¡ports
Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2009
The Clackamas Print 5
I »
ten’s basketball preps for tourneys
streak with the Spokane/North Idaho Tournament
in Spokane, Wash, an eight team tournament
held Dec. 8 through 10, which they will open
against Green River, who the Cougars played
Even though the preseason has just begun, in the NWAACC semifinals last season. The
there is no reason to think that the Cougars men’s Cougars are hoping to get to the championship
basketball team is not hard at work. The Cougars game to play Northern Idaho, a National Junior
will play in three tournaments this December College Athletic Association team, ranked num
before the Northwest Athletic Association of ber one on the top ten national poll. But in order
Community Colleges season begins, the maxi for that to happen, both teams must win their
qualifying matches.
mum they are allowed to compete in.
The Cougars, a two year NWAACC champi
The Cougars will next face Bellevue
on team, will be defending their title this season Community College for the first qualifying
and hope to get a look at the other teams’ rosters match of the Blue Mountain Community College
during the preseason, especially during the tour NWAACC Crossover Tournament on Dec. 17.
naments where they can see multiple teams at The tournament is an eight team tournament
once. But that is not all that they get out of the and will be hosted in Bellevue, Wash. Dec. 17
tournaments.
through 19.
“It’s a bonding experience because you go
“A lot of people counted us out because we
away and you hang out together for a whole lost a lot of good players ... (but) I think that we
weekend. You’re in hotels together, you’re at can win it all,” said Hayes.
every meal together, you play games, you prac
Though the Cougars are most excited about
tice; it’s just the time for teammates to learn the Spokane/North Idaho Tournament, fans can
about each other and see each other away from look forward to the only tournament hosted by
the court,” said Clif Wegner, Cougars men’s bas Clackamas this preseason, the annual Clackamas
ketball head coach, who has lead the team to nine Holiday Tournament, which Wegner estimates
championship matches since he started coaching has been going on for at least 20 years.
for Clackamas in the 1998-1999 season.
“It’s been a fixture in the NWAACC for quite
Even though they haven’t played a tourna some time and Clif has just done a great job with
ment yet, the team can feel the closeness grow it,” said Assistant Coach Paul Fiskum; “It always
has some of the top teams in the NWAACC, the
ing.
“At first it was just like, I’m going to get mine historical top teams ... It’s always a really good
and you’re going to get yours, but I think that tournament.”
everybody wants to win so people are adjusting
The Holiday Tournament is an eight team
to each other’s game,” said sophomore wing/ tournament hosted by the Cougars Dec. 28
post Derrick Hayes.
through 30. The Cougars begin the tournament
Though they haven’t played many games so against Yakima Valley Community College on
far, the Cougars have been using their preseason the 28th. Lower Columbia College won the
to the fullest, hoping to become a stronger team tournament overall last year but will not be par
by the time the NWAACC, season begins in ticipating in it this year.
January.
Prices to attend the Holiday tourney are a
“It’s been productive ... It seems like each steal, as Clackamas Community College stu
time we played, we exposed some things that dents with a student ID and children under the
we needed to fix so we started correcting those age of seven get in free. Adults pay $5 and stu
in practice and the kids have responded and dents without their IDs pay $3 at the door.
concentrated. I think that they’re better than they
If you don’t want to wait for the Clackamas
were before we started playing the scrimmages,” Holiday Tournament to see the Cougars in
said Wegner.
action at home, you can watch them scrimmage
The Cougars will begin the three tournament Bellevue on Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. in Randall Gym.
By Katherine Suydam
The Clackamas Print
John Petty Clackamas Print
iamas’ men’s basketball team practices hard on Nov. 29 in
lall Gym as they prepare for their upcoming tournaments.
iA joins NFL with a possible lockout
By Robert Morrison
Sports Editor
light of recent news, I have decided to
bore attention to lockouts in the world
Sessional sports. This time it hits closer
me. Most people here in Portland have
a love for our Trail Blazers, but Blazers
rod basketball fans in general have an
a very probable NBA lockout.
the past few weeks, I have written about
legos, overpaid athletes and a possible
lockout. In recent news, it looks like
of the topics in those columns will play
in what now looks to be a tough 2011
fNBA and the National Basketball Player
iation have been in negotiations for the
fear about a new collective bargaining
stay at a stable price. On the other side the
NBPA is saying that revenue and ticket sales
are at a record high. With no imminent deal on
the horizon, neither side will be correct if the
ticket sales hit zero at the start of next season.
The negatives of an NBA lockout are very
similar to that of an NFL lockout: the teams
and players lose money, fans are unable to
watch a professional sport, ticket sales hit the
zero mark and television companies that air the
sport lose money. Also, cities that only have
a professional basketball team and no other
sports teams will lose a part of their tourism
and revenue that comes with having a profes
sional team. It’s hard to pay for an arena if no
one pays to come watch a team play in it.
The NBA isn’t the only industry that would
be affected with a lockout. How about the jobs
of hundreds of sports journalists? What will
they do if there is no NBA or NFL in the same
year, especially if that is their area of focus?
Sports writers would either have to write out
of there element or write about what their
readers don’t want to read from them. Not to
mention the fact that there could be lay-offs.
I don’t think a newspaper would-want to pay
for a sports writer if there is hardly anything
sports-related to write about.
According to reports done by NBA.com and
Sports Day, NBPA executive director Billy
Hunter said he is “99 percent sure” there will
be a lockout next summer. Hunter has also
gone so far as to tell players to save their
money.
The last NBA lockout happened in the 1998
season and lasted 50 games, more than half of
the season. This is the last thing anyone wants
to happen again.
With two professional sports in flux, the
sports world is in distress over what to think
and what to do. The possibility of both the
NBA and NFL in lockouts next year could have
both social and economical consequences.
Sports fans and cities alike should beware the
lockout; in a lockout no one wins.
food
în
Oregon Chy
Mexican Restaurant Oregon City, Oregon
Lunch
and
Danner
Specials Daily
KARAOKE
Thurs. 9 p.m.-12 a.m.
Fri. & Sät. 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Kids nights every Wednesday
Kids eat free w/one adult meal
Magician and Balloon Wizard
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Follow us on:
Twitter: TachosinOC
Facebook: Tacho Espinoza
503-655-5562
515 Molalla Ave
Oregon City, Oregon
Tachosrestaurant.com