Disqus - Latest Comments for Stead

Re: Unreal, the 2011-2012 school sports year is now on us … and The Creature promises to be bigger and better than ever

Stead — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:30:00 -0000

Hey Hec, my son has now moved on to college ball but some of my love will always be for reserved for HS football. Glad to see you getting out early with some excellent videos of all the local NH teams. I am a complete homer but I see PA earning another title this year. I think that they are grounded enough and most of the kids are lunch pail types and won't suffer from "big head syndrome" They know that last year they over achieved against North and Salem with key goal line stands. This year they will be in their element. Salem will be tough with Jerry but they lost too much to graduation, South will be good as will Central, and watch out for Concord. Exeter went winless in D1 last year and Bill Ball won't let that happen again, they may make a playoff run. In any case, great start to the season and watch for the Endicott Gulls to rip it up in the NEFC.

Re: Oh, it’s your typical Thursday check-in by the Creature …

Stead — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:20:24 -0000

Name, not upset, just a little sport. Here are the towns that the Eagle Tribune delivers to, which would be their readership. They are in the business of selling papers, so coverage of these towns is essential. I would say that the school located in these areas should be eligible for the fantastic four but really it is whoever Hector wants, it’s his blog, The Eagle-Tribune goes to the following cities and towns per their website, 18 high schools:
Amesbury- AHS
Andover-AHS
Boxford- Maconomet
Georgetown- GHS
Groveland-Pentucket
Haverhill-HHS
Lawrence-LHS, CCHS
Merrimac-Pentucket
Methuen-MHS
Middleton-Masconomet
North Andover-NAHS
North Reading-NRHS
West Newbury-Pentucket
Atkinson- Timberlane
Chester- Pinkerton
Danville- Timberlane
Derry- Pinkerton
Hampstead- Pinkerton
Kingston- Sanborn
Londonderry- LHS
Newton- Sanborn
Pelham- PHS
Plaistow- Timberlane
Salem- SHS
Sandown- Timberlane
Windham- WHS

Re: Oh, it’s your typical Thursday check-in by the Creature …

Stead — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:37:32 -0000

Hector, to make name happy, I think that you should only cover North Andover sports since they are the town where the Eagle Tribune is located. In fact forget North Andover High, too far away. The only school within a mile of the Trib is Franklin Elementary (besides the Montessori school but that is private like Central, so fogetaboutit) so you are allowed to cover Franklin Elemetary School and thats it.

Re: Cardinals run over Blackbirds in mud

Stead — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:16 -0000

It's refreshing to see a really good lacrosse player like Hall compete on the gridiron and vice versa. I think that it is important for good athletes to compete in multiple sports for themselves as well as for their school. I don't care if it is football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball etc. I think that too many kids are trying to play one sport all year long and it would benefit them as well as their school to have more of a balance. Any thoughts?

Re: Astros stymie South

Stead — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:00:08 -0000

You should make him buy you an Astro burger in the season finale in Derry against North, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and cheese, yum!

Re: Could the MVC come down to Central-Andover on Thanksgiving? Looks like it to me

Stead — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:07:34 -0000

We'll see and they would beat Methuen

Re: Could the MVC come down to Central-Andover on Thanksgiving? Looks like it to me

Stead — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:57:55 -0000

Hey Name, how is Pinkerton dead with one conference loss and Methuen is right in the mix with 2 conference losses, This must be the new math that I don't understand. My point all year with you has been that you don't just route for your team, you try to tear down other teams that have no impact on the outcome of your teams season. I route for Lawrence and Methuen and even Salem if it doesn't affect PA. This is why I think your advocacy actually hurts Methuen instead of helping them.

Re: Could the MVC come down to Central-Andover on Thanksgiving? Looks like it to me

Stead — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:28:27 -0000

Hey Name, you got some face time from HL, You da man! Now skip to whatever post is after mine because you will only want to rip PA and that’s not right. The PA Brockton game was way closer than the score indicates with a couple of letdowns at the end. The fact of the matter is PA handed it to them for three quarters as the ET article states which bodes well for PA going forward. I think that PA has a shot at running the table heading towards the playoffs although it is no cakewalk with South, Central, and North upcoming. I will say that many of the Brockton players and coaches hung around for a few minutes after the game, mixing with PA players and fans, class act after a hard fought game. I came away from the game disappointed that PA didn't get the W but proud of their level of intensity and execution. Brockton for their part weathered the blows and stayed focused and executed at the end when it counted. Having seen BG, Salem, and Brockton in PA's three losses. I would rank them like this 1. BG 2. Brockton 3. Salem with BG ahead by a decent amount and Brockton, Salem pretty close. I would watch PA going forward, getting ready for a run. Hey BG check out Catholic Memorials blog pasted below, they are partially blaming the Refs, Cheap hits, c’mon sour grapes to the max 52-13. http://catholicmemorial.blo... what a joke!

