OSA deserves a hooray
Smooth production, big names and some nice touchesUniversity of Oregon heptathlete Brianne Theisen, in accepting the coveted Hayward Award, called it an 'amazing evening.'
But that's what we've come to expect from the Oregon Sports Awards, which fired up its latest edition of the ESPYs like production Sunday night at the Tiger Woods Center on Nike's World Campus.
Jim Etzel and his SportsOne, Inc., production crew one and the same that staged the Bud Light Fiesta in Phoenix during BCS National Championship week have the OSA event down to a 'T.' SportsOne's full time staff o Air Max Rea f 12 put in 250 to 300 staff hours beginning in mid October, and it showed.
Michael Doherty's Nike Global Presentations staff is unparalleled, too, in providing the technical direction and polishing the finished product for the show telecast on Comcast SportsNet Northwest.
It's the people who made the whole deal special, though, for the overflow crowd of 800. There was plenty of star gazing to be had, with broadcasting legends Ahmad Rashad and Bill Schonely, award recipients such as Theisen, Chip Kelly and Mariel Zagunis and presenters such as Terry Porter, Darwin Barney, Shalane Flanagan, Patty Mills, Rudy Fernandez, Merritt Paulson, Brett Ponich and Craig Cunningham.
Dozens of past award winners and notables on the Northwest sporting scene were in attendance, including Larry Miller, Mike Golub, Mac Wilkins, Michael Harper, Dale Schlueter, Ad Rutschman, Mouse Davis, Dean Crouser, Pat Casey, Jay Locey, Rob Mullens, Lance Deal, Charlie Sitton, Steve Johnson, Eric Reveno, Joe Etzel, Torre Chisholm, Nigel Burton, Tyler Geving, Jack Dunn, Pete Ward and Jack and Mary Cain.
The great Dick Fosbury, who lives in Ketchum, Idaho, thinks enough of the event that he flew in from El Salvador, where as president of the World Olympians Association, he met with leaders of that country's Olympic movement. Thanks for coming, Foz.
Then there was ESPN's Neil Everett, a first time presenter and very much a Northwest guy. Everett, 48, was born in Portland, raised in Spokane and a 1984 UO grad whose first job was as news director of KGGU radio in Florence. State of Oregon knowledgable and irreverently witty, Everett ought to be brought back as an emcee some day.
It was a Duck lovefest, with Kelly and his football team, Theisen and Ashton Eaton hauling away major hardware and deservedly so. What a year it was for football and track and field at the Eugene school.
Fun, though, that Barney the dynamo in the middle of Oregon State's back to back national baseball championships was moved to remark, 'Go Beavs!' It drew one of the biggest cheers of the night.
Before the event, I asked Kelly if after four years in Eugene, he considers himself an Oregonian.
'I don't know,' said the New Hampshire native. feels like. If that means I'm an Oregonian, then I am one.'
So he hasn't experienced the state?
'I go to work every day,' he said. 'I can't tell you the last day I went fishing or hunting.'
Kelly looked at Davis now an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii and smiled.
'I was in Hawaii (recruiting) for six hours on Monday,' he said. 'I'm thinking, 'Shouldn't I be here a little longer? Maybe sitting on the beach for awhile?'
'I want to get a high school job there. Maybe D line coach at Punahou.'
In the 54 years of the Slats Gill Award, Kelly became the eighth multiple winner, joining Rutschman (five times), Casey and Rich Brooks (three apiece) and two time winners Clive Charles, Rick Adelman, Ralph Miller and Pokey Allen.
It was good to see the other four finalists for the 2010 Gill award in the audience Scott Brosius, Vin Lananna, Chris Casey and Mike Johnston.
I loved the special awards that went t o Brian Parrott, Mauro Potestio and Harry Merlo. And that Merlo dedicated his Les Schwab Award to two late, great gentlemen Jack LaLanne and Charles. Merlo, 85, served as corporate sponsor for many of LaLanne's birthday rendezvous excursions.
There were more awards this year than ever, but the show moved quickly, thanks in part to some great music provided by Louis Pain and his All Star Band.
I'd have enjoyed some sort of recognition to those we lost on the state's sports scene in 2010. And to see the in house camera hone in on some of the past greats, such as Fosbury, Wilkins and Casey, during commercial breaks.
