Justin Martin's Season to Remember Continues

by Harry Cummins

     The NAIA's leading scorer is showing no signs of slowing down!

     Justin Martin exploded for 32 points in the second half Sunday night, 40 for the game, as Multnomah University rallied from a 13 point halftime deficit to upset 13th ranked Southern Oregon 96-83 and remain in the thick of the Cascade Collegiate Conference men's basketball race.

     Martin was fresh off a huge 42 point effort the previous night in a narrow 93-87 defeat at the hands of the OIT Owls. The back-to- back 40 point efforts this weekend marked the 5th time this season Martin has scored 40 or more points in a single game  Earlier this month, Martin shattered the CCC and NAIA D-2 record with a 71 point showcase game that featured a record 15 made 3's.

     The 32 point second half Sunday night, followed on the heels of a 29 point second half display the night before, as Martin has demonstrated an uncanny ability to shake off slow starts and turn a game around in the second stanza.  Four times this season Martin has scored an amazing 30 or more points in a single half  of basketball.

     For the second game in a row, Martin played the entire 40 minutes, handing out 7 assists each contest to compliment his prolific scoring.  Martin's first step quickness in slashing to the basket has also allowed him to connect on 18 of 19 FT's the past two nights.  Teammate Ben Grandle  chipped in with a double double in the pair of games this weekend ,with 14 pts/13 reb's vs OIT and 23 pts/14 reb's Sunday against Southern Oregon

     The Lions's season record now stands at 10-5,3-2 in CCC play, and they have knocked off two Top 20 NAIA D-2 teams already this season.  Martin now tops the NAIA scoring charts at 31.5 PPG, as the Lions travel to Eugene Jan 4 to meet Northwest Christian University.

     From aberration to astonishment, Justin Martin's season is now firmly one for the record books.

   

   


   


   

Craw’s Corner Exclusive: Could a power basketball conference be formed out west

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Craw’s Corner has learned that on December 3rd a private meeting took place in Portland, Oregon to discuss forming a power basketball conference west of the Rockies.

It should be emphasized that there were absolutely no schools present or represented at this meeting. As well despite the fact that state of Oregon is the center of business for power apparel companies Nike and Adidas, no one from those business giants were in attendance or invited.

Who was there?

Craw’s Corner has learned several deep pocketed individuals who live on west coast and love college hoops. We were told the mood was serious, there is no shortage of money in this group. It is also important to note that present at the meeting were a prrevious consultant to the the NCAA on basketball matters, a top flight sports TV consultant and at least two prominent former PAC-8 players. (Yes PAC-8, not a typo.

The idea of having this meeting was solely based on making basketball out West, prominent again.

This obviously has a longs ways to go if it goes anywhere at all, but at same time we have learned that the next meeting will be on February 1st, so some positive vibe must have happened.

The next meeting also intends to invite a new participant, one of the most high powered sports business people in the world who just happens to reside in Oregon.

Stay tuned please.

Huge Money $$$$$ In college football playoff

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Here is why some college football teams are more and more exploring the possibility of going independent.

Disney owns the rights for broadcasting the college football playoffs for 12 years, they paid $470 million for it.

That is sure to change if the playoff expands to 8 teams as it almost certainly will in the future.

The payouts this year to the four finalists Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama nd Oklahoma is $6 million per team.

Of those 4, only Notre Dame gets to keep the $6 million, the other 3 must share with their respective conferences. You do the math, yes there is a reason to explore that great word, INDEPENDENCE.

Vernon Carey Jr. and Scottie Barnes--High School Hoops Best 1-2 Punch?

by Harry Cummins

     Acclaimed University School teammates Vernon Carey Jr. and Scottie Barnes connected on a combined 17 of 23 field goal attempts for 45 points in a 72-62 win Thursday night over upset-minded Central Catholic in the quarterfinals of the 23rd annual Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro,Oregon.

