There’s nothing like tournament time in Bangor

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The names and the games resonate through the years:

Red Barry. Cindy Blodgett. William Burney. Peter Gavett. Julie Bradstreet. Jack Scott. Stearns. Jonesport-Beals. Cony.

Mike Thurston’s buzzer-beating half-court fling to give Caribou the state championship over Westbrook in 1969. Joe Campbell’s improbable put-back to lift Bangor to an upset over Deering in the 2001 state title game.

Maine’s high school basketball tournament has produced an inexhaustible storehouse of memories for the enthusiasts who keep returning to watch the mid-winter spectacle.

But for many of those who come back, the tournament is more than an athletic competition. It’s a community event. It’s a chance to reconnect with old friends from around the state. It’s an opportunity to reminisce about the days gone by, and – after watching the champions carry the gold ball away – to wait for next year.

For Ron Brown, publisher of “Maine Roundball Magazine Online” and a coach for 30 years (17 at the high school level), some of his earliest childhood memories revolve around the tournament.

“I have vivid memories of being 7, 8, 9 years old. … My father would drop me off in the morning and I’d stay all day and [when the games were over] call from the phone in the lobby,” Brown said.

Observers like Brown have seen many changes in the tournament over the years. But part of the attraction of the event is that, somehow, its character remains essentially unchanged.

Beth Staples, a color commentator for WZON, played in the tournament for Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield and coached in the tournament for Searsport and Mount View of Thorndike. She said that while the players and the teams may change, the tournament’s ability to capture the region’s imagination endures.

“People talk about how they take that vacation week off to go sit in the Bangor Auditorium and watch high school kids play basketball. … It’s a chance to see really special moments and to see people succeed,” Staples said.

More than just the games

As a commentator for WABI-AM of Bangor, George Hale watches his share of games every year, and has been watching them since they were played in the old Bangor Auditorium.

“It’s a basketball junkie’s paradise. From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. it’s basketball and nothing but basketball. It’s colorful, exciting and has a huge social element to it. The tournament is probably unlike anything else in the country, except perhaps in the Midwest in Indiana, or Iowa,” Hale said.

Staples added that the way people from all over the region connect through the tournament is unique.

“People in Belfast know the names of kids in Houlton. … You see the same people year after year,” Staples said.

Brown said that the Eastern Maine tournament, in particular, has gained a reputation that makes it the envy of Western Maine – and the nation.

“Western Maine coaches tell me that they’re jealous of our state-wide TV coverage, our crowds, the media attention. We probably have more fervent basketball towns in this region than anywhere else in the state.

“… I talk to coaches all over the country and five minutes into the conversation people say, ‘you have quite an event’,” Brown said.

“It’s a basketball junkie’s paradise. From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. it’s basketball and nothing but basketball. It’s colorful, exciting and has a huge social element to it. The tournament is probably unlike anything else in the country, except perhaps in the Midwest in Indiana, or Iowa.”

George Hale

Hale agreed.

“The Eastern Maine tournament was a model for tournaments all over the country,” he said.

Hale added that the way that people from the far-flung communities of northern and eastern Maine congregate in Bangor for tournament week contributes to its appeal.

“People come and stay in hotels for the week. It’s a social event, with parties in the rooms,” Hale said.

Hale has been particularly impressed with the fortitude of the Class D communities over the years.

“Before consolidation [of school districts], every kid in school was on the team or a cheerleader. … The smaller schools with their few numbers always provided a great deal of excitement,” Hale said.

Brown agreed.

“For the small town schools, the auditorium is like a cathedral,” Brown said.

For Staples, the atmosphere in the Bangor Auditorium itself contributes to the tournament’s appeal.

“You remember how hot the locker rooms are. You remember how people greet you when you come in. … You can see the air in the Bangor Auditorium. You might be looking across [the auditorium] at a sea of blue and you can’t pick out any individual faces. Those are the things I remember,” Staples said.

The Games: Yesterday and Today

Bob Cimbollek has been in the thick of Eastern Maine basketball action as a player, coach and referee for five decades. Cimbollek played on the 1955 state championship Bangor team that finished third in the New England tournament at Boston Garden. He coached for 29 years at John Bapst, Bangor, Orono and Fort Fairfield.

Cimbollek appreciated many of the features of the tournament of earlier years, such as the three-days-in-a-row format and the opportunity to compete at the New England level.

“It was more like a tournament then because you had to play on three consecutive days. There are more upsets now because teams have time to prepare for each game. Then, you had to prepare before the tournament started and the best-prepared team survived. That third game was played on intestinal fortitude,” Cimbollek said.

When Cimbollek played in the 1950s, the games were held at Memorial Gym (“The Pit”) in Orono. Hale also remembered those years fondly.

“When the tournament was played [on three straight days] … I thought it was a true test of the teams. … Those days are the highlight of the tournament years [for me]. They were most exciting,” Hale said.

Cimbollek has observed the changes in the game over the years with interest, and said that today’s athletes play a more physical style.

“The game is so much more physical – it used to be a ballet and a game of skill. … Today players are stronger, quicker, healthier and can jump higher, but they play the game from the shoulders down. Teams from the past would beat the teams of today because [the teams from the past] played the game from the shoulders up,” Cimbollek said.

Cimbollek added that he appreciates the skill and above-the-shoulders approach of today’s female players.

“The girls game is played the way basketball was meant to be played,” Cimbollek said.

Brown expressed reservations about the changes that brought about the open tournament and the divisional cross-over format.

“I’m not thrilled by the recent format change … Back when there were 23 or 24 teams in your division, you went eighth or you stayed home. Some of that has been lost,” Brown said.

Hale agreed.

“The Eastern Maine tournament – no matter what the MPA (Maine Principals’ Association) tries to do to it – has always had a special significance that the Western Maine tournament has never had. It’s completely off its rocker now.

“… I hope the MPA understands that the tournament to Eastern Maine has been more than just an athletic event. It’s a great tradition, and the changes are not sitting well with the general public,” Hale said.

But changes or not – Tournament Time is here, and fans are eager for new memories to be made out on the floor. Brown is among the many looking forward to it.

“Last year 80,000 fans came through the gates at the Eastern Maine tournament. … The chance to congregate for vacation week is special. People will wear their school colors and flock to the auditorium en masse. That’s our quality of basketball, and I don’t think people really understand how special that is,” Brown said.