First off, I'd like to apologize for my absence this week, being a sicky sucks. But I've got these "horse pills" making my tonsillitis go away, and don't need to speak to write out a blog, so lets have at it.
It may be only one, but the Ducks avoid being lumped in with winners like the 2008 Detroit Lions and 2007-08 Beavers. And right now, they have a longer winning streak than UCLA, who played in the best game of the day by far in their loss to Washington State. Amazing game down the stretch. Back to the Ducks though. Sure, Stanford's been struggling mightily, but lets give credit where credit is due. Oregon came right out fighting, looking like the reality of an 0-18 season was starting to set in. They made big plays, limited mistakes, and were able to establish a bit of a running game. They took advantage of Stanford's droughts, but the most important thing of all, down the stretch, THEY were the ones making the clutch shots and getting the big stops. I had flashbacks to 2006 when Oregon had Stanford in a similar situation and had another one of their classic meltdown combined with terrible coaching episodes. But this time it was Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins who could be questioned after choosing to save his fouls to give, allowing Josh Crittle to get to the line and still have two more fouls to use up on the next possession.
All in all, it was truly Oregon's day, they wanted it more and wouldn't allow the youth excuse that everyone from Ernie Kent to Joe Giansante has been throwing out to get in their way. Solid win that the Ducks can build on heading into next weeks Civil War showdown with the Beavers, whose confidence is bursting through the walls of Gill Coliseum.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
All-Star Reflections
All in all, the 2009 All-Star Weekend had plenty for Blazers fans to look forward to with representatives in 3 of the events, featuring Brandon Roy in the game itself. All in all, I thought Rudy and B-Roy represented Portland well and served notice that the world can expect to see Blazers scattered throughout the weekend for years.
Brandon Roy played the most minutes on either team, and in fact was the only player to break 30. He had a solid 14 points on 7-8 shooting and several nice dunks. Roy has proven two years in a row that he can more than hold his own with the world's best players, and will almost certainly take home an All-Star Game MVP, Portland's first, when it is all said and done. While it was nice to see Roy out there most of the game, it's also a little concerning when you see him playing so much and using so much of his legs in what is essentially a meaningless pick-up game. What do you think Portland: how many minutes do you want to see your All-Star play? I'd love to hear it in the comments or at brian@sportormag.com.
The Slam Dunk Contest was certainly a tough one to swallow any way you slice it. Rudy goes out, has the best dunk of the first round, yet gets the worst score because Dwight Howard uses props better than anyone andGary Coleman Nate Robinson is 5'9". However, my heart dropped when I found out that instead of grabbing a teammate, such as Brandon Roy, after Sergio declined to go to assist him in the teammate portion of the contest, Rudy reached across the aisle to A LAKER!! A LOS ANGELES LAKER to assist him. The mere sight of that purple and gold joining forces with the Blazers made me and most Blazers fans want to straight vomit. Not only any Laker, but PAU FREAKIN GASOL, the second most hateable Laker on the team. The man cries and whines more than anyone, and this phenomenon coincided with his arrival in LA, almost as though being a Laker entitles you to every single call. Needless to say, Pau couldn't put the pass anywhere close to where Rudy could get it. Now I know they both hail from Spain. but still, HE IS A LAKER!!
Alright, done ranting. To top it off,Gary Coleman Nate Robinson took the idea I had for Rudy and dunked over Dwight Howard to capture his second Slam Dunk Contest title. I still despise Gary Coleman Nate Robinson from his days with the Huskies.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my rant, am I overreacting? brian@sportsormag.com
Brandon Roy played the most minutes on either team, and in fact was the only player to break 30. He had a solid 14 points on 7-8 shooting and several nice dunks. Roy has proven two years in a row that he can more than hold his own with the world's best players, and will almost certainly take home an All-Star Game MVP, Portland's first, when it is all said and done. While it was nice to see Roy out there most of the game, it's also a little concerning when you see him playing so much and using so much of his legs in what is essentially a meaningless pick-up game. What do you think Portland: how many minutes do you want to see your All-Star play? I'd love to hear it in the comments or at brian@sportormag.com.
