The weather could be the main culprit in a disappointing crowd of 6,839 attending the University of Maine’s homecoming football game Saturday in Orono against the University of Richmond.

While Maine’s successful football program has had trouble filling Alfond Stadium, homecoming should had been the one game in which Alfond was filled to its capacity of 10,000 as former alums from around the country return to the Orono campus for lots of festive activities. The football game serves as the highlight of these activities and usually is the main event of the busy weekend.

Many alums and current students, however, must have read a more accurate weather forecast than the one I did – or maybe they achieved better grades in meteorology than I when they attended our state U. The morning of the game it was chilly, but the skies were mostly blue. As the day progressed, most of the blue disappeared and was gone by the 2 p.m. kickoff – replaced by complete gray.

I have to admit to being a bit naive about the weather, or maybe I was just hoping to watch a game without getting rained on, but I thought the rain would hold off until later in the afternoon. It was clear, however, that many others weren’t as naive, because about half the bleacher seats on the visitor’s side of Alfond Stadium were empty.

A scan across the field revealed that many prime seats on the home side were also empty. The great seats on the second level, in line with the 50-yard line that have the big white “M” carved out between the blue seats, were about one-third empty.

I was a bit perplexed by this, given the school’s advertising and promotional campaign to put people in the seats – and again, this was homecoming weekend. The rain and wind arrived about midway through the first quarter, quickly emptying the end zone bleachers where many students were sitting. I lasted through a first half of wind and rain before driving back to the warm, dry comfort of home and watching the second half on TV.

The TV cameras revealed that the stands were mostly empty during the second half, as only the diehards or those equipped with Boy Scout preparedness stayed to deal with the weather.

Maine attracted a great crowd of 9,345 for its opener against Montana, and a fairly good crowd of 7,316 against UMass for its second home contest. Only two home contests remain – Oct. 25, against James Madison, and Nov. 15, against Villanova.

Here’s hoping the weather will be kinder to the Black Bears for their final two home dates. If so, a more accurate barometer of the popularity of this successful football program will be possible.

– . –

Saturday night on the UMaine campus, the Black Bears men’s hockey team held its Blue-White intra-squad scrimmage as it prepared for its season opener this Friday against the University of Minnesota at the Nebraska-Omaha hockey tourney. At the risk of infuriating the thousands of hockey faithful across the state, I still believe it’s too early to be playing hockey or the other main sport associated with winter – basketball.

Like others, I enjoy watching a Maine hockey game at Alfond Arena, or following the team in my favorite daily paper or listening to game broadcasts on Bangor radio station, WZON. However, it just doesn’t seem right to be watching hockey at any level – youth, high school, college or the NHL (especially the NHL) – while we still have some warm days left and many of our leaves are still green.

Hockey is a sport for winter. Realistically, I know that a top college hockey program such as UMaine’s has to start early to help maintain its high level of play. I also realize that youth teams need lots of ice time, and that the NHL needs lots of games to make a profit.

However, it still would be refreshing to not see a hockey puck dropped on the ice until the last out is recorded in the World Series.

Sports editor Joe McLaughlin can be reached at 990-8229 or jmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net