A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAy, JuNE 5, 2019
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An inside look at the Jail Blazers
once proud 14,000 down to
8,000.
Issues with players like
Rod Strickland, Donto-
nio Wingfield, Jermaine
O’Neal, Gary Trent, Rider,
Wallace and Cliff Robinson,
among others, drove fans
away.
“The Blazers lost a lot
respect, and it showed at
the box office,” Eggers
said. “That’s when (owner)
Paul Allen went in a differ-
ent direction and fired Bob
Whitsitt. Paul lived with
it for so long because they
won games. He allowed
that. Bob spent Paul’s
money and never got to
the NBA Finals, and put up
with the other stuff. It was a
change for the better.”
While doing research
for the book, former Blazer
Steve Kerr (2001-02), now
head coach of Golden State,
said the team did not like the
term Jail Blazers.
“Kerr said it was exag-
gerated,” Eggers said.
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Portland Trail Blazers
fans can get an inside look
at the team Wednesday, June
5, from a man who has wit-
nessed the good, the bad and
the ugly of the team for the
better part of three decades.
Kerry Eggers, of the
Portland Tribune, will have
a meet and greet at Sundown
Grill and Bar-B-Q in Pend-
leton, starting at 5:30 p.m.
A social hour will be fol-
lowed by Eggers talking
about his new book “Jail
Blazers: How the Portland
Trail Blazers Became the
Bad Boys of Basketball”
and a discussion about this
year’s team, which reached
the Western Conference
Finals for the first time since
2000.
Eggers’ book takes read-
ers into the world of the
Blazers from 1995 to 2005,
where drugs, infidelity, atti-
tude and run-ins with the
law were a regular part of
the Portland sports scene.
Eggers said it took him
nearly a year to write the
book, which includes inter-
views with roughly 70 peo-
ple — 25 players, all the
head coaches during the
time, referees, broadcasters
and guys who worked the
police beat.
“There were a wide vari-
ety of opinions during that
time,” Eggers said. “This
is a very balanced look at a
very interesting time. They
were nationally known.
They had success and con-
troversy. I reached out to
every significant person in
that era. I did not get to talk
Coming home
Photo courtesy of Kerry Eggers
Author Kerry Eggers, right, presents former Portland Trail Blazer and now Golden State coach Steve Kerr, with a copy of “Jail
Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball.”
to some players. Some did
not want to talk, and some
could not be reached.”
Included in that group
were former Portland gen-
eral manager Bob Whitsitt,
and players J.R. Rider and
Rasheed Wallace.
The book, which came
out Nov. 27, 2018, is more
than 500 pages. With Chap-
ter 8 being Armageddon,
Almost Every Week, it
makes you want to skip a
page or two.
Reviews from fellow
authors have been more
than positive.
“One of the great cult
teams in NBA history
deserves its own book (and,
for that matter, movie).
Eggers is the perfect chron-
icler and he delivers with
(pardon the pun) this blunt
retelling,” writes Jon Wert-
heim, executive editor of
Sports Illustrated.
“It’s nice that I have
gotten endorsements from
other great writers,” Eggers
said. “I appreciate that.”
An inside look
Beat writers for teams
get a unique perspective
into the lives of players and
inner workings of the team,
whether it be high school,
college or pro. When it
comes to exposing the dark
side of a team, Eggers said
it really isn’t that hard.
“I have been covering
them for 30 years,” he said.
“You have to play it down
the middle and be impartial.
It’s a job. You have to main-
tain a professional distance.
But that doesn’t mean you
don’t make relationships. It
was a story that needed to
be told.”
During the height of the
Jail Blazer era, the team’s
attendance went from a
Eggers still has family
and friends in Pendleton,
making this week’s visit
appropriate.
His father, John Eggers,
was an all-state basketball
player at Pendleton High
School. His cousin Tim
Hawkins lives locally, and
longtime local sports enthu-
siast Dean Fouquette is a
close friend.
“I get back occasion-
ally,” Eggers said. “I talked
to Dean about this, and he
has been arranging every-
thing. We’ll talk about the
book and this year’s team. It
should be a fun night.”
SIGNING
Coleman earns Benny
Award for wrestling
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo by Annie Fowler
Hermiston midfielder Emilio Leal signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to play soccer for
Walla Walla Community College.
Dawgs’ Leal headed to WWCC for soccer
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
The hardest worker on
the field. A versatile player.
Hermiston soccer coach
Rich Harshberger was quick
to point out Emilio Leal’s
best qualities after the tal-
ented midfielder signed his
letter of intent last week to
play for Walla Walla Com-
munity College.
“It’s a double bonus
of talent and hard work,”
Harshberger said. “He’s
willing to put in the hard
work in the offseason,
which helps.”
Leal, 18, follows in the
footsteps of former Herm-
iston players, like Freddy
Rodriguez and Antonio
Campos, in suiting up for
the Warriors.
“Freddy said I should go
there,” Leal said. “He said
it’s a really good program
and I can work on my soc-
cer IQ.”
Harshberger said at last
count he will have two play-
ers at WWCC and five at
Blue Mountain when the
college soccer season rolls
around this fall.
