By Joe Becker

"I think we're on our way to have all kinds of fun," says Jerry Glanville, the new PSU Vikings coach..."and...one thing about the Glanvilles is that we have fun. It will be different but we will have fun."
Jerry Glanville is more than just a football coach....he is an entertaining football coach. That was pretty evident when PSU held it's News Conference to announce Glanville as it's new coach. Glanville worked a packed room on the second floor of the student center. He cracked jokes...told stories...and had fun, just like he says.
First off...he introduced his wife Brenda, who he said is the real new coach. Jerry said "Brenda and I have been married for over 30 years...and when you've been coaching most of that time....I know we've been happy for at least 15 of those." Everyone laughed...the Glanvilles were having fun.
When Tim Walsh left PSU to coach at Army, I was happy for Tim but dissapointed too. Walsh is a great guy and a terrific football coach. He was PSU's all-time winningest coach. He was as good to work with as any coach I have covered.
However, PSU turned a negative into a positive, and I agree with Interim Athletic Director, Teri Mariani, PSU hit a Homer with the hire of Glanville.
The room was packed for a reason with his announcement. Glanville is a name coach...with big-time credentials. People are talking about Glanville...and not just at PSU. They are talking about him here in the newsroom at KGW, around town and heck...all across the country. It was front page on ESPN.COM.
It's fun to talk about Glanville...and it's going to be fun watching PSU Football.
It's expected that Glanville will also bring former PSU head coach Mouse Davis as offensive coordinator. Davis coached with Glanville down at Hawaii along with June Jones the past two seasons. Davis is an offensive wiz with the run-n-shoot offense. Glanville says they will throw the ball and even throw it on their own one yard line..."we're going to treat the ball like we don't like it....it's going to be up & outta there."
Let if fly coach...and let the fun begin.

Posted by Joe Becker at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As a school alum, I'm feeling it's time for Portland State University to make its biggest splash in years.
That means hiring former NFL head coach, Jerry Glanville. This is the Viks one chance to steal some headlines. The 65-year-old is currently the Defensive Coordinator at Hawaii, but has been longing to get back to the mainland. President Bernstein and Interim A.D. Teri Mariani need to pay this eccentric cowboy a decent wage and move ahead.

This hire would be great on many fronts, but first and foremost, it would put butts in the seats at PGE Park. When I was attending PSU in the early to mid-90's....the Vikings were drawing fans. Then, UO and OSU began to turn their programs around and the pendulum swung in their favor. Hiring Glanville would get a buzz back around the school and their football program. And, oh, by the way, word has it that Glanville wants to bring the king of the "run and shoot" back with him. Yes, Mouse Davis as his Offensive Coordinator. I simply love bringing back a blast from the past!!! Glanville will tour Portland for the next two days.....here's hoping he leaves with a contract in hand. It's a no-brainer....just do it PSU!!

Posted by at 9:09 PM | Permalink

By Joe Becker

On Sunday I had brunch with Bill Russell, Dr. J. , Julius Erving and a few other NBA greats. Actually, I didn't sit with them, but I had brunch with them and about a thousand other NBA luminaries and fans.

It was the 8th annual NBA Legends of basketball brunch at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It's put on by the National Basketball Retired Players Association and they did an amazing job. NBA Commissioner David Stern was there and he said..."This is absolutely the best part of the weekend for me." I might agree.

Besides Russell and Erving....some of the other Legends on hand were.....George Gervin,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Walton, Moses Malone and Oscar Robertson just to name a few. There were dozens more including Kobe Bryant, who made a guest appearance.

Former Blazers Coach Jack Ramsay was honored along with the 1977 NBA Champion Portland Trailblazers. It's the 30th anniversary of the Blazers only NBA Title. It was nice visiting with Dr. Jack and the rest of the team again. Our Ace Sports photographer Brian Warner and I did did a story on the 77 Blazers reunion in Las Vegas.

I must say, the Legends Brunch was first rate all the way.

Blazer fans should be proud of Rookie Brandon Roy. Brandon was there for the Rookie Challenge last Friday and he was so classy. I know he had to be tired. The Blazers were in Miami on Tuesday, Orlando on Wednesday, then flew back to Portland on Wednesday night. Brandon flew to Las Vegas on Thursday. Brian Warner and I met with Brandon at the Palms on Thursday night. He did a nice interview with us and then made his way through the NBA circuit.
I watched as Brandon went through interviews, photo sessions and did promos. He was very polite and courteous to everyone. He was the same way the next day during the Rookie practice in the morning and the Rookie Challenge Friday night. He is a talented player and a real gentleman.

