Disqus - Latest Comments for bighec711

Re: Still can’t get over the “T” … the blog is back, for now at least

bighec711 — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 12:06:59 -0000

Ahh, I love my public when it speaks out.
Here goes:
1. All I ask for is consistency. There was none in that game last night.
2. It's the nature of the beast on Twitter, boss. It's my job. The later and tighter things get, the more Tweets. Check out everyone else tweeting at games.
3. Nelson and Judson and Giribaldi are players. Like Noah and Desrosiers and all the rest. You write about the local athletes and laud their triumphs. Again, it's the job.
4. Nope. Don't like the popcorn at Tsongas. However, the pretzels? Now you're talking baby.

Re: Still can’t get over the “T” … the blog is back, for now at least

bighec711 — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:14:56 -0000

I think so. It was amazing.

Re: Camp is now for chumps

bighec711 — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:35:20 -0000

I was cheated. The only people that ever beat me are cheaters. You know any?

Re: Talking baseball: the Creature speaks on the North sectionals

bighec711 — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:13:39 -0000

Tough to knock the administration there. Bradley is one of the, if not the, best AD around. The guy started with nothing athletically there and has brought in some pretty good people to run the show.
I don't think we snub them, either. If you asked Kevin, he'd say we're pretty good to them.

Re: North baseball tourney pairings …

bighec711 — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:48:01 -0000

I'll say it again. Let's see how it plays out. Let's see how the league does in the postseason.
Andover's loss yesterday hurts the league. The Hillie win, depending on which Latin school they beat, could be a good win. To me, that looks like the Latin School of the DCL, in which case, it's a good win. Look down the road. Lawrence-Chelms means a free spot in the North quarters for a Valley team. Will they do something with it? To me, if there is a Valley team in the sectional final four, I'd be a little surprised, and that's not asking too much. That is a 2-1 postseason for someone, basically. But we will see.

Re: The Committee Responds! At least the chair does … interesting stuff on the Christmas tourney

bighec711 — Thu, 30 May 2013 08:22:59 -0000

Lou,
Thanks.
Those people don't owe me anything, although I will say I've been barking about this thing longer than anyone.
I don't agree with the committee's "overhaul" of the tourney, moving it, changing teams, etc.
I thought the kids deserved a little better:
1. $100 a team scholarship is absolutely laughable.
2. The kids all should be getting at least a nice hoodie for playing in the thing. I call attention to the officials tourney in Boston, at BC High, in which every kid got a sweatsuit. That tourney isn't even close to this one, yet the kids are treated like kings.
3. I thought bringing back the luncheon, for all the players, was a good thing. I've been to half of them over the years. That was special to the kids.
It was special for the boys and the girls.
Those were my top changes. I'd love to see it seeded right, although I'm the only one in the Valley who wants it that way, so I'll defer. I don't want divisions. The B division will be treated like a B division. Is that fair for those teams? Again, I'm originally from Methuen. I harken back to those roots. For 11 months a year, the Michael Gormans of the world, the TGBs, the Sicards, the Cooper Hammels, are dreaming about the gigantic upset, knocking off Andover or CC in the Christmas tourney.
Next winter, you're squashing those dreams before they hit the floor. You're going to have the Rangers in a 4-team group with Salem, Pinkerton and NA.
But, again, one man, one opinion.
Thanks for the support.

Re: The Committee Responds! At least the chair does … interesting stuff on the Christmas tourney

bighec711 — Thu, 30 May 2013 08:12:30 -0000

Clear the gym and charge everyone again. Now, there's a welcome plea from the past. MVCF, you're living like the rest of us, in 1991. That's when there was a buzz. Were you at the Garden for SJP and Lawrence or SJP and the Prep? Garden is humongous. But those were a couple of the best "buzz" games I've ever been to.

Re: North baseball tourney pairings …

bighec711 — Thu, 30 May 2013 08:09:31 -0000

Excuse me my friend, but mea culpas in baseball are earned in June, not during the regular seasons. Yep, CC, Lawtown, the Hilltoppers ... they all had nice runs, but at whose expense. Definitely a down year, unless someone proves me wrong and goes out and does something in June.