The Slam Dunk Contest was certainly a tough one to swallow any way you slice it. Rudy goes out, has the best dunk of the first round, yet gets the worst score because Dwight Howard uses props better than anyone and
Alright, done ranting. To top it off,
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on my rant, am I overreacting? brian@sportsormag.com
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Your Obligatory Basketball Post and Other Saturday Fun
Sports Oregon has been very basketball heavy so far, I know. But basketball is my favorite sport, (I like the way they dribble up and down the court) and it's the sport I know best, therefore we cover basketball.
First off, to get you warmed up, watch this video. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of what you are about to watch.
Amazing. Even more amazing than Kevin Durant and his 46 during last night's T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at All-Star Weekend. Rudy dropped four threes and finished with a respectable 14 points, the bigger Blazers related news was that Greg Oden bumped knees with Corey Maggette in the game against the Warriors and sat out the game. On the heels of Durant's big output against the Blazers in Oklahoma City last week, the nation saw him drop 46 points in a game, which is a lot no matter how little defense is being played, while Greg Oden was posted up in jeans on the bench, further fueling the second guessing of Portland taking Oden back in 2007. I have always felt that you can not truly judge a draft class for at least three years, so its still too early to truly say much, but even if I knew then what I know now, I would still be on the Oden bandwagon. He has shown enough flashes of brilliance and dominance that once he gets his legs under him, he will be a force to be reckoned with. He also fits in better with the make up of the team, in that he isn't called on to score night in and night out because there are so many other weapons around him. The chance of a problem with Durant, Roy, and Aldridge being on the court with only one basketball, and that doesn't even take into account Travis Outlaw's shots.
Duck Basketball just isn't worth mentioning, so lets talk about the Beavers big come from behind win in front of a hostile crowd in Pullman. Another benchmark in the almost stunning revival that is Oregon State Basketball. Getting down, on the road, in front of a team that I think is better than their record indicates. Washington State's style makes it awfully difficult for them to make big rallies when they get down, but it's also hard to come back on them when they get a lead. But Coach Rob's crew found a way, going on a big 16-0 run to take a lead and holding off the Cougs to preserve a 54-52 win. Most importantly, with their win and Oregon's loss, the Beavers have clinched at least a tie for ninth place in the conference, ensuring that they will not occupy the basement by themselves, which is something that NOBODY thought possible heading into conference play.
Travis, one of our loyal readers and big lacrosse fan reminded me that former Portland Lumberjax goalie and current assistant coach Dallas Eliuk was selected to the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. Eliuk played the bulk of his career in Philadelphia before closing out in Portland, and is in his first year of coaching.
First off, to get you warmed up, watch this video. Words cannot describe the awesomeness of what you are about to watch.
Amazing. Even more amazing than Kevin Durant and his 46 during last night's T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at All-Star Weekend. Rudy dropped four threes and finished with a respectable 14 points, the bigger Blazers related news was that Greg Oden bumped knees with Corey Maggette in the game against the Warriors and sat out the game. On the heels of Durant's big output against the Blazers in Oklahoma City last week, the nation saw him drop 46 points in a game, which is a lot no matter how little defense is being played, while Greg Oden was posted up in jeans on the bench, further fueling the second guessing of Portland taking Oden back in 2007. I have always felt that you can not truly judge a draft class for at least three years, so its still too early to truly say much, but even if I knew then what I know now, I would still be on the Oden bandwagon. He has shown enough flashes of brilliance and dominance that once he gets his legs under him, he will be a force to be reckoned with. He also fits in better with the make up of the team, in that he isn't called on to score night in and night out because there are so many other weapons around him. The chance of a problem with Durant, Roy, and Aldridge being on the court with only one basketball, and that doesn't even take into account Travis Outlaw's shots.