     Carey, recently committed to play next year at Duke and considered by many the Number 1 player in the high school class of 2019, scored 12 of his 27 points in the final quarter. He also pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds in a double-double showcase.  Barnes, the 2nd ranked player in the class of 2020, keyed a late 10-0 run by the Sharks from Ft Lauderdale, Fla, to break open a deadlocked game.  University also got a 23 point effort from Roger McFarland as they ran their season record to 9-2 and are on a collision course to meet the nation's No 1 ranked Sierra Canyon (15-1) of Chatsworth, California for the LSI Championship in a Saturday night showdown.

     University School finished last season with a 35-2 mark, with their only defeats coming at the hands of Oak Hill and to Montverde Academy in the GEICO National Championship game.  Sierra Canyon features the sons of former NBA players Scottie Pippen and Kenyon Martin, both of whom were spotted sitting court-side, along with a host of celebrity NCAA D-1 coaches.  In addition to Scotty Pippen Jr. and Kenyon Martin, Jr, the Trail Blazers also feature perhaps the best athlete in the tournament in the smooth Cassius Stanley, along with a pair of 7 foot centers,Christian Koloko and Jia-Hao Yu ,who combined to score 29 points in a quarterfinal win over Jesuit.

     The 6'11" Carey, son of the former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman, has demonstrated why he is considered a future NBA lottery pick in the 2020 draft.  With size, strength, good hands and quick feet, Carey has few weaknesses.  When fully engaged, he displays a high hoops IQ and is patient to stay in the flow of the game.  The 6'8" Barnes is quite simply a player who can do everything on a basketball floor.  He competes on every possession, gets out in transition well,and combines a powerful build with point guard skills.  Still a junior, he has elite upside. Look for his name near the top of the 2021 NBA draft list.

    You can still see Carey and Barnes for two more nights in the LSI.  Tonight, in a key semi-final match-up, University School meets Gonzaga Prep out of Spokane, and their headliner, 6'8 Sr. Anton Watson, who has signed to play with Mark Few and Gonzaga.

    The LSI is a big time high school basketball tournament, and the trappings of success are everywhere.  In a era where many schools and events no longer print a game program, the Schwab official program in now a glossy 70 page production.  Two large parking lots on either side of Liberty High School in Hillsboro were at capacity last night for Day 2, forcing many vehicles onto remote side streets.  

     In the early years of this tournament, fans came primarily to see the Oregon schools play.  They now come to see the three star-studded out-of -state teams that comprise the 16 team field, knowing they will likely witness 2 or 3 players on any given night that they will watch a few years later in the NBA.  They will also witness a host of uber freshmen like 6'4" Amari Bailey of Sierra Canyon, who has already committed to UCLA out of grade school.

    Even if your interest is confined to local talent, there is much to recommend.  Ben Gregg from tiny 2-A Columbia Christian, is drawing plenty of attention from college scouts, Jaden Nielsen-Skinner of South Salem is giving Portland State Vikings fans a preview of their future point guard, and Jefferson senior Keylin Vance is emerging as the go-to guy at Jefferson.

     Year-after-year, the Les Schwab Invitational delivers.   

     

   

     

NBA on Christmas Day, League Office Smiling

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Christmas Day games on TV for NBA are a big deal, really big deal.

2018 ???

Pretty darn good showing. 5 game package, most viewership since 2011. And for those who were Pooh-poohing that final match-up of the day.

Utah/Portland drew the highest viewership in that final time slot since 2015, darn good for two teams having mediocre seasons.

Sports Concessions

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

As we move forward with Craw’s Corner and we are moving forward, our readership has tripled in last six weeks, it is vital that we hear more from you our readers.

So with that said, we want to know, what makes a great concession area at sporting events.

Do you look for quality, even at a high price?

Do you look for a wide array of choices on the menu?

Do you strictly look at pricing, which is more than fine?

It is your turn, please sound off in comment section or emails always work, crawscorner@gmail.com or new fashion way on twitter @wchoops

A special basketball tournament

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

You want excitement, high scoring, talented 3-point shooters and plenty of monster slam dunks.

Well then you better make an appearance at Clackamas CC at campus gym historic Randall Hall, December 28th-30th. Of course Clackamas CC is located in Oregon City, Oregon, just outside of Portland and right on Highway 213. Yes the annual Clackamas CC Christmas Invite.

