UNDER OUR NOSE.
One beautiful sunny autumn evening, I happen to be at the Hamden high school Stadium field. Several people running or walking on the track. The football team was just finishing practice and the field hockey team was on the field warming up for their game.
On the baseball field. there was a fall baseball game being played and the softball field had several lacrosse players tossing a ball around. If you walked up to the top of the stands you passed people running or walking the stairs. While at the top, the tennis courts were full and a youth hockey team was practicing at the rink.
Although I complain about some of its obvious faults, the stadium is functional and diverse. Sometimes we don't see what is obviously right under our nose.
FOOTBALL STREAK ENDS.
The Hamden high football team’s win streak actually ended on Friday against Xavier at Palmer Field in Middletown. The Green Dragons jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first period, but the wheels just seem to come off the cart after that. An immovable Xavier defense and several penalties stopped the high-scoring dragons dead in their tracks.
WORLD SERIES.
It was unfortunate that due to weather conditions the first game in Philadelphia started after 10 PM. Many people I talked to either went to bed or fell sleep and missed a very entertaining game.
The game had to be played that night, or it would have screwed up network programming for several days.
The third game in Philly was again played in horrible weather conditions. It was finally called a suspended game to be resumed the next day. They got lucky because Tampa Bay tied it in the sixth. It probably should have been called in the fifth with the Phillies ahead 2 -1. That would have meant the game was over and the Phillies would have won the World Series in a rain shortened one run game.
As I write this, we still are trying to finish a game that never should have started It is taking three days to finish a game. That's really compromises the integrity of the game.
Pitching has been screwed up; players' personal lives with hotels and family travel plans are disrupted. These are the premier games of the season and should be treated as such. I am still not sure what rule lets them play suspended games unless there are special rules for World Series.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
WAY TO GO!
The big Green Machine, the J. and J. juggernaut, the Lassiter Express. Call it what you want, the Green Dragon football team is breathing fire. Coach Scott Benoit and his staff have installed a new offensive scheme and the Dragons’ offense is clicking on all cylinders.
The offense is led by junior quarterback Jason Lassiter and sophomore running back Jordan Teague. They also have a plethora of outstanding receivers. The defense has not been that explosive, but it does what it has to, to win.
The dragons are 5-0 and have beaten five of the best programs in the state -- Cheshire, Hand, West Haven, Shelton and Amity. They now play Branford, Xavier, Fairfield Prep, Lyman Hall, Wilbur Cross and Notre Dame of West Haven.
I wrote the first part last week before I became ill. Since I wrote that the Green Dragons topped Branford 31-0 with both the offense and defense clicking in.
This week Hamden plays Xavier at Middletown’s Field tonight at 7 PM. Xavier is 5-1.
DUGOUTS.
Once again, it is rumored that an agreement has been reached between several town departments at a private contractor to build roofs on the baseball and softball field dugouts. I'll believe it when I see it.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Liz Gamm (HHS ’06), a recent graduate of Hamden High and a basketball ballplayer, is presently attending the University of New Haven and is majoring in tourism and business.
BIG BROWN RETIRES.
Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and one of the most exciting horses in the last few years has been retired due to a leg injury. I always wondered how those skinny legs of a "racehorse" kept them up.
COINCIDENCE?
It may be just coincidence but have you noticed that ever since the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team dropped the word “Devil” from their name, they have been winning?
COACH NAMED
Tiffany DeRosa (HHS' 04) was named assistant girls basketball coach at Hamden high. John Ceneri, current head coach coached DeRosa at Hamden.
DeRosa has coach for Hamden regional basketball as well as several AAU teams DeRosa played at Western New England, in her senior year. She was named the Common wealth, Coastal Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.
CARR FUNDRAISER.
The "Friends of Paul Carr" will sponsor a fundraiser October 26 at Café Bottega on Chapel Street in New Haven. Carr is a former American Legion baseball coach and coached in both Hamden Fathers baseball and basketball Associations. He has been stricken with Lou Gherig’s disease for more than three years. Tickets are $100, including a silent auction. For tickets, e-mail PaulCarrFundraiser@life.com.