Duck Basketball just isn't worth mentioning, so lets talk about the Beavers big come from behind win in front of a hostile crowd in Pullman. Another benchmark in the almost stunning revival that is Oregon State Basketball. Getting down, on the road, in front of a team that I think is better than their record indicates. Washington State's style makes it awfully difficult for them to make big rallies when they get down, but it's also hard to come back on them when they get a lead. But Coach Rob's crew found a way, going on a big 16-0 run to take a lead and holding off the Cougs to preserve a 54-52 win. Most importantly, with their win and Oregon's loss, the Beavers have clinched at least a tie for ninth place in the conference, ensuring that they will not occupy the basement by themselves, which is something that NOBODY thought possible heading into conference play.
Travis, one of our loyal readers and big lacrosse fan reminded me that former Portland Lumberjax goalie and current assistant coach Dallas Eliuk was selected to the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. Eliuk played the bulk of his career in Philadelphia before closing out in Portland, and is in his first year of coaching.
Domination, Tennis Style
One of the many things I enjoy about sports is watching the anatomy of a game, watching how the games progress and how the competitors get locked in to a battle against each other. Games progress so many different ways, whether the teams and individuals involved get locked in to a tight battle to the finish, or one just completely dominates the other.
Today we were out at the University of Portland tennis match against Portland State pushing the magazine and in Jonah's case, dodging ertswhile serves. This month's issue features Pilot stars Megan Sporndli and Stephanie Fuchs (rhymes with pukes, for lack of a better word) teaching us their craft. Sporndli and Fuchs began the day by winning their doubles match over the Viking's Molly Knox and Caitlin Stocking 8-3. Both players complement each other well with Stephanie's height and net play and Megan's dominant ground strokes.
When it moved to singles, Sporndli was matched against Molly Knox and promptly dispatched her in straight sets, 6-1 6-2. I titled this post Domination because that match was one absolutly dominant. Sporndli had Knox running all over the court, and was playing every inch of the court, dropping numerous shots just inside the lines. Any mistake Knox made, she payed for dearly. Sitting so close, it was amazing to see just how much of a mental domination it was as well. Megan never wavered, even on the few occasions she missed, while the look on Molly's face said it all, consistently frustrated and unable to get a good rally going.
Portland won the match going away, for a more complete recap, take a look at the main Sports Oregon site.
Today we were out at the University of Portland tennis match against Portland State pushing the magazine and in Jonah's case, dodging ertswhile serves. This month's issue features Pilot stars Megan Sporndli and Stephanie Fuchs (rhymes with pukes, for lack of a better word) teaching us their craft. Sporndli and Fuchs began the day by winning their doubles match over the Viking's Molly Knox and Caitlin Stocking 8-3. Both players complement each other well with Stephanie's height and net play and Megan's dominant ground strokes.
When it moved to singles, Sporndli was matched against Molly Knox and promptly dispatched her in straight sets, 6-1 6-2. I titled this post Domination because that match was one absolutly dominant. Sporndli had Knox running all over the court, and was playing every inch of the court, dropping numerous shots just inside the lines. Any mistake Knox made, she payed for dearly. Sitting so close, it was amazing to see just how much of a mental domination it was as well. Megan never wavered, even on the few occasions she missed, while the look on Molly's face said it all, consistently frustrated and unable to get a good rally going.
Portland won the match going away, for a more complete recap, take a look at the main Sports Oregon site.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Ouch
Theme of the weekend. First off, what a big win for the Blazers. A wild game that the Blazers had control of, let slip away, seemingly lost, only to be rescued by The Natural Brandon Roy yet again. During one of our trial issues in November, I wrote that Brandon Roy is the straw that stirs the drink for the Blazers, and so far he has been. True, he has struggled mightily in games, particualarly out of the gate, and his teammates have responded, but Roy by himself has been worth about five victories including yesterday afternoon. Those five wins by the way are the difference between home court advantage in the first round and being the team on the outside looking in.
As was the case down the stretch last year, there are currently nine teams fighting for eight playoff berths, and somebody is going to get left out. Right now, only the Lakers and San Antonio and maybe can feel completely comfortable printing playoff tickets with everything else still up in the air, with 4-9 seperated by only three games. Games like yesterdays, at home against an inferior opponent, are games that Portland can not afford to lose.
