Mount Hood

Five offseason acquisitions the Blazers should pursue

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

After the Portland Trail Blazers were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, it became clear that the Blazers are still one or two players away from becoming a championship caliber team.

Portland showed flashes of brilliance in the series, outscoring the defending champions in the majority of the quarters during the series. But the Warriors’ postseason success last year, combined with the Blazers’ young, inexperienced roster, gave Stephen Curry and the Warriors the edge at the end of games when it really mattered. Portland only got one win in the best of seven game series.

So, now that the offseason has officially begun for the young Blazer squad, it’s time to start thinking about what free agent acquisitions would help to elevate the Blazers to the next level.

Here’s a list of five free agents the Blazers should go after this offseason that would instantly make the team better.

  1. Dwight Howard
    Player Option / Center / 6-11 / Team: Houston
    13.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg
    Howard is the most controversial player on the list; some fans despise Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.23.42 PMthe big man, and some fans absolutely love him. Those who hate Howard point to his bad attitude and unsuccessful tenures with the Los Angeles Lakers and his current team, the Houston Rockets. In his early years, Howard was easily the most dominant superstar on the court and had the ability to single-handedly take over games. Although Howard’s best years are behind him, Howard would provide the Blazers a double-double every night, while at the same time striking fear into opponents as an offensive and defensive threat.
  2. Hassan Whiteside
    Unrestricted / Center / 7-0 / Team: Miami
    14.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 3.7 bpg
    The young Blazers squad needs to add a big man this offScreen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.23.58 PMseason, and Whiteside would be the perfect fit. Unlike Howard, Whiteside hasn’t reached the prime of his career yet. The 26-year-old does it all: he blocks shots, scores in bunches, and gobbles up rebounds. Though it is unlikely that Miami will let him walk away, the Blazers front office should do everything in their power to sign Whiteside.
  3. Nicolas Batum
    Unrestricted / Small Forward / 6-8 / Team: Charlotte
    14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.8 apg
    Before Batum was traded from Portland to the Charlotte Hornets, he was one of the most beloved Blazers Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.24.08 PMof all-time. The Blazers general manager Neil Olshey should wine and dine Batum, apologize for trading him, and do anything in his power to get the wingman back in red and black. All indications currently point to Batum resigning with the Hornets, but the free agent process is unpredictable.
  4. Al Horford
    Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-10 / Team: Atlanta
    15.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg
    Horford is a nine-year NBA veteran who has played his entire career with the Atlanta Hawks. Since his inaugural season in the league, Horford has averaged double digits in scoring and has been one of the most Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.19.15 PMconsistent big men in the NBA. Signing Horford this offseason, would give the young squad an experienced veteran who still has years of productivity ahead of him and would at the same time shore up the power forward position that currently lacks depth.
  5. Ryan Anderson
    Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-10 / Team: New Orleans
    17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
    Anderson is the type of player who would have fit in perfectly with this year’s Blazer squad. He is a big man who is extremely talented at stretching the floor by draining threesScreen Shot 2016-05-23 at 7.24.19 PM. His average of 17 points a game would give Portland a definitive third offensive threat behind Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
    Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Idiot of the week

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

It is safe to say that the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays loathe each other. The two teams’ animosity for the other has been simmering since last year’s American League Playoff Series when Toronto outfielder, Jose Bautista, crushed a late game home run and threw his bat in celebration, a move which Rangers’ players and coaches deemed to be excessive and classless.

On Monday, May 15, all hell broke loose between the two teams in the top of the eighth inning after Bautista slid hard into the feet of the Rangers’ second baseman, Rougned Odor, during a double play. Odor immediately responded by shoving Bautista and then throwing a punch, but not just any punch; this was a punch that Mike Tyson would have been proud of.

Pandemonium ensued as players and coaches from both teams rushed the field. The scene was so chaotic that it took the umpires just over ten minutes to restore order and restart the game.

“I was pretty surprised,” Bautista said in an interview with ESPN. “I mean, obviously, that’s the only reason he got me, and he got me pretty good, so I have to give him that. It takes a little bigger man to knock me down.”

Odor was handed down an eight game suspension by the MLB brass, and Bautista was suspended one game for his hard slide and post-game comments. Both Odor and Bautista issued appeals and will play with their respected teams until a verdict is reached in the appeal process.

Although Odor’s haymaker and the resulting scuffle provided drama which is scarcely seen in MLB, Odor earns the idiot of the week award because he let his emotions get the best of him. Odor’s eight game suspension, which is very unlikely to be overturned or even lowered, will no doubt have a negative effect on his team who is currently in second place in the American League West division.

Odor should have taken his frustrations out on the field, and not on his opponent.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Wolves fall short at GNAC Championship

By: Jamal Smith
Sports editor

The Western Oregon baseball team has been a perennial powerhouse in the GNAC for over a decade, winning 13 consecutive GNAC titles. The trophy case in the New P.E. Building is loaded with hardware as a testament to their success.

Heading into the GNAC Championship game on May 13, the Wolves had all reason to believe that they could add yet another trophy into their case, but standing in their way was Northwest Nazarene University.

Prior to the championship game against the Crusaders, Western dropped their first game in the GNAC Championships on Thursday against Montana State Billings University, but then later in the day, in a do-or-die scenario, dominated Nazarene 14-3.

Then on Friday, the Wolves got revenge against Billings when they dominated every facet of the game and came away victorious with the score of 14-3. NNU won their game setting up an intriguing matchup between the Wolves and Crusaders with the winner taking home the coveted championship trophy.