ONLY IN HAMDEN
The last Hamden High football game and the next home game were rescheduled for the afternoon. When questioned by a local newspaper, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez said it was done for cost savings and something about being pro-active. I am sure that the assistant superintendent was either misquoted, or his statement was taken out of context. Cost savings on what? Pro-active for what reason?
As anyway as everybody in the community knows, there was an incident in the parking lot at the end of the game. So game team times were moved up. Once again we gave in to the crazies. The football team is dedicated kids who should not be punished for the actions of others.
Friends and relatives and even classmates are prevented from going to the games because of the early start. The team is denied games on local radio It gives our town and our school a terrible reputation. We built a brand-new, lighted field a few years ago, so we can play on Friday nights. We must find a way as a community to play on Friday nights
The big Green Machine, the J. and J. juggernaut, the Lassiter Express. Call it what you want, the Green Dragon football team is breathing fire. Coach Scott Benoit and his staff have installed a new offensive scheme and the Dragons’ offense is clicking on all cylinders.
The offense is led by junior quarterback Jason Lassiter and sophomore running back Jordan Teague. They also have a plethora of outstanding receivers. The defense has not been that explosive, but it does what it has to, to win.
The dragons are 5-0 and have beaten five of the best programs in the state -- Cheshire, Hand, West Haven, Shelton and Amity. They now play Branford, Xavier, Fairfield Prep, Lyman Hall, Wilbur Cross and Notre Dame of West Haven.
I wrote the first part last week before I became ill. Since I wrote that the Green Dragons topped Branford 31-0 with both the offense and defense clicking in.
This week Hamden plays Xavier at Middletown’s Field tonight at 7 PM. Xavier is 5-1.
DUGOUTS.
Once again, it is rumored that an agreement has been reached between several town departments at a private contractor to build roofs on the baseball and softball field dugouts. I'll believe it when I see it.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Liz Gamm (HHS ’06), a recent graduate of Hamden High and a basketball ballplayer, is presently attending the University of New Haven and is majoring in tourism and business.
BIG BROWN RETIRES.
Big Brown, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and one of the most exciting horses in the last few years has been retired due to a leg injury. I always wondered how those skinny legs of a "racehorse" kept them up.
COINCIDENCE?
It may be just coincidence but have you noticed that ever since the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team dropped the word “Devil” from their name, they have been winning?
COACH NAMED
Tiffany DeRosa (HHS' 04) was named assistant girls basketball coach at Hamden high. John Ceneri, current head coach coached DeRosa at Hamden.
DeRosa has coach for Hamden regional basketball as well as several AAU teams DeRosa played at Western New England, in her senior year. She was named the Common wealth, Coastal Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.
CARR FUNDRAISER.
The "Friends of Paul Carr" will sponsor a fundraiser October 26 at Café Bottega on Chapel Street in New Haven. Carr is a former American Legion baseball coach and coached in both Hamden Fathers baseball and basketball Associations. He has been stricken with Lou Gherig’s disease for more than three years. Tickets are $100, including a silent auction. For tickets, e-mail PaulCarrFundraiser@life.com.
ONLY IN HAMDEN
The last Hamden High football game and the next home game were rescheduled for the afternoon. When questioned by a local newspaper, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez said it was done for cost savings and something about being pro-active. I am sure that the assistant superintendent was either misquoted, or his statement was taken out of context. Cost savings on what? Pro-active for what reason?
As anyway as everybody in the community knows, there was an incident in the parking lot at the end of the game. So game team times were moved up. Once again we gave in to the crazies. The football team is dedicated kids who should not be punished for the actions of others.
Friends and relatives and even classmates are prevented from going to the games because of the early start. The team is denied games on local radio It gives our town and our school a terrible reputation. We built a brand-new, lighted field a few years ago, so we can play on Friday nights. We must find a way as a community to play on Friday nights
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
NEW TICKET BOOTHS
I don't know if anyone else had noticed but we finally have a ticket booth at the Hamden High School stadium. I have not talked about this before because I believe that it created a safety hazard. In building a new field, no provisions were made for building a ticket booth except for putting the stands in a separate zip code from the field - this was one of the biggest errors made.
