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August 29, 1990—The Portland Observer-Page 5
Portland ObSeD/er
ai ^ í /T he locker room :
PSU’s Carlisle ready to prove value as starter
bv AARON FENTRESS
TO THE COMMUNITY
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR.
C
harity all star basket ball games
are a very hot item this summer,
with the primary beneficiaries being
the homeless, Boys Clubs, the United
Negro College Fund, and a host of
other non-profit organizations. On
August 10, the Isaiah Thomas Summer
Classic at the Palace of Auburn Hills
raised close to $300,000 for Detroits
Health Care for the Homeless Project
and Comic Relief, a national non-profit
organization that helps the homeless.
Comedians such as Billy Crystal, Kevin
Meaney, and Paula Pundstone, as well
as a host of NBA stars performed.
ISIAH THOMAS
Magic Johnson’s fifth Midsum
mers Night’s magic Weekend at the of Dallas. Wouldn’t it be real nice if
great Western, raised over $1.65 mil some of the local millionaires from our
lion for the United Negro College Fund Western Conference Champions could
through a black-tie-dinner, celebrity put a charity game together? Keep your
auction, and game itself, which fea eyes to the ground....
Rumeal Robinson, the Atlanta
tured many of the best in the NBA in
Hawks’
No.l pick, returned to his roots
cluding Johnson. This summers event
in
more
ways
than one earlier this month.
was the highest grossing of Johnson’s
Robinson,
who
led the U of Michigan to
charity games, which had previously
the
1989
NCAA
Championship, returned
raised over $2.5 million for the
to
the
area
on
August
1 Oth to watch the
UNCF.The third annual Larry’s (Bird)
Isaiah
Thomas
Summer
Classic in Au
Game was also held this summer at
burn
Hills,
MI.
But
before
the game,
Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
Robinson
and
76ers
forward
Rick Ma-
The benefit game gave the Celtic star
horn
took
time
to
visit
the
Cass
Center in
the chance to play in his home state
Detroit,
a
homeless
shelter
that
tends to
while raising scholarship money for
the
critical
health
needs
of
the
homeless
Indidana students attending college in
state. This years event was a sellout, and their families.
It was a scene not unfamiliar to
raising over $160,000.
Robinson,
who as a homeless 10-ycar
This past weekend, Dominique
old
would
seek food and shelter in a
(Atlanta) Wilkins/UNCF Classic was
Cambridge,
MA.
community center before
held at the OMNI, while Reggie Thcus
he
was
adopted
by Louis and Helen
hosted the UNCF/Rcggie Theus All-
Star Classic on this past Monday at the Ford.
“ You always have to have a dream” ,
Orlando Arena. Spud Webb will host
Robinson
told the children at the Cass
the sixth annual Spud Webb/Coca Cola
Center,
which
took care of over 7,000
Classic at Reunion Arena in his native
people
last
year.
“ If you work to make it
Dallas on Saturday, September 8, with
come
true,
anything
can happen.” Robin-
all proceeds benefiting the Boys Club
"MAGIC" JOHNSON
son and Mahom then chose eight chil
dren and took them over to the Palace
to work as ball boys at the Classic.
The Knicks Gerald Wilkins didn’t
have to overcome the same hardships
as Robinson while growing up in At
lanta, but reminders of his own youth
continually returned to him this sum
mer while touring the YMCAs of New
York on the teams MetLifc Summer
Caravan.
* ‘I remember playing sandlot bas
ketball on hard concrete with the rims
hanging down,” said Wilkins, who
along with teammates Kenny Walker,
Kiki Vandeweghe.Trent Tucker, and
No.l pick Jerrod Mustaf joined the
Caravan to help warn New York young
sters about the dangers of drugs and
drug abuse, “ it’s fun getting back to
experience your roots a little bit.”
“ Sometimes you get spoiled, but
this definitely opens your eyes and
makes you humble because you under
stand that this could have been you. If
you can help one or two of them, that’s
great...”
Heading into his senior
season at Portland State University
Joe Carlisle is looking to accomplish
two things before he closes out his
college football career. One, to
finally extablish himself as a full
time starting linebacker on the
Viking defense and two, to win a
national championship.
Carlisle was recruited by
PSU out of Garfield high school in
Seattle Washington.
Although
Carlisle didn’t start in high school he
played more than the starter, who
happened to be the coaches son, and
played well enough to be noticed by
the PSU coaching staff.
"Il didn't matter to me that I
didn't start because I played the most
and I knew rcalisticly I was the
starter. If not the coaches son," said
Carlisle.
After red-shirting in 1986
Carlisle backed up, all-confcrcncc,
linebacker Kurt Simmons in 1987
before becoming a part-time starter in
1988. Part-time due to the presence
of another talented linebacker. Prior
to the 1988 season, PSU recruited
Junior
College All-American
Linebacker
Mingo
Saluca
to
challenge Carlisle for his position.
Although Saluca never pushed
Carlisle out of the picture he did
challenge Carlisle enough to split
time.
"It became
the
same
situation as the one I had experienced
in high school," said Carlisle. "We
alternated every scries or sometimes
every game depending on who we
played."
When the Vikings played
run oriented teams Carlisle was called
upon due to his run stopping
abilities. When the Vikings played
passing teams Saluca stepped in and
utilized his quickness and speed.
Despite playing different amounts of
time week after week Carlisle says
the presence of Saluca only made
him better.
"Him being there simply
pushed me harder to prove that I
could
play."
said
Carlisle.
"Sometimes I felt like the coaches
were trying to push him ahead of me
because he was a J.C. all-amcrican.
But I knew as long as I played well
they couldn't keep me off the field."
Carlisle did prove he could
play on many occasions.
Aginst
Montana during the last game of the
1988 season, Carlisle recorded eight
tackles, and forced two fumbles. Yet
one bad game later Carlisle found
himself fighting for time during the
playoffs. Last season Carlisle started
during the playoffs against West
Chester (PA) and contributed to the
victory with eight tackles, two sacks,
a
fumble
recovery
and
an
interception, this time a "bad game"
did not follow. Carlisle would like to
maintain that consistency in 1990.
"I'd rather play consistently
good then up and down,” said
Carlisle. "In the past I've had some
great games but I'll be the first to tell
you I've had my bad days.”
With saluea gone and the
starting job locked down Carlisle has
his eyes set on a national
championship. PSU has come close
in the past, loosing the title game in
1987 and 1988.
"We’ve basically done it
all," said Carlisle. "We've been there
twice so just making it again won’t
mean anything. Our goal has to be
to win it all or we win nothing.”
After this season Carlisle
will be setting his sights on
graduation. Carlisle is a business
management major at PSU and plans
to attend graduate school.
"When it's over it's over,”
said Carlisle. "You can t play forever.
But I'll always have my degree."
Carlisle and the Vikings
open the 1990 season at home in
Civic stadium at 7 p.m. Sept. 1
Joe Carlisle
Good Times...Good Friends
Northeast Portland high schoolers from around the United States had the
opportunity to get re-acquainted last Friday at the fourth annual Gathering
Having fun
Old friends
Reminiscing
Mary McKeever, Carrie Hampton, Ada Little
Allen Brooks, Robert Butler, Don Forman
Remember when?
Charles Stroudghter hamming
it up at the annual Gathering
Good friends
School mates - Family
Lloyd Allen, Geneva Elliott and friend
Billy and Lillian Allen
and
Mr. and Mrs. Warren
Norma and Herman McKinner
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