East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, February 07, 2018, Image 8

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Newspaper Page TextPage 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Wednesday, February 7, 2018 NBC looks to give viewers apolitical Olympic coverage Network adding new wrinkles as well By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK — Fresh off the Super Bowl, NBC begins more than two weeks of Winter Olympics coverage on Thursday with a new host, some new wrinkles and the hope that its business model keeps pace with the different ways people experience events on television and online. Some skiing and figure skating competition takes place Thursday in South Korea. NBC will stream the Olympic opening ceremony from Pyeongyang live early Friday in the United States, then repeat it that evening for television viewers with Mike Tirico and Katie Couric as hosts. NBC parent Comcast Corp. placed a $963 million bet — the Pyeongchang rights fee — on Amer- icans wanting to take a breather from arguments in Washington to watch athletes prospect for gold on snow or ice. “This is a wonderful opportunity to be apolitical in a time when that’s been very difficult to do,” said Couric, who’s making a return to NBC for the Olympics. That may be a tough sell. There’s always more attention paid to summer Olympics than the winter sports, and distant locations tend to AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File In this Feb. 6, 2018 file photo, a photographer walks down the steps underneath a large banner at the Gangneung Hockey Center ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. Fresh off the Super Bowl, NBC begins more than two weeks of Winter Olympics coverage on Feb. 8 with a new host, some new wrinkles and the hope that its business model keeps pace with the different ways people experience events on television and online. depress interest, too. “It definitely feels like it’s more quiet, more subdued, than previous Olympic seasons,” said Ashwin Navin, CEO of Samba TV, an analytics firm that measures television viewing. Adam Schwartz, an analyst for Horizon Media, said he’s noticed a lack of enthusiasm among many advertisers, some related to curiosity over how the time zone difference will play out (Pyeongchang is 14 hours ahead of the eastern United States). NBC has already estimated it has booked more than $900 million in national advertising. “Outside of (American skier) Lindsey Vonn, there hasn’t been much buzz,” Schwartz said. Tirico, formerly of ESPN, replaces Bob Costas as host of NBC’s prime-time coverage and already he’s being asked to put in more hours. For the first time, NBC will air its evening coverage live across the country, meaning the broadcast that starts at 8 p.m. on the East Coast starts at 5 p.m. out West. With a half-hour break for local news, Tirico will stay on the air each evening until 2 a.m. Eastern time, coinciding with the end of prime-time out West. NBC believes the time zone difference will serve the American audience well. Since prime evening viewing time coincides with daylight hours in South Korea, it means more live events than usual when most viewers are available. NBC’s coverage team is well stocked with veterans; essayist Jimmy Roberts is covering his 17th Olympics and Mary Carillo is on her 14th. Yet there are some notable changes for Olympic followers. The colorful team of Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir take over as lead analysts for the marquee sport of figure skating, replacing Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic. Hockey announcing legend Mike “Doc” Emrick, who doesn’t want to make the long journey, will be missed. Former Olympic skier Bode Miller and speed skater Joey Cheek will be new analysts. In addition to the return of Olympic enthusiast Leslie Jones of “Saturday Night Live,” NBC will add a couple of left-field choices for cultural correspondents in