Here is the schedule for 3 days, 11 games total.

December 28th, noon-2:00-4:00-6:00

December 29th 1:00-3:00-5:00-7:00

December 30th 11:00-1:00 and championship game 3:00

Oh yes, the teams, of which all 8 made the NWAC tournament last year.

Yakima Valley CC
Centralia College
Clackamas CC
Walla Walla CC
Edmonds CC
Linn-Benton CC
Peninsula College
South Puget Sound CC

On top of all the above, so many great coaches and players, many players will go on to have great careers at 4 year schools and you saw them here.

Acres of free parking and one admission gets you in for all day.

See you there.

Father time has nothing on ‘Vinsanity’

Rev those engines up ladies and gentlemen. Vinsanity is still alive and well.

You would think that when you are 41 years old, scored 25,000 points, played in the NBA for 21 seasons, and a future hall of famer, that winning a championship would be the main priority now. But that’s not the case for Vince Carter. Carter just wants to have fun with the game he has played his whole life.

Why would Vince want to play for a contender and get almost zero play time at this point in his career, when he could play 20 minutes a game with one of the youngest and most exciting teams in the league? That was the thought process that Carter took to free agency before he signed with the Atlanta Hawks on a one-year contract in June.

It’s no secret that Carter will be a hall of famer one day, and may go down as one of the most prolific dunkers of all time. Nobody will ever forget the all-star game in 2000 when the roof came off Oracle Arena when Vince Carter shook the NBA world with dunks that may never be replicated again in the dunk contest.

But, in a year where the Hawks are just 9-23 a quarter into the season, Carter may be having the most fun he has ever had. Averaging 7.3 PPG may not be glamorous on paper, but for a 41 year-old legend coming off the bench, he has been one of the biggest contributors for the Hawks all season by his presence both on and off the court.

Vince at this point in his career may throw in a vintage 20-point game with some highlight dunks every now and then, but his role as a mentor to a team that needs leadership the most has been huge for first-year head coach Lloyd Pierce.

Carter has been a leader for every team he has been on, but the advice he’s able to give young impact players like Trae Young and John Collins every day has been more valuable than anyone in that front office could have imagined when signing Carter to that one-year contract.

The narrative when Carter retires one day may include how Vince could never find a true home in the NBA, always jumping around from team-to-team. But, the narrative should be how Vince is the ultimate professional that transformed the game of basketball in a way that many have never seen prior to his entrance to the league.

Will Vince return for another year after this season? Who knows. But, enjoy Vinsanity while you still can, because the old man still has plenty of good games left in him.  

-Allen Perez (Senior at Kennesaw State University, Sports Director of KSU Owl Radio, radio play-by-play announcer for Kennesaw State Men’s basketball and sports talk show host) (Twitter: @therealATLfan, email: allenperezsports@gmail.com)

Christmas Day: NBA Predictions

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

My world famous predictions for Christmas Day, a tradition that often fails, but is fun.

Milwaukee 98 at Knicks 99, NYK never loses in Garden on Christmas

OKC 125 at Houston 131, it will be entertaining

Philadelphia 111 at Boston, 109, Celtics in disarray

Lakers 88 at Golden State 110, Walton gets fired after game

Portland 109 at Utah 121, Jazz playing like they can and should

Let me know where I am wrong.

Sunday Thoughts, 12/23/18

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

1. 52 degrees in any gym is too cold, Lakeridge High School if you are going to put on a nice tournament, make things nice for spectators.

2, Tiger Woods no matter how you factor it, is still most popular athlete in world.

3. Merry Christmas to all of our great readers and Happy New Year.

4. In my home territory, a great basketball tourney will take place Dec 28-30th, 11 games, 3 days,  Clackamas CC , in Oregon City, Oregon, great family pricing and totally free parking.

5. 7 decades in Oregon and convinced Dwight Jaynes is best sports journalist ever in state of Oregon.