The Crusaders struck first, and in the first inning, Northwest Nazarene came away with two runs. However, the determined Wolves responded by scoring a run in the second, third, and fourth inning, and then three runs in the fifth inning when senior infielder Marcus Madden doubled home two runs and then later scored himself on a throwing error from the Crusaders’ shortstop. The Wolves led 6-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Just when it appeared that all the momentum swung in the Wolves’ favor, the Crusaders started scoring runs in bunches. Northwest Nazarene added a run in the fifth inning and then scored six runs in the sixth inning to give them a 9-6 advantage.

Western showed their never-say-die attitude by scoring two runs in the seventh inning to close the gap to one run, but the Wolves were inevitably unable to overcome Nazarene’s late game flurry. The final score was 9-8.

Although the Wolves fell short in achieving their goal of winning 14 straight GNAC titles, they gave it everything they had until the final out, and they should be proud of their efforts.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Leicester defies 5,000 to 1 odds

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Almost everyone can appreciate an underdog story in sports, whether it is a Cinderella team who defies all odds to upset the heavy favorite or a team that comes back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit to shock the world. On May 2, Leicester City F.C. pulled off one of the craziest upsets in sports history when they were crowned champions of the Barclays Premier League.

Before the start of the season, English sports bookies gave Leicester City 5000:1 odds of winning the championship. “This is a genuine black-swan event,” said a spokesman for Ladbrokes bookmakers in an interview with Bloomberg News. “If you simulated the Premier League 5,000 times, Leicester should win it once. We’re not going to be around for another 5,000 Premier Leagues to see if that’s the case.”

Although England’s Barclays Premier League is considered the most competitive soccer league in the world, there is a huge disparity between the teams normally at the top and the teams near the bottom. In fact, before Leicester City’s improbable victory, only four teams had won the league in the past two decades: Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal.

Then there is the fact that Leicester City has never in their club’s history finished in the top five teams of the league. In 2004, Leicester had a tough year and because of their poor record, they got regulated to England’s second-tier league, and then in 2008, Leicester was bad enough to get bumped down even further: to the third tier.

Leicester only spent one year in the England’s third-tier league, they finished the season at the top of the league and moved up. Then, after spending five years in the second-tier, in 2014 Leicester moved up to the Premier League and finished in 14th place, just six points away from moving back down again.

Even this season as Leicester began pulling off result after result, it seemed like nobody gave them a chance to win. So, when Leicester pulled off the incredible upset on Monday, the city of Leicester was in absolute jubilation. Fans hugged and kissed complete strangers in celebration.

Fans will never forget this incredible victory, and the improbable win goes to show that anything can happen in sports.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Idiot of the week

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

When Johnny Manziel was selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland fans celebrated like they had won the Super Bowl. Cleveland fans had good reason to be excited; Manziel electrified the college football world in his rookie season, becoming the first rookie quarterback in college football history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards on his way to becoming the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner.

Fast-forward two years and Johnny “Football” is making the headlines every week, but not for the right reasons. In this year’s NFL offseason, Manziel was released from the Browns, his agent, and his sponsors after weekly reports surfaced of Manziel’s excessive partying. Without an NFL team, Manziel’s life looks like a tragedy unfolding right before our eyes.

Manziel recently made the news yet again when the former Texas A&M star turned himself in on a domestic violence misdemeanor stemming from an incident in January involving his ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley. Manziel was subsequently booked and released on a $1,500 bond.

Although Manziel’s stay in jail was brief, he left behind a mugshot that has gone viral. In the photo, Manziel is beaming with a smug, defiant grin. Then, shortly after his release, Manziel took to Twitter to show his defiance yet again by tweeting, “Just thankful I had a shirt this time.” The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted to his account.

The tweet Manziel posted referenced a 2012 mug shot taken of a shirtless Manziel after he was arrested for disorderly conduct in a bar fight.

Manziel had the potential to be a great professional football player; however, his smug, defiant, and privileged attitude have attributed to his fall from grace. Stay tuned, this most likely isn’t the last time you will see Manziel in the news.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Wolves postseason run ends at GNAC Championships

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Western’s softball team found their groove at the right time, finishing out the season with a string of victories that propelled them into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships as the No. 2 seed. For the Wolves, every facet of the game seemed to be clicking: their pitching, offense, and defense.

So going into their opening game of the post-season in Lacey, Wash., on April 28, the Wolves had the momentum and the confidence that is needed for a team to win the championship. The Wolves’ first opponent in the opening round was Concordia University, a team Western beat three out of four times at the end of the regular season.

The same success Western found in the regular season against the Cavaliers continued into the postseason, as the Wolves came away with a 3-1 victory.

Junior infielder Kelsie Gardner had two hits and one RBI in three at-bats. Gardner, who is ranked third in the GNAC in batting percentage with a season average of .430, has been one of the Wolves most dangerous offensive weapons all year long.

In the fourth inning, junior catcher Mercedes Green belted her sixth home run of the season to put the Wolves up 2-0. Then later in the inning, Gardner connected for an infield single which stretched the Wolves’ advantage to 3-0.

Western’s starting pitcher, senior Alyson Boytz, had one of her best performances of the season, only allowing the Cavaliers’ offense four hits all game long. Boytz pitched from start to finish, and got herself out a bases loaded situation in the fifth inning on her way to the 3-1 victory.

Then on April 29, the Wolves blanked Saint Martin’s University (SMU) 4-0 in the second round of the playoffs and advanced to the Championship game.
In the second inning, junior infielder Ashlee Lynch crushed a two-out solo home run over the left field wall for her ninth home run of the season. Not to be outdone, in the fifth inning, junior infielder Destiny Kuehl connected on a fastball that went out of the park for her 13th home run of the season which gave the Wolves the 4-0 advantage over SMU.

