Wish List For Santa

It's never too early to make a list for Santa. With that in mind, and assuming that we've been good little boys and girls this year, what do we want him to lug down the chimney this year?

I'll go first. Since nothing is too big for Santa, my wish is that he would expand the seating capacity of CCSC so that we can host the Soccer Cup one day. (You naysayers, hush up!)

and the canopy and drop down replay screens, don't forget.



My wish for the new year is for the old white males that determine the members of the UP hall of fame to undo the biggest embarrassment of UP sports.


We have members in the hall who played on losing teams, and the only team that is listed in the hall is a tennis team that never won a national championship.

Yet we can't seem to elect a dozen or so All Americans to the hall, and the only two teams to ever bring the Cups to the bluff aren't even mentioned.


The last time they had a chance to vote, rather than at least partially undo that travesty, they did nothing.

For the hall to mean anything, that has to change.

Well this may seem a little selfish, but my wish is for the WCC to get its own channel on TV like the Big Ten, so I can watch the games on the big boy TV. I guess thats a stretch since the website seems to be catching cobwebs.

I do agree with Geez on this one.

"Hall of Fame Committee, get your stuff together."

BTW, anyone know how the committee members are chosen, and how long their terms are for?

If Portland gets an MLS team then the stadium for that team would be large enough to host the final four; then we just have the weather to deal with.

Tough to argue with Geez on this... here are the rules for the HOF:

Nominees to the Athletic Hall of Fame must meet several qualifications: if an athlete, the nominee’s athletic eligibility must have been completed at least five years prior to induction. Athletes still active professionally will not be considered for nomination until they formally retire; the nominee must have attended the University for at least two years; if not an athlete, the nominee must have made a significant contribution to the University’s athletic program as an administrator, coach, benefactor, etc.

http://www.portlandpilots.com/sports/2008/8/11/GEN_0811083202.aspx?

So basically, you need to have been graduated for at least five years and, if you played professionally, you need to have retired.

Part of me does understand that it's got to be difficult for them to figure out who/how to include all of our great soccer players... I mean, do you add every All-American? Just the multiple-timers? Do you do the whole championship teams? I don't know... I'm sure they want to keep the "integrity" of the Hall intact, in the sense that they probably don't want to add 40 new soccer players. But at the same time, soccer is the one sport that we dominate in and it's sad that there is only one (!) women's soccer player in the Hall... Justi Baumgardt-Yamada, who was inducted in 2005.

If you don't add All Americans, how do you justify the other players in the Hall?

I can't think of another University in the country that doesn't induct their All Americans at the first opportunity. Here at Portland, you have to search to find out who they were, and if it's before 2000, you may not ever find out from UP.

Shannon retired from the National team in 2002 or three. Is there anyone who believes she doesn't deserve to be in the Hall? Tiffeny still plays, but only on the same team that Justi plays on, so if Justi is in.....

I'm not talking about players who somehow squeeked into All American status (can you do that?) I'm talking about NATIONAL HEROS

There are scores of others, but if they don't start inducting some soon, It'll be the biggest embarrassment in the Nation.

And there are no limitations on appointing teams. If a National Championship doesn't do it, what does?

Just for comparison, Mia Hamm and Heather O'Reilly had their numbers retired before they graduated.

While we figured emailing the NCAA soccer selection comm., would not be productive. I think a little lobbying with the UP sports information department (Adam errrr Linderrr) might be in order. He doesn't make the selections but I am sure he knows who might be interested in public opinion on this issue.

If they won't increase seating capacity at CCSC to potentially host the College Cup...how about installing a Jumbo-tron?!?

I was watching the Men's College Cup Final...Maryland and UNC.

The halftime show featured the "50th Anniversary College Cup Team" ...John Harkes, Virginia; Paul Caligiuri, UCLA;Claudio Reyna, Virginia were some of the names I recognized.