6. Speaking of Oregon, the Ducks MBB team has been a huge disappointment thus far.

7. Start your New Year out right, give back as much as you can.

The Wild West, Starts with WCC

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

As league play arrives it is time to watch an always underrated league in MBB, that league being the West Coast Conference.

Oh yes , it is the league of Gonzaga, but as of today it is also the league of Loyola and San Francisco , who both have records of 11-1. Not to mention a host of other fine teams.

I have enough basketball expertise to realize that it can often be naive to look at pre-league records, but conversely my expertise recognizes outstanding coaches of which Kyle Smith of USF and Mike Dunlap of Loyola are indeed.

At the end of regular season it would be foolish to pick against Gonzaga being on top, however it also would be foolish to think there are any easy outs in the WCC  this year. So far Portland and Pepperdine have been unimpressive, but they are young teams and you heard it here first, both will win games at home they are not suppose too.

So with some trepidation as I love this league for basketball, here is how I see it going. Pay attention if you never have, this league is fun and much more than Gonzaga.

10. Santa Clara
9. Pepperdine
8. Portland
7. San Diego
6. BYU
5. St Mary’s
4. Pacific
3. Loyola
2. USF
1. Gonzaga

If you like and I appreciate in a rational manner, tell me where I went right or wrong.

Second Half Histrionics!

by Harry Cummins

     Much can be written about Marquette's 103-85 win last night over previously undefeated Buffalo in a showdown of top 20 teams.

     Instead, we will simply leave you with the following 2 lines of information from the performance of Markus Howard, Marquette's 5'11" Junior guard and scoring leader in the Big East:

     l.  Howard scored 40 points... in the second half!!

     2. In one second half stretch, Howard was responsible for 24 straight points for his team.


     Howard thus wins Craw's Corners coveted stat of the night, week, and maybe the season!


                                        'Who can say what brought us to this miracle we've found,
                                          ....the second time around.'

Falling In Love With This Place Is Easy

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

How many dates does it take to fall in LOVE. It happened here on the fourth.

My new love, The Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University.

Well done PSU athletic director Val Cleary and your team of talented people.

I thought I might be in love on first date, but my fourth appearance last night got me thinking about the diamond ring.

Not a bad seat in the house, aa sparkle the minute you hit the building and scoreboards that fit perfectly with the environment.

@wchoops sometimes can give a little advice since I average seeing 140 college games in person start to finish each year.

Here you go Val:

1) Keep the great cleanliness up

2) Lower your concession prices, like many arenas are now doing.

3. A few more smiles and hellos out of all the ushers, not sporadic.

Oh yes, one more, this is a LOVE affair that will last.

The rising star of the Atlanta Hawks that nobody talks about

21 years old. Averaging 18.6 PPG and 9.5 RPG in his second year of NBA action. But for some reason, the NBA world wants to forget that John Collins exists and is a force to be reckoned with for the Atlanta Hawks.

In 2017, Hawks GM Travis Schlenk took a risk on Collins by picking him 19^th in the first round of the NBA draft. Collins was the first pick in the Schlenk era, and many draft experts felt that Collins was too undersized to come into the league and dominate at Power Forward. But, his tape at Wake Forest showed otherwise.

Collins averaged just 13.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG in just two years for the Demon Deacons, but anybody that watched his tape knew that it was the highlight dunks night in and night out that caught the attention of Schlenk. When Collins gets to the rim, he has no intentions of laying the ball up.

Coming into Atlanta as a rookie, Collins was 6-10 and 218 pounds. His weight was a concern for many skeptics, believing that he would get bullied at the rim by Power Forwards across the league. But, Collins has put on 15 extra pounds since starting in the league. Despite a few learning curves along the way, his rookie season was exceeding the expectations of many.

In an underwhelming season as a team for the Hawks, Collins still flourished and worked his way from being a bench player to start the season into a starter by the end of the season. Playing just 24 minutes a game, Collins finished his rookie season by averaging 10.5 PPG and 7.3 RPG.

Now we’re in 2018, and Collins started the season by missing the first 15 games with a nagging ankle injury. After returning from injury, Collins has been nothing short but dominant in 15 games of action.

