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Lost pride in Hampden

Sportsmanship is described in the American Heritage Dictionary as: “The qualities and conduct befitting a sportsman.” A sportsman: “One who abides by the rules of a contest and accepts victory or defeat graciously.”

Being a resident of Hampden and a Hampden Academy graduate, I was appalled to see the response from some of the students after Hampden lost to Bangor in the Class A basketball tourney game. As I stood in the crowd and applauded both teams I watched a young man throw a water bottle into the crowd of Bangor youths, not once, but twice.

Where has our pride gone? Did this young person realize they could press assault charges on him? I turned to my 7-year-old son and explained to him what I saw and how upsetting this was. I cannot imagine times have changed this much and we have lost our pride.

To the Hampden Academy boys basketball team and coaches, congratulations on a great year; to the Bangor team congratulations on your victory; and to the student who threw the water bottle, learn to accept defeat, because it will be with you all your life. Patricia Oversmith

Hampden

Craven can’t compete

In the days and months leading up to the 2000 Winston Cup season, we heard things from Ricky Craven like, we need four or five races to establish what this new team will be all about. Four races into the season I think it is clear… this team and it’s driver cannot compete at the Winston Cup level.

Ricky Craven has qualified for exactly one race out of five. Ho-hum. Everytime I am out somewhere watching Winston Cup and I hear the now infamous words “Maine’s own Ricky Craven” I make sure that no one around me knows I am from Maine.

Mr. Craven and his new team are clearly in over their heads and it is time for them to face up to the fact that they just can’t compete at that level. They should stop now before they waste any more of their sponsor’s money and before they humiliate themselves beyond repair. Reg Bamford

Levant

Let the fans celebrate

As an avid basketball fan, I once again anxiously awaited this year’s annual high school basketball tournament at the Bangor Auditorium. I must say, however, that this year’s tourney was somewhat disappointing.

Ever since I can remember, it has been tournament tradition for fans to flood the court at the end of a big game. As a former high school player, this was the kind of celebration we looked forward to following a big win. This year fans of Class B, C, and D schools were not allowed on the court following the games, even the Eastern Maine finals.

While I, among others, was a little disappointed, I could understand why the officials would want to clear the courts as soon as possible to get the next game started. As I watched the Class A tournament the following week, I noticed that their fans were able to rush the court in celebration at the end of the game.

Who decides when the fans are and are not allowed on the court, and what goes into the decision-making process? Do tournament officials feel that the tournament is not as important to the smaller schools? Every student-athlete deserves the same opportunity to celebrate with their fans, regardless of the size of the school.

To high school students and their families, the basketball tournament is a highlight of the students’ high school years, whether they are Class A or Class D. Next year tournament officials should rethink their policy and make it a universal one. Justin McNally

Shame on radio, TV

Did the University of Maine women’s basketball team really play in the NCAA tourney? You would not have known it by the lack of coverage by radio and television here in Maine.

I will commend WZON of Bangor for at least having the second half on Saturday night. Actually, WZON and the Maine women have Niko Dimitrakos to thank for scoring the goal that beat Boston College with 2.5 seconds left or that game would have gone to a 20-minute overtime. That would have meant no live play-by-play of the Maine women.

I also can’t believe that NO TELEVISION station in the Bangor area could come up with enough money to send a crew to Santa Barbara, Calif. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Cindy Blodget was still in a Black Bear uniform, one of those three TV stations would have been in California on the first flight out of Bangor!

Did these stations really ask for some money? I am guessing that they did not try all that hard. I am sure they asked their respective sports departments whether Maine really had a chance to win or not. I am positive that the answer was NO, so why bother?

Now Channel 5 has an excuse, they were covering the Class A state title basketball games. Channel 2 WLBZ and WVII 7 have no excuses. As it turns out, Maine did lose to UNC, but Maine led for most of the game and the contest was not decided until the final nine seconds.

As a Maine women’s basketball fan, I was deeply disappointed not being able to see the four seniors who gave us so much the past four seasons.

To not see Jamie Cassidy truly show why she is the best post player in the country as she torched UNC for 30 points and was virtually unstoppable. To not see Amy Vachon, who has lived in Blodgett’s shadow, play one more time and to see her give it her all. To not see Kristen McCormick knock down three 3-pointers in the second half and give Maine a big boost in their upset try.

Finally, there is Katie Clark. She can barely walk, but to not see her play was maybe the greatest injustice of all. All four of these young ladies deserved better. Shame on the local media for not caring enough. These young women are certainly better role models than the media who chose not to care. Charlie Farley

Trenton

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Letters should include a signature, full name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be mailed to: P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 or e-mailed to: bdnmail@bangornews.infi.net