The best of this week’s upcoming sports events
Saturday, January 30
Portland Winterhawks vs. Seattle Thunderbirds
The great thing about mascot night is that there is a 100% chance of either thoroughly delighting or scaring the living crap out of your kids. Will this experience turn your little ankle-biter into a lifelong hockey fan or instead require years of expensive therapy? Find out this Saturday when Winterhawks mascot Tom-A-Hawk, OSU’s Benny the Beaver, Blaze from the Trail Blazers and a variety other fluffy creatures with removable heads entertain the crowd during game breaks and even take the ice for an all mascot hockey game during the second intermission. Real hockey fans will also enjoy watching the surging Winterhawks take the ice against longtime division rival Seattle. The Thunderbirds have put the smack down on the Hawks in recent years when Seattle was fighting for playoff position and Portland was mired at the bottom of the division standings. Now those roles are reversed, and you can bet that revenge is on the minds of Winterhawks players.
Where: Rose Garden
When: 7 p.m.
Tickets: 224-4400, ticketmaster.com
Additional Home Dates: 2/3 vs. Kamloops
Sunday, January 31
Oregon Sports Awards
Top athletes from around the state will be honored this week at the annual Oregon Sports Awards, hosted by Emmy-winning broadcaster and former Ducks football star Ahmad Rashad. Nominees for various awards include Brandon Roy of the Blazers, Jeremiah Masoli of the Ducks and Beavers basketball coach Craig Robinson, among many others. A $50 ticket gets you hors d’oeuvres, a hosted bar, dessert and coffee, and of course the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of Oregon’s best athletes. Just make sure you don’t indulge in too many adult beverages and start telling stories about your own athletic achievements—nobody cares about that time you hit the game winning shot in your over-40 rec league.
Where: Tiger Woods Center - Nike Campus
When: 7 p.m.
Tickets: 721-7477, ext. 24
Thursday, February 4
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Despite a hamstring injury to All-Star Brandon Roy and several really close games that just haven’t gone their way, the Blazers have somehow managed to hang tough and maintain their playoff position in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. This nationally televised TNT game will be a big one as the Spurs currently are neck-and-neck with the Blazers in the standings. Oh, and while you’re at the game, in honor of Greg Oden, don’t forget to clear all the dirty pictures out of your cell phone. You know you have some, and you know they’re waaaay more kinky than the ones that Oden took.
Where: Rose Garden
When: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: 797-9600, trailblazers.com
Additional Home Dates: 2/1 vs. Charlotte
Photo: Ryan Johansen, winterhawks.com
