Meet the new champs. Same as the old champs. In the space of about 23 hours this past weekend, the four reigning high school football state champions evolved into four repeat high school football state champions. Those of us paid to write and broadcast such details reported this anomaly with disarming, matter-of-fact, oh-by-the-way detachment, as […]
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The Hot Corner: MPA playoff choices keep games in positive light
To paraphrase that dapper womanizer from the beer commercial and social media memes, I don’t always defend the Maine Principals’ Association. But when I do, I prefer to recognize what similarly thankless lives we lead. Parallel lives, even. When you attempt to provide the eye in the sky at activities that involve children, an emotional […]
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The Hot Corner: Two hundred wins for Mynahan, countless lives impacted
The huddle of smiling faces gathered around the 50-yard line Saturday afternoon at Thompson Field could have produced an impromptu episode of “A Football Life” in honor of Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan. Nah, that wouldn’t work. NFL Network’s one-hour, once-a-week vehicle works for hall of famers and one-hit wonders at the professional level. When you’re […]
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The Hot Corner: Advantages in public vs. private debate vastly overstated
A funny thing happened Saturday while I watched Lisbon celebrate a double-overtime field hockey playoff victory over North Yarmouth Academy. I realized that we were all gathered at a private school. We were standing on expensive artificial turf. And the underprivileged, impoverished public school children had somehow eluded fate and advanced into the next round. […]
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The Hot Corner: Stop giving Patriots’ detractors so much credit
We’re five games into the New England Patriots’ 2015 season. Past the four contests that caused us all such consternation when we thought Tom Brady might be suspended, plus the Sunday night game against the overmatched opponent that was 99 44/100% responsible for the absurdity. Can we move on now? I know, I know. Asking […]
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The Hot Corner: Leavitt, Greely ready to save lives. Is your school?
UPDATE: Smith upgraded to fair condition; doctor identified I’m thankful this morning. Thankful that a young man I’ve come to know and appreciate will be around to attend college, enjoy all the ups and downs of adulthood and relive his gridiron glory days. Thankful to live in a region where we are blessed with such good, […]
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The Hot Corner: Sox future, Theriault crash, Fleming commitment all on menu
October has arrived. Time to enjoy some comfort food and fatten up for the impending, endless winter. With that in mind, three square meals, inspired by weekend leftovers, for your rumination and (in)digestion: • There is a growing fan frenzy for the Boston Red Sox to cut ties with ailing manager John Farrell and remove […]
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The Hot Corner: High school football’s development at unsafe crossroads
The health of high school football in Maine is measured the same way, to its detriment, as the economy. Some programs are entrenched at the top of the heap. They’re impervious to recession, migration, even coaching and administration changes. Barring a zombie apocalypse, they will always have a surplus of player participation and fan support. […]
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The Hot Corner: Patriots muffle another chatty would-be nemesis
When will the rest of the National Football League, teams and paid observers alike, learn? Just shut up. Stop treating Week 1, Week 2 or even Week 10 of the regular season when you’re playing the New England Patriots as if it’s the be-all, end-all of your franchise’s existence. Don’t advertise your hatred in the […]
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The Hot Corner: Like it or not, David Ortiz no lock for Cooperstown after No. 500
What’s in a milestone? That’s the question with which those of us paid to objectively consider such matters must spoil the party in observation of David Ortiz joining the 500-home run club. Full disclosure: I grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, the last decades when that magic number meant it was all over but […]