Sports Central

Correction(s)

My apologies, Vermont Frost Heaves.
Don't worry, I did go to the Vermont Frost Heaves game on Sunday, and despite that, I did get the score wrong in the headline, the story and the photo caption (hey, at least I'm consistent). The Heaves lost 108-95, not 108-93, as I had in my story. I noticed this too late to change it in Monday's paper.
I should have also mentioned the fact that Vermont was without Antonio Burks, who was out with an illness, as I mentioned the two players Manchester was without because of injury.

--Anna Grearson

Post Christmas ponderings

After a few days off for Christmas we are back on the blog with a couple of thoughts.

I've received a fair amount of feedback on the referee story, along with, of course, the obligatory corrections on my first on-court mistake. Both Bill Noyes, a long standing local referee, and a man named Mark Padgett, from Oregon, informed me that my mortification at starting the clock to quickly to begin the game was the incorrect part of the equation. In fact, as I should have known, the clock starts at the tap and so I was right to start the clock even though I thought I was wrong, which is kind of the way my official's test went. So, for people who want some consistency in their officials, I may be the poster child, making the right call in a sort of blissful ignorance. Perhaps one day I will get it right in thought and action.

Another post-Christmas thought is on the Corey Plante Tournament up at U-32 Friday and Saturday. For basketball addicts, there may not be anything better. Some teams you have seen and some you haven't in six consecutive hours of basketball action, alternating girls and boys games. Nothing could be better. This year's teams (and matchups) are Hazen vs. Mt. Abe (boys), Harwood vs. Lamoille (girls), Springfield vs. U-32 (boys) and Hazen vs. U-32 (girls).

And finally ... Saturday's Spaulding Montpelier quadruple header was a stroke of promotional genius. The weekend leading into the holiday is a little flat at times, but bringing together rivals for a series of games builds interest. This year Spaulding vs. Montpelier promised good matchups in both the girls and boys varsity games. The Spaulding girls team proved its undefeated start no fluke with a dominant defensive effort to stop a very good Montpelier team in its tracks. The boys game featured a pair of teams below .500, but produced a great game eventually won by Montpelier. After three wins by Spaulding in the first three games, the Solons boys salvaged the school pride in the end.

I was a little surprised that the crowd wasn't bigger, but it was the student body section that seemed to be short. Credit for the idea goes to Lynn Ribolini who seems to have more than a little Bill Veeck in him.

Pete Hartt   

The big lie and the little lie

It's been a week or so since the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs in baseball was released and after reading almost none of the report and listening to very little about it I feel at least as qualified to comment on it as the next guy (unless the next guy is George Mitchell), and I have three questions to consider.

Question No. 1 is whether it matters or not? I know that baseball is a game of numbers and what the performance enhancers did can pervert the numbers, but if it wasn't this it would be something else. Back in my early years at the Times Argus (1986-1996) I happened to go to the first game in Montreal after they finally got the roof on. In the locker room every pitcher and every hitter was asked whether the roof would affect the pitching, or the hitting. Pitchers, but for one whose name I can't remember, thought it would make the ball carry further, while hitters thought it would make no difference or maybe help the pitchers a little. Now, on a personal level, I think ballplayers of all sorts should play as God made them, but I'm not  sure that this most recent boon to hitters (remember the various tests on balls done over the years to prove they were more or less lively, and the lowering of the mounds back in the late 60s) is the end of baseball purity as we know it.

Question No. 2: Who do I blame for the current situation? Ownership and the commissioners office had to know about steroids in baseball. As evidence I offer my recollection of the summer of the Bash Brothers (Msr's McGuire and Canseco) in which the announcers on the radio joked about steroids and the Brother hyper size was understood even by a guy in little old Vermont to be chemically enhanced. If I was aware of the suspicions, I've got to think ownership must have had a hint.

Questions No. 3: Are the players named in the report telling the truth? The old plan was deny, deny, deny, but that has been replaced by admit a small transgression to explain why the players name is in the report, assure the fans that it was not to gain a competitive advantage (I was rehabbing an injury, wanted to get back to team, felt really guilty) and try at the same time to sound sorry for what you did and pleased with your own honesty. Sorry ... it's a ploy as fake as the urine samples players have provided over the years. If there was a legitimate rehab reason to take the steroids or HGH, there has only been reason to hide it for about 4 years, and many of the cases we're talking about now go back further than that, when you could use HGH without a baseball penalty. So, if it were not against MLB rules and doctors could prescribe it, why would you buy it illegally. Don't buy the stories for a second. By the way, kudos for Roger Clemens for going old school with his deny, deny, deny.

As I mentioned in Question No. 1, I'm not really too concerned either way: make the rules, enforce the rules and start playing games again. Get to the important things, like whether the Red Sox can repeat.

And please, nobody write in and talk about how baseball's numbers are sacred. If that was the case they'd still be playing 154 games, the save rules wouldn't have changed and players wouldn't be allowed to use bushel baskets as gloves to help their fielding percentages. The playing field changes every five years or so and we still honor the numbers. Enjoy the game.

Pete Hartt 

Vermont win knocks Millrats out of top spot

The Frost Heaves are still 3rd in the ABA power rankings, but the new rankings released today reflect Manchester's loss last night.

--Anna Grearson

Here's the release from ABAlive.com:
SAN DIEGO TAKE OVER NUMBER ONE SPOT IN ABA POWER RANKINGS

18-Dec-2007
Indianapolis, IN -- The American Basketball Association released its Power Rankings through Monday, December 17th - and the San Diego Wildcats have taken over the Number One spot replacing the powerful Manchester Millrats following a loss to the Vermont Frost Heaves.

"The top four or five teams are very strong," stated Brad Hester, VP of Team Operations. "It looks like it is going to go back and forth all season long. And there are other teams showing surprising strength. The competition is tough all around the league.

The rankings:

1. San Diego Wildcats
2. Manchester Millrats
3. Vermont Frost Heaves
4. Texas Tycoons
5. Beijing Aoshen Olympian
6. Long Beach Breakers
7. Westchester Phantoms
8. Jersey Express
9. Boston Blizzard
10. OC Gladiators
11. Quebec Kebekwa
12. Halifax Rainmen
13. Houston Takers
14. Montreal Royal
15. W. Texas Whirlwinds

"And there are a few others ready to make their move into the rankings," added Hester. "This should be interesting."

Greetings from...

I sought some travel stories from the Frost Heaves Fan Van folks, and here's what I received from Don Mandelkorn from both Halifax and Boston:

"4 of us made the trip to halifax - a small but hearty group of fans - our goal is to make all of the away games. Our band of travelers are margaret davis and don mandelkorn of barre and linda and dick rouelle of calais. We've battled snow covered roads both ways and a lot of bad coffee. The team really appreciates seeing us and hearing those hometown cowbells. We went to the post game meal with the team and let the guys know we'll see them in Boston on Saturday - the Fan Van will carry 7 fans to the game against the Blizzard"

and

"Greetings -

The Fan Van made the trip to Boston on Saturday, December 15, against the Blizzard. Van Fans included Linda & Dick, Helen, Tina and Darren, and Margaret and Don.

It was a weird experience - the Blizzard players strolled in at various times, some only 20 minutes before game time. The Boston fans were very quiet - next to no applause or cheering for their team - almost embarrassingly so. A number of Frost Heaves fans from Boston and friends of Coach Will showed up giving us about 20 fans - the Blizzard had, maybe, 35 people in the stands - must've sounded like a home guy game for our guys.

...

Before the game Coach Dickie (Rouelle) warmed the guys up under the basket almost wearing himself out. One of the refs was the guy who tossed Will in Vermont during the Manchester game - he told us we couldn't ring our cowbells when the ball was "live" - said it was an ABA rule - Dickie, our rules expert, plans to hit the library to check that one out!! Even Coach Will went to our defense.

One of the Manchester Millrat assistants showed up and as soon as he saw us he said "Fan Van - really cool!"

As has become the custom, we had a team picture taken with the Vermont fans - we're beginning to have quite the away game photo library.

The guys started out a bit cold, but eventually cranked it up - final score 107-74.

We got home around 1:00 am - only snow we hit was the last couple of exits in Vermont - so concludes another Fan Van trip.

On Friday, December 21 the Fan Van makes the trip to Montreal for a 4:15 - we have a 12 seater at a 7 seater price - we have some seats available...

Hope to see everyone in Burlington Monday evening - "we want Manchester!!!"

Margaret & Don"

Thanks again to Don for sending me these updates and allowing me to pass them along to Sports Central readers.

--Anna Grearson

Frost Heaves down Boston

Because of our early deadline to try and get our transportation folks ahead of the storm, we were unable to get the Frost Heaves' game into Sunday's paper. Here's the release from the team that I received late Saturday night, and check Monday's paper for more information. Thanks for your understanding.

--Anna Grearson

FROST HEAVES BEAT BLIZZARD IN BOSTON TO GO 9-2
Real blizzard pushes showdown with No. 1 Manchester to Monday night

Boston, Mass.—Center Dokun Akingbade helped the Vermont Frost Heaves overcome a slow start to defeat the Boston Blizzard 107-74 at the Shelbourn Center in Roxbury on Saturday night.

Akingbade scored 25 points to lead seven Frost Heaves in double figures. B.J. Robertson added 15, including a dozen in the third quarter, while Issa Konare and John Bryant chipped in 10 each. Every Vermont player to dress for the game found his way into the scorebook.

David Shaw scored 15 points for the Blizzard, which fell to 4-6.

Because of a winter weather warning for northern New England, tomorrow’s game between the Frost Heaves and the Manchester Millrats, scheduled for Burlington’s Memorial Auditorium, has been pushed to Monday night at 7:05 p.m. All tickets for Sunday will be honored on Monday, when the Frost Heaves encourage fans to feel like a kid again: Anyone dressed as Jack Frost—or who presents a valid high school or college I.D.—can purchase a walk-up ticket at the kids’ price.

Tickets for any Frost Heaves home game may be purchased at the door beginning one hour before tip-off; by going to flynntix.org; by calling 802-86-FLYNN; or by stopping by the Flynn’s main box office at 153 Main Street in Burlington. Tickets for games in Barre are also available at First In Fitness in Montpelier and Allen Lumber in Barre. Groups of 20 or more may call the Frost Heaves’ office at 802-860-0082 for discounted rates.

Vermont home games are also Webcast live and archived for rebroadcast at vermontfrostheaves.com. In addition. affiliates of the Vermont Access Network in Barre, Burlington, Cavendish, Hartford, Hyde Park, Ludlow, Lyndonville, Montpelier, Newport, Plymouth, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Windsor and Woodstock rebroadcast Frost Heaves home games over local cable systems, and Burlington Telecom makes them available to subscribers as a video-on-demand option.

The presenting sponsor for Frost Heaves Webcasts is the Vermont State Employees Credit Union.

Radio broadcasts of all Vermont games, home and away, may be heard on WSNO AM 1450 in Barre; WJOY AM 1230 in Burlington; and on the Web at vermontfrostheaves.com, while WLVB FM 93.9 in Morrisville carries a select Frost Heaves “Game of the Week.”

The Frost Heaves Official Team Sponsors are the Vermont State Employees Credit Union and the Vermont Army National Guard.

For more information, visit vermontfrostheaves.com.

A liability issue

A cancellation or two Thursday night made me feel old. The cancellations made me feel old because, while discussing them with someone I actually said the phrase "back in my day ..." Back in my day I don't recall games being canceled as easily as they are now and the weather, both the snow and the temperatures were worse than they are now. I remember many nights in the middle of the bus wondering whether we would make it back, but we always did. Sadly, though I remember several of the trips, I don't remember any of the games on those trips. I guess it is all about the weather.

Along with my feeling old, there is an two additional points to this; first I wonder why more games get canceled, and I also wonder about the impact of more cancellations. Assuming I am correct that more games get postponed these days (and I have no proof), my guess is that student safety and school liability in the case of an accident is the big reason why and I can't figure a way to argue against that with opening myself up to a lawsuit.

The impact of the cancellations ... ? Not sure of that either, though seeing some teams have to cram three or four games into a five or six-day week would seem to be less than ideal.

Of course, back in my day ... I was younger.

Pete Hartt   

Heaves in Halifax

Listening to the beginning of the Frost Heaves' game at Halifax tonight I was forced to realize that Vermont fans did actually make the 12, 13, 14, 15-hour drive up north for the game - and one even said he plans on going to all games, both home and away. I know the players and the organization in general loves this sort of thing and is one of the most rewarding aspects of this whole endeavor for president and owner Alex Wolff. If any of you fans who travelled to the northern-most read this, care to email me about how the trip went?? I know the Vermont fans came close to outnumbering the Manchester fans a few Sundays back - even with a looming snowstorm! But any interesting accounts of the journey and the game can be e-mailed to me (anna.grearson@timesargus.com.
It is also nice to see the new addition - point guard Dwuan Rice - making such an immediate impact. Kenny Tate and Jamaal Wise are gone, and Matt Vaughn was ultimately not signed - the whole situation is not unlike last season's late arrivals like Kelvin Parker and Antoine Hyman, who both ended up being integral pieces of the championship puzzle.

--Anna Grearson

Continued

Saturday evening, when I started this post, got a little hectic and I had to break things off before I finished my thoughts on the first full week of the season, with the emphasis on full.

But things have not really started yet for this week which gives me a little time to continue on the revelations of the start of the season.

At first blush I would have made the Montpelier girls hockey team a favorite among area schools, but Northfield, Harwood and U-32 have shown that the rink is pretty level in girls hockey. Northfield, unbeaten at this point, squeaked past Montpelier in a game that would have been a tie if not for the Butsch tournament necessity of a winner and Harwood put up a solid fight after falling behind early. U-32 has already twice played Montpelier (and lost twice) in pretty good hockey games.

The Montpelier boys hockey team's future was hanging in the balance during a largely non-competitive 2006-07 season and they missed some games due to unavailability of players at the start of this season. Credit coach Andy Emerson and the players with bouncing back on the ice with a win over Lyndon this week with what appears to be a competitive squad. The scramble to bring the team back was admirable and successful, but the long-term success rests on building the program. In that quest, winning isn't everything or the only thing, but having a team that wins at least some of the time is important.

Dan Gandin's U-32 boys team again appears to be one of the strongest of the area teams. They don't have everything they had last season, but they've got a lot of it and athletes, athletes, athletes.

And more to come.

By the way, with Kris Martin on a cruise somewhere it would be great to have some comment from someone else out there just to prove to him that he is not indispensable, thanks.

Pete Hartt    

Week one in and done

It's Saturday night and we're just wrapping up the Sunday paper. It was a busy Saturday, the closing day of the first full week of the winter sports season. It's not that we haven't had any sports until this week ... the Frost Heaves and Norwich have filled the early November void quite well, thank you.

But let's face it, the season isn't really underway until the area high schools take to the ice, the hardwood, the wrestling mats, the uneven parallel bars and the snow. Most all of that happened this week, and here are a few early season thoughts.

I couldn't help but notice, somewhat sadly, that Al Stewart is not coaching the Randolph girls basketball team this year. Too bad, though not because the new guy, Adin West, isn't a good coach and a great guy. It's too bad just because Al Stewart is a nice guy.

I couldn't help but notice that the Spaulding girls basketball team is off a nice start, and so are the Montpelier girls. They meet at 4 p.m. December 22 in Montpelier at 4 p.m. A little pre-Christmas present for hoop fans.

I've now seen both the Spaulding girls and boys hockey teams, winless in a total of eight games, but not without hope. Both teams are young, both teams have suffered through a brutal early schedule and both teams are improving. Most importantly both teams have skaters. Fun to watch.

Norwich hockey seems to have righted the ship after an in and out start. Four wins in a row at home and now three weeks off before the Times Argus Invitational January 4 and 5. See you there.