Smooth production, big names and some nice touchesUniversity of Oregon heptathlete Brianne Theisen, in accepting the coveted Hayward Award, called it an 'amazing evening.'
But that's what we've come to expect from the Oregon Sports Awards, which fired up its latest edition of the ESPYs like production Sunday night at the Tiger Woods Center on Nike's World Campus.
Jim Etzel and his SportsOne, Inc., production crew one and the same that staged the Bud Light Fiesta in Phoenix during BCS National Championship week have the OSA event down to a 'T.' SportsOne's full time staff o Air Max Rea f 12 put in 250 to 300 staff hours beginning in mid October, and it showed.
Michael Doherty's Nike Global Presentations staff is unparalleled, too, in providing the technical direction and polishing the finished product for the show telecast on Comcast SportsNet Northwest.
It's the people who made the whole deal special, though, for the overflow crowd of 800. There was plenty of star gazing to be had, with broadcasting legends Ahmad Rashad and Bill Schonely, award recipients such as Theisen, Chip Kelly and Mariel Zagunis and presenters such as Terry Porter, Darwin Barney, Shalane Flanagan, Patty Mills, Rudy Fernandez, Merritt Paulson, Brett Ponich and Craig Cunningham.
Dozens of past award winners and notables on the Northwest sporting scene were in attendance, including Larry Miller, Mike Golub, Mac Wilkins, Michael Harper, Dale Schlueter, Ad Rutschman, Mouse Davis, Dean Crouser, Pat Casey, Jay Locey, Rob Mullens, Lance Deal, Charlie Sitton, Steve Johnson, Eric Reveno, Joe Etzel, Torre Chisholm, Nigel Burton, Tyler Geving, Jack Dunn, Pete Ward and Jack and Mary Cain.
The great Dick Fosbury, who lives in Ketchum, Idaho, thinks enough of the event that he flew in from El Salvador, where as president of the World Olympians Association, he met with leaders of that country's Olympic movement. Thanks for coming, Foz.
Then there was ESPN's Neil Everett, a first time presenter and very much a Northwest guy. Everett, 48, was born in Portland, raised in Spokane and a 1984 UO grad whose first job was as news director of KGGU radio in Florence. State of Oregon knowledgable and irreverently witty, Everett ought to be brought back as an emcee some day.
It was a Duck lovefest, with Kelly and his football team, Theisen and Ashton Eaton hauling away major hardware and deservedly so. What a year it was for football and track and field at the Eugene school.
Fun, though, that Barney the dynamo in the middle of Oregon State's back to back national baseball championships was moved to remark, 'Go Beavs!' It drew one of the biggest cheers of the night.
Before the event, I asked Kelly if after four years in Eugene, he considers himself an Oregonian.
'I don't know,' said the New Hampshire native. feels like. If that means I'm an Oregonian, then I am one.'
So he hasn't experienced the state?
'I go to work every day,' he said. 'I can't tell you the last day I went fishing or hunting.'
Kelly looked at Davis now an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii and smiled.
'I was in Hawaii (recruiting) for six hours on Monday,' he said. 'I'm thinking, 'Shouldn't I be here a little longer? Maybe sitting on the beach for awhile?'
'I want to get a high school job there. Maybe D line coach at Punahou.'
In the 54 years of the Slats Gill Award, Kelly became the eighth multiple winner, joining Rutschman (five times), Casey and Rich Brooks (three apiece) and two time winners Clive Charles, Rick Adelman, Ralph Miller and Pokey Allen.
It was good to see the other four finalists for the 2010 Gill award in the audience Scott Brosius, Vin Lananna, Chris Casey and Mike Johnston.
I loved the special awards that went t o Brian Parrott, Mauro Potestio and Harry Merlo. And that Merlo dedicated his Les Schwab Award to two late, great gentlemen Jack LaLanne and Charles. Merlo, 85, served as corporate sponsor for many of LaLanne's birthday rendezvous excursions.
There were more awards this year than ever, but the show moved quickly, thanks in part to some great music provided by Louis Pain and his All Star Band.
I'd have enjoyed some sort of recognition to those we lost on the state's sports scene in 2010. And to see the in house camera hone in on some of the past greats, such as Fosbury, Wilkins and Casey, during commercial breaks.
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