The Stories Beside The Stories

After a week of living in gyms, and in a pickup driving between gyms, it's time to clean out the notebook, before we do it again. As usual, there were plenty of thumbs involved. Some were turned up, some not, and some were used on keyboards.

The economy's impact on the high school (and collegiate) sports scene is unmistakable. Attendance all season is generally down, sometimes way down. People can't afford to go to games as often, if at all, especially out of town. Games that once upon a time you couldn't get into are now being played in front of empty seats, though the really big games still draw. There was a capacity crowd for the Cascade Christian - Horizon Christian championship contest, and the second largest attendance at Pendleton came on a weekday afternoon, when the draw was the epic Portland Christian - Santiam girls' matchup. And ratings are good enough for Fox Sports Northwest to show the 5A and 6A girls' championship games, when they could choose to carry the PAC-10.

There is this thing called a sound check. Some announcers would do themselves and their audience a service by remembering to do them. When little if anything you say can be understood, you are not doing anyone any good. Corollary: In places where you have a competent radio broadcast, consider piping it into the sound system. It will save a lot of people from having to carry in radios.

Which brings up another question. Why is it possible and cost effective to provide better coverage on the north coast and in southern Oregon than in the much more populous "Portland Media Market", where 95.5 the Blazer must be endured?

And if you are one of those fortunate enough to have a good guy at the microphone, take a minute to say thanks.

Willamette University Creature Comfort. This was a subject that earned unprecedented negative attention in recent years. Happily, the HVAC system actually seemed to work this year, at least for the sessions I was at. Parking is still a problem, especially if you don't arrive early, and the makeshift press row can only be described as "painful".

"Gordie" boards. Another popular topic are the portable backboards used at Willamette. These were brought in by Willamette Coach Gordie James in an attempt to more closely match the more commonly encountered portable baskets found in most NCAA venues. Such items are necessary in any large or multi-use facility, where there is no wall to suspend items, like the old backboards at Willamette. Which now are hoisted into a position that obscures the scoreboard.

It is not necessary to use portable backboards, contrary to some local opinions, to attach a now required breakaway rim.

An unscientific survey of coaches (called listening) has revealed that Willamette's backboards, which shake noticeably, and for a long time, after any contact, such as a shot that rims out, are not popular with the 3A coaching community. It is hard to shoot well at a moving target.

A close inspection reveals that the ones Willamette have are not as substantial as those used at, for example, Gill Coliseum, though they are also notoriously "tight" rims. But Gordie James reportedly loves them. And though James is retiring after this year, don't hold your breath waiting for the "Gordie boards" to go. It seems Willamette has no place to put them except on the court.

Props for Robert. Willamette University Sports Information Director Robert McKinney is one of the hardest working friends of the sport you will ever find. There are many "challenges" with both the Sparks Center and McCulloch Stadium that are not of McKinney's making. Yet he continually works magic to salvage situations most would walk away from.

Back on the broadcast subject, props to the OSAA for continuing to expand their web casts of events. Especially in the era of six classifications, it isn't possible to be everywhere at once, and the chance to at least hear a game of interest is essential to keep public interest in the crowded modern media world. A couple of words of caution, however. There is this new thing called the podcast. Switch to a modern format that can not only be replayed immediately, but can be downloaded. And played while driving from one venue to another.

And to certain radio/web broadcasters (mostly from certain east side markets). Remember to give the time remaining, and the score more than once a quarter. It's nice to hear who scored, but remember that those listening can not see either the play or the scoreboard you are looking at. No commercial break should ever start or end without updating the listeners on the game situation.

What is old is new. Including "The Wave". You all remember that '80s phenomenon. I credit/blame alums AC Green and David Lewis for starting it at a recent Oregon State game (AC did explain that he is from that era, and he likes the wave), and it is spreading, with varying degrees of success. The two section wave the Santiam supporters started in Pendleton didn't approach historic levels, but reportedly was still a lot of fun for those involved.

Also including the "Village People." Another artifact of entertainment history some readers will be too young to recall, and others will not have been able to forget, despite considerable efforts to do so. The group known for their "YMCA" song resurfaced at the Sun Bowl, prompting a distinguished member of the Oregon State music and band staff to observe "This is a turn in my professional career I never anticipated seeing!"

Those familiar lyrics have since crept out of several sound systems, most recently at Willamette University. Kind of like seeing a ghost, or Don Francis.

Officiating. It's right there on page 873 of the in the journalism standards manual. No major sporting event may ever be allowed to pass without some discussion of officiating. (The latest revision also has a similar clause, related to Terrell Owens, but that's another story.) However, recent events point out that the subject is relevant.

After over 2,000 basketball games, I saw a personal first in the Dayton - Portland Adventist boys' 3A quarterfinal game. A lady calling a boys playoff game. Sheryl Woodward got the assignment, and I will say did one of the better jobs I've seen in several weeks. And that includes games at the PAC-10 level. Something way overdue.

Now the bad news. Woodward was selected based on her work to do the girls' championship game, but was not eligible, due to rules prohibiting officials with in season coverage of a team, in this case Santiam Christian, from working the championship game. This I agree with, as any appearance of partiality would and should be a concern. That's not the bad news.