Boytz followed up her incredible performance just the day before with an even more impressive outing. Boytz again went the distance and only allowed two hits in her shutout.

After the two decisive victories, Western advanced to the finals for a doubleheader against Central Washington University on April 30.

Central Washington clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a conference record of 18-10. In the regular season, the Wolves played the Wildcats four times and only came away with one victory. The Championship double header played out similar to the meetings between the two teams in the regular season, as the Wildcats stunned the Wolves 11-2 in their first matchup and then 9-3 in their second.

The Wolves finished the season with a record of 31-24 and 16-11 in conference play. Although the Wolves fell short on winning the GNAC Championship, the team gave it their all and proved that looking forward to next season, they are indeed a dangerous team.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Shaking off the rust

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports editor

It has been a little over five months since Western’s football team played their last game of the season. For fans and players alike, the offseason can be a difficult time, dealing with the symptoms of football withdrawals. Sure, one can find enjoyment in other sports, but there is nothing like the drama and excitement that a weekend football game provides.

Luckily, for all those suffering football withdrawals, spring ball is here to help ease the pain.

In the spring, Western holds three scrimmages open to the public. The second was on Saturday, April 30 at Central High School.

The scrimmages provide an opportunity for the coaches to evaluate their players in game-type scenarios.

“We’re trying to get our punt returners, our kick returners, our quarterbacks, and our offensive line all game type situations and still limit the true contact because we want to keep our guys Screen Shot 2016-05-01 at 8.56.24 PMhealthy,” said Wolves’ head coach, Arne Ferguson. “We are down 25 players from where we normally are so that is a little concerning to make sure that we don’t decrease our numbers for spring ball because of injuries.”

For Ferguson and the rest of the coaching staff, the balancing act of getting their players acclimated to game situations while protecting them from injuries is one of their main focuses this spring.

Another focus of the coaches is evaluating incoming freshman and walk-ons.
“We got about 16 players that just came in and won an opportunity to walk on, and they are doing awesome,” said Ferguson. “In our first scrimmage, all the kids did really well and it was probably the best scrimmage we have had since I have been here.”

The scrimmages also provide the coaches opportunities to better figure where players will fit into the depth chart.

“Our coaches all have a depth chart in mind,” said Ferguson. “What we think we have in mind is a daily process. We evaluate the kids’ work ethic, desire, non-football related things, and also we still remember what they have done in the past.”

“Once spring ball starts, it is a day-to-day operation where we go through all positions daily, and we’re looking for the improvements that they are making,” added Ferguson. “We are also looking for their growth and size potential for the future, but also, we are looking for guys with a tremendous desire and a thumb for the game. Those guys stand out and it’s contagious and it makes the team better.”

For fans dying to get a look at the team, all of the scrimmages are free and open to the public. Check www.wouwolves.com periodically for the updated information concerning the date and location of the last scrimmage.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Idiot of the week

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Laremy Tunsil had a bad week. In a manner of minutes, the NFL prospect watched Screen Shot 2016-05-01 at 8.55.58 PMmillions of dollars blow away in a cloud of smoke, literally and figuratively.

Tunsil, a highly touted offensive lineman from Ole Miss, arrived at the NFL draft on April 28, expecting to hear his name called in the top six picks. However, just minutes before the draft was set to commence, a video surfaced on his social media account allegedly showing Tunsil smoking a substance out of a gas mask bong.

According to Tunsil’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, the video posted to Tunsil’s social media account was the work of a hacker.

The incriminating video made NFL teams hesitant to select the 6’ 5”, 305 pounder, and Tunsil’s draft stock plummeted. Tunsil was finally selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 13th pick; a fall from grace which ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter says cost Tunsil $7 million by falling seven spots in the draft.

Then in an even more bizarre twist, an image was posted on Tunsil’s Instagram account showing an alleged conversation between Tunsil and Ole Miss assistant athletic director, John Miller, about paying the electric bills and rent of Tunsil’s mother. Sexton also claimed that a hacker was behind the leak.

As an aspiring professional athlete, Tunsil should have taken better care on what he puts on his social media account, whether set on private or not. Sure, almost everyone has at least one skeleton in their closet, but Tunsil should have realized that every single one of his actions would be scrutinized under a microscope.

It is safe to assume that Tunsil is regretting that $7 million bong rip.
Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Blazers nip the Clip

Screen Shot 2016-05-01 at 8.55.46 PM

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

When the Portland Trail Blazers were down 0-2 in their best of seven first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, all hope seemed to be lost. The young Blazer squad appeared to be outmatched and seemed to lack the weapons to defeat the Clippers in four out of their final five games of the Western Conference series.

While many fans and sports analysts considered the series all but over, the underdog Blazers saw it as an opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong yet again. History was also against the Blazers, as only two out of 53 squads since 2009 have ever come back from a 0-2 deficit.

In their first two games against the Clippers in Los Angeles, the Blazers were absolutely dominated in every facet of the game, losing both games by at least 20 points. After going down 0-2, the Blazers hoped that they could feed off the energy from the Rose City crowd and make the series interesting, and that they did.

In game three, Portland came out with a sense of urgency and defeated the Clippers 96-88.

Then in game four, the Blazers took care of business and came away victorious with an assist from Clipper’s All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who both had to leave the game with season-ending injuries. Paul fractured his hand and Griffin re-aggravated a quad injury that has plagued him all season long.

