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October 8 $9, 2005 • J&ne Events Center • Eugene
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IN BRIEF
Alex Smith named 49ers'
new starting quarterback
Overall No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith
was promoted to be the San Francisco
49ers’ starting quarterback on Tues
day, ascending to the job after just four
games as Tim Rattay’s backup.
Smith will make his first NFL start
on Sunday against Peyton Manning
and the Indianapolis Colts at Candle
stick Park. The former Utah star played
in two of the 49ers’ first four games,
losses to Philadelphia and Arizona.
Rattay completed 57.7 percent of his
passes this season for 677 yards, five
touchdowns and six interceptions. He
compiled impressive statistics in a sea
son-opening win over St. Louis and a
last-minute loss to Dallas.
Smith was the 49ers’ starter in their
first two exhibition games, but he
struggled to move the offense. His
throws frequently were hurried and in
accurate, and he still was learning the
intricacies of the West Coast offense.
—The Associated Press
Football: Penalties concern coach Bellotti
Marcus Larson | For The Emerald
Oregon defensive back Aaron Gipson returns an interception, his fourth in as many games,
against USC on Sept. 24.
Continued from page 5
The Ducks outscored Stanford 14-3 in
last weekend’s 44-20 route.
The Ducks have scored mor? than
their opponent in each quarter except
the last, where teams have outscored
the Ducks 37-32.
Likewise, Arizona State has
outscored its opponents big in the sec
ond quarter, holding a commanding
76-22 advantage, and the Sun Devils
have outscored opponents in the first
half by a whopping 111-29.
Injury Update
Comerback Aaron Gipson received
a concussion against Stanford and was
examined yesterday by doctors. The
senior leads the Ducks with four inter
ceptions on the season and is only one
shy of breaking into Oregon’s top 10
list for career interceptions.
According to Bellotti, Gipson is
expected to be available for Satur
day’s game.
Both Terrence Whitehead (with a
groin injury) and Jonathan Stewart
(with an ankle injury) are making
steady improvements and should be
in the lineup against Arizona State
as well, according to running backs
coach Gary Campbell. Whitehead
was held out of last weekend’s
game against Stanford and Stewart
carried only five times but scored
three total touchdowns.
landrews@dailyemercdd.com
Adams: NHL returns, fans will eventually come
Continued from page 5
predominant amount of fans who ar
gue against its logic, favoring to see the
winner be decided by skill in the field
rather than the penalty box. Is the
shoot-.out going to make every fan
happy? Probably not, but only time
will tell if it the shoot-out format, or
hockey in general, is going to be popu
lar enough to stay.
Another concern i have involves the
new limits imposed on the goalkeep
er’s equipment. The dimensions of this
equipment will be reduced by more
than 10 percent. Also instated is a re
quired one-inch reduction (to 11 inch
es) in the width of leg pads. The block
ing glove, upper-body protector, pants
and jersey are also going to be re
duced. This ultimately gives the shoot
er more net to work with, which
should result in higher scoring games.
Goalies can no longer play the puck di
rectly behind the net, unless they do so
outside of the inverted, trapezoid
shaped goalie box, which was added
in the off-season.
Let’s review where some of hock
ey’s biggest stars are returning to ac
tion. Player moves have given opti
mism to many teams vying for a
spot in the playoffs. They no longer
need to play for peanuts in Europe,
but might not be playing on the
same teams they hailed from in the
2003-2004 season.
Wayne Gretzky is back, but not at
the blue line. He is coaching the re
vamped Coyotes in Phoenix. Paul
Kariya is still not a Duck— he’s in
Nashville— but Scott Niedermayer
sure is. The Blue Jackets picked up
Adam Foote. Bobby Holik and Peter
Bondra have joined the Thrashers
and Sergei Gonchar and Ziggy Palffy
are Penguins. To make a long-wind
ed story short, the Stanley Cup is up
for grabs.
The biggest thing the NHL needs in
order to earn at least a second-string
gig in America’s world of sports is pa
tience. Patience from players, fans and
the same coaches who have been
blamed for coaching the game into ex
tinction. It is essential for hockey’s sur
vival, seeing as it is currently on life
support. Coaches need to realize that
the sport is on the brink and needs
high-octane offense to become more
audience-friendly.
Once fans can figure out their
team’s rosters and see the sport for
both what it once was and what it is
trying to be, they should start coming
back to the rinks like a teenager who
comes across a cherished childhood
trinket boxed away in the attic. People
will come. Maybe not today, and
maybe not tomorrow, but — someday
— people will come... back.
sadams @ dailyemerald. com