing a large portion of the
time for us next season, but don't
have that backlog of experience."
In Oregon's second scrimmage of
the spring, which took place
"We need
DUCK
FOOTBALL
to get them
as much reps
as possible
in the next
two weeks,"
Saturday, that scenario unfolded.
Players such as Dan Kause, Aaron
Gipson, Chris Vincent and Eddie
Whitaker proved that during the
scrimmage when they led Oregon
on offense and defense.
In addition, Johnny DuRocher,
slated to be Kellen Clemens' back
up at quarterback, saw the most ac
tion behind center at the scrim
mage. He completed six of 10 passes
for 95 yards.
Dennis Dixon and Brady Leaf
also will see more snaps.
"I think that we want to look at
Johnny, Dennis and Brady," Bellotti
said. "As many as looks as (possible)
under fire or live as we can make it to
evaluate their game readiness.
"It's probably more visible at
quarterback but it's probably the
same at every position."
On defense, Bellotti held the
same opinion Monday as Saturday:
The Ducks need to tackle better, be
more aggressive and come together
stronger as a unit.
"I wasn't upset with the defense,"
he said. "I felt like we didn't tackle as
well as we need to tackle. Our
scheme, being a single gap control
Turn to BACKUPS, page 9
New tournament opens up possibilities for Oregon golf
The coast’s Bandon Dunes
will be the home of a golf
tournament Oregon and
Northwestern agreed on
By Brian Smith
Freelance Reporter
The Oregon men's golf team scored
a major tournament victory Monday
without even having to tee off.
The ink is now dry on a deal be
tween Oregon and Northwestern,
along with KemperSports, that will
create what could possibly become
the premiere collegiate golf event in
country: the Pacific-10 Conference/Big
Ten Challenge.
The most impressive aspect of the
tournament is not necessarily the
teams that will participate but the
venues hosting the new tournament.
Oregon's own Bandon Dunes Golf
Resort — home to the second and
third-ranked modem courses in Amer
ica, according to Golfweek magazine
— will begin hosting the tournament
in 2004. The Bandon Dunes and Pacif
ic Dunes courses are ranked No. 9 and
No. 2 among the "Top 100 Courses
You Can Play" in Golf Magazine.
"The impetus behind this event is
strictly what an amazing golf facility
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is," North
western head coach Pat Goss said.
"The courses are the tournament. This
will be the best and most special place
Currently,
the highest
ranked mod
em course to
host a colle
giate event is
ranked No. 28
— the Double Eagle Club in Galena,
Ohio — by Golfweek. In perspective,
Pacific Dunes trails behind only the
hallowed Pebble Beach Golf Course as
best public course in the country.
college golf is played."
DUCK
GOLF
The event will send six teams from
each conference to face off against one
another. The four top finishers from
each conference's championship tour
nament of the previous season will be
invited, along with one at-large team
from each league, chosen by Kemper
Sports. Northwestern and Oregon will
be tournament co-hosts.
"This has the potential to develop
into the most exciting and anticipated
college golf tournament in the coun
try," Oregon head coach Steve Nosier
said. "We want this to be the most
unique and best event in collegiate golf,
the type of tournament college players
look forward to playing in."
The 2004 event will take place Oct.
24 to 26 and then will shift to The
Glen Club Course in Glenview, 111.,
for 2005, after which the tournament
will go into a three-year rotation be
tween courses. KemperSports Man
agement of Northbrook, 111., owns the
Glen Club and manages Bandon
Dunes Golf Resort.
"Northwestern is fortunate to have a
good relationship with KemperSports,"
Goss said. "Because they own the Glen
Club, we were excited to be able to
showcase the event in Chicago, too."
Brian Smith is a freelance reporter for
the Emerald.