race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Momofuku restaurant founder David Chang. NBC’s prime-time coverage is the window through which most Americans experience the Olym- pics, but it’s only a fraction of what is offered. All the competition will be streamed online, and coverage is also available on the NBCSN sports cable network, CNBC, USA and the Olympic Channel. NBCSN even airs different Olympics coverage during prime time and, coupled with the online options, gives couch-bound viewers the chance for a multi-screen experience. The options are great for consumers, but present a challenge to NBC. Traditionally, the success of the Olympics from a business and public perception standpoint is measured by the ratings for NBC’s prime-time broadcast. NBC is virtually certain to see a smaller audience than Sochi four years ago, simply because people are watching less live TV than they used to. To illustrate: a sampling of 10 current programs that were also on the air four years ago shows all have lost viewers, ranging from 5 percent (CBS’ “Blue Bloods”) to 59 percent (NBC’s “Blacklist”). So NBC will try to change the story by releasing each day an estimate of how many people expe- rienced the Olympics over all of its platforms, not just the prime-time ratings. “A viewer is a viewer,” said Dan Lovinger, NBC’s executive vice president of sports advertising sales. “If they’re passionate about the Olympics, it doesn’t matter whether they’re on NBCSN, on the broad- cast network or digital. We just have to find ways to put it all together, and that narrative has definitely changed. It’s changed drastically.” MLB Players union head says rebuilding teams threaten integrity of game By RONALD BLUM Associated Press NEW YORK — Players’ union head Tony Clark claims the number of rebuilding teams and unsigned free agents in a historically slow market threatens the sport’s integrity, an assertion imme- diately rejected by Major League Baseball. In a statement and a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Clark voiced the frustration of the 100-plus free agents who remain unsigned with the start of spring training one week away. “A record number of talented free agents remain unemployed in an industry where revenues and franchise values are at record highs,” he said in a statement, eight days before the first formal work- outs. “Spring training has always been associated with hope for a new season. This year a significant number of teams are engaged in a race to the bottom. This conduct is a fundamental breach of the trust between a team and its fans and threatens the very integrity of our game.” Just 61 of 166 players who exercised their free agency rights last November had announced agreements as of Tuesday, down from 99 of 158 at a similar time last year. J.D. Martinez, Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are among the stars still seeking a place to play. While the players’ associ- ation has shown no interest in agent Brodie Van Wagenen’s suggestion that players consider boycotting spring training, the union could announce this week that it will open a training camp for free agents. It would be similar to the one that operated after the 7 ½-month strike in 1994-95. Scott Boras, the sport’s most well-known agent, has called the increased number of rebuilding teams a “noncompetitive cancer.” “We’re finding ourselves asking questions that we never thought we would have to ask before, which is are there concerns about the compet- itive integrity of the game itself?” Clark told the AP. “When it turns to fans being able to see or wanting to see the best 750 players and those 750-plus players wanting to play against the best players, AP Photo/Morry Gash, File In this 2017 file photo, Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Players Association, answers ques- tions at a news conference in Phoenix. when that becomes part of the conversion it’s just not beneficial to anybody.” MLB attributed the amount of unsigned players to a