Down the valley, the Ducks once again looked like a basketball team in the first half, playing the best half I've seen them play this year, before Arizona made a slight adjustment, but enough of one to completely throw the Ducks off their game, and ran away with an 87-77 win. The Ducks looked like they had mastered getting the ball up the court on a 3/4 court trap, but when Arizona went to a half court trap, suddenly the Ducks were making sloppy cross court passes and dribbling the ball into the corner, the last place the ball should be against a half court trap. It was encouraging to see them making entry passes into the high post against a 2-3 zone, the result was usually a basket.
Sports Oregon Editor Jonah Schrogin and I rarely disagree on most sports related things, but the direction of the program under Ernie Kent has spurred multiple arguements over dinner and adult beverages over the years. So in the interest of fairness, check out his post on Saturday's game.
Speaking of arguements, nobody has ever been able to start a debate as well as The Oregonian's John Canzano. The Bald One certainly wasn't making any friends in Beaver Nation on Sunday with his column.
Wow, just wow. The ultimate insult layed down on Beaver Mens Basketball. Yet as there usually is in a Canzano column, there is a lot of merit to what he said. Not to mention that game was absolutly awful. But again, they held a Top 25 team to under 50 points and there is something to be said for that. Oregon State is not capable of beating a team by running the ball down their throat and outscoring them. The Beavers are going to have to beat thems by slowing down and being deliberate, similar to the women's game.
Keep your chin up Beaver Nation, it may be a little frustrating watching slow deliberate games like the one on Saturday, but its also fun to watch a team that should be getting blown out of the gym compete and make progress. Ask any Duck fan out there, theres nothing worse than a bunch of underachievers.
As was the case down the stretch last year, there are currently nine teams fighting for eight playoff berths, and somebody is going to get left out. Right now, only the Lakers and San Antonio and maybe can feel completely comfortable printing playoff tickets with everything else still up in the air, with 4-9 seperated by only three games. Games like yesterdays, at home against an inferior opponent, are games that Portland can not afford to lose.
Down the valley, the Ducks once again looked like a basketball team in the first half, playing the best half I've seen them play this year, before Arizona made a slight adjustment, but enough of one to completely throw the Ducks off their game, and ran away with an 87-77 win. The Ducks looked like they had mastered getting the ball up the court on a 3/4 court trap, but when Arizona went to a half court trap, suddenly the Ducks were making sloppy cross court passes and dribbling the ball into the corner, the last place the ball should be against a half court trap. It was encouraging to see them making entry passes into the high post against a 2-3 zone, the result was usually a basket.
Sports Oregon Editor Jonah Schrogin and I rarely disagree on most sports related things, but the direction of the program under Ernie Kent has spurred multiple arguements over dinner and adult beverages over the years. So in the interest of fairness, check out his post on Saturday's game.
Speaking of arguements, nobody has ever been able to start a debate as well as The Oregonian's John Canzano. The Bald One certainly wasn't making any friends in Beaver Nation on Sunday with his column.
I watched Oregon State play Arizona State in men's basketball at Gill Coliseum on Saturday, and I am about to say something that needs to be said.
I hope you forgive me if it sounds a little blunt.
The Beavers are playing women's basketball.
Wow, just wow. The ultimate insult layed down on Beaver Mens Basketball. Yet as there usually is in a Canzano column, there is a lot of merit to what he said. Not to mention that game was absolutly awful. But again, they held a Top 25 team to under 50 points and there is something to be said for that. Oregon State is not capable of beating a team by running the ball down their throat and outscoring them. The Beavers are going to have to beat thems by slowing down and being deliberate, similar to the women's game.
Keep your chin up Beaver Nation, it may be a little frustrating watching slow deliberate games like the one on Saturday, but its also fun to watch a team that should be getting blown out of the gym compete and make progress. Ask any Duck fan out there, theres nothing worse than a bunch of underachievers.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Weekend Sizzle
Big basketball weekend throughout the state, the Arizona schools invade the state, Gonzaga made their annual stop in Portland and the Blazers were in Oklahoma City tonight.
