Feelings intensify as Bonds closes gap
Some things I think, I think......
Reviled. Hated. Despised. Detested. Intensely disliked.
No, that's not a sampling of my e-mail. Most of those folks tend not to use those big words.
Instead it's a glimpse into the feelings baseball fans have for Barry Bonds.
And it will only intensify as he closes the gap between himself and Hank Aaron's home run record.
Bonds is the most polarizing personality in the baseball world since Morganna, the kissing bandit. Outside of San Francisco, he's held in almost complete contempt for what he has done and is about to do.
It's a given that barring injury -- his head might explode -- he will hit his 756th home run and shoulder his way past Aaron, one of the game's most respected individuals, into first place on the all-time home run list.
And to think they wanted to put an asterisk beside Roger Maris' name when he hit No. 61 to surpass Babe Ruth's season record.
How about a scarlet S for Bonds?
District shortage
For years, District 9 has been criticized in this space for its Class AAA wrestling tournament in which three wrestlers out of five per weight class in Class AAA advance to the Northwest Regional Tournament. Too many times a wrestler has only to wrestle one bout at the districts to reach the regionals, while the wrestlers from Districts 6 and 10 have to fight their way through at least a 10-man bracket to get a regional berth.
But if you look at the Class AAAA baseball and softball brackets in District 6, it's even worse.
In both cases, only three teams competed for the championship. And in both sports, State College teams drew a bye to the finals.
So in order to add to their trophy case, all either team had to do was win one game.
It's not a whole lot better in Class AAA softball, again with only three teams in the bracket.
It's not the fault of the schools involved, nor should the players be criticized. They follow the brackets established for them by District 6 and the PIAA.
But if this doesn't cry out for re-districting, then it will never happen.
If it makes sense for State College and Altoona to have to qualify for the PIAA football playoffs through District 3 then doesn't it follow that the same path should be followed in softball and baseball?
And if District 6 can only field six Class AAA baseball teams then it would make sense to combine it with District 9, or District 4 to make it a more competitive tournament.
With the shifting demographics in this state it's well past the time for the PIAA to redraw district boundaries to reflect that change.
He's No. 1
If you put any stock at all in the rankings of high school football recruits, which is a pretty good indicator that you've got too much spare time, those Penn State fans among you can cling to the hope that the Nittany Lions have a shot at the No. 1 prospect in the country.
The Rivals 100 currently lists Terrelle Pryor, the do-everything quarterback-defensive back from Jeanette sits atop the rankings. He's one of 27 five-star prospects, whatever that means.
He's joined by two other western Pennsylvania prospects, Monroeville linebacker Shayne Hale and offensive tackle Lucas Nix, who are ranked 12th and 26th, respectively which makes them five-star prospects as well.
Tight end Jonathan Baldwin of Aliquippa is the 28th-ranked prospect and rounds out the Pennsylvania contingent in the top 100. It's noteworthy that all four are from District 7 when the popular theory is that the WPIAL has lost its talent edge over the rest of the state.
If Penn State can convince him to play in Happy Valley it will somewhat offset the loss of Altoona star A.J. Alexander, who has verbally committed to Florida State.
Remember him?
Only a certain few of you will recall the Pennsylvania Mirror, the morning newspaper located here from 1968-77. For a paper of its size and resources it boasted an incredibly talented sports staff whose members have gone on to become sports editors, professors and NHL writers since the paper folded right after the 1977 Fiesta Bowl.
One of those, Dave Fay, who was the first sports editor of the Mirror, has been selected for induction into the Writer's Wing of the NHL Hall of Fame. Fay, who is battling a serious illness, covered the Washington Capitals for the Washington Times.
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