With the freak injuries to the Clippers’ best two players, Portland went from underdog to the favorite overnight. Being a favorite was an unfamiliar position for the Blazers who have embraced the underdog role all season long, which left many sports analysts wondering how each team would respond.

In game five back in L.A., the Clippers started the game with great energy, and outplayed the Blazers in the first half. However, the Clips ran out of gas and the Blazers took advantage and won the game 108-98.

With the advantage now going to the Blazers, Portland had a chance to finish off the fledgling Clippers back on their home court. Led by point guard Damian Lillard’s 28 points, the Blazers squeaked out a 106-103 victory taking the series 4-2, and the entire city of Portland celebrated as confetti fell from the ceiling of the Moda Center.

The Blazers will now play the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Golden State will be without their best player, Stephen Curry, who went out with a sprained knee in game four of the first round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. Curry could come back as soon as May 9.

Portland has already defied expectations for the season. Although they are underdogs going into their matchup with Golden State, they are right where they want to be, so don’t be surprised if they find a way to shock the world yet again.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU.

Streaking Wolves earn playoff spot

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports editor

It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. With a record that teetered near the .500 mark all season, Western’s softball team pulled together a string of victories at the end of the season, and was the first team in the conference to clinch a prized spot in the GNAC Championships.

The playoff-bound Wolves finished the last of their regular season matchups in blistering fashion with three double headers in three consecutive days. Out of the six games played, Western finished with five victories and only one loss.

The first double header was on April 19, when the Wolves hosted the Beacons of Northwest Christian University.

Junior catcher Mercedes Green was the hero of the first game, belting two home runs. Green’s first homer came in the sixth inning which evened the score at 2-2. With neither team able to score in regulation, the game went into extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Green stepped up to the plate and worked the count to her favor with three balls and one strike. On the next pitch, Green belted a shot to left field which bounced off the wall and careened out of the park to give the Wolves the 3-2 victory.

The Beacons looked for revenge in second matchup of the day, but the Wolves’ pitching was extraordinary. Between three Western pitchers (junior Sammi Cadwallader, senior Stephanie Morgan, and freshman Haley Favian) the Wolves pitched their first no-hitter in 14 years and easily defeated the Beacons 6-0.

Western looked to continue to ride their momentum from their two emotional victories when the Wolves hosted Concordia University on the following day. The Wolves had extra pressure to produce victories because the games marked the last home games of the season and the last home games for the team’s seniors.

In game one, Green continued right where she left off the day before, batting a perfect three for three. Junior Emma Alfonso had two hits and two RBI’s, and the Wolves went on to defeat the Cavaliers by a score of 4-3.

In the second matchup of the day and the score even at 1-1 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, junior infielder Kelsie Gardner had a chance to be the hero when she stepped up to the plate. Gardner hit a ground ball up the middle which brought the go-ahead run home and gave the Wolves the 2-1 lead.

Then on Thursday, Western traveled to Portland for a double header rematch against the Cavaliers. In game one, the Wolves scored in a flurry late in the game and came away with a 4-2 victory. The second game of the day however, went in the Cavaliers’ favor as they blanked the Wolves 5-0.

Western’s late season streak propelled them up in the standings and they currently sit in the third spot in the conference. With the five victories, the Wolves clinched a spot in the GNAC Tournament which is set to begin on April 28. Check www.wouwolves.com for the time and opponent.

Who is the better team?

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Prior to this year’s NBA season, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were considered to be the greatest team in NBA history. Led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league and set the benchmark in regular season wins, finishing the season with the record of 73-9.

Most sports analysts considered the Bull’s record to be unbreakable, but the unfathomable has happened: the Golden State Warriors bested the Bull’s record by one game and put the team at the top of the record books.

The Warriors’ record is an incredible achievement especially in the current NBA landscape; however, many sports analysts still believe that the 95-96 Bulls would get the nod as the best of all-time. So, which team is better, Stephen Curry’s Warriors or Jordan’s Bulls?

Starting lineups:

1995-96 Bulls

Position Starting 5 PTS RB AST
SF Scottie Pippen 19.4 6.9 5.9
PF Dennis Rodman 5.5 15.6 2.5
C Luke Longley 9.1 5.1 1.9
PG Ron Harper 7.4 2.7 2.6
SG Michael Jordan 30.4 6.6 4.3

 

2015-16 Warriors

Position Starting 5 PTS RB AST
SF Harrison Barnes 11.7 4.9 1.8
PF Draymond Green 14.0 9.5 7.4
C Andrew Bogut 5.4 7.0 2.3
PG Stephen Curry 30.1 5.4 6.7
SG Klay Thompson 22.1 3.8 2.1

 

The statistics of both teams’ starters are almost identical. Jordan led the Bulls in scoring with 30.4 points per game, and the Warriors were led by last year’s MVP, Curry, who averaged 30.1 points per game.

Pippen and Clay Thompson, the second best players of two teams, both averaged near the 20 point mark per game. Golden State had four out of five starters averaging double figures in scoring, whereas the Bulls only had Jordan and Pippen.

The rebounding edge would go to the Bulls, but the Warriors would have the edge in assists.

Overall, the Bulls have the better starting lineup because, well, they had the greatest player of all-time in Jordan.

Winner: Bulls

Bench:

Bull’s Key Rotation Players: Steve Kerr (8.4 PPG), Tony Kukoc (13.1 PPG), Jack Haley (5.0 PPG).

Warriors’ Key Rotation Players: Marreese Speights (7.1 PPG), Shaun Livingston (6.3 PPG), Andre Iguodala (7.0 PPG), Festus Ezeli (7.0 PPG).

