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Mahaney provided valuable lessons

With great interest I read a copy of your excellent story on Larry Mahaney’s retirement form Webber Fuels – way back in December of 2001 – and the responsive letter from Bob Blanchard (Jan. 4, 2002). Even though more than a year later, I hope this response is not too late to be included.

To me this man is “Coach Mahaney.” I had the benefit of being a sophomore at Brewer High School in 1956 when Larry Mahaney came aboard as the football and basketball coach. I am just retiring this year as the director of athletics at Susquehanna (Pa.) University since 1978 and a stint as head basketball coach at both Susquehanna and the University of Delaware. I have enjoyed a marvelous 40-year career in college athletics. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t had the model of Larry Mahaney.

I’ll never forget his fire and enthusiasm and his teaching ability. He also had the one quality every great coach possesses – he could scare the hell out of you! He was a terrific coach for me and my good buddies who went on to play at the University of Maine: Eddie Kiley, Norris Nickerson, Bump Hadley, Roy Stewart, Pud Robertson. Boy, those were great days. And, I’ll bet that coach Mahaney would list those years with the Witches among his most enjoyable. I sure do.

He made me want to be a coach and I’ve thanked him and a few others along the way many times over. Just a week ago, I sent him a copy of my retirement article in the local newspaper. Sure enough, I got a call from “coach” a few days later. I can still see Coach Mahaney and my dad sitting at the breakfast table at our home in South Brewer on Sunday mornings following a Friday night football or basketball game. My dad loved this guy – and everything he was doing for me and my brothers – and the whole town. It didn’t hurt at all that we beat Bangor High School my junior and senior years in football and basketball, either!

Thanks, coach, for being a great teacher and competitor and a friend for life!

Don Harnum

Selinsgrove, Pa.

Reed’s players think

In the aftermath of an outstanding high school and college basketball season, some random observations:

Roger Reed is the John Wooden of high school coaches. He not only coaches, he teaches his players – to think! The Bangor Ram teams of the last dozen years may be the smartest Maine high school teams since the 1950s.

It’s one thing for the UMaine women’s coach and players to acknowledge a loss by admitting that the other team played better, but to say “they wanted it more than we did” or “we weren’t ready to play” are unacceptable excuses! No more of that, please. The Bears could consider their loss to Boston University a blessing in disguise. Facing UConn in the opening round of the NCAA Tourney would not appear a thing to be desired.

And, why do we have to select a “Miss Basketball” and “Mr. Basketball” from among our high school players? Isn’t “teamwork” the point of the game? Elevating one player all over the others is just another example of “trickle-down ego-nomics” from the pro and college ranks.

But the roundball game has gotten us through another tough winter and for that we can give thanks.

Hal Wheeler

Bangor

Better system needed for assigning referees

I’ve noticed at the beginning of each session during the basketball tournaments that the announcer reads a statement to the fans. It is a reminder to players, coaches and spectators to show respect to the referees and opposing team. It encourages good sportsmanship of all involved.

I am writing this to encourage the Maine Principals’ Association to do the same. This has been the year that referees have taken it on the chin, but I would like to suggest changes to prevent fans leaving the games with the notion that their team was cheated and athletes feeling that their hard work was for nothing.

I watched several games during the tournament in which the officiating wasn’t as good as it could be. Like picking the right combination of basketball players, the MPA needs to work at developing a better system to assign referees to the games.

Leaving this task to the Maine Basketball Commission is proving itself to be antiquated. I see that the “good old boys” are being rewarded and good referees are being overlooked for reasons I don’t understand. Why aren’t the better officials, who work hard all season long too, being assigned an equal amount of games? The tournament is designed for the best teams to progress, this should be true for the officials as well.

I would suggest that the MPA look into a system to assign games by a committee. Perhaps the regular-season assigners from the three boards (in the east) could be utilized? Coaches submit forms to relay their preferences and these could actually be utilized during this process. Each referee board could be represented equally and fairly.

No game should be assigned to three referees from the same board. Let the commissioner’s office provide feedback to the officials assigned after the game, instead of at halftime. School curriculum is set by committees to ensure the best quality. Use that same concept.

I recall the words of a veteran official who reminded young officials, “the game is bigger than you.” In other words, the game centers around the athletes and referees are there to be unbiased and “call it like you see it.” There is no room for favoritism.

Poor combinations did have influence in some games during the tournament. In the spirit of sportsmanship this should be reviewed by the MPA. Perception is reality until you change the perception.

Priscilla Kish

Woodland

Thanks to Bangor

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the City of Bangor and the Bangor Auditorium for their efforts in helping host the Class A Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament and state championships.

This tournament was a huge success. Bass Park hosts many interscholastic activities in the Auditorium and Civic Center throughout the year and are very aware of the obesity problems we have facing our young people today.

Each player in this year’s Class A Tournament was given a bottle of water in the locker rooms following their games.

The Auditorium and Civic Center are currently monitoring their drink and snack sales revenue stream to see where they can apply the principles of good nutrition involving the interscholastic activities they host.

Norris Nickerson

Class A Tournament

Director

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