In his last five games, Collins has averaged 22 PPG and 12.8 RPG. This included a 30-point game against the Denver Nuggets, who currently lead the Western Conference.

What’s even scarier for teams across the league now is that Collins is developing a 3-point shot. No longer can teams just let Collins shoot from the perimeter and try to prevent him from driving to the lane. Collins is becoming an all-around player for Head Coach Lloyd Pierce and the Hawks.

On a team filled with youth and lots of young talent, Collins has found a home in Atlanta. Hawks fans have come to love him already, and it’s time for the rest of the NBA to take notice of this rising superstar in the league.

-Allen Perez (Senior at Kennesaw State University, Sports Director of KSU Owl Radio, radio play-by-play announcer for Kennesaw State Men’s basketball and sports talk show host) (Twitter: @therealATLfan, email: allenperezsports@gmail.com)

On The Death Of A Dancer

Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought
So the darkness shall be the light,
and the stillness.. the dancing.

            -T.S. Eliot


by Harry Cummins


     There is a shaded and somber hush in our land as we await the advent of Christmas 2018.

     A jittery stock market has plummeted 2,000 points this week.  We anxiously wait the impending shutdown of a Government in turmoil. Migrants the world over, line up for a better life.  Also this week..a dancer has died, and the world of sport, in particular, should take note.

     Raven Wilkinson, one of the first African-American dancers to perform with a major ballet company, has died at the age of 83. An athlete in every sense of the word, she rose to prominence as the lone black dancer in the famed Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, touring a segregated South in the 1940's and 50's.

     In recent years, the pioneering Wilkinson became a mentor to Misty Copeland, who in 2015, was the first African-American ballerina to be named a principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theater in New York.  Wilkinson's own hardships and indignities were endured mostly in silence.  She remained active in the dance world until 2011.  "Sometimes my heart hurt" she once said.  She spent a short time in Wisconsin as a member of a convent, searching for greater benevolence in an unkind world.

     There are dark surfaces on today's fields of play.  Spaces where the purity of movement is tarnished by politics, profiteering,and prejudice.  In many respects, these wounds are self-inflicted and we should consider closely what has been lost in our relentless pursuit of winning and excellence.

     When Wilkinson died this week, her brother, Frost Bernie Wilkinson Jr, said the following:"She used to say that her race was not of significance, other than it was imposed on her" he said."All she ever wanted to do was dance."

     So,deep in December, let this be my Christmas card to the wider world of sport.  To the kid marooned at the end of the bench in a pee-wee Rec league, to the super-star trapped in the prison of his own fame, to all of us really, who simply wish for windows, not walls...

  ..  make a joyful sound...... and keep dancing.

     

   

A BEAVER BLOCKADE !

  by Harry Cummins

     When 7-footer Kylor Kelley once blocked 17 shots in a game while playing for Gervais High School in Oregon, it was easy to dismiss.  A few years later, while playing for former Oregon All-American Luke Jackson at Northwest Christian University, he set a single game record with 10 rejections.  It's the NAIA, right?

      This morning when NCAA Division 1 basketball fans woke up and checked the national leader board for blocked shots, Kylor Kelley of the Oregon State Beavers was now leading college basketball at its most accomplished level, thanks to a school record 9 blocks this week against Pepperdine.

     Kelley is a Junior this year for the (7-3) Beavers, after playing at Lane Community College for a season and a half.  He has posted a balanced statistical line this season of 6.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and his nation leading 4.0 blocked shots per contest, filling a huge gap left by the early departure of Drew Eubanks to the NBA.

     A rare afternoon basketball game is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday,Dec 21) in Corvallis when the Beavers take on Kent State at high noon.  There is no truth to the rumor that there will be free fly-swatters handed out to the first 1,000 fans!

Comeback: Watch this sport over next year

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

There is no question that NASCAR had hit if not rock bottom in 2018, some pretty heavy duty lows.

Including sponsorship losses and continued declines for almost all races with TV.