There is no denying how much of an impact the bench players had on the Bull’s record setting season. Kerr and Kukoc were often in the end of games when the game was on the line. Both of the role players seemed to come off the bench and hit huge shots when it mattered, but beyond the duo, the Bulls lacked depth.

The Warriors bench is loaded. Iguodala and Livingston were both key starters on other teams before coming to the Warriors. The Warriors bench has come in and played meaningful minutes in games were starters got bit by the injury bug.

Winner: Warriors

Coach:

Kerr, the Warriors head coach, can boast about being on both record setting teams. When he was hired on as the head coach before the start of last year’s NBA season, many sports analysts were left scratching their heads when the Warrior’s front office fired Mark Jackson after a highly successful season.

Kerr took over and lead the Warriors to the Championship in his first year at the helm. Follow that up with beating the record of his former team and no one can deny his ability to lead.

The Bull’s head coach of the 1995-96 season was Phil Jackson. Jackson is the most decorated head coach of all-time, winning 11 championships as a coach and two as a player with the New York Knicks. As a coach of the Bulls, Jackson was able to lead the Bulls to six championships.

Winner: Bulls

It is unfortunate that we will never truly know who the better team was. Although the Bulls had a better starting lineup and coach, the Warriors have better depth, but overall the deciding factor was Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson.

Overall Winner: Bulls

Trail Blazers defy expectations and clinch fifth seed in Western Conference

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Earlier this week, the Portland Trail Blazers clinched the fifth seed in the Western Conference and will play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

The fact that the Blazers have even made it to the playoffs is nothing short of amazing. Portland lost four out of their five starters from last year including the cornerstone of the franchise LaMarcus Aldridge. After losing Aldridge to free agency, Neil Olshey, the Blazer’s general manager, decided to rebuild the team with younger talent centered around All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.

After a complete overhaul of their roster, most sports analysts picked Portland to finish near the bottom of the conference. In a Sports Illustrated article published before the start of the season, the Blazers were projected to finish 11th in the conference out of 16 teams with a win percentage of 38.6.

The young Blazers took the early season predictions with a grain of salt, and instead of tanking the season to get a lottery pick, the squad buckled down to prove their naysayers wrong.

After a rough start to the season with a record of 11-20, the Blazers quietly grinded out a string of victories that put them into contention for a playoff spot midway through the season. However, at the top of the conference were the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs who sat comfortably in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

Realizing that a first round matchup between either the Spurs or the Warriors could spell a quick postseason exit, a hungry Portland squad continued climbing up the Western Conference ladder, finishing the regular season with a record of 44-38.

“With everybody writing us off … A team like us, we’re the most dangerous team [in the playoffs],” said Ed Davis in an interview with NBA.com. “You don’t really wanna play against a team with nothing to lose, just don’t care what the outcome is. That’s us. We’re gonna be that team that’s gonna fight.”

The fact is, the Blazers have exceeded all expectations, and now they are playing with house money, but the team is not going to be satisfied with a first round elimination.

“We put in our time. It’s been a long season, we believed in ourselves,” said Lillard at the post-game press conference after the Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets to claim the No. 5 seed. “We’ve played through the tough times, we didn’t get too high off the good times, and here we are. We finally got our spot and our work still isn’t done.”

Portland Trailblazer Playoff Schedule:

Game 1: Sun. April 17 @ LA Clippers 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Wed, April 20 @ LA Clippers 7:30 p.m.
Game 3: Sat, April 23 @ Portland 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Mon, April 25 @ Portland 7:30 p.m.
Game 5: Wed, April 27 @ LA Clippers TBA
Game 6: Fri, April 29 @ Portland TBA
Game 7: Sun, May 1 @ LA Clippers TBA

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Magic in the month of April

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

A little over two weeks ago, Western’s baseball team found themselves in an unfamiliar position, with a record of 10-13; a few more losses would have put the Wolves in jeopardy of not finishing at the top of the GNAC. But that was then and this is now.

Fast-forward two weeks and 14 consecutive conference victories, and the Wolves are at the top of the mountain again. To say that the month of April has been good to the Wolves is an understatement; it has been tremendous.

After hitting the road for their first 27 games of the season, a six game home-stand was a welcomed change from the stress of traveling on the road.

Western opened up their six-game home series April 9 with a doubleheader against Concordia University. The Wolves easily defeated the Cavaliers 11-1 in the first matchup, and squeaked out a 5-4 victory in the second.

Senior infielder Brandon Oliver had an incredible day hitting the ball. Oliver, who is ranked in the top 15 for hitting percentage in the GNAC, finished the doubleheader with five hits, three runs, and three RBIs in nine at-bats.

Concordia looked for revenge the following day, but the Wolves played with a supreme level of confidence, and blanked the Cavaliers 10-0 in the first matchup of the doubleheader. The Wolves also came ahead victorious in the second matchup with a score of 6-3.

In the first game, junior infielder Erik Long went four-for-four with four runs batted in, while senior infielder Trevor Podratz had a pair of doubles. In the second game, Podratz hit a perfect three-for-three. Podratz leads the Wolves in hitting percentage and is ranked fifth in the GNAC with a batting average of .350.

The final two games of the Wolves’ six game home-stand pitted the red-hot Wolves against Saint Martin’s University in a doubleheader on April 13. Western jumped all over the Saints in their first matchup, winning easily by the score of 11-1. The second game was closer than the first, but the Wolves found a way to come away with the 8-4 victory.

Freshman pitcher Jacob Fricke got his first collegiate start and threw six shutout innings. Senior outfielder Cody Sullivan had seven hits for the day.

