Posted inLocal Sports

The Hot Corner: Making a few quick drives to the hoop

For every action in sports, there is a swift, exaggerated overreaction. You can thank the glut of cable networks, talk radio outlets and social media platforms for that. As a wise man (Winston Churchill? John Lennon? Bugs Bunny?) once said, if you can’t beat them, join them. My highly caffeinated Twitter feed attests to my […]

Posted inLocal Sports

The Hot Corner: Gruesome loss, but no time to panic

Let the overreaction begin. It is how fandom operates in the National Football League, that once-a-week train wreck we all criticize ruthlessly but from which we can’t look away. Eight days ago, both real and bandwagon followers of the New England Patriots were obsessed with the meaningless goal of running the regular-season table. Ridiculously meaningless, […]

advertisement
Posted inLocal Sports

The Hot Corner: Football repeat? Difficult. Four at once? Ridiculous.

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 […]

Posted inLocal Sports

H.S. Football Head to Head: Time to put regionals in neutral?

That leads to my talking point for this week’s edition. We recently saw the regional field hockey championships contested in Portland and Waterville. Regional baseball title games are held in Standish, Augusta and Bangor. North and South tennis championships are played at an off-campus location. Hockey regionals drop the puck at a neutral site. (Well, […]

Posted inLocal Sports

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 […]

Posted inLocal Sports

H.S. Football: Oakes’ semifinal playoff prognostications

Portland 42, Bangor 0 Windham 20, Cheverus 14 Thornton 38, Scarborough 13 Bonny Eagle 32, Deering 20 Brunswick 34, Mt. Blue 19 Brewer 28, Skowhegan 26 Westbrook 22, Falmouth 20 Marshwood 32, Greely 14 Old Town 26, Foxcroft 6 Winslow 28, MDI 8 Yarmouth 31, Fryeburg 20 Wells 20, Cape Elizabeth 15 MCI 35, Orono […]

Posted inLocal Sports

H.S. Football Head to Head: Predictions

Although they aren’t battle-tested going into the Class A North playoffs, the Portland Bulldogs have a team that’s built for this time of year. Hard to say which element I like more: the one-two punch at running back, or the smothering defense that hasn’t allowed a point in, oh, a month. Seeds will hold up […]

Posted inLocal Sports

H.S. Football: Oakes’ Week 9 prognostications

Bangor 21, Edward Little 19 Cheverus 48, Lewiston 14 Cony 26, Mt. Blue 22 Leavitt 36, Greely 14 Yarmouth 35, Mountain Valley 7 Cape Elizabeth 21, Gray-New Gloucester 12 Wells 34, Poland 6 Spruce Mountain 30, Fryeburg 27 Oak Hill 27, Traip 6 Dirigo 33, Old Orchard Beach 8 Lisbon 20, Boothbay 0 Winthrop/Monmouth 12, […]