Standard practice is to switch assignments between games when such situations arise, so that those that are both deserving and best qualified work the most crucial games. However, a coach refused to accept this re-assignment. The time has past for such old-boy thinking. All the complaining about officiating issues, some of which is entirely justified, points out more than ever that the best officials work the most important games.

3 officials instead of 2? In the last couple of weeks, there were some situations where considerable uproar over calls arose. Calls where apparently, or in some cases obviously, overlooked components of the play altered the decision on the call. To be fair, there were also some where video review revealed they got it right. But in some cases, closer review revealed the real problem. In some situations, two sets of eyes simply do not have the same angles that a third set (or a couple of thousand) have.

There is a reason collegiate basketball and most states have made the transition, and it is called triangulation. Geometry teaches that a third angle provides verification of the relative position of objects, such as a defenders' hand and another players' arm, not possible from only two points of view. Here is where the economy comes into the story again. Cascade Coach Steve Ball explained in a recent post game press conference that "In these economic times, there is no way the OSAA can justify the added expense. Besides, at least in this area, there aren't enough competent officials as it is. It couldn't be staffed at this time."

Ball is dead on, but what about for the playoffs? The stakes are higher, and the total game load lower. Why not use three officials at least in these situations, where the problems Ball identified wouldn't be present? I suspect this would not work as well as would be hoped. The rotations and positions are different, and to force even experienced officials to suddenly change the way they do their job could well produce as many mistakes as it solves. Modernizing officiating in Oregon will have to wait for economic recovery.

Video review? The football playoffs brought this up, and so to has the end of the basketball season. During the regular season, this would well be impractical, especially in bad economic times. But why not in the tournaments, or other situations when it is available? National Federation of High School rules specifically forbid it, for one reason. Unlike the optional use of three officials, available now if the resources and political will are available, this is one thing that needs to change, and change now.

Experience matters. Horizon Christian's Jordan Tebbutt is terrific, but experience does count for something. To be sure, Scott Morse has talent most players can only dream of as well. But I suspect even he and his dad, 21 year Cascade Christian Coach Brian Morse, will also agree that young Mr. Tebbutt has a unique skill set, some of which even Scott will never match.

But an all-night preparation session, and Scott Morse's experience, revealed other skills the freshman Tebbutt is still developing. Skills related to choices about what to contest, and what not to, that resulted in Morse having both the better individual numbers, and most importantly, the win in the championship game.

Do we need to revisit dress codes? I'm not so old school that I believe we need to have coaches in suits and ties, especially in HVAC challenged gyms. Some may be more comfortable in that mode, and that is fine, if they so choose. More practical attire is no less appropriate. However, a coach, even an assistant, in worn jeans and their shirt tail out somehow doesn't send an impressive message either.

Game of the week. Several games decided by made or missed shots at the buzzer are candidates, but I'm thinking that despite the nine point final margin, the triple overtime 55-46 win by eventual state champion Oregon City over Central Catholic Friday night in the semifinals should get the nod. How many times did emotions reach heart stopping levels in a game that had four endings.

The nature of the game. We hear much about how so many players moving up from one level to the next are poorly prepared. Regularly bouncing between games at multiple levels provides regular reminders of why this is happening. The way the high school game has traditionally been conducted for generations looks a lot like the game at the next level was played decades ago. But while the collegiate game has evolved, the high school game has fallen behind.

Shot clock. Thirty seconds seems to be too quick for high school players, but maybe thirty five? It wouldn't end defense, as some fear. It would address the need for players to develop more than one move, and one shot, and not stand around until they get their one preferred play.

In game coaching adjustments. One thing that is apparent is there isn't a lot of it happening, comparatively speaking. The college game has a halftime long enough to allow more than a herding of the team to the locker room and back. And a two minute mandatory time out after each four minute mark. These were originally added for television, and the rest of the media has climbed onto the bandwagon.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the commercial. Coaches realized the extra time is an opportunity to not only make adjustments, but explain why. The results are game changing adjustments, and savvy players. Too often, high school coaches either mismanage their timeouts, or are so afraid to use them, for fear of losing the game at the end, that they lose it before then.

High school has half of one each half, called the quarter break. But if half time was long enough to actually change the game plan, and the after four minute break occurred in each quarter, the high school game could begin to evolve their level of play.

1A Title games. As Chris Berman would say, let me be the last to congratulate the 1A winners in Baker City. Lightly covered, due to distance, and at least at Oregonprepsports.net, a shortage of staff, the tournament nevertheless provided the same kind of memories for those that battled the weather to reach Baker high school the tournaments in the larger venues did.

Powder Valley claimed the boys' title, knocking off defending state champion Mohawk, and Joseph claimed the girls' title in another candidate for game of the week, defeating Old Oregon rival Imbler by one point, 45-44. League rivals meeting in a title game at any level provide a level of intensity rarely seen under any other circumstances. Imbler would have had an undefeated season, except for their rivals from up highway 82. The Eagles took three of four from the Panthers, and in the process, both the Old Oregon and state championships. Which should make for an interesting evening when Joseph visits Imbler next season.

And now, we do it all over again.

CC

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