The ticket sellers and takers sat in a remote area at a folding table with three chairs in the dark. When the weather was cold and windy, tickets and money would fly all over the place and when it rained, everything including money, tickets and people would get wet.
The safety hazard was the fact that the takers and sellers would sit in the dark except for a camping light with a cash box full of money inviting someone to rob it. I remember one Thanksgiving where it took all weekend for the money to dry out to be counted.
The booth is perfect for what is needed. AD Jeanne Cooper should be given a round of applause for finally getting a booth there.
IT HURT SO BAD !!!
This is really difficult for me, but congratulations to the Red Sox fans. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Manny returning to Fenway Park?
GRIDIRON BOOSTERS
The Hamden gridiron booster Association will present a performance of the St. Luke's Steel Band Saturday, November 1 at 6 p.m. at the Thornton Wilder Hall at Miller Library.
Tickets are $15 each in advance and $20 at the door.
LOU ASTORINO RINK
If you haven't seen the remodeled rink, you should stop by and take a look. The place looks almost brand-new with new locker rooms and the newly capped bleachers. After 40 years in operation, the rink looks great from top to bottom.
HOW ‘BOUT THOSE DRAGONS?
The Hamden High football team is riding high. The dragons have doubled the number of wins they had in the past two seasons.
The amazing thing is that they have beaten four of the best programs in the state over the years - Cheshire, Hand, West Haven and Amity.
If you are a football fan, take a Friday night to go see a great game. Hamden plays Shelton tonight at Shelton at 7 p.m.
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
I watched the first Hamden High football game on the computer. It reminded me of almost 50 years ago when my parents bought our first 12 inch black-and-white television. The family huddled around the TV to watch it. The football game was distracting to keep watching the ads flashing around the picture all night.
The announcers were professional but I think they need a color commentator from each school to add in the history and the idiosyncrasies of the teams.
I don't know if anyone else had noticed but we finally have a ticket booth at the Hamden High School stadium. I have not talked about this before because I believe that it created a safety hazard. In building a new field, no provisions were made for building a ticket booth except for putting the stands in a separate zip code from the field - this was one of the biggest errors made.
The ticket sellers and takers sat in a remote area at a folding table with three chairs in the dark. When the weather was cold and windy, tickets and money would fly all over the place and when it rained, everything including money, tickets and people would get wet.
The safety hazard was the fact that the takers and sellers would sit in the dark except for a camping light with a cash box full of money inviting someone to rob it. I remember one Thanksgiving where it took all weekend for the money to dry out to be counted.
The booth is perfect for what is needed. AD Jeanne Cooper should be given a round of applause for finally getting a booth there.
IT HURT SO BAD !!!
This is really difficult for me, but congratulations to the Red Sox fans. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Manny returning to Fenway Park?
GRIDIRON BOOSTERS
The Hamden gridiron booster Association will present a performance of the St. Luke's Steel Band Saturday, November 1 at 6 p.m. at the Thornton Wilder Hall at Miller Library.
Tickets are $15 each in advance and $20 at the door.
LOU ASTORINO RINK
If you haven't seen the remodeled rink, you should stop by and take a look. The place looks almost brand-new with new locker rooms and the newly capped bleachers. After 40 years in operation, the rink looks great from top to bottom.
HOW ‘BOUT THOSE DRAGONS?
The Hamden High football team is riding high. The dragons have doubled the number of wins they had in the past two seasons.
The amazing thing is that they have beaten four of the best programs in the state over the years - Cheshire, Hand, West Haven and Amity.
If you are a football fan, take a Friday night to go see a great game. Hamden plays Shelton tonight at Shelton at 7 p.m.
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
I watched the first Hamden High football game on the computer. It reminded me of almost 50 years ago when my parents bought our first 12 inch black-and-white television. The family huddled around the TV to watch it. The football game was distracting to keep watching the ads flashing around the picture all night.
The announcers were professional but I think they need a color commentator from each school to add in the history and the idiosyncrasies of the teams.
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