Sports Editor:
Alex Tam
alextam@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
-Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet:
U.S. Men's Basketball vs.
Turkey's National Team
lp.m. Tuesday ESPN
ALEX TAM
HOLDING COURT
Olympic
basketball
approaches
level field
The world is catching up.
The U.S. men's Olympic basketball
team is finally figuring that out on their
pre-Olympic basketball tour around Eu
rope before the Olympic Games which be
gin Aug. 15 in Athens, Greece.
No longer will we see the United States
roll over its international opponents in the
consistent 30- to 40- point blow-outs we
were accustomed to just 12 years ago.
In 1992, the U.S. men's squad known as
the Dream Team— which featured legends
such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson,
Larry Bird and Clyde Drexler— effortlessly
stomped the opposition by more than 40
points per game.
However, this year has been a complete
turnaround from those days.
Last week, the United States suffered a
humiliating loss to Italy when the team
was defeated 95-78.
Not one player on Italy's team currently
plays in the NBA. How was it possible that
a group of no-names defeated 12 of our
nation's best in a 17-point blow-out?
In fact, an Italian player named Giaco
mo Galanda (I know you're asking,
"Who? How do you pronounce that? Is
he a real person?") matched the total
points scored by Allen Iverson and Tim
Duncan combined.
xes, comDinea.
Galanda scored 28 points in the victo
ly, while Iverson had 13 points and Dun
can added 15.
Let's remember that Iverson and Dun
can have won three of the past four NBA
Most Valuable Player awards, which in the
ory go to the best basketball player in the
world's top basketball league.
That loss has started to raise eyebrows
about the quality of basketball being
played here in the United States compared
to the basketball being played overseas.
Questions have arisen about whether
basketball played here is more
about flash and style, rather than sub
stance and quality.
There is the assumption that basket
ball in Europe, Asia and everywhere else,
except the United States, is more funda
mentally sound and team-oriented than
it is here. Many people believe coaches in
other countries emphasize and focus on
shooting and playing as a team. Some
see the United States as focused on mak
ing the highlight reel on that night's
SportsCenter broadcast.
U.S. men's basketball head coach Larry
Brown told www.ESPN.com his team
shouid be aware that international basket
ball is a lot different than what his players
are used to in the NBA.
"There's great coaches everywhere and
Please see TAM, page 8
GETTING AHEAD
Oregon’s Justin
Phinisee (left) and
Chris Vincent (right)
have organized 6:30
a.m. workouts that
include running up
and down the
bleachers at Autzen
Stadium. Phinisee
said each of them
was unsatisfied with
last season and want
to get a head start
and prepare for an
attempt at the Pacific
10 Conference title.
Tim Bobosky
Interim Photo Editor
Devoted Ducks
Oregon football players initiate their own
workouts and keep their goals in mind
CLAYTON JONES
FREELANCE REPORTER
Among the early morning shadows of an empty Autzen Stadium,
there are Ducks that have worked all summer for their moment
to shine this fall.
Oregon football players have been beating their feet up and down the
bleachers at Autzen Stadium at 6:30 a.m. getting themselves prepared for a
mn at a Pacific-10 Conference title.
Their are no coaches to yell or fans to cheer. Just them.
Junior comerback Justin Phinisee and sophomore running back Chris
Vincent are two of the regulars in this player-organized workout routine.
"It shows a good element of our team that we can be pull guys togeth
er and be self-governed without the coaches setting something up,"
Phinisee said.
Phinisee and Vincent said they believe the key to success at this
level and beyond is the extra work put in outside of earn practices.
"My body needs a lot of running and 1 just can't do the stuff that coach
puts out there for us and think that will be enough," Phinisee said. "When 1
step out on the field I need to be a step above the rest."
"We swam some laps and for everyone who doesn't think that swimming
is conditioning they need to come pool with us," Phinisee said.
For some players, it was the first time using swimming as conditioning.
"We were pretty crazy out there and we had the lifeguards laughing at us
but we had a good time," Phinisee said.
Phinisee and Vincent said staying in good shape is key to keeping the
team's momentum rolling.
"The train is already moving as far as the team and we need to make sure
we can hop on the train and not be behind the rest of the guys when
FOOTBALL
The players say that every year they try to do
something that gets them prepared for the sea
son. Last year they ran hills, particularly the one
at 30th and Hilyard.
During workouts this year, they made their way
to the swimming pool.
Please see FOOTBALL, page 8
Tim Bobosky Interim Photo Editor
Eugene starting pitcher Vern Sterry surrendered five runs in Sunday’s
8-3 loss to Yakima. Sterry is 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA this season.
Emeralds continue
to fight losing record
Eugene lost Monday to the
Yakima Bears,, ranked last
in the East Division
ALEX TAM
SPORTS EDITOR
A new week has started, but the same
old story has played out for the Eugene
Emeralds.
Plagued by inconsistencies in all as
pects of the game — pitching, defense
and hitting — the Emeralds (17-33 over
all) are floundering in last place of the
West Division in the Northwest League.
Eugene has lost 4 of its last 5 games, in
cluding a 7-3 loss to the Yakima Bears in
Eugene Monday evening.
In their first game back from the all
star break last Thursday, the Emeralds de
feated first-place Everett 7-2 in the first
game of the series. However, the Emer
alds proceeded to lose the last two games
in the three-game series, including a 12
1 loss Saturday.
Eugene manager Roy Howell said his
young team, consisting of players ranging
from 20 to 23 years old, is struggling, but is
still learning what it takes to be successful
at the major-league level.
"When we get good pitches, we got to
hit them," Howell said. "We're not hitting
the good pitches. We're swinging at the
bad pitches and then we get behind and
the opposing pitchers have the advantage."
Eugene's offense has struggled all season
long to score runs with a league-low 4.9
runs per game through Sunday. The Emer
alds are the only team averaging fewer
than five runs per game and are also last in
batting average (.241).
Everett is first in the league in runs per
game (6.3) and batting average (.278).
The Aqua Sox currently lead the West Di
vision in wins.
"When we do get a good pitch, we '■*'
can t miss it and that's what they're do
ing," Howell said. "They're missing the
good pitches."
In Eugene's first game back at home
Please see EMS, page 6