The Wolves’ next home game is on April 27 at 2 p.m. against Montana State University of Billings. The matchup against the Yellowjackets is the first game in a nine game home-stand to finish out the regular season.

Western has won the last 13 GNAC conference titles but still, the Wolves want to add more hardware to their trophy case.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Should skateboarding be included in the Olympic Games?

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Every four years, on the eve of the Summer Olympics, a question quietly spreads across the world of sports: should skateboarding be included in the Olympic Games?

Currently, skateboarding will not be featured in the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil; however, Olympic organizers have proposed adding skateboarding along with baseball/softball, karate, sports climbing, and surfing to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The Olympic committee will deliberate and will come to a decision by August of this year. The proposal includes both men’s and women’s events in Street and Park with an envisioned 80 athletes split equally among genders.

Skateboarding’s possible inclusion in the biggest sporting event in the world has many people in the skateboarding community ecstatic.

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk thinks the addition of skateboarding to the Olympics would help to legitimize the sport and bring worldwide attention to the skateboarding industry.

“It is exciting that skateboarding could possibly be included in the Olympics,” Hawk said in an interview with TIME. “This is not only a great opportunity for our sport and the skaters, but also for the Games. It is now more important than ever to preserve the unique culture of skateboarding which makes our sport so appealing and relevant.”

Professional Polish skateboarder and founder of Exposure Skate, Amelia Brodka, sees the Olympic inclusion as an opportunity to showcase women’s athletic abilities in a sport dominated by men.

“I am excited about the idea of getting skateboarding into the Olympics,” said Brodka in an interview posted on the International Skateboarding Federation website. “If managed by the right people, this could be a lifetime opportunity to expose women’s skateboarding to a global audience and to get many more girls involved into our sport.”

Although there has been major proponents of skateboarding’s inclusion into the Olympics, there are also those who disagree. More than 5,500 self-proclaimed skateboarders have signed an online petition asking the International Olympic Committee to not include the sport in the Olympics because they consider skateboarding a lifestyle.

“Skateboarding is not a ‘sport’ and we do not want skateboarding exploited and transformed to fit into the Olympic program,” stated the online petition. “We feel that Olympic involvement will change the face of skateboarding and its individuality and freedoms forever.”

It is yet to be seen whether skateboarding will be added to the Olympics in 2020, but one thing is clear; either way, not everyone is going to be happy.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportwou

Ladders, legends, and legacy: WrestleMania 32 analysis

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

As a lifelong professional wrestling nerd, I came into WrestleMania 32 pessimistically. Because I grew up watching WWE during the ‘Attitude Era,’ the watered-down, PG-rated product that the WWE has been putting out on their weekly programs, RAW and Smackdown, has at times, been painfully unbearable to watch.

WWE’s efforts to make its programs more family friendly, in my opinion, has taken away most of the excitement that I long for and grew up watching. The match results have been predictable and often left me scratching my head.

To make matters worse, going into WrestleMania, the grandest stage in sport entertainment, WWE’s roster was decimated due to injuries which left superstars John Cena, Randy Orton, Sting, Daniel Bryan, and others out of action.

So, why do I still watch it if I don’t enjoy it? For me, it’s like a bad car accident; you don’t want to look at it, but for some reason you have to.

Even with all the indications that WrestleMania wasn’t going to live up to my expectations as a wrestling fanatic who looked back at wrestling’s glory days, I still cleared my schedule on Sunday, March 3, ordered a pizza, and plopped down on my sofa to watch the show.

The first match on the main card, a six-way Intercontinental Championship ladder match, pitted Kevin Owens, the current champion, against six other WWE superstars. The match was an instant classic, and all the competitors put their bodies on the line with dangerous falls and creative usage of ladders.

Just when I thought Owens would retain the title, a lesser known mid-carder, Zach Rider, climbed the ladder, ripped off the championship belt hanging high above the ring, and became the new Intercontinental Champion. This unexpected curve ball left me speechless and set the tone for the rest of the pay-per-view.

To my sheer delight, the proceeding matches continued to produce unexpected outcomes: Chris Jericho defeated the phenomenal AJ Styles, and the League of Nations dominated the New Day.

As the League of Nations celebrated in the ring, out came Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Steve “Stone Cold” Austin who cleared the ring of the heel stable, and gave the fans a throwback to the “Attitude Era.” They weren’t the only legends to make an appearance; the Rock electrified the record-setting 101,763 in attendance at the Dallas Cowboy’s AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas when he beat Luke Harper in only six seconds.

The next match was the highlight of the night: a triple threat for the Women’s Championship. The current champion, Charlotte Flair, defended her belt against the talented Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a 30-minute match that was arguably one of the best matches I have ever seen. The three women shined on the biggest stage and showed that the women’s division should be taken seriously.

The remaining four matches were outstanding. Shane McMahon said a prayer before jumping off the 20-foot Hell in a Cell through the announcer’s table, but ultimately lost the match. Brock Lesnar defeated Dean Ambrose in a street fight. Roman Reigns became the new World Heavyweight Champion after defeated Triple H in a slug-fest, and finally Shaquille O’Neal made an appearance in the Andre the Giant battle royal.

With the lack of superstars and the fledgling creative team, WWE could have easily produced a sub-par product, but instead, they came through big time at WrestleMania. It was extremely entertaining from start to finish, while still staying true to their family oriented product. Hopefully the WWE creative team can ride the momentum, but only time will tell.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportwou

Wolves’ magical season ends at Final Four

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The Wolves’ historical season, the most successful in the program’s history, ended on March 24 in Frisco, Texas at the NCAA Division II Final Four.