This probably needs to be posted on the Men's forum but it fits in nicely here with Geezer's HOF wish. My question is...wasn't Kasey Keller an All-American? Is he in Portland's HOF? I was wondering why he wasn't on the list of nominees for the 50th Anniversary Team?

Men's 50th Anniversary College Cup Team

GO PILOTS!!!

Well, Keller is still in the professional ranks, and probably hasn't retired from the National team just yet. But I have no doubt's he will get in on the first ballot.

It makes the others not getting in all the more maddening.

It's not just the women. Can anyone think of a good reason Yari Alnutt isn't in?

Here is the link for all the inductees. There are just a handful of soccer players/coaches. It is beyond belief.

http://www.portlandpilots.com/documents/2008/8/11/Athletic%20Hall%20of%20Fame.pdf?id=2541

The list is kind of sloppy at that. It lists Clive as both a coach and a player. As far as I know Clive never played for UP.

I understand that the Hall was just formed in 1991, and there was half a century or more of athletes that needed to be recognized. I also understand that for many of those years there were no women's sports. It's only natural that the early inductees would be men. But it's time now to recognize the best players of the last couple generations, and those were largely soccer players. Women soccer players, for the most part.

Perhaps we need to be a bit proactive here. As I see the rules there is nothing written about who nominates athletes for admittance into the hall. Now, I'm not an alumnus, so I could see how a list I submitted might not be accepted, but some of you are alumns, and I don't see how a list submitted by a group of alumni could be refused from consideration.

Maybe the voting panel (whoever that is) just needs to be educated. What do you think?

Shannon didn't turn in her formal retirement papers until recently. I think her "5-year" clock started in 2006, after she tried to get into Greg Ryan's team, but he had already defined his "youth movement," and lingering injuries got the best of her. I don't think Tiff hasn't turned in her formal retirement papers, as I heard she is hoping to play in the WPS. Same with Frenchie. If any team should be inducted, it should first and foremost be the teams from 1994-95: the first teams to crack the final four and start the program on its way to national prominence. The players on those teams put more blood/tears/sweat equity into the program, I think, and paved the way for the great teams that came later. If it weren't for them (and Clive), none of the players who came after them would even know of Portland. Those teams and their players are the foundation of the program.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at this stage promoting one team or set of players over another. There is such a backlog of worthy players I'd be happy to see any of those great players or teams in the hall.

There are now about 22 basketball, 14 or so baseball and 15 football players in the hall. There are 3 male soccer players and one female soccer player in the hall, and in terms of bringing credit to themselves and the University, I submit there are no programs that have done more. At this point it looks so ridiculous, I don't care where you start, somebody needs to be in the hall.

As far as retirement goes, Now is the perfect time. I'm pretty sure Tiff is retired from the National team (has anybody asked her?), the Seattle semipro team she and Justi (who is the only woman soccer player in the hall) were on has been disbanded, and there is no WPS yet. I don't think you get retirement papers from an organization that doesn't exist, and she's not currently active professionally (read the requirement). Were the papers of the 1930's football players or Darwin Cook checked? How about Pat Casey's?

Shannon is a coach now. She has the same status as Pat Casey, as I see it. Get her in the hall now. There is no rule that you can't unretire. Justi showed that, and Benedetti played for the Timbers years after he was in the hall. I think I saw him play two or three years ago! He was certainly playing when Clive had his jersey retired at PGE in 2003. He was inducted in 1994 (how did that happen - I thought it was odd years?)
according to wikipedia:

After four seasons with Portland, Benedetti signed with the Seattle Storm in February 1990. In 1991, he moved again to the Colorado Foxes. In 1992, Benedetti played half a season for the Miami Freedom and half the season with the UNAM Pumas. In 1993, Benedetti returned to the Colorado Foxes. That year the Foxes defeated the Los Angeles Heat for the APSL championship in a shootout after the game ended tied after overtimes. Benedetti would play for the Foxes again in 1994,

n 1996, the Colorado Rapids drafted Benedetti in the 8th round (72d overall) of the Inaugural MLS draft. Benedetti started thirty-two games during the 1996 season, but saw his playing time drop to three games and only one start in 1997

In 2001, Benedetti signed with the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division. He played five seasons with the Timbers, retiring after the 2005 season.