The Rookies and Sophmores worked out at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. The Ace and I talked with Andre, who seems like a really nice guy. Agassi is from Las Vegas and it looks like he is doing some great things for the kids in his hometown.

All-Star Saturday was a blast...including the Slam Dunk Contest, 3-pt shootout and Skills Competition. I really enjoyed the skills competition won by Dwyane Wade of Miami. He was amazing. Did I mention I was just a few feet from TV star Eva Longoria. I met her last year at the Rose Garden before a Spurs game. She was very nice.

On Sunday, my press seat for the All-Star game was in the upper level, but I wasn't complaining. There are hundreds of media members from all over the World there...and the NBA took care of us. I could see very well. As usual, Shaq, Lebron, Kobe, Amare and company were good....but I also saw Adam Sandler, Prince, Dave Chappelle and David Hasselhoff in the stands. It was a good time.

I made one bet while in Las Vegas. After dinner on Saturday night, I put 5 bucks on Greg Biffle to win the Daytona 500. He was near the front until the big crash at the end. Oh well.

Some of the locals said it was the busiest weekend in Las Vegas in 25 years.
The traffic was terrible on Friday, day and night...but heck, it was 75 degrees every day, the sun was shining and the STARS were out!

Posted by Joe Becker at 8:55 PM | Permalink

Alright...cheap reference to Southpark--couldn't resist!
I digress.

Normally--and I use that word loosely here--when you are seeking to fill a vacant position at a major university....you go for the guy most qualified, right?
Well, on Valentine's Day....the Oregon Ducks made Pat Kilkenny one sweetheart of a deal. The former insurance executive is now Oregon's new Athletic Director.

Kilkenny was the darkhorse in this race....but apparently was Phil Knight's choice all along. And afterall, we all know that it's Knight that ultimately runs the show. This story will develop....but selecting Kilkenny is right out of the "what have you done for me lately" chapter. Kilkenny has been a huge Oregon booster over the years. Heck, the field that the football team practices on his named 'Kilkenny Field' in his honor. He's never had a position remotely close to the one that this one will demand.

Ultimately what this hire means is....the Ducks will have a new state-of-the-art basketball arena in a couple years. And once again, it all comes down to the almighty dollar. And that is the ONLY reason this move was made. I hope your up to the challenge Pat!!

Adam Bjaranson

Posted by at 5:22 PM | Permalink

Today is the day that many kids dreams will come true--and good for them, seriously!
It's proof that their hard work has paid off....at least to the college level.
Now, the respective coaching staffs for the Ducks, Beavers, and Vikings will all wax philosophically today that "this was a great recruiting class". Mark my words! Never--and I do mean NEVER--will a coach go on camera and say they are disappointed about incoming freshman/transfers. And that creates an interesting dilema for fans.
They--meaning Bellotti, Riley and Walsh--want you to believe everything they say. Each of these guys are all very good to the media....and they are genuine. That's different than alot of media markets, yet it's also very refreshing. As someone who covers them on a regular basis....I want some negative feedback spewing from their mouths on this treasured day. Recruiting is big business this day in age....we all know that. Heck, ESPNU ran 6 hours of "Letter of Intent" coverage this morning.
I'm not at all interested in 4 or 5 star recruits....it's all jambalaya! Each head coach--regardless of their collegiate level--needs to begin developing these kids. That's what's missing in our states' programs. Too many can't cut it academically, and are living on their past accolades. Bellotti has had trouble with this in recent years....Cameron Colvin anyone?? Riley has dealt with off field issues involving many of his players....Joe Rudolph comes to mind first. As for Walsh, he gets leftovers....the guys nobody seems to want. And all he's looking for is the proverbial "needle in a haystack". Anyways, I've rambled on....but don't judge an incoming player by what you've seen him do in high school or junior college. And definately don't believe all the hype that the coaches endlessly feed you. These kids can't continue to live on their past success(es). Make your own opinion when you see him for the first time. That's about as honest as it gets.