Re: And on to the weekend of football, starting with the new Fantastic Four …

Stead — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:35:17 -0000

Congrats to BG, they are the real deal and hopefully this will end this NH vs. MA argument. On any given day the best from either state could best the other. MA has more teams and larger towns and cities but there is great football being played on both sides of the border. I hope that PA has a good showing tomorrow against Brockton although it will be tough (#2 in MA) but you never know. I do know that they have made some adjustments since the BG/Salem games and are looking pretty good. Hey Name, you aggravate me to no end with your off base mileage, knowledge of who can attend PA, what towns are in the Merrimack valley etc but Kudos to your boy Cal Carroll, nice game against the Hillies.

Re: And on to the weekend of football, starting with the new Fantastic Four …

Stead — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:57:28 -0000

You mean like last weeks Chelmsford VS Methuen game? Brockton would destroy Methuen as would BG, CM, and Pinkerton would beat them.

Re: Analysis: Obama won nobel for what?

Stead — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:38:13 -0000

And the Nobel Prize goes to; Barack Obama, cheers all around. "We have been waiting for a HopeyChange, SuperAwesomness kinda of a guy to come around and constantly campaign for a while now" "You know that special kind of a guy that knows America is not a Super Power anymore and that can breathe some real breathy, living change kind of life into that old dusty Constitution" I mean HopeyChange and SuperAwesomeness are the way to go! I bet our Czars can beat your Czars in some hoops or at least a good game of snooker the parents, Jennings is our best player, I'll bet you the census, some teleprompter stock and your kids future that we win. The Acorn doesn't fall too far from the tree!

Re: Southern NH towns look to trim waste costs

Stead — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:51:02 -0000

Here we go, taxes have been going up in Hampstead the last few years even as property values have gone way down. If the solid waste committee can prove that this will reduce taxes for the residents by putting savings in their pockets then by all means let's have a discussion and put it to a vote, residents can find out if it is worth the hassle and how much money they would get back in taxes (not spent on other items) If the matter is purely fiscal, let’s have the discussion and have a vote. If the goal of doing something like this has anything to do with carbon footprints or greenhouse gasses then it is hooey and the powers that be will never have an honest discussion or put it to a vote, Hampstead residents, this is a slippery slope and if it's not a financial necessity, then what is it. A way to force you to accept someone else’s environmental views. Just wait until Cap and Tax passes and you hear for the first time that higher utility rates are good for you, let’s find out what the real motivation is here!

Re: The new Fantastic Four and this week’s picks … Is it me or is Salem the clear-cut No. 1 in the region, by a mile???

Stead — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:23:00 -0000

Name, I am not sure if you ever took geography in school but from the Methuen line to the Derry line is 13 miles. It may also interest you to know that a very high percentage of residents in the towns of Salem, Derry, and Londonderry grew up in Lawrence such as myself and in Methuen, Haverhill, Andover etc. You are doing a good thing in putting the spotlight on what seems to be great Methuen player and then you sour the whole thing by putting down other LOCAL schools. You are getting your wish and getting some extra press for Methuen, I'm just not sure it's the kind that they would want

Re: Haverhill superintendent blames money woes for poor MCAS scores

Stead — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:30:30 -0000

I for one have always supported the teachers in Hampstead where I live. I have found the vast majority of them engaging and competent and very responsive to our children as they have progressed through the school system. It was this school system that led us to this town. I grew up in Lawrence and saw firsthand what a bloated and top heavy education system could offer and I say that even though there are teachers fighting the good fight in both Lawrence and Haverhill and any number of urban settings, they are just trying to survive and are beholden to the NEA. In fact I am starting to smell the NEA in my own small town over the last couple of years when teachers have been immovable on small items that would have given something back based on the fluctuating economy. As I stated earlier, I think that teachers are amazing and should be rewarded accordingly. I think that standardized testing should be mandatory for all grade levels and teachers should be compensated according to merit. The NEA should be busted up for the thug organization that it is, wasting our tax dollars, and politicizing our children’s education.

