Tell me again what multiple of four you’d like to see invited to a college football playoff? I only ask because four isn’t working. It’s a pointless exercise that takes the starch out of two bowl games and satisfies nobody. Since the start of the college football playoff, the average margin of victory has been […]
oakes
Posted inBoston Red Sox, Football, Local Sports, National Sports, sj-web, Sports, Varsity Maine
The Hot Corner: A Christmas list for local sports fans
Being a charitable columnist of good cheer, it’s Kalle Oakes’ job to dole out the delights
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Posted inFootball, Local Sports, sj-web, Varsity Maine
The Hot Corner: Are football championship blowouts a problem?
In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t watch a single moment of the Maine high school football state championships, as for the first time since my leaving that fair, snow-banked state, there was no free option to do so. That being said, it’s apparent from the extensive social media attention in my circle that: […]
Posted inBoston Red Sox, Local Sports, sj-web
The Hot Corner: Another World Series a reminder of Red Sox's place in our hearts
Mrs. Living on a Community Sportswriter’s Salary asked me a pivotal question a few days before the start of the World Series. I’m online shopping for Christmas bargains that may or may not be sports-related and may or may not be for you, she related. Red Sox or Patriots? It’s the modern-day Ginger/Mary Ann or […]
Posted inBoston Red Sox, Local Sports, sj-web
The Hot Corner: Can't dodge this Red Sox team's destiny
There is nothing to fear in the Boston Red Sox camp heading into this World Series. Don’t take that as a prediction or a presumption to fire up the duck boats. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a legitimate opponent with loads of late October experience. They hit the accelerator at precisely the right time this […]
Posted inBoston Red Sox, sj-web, Varsity Maine
The Hot Corner: Narrative surrounding Pats, Sox is nauseating
“Pink hat” is an overused term in Boston sports parlance. It’s essentially used to disparage any fan who goes through the full range of emotions about the region’s win-more-often-than-not teams more quickly than we do. That being said, my goodness, September and October are painful months if you follow these people on social media. The […]
Posted inBoston Red Sox, Local Sports, sj-web
Hot Corner: Red Sox will have to reset for postseason
Joe Garagiola, the late catcher and broadcaster, submitted that “Baseball is a Funny Game” in his book of the same name in 1960. He also described why it is arguably the scariest. “Baseball gives you every chance to be great,” Garagiola wrote. “Then it puts pressure on you to prove that you haven’t got what […]
Posted inLocal Sports, sj-web
The Hot Corner: Black Bears football team making Maine proud
Saturday was a fun night to be a Maine-born football fan in Kentucky. Western Kentucky University played the game that’s familiar to Football Bowl Subdivision programs of all shapes and sizes. The Hilltoppers paid the University of Maine Black Bears $300,000 to show up at (deep breath) Jimmy Feix Field at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium […]
Posted inLocal Sports, sj-web
The Hot Corner: 'Looking Back,' for good reason
The “Looking Back” series is easily my favorite Sun Journal project that I didn’t have to be involved in. Those of you who have a passing familiarity with my personal philosophy get the joke. I love long-term projects, long as they don’t interfere with covering the current local athletes whose families read the paper in […]
Posted inLocal Sports, sj-web
The Hot Corner: Slicer’s point shouldn’t be lost in American Legion controversy
Yes, I was 1,000 miles away from the Maine American Legion baseball championship round Wednesday at Husson University. The too-obvious joke is that Bessey Motors coach Shane Slicer’s view of the semifinals from over the left field fence after his one-pitch ejection wasn’t much closer. Maybe it was a slow sports day in Central Kentucky […]