Where there is a bottom, there also is a top. I am not the first to say it, but I will say it. Get out of the way, cause NASCAR will rise again.

Great leaders change things for better. NASCAR has a great leader now in Steve Phelps. He will change everything and for the better.

Steve Phelps is Craw’s Corner person to watch in 2019, as he turns NASCAR around.

This was an easy choice for me as I am not even a fan of NASCAR (I never even wash my car and I can’t find the dipstick), but I am a fan of great leaders and Steve Phelps is a great leader.

The Decline of Attendance at Sporting Events, Part 1

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Over the next couple of weeks at Craw’s Corner, we will examine the decline in attendance at sporting events in United States, sometimes a steep decline. We will talk with experts in the field across the board.

Several factors are involved including:

1. Inflated Concession Prices

2. Horrible Wi-Fi

3. Turn down the music

4. Huge drops in student attendance on college and high school level

5. Inadequate parking.

This will be largest undertaking ever by Craw’s Corner, so enjoy and stay informed.

Thank you

'TWO FOR STEW' - Was He The Game's Best Pure Shooter?

 by Harry Cummins

     It's a question with a thousand faces and no answer.  Who was the best pure shooter in basketball history?

     This dispatch will not settle the debate. All I can tell you is the sample size is significant when I declare that Stew Johnson, formerly of Murray State and 12 different addresses in the now departed ABA, had the greatest jump shot these eyes have seen.

     Johnson played in all nine of the ABA's memory-book seasons between 1967 and 1976.  He scored over 10,000 points, made 3 appearances in the league's All-Star Game, and once set an ABA single-game record with 62 points.

     These were resplendent days for the sport.  The ball was red,white and blue and when you shot it, the blur resembled a rainbow arching toward the basket.  Almost every franchise moved and changed names every few years while players resembled troubadours in a lively game of musical chairs.  The 3 point shot was born and players could prove their manhood with sky-walking slam-dunks. The first ever 'dunk contest' was won by the wondrous ABA 'doctor' Julius Erving.

     Thru it all, there was Stew Johnson, the 6'8" kid from Clairton, Pa, setting up sanctuary in the corner and releasing the sweetest shot you will ever see.   A rival coach once described Johnson thusly:  "He was always ready to shoot.  In fact some people thought he had arthritis because his hands were always curled up in front of his chest."  To this day, I still hear those words of the arena public address announcer exclaim... 'Another Two For Stew.'

     Johnson was selected in the 3rd round of the 1966 NBA draft by the New York Knicks, but never played a game in the NBA.  He played for several years after that in Argentina, France and Italy.

     Ironically, one of the 'hottest' shooters in the game, Stew Johnson ended his career in Iceland.

    Where, of course, he won a scoring championship!


     

 


     

Sunday Thoughts, 12/16/18

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Every Sunday I share my thoughts on sports, equally as important would love to hear yours in comments section, thank you.

1. Golf on TV, at an all time high and just not because of Tiger. The interesting factor is that playing the game has remained stagnate, which is a darn shame. Golf is a great game, give it a try, you just might come back.

2. Under no circumstances should the Portland Pilots lose to Grambling State at home. Chance to redeem themselves on Monday night at home against a talented Seattle team.

3. When is everyone involved in all levels going to wake up and end the after game handshake line. Several dust ups this past week after games. SOLUTION: Line up across foul line extended for national anthem, then come together at mid court and wish the best. After the game get the heck out of dodge.

4. Speaking of hoops, does there really need to be four (4) mandatory time outs per half. Ruins the flow of game and even TV executives tell me the most the need is 3 per half. At least in first half, no more time outs period after the under 8:00 minute mandatory. Proof here, watch an NAIA or JC/CC game, where less TOs make for a smoother flow and more fun to watch. The women per usual have it right in college basketball, simple solution, play the game in 4 quarters.

5. Who is your choice of best sports commissioner of all time? Mine is Tim Finchem, retired PGA commish. No one in sports can beat his track record.

