Oregon Daily Emerald
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
“1 love hitting Donovan, even in real life....
Donovan just feels good in my arms... and
I mean that in a purely heterosexual way. ”
New York Giants’ defensive end Michael Strahan on Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback
Donovan McNabbk
■ In my opinion
_v _
SHAWN MILLER
FULL-COURT PRESS
Violent fits
from athletes
shouldn't
be tolerated
Kenny. Rogers ended two weeks of
speculation Sunday by announcing that
he will attend the Major League Baseball
All-Star game tonight in Detroit.
Well, my summer is complete, now
that I know Rogers will represent
baseball’s best.
Rogers, a starting pitcher for the
Texas Rangers, shoved two cameramen
while they were filming the 17-year
veteran prior to a game on June 29.
One cameraman was sent to the
hospital, while his equipment was
hurled to the ground and stomped on.
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
suspended Rogers for 20 games
and Rogers was charged a $50,000 fine
for the incident; however, Rogers has
continued to pitch while the players’
association has appealed the sentence.
Despite the incident, fellow players
voted Rogers onto the American
League squad after he posted a 10-4
record with a 2.54 ERA in 17 games
this season. Rogers’ contract includes
a $50,000 bonus for making the
All-Star team.
“I know I belong there without
a doubt,” Rogers told the Dallas Morning
News. “I’m going because I was voted in
by the players and I earned it.”
It is a complete joke that an athlete
can throw a violent fit and his punishment
is reduced or suspended to allow him
the honor of playing in an all-star
event. In the world of professional
sports, the athletes are often placed on
a pedestal that allows them to treat
the media as their servants. They call
when they need us and they shove when
they are done.
Rogers’ actions have crossed the line —
a line that begins with verbal assaults and
now includes physical attacks. For a week
after the incident, Rogers refused to com
ment and failed to act like the “veteran”
he is classified as.
On July 6, Rogers read a two-page letter
that included an apology to his family,
fans, teammates and the injured camera
man. He didn’t explain his actions or al
low any questions from reporters.
“Media coverage is important to the
game, and we in baseball are obligated to
treat members of the media with respect
and civility,” Selig said.
For all of the irrational stunts that Selig
has pulled, by standing up for the media,
he is setting the example that all profes
sional sports needs to follow.
And as for Kenny Rogers... a chicken
isn’t roasted until its head is cut off.
shawnmiller@ daily emerald, com
Canadians conquer Eugene Ems
The Emeralds only scored two
runs during their weekend losses
to the Vancouver Canadians
BY SHAWN MILLER
SPORTS EDITOR
It was over less than 10 minutes after it start
ed, but don’t tell the Eugene Emeralds that.
The Emeralds (10-10) lost their sixth game in
the last eight contests 3-1 at the hands of the
Vancouver Canadians (15-5) Sunday afternoon.
Vancouver scored twice in the top of the first
inning on a two-RBI double by clean-up hitter
Wes Long.
Long, who hit doubles in each of his first
three at-bats, accounted for all three Vancou
ver runs before leaving the game in the eighth
inning. Long was taken to a local hospital
with a severe cut suffered during his last at
bat after the ball deflected off his bat and hit
him in the face.
“He (Long) was definitely seeing the ball
well,” Eugene manager Roy Howell said. “We
left the ball over the plate, and somebody is
going to hit it.
“It’s still nine against one. He hit the ball
where we weren’t. ”
Following a one-out double in the sixth in
ning, Long scored the Canadian’s third run on a
single by TV Bubalo.
The Emeralds got on the board in the sev
enth inning when Kelvin Vazquez singled in
Daryl Jones. Jones hit a two-out double and
reached third base on a wild pitch during
Vazquez’s at-bat.
“All we need is a couple of clutch hits here
and there,” Jones said of the Ems recent
struggles at the plate. “It is pretty much a
concentration thing.”
Jones came to the plate as the tying run with
two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but
struck out.
“I think we let blue (umpires) get to us,”
Jones said of the calls. “He (the home plate
EMERALDS, page 6
Vancouver
third
baseman
Wes Long is
helped off
the field
after getting
hit in the
face with the
ball.
Prior to the
injury in the
eighth
inning, Long
was 3-3 with
three
doubles, two
RBIsand a
run scored.
■ Outdoor recreation
A cure for the summer student blues
Located on a river, between the
coast and the mountains, Eugene
has access to many activities
BY SCOTIJ. ADAMS
FREELANCE REPORTER
Students staying in Eugene this summer face
little trouble finding outdoor recreation spots
nearby. Florence and the Willamette and
McKenzie Rivers play host for a number of dif
ferent aquatic activities.
The Willamette is a hot locale for fishing, be
it with spinners, bait or fly. Sturgeon and a vari
ety of salmon inhabit the river in and around
Eugene. Chinook numbers are waning after the
end of spring but can still be found as far north
as Oregon City. High temperatures have creat
ed ideal conditions for shade fishing. Should
salmon and sturgeon become scarce, the
Willamette offers bass and bluegill that can be
found near fallen bees and rock patches, which
pepper the South Bank and Autzen Footbridge.
The McKenzie River is also excellent for fish
ing in Eugene and all ot Lane County. Trout and
steelhead are staples of the McKenzie.
White water rafting and boating can be done
on both rivers, but especially in northern Eu
gene where the two meet. It is here that the wa
ter is calm but fast, creating an exceptional set
ting for canoeing and kayaking. For rafting, the
McKenzie offers safe, exciting waters with
rapids ranging from class one to three, fit for
boaters from beginners to advanced. For those
seeking more of a challenge, they can try the
Deschutes, Rogue and Umpqua Rivers located
Tim Bobosky ! Photo editor
Recent Churchill High School graduate John Beltran, foreground, fishes with his brother Eric, a senior multimedia
design major at the University, in the Willamette River by the Ferry Steet Bridge on Friday afternoon.
just three hours from Eugene. Boating and fish
ing can also be done in nearby reservoirs such
as Fern Ridge, Hills Creek and Wickiup.
The University of Oregon Outdoor Program
offers hundreds of white water and kayaking
trips throughout the year on 19 different rivers
spanning the state. It also sells and rents out
used boating equipment.
Waterfront campers can set up tents all
along the banks of the Willamette and
McKenzie Rivers, but an even more adventur
ous place to camp is on the sandy beaches in
Florence. Numerous campgrounds can be
found near the water and less than a mile in
land. Both camp and bonfires can be made
here in the many fire pits lining the coast.
Camping equipment can be rented from the
OP Office located in the EMU. Students can
also reserve vehicles for access to different
OUTDOORS, page 6