If it’s a tee time the president wants today, he’s got an out from watching basketball. Oregon State finally lost a game with Barack Obama in attendance, after four wins.
He went quickly from good luck charm to jinx, as Akron led all the way en route to an 83-71 win on the first day of the Diamond Head Classic.
If OSU had beaten the Zips, the most powerful man in the world would be obligated to attend today and try to keep the unbeaten streak going in the semifinal round.
Of course he would. Oregon State coach Craig Robinson is Michelle Obama’s brother, and blood is thicker than water hazards.
The First Lady looked more upset than her husband did as Akron took an early double-digit lead. The president was stoic, knowing basketball is like an election campaign, a game of runs — hot streaks and cold.
Those poor girls, though, Malia and Sasha. You could tell they were suffering smartphone withdrawal. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Uncle Craig’s team played better. If they have a vote for today, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be for shopping and shave ice.
Polar Bear-suited Frostpaw, the anti-Keystone pipeline protester, had the most fun of all, dancing in the loge seats opposite the Obama entourage behind the Beavers’ beach.
Robinson and the players said having the First Fan in attendance is no distraction. Come on, give me a break — the entire arena trying to take pictures of a guy right behind your bench? All those Secret Service agents and police?
Apparently the Beavers forgot to pick up their perimeter defense at the security gate, scoring zip while the Zips took a 10-0 lead.
"No distractions; we just came out slow," said Roberto Nelson, who led OSU with 20 points Sunday but scored 31 points with POTUS in the house in a win at Maryland last month. "Some of the guys we didn’t expect to make 3s were knocking ’em down."
Nelson said the Beavers didn’t identify Akron’s Nyles Evans as a 3-point threat.
"No, we found that out the hard way," he said. "I don’t think we thought the point guard would come out and make four in a row. We didn’t expect him to make that many 3s."
The University of Hawaii made out on concessions. The crowd of around 4,000 was way more than the first-day afternoon sessions of previous Diamond Head Classics.
But the Obamas were foodless 15 minutes into the game, so I tweeted that the Beaver-in-Chief looked hungry and someone should get him some garlic fries. A minute later someone spoke to him and the First Lady. Five minutes later they were eating.
I’ll chalk it up to coincidence, since I’m not ready to be fitted for a tinfoil hat quite yet.
Coach Robinson said afterward his team can’t afford to come out flat again.
"There’s a lot of time in between practices. A lot of time in between games," he said. "This isn’t a holiday for us."
It is for the president, though, and no one can blame him if he hits the links today.
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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads
