I showed up to the bar somewhere around noon. My friend Franky and I saw the trailer stacked with metal and padding sitting out front as we walked in. We were immediately welcomed by a coach of ours, Nic. He gave us the usual energetic smile/handshake combo and thanked us for coming. The three of us sat at the nearly empty bar, talking, until a few more guys showed up. All of us began emptying the trailer and assembling the smaller cage against the west wall of the bar. About 30 minutes in and MMA fighter Dennis Hallman (51-14-1) rolls through the front door. Dennis wastes no time in gathering the guys around to share dirty jokes and fight stories. Eventually we all made our way back to the assembly line and finished setting up.

Twenty-six hours later, the bar is packed wall-to-wall, sardine can style, with clambering fans. A couple buzzing spotlights directed the room’s eyes towards two amateur mixed martial artists as they tapped gloves. The ref gave the signal, a bell rang, and Franky put his hands up. This is local mixed martial arts, and it’s happening in your backyard.

In the last two articles, we have discussed how to create a vision board and use it as a resource to improve your health. In this segment, we will discuss some practical information that you can implement to achieve your goals. We are going to keep things nice and simple and at the beginner level, since that is where we started when this column first went to print. I have asked an associate of mine to contribute to this week’s column. Her name is Katie Rowlett. She is a personal trainer and a national level figure competitor / sponsored athlete living in Central Oregon. I asked her to first discuss motivation, since this is a sticking point for many people. Here is what she had to say:

While the nation mourns a week of tragedy, it seems nearly insensitive to write a column about sports. The inspiration at least, is a little harder to come by. Surely when we heard of the bombs, there was a part of us that went to a place in our heads. A place that asked, “What if I had been there?” Oregonians certainly weren’t immune, with 351 runners in Boston. But the more I got to thinking, the more I realized that mourning Boston at a standstill wasn’t helping anyone. And in the last few days, across the country, it’s become apparent that the run must continue.

In just a few shorts days, after we saw smoke and victims carried from carnage, people have continued to lace up their running shoes. On Wednesday in Eugene, the streets were taken in a run for Boston. The Duck’s Track and Field team ran on Hayward, Eugene residents hit the trails, and up north in Portland, close to 1,000 people ran along the waterfront. The enthusiasm hasn’t slowed. People are vowing to do marathons or simply take a jog, all in honor of those who were injured and lost.

The NBA playoffs have arrived and for Portland Trail Blazer fans, the season is over. There are, however, many compelling story lines to follow as the playoffs unfold. Here are your top stories to follow for Oregon and Portland Trail Blazer related news.

1.      Players with Oregon ties: There are regrettably few players in the playoffs this year with ties to the wonderful state of Oregon: Ivan Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks (University of Oregon), Aaron Brooks (University of Oregon), Terrence Jones (Jefferson High School) and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (Jesuit High School). Johnson very well could be a deciding factor for the Hawks against the Indiana Pacers by bringing toughness and relentless energy on the inside. He also ranks very highly on my list of players you don’t want to heckle at an NBA game. The man is terrifying.

After two impressive home victories against San Jose and Houston, the Portland Timbers face a tough challenge, as six out of their next eight matches are on the road.  Now before we get ahead of ourselves thinking that we can pull nine points out of possible eighteen, let us take some things into consideration.

Timbers Overall Road Record: 3-21-10.

Three wins.  Three measly wins on the road in two seasons!  That is abysmal, and if the Timbers want to be considered playoff contenders, they have to win on the road.  Not just tie.  Luckily, after watching every match this year, I must admit, this squad seems a little different than past Timbers teams.  This team has character; they have spunk, they play with an unmatched tenacity, and it shows.  They were down 2-0 at Colorado and they roared back to obtain a 2-2 result.  The same can be said with the Sounders game on March 17; they literally persevered to the very end.  I am dubious that past Timbers crews could put up these consistent results in such fashion.

