SPORTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017
2018 Olympics
US team
still plans
to compete
despite
confusion
1B
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Prep Basketball
Tigers grind out win over Honkers
Trump administration
calls US participation
“an open question”
By EDDIE PELLS
Associated Press
Members of the Trump
administration surprised the
U.S. Olympic Committee
by suggesting the nation’s
participation at the upcoming
Pyeongchang Games in South
Korea was “an
open question,”
and the USOC
responded by
saying it has no
plans on pulling
out.
The confu-
sion began when U.N. ambas-
sador Nikki Haley, in response
to a question in a Fox News
interview, said “There’s an
open question” about whether
the U.S. team would travel to
South Korea, where tensions
have grown high after a series
of missile tests in North Korea
and infl ammatory rhetoric
between its leader, Kim Jong-
un, and U.S. President Donald
Trump.
The USOC responded
with a statement Thursday
saying plans to compete in
the Olympics, which run Feb.
9-25, hadn’t changed. Shortly
after that, White House
spokeswoman Sarah Huck-
abee Sanders told reporters
“no offi cial decision has been
made.”
She later clarifi ed in a
tweet , saying: “The U.S.
looks forward to participating
in the Winter Olympics in
South Korea. The protection
of Americans is our top
priority and we are engaged
with the South Koreans and
other partner nations to secure
the venues.”
The USOC doesn’t receive
federal funding, and techni-
cally, the offi cial decision on
participating belongs to the
committee and the athletes
themselves, all of whom
would be guided by directives
See OLYMPICS/3B
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Stanfi eld head coach Devin Bailey watches the action during the Tigers’ 61-58 win against Arlington at the Columbia River Clash on
Thursday in Umatilla.
Inexperienced Stanfi eld team learning what it takes to win at varsity level
By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
East Oregonian
UMATILLA — The Stanfi eld
Tigers held off Arlington 61-58
Thursday night, led by their
Christmas sweater-wearing fi rst
year coach.
The defending runner-up boys
basketball team jumped out to a
early fi ve-point lead in the game,
which took place during the fi rst
day of the Columbia River Clash in
Umatilla.
Trying to protect that lead, junior
Eddie Nunez charged toward the
basket and was fouled.
On the opposite end of the court,
as soon as Nunez’s free throw
attempt caught the net, a man with
a grizzly beard — in a outfi t you
would peg for an ugly sweater party
— threw his hands up and cheered
with a big smile on his face.
It wasn’t a parent, or even a
fellow high schooler — although
he’s not far removed from his Tiger
days. It was fi rst-year head coach
Devin Bailey, 23, who was put in
charge after Jason Sperr left and
Boys Basketball
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Stanfi eld head coach Devin Bailey draws up a play during a time
out during the Tigers’ 61-58 win against Arlington at the Columbia
River Clash on Thursday in Umatilla.
took with him practically the entire
roster.
“We’re shooting about 30-per-
cent from free throws right now
and Eddie himself is shooting
about 20-percent from free
throws right now, so we’ve been
really stressing free throws,”
Bailey said. “And he fi nally made
one so I fi gured I’d give him a
good, ‘Heck yeah.’”
Nunez’s free throw capped off an
Arlington
Stanfi eld
58
61
11-8 run by Stanfi eld and started an
exciting last six minutes of the fi rst
half, during which the lead changed
three times.
After a tough 32 minutes of
play, the Tigers (2-4) needed a
few more ‘heck yeah’ moments
to hold off the Honkers for the
61-58 victory. The only varsity
returner, senior Brody Woods, led
the way.
To Bailey, the effort hinted at
improvement. After a second
place fi nish in Class 2A last season
with an impressive 22-2 record,
Stanfi eld graduated 10 of the 11
regulars on the varsity roster —
one of whom was Bailey’s younger
brother, Ryan.