Adam Bjaranson

Posted by at 2:46 PM | Permalink

By Joe Becker

It's not the same as November 20, 1995...but the streak is over. Nearly, 12 years ago, the blazers streak of sellouts stopped at 814. Tuesday night against Phoenix, the Blazers two game sellout streak ended...but still there were more than 17-thousand excited fans at the Rose Garden...and I was one of them.

I'm off on Monday and Tuesday's...but I still like to go to sporting events on my night off.
I bought two tickets with my son and I sat in section 325...and there was plenty to get excited about. This year's team is fun too watch...and easy to like.

Attendance is up nearly 900 fans per game from last year...and the Blazers are up from last in NBA to 23rd at close to 16-thousand per game.

When Ime Udoka nailed the three to tie the game at 96 with just 32 seconds left...the Garden was rockin...just like the old days. Unfortunately, for the fans, the Blazers wound up losing in Ot. However, this Blazers team is competitive...and they are getting better and better. I know that Travis Outlaw is sorry he didn't dunk instead of
going for the layup...which missed...but, he had the confidence to drive past Amare Stoudemire...and that's a big plus. This team, with Zach Randolph and Brandon Roy leading the way, is growing as a group and starting to believe...and that's half the battle. The Suns are good...even without injured guard Steve Nash.

Zach should be an All-star. Anyone, who watched Tuesday's game knows what I'm talking about. Randolph hit 12 of 15 shots...and was 9 of 9 from the line. He posted 33 pts and 10 rebounds, hit big shots, and played hard.

The players turned in a winning performance...in a game they didn't win. The improvement is there...and the streaks are bound to follow...both in the win column and attendance.

Posted by Joe Becker at 1:10 PM | Permalink

Super Bowl Sunday has always been one of my favorite days. I still remember watching the very first Super Bowl with my dad growing up in St. Louis...and Super Bowl 2, 3....and now here we are at number 41.

I work Super Sunday these days...but it's usually a blast. Everyone is excited...and it's not a bad job having to watch the Super Bowl. Also, we have kind of a pot luck here at Newschannel 8 on Super Sunday. Everyone brings in a little something to snack on while we are hard at work...and keeping track of the game.

It seems every year I bring my world famous Chili Cheese dip. Well, it's not world famous...because the rest of the world just doesn't know about it. A few people in the newsroom asked for the recipe...and someone suggested I post it on my blog. If you are interested...it's about as simple as a recipe can get.

I use six cans of chili..with no beans. This year, I used four cans of Hormel...and two cans of Safeway Chili. Then I use a whole brick of Velveeta cheese. 32 ounces.

I heat the chili in a big pot on the stove....and then cut the cheese in slices and then cubes. It melts easier that way.

I like both the Colts and Bears...so it was nice to sit back and watch. I enjoyed the game and the pot luck...or as we call it here "Hot diggity dog day."

I hope you like the dip. By the way, it's true...I only had one hot dog Super Sunday.
I had to save room for everything else.

Posted by Joe Becker at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

by Joe Becker, KGW Sports

Blazers Owner Paul Allen is back in the drivers seat at the Rose Garden, or at least back in his own seat.

Since losing the arena three years ago, Allen - like most fans - had to pay to sit courtside to watch his team.The black courtside seats have been owned by PAM (Portland Arena Management) since Allen lost the arena.

Allen didn't have to be in the front row to see the decline of his team, both on the court and off. According to Forbes magazine, the Blazers ranked last in the value of the 30 NBA teams at $230 million. When Allen gave up the arena three years ago, the Blazers ranked 21st on the list at $247 million. The year before, 9th at $270 million. 2003 was the last year the Blazers made the playoffs. Owning both the arena and the Blazers should move the team back up the list.

The Blazers continue to show signs, both on the court and off, that they are making a comeback. It's easy to notice on the court. With a 20-27 record, they are just one win away from last year's total of 21.

Nate McMillan is a classy guy and a terrific coach. The Blazers also have a number of exciting and talented players including Rookie Brandon Roy, who is a star in the making. With Allen buying the arena back, it's another step off the court in the process.

Former Blazer Damon Stoudamire used to tell us that if the Blazers started winning, the fans would come back. Winning is important, but that also means from the top of the organization on down. Over the past several months, it appears that Allen is taking steps to help make the Blazers one of the top Organizations in sports again.

And from his seat, I'm sure he likes what he sees.

Posted by Joe Becker at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)