Sports

The rise of the crimson and gray.

In 1987, Dennis Erickson arrived in Pullman, Washington to take over the struggling Washington State University football program. Under his leadership, the Cougars ended 1988 with a 9-3 record and a victory in the Aloha Bowl. In just two years, the team had transformed, and Erickson’s lifelong friend, Mike Price, took over in 1989 to build on that legacy. By the end of Price’s tenure, WSU had appeared in five bowl games including two Rose Bowls, eclipsing the four bowl games in the entire program’s history. The coaches also produced a number of high-profile NFL quarterbacks, including Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf.

Join author Ben Donahue as he explores how the Washington State University Cougars went from doormats to perpetual contenders.

In the Footsteps of Oregon’s beloved U.S. Olympic Athlete, Activist, and Icon

Born in the small town of Coos Bay, Oregon, Steve “Pre” Prefontaine’s meteoric rise to cross-country and track superstardom included national recognition in high school followed by state, national, and world records. From the University of Oregon track to a fourth-place finish in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, he never stopped striving to make his mark on the world. Even today, his name conjures up images of athleticism, activism, and charisma. While his life tragically ended in a car accident at the youthful age of 24 – at which time he owned every American record from 2,000 to 10,000 meters and two to six miles – his legacy lives on.

Join author and runner Paul C. Clerici as he brings you this legendary Oregon athlete.

In the postseasons of 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Oregon State Beavers baseball team achieved a seemingly impossible dream and forever changed the culture of Northwest sports. After nearly a century of dismissal as a wet-weather team, unable to compete with the southern baseball belt on the national stage, a run of three College World Series appearances and back-to-back titles earned the Beavers national respect. Inspired by his own coverage of the dramatic seasons, Corvallis Gazette-Times" sportswriter Cliff Kirkpatrick recounts the program's rise to prominence and lasting legacy. Filled with firsthand insights from players and coaches and photos of pivotal moments and stands filled with orange and black, this retrospective captures the magic of Oregon State's three-season run."

In 1884, London's prizefighting craze spread to Portland. Since the fights were illegal throughout the States, matches were fought in inconspicuous venues away from unwanted spectators. A winner could be hanged if the loser died. Champions like Dave Campbell, Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey and "Mysterious" Billy Smith were just a few contenders for the brutal, nearly forgotten sport. Join author Barney Blalock as he reveals the remarkable stories of Oregon's bare-knuckle champions.

"Wherever two or three Norwegians gathered together, they constructed a jump and held competitions.'? -Harold "Cork'? Anson

Ski jumping, once Washington's most popular winter sport, was introduced by Norwegian immigrants in the early twentieth century. It began at Spokane's Browne's Mountain and Seattle's Queen Anne Hill, then moved to midsummer tournaments on Mount Rainier in 1917 and expanded statewide as new ski clubs formed. Washington tournaments attracted the world's best jumpers--Birger and Sigurd Ruud, Alf Engen, Sigurd Ulland and Reidar Andersen, among others. In 1941, Torger Tokle set two national distance records here in just three weeks. Regional ski areas hosted national and international championships as well as Olympic tryouts, entertaining spectators until Leavenworth's last tournament in 1978.

Lawyer, historian and award-winning author John W. Lundin recreates the excitement of this nearly forgotten ski jumping heritage.

Relive the exciting early days of skiing when Snoqualmie Pass was the epicenter of the sport. Ski jumping tournaments attracted world-class competitors to Cle Elum, Beaver Lake on the Summit and the Milwaukee Ski Bowl. The Mountaineers' twenty-mile race from Snoqualmie to Stampede Pass, dubbed "the world's longest and hardest race," was a pinnacle of cross-country skiing. Alpine skiing began in private ski clubs and expanded in 1934 with the country's first municipal ski area, known as the Seattle Municipal Ski Park. And the sport peaked when the Milwaukee Ski Bowl at Hyak opened in 1938. With train access, a modern ski lodge, an overhead cable lift and free ski lessons from the Seattle Times, the Ski Bowl revolutionized local skiing. Lawyer and local ski historian John W. Lundin follows the historic tracks through the genesis of American skiing.

Relive the magic of the Portland Timbers' 1975 season and the birth of Soccer City, USA. This is the story of seventeen players and two coaches who came from different clubs and different countries to form a team just days before their inaugural game. In this fast-paced account, Michael Orr weaves together player interviews, news coverage, and game statistics to capture the Timbers' single-season journey from expansion team to championship contender. From the first televised game against Pele's New York Cosmos to the seven-game winning streak that vied for a league record and the post-season battle for the game's highest prize, rediscover how, in just four months, the Timbers won the hearts of Portlanders and left an indelible stamp on the Rose City's sporting landscape.

In his lengthy career as an Oregon sportswriter (thirty seven years with The Oregonian), Bob Robinson covered a variety of regional and national golf events. In this collection, he takes a look back at some of the significant stories from his career, including coverage of Tiger's US Amateur win in Portland, Casey Martin's legal battle with the PGA, and Peter Jacobsen's top five finish in the 1983 PGA Championship. The book consists of twenty three essays relating memorable golf moments that occurred in Oregon or featured Oregon golfers. In each essay, Robinson seasons his initial coverage as a sports writer with follow up interviews, updated information, and his reflections on past events.

Oregon has its share of playmakers, dramatic finishes and legendary coaches. With humor and insight, Oregon native and longtime sportswriter Bob Robinson relates highlights from six decades of coverage throughout the state. Blazermania overruns the Rose City as the Trail Blazers take down the favored Philadelphia 76ers in 1977. Oregon State's Orange Express, coached by Ralph Miller, captivates the state in 1981 before a shocking stumble in the NCAA playoffs. University of Oregon's Bill Dellinger kickstarts the school's distance-running tradition with a stunning win in 1954. In the 1970s, Mouse Davis performs coaching magic at Portland State with his Run and Shoot football offense. In these twenty essays, Robinson offers a unique, behind-the-scenes account of some of Oregon's greatest sports moments and game-changing personalities.