“We’ve just got to keep getting
better as a team, that was a close
See TIGERS/3B
MLB
Mariners acquire Dee Gordon from Marlins
Move could also boost
odds for signing Japanese
phenom Shohei Otani
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File
Dee Gordon has been traded from the Miami Marlins to
the Seattle Mariners for three prospects in a deal that
marks the start of the Marlins’ latest payroll purge, this
time under new CEO Derek Jeter.
Trade Details
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
• Mariners receive: INF/OF Dee
Gordon, $1 million in international
bonus pool allotment.
• Marlins receive: RHP Nick Nei-
dert, INF Chris Torres, RHP Robert
Dugger.
SEATTLE — Landing Dee Gordon
via trade is an immediate upgrade for
the Seattle Mariners.
Getting Gordon may ultimately help
the Mariners land the most coveted prize
of the offseason: Shohei Ohtani.
Seattle pulled off one of the biggest
moves of the offseason to date by
acquiring Gordon from the Miami
Marlins for three minor leaguers on
Thursday. While the addition of Gordon
is a major boost for Seattle, the other
item that came from the Marlins could
prove more important.
The Mariners also received $1
million in international bonus pool
allocation. Seattle now has the most
available money in the bonus pool of
any major league team, inching ahead of
the Texas Rangers by $22,500. Seattle
has $3,557,500 available to the Rangers’
$3,535,000.
“It’s nice to have,” Seattle general
manager Jerry Dipoto said.
Dipoto hasn’t been shy in saying
Ohtani is Seattle’s top offseason
priority, and the Mariners have made
aggressive moves in the past two days to
help bolster their chances to sign the star
Japanese pitcher and outfi elder. They
See GORDON/2B
Sports shorts
Oklahoma’s Mayfi eld takes home
AP Player of the Year honors
NEW YORK (AP) — Baker Mayfi eld is The
Associated Press college football Player of the
Year, becoming the fourth Oklahoma quarter-
back to win the award since it was established
in 1998.
Mayfi eld, the Heisman Trophy
favorite, easily outpointed Stanford
running back Bryce Love, who
came in second. Louisville
quarterback Lamar Jackson, the
other fi nalist and last season’s
Heisman winner, was third.
Mayfi eld
Mayfi eld received 51 fi rst-place
votes from the 56 AP college football poll voters
who submitted player of the year ballots, and a
total of 157 points.
Love (83 points) and Jackson (39 points)
each received two fi rst-place votes and Penn
State running Saquon Barkley received a
fi rst-place vote and came in fourth.
“Getting to hear [Coach
Mike] Yeo’s pregame
speech was something
... It’s something I’ll
never forget. This was
my Christmas present.“
— Tyler Stewart
A 25-year-old vending machine
worker and St. Louis Blues season
ticket holder that dressed as the
Blues’ emergency goalie for the
Thursday’s game against Dallas.
Stewart was signed after the backup
was injured at the morning skate
and the minor leagues couldn’t
make it by game time.
NHL will consider expansion
application from Seattle
MANALAPAN, Fla. (AP) — NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league’s
board of governors has agreed to consider
an expansion application from
Seattle.
Bettman said the expansion
fee has been set at $650 million
for Seattle, which would
become the league’s 32nd team,
if approved. He made the announcement
Thursday after the fi rst day of the board of
governors meeting.
Bill Foley paid a $500 million expansion fee
for the Vegas Golden Knights. They began play
this season.
Seattle plans to have a new arena ready by
2020 with the intent of luring an NHL and an
NBA team as anchor tenants.
Bettman says Seattle is the only city being
considered for expansion at the moment.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1940 — The Chicago Bears
beat the Washington Redskins
73-0 for the most one-sided
victory in NFL Championship
play.
2000 — Shaquille O’Neal
sets an NBA record by going
0-for-11 from the free-throw
line as the SuperSonics beat
the Lakers 103-95. He broke
Wilt Chamberlain’s record,
who went 0-for-10 for Phil-
adelphia against Detroit on
Nov. 4, 1960. O’Neal had 26
points and 16 rebounds.
2013 Zach Johnson rallies
from four shots behind with
eight holes to play and beats
Tiger Woods, the No. 1
player in golf, at the World
Challenge.
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