Blazers - Tough loss for the Blazers tonight, getting off to a slow start for the third straight game and not having enough gas in the tank to rally and win. As much as I hate the Thunder and their slackjawed owner for what he did to our friends to the north, they deserve a lot of credit, as they stayed poised while the Blazers made their charge and hit some big rally killing shots while the Blazers missed some big free throws.
While the Blazers have the best record in the league when trailing at the end of three quarters, and it is exciting to see the team rally for some big wins, it is a dangerous way to live, especially on the road. Portland has got to come out and start putting the hammer down on teams, especially inferior teams like the Thunder and take their crowd out of things. It has worked at home seemingly well, but theres a huge difference between playing at the Rose Garden and playing on the road.
I still like what I'm seeing all in all and hopefully Nate and the crew can figure out something by the time the playoffs roll around, because being able to come from behind is not going to translate well come April and May.
Ducks - I have been awfully critical of Ernie Kent and the Oregon basketball team over the years, as evidenced by my column in this months issue. But last night, once again, I saw a team who has some athletes who don't have much basketball IQ. They hung with Arizona State for a while, but the Sun Devils showed why they're in the Top 25 by playing smart, attacking the zone and keeping Oregon off balance before finding the seams for easy buckets. I saw an Oregon team that passed the ball around the perimeter and almost allowed Arizona State to rest on defense by not forcing them to move and cover cutters. This is why Oregon has not won a game in the Pac-10.
Beavers - Time will tell, but the Beavers either snapped back to reality or merely hit a bump in the road, falling last night to Arizona 56-54 after a last-second jumper rimmed out. The key now for Oregon State is: how do you respond to almost winning a game against an Arizona team that is down this year, but still has the mystique of merely being Arizona. A win Saturday would generate another buzz in Corvallis. A loss and Craig Robinson's team takes a step back. Yes, Arizona State is ranked 24th in the nation, and yes, they have likely Pac-10 Player of the Year in James Harden. Yes, they beat OSU by 31 the last time these two teams met. But the young Beavers have to show that they can respond to adversity and not be intimidated by anyone. The first step to changing a losing team is to change the losing culture, and right now, I think the Beavers believe they are better than their talent and past history would indicate.
Pilots - On national television, with a racious crowd behind them, the Portland Pilots seemed primed for an upset that would have seriously vaulted them into the NCAA Tournament discussion. Instead Gonzaga showed why they've been the cream of the WCC crop with a 93-78 win.
Portland has been the surprise of the WCC season so far, and I think that with a strong finish and a win or two at the WCC Tournament, the Pilots could be looking at an at-large bid to The Dance. If St. Mary's falls off the radar without Patty Mills, Portland looks like they might be able to sneak into second place in the conference, and the WCC is not a conference that now commands at least two bids to the NCAA Tournament.
All in all it should be a nice weekend of hoops, with AC Green expected to be back in the house in Corvallis leading Beaver Nation's cheers. We will be out in full force at the Portland Lumberjax game trying to pawn a few magazines off on folks, so if you're interested or just wanna chat, come say hi. And as always, e-mails are welcome at brian@sportsormag.com
Blazers - Tough loss for the Blazers tonight, getting off to a slow start for the third straight game and not having enough gas in the tank to rally and win. As much as I hate the Thunder and their slackjawed owner for what he did to our friends to the north, they deserve a lot of credit, as they stayed poised while the Blazers made their charge and hit some big rally killing shots while the Blazers missed some big free throws.
While the Blazers have the best record in the league when trailing at the end of three quarters, and it is exciting to see the team rally for some big wins, it is a dangerous way to live, especially on the road. Portland has got to come out and start putting the hammer down on teams, especially inferior teams like the Thunder and take their crowd out of things. It has worked at home seemingly well, but theres a huge difference between playing at the Rose Garden and playing on the road.
I still like what I'm seeing all in all and hopefully Nate and the crew can figure out something by the time the playoffs roll around, because being able to come from behind is not going to translate well come April and May.