With nine consecutive victories over quality opponents, Western came into the game riding a wave of momentum. The Wolves dominated the GNAC regular season and the GNAC Championship tournament, won the NCAA West Regional bracket, and, for the first time in program history, advanced to the Final Four.

But standing in the Wolves’ way for championship gold was Augustana University, a team from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference who only lost two games all year by a combined score of five points.

Although Western got out to a fast start, Augustana proved to be the better team, coming away with a 74-55 victory, crushing the Wolves hopes at hoisting the NCAA Division II Championship trophy.

“They were the best team other than Oregon that we played all year,” said the Wolves’ head coach, Jim Shaw, in a postgame interview. “I thought we came out and got out to a good start, but when [Augustana’s Daniel Jansen] came on the floor, the whole energy of the game changed.”

From the opening tip, the Wolves came out determined to play aggressive defense and attack the paint. Less than one minute into the game, senior Jordan Wiley (G) forced a steal which resulted in fast-break dunk by sophomore Tanner Omlid (G/F). Senior Andy Avgi, Omlid, and Wiley would all add baskets to give the Wolves an 8-2 lead early in the first half.

The Vikings countered the Wolves’ early game run by subbing in Jansen, the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Player of the Year. Due to an injury, the 6’9” forward sat out of Augustana’s Elite Eight matchup on March 23, against Tarleton State. Jansen had an immediate impact on the game by hitting a jump shot and draining a pair of three-pointers to even the score at 10-10.

Although the Wolves hit their first five of 11 shots from the floor to start the game, they went ice cold for the remainder of the first half, shooting three for 19. Augustana would take advantage and go on a 24-9 run in the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 34-19 lead into the break.

In the second half, Western came out with a sense of urgency to step up on defense and chip away at the Vikings lead, but every time the Wolves would make a small run, Augustana would have an answer. The Vikings would increase their lead to more than 20 points, which proved to be insurmountable, and would go on to win 74-55.

Omlid led the Wolves in scoring with 17 points, 10 of which came in the second half when the Wolves were looking to get back into the game and close the scoring gap. Omlid also tallied eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots.

Besides Omlid, Western had two other players score in double figures; Alexander scored 12 points, and Nichols had 10.

Avgi, the back-to-back GNAC Player of the Year and the NCAA West Regional Player of the Year, had a tough night shooting the ball, going one for eight from the floor. Once the ball was tossed up at midcourt, it became clear that the Vikings keyed in on making it difficult for the power forward to assert his will on the game.

Although the Wolves’ season ended before they would have liked, the Wolves accomplished many things this season besides making their first trip in school history to the Final Four.

“We are the first team in the GNAC to win 18 conference games,” said Shaw. “We are the second school in the northwest ranked No. 1 in the country for Division I and Division II basketball, and we went undefeated at home for the first time since the 94-95 season.”

“Our guys have done an incredible job accomplishing a lot of historical things this year,” said Shaw. “I’m really amazed at the level of consistency that this group has showed.”

The Wolves will lose four key starters who helped lead the team to their record-setting season: seniors Alexander, Avgi, Nichols, and Wiley. The four players will surely be missed and hard to replace, but the program is in good hands with coach Shaw at the helm, who proved in his inaugural season he can lead the Wolves to greatness.

Rain messes with softball’s mojo

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

March 5 was supposed to be the Wolves’ home opener, but Mother Nature had other plans. The rain came down in droves and forced Western’s double-header against Saint Martin’s University to be postponed until a not-yet-decided future date.

By Sunday, the weather subsided, and the Wolves traveled to Ellensburg, Wash. to play a double-header against Central Washington University. Although the Wolves gave a valiant effort, they inevitably fell short 5-7 in the first matchup and lost 6-7 in the second.

In the first game, junior infielder Kelsie Gardner had three hits in only four at-bats, and she also smacked a home run in the third inning to even the score at 2-2.

In the seventh and final inning and down 4-7 to Central Washington, the Wolves put pressure on the Wildcats when Knowles hit a sacrifice ground-out which sent freshman infielder Ryanne Huffman home to close the gap to 5-7. Unfortunately, that was the closest the Wolves would get.

After the loss, the Wolves looked to get even with the Wildcats in the second of their back-to-back matchups. With the score even at 1-1 going into the second inning, junior Destiny Kuehl crushed a two-run homer to give Western the 3-1 lead.

The Wildcats fought back and started scoring relentlessly, tallying six runs over the next three innings. The Wolves showed grit and determination to come back from the deficit, and a homerun from Ashlee Lynch in the sixth inning brought the Wolves within one run on the Wildcat’s lead.

In the final inning the Wolves were unable to find an offensive spark, and the Wildcats escaped with the victory.

The two losses bring the Wolves’ overall record to 7-10 and 0-2 in GNAC conference play.

Western looks for their first GNAC conference win when they host Montana State University of Billings (MSUB) for a double header on Friday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m. and then at 3:00 p.m. Then the following day, Saturday, March 12, the Wolves again host MSUB for another double-header; the first game starts at 12:00 p.m. and the second at 2:00 p.m.

All four games will be played on Western’s Softball Field.

Contact that author at jwilson15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Refugees allowed to compete in 2016 Olympic Games

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Yusra Mardini, a 17-year old Syrian refugee, boarded an inflatable boat with 20 others and embarked on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea. 35 days into the voyage, when the boat’s motor broke, Mardini, a competitive swimmer, jumped overboard and pulled the boat for three and a half hours until they safely reached the shore.