misreading of the market- place. Just one free agent has agreed to a deal worth $50 million or more: first baseman Carlos Santana’s $60 million, three-year contract with Cleveland. In addition, outfielder Justin Upton reached a $106 million, five- year contract to stay with the Los Angeles Angels rather than become a free agent. “Our clubs are committed to putting a winning product on the field for their fans,” the commissioner’s office said in a statement. “Owners own teams for one reason: They want to win. In baseball, it has always been true that clubs go through cyclical, multiyear strategies directed at winning.” Many teams have concluded there are just two successful strategies: all-in or all-out. Either add veterans around a core group or jettison pricey players and start over. That was reinforced when Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series four years after losing 101 games and Houston took last year’s title four years after losing 111. “It is common at this point in the calendar to have large numbers of free agents unsigned,” MLB added. “What is uncommon is to have some of the best free agents sitting unsigned even though they have substantial offers, some in nine figures. It is the responsibility of player’s agents to value their clients in a constantly changing free-agent market based on factors such as positional demand, advanced analytics and the impact of the new Basic Agreement. To lay responsibility on the clubs for the failure of some agents to accurately assess the market is unfair, unwarranted, and inflammatory.” Boras maintains the collective bargaining agree- ment’s toughened luxury tax has combined with restraints on signing bonuses for amateur draft picks to cause teams to value young players even more than previously. jettison veterans and rebuild in an attempt to form a young core that can compete in future years. Boras, who represents Martinez, Arrieta, Hosmer and Moustakas, said marketplace dynamics were transformed by the increase in rebuilding teams under the five-year labor contract agreed to in November 2016. “There is a number of teams, let’s call it 10 or 12 in baseball, that are tearing down and rebuilding,” Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said last month. “You could argue that you’re going to compete with more clubs to try to get the first pick in the draft than you would to win the World Series.” For Clark, Dipoto’s state- ment was an indictment of baseball’s current state. “OK, well, wait a minute, if that is the M.O. (modus operandi) now, then what are we really doing here?” Clark told the AP. “The entire backdrop of the CBA itself is grounded in competitive balance. That has been the focal point.” With players angered over the market, they have refused to accept any of MLB’s proposals to speed pace of play, such as a pitch clock or limits on mound visits. “This is where our focus is right now,” Clark said. Pro Basketball Westbrook, George lead Thunder rout of Durant, Warriors in Oakland By JANIE MCCAULEY Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. — Russell Westbrook had 34 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to get the better of old buddy and teammate Kevin Durant, Paul George scored 38 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder embarrassed the defending NBA Oklahoma City Golden State 125 105 champion Golden State Warriors 125-105 on Tuesday night to snap a four- game losing streak. Durant scored 33 points but didn’t get as much help from the cold-shooting Splash Brothers of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who added 21 and 12 points, respectively. They combined to go 11 of 27 from the floor and 4 for 15 on 3-pointers as the Warriors lost for the third time in four games. They lost their tempers, too — as in five technicals total. Draymond Green was ejected with 8:13 remaining after a second technical when he argued with the officials. The sellout crowd went crazy when Durant was called for a foul