“That is part of our fam-
ily plans, to go watch as
many of our players play,”
he said. “When Walla Walla
and Blue Mountain play, we
can see six or so all at once.”
Leal, a Mid-Columbia
Conference first-team selec-
tion, led the Bulldogs with
six goals and seven assists
this season.
When Hermiston joined
the MCC, the soccer play-
ers had to wait 18 months
between seasons, but in the
end, Leal said it played in
his favor.
“August 1, it’s back to
the grind,” he said. “There
isn’t much of a break.”
Another bonus of join-
ing the MCC, according to
Leal, is the level of competi-
tion, which will translate to
the college game.
“It’s a lot more aggres-
sive and there is more
speed,” Leal said. “There
was not a slow game. It was
fast-paced every game. The
goalkeepers are at a higher
level in Washington. We
didn’t know what we were
getting into. I just had to
play my game and do the
best I can.”
With his small size, Leal
said he would get pushed
around and was an easy tar-
get at times, but he learned
to use his strengths.
“This
year,
people
noticed I was fast,” he said.
“I didn’t realize I was that
explosive. I wish I was
taller to win more headers, I
really had to jump for some
of those.”
When Walla Walla plays
Blue Mountain in NWAC
East action, Leal could face
Hermiston teammate Juan
Carlos Navarrete in the
Timberwolves’ goal.
“He was my protec-
tor back there,” Leal said.
“He’s already throwing a
little shade. We will let the
score talk.”
Leal, who will be the first
in his family to go to col-
lege, plans to major in agri-
culture/business. He plans
to put that knowledge to use
as a rancher.
He already owns 16 head
of cattle. He breeds them,
sells them, and eats them.
“I like steak,” he said.
earned his first Pac-12
Wrestling All-Academic
selection in March.
The 2016 graduate of
Hermiston High School
is an agricultural business
management major carry-
ing a 3.06 GPA.
Hermiston native Bob
Coleman earned Oregon
State University’s Most
Inspirational Award for
wrestling during the
Benny Awards on
MCC golf honors
Wednesday night.
H e r m i s t o n ’s
Coleman won
Garrett
McClan-
a Pac-12 title at
nahan and Madi-
184 pounds and
son McClannahan
advanced to the
were selected to
NCAA Wrestling
the Mid-Columbia
Championships. Coleman
Conference honor-
He finished the sea-
son with a 17-16
able teams.
record.
Garrett,
a
senior,
Coleman, a junior, also advanced to the 3A state
tournament at Indian Sum-
mer Country Club in Lacey,
Washington. He shot an 87
in the first round to make
the cut. He then shot an 80
on the second day to finish
with a 167 and tied for 45th
place.
Madison, a sophomore,
earned a trip to the girls 3A
state tournament at Hawks
Prairie Golf Course in
Lacey. She shot a 109 in the
first round, missing the cut.
Angela Park of South-
ridge was named the girls
Player of the Year, while
Carter Sheets of Richland
earned the honor for the
boys.
SOFTBALL
Dawgs place 6 on all-conference team
fielder Daisy Maddox were
named to the second team.
Second baseman Ashley
The Hermiston soft- Cameron and outfielder
ball team made a good Sam Atilano were honor-
impression during its first able selections.
All but Stefani, who
year in the Mid-Columbia
has signed to play
Conference.
at Idaho State, will
The
Bulldogs
return next season.
were the MCC’s No.
Stefani, a senior,
3 seed to the Dis-
trict 8 tournament,
hit .486 in the lead-
but they played
off position. She had
their best ball down
36 hits, including 23
the stretch to earn a
singles, nine dou-
Noland
bles, two triples and
trip to the 3A state
two home runs. She
tournament. They
scored 30 runs.
finished the season
Noland,
who
15-10.
pitched and caught
The
Hermis-
ton players were
during the season,
rewarded for their
hit .575. The junior
play by the confer-
led the Bulldogs
ence coaches, with
with 46 hits, includ-
ing 31 singles, five
Stefani
six earning all-con-
ference honors.
doubles and nine
Shortstop Sydney Ste- home runs. She had a team-
fani and utility player Bailee high 35 RBIs and scored 30
Noland were selected to the runs. She only struck out
first team, while third base- nine times in 80 at-bats.
man Grace Studer and out- Defensively, she had two
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
errors.
In the circle, Noland
pitched 88 innings and
posted a 10-5 record. She
had a 4.057 ERA and struck
out 56.
Studer, just a sophomore,
hit .362 with 10 doubles and
22 RBIs.
Maddox, a junior, had a
.375 batting average, with
two home runs, 14 RBIs and
14 runs scored.
A junior, Cameron led
the team with 31 runs
scored and 12 hit-by-pitch
free passes to first base. She
hit .393 with 16 RBIs and
five doubles.
Atilano, a junior, hit .324
with 10 RBIs and 17 runs
scored. Defensively, she
had one error.
Chiawana senior Annal-
isa McKinney was named
Player of the Year, while
Richland’s Casey Emery
was named Coach of the
Year after leading the
Bombers to a 16-0 regu-
lar-season record.