8 eet eS Sarena eek. = SRE SE EE Ame ea Ag TON -rpeee Sports Section Editor: Jordan Cripps "February 26, 2003 Jordan Cripps Sports Editor I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole Olympic question and can see both sides of the argument. I think there can be both positive and negative outcomes from holding the games here. One thing I’m definitely not ambivalent about, however, is the plebiscite that will have taken place by the time youre reading this. There are a number of problems with the way that the plebiscite has been devel- oped. First, it is open only to residents of Vancouver. Yes, the bid says that Vancouver and Whistler are the official candidate cities but the effects of hosting the games will be felt throughout the entire province. Therefore, the entire province should have the opportunity to have their say. The only way to do ensure this is to have the plebiscite cover the entire province. As it is, only a small sec- “dcsportseditor@yahoo.ca Olympic Plebiscite Challenges Vancouver Olympic Chances tion of British Columbians are having their opinions matter. Simply put, I don’t think this is right. The second problem with having the plebiscite now is simply the timing of the vote. Salzburg, another of the potential host cities, just announced the results of their own poll, with 90 percent of people showing support for the bid. If the results of Vancouver's vote are lower than those in Salzburg, the possibilities of hosting the Olympics will be reduced greatly. Maybe, though, this is what the organizers want- ed. By having the Vancouver plebiscite a few days after these very positive results in Salzburg, people who are sitting on the fence may decide to vote in favour of the Olympics. Another issue with the Olympic plebiscite is that it has no true power. Regardless of the results of the vote, the bid will continue. What it will do, howev- er, is influence the IOC's decision. If Vancouver gets 100 percent support for the bid (this won't happen), the possibili- ty of Vancouver earning the rights to host the games will increase. If only 40 percent of Vancouverites are in favour of the Olympic bid, however, the chances of the Olympics coming to Canada are pretty much gone. The way that the plebiscite was intro- duced is a big issue for the Vancouver bid organizers. As this plebiscite was being debated, it seemed that there was reluc- tance toward holding any sort of a vote. This reluctance could, in the eyes of the IOC, be interpreted as fear about the results of a vote. The entire campaign to get support for the Olympic bid does the other press seem to be based, to some extent, on fea and desperation. The various ads ang marketing strategies do have an aura o begging around them rather than takin the more positive approach of selling th outcomes for hosting th Olympics to the people of Britis Columbia. These are certainly not th positive right impressions to be giving members o the IOC, especially with Salzburg gettin immensely strong support for its bid There is obviously some confidence i that city that seems to be missing from th Vancouver bid. I can't help but think that, regardless o the actual results of the plebiscite, th, process the bid organizers have used t introduce the vote has already done t Vancouver Olympic bid more harm tha a strong yes vote can possibly correct. Whistler Schmistler. We’ve Got the Games! Jason Kurylo CSRW (CSRW)—Oh sure, we're in favour of the 2010 Olympics. But they're seven whole years away—why wait? We've got the games right here in the Royal City! The Douglas College Royals host the 2003 BCCAA Provincial Basketball Championships, March 6-8 at 700 Royal Avenue in New Westminster. Six teams in each the women’s and men’s divisions will compete for gold medals, bragging rights and the invitation to represent the Left Coast at the CCAA Nationals two weeks later. The women’s gold medal team will be crowned after game 11, which is scheduled for a 6:00p.m. tip-off on Saturday, March 8th. The men’s title matchup tips off immediately after, and is currently scheduled for an 8:00p.m. start. FACT: As of today, teams from Surrey, Abbotsford, Prince George, New Westminster, Kamloops and North Vancouver will vie for provincial titles. Want representa- tion from the island? Look to the women’s side, where Nanaimo’s Malaspina Mariners have a hold on the fifth seed. FACT: Just two points separate first place from sixth in the hotly contested men’s draw. How close is that? Vancouver's Langara College Falcons, currently in sev- enth and thus ineligible for post-season play, have a win- ning record and are just two victories behind the top seed. FACT: Hometowns of the leagues’ top players range from Vancouver and Burnaby to Ladysmith and Port Alberni, Vanderhoof and Tahsis to Chicago, IL and the Czech Republic. Vancouverites hold the top two scoring © page 16 positions in the men’s draw—UNBC Timberwolf Gene Wolff leads the way with 20.58 points per game, while the Capilano Blues’ highly-touted Chris Porteous rou- tinely pours in long jumpers for an even 20 points a game. FACT: Chilliwack native Jamie Born is number one in women’s scoring, with 16.43 points per game. She sits at number four in rebounds, with almost 9 boards a night. Her Fraser Valley Cascades sit well atop the league going into the tourney, with a perfect 14—0 record. They even play defense—they’ve outscored opponents 1051-688 so far this season. FACT: The host team on the men’s squad has one of the most exciting squads in its history. Smothering defense, an adaptable offense...In addition to home court advantage, the Douglas College Royals boast one of the league’s top rebounders in the 6’9” Prince George prod- uct Ian Hogan, and league Player of the Week for February 8, New Westminster’s very own Taylor Cherris- Wilding. CW just happens to sit at third in both BCCAA scoring and assists. We've got some of the best basketball in the country, right here in the Royal City. Don’t wait for seven Christmases to flip by before you support our local ath- letes. Come out to Douglas College from March 6-8 for the true spirit of competition. Schedule: Thursday, March 6 2:00p.m. Game 1: Women #3 vs. #6 4:00p.m. Game 2: Men #3 vs. #6 6:00p.m. Game 3: Women #4 vs. #5 8:00p.m. Game 4: Men #4 vs. #5 Friday, March 7 2:00p.m. Game 5: Women #2 vs. winner of game 3 4:00p.m. Game 6: Men #2 vs. winner of game 3 6:00p.m. Game 7: Women #1 vs. winner of game 1 8:00p.m. Game 8: Men #2 vs. winner of game 2 Saturday, March 8 2:00p.m. Women’s Bronze Medal Game 9: loser of ga #5 vs. loser of game 7 4:00p.m Men’s Bronze Medal Game 10: loser of game # vs. loser of game 8 6:00p.m. Women’s Gold Medal Game 11: winner 4 game #5 vs. winner of game 7 8:00p.m. Men’s Gold Medal Game 12: winner of ga #6 vs. winner of game 8 the offici For more information, check tournament website, now online at , or call 604-527-5005. out The Sheraton Guildford is the official host hotel 4q the 2003 BCCAA Provincial Basketball Championships. Fify Star Media, The Old Spaghetti Factory Clancy's Sports Bar and Grill are proud sponsors of the to ment. oh on ee bs