Ducks - I have been awfully critical of Ernie Kent and the Oregon basketball team over the years, as evidenced by my column in this months issue. But last night, once again, I saw a team who has some athletes who don't have much basketball IQ. They hung with Arizona State for a while, but the Sun Devils showed why they're in the Top 25 by playing smart, attacking the zone and keeping Oregon off balance before finding the seams for easy buckets. I saw an Oregon team that passed the ball around the perimeter and almost allowed Arizona State to rest on defense by not forcing them to move and cover cutters. This is why Oregon has not won a game in the Pac-10.
Beavers - Time will tell, but the Beavers either snapped back to reality or merely hit a bump in the road, falling last night to Arizona 56-54 after a last-second jumper rimmed out. The key now for Oregon State is: how do you respond to almost winning a game against an Arizona team that is down this year, but still has the mystique of merely being Arizona. A win Saturday would generate another buzz in Corvallis. A loss and Craig Robinson's team takes a step back. Yes, Arizona State is ranked 24th in the nation, and yes, they have likely Pac-10 Player of the Year in James Harden. Yes, they beat OSU by 31 the last time these two teams met. But the young Beavers have to show that they can respond to adversity and not be intimidated by anyone. The first step to changing a losing team is to change the losing culture, and right now, I think the Beavers believe they are better than their talent and past history would indicate.
Pilots - On national television, with a racious crowd behind them, the Portland Pilots seemed primed for an upset that would have seriously vaulted them into the NCAA Tournament discussion. Instead Gonzaga showed why they've been the cream of the WCC crop with a 93-78 win.
Portland has been the surprise of the WCC season so far, and I think that with a strong finish and a win or two at the WCC Tournament, the Pilots could be looking at an at-large bid to The Dance. If St. Mary's falls off the radar without Patty Mills, Portland looks like they might be able to sneak into second place in the conference, and the WCC is not a conference that now commands at least two bids to the NCAA Tournament.
All in all it should be a nice weekend of hoops, with AC Green expected to be back in the house in Corvallis leading Beaver Nation's cheers. We will be out in full force at the Portland Lumberjax game trying to pawn a few magazines off on folks, so if you're interested or just wanna chat, come say hi. And as always, e-mails are welcome at brian@sportsormag.com
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Poof, Whole Lot of Dust
After running through several rags, I've finally dusted off the ol' Sports Oregon blog. And at the perfect time too, the Super Bowl has ended and we've entered that lull between the Big Game and March Madness.
Although here in Oregon, the action is getting hotter with the Blazers set for a playoff push, Portland State basketball in the thick of things, Portland and Oregon State are both improving rapidly and making some noise in their respective conferences and Oregon, well......hey lets talk football!
The February issue of the magazine has arrived in the form of box upon box upon box. If you're interested in watching the magazine grow you'll have to be there from the beginning. This issue features my opinion on the state of Oregon Duck Basketball and what must be done to fix the problems in Eugene. We've also got a great feature article on new Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson, along with the great tidbits and photography that comprise a month in Oregon sports.
If you buy the magazine, I promise to start blogging on a regular basis, as much as my busy schedule will allow. And if you don't buy the magazine, I'll still blog on a much more regular basis So if you're interested, get at me. brian@sportsormag.com
Although here in Oregon, the action is getting hotter with the Blazers set for a playoff push, Portland State basketball in the thick of things, Portland and Oregon State are both improving rapidly and making some noise in their respective conferences and Oregon, well......hey lets talk football!
The February issue of the magazine has arrived in the form of box upon box upon box. If you're interested in watching the magazine grow you'll have to be there from the beginning. This issue features my opinion on the state of Oregon Duck Basketball and what must be done to fix the problems in Eugene. We've also got a great feature article on new Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson, along with the great tidbits and photography that comprise a month in Oregon sports.
If you buy the magazine, I promise to start blogging on a regular basis, as much as my busy schedule will allow. And if you don't buy the magazine, I'll still blog on a much more regular basis So if you're interested, get at me. brian@sportsormag.com
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