with 1:35 remaining in the third and replays show that Westbrook had clearly slipped and no contact was made. Warriors owner Joe Lacob tossed his jacket in disgust. By the 6:32 mark of the fourth quarter and the blowout still in force, fans began leaving the building. Westbrook shot 13 for 26 and George went 11 of 23 with six 3-pointers. Carmelo Anthony sprained his right ankle early in the game, but Oklahoma City never slowed down in ending a seven-game skid at Oracle Arena with its first win on the Warriors’ home floor since a 116-97 victory on April 11, 2013. Westbrook scored 21 points in the first quarter, making nine of his first 10 shots as the Thunder led 42-30. They never trailed. SCOREBOARD Local slate PREP BOYS BASKETBALL Thursday Umatilla at Riverside, 7:30 p.m. Friday Hermiston at Pendleton, 7 p.m. Echo at Wallowa, 7 p.m. Joseph at Helix, 7 p.m. Vale at Irrigon, 7:30 p.m. Stanfield at Weston-McEwen, 7:30 p.m. Pilot Rock at Heppner, 7:30 p.m. Ione at Sherman, 7:30 p.m. Horizon Christian at Condon/Wheeler, 7:30 p.m. South Wasco at Arlington, 7:30 p.m. Nixyaawii at Pine Eagle, 7:30 p.m. Saturday Weston-McEwen at Culver, 4 p.m. Mitchell/Spray at Arlington, 4 p.m. Mac-Hi at Ontario, 5:30 p.m. Nixyaawii at Joseph, 5 p.m. Pilot Rock at Stanfield, 5:30 p.m. Nyssa at Riverside, 5:30 p.m. Condon/Wheeler at Ione, 5:30 p.m. Cove at Echo, 5:30 p.m. Helix at Pine Eagle, 5:30 p.m. Burns at Umatilla, 6:30 p.m. PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL Thursday Umatilla at Riverside, 6 p.m. Friday Echo at Wallowa, 5 p.m. Hermiston at Pendleton, 5:30 p.m. Vale at Irrigon, 6 p.m. Stanfield at Weston-McEwen, 6 p.m. Pilot Rock at Heppner, 6 p.m. Ione at Sherman, 6 p.m. Horizon Christ. at Condon/Wheeler, 6 p.m. South Wasco at Arlington, 6 p.m. Joseph at Helix, 6 p.m. Nixyaawii at Pine Eagle, 7 p.m. Saturday Weston-McEwen at Culver, 2:30 p.m. Mitchell/Spray at Arlington, 2:30 p.m. Mac-Hi at Ontario, 3 p.m. Nixyaawii at Joseph, 3:30 p.m. Cove at Echo, 3:30 p.m. Helix at Pine Eagle, 4 p.m. Pilot Rock at Stanfield, 4 p.m. Nyssa at Riverside, 4 p.m. Condon/Wheeler at Ione, 4 p.m. Burns at Umatilla, 5 p.m. PREP SWIMMING Saturday Pendleton, Hermiston at District Meet (at Hood River), 10 a.m. PREP WRESTLING Friday Pendleton, Hermiston at Districts (at Redmond), 2 p.m. Saturday Pendleton, Hermiston at Districts (at Redmond), 9 a.m. Mac-Hi at Districts (at La Grande), 10 a.m. MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Wednesday BMCC at Yakima Valley, 8 p.m. Friday EOU at Warner Pacifc, 7:30 p.m. Saturday Columbia Basin at BMCC, 4 p.m. EOU at Multnomah WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL Wednesday BMCC at Yakima Valley, 6 p.m. Friday EOU at Warner Pacifc, 5:30 p.m. Saturday Columbia Basin at BMCC, 2 p.m. EOU at Multnomah, 5:30 p.m. Basketball NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Boston 39 16 Toronto 37 16 Philadelphia 26 25 New York 23 32 Brooklyn 19 36 Pct GB .709 — .698 1 .510 11 .418 16 .345 20 Southeast Division W L Pct GB Washington 31 23 .574 — Miami 29 25 .537 2 Charlotte 23 30 .434 7½ Orlando 17 36 .321 13½ Atlanta 17 37 .315 14 Central Division W L Pct GB Cleveland 30 22 .577 — Milwaukee 30 23 .566 ½ Indiana 30 25 .545 1½ Detroit 26 26 .500 4 Chicago 18 35 .340 12½ WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB Houston 39 13 .750 — San Antonio 34 21 .618 6½ New Orleans 28 25 .528 11½ Memphis 18 35 .340 21½ Dallas 17 37 .315 23 Northwest Division W L Pct GB Minnesota 34 22 .607 — Oklahoma City 31 24 .564 2½ Denver 29 25 .537 4 Portland 29 25 .537 4 Utah 25 28 .472 7½ Pacific Division W L Pct GB Golden State 41 13 .759 — L.A. Clippers 27 25 .519 13 L.A. Lakers 22 31 .415 18½ Phoenix 18 37 .327 23½ Sacramento 17 36 .321 23½ ——— Tuesday’s Games Orlando 116, Cleveland 98 Atlanta 108, Memphis 82 Houston 123, Brooklyn 113 Milwaukee 103, New York 89 Toronto 111, Boston 91 Philadelphia 115, Washington 102 L.A. Lakers 112, Phoenix 93 Oklahoma City 125, Golden State 105 Wednesday’s