Re: Cards already thinking of future

Stead — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:52:33 -0000

I am a Pinkerton fan and BG has had our number in football and lacrosse the last couple of years and I have no doubt there will be a time in the near future when things will be reversed. The recruiting argument cannot be solved if BG plays against public high schools. They don't recruit athletes proactively, athletes migrate there because they get a good education and good exposure as athletes. BG has to get kids from outside of Nashua or they would cease to exist as a school. Central Catholic has been in the same circumstance as BG for as long as I can remember and I don't ever hear recruit talk about them. It is only out there because they offer an attractive alternative and you have to have the dough to send your kid there, so the kids have been to all the camps and development opportunities as they grew up. Kudos to them. I do think culling the perpetually weaker teams from D1 and D2 and putting them together and putting the stronger teams from each division based on a formula of winning percentages and scoring, common opponents etc, would be great. You could realign them every few years. I think you would find that most of the rivalries would stay intact and you would see competitive football every week. Thoughts?

Re: A funny thing happened on my way to posting a video Fantastic Four this week … here are the rest of my weekend picks

Stead — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:24:27 -0000

From the Department of education website, http://www.ed.state.nh.us/e...

Pinkerton enrollment 3342, and there are only three players at any level in PA football that pay to come from other towns. check your facts

Re: A funny thing happened on my way to posting a video Fantastic Four this week … here are the rest of my weekend picks

Stead — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:27:19 -0000

Once again, as in other posts you are wrong about every single one of your facts. Pinkerton has three towns that send their kids, Derry, Hampstead, and Chester (also about 20 kids from Auburn) The combined population of all of these towns is less that that of Methuen. Pinkerton has 3400 students not 4000. Pinkerton, Bishop Guertin, Nashua South, Salem, and Exeter would all beat Methuen this year. Bishop Guertin and Pinkerton would be in contention for winning the MVC large every year if they played there.

Re: The Derry Wolverines shutout the visting Billerica Varsity and JV teams

Stead — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:49:15 -0000

Go Wolverines!!!

Re: For the record, I’m picking … Who do you like?

Stead — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:57:15 -0000

Just to compare apples to apples, I will use Methuen as the example since this silliness started with them. The population of all three towns that attend Pinkerton (Derry, Hampstead, and Chester) is 43,668. The population of Methuen is 43,789, so essentially the same. Pinkerton would beat Methuen 8 years out of 10 if they played.

Re: Back and blazing again

Stead — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:59:21 -0000

Hey Dan32, your post is pretty accurate regarding potential and rehab etc. The only beef that I have is regarding where Eric's head might be. These snippet statements that are made may not come off as a player or coach wants them to. I can tell you that Eric is focused on the present, not looking through anyone and his goal is to be part of team that could win a state championship. If the team which he will be a major part of takes care of business, he will have taken care of his business as well. With that being said, I firmly believe that if he is healthy he will have all the looks that he will need, lightning fast, great strength to weight ration and very tough, not to mention good grades. I am only an observer but I believe that Eric has rehabbed properly and is approaching the season and his future in a mature and productive manner. Good luck Eric! Go Astros!

Re: Lawton's hot dog stand won't reopen until October

Stead — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:37:35 -0000

I am now jagging for a couple of Lawton’s dogs with the works, a Beas Cutlet, Tripoli’s pizza, Ham and and Cheese from Jim's, Veal on Heal from Cedar Crest, Breakfast Sandwich from Mrs and Me Diner, Steak, Cheese and Salad wrap from Mounir's, Veal Cutlet at Al’s Diner, Fish and Chips at Robert's in South Lawrence, next to Sacred Heart or the Strudel at Hardy's next to Al Magoons, across from Wheels N' Reels, near St Pat’s and Roby Meyer’s. alas some of these joints are still alive and others are fading/faded away. In the end we are lucky to still have a Lawton’s and a Tripoli’s. I miss Beas the most, don’t know how they did it but I never had a bad sandwich there!