After boarding a train that zipped across Europe, Mardini finally made it to Berlin, Germany where she now calls home, at least temporarily. But the girl with no country or flag was given hope last week when the International Olympic Committee announced Mardini and other refugees could compete in the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

Mardini is one of 43 athletes to be considered to represent a team made up exclusively of refugees, although the committee estimates as many as 10 athletes may make the cut. The committee stated that the nomination criteria include sporting level, official refugee status from the United Nations, and personal situation and background.

“We have all been touched by the magnitude of this refugee crisis,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said to reporters after a two-day executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. “By welcoming the team of Refugee Olympic Athletes to the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope to all the refugees of the world.”

“Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic anthem,” said Bach.

Bach’s statement highlights the growing concern for the world’s refugee crisis. According to the latest statistics compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2014, the UN’s refugee agency estimated that there are 59.5 million refugees displaced around the world. Not since World War II have the numbers reached so high.

Because the refugee numbers continue to climb, the International Olympic Committee was obligated to make a statement, and they delivered, sending a message to the entire world.

Yolande Mabika couldn’t be happier at the committee’s announcement. Mabika, a refugee who fled the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, is one of the 43 athletes to be considered for the team.

“I cannot fight for my country,” Mabika said in an interview with The Guardian. “I will fight for the Olympics, I will fight for all the refugees in the world. Judo is my life. It helped me escape war, to take another path.”

Contact that author at jwilson15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Wolves win GNAC tournament

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team came into the GNAC tournament riding a wave of momentum from such a successful season. After winning the GNAC regular season title, the Wolves looked to keep the magic alive when they traveled to Lacey, Wash. last weekend, in a do-or-die scenario, and when the dust settled, the Wolves came out on top yet again.

Western’s first matchup on March 4 in the GNAC tournament semifinals pitted the Wolves against Seattle Pacific University, a team Western played and beat twice in the regular season. Both of those games went into overtime, and the Wolves found a way to escape with a victory.

The game didn’t take an overtime period for the Wolves to come away with the 58-57 victory, but it did take a clutch jumper from senior Julian Nichols (G) with just seven seconds left in the game to give Western the edge.

Nichols finished the game with 14 points, and senior Devon Alexander (G) led the Wolves in scoring with 19 points. Senior Andy Avgi (F), the 2015-16 GNAC Player of the Year, tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, and one block.

Western started the game sluggish, and Seattle took advantage, taking a 15-6 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. The Wolves fired back with hot shooting from Alexander and Nichols and tough team defense and got their first lead of the game at 21-19 off of an Alexander layup. The rest of the first half went back and forth, and the Wolves found themselves up 32-31 going into the break.

In the second half, the Falcons had the early advantage, but again the Wolves fought back and showed their never say die mentality they have had all season long. With 0:25 remaining in the game and SPU up 57-56, Nichols dribbled down the court and hit a jumper in the paint which all but sealed the Wolves’ semi-final tournament victory.

The Wolves’ amazing nail-biting victory propelled them into the tournament finals against the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, March 5. Earlier in the month, Fairbanks brought Western back to reality when they defeated them in Alaska 87-78, but the Wolves would have the last laugh, defeating the Nanooks 78-71 to take the GNAC tournament.

Alexander followed up his stellar performance on March 4 by dropping 16 points and battling for 10 rebounds. Senior Jordan Wiley (G) also had 16 points, redshirt sophomore Alex Roth (G) had 14 points, and Avgi had 12.

Fairbanks came out firing on all cylinders to start the game and had the lead for nearly the entire first half, but the Wolves never let the Nanooks advantage get above seven points. The first half ended with Alaska up 34-31.

The second half went back and forth with fifteen lead changes, but Western pulled away in the final minutes after Alexander nailed back to back three-pointers and Wiley and Nichols iced the game with free throws. Alexander’s consistent play in both games earned the senior the GNAC tournament MVP honors.

Because Western won the GNAC conference, the team earned an automatic bid into the NCAA West Regionals. Up next, the No. 1 seed Wolves will host the No. 6 seed Humboldt State today at 7:30 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

Contact that author at jwilson15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Avgi and Shaw get highest GNAC honors

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Senior forward Andy Avgi can add another accomplishment to his collegiate career: the 2015-16 GNAC Player of the Year award.

On Tuesday, the conference passed out their honors for the season, and Avgi wasn’t the only Wolf to take home an award.

In his first year at the helm, head coach Jim Shaw was named the GNAC Coach of the Year. Senior Julian Nichols (G) and sophomore Tanner Omlid (G/F) also earned the All-GNAC second team honors and senior Jordan Wiley was named as an honorable mention.

The GNAC Player of the Year honor, voted on by the coaches in the conference, is Avgi’s second honor in as many years. This season, Avgi averaged 20.6 points per game, second best in the conference, and tallied 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in each outing.

“[Avgi] is our best player,” said Shaw. “He’s a hard worker and he’s got a great attitude, so he’s the definition of what you want out of your best player.”

What makes Avgi so dangerous to his opponents is his ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court. This season, the 6’5” forward hit 41 shots from distance, placing him 16th in the conference in three-pointers made and 16th in three-point percentage.

“I appreciate the honor, but it really comes down to my team,” said Avgi. “They honestly make me better. A lot of the stuff I can’t do by myself, and I know it’s an individual award, but to me it’s a team award.”

Speaking of team ball, Shaw’s Coach of the Year honor provides a testament to how he got his team to buy into his system in his first year as the Wolves’ head coach. Under Shaw’s leadership, the Wolves have remained in the top 25 rankings of Division II basketball for the entire season, peaking at No. 1 in the latter part of the season for the first time in school history.

To be recognized for their achievements is great for the players, but the Wolves want more: a shot at the Division II Championship.

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