Games Brooklyn at Detroit, 4 p.m. Houston at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Indiana at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Minnesota at Cleveland, 5 p.m. Utah at Memphis, 5 p.m. San Antonio at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. NCAA Men’s Basketball Top 25 Schedule Tuesday No. 5 Xavier 98, Butler 93 Northwestern 61, No. 20 Michigan 52 No. 15 Tennessee 61, No. 24 Kentucky 59 No. 6 Cincinnati 77, UCF 40 No. 4 Michigan St 96, Iowa 93 No. 10 Kansas 71, TCU 64 No. 22 Wichita St 85, Memphis 65 Wednesday St. John’s at No. 1 Villanova, 4 p.m. (CBSSN) No. 2 Virginia at Florida St., 4 p.m. Wake Forest at No. 25 Miami, 4 p.m. (ESPN2) No. 14 Ohio St at No. 3 Purdue, 5:30 p.m. Iowa St at No. 7 Texas Tech, 6 p.m. (ESPNU) Texas A&M at No. 8 Auburn, 6 p.m. (ESPN2) UNLV at No. 23 Nevada, 8 p.m. (CBSSN) Pac-12 Schedule Tuesday No games scheduled. Wednesday Cal at Colorado, 8 p.m. (ESPNU) NCAA Women’s Basketball Top 25 Schedule Tuesday No games scheduled. Wednesday No. 1 UConn at UCF, 4 p.m. (ESPN3) Clemson at No. 4 Louisville, 4 p.m. Wake Forest at No. 19 Duke, 4 p.m. No. 22 Oklahoma St at No. 24 TCU, 4:30 p.m. Hockey NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Tampa Bay 53 36 14 3 Boston 51 32 11 8 Toronto 55 31 19 5 Pts 75 72 67 GF GA 189 140 167 123 179 154 Florida 51 23 22 6 52 146 164 Detroit 52 21 23 8 50 136 154 Montreal 53 22 25 6 50 139 164 Ottawa 52 18 25 9 45 137 179 Buffalo 53 14 29 10 38 120 175 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 53 31 17 5 67 165 154 Pittsburgh 55 30 22 3 63 169 166 New Jersey 52 27 17 8 62 157 156 Philadelphia 53 25 19 9 59 152 155 Columbus 53 27 22 4 58 139 150 N.Y. Islanders 54 26 22 6 58 181 197 Carolina 54 24 21 9 57 144 164 N.Y. Rangers 53 25 23 5 55 156 162 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts Winnipeg 54 32 13 9 73 Nashville 51 32 12 7 71 St. Louis 55 32 20 3 67 Dallas 54 31 19 4 66 Minnesota 53 29 19 5 63 Colorado 52 29 19 4 62 Chicago 53 24 21 8 56 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts Vegas 53 35 14 4 74 San Jose 53 28 17 8 64 Calgary 53 27 18 8 62 Anaheim 55 26 19 10 62 Los Angeles 52 28 19 5 61 Edmonton 51 23 24 4 50 Vancouver 53 21 26 6 48 Arizona 53 12 32 9 33 ——— Tuesday’s Games Pittsburgh 5, Vegas 4 Anaheim 4, Buffalo 3, OT Washington 3, Columbus 2 Philadelphia 2, Carolina 1, OT Ottawa 5, New Jersey 3 Boston 3, Detroit 2 Florida 3, Vancouver 1 Minnesota 6, St. Louis 2 Winnipeg 4, Arizona 3 Calgary 3, Chicago 2 Colorado 3, San Jose 1 GF GA 176 143 161 131 155 140 167 140 159 152 167 150 155 148 GF GA 181 145 153 145 150 151 155 159 148 126 144 163 138 171 122 186 Wednesday’s Games Nashville at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. Boston at N.Y. Rangers, 5 p.m. Edmonton at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m. Olympics PYEONGCHANG WINTER OLYMPICS Television Schedule Wednesday, Feb. 7 NBCSN 8-11 p.m. — Alpine Skiing: Men’s Down- hill Training; Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia ——— Thursday, Feb. 8 NBC 5-8:30 p.m. — Figure Skating: Team Event (LIVE), Men’s Short Program, Pairs’ Short Program; Freestyle Skiing: Men’s & Women’s Moguls NBCSN 11 p.m.- 3 a.m. — Mixed Doubles Curling: Canada vs. Norway, China vs. Switzerland 3-7 a.m. — Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Canada (LIVE), China vs. South Korea; Ski Jumping: Men’s Individual Normal Hill 5-8:35 p.m. — Mixed Doubles Curling: United States vs. Switzerland; Alpine Ski- ing: Men’s Downhill Training (LIVE); Luge: Men’s Training 8:35-10:30 p.m. — Mixed Doubles Curl- ing: United States vs. South Korea (LIVE) ——— Friday, Feb. 9 NBC 5-8 p.m. — Opening Ceremony Golf PGA TOUR AT&T PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM Site: Pebble Beach, Calif. Purse: $7.4 million. Winner’s share: $1,332,000. Television: Thursday-Friday, 12-3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel), 1-4 p.m. (CBS); Sunday, 10- 11:45 a.m. (Golf Channel); 12-3 p.m. (CBS).