Great Scott: PAC-12 is interesting here,

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Take a breath for just one moment from the Larry Scott talk. And in doing so, there is nothing better than a great Conference basketball race. In positive manner that is what the PAC-12 is facing this year. No shortage of teams that could realistically get the number one seed come tournament time.

And here they are, skipping the in depth analysis, but worth following

Colorado— The true sleeper in the bunch

Oregon—- Never sell out the Ducks, best coach in conference

USC—- Do not let a poor showing in non-conference fool you.

UCLA—- We all thought Alford would win more, but it is UCLA

Washington—- So well coached, talented and my pick to win regular season

Arizona State—- Should get more attention than they get,  strong team in Tempe

Six out of 12 teams in league strong enough to win the Conference, the PAC-12 needs good news

A Really Special Holiday Basketball Tourney

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Mark it down and plan to attend. This is really special basketball and a must see event.

Game Times:

December 28th——- Noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 all Pacific Times

December 29th——- 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00 all Pacific Times

December 30th——- 11:00am, 1:00, 3:00 Championship Game

Oh yes, what is it? It is the annual Clackamas Community College , Christmas Invitational. Located in Oregon City, Oregon., just off Highway 213.

8 great teams, 3 days and great family pricing, plus an added bonus of FREE PARKING, unheard of in most great sporting events.

More detail to come in future Craw’s Corner.

Who are we at Craw’s Corner

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

Often asked question, “who are you at Craw’s Corner.

Well here is who we are NOT. Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal, ESPN or a bunch of writers looking for free food in a media center.

Instead we are a group of people who want to entertain you with informative and often original content, that simple.

So, if you have a great story idea or better yet would like to write for us, contact us crawscorner@gmail.com , all inquiries will get a response. Thank you.

They Also Play The Game

   In Bertolt Brecht's The Life of Galileo, a character remarks, "Unhappy is the land that breeds no hero."To which Galileo responds. "unhappy is the land that needs one"

     Try out Galileo's axiom. Go witness a live sporting event in our great land this weekend.  Telescope with a keen eye those we dismissively describe as "role players".  Study the orbits of the offensive lineman who seems to be merely taking up space.  The undersized  forward who battles for position in the key.  Take your eyes off the touchdown makers and the rim-rattlers. Stop 'star-gazing' long enough to see a sacrificial community at work for the 'other.'

     A new way of seeing maybe.  For a couple of hours anyway.

    Happy Holidays


    - harry cummins

Black Bears On A Strawberry Field

by Harry Cummins

     OK, I will admit I don't follow FCS football that closely and I had completely lost track of the Eastern Washington Eagles since their wide-receiver Cooper Kupp took his glue-fingers to the National Football League.

    However, the lure of that bright red rug in Cheney, known as 'The Inferno', and an opposing team that has traveled 3,000 miles to play on it Saturday for the right to  advance to the NCAA FCS Championship game...well...see you on ESPN2.

     EWU is 11-2 on the season, averaging a perfectly balanced 271 yards thru the air and 266 yards on the ground.  The Maine University Black Bears (10-3) surrender just 69 YPG rushing, tops in the FCS. 

    The snow has stopped and the game day forecast is for clearing.  'Skies of Blue and a Red Field too.  I'm gonna watch. 


 

ICEd Latte's

  by Harry Cummins

     When the National Hockey League announced last week that the city with a Starbuck's on every corner had just been awarded the league's newest franchise, 25,000 deposits for season tickets were sold in the FIRST HOUR!

     The opening puck won't drop in ice hockey thirsty Seattle for another 3 years.  Groundbreaking has begun on the Key Arena make-over in the shadow of the Space Needle.

     Hopefully Portland to the south, shovels at the ready, will soon experience their own "buzz"from Major League baseball.  Double Expresso to that!!!

THOUGHTS ON A THURSDAY NIGHT

  by Harry Cummins


*Baseball's Winter Meetings are leaving Las Vegas with Bryce and Manny still fronting the free-agent caravan now steam-rolling toward Fort Knox.  So somebody tell me again why MLB is still exempt from The Sherman Antitrust Act?  The Competitive Balance Tax was a feeble attempt to dissuade owners of top clubs from exterminating the opposition.  It hasn't stopped the flow of "stupid money" going to the elite players and the resulting damage to the character and soul of the game.