Re: Have to give it up for Andover baseball today

bighec711 — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:45:31 -0000

Been at least a few years now, maybe this is the second or third year without them. Tournament was at six teams, and neither Pentucket nor Masco, who had been team 6, wanted back in. So, Lawrence had 5 teams. The decision basically came down to Andover or Tewks and the Lawrence folks saw that Tewksbury was a bit more dedicated to the event and stuck with the Redmen, leaving Andover out.

Re: The AAU frenzy has begun …

bighec711 — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:43:29 -0000

And as I tweeted last night, you can add Jacksonville to the list of schools offering, too.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:07:38 -0000

State relay titles? Come on big guy, you're better than that. Look at the performances, compare them to the past, and then tell me track is hot. Hell, just look at the numbers out around the region, it's down most everywhere.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:05:49 -0000

Not sure that is the AD's job.
Interesting, though.
Andover, for years/decades, has kept kids home better than most any school in the region.
Other than the Lanes and Finnerans (and there's abouth 8 CCHS Hall of Famers in that group), Andover had done a spectacular job of retaining.
Sure, they lose a couple players to Phillips, but that's it. Too bad if things are changing now.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:09:03 -0000

TOS,

Just can't buy that. Look at the track around here. It's taking serious, serious hits from lax. Much worse than baseball.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:07:22 -0000

Nice. Kick the kid a little while he's down.
Too much anger here.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:06:55 -0000

Ouch, the angry side steps up and fires a volley. Bards is struggling with his control. Everyone who has ever met him is hoping he can find that groove, including myself.

Re: OK, so I still do have a pulse … barely …

bighec711 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:05:35 -0000

You've got a ton of good rumors that need to be explored. The competition in baseball is better, but the level of play is down. I, for one, liked to come out and see a Jay Yennaco, Justin Hesenius or Jim Hnaning, Bryan Welch come out on any given Wednesday and flatten teams. That just happens so infrequently now.

Re: Five quick thoughts on a Monday morning …

bighec711 — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:57:37 -0000

Solid call on my overstatement.

Re: Five quick thoughts on a Monday morning …

bighec711 — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:21:51 -0000

Hey, in the end, things have worked out great, and I'm glad for him. To me, his attitude has been and is awesome. Good for him. He poured the work into it.

Re: Five quick thoughts on a Monday morning …

bighec711 — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 22:14:05 -0000

Good call ... Dowden had a big year. You could make serious cases for Justin Reyes and Isaiah too.
I never really lash out like that, but you could see a serious lack of effort there.

Re: Five quick thoughts on a Monday morning …

bighec711 — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:07:44 -0000

No editor here on blog, but what's wrong with this? I will fix it.

Re: Anyone have any thoughts on the coaching changes in the works?

bighec711 — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:23:38 -0000

Now, that's interesting. Don't know a ton about him. But my Middlesex contacts say he's well regarded.

Re: Anyone have any thoughts on the coaching changes in the works?

bighec711 — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:22:34 -0000

Spoken to John several times. He's ecstatic where he is at Brooks. You're talking hoops at an amazing level there in a great setting. Nope. He's told me several times, he's very, very happy there.

Re: Anyone have any thoughts on the coaching changes in the works?

bighec711 — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:20:59 -0000

Scott Boyle is a dynamite coach, whose heart is in Lowell. losing him would be a horrific blow for Lowell.

Re: Anyone have any thoughts on the coaching changes in the works?

bighec711 — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:38:55 -0000

Really, Giri for the AHS girls, eh?
I guess that's why I liked Alan Hibino there. He's been a loyal soldier to Faz, knows his stuff and is a tremendous character guy.
Nothing really on the baseball scene yet as news begins to trickle in slowly.
Looks like a potluck year in the Valley though.
Andover has Farnham-Deloury and a host of questions.
Central has a 25-man roster right now -- only one sophomore Cam Devanney on it.
Haverhill needs Nick Comei to get healthy quick.
Lawrence has question marks in key spots.
Lowell lost everyone. Methuen might be another year away.
North andover lost a bundle, and unless Chris Bardwell is superman, they will struggle.
Billerica has all the pitching in the league, and Tewksbury will be Tewksbury, somewhere from sniffing the small title to the outright favorite to win it.
Chelmsford is the early choice in the large with the Indians.
Not sure if Dracut has re-loaded yet.

Re: Anyone have any thoughts on the coaching changes in the works?

bighec711 — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:41:59 -0000

Tanglis was mentioned to me by a couple people as a front-runner for the NA job. Should be interesting, though.