On cheering athletes, top wrestlers, bad ads

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This, that, and another thing or two.

What is sport to one may not be to another.

Is a NASCAR driver an athlete? How about a professional bowler? A golfer?

There are arguments to be made for both sides.

How about a cheerleader? Is cheerleading a sport?

I, old school rough and tumble, was convinced that it is not. Cheerleaders, as I knew them, were young ladies with pompoms who stood on the sidelines and led the student body in – what else – cheers.

Cheerleaders made noise; players made plays.

But I came away from last Friday night’s Eastern Maine Class A cheerleading championship with a different view.

These weren’t the high school cheerleaders that I remember from the stone ages.

These girls danced their way through choreographed routines with precision. They flew through the air, twisting and turning while trusting teammates to catch them. And they did tumbling routines.

As I said, these were not the cheerleaders I remember from my youth. At Friday’s championship, I found they are, for the most part, athletes.

– . –

At Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference wrestling championship in Bucksport, as a wrestler was congratulated by his teammates, he brought them to laughter when he said of his opponent:

“That kid was a ball of energy.”

– . –

If there had been a Wrestler of the Meet Award at the PVC championship, my vote would have gone to Brewer’s Chris Noyes.

Wrestling at 152 pounds, the senior virtually dismantled his opponent in the championship finals.

Noyes won on a major decision by a score of 18-2. Mostly likely he would have pinned his opponent had the match gone on.

– . –

Showing my age, I guess, but I thought the Willie Nelson-H&R Block commercial was the best of the lot during the Super Bowl.

The Budweiser Clydesdales and zebra instant replay commercial was a classic.

But I just don’t get jeans commercials. A guy and a girl on a deserted street with a herd of buffalo running by them? That’s supposed to sell jeans? I don’t get it.

I didn’t get jeans commercials when I was young enough to get them.

And I know ad agencies are trying to reach a target group (of which I may no longer be a part), but the soft porn – two women in a swimming pool fighting – in the Bud Light commercials is a bit much for me, but likely not enough for others.

I’m not ready to go back to the days of the little girl shouting, “It’s Shake and Bake, and I helped.” I’m not that much of a prude.

But some of the stuff that’s running on TV as commercials these days should be rated so I’ll know if I need to send my little girl out of the room.

– . –

Whither Bob Uecker? He must be down in the front row.

– . –

Well, at least we didn’t have to put up with two weeks of Super Bowl hype.

One week is plenty,, especially when the game turns out to be a dud.

– . –

The next sound you will hear is that of the Boston media howling when Manny Ramirez reports a day late and Pedro Martinez comes in a week after the other Red Sox pitchers to spring training.

Pitchers and catchers report in less than one month.

Isn’t life great?

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net.