* 3 way trade today between Rays,Tribe, and M's.  Unless your preference runs toward imaginary parrots circling the bases next year at Safeco Field, I say the clear winner in this triangle trade is Tampa Bay.  You heard it here first, Yandy Diaz is the most underrated player in all of baseball!

* Before the current college basketball season runs it course, 5th year senior Reid Travis (Stanford to Kentucky), will prove to be the most impactful relocation move of the off-season.

* Speaking of the Cardinal, two the nation's very best junior tennis stars have just signed National Letters of Intent to join the most decorated program in women's college tennis.  Angelica Blake and Nicole Mossmer will arrive on The Farm for the 2019-20 campaign.  I have watched both of these rising stars play every summer in the USTA Billy Jean King 16s & 18s National Championships and both bring enormous upside to the defending NCAA champs.

Front Row Fever

By Gregory Crawford @wchoops

If a sports fan tells you they don’t like sitting in front row or court side, then you probably should tell them to take up knitting. I am sure the Knitting Society of America will weigh in here.

Politically correct or not, we love it at Craw’s Corner giving you info on tickets, stadiums and arena news.

An example, something you have been asking all day. Who has lowest court side seat price in the NBA? That would be the Atlanta Hawks at on average, $450.00 per game. Standby for more pertinent info in the future please.

Ben Gives it Old College 'Tri (Stat of The Night)

  by Harry Cummins


     Ben College, a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Portland, made (11) 3's last night while scoring a career high 37 points in leading Whitworth University (7-1) to a 104-74 win over the D'Youville Spartans.

     The 6'1" Junior was 11 for 17 beyond the arc and is now shooting 50% from distance on the year.

     College will have a homecoming of sorts on Jan 4, 2019, when the NCAA D-3  5th ranked Pirates visit Lewis and Clark College in Portland.

Kirk Cousins: The most overpaid QB in the NFL?

3 years, $84M. That’s how much money Kirk Cousins received by the Minnesota Vikings this offseason to be their new leader of the team.

32-36-2. That’s the career record of Kirk Cousins after losing to the rejuvenated Seattle Seahawks 21-7 Monday night.

The reason why the Vikings offered that enormous contract to Cousins over the offseason is quite simple. In a league determined by success, Minnesota felt that Cousins was more capable to lead their team to the promised land than Case Keenum. It should be noted that Keenum, who is vastly underpaid compared to Cousins, has the same amount of wins on a less talented Broncos team entering week 15.

The Seahawks exposed the Vikings offense in many ways Monday night, which still has the WR tandem of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs on the outside to provide weapons for Cousins. On paper, this Vikings offense should be explosive. But, somehow, they were only able to score seven points against a Seattle defense that has lost nearly everyone on that ‘Legion of Boom’ defense except for linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Whether the Vikings want to admit it or not, they overpaid Kirk Cousins this offseason. Statistically, his numbers still look nice on paper. But, this is a winning league. And Kirk Cousins has shown throughout his career in Washington and now Minnesota that he cannot perform on a big stage when it counts. The Vikings now stand at 6-6-1 on the season, with their playoff lives coming down to the final three games. Minnesota is still holding on to that final wildcard spot as of now, but with games left against a resurgent Dolphins team, a desperate Lions team, and a dominant Bears team, it is not unrealistic to think that the Vikings could lose out.

The Vikings fate is simple, as they still control their own destiny to making the playoffs. But, their fate mainly lies on Kirk Cousins, who has failed this Minnesota offense all season. He will have a chance to prove to all the doubters in these final three games that he was worth that $84M this offseason. Although, as of right now, it’s safe to say that the Vikings might have chosen the wrong quarterback to lead their franchise.

- Allen Perez (Senior at Kennesaw State University, Sports Director of KSU Owl Radio, radio play-by-play announcer for Kennesaw State Men’s basketball and sports talk show host) (Twitter: @therealATLfan, email: allenperezsports@gmail.com)