Clive said after the first Championship that Tiffeny was the whole reason the program as we know it was possible. If that's not being a benefactor (Latin for "good maker") I don't know what is.

CLIVE

You are misreading the admittance conditions on the 5 year clock. You are eligible 5 years after your eligibility is completed, but immediately upon retirement. Tiffeny's athletic eligibility ended in spring of 1995, Shannon's in spring of 1996, as I read the NCAA rules.

if an athlete, the nominee’s athletic eligibility must have been completed at least five years prior to induction. Athletes still active professionally will not be considered for nomination until they formally retire; the nominee must have attended the University for at least two years;

Besides, I'm puzzled why anyone would nitpick keeping these players out of the hall. It clearly wasn't done with other players. (mostly male, I might add)
Shouldn't we be looking for ways to get them IN?

Ha ha, I love it. The Geez is fired up. Well let's do it... let's make a list.

We should start first with the people who are already in:

Justi Baumgardt-Yamada (1993, 95-97)
Scott Benedetti (1985-89)
Clive Charles * (1986-2003)
Joey Leonetti (1988-91)
Jim Tursi (1977-80)

This is totally off the top of my head (don't have a media guide handy), but here is a start with All WCC/All-Americans/Olympians/National Team/ people. Please don't be mad if I forget people... let's build this list together!

Men
Kasey Keller
Yari Alnutt
Jimmy Clarke
David Xausa
Steve Churundolo
Connor Casey
Nate Jaqua
Heath Pearce

Women
Michelle French
Shannon Macmillan
Tiffeny Milbrett
Wynne Macintosh
Lauren Orlandos Hansen
Erin Misaki
Lindsay Huie
Christine Sinclair
Angie Woznuk
Stephanie Lopez
Megan Rapinoe


I know there are a lot more... who else?

No goalkeepers on the women's list? How about Cheryl Loveless? Cori Alexander?

And Erin Fahey?

Any former player named Kristen.

Wish List: Real M&M's in the Pilot Club.

For goalkeepers, I would induct Michelle Voiland first, then Fahey...they basically started the tradition of superb goalkeeping on the women's side--anyone who came after owes those two a debt of gratitude for the work they put in to put Portland on the map. On the men's side, the efforts of Todd Lawton and Brian Casola should be recognized, as well; they were nothing short of phenomenal during their shared years in the net.

As for the pro stuff, I guess it's just semantics. I don't think Justi played regularly in the Seattle side, but Tiff was an everyday player for Vancouver...I remember when MacMillan "retired," US Soccer put out a formal release saying she had filed her "retirement papers" with them, but I haven't heard of Milbrett doing the same thing. I'm not saying I don't agree that they should be put in the Hall immediately (if not sooner), I'm just saying it's hard to keep track of this crap and what and when exactly makes them "Hall eligible." Milbrett, MacMillan and Sinclair broke all the rules and records when it comes to Portland soccer, so why not break the eligibility rules and put them in the Hall, ASAP? All those shiny trophies in the cases wouldn't be there without them.

PilotNut wrote:Wish List: Real M&M's in the Pilot Club. :rendeer:

Done! on at least two occasions this year.

How did the M&M aerodynamics compare with Pokies?

PilotNut wrote:How did the M&M aerodynamics compare with Pokies? :confused: :D

I don't know. One of the games was SCU, and there was no need. The other was that nice guy from James Madison.

I would imagine they would be more predictable aerodynamicaly - better quality control. :lol:

Real M&Ms were served in the PC twice this season?!! Wow!!!

Xmas Wish #2: Permission to take my PC brewskie back to my seat in the stands.