The Oregon Ducks baseball team is as hot as it could be heading into the biggest two week span of the season.

With UCLA and Stanford coming to PK Park this weekend and next, the Ducks can make it a two horse race for the Pac-12 title with OSU if they can take the next two series.

Is that a big if? It might be. UCLA and Stanford are two of the traditional powerhouses in the Pac-12. They are loaded with players who know that two wins over the Ducks in Eugene would register as 'big wins' for their programs in the eyes of the NCAA selection committee. They also know that a deep run in the postseason can start midway through the Pac-12 season, which is right where we are.

Despite all the Ducks have accomplished, they haven't won anything yet. Everyone on the team knows that. So far, Oregon has established itself as a contender for the Pac-12 title and hosting a regional in June. From here on out, Oregon will get the very best effort out of everyone they play.

And, it is a long loooong way to the finish line.

Just two weeks ago, Portland Timbers fans weren't quite sure what they had in front of them. Their team’s sub-par record didn't seem to match their strong performances on the field, which gave fans hope; but without a win five games into the season positive judgments just couldn't be made.

Then, the Timbers came home for a pair of games.

During their two-game home stand, the Timbers were able to put any doubt to rest, showing their fans and the rest of the MLS that they should be a force to reckon with this summer.

Oregon dumped documents Monday night. A lot of documents. Over 200 pages, showing how the Ducks flaunted NCAA rules, engaging in all kinds of naughty behavior, a list of actions topped with Chip Kelly’s painfully illicit dealings with Willie Lyles.

The Ducks say there was no lack of institutional control.

Yeah, right.

No lack of institutional control when Oregon has already admitted to “Underlying major violations coupled with failure to monitor violations involving the head coach (2009 through 2011) and the athletics department (2008-2011)''.

Basically, Kelly could have been the next Pablo Escobar and Oregon would have turned the other cheek.

Yes, Oregon State’s baseball season continues to progress toward the postseason. Last weekend the Beavs swept Utah to remain on top in the Pac 12 Conference with a 10-2 record (29-6 overall). With each game, the team must believe there is no rest for the weary and remain prepared for every opponent. As the finish line gets closer, the games only get tougher no matter the record of who they are playing.

OSU and Oregon are beginning to distance themselves from the rest of the conference. The Beavers hold a one game advantage over the Ducks in the loss column and three games over UCLA (a team they have already defeated two of three games). This weekend, the Beavers travel to Washington while Oregon hosts UCLA. The Ducks-Bruins series almost is a win-win situation for OSU, considering UCLA is third in the conference. So whichever team wins there benefits the Beavs, however, UCLA winning would help more.

Eastern Conference 

1. (1) Miami Heat (66-16) vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks (38-44) 

Lebron James (26.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.3 ast) and the high-octane offense of the Miami Heat host a first round match-up against Monta Ellis (19.2 ppg, 6.0 apg) and the Bucks. The Heat have earned the NBA’s top seed, and have posted a 3-1 record against the Bucks. In this match-up we can expect to see the Heat show how defending champs play by taking the 7 game series in 4 games.

Welcome to the offseason Portland Trail Blazer fans! While 16 other franchises anticipate the upcoming playoffs, fans here in Portland sit and anticipate the summer to come. There is so much talk about what may happen this offseason to improve this young team. Even though there were bright spots to this season, the excitement of the unknown will start to consume this market.

While everything up to this point is speculation, I have 3 sure-fire predictions to keep an eye on leading up to next season.

One of the fascinating aspects of sports is the people you meet.

For athletes, it starts early. From new friends, their parents, and coaches, the world expands in front of them.

If you stay in a sport long enough, you meet some of the greats.

On the other hand, if you write about sports, great characters emerge.

Dr. Joseph McFarland is one of them.

We met at this year’s Oregon high school wrestling championships. He was helping man the table for Restore College Wrestling in Oregon, explaining the mission and signing people up.