“And if you don’t seed, you don’t find out anything more [about rankings]. Seeding breaks up the traditional bowl games, which is antithetical to the BCS concept.” Those are the words of Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen. He was responding to the annual howl to replace… Read More
The age-old rule of thumb in the ski business goes something like this: If there’s brown grass showing in (pick your favorite large Maine municipality), it’s hard to convince some outdoors enthusiasts winter’s truly here. That seems to hold true even if folks in the… Read More
Each December I write a column about possible gift ideas for Pine Tree sportsmen and outdoor women. Basically, this article is to aid nonhunting and nonfishing relatives and friends select a Christmas present that’s bound to be beneficial and much appreciated by the recipient. Apparently, I’m becoming a… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Conservation has a couple of gift ideas for those looking to surprise outdoor enthusiasts this holiday season. First, season passes to Maine’s state parks and historic sites are on sale for 2008. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
You’re thinking about Christmas gifts, aren’t you? I know. Every gear head worth his weight in catalogs has been drooling over something new and high-tech now for at least a month (for some of us it’s all year). But before you start putting that wish… Read More
It would be hard to believe the schoolboy basketball season is already here – if it weren’t for the 17 inches of snow Mother Nature dropped in my yard this week. At least the subsequent exercise in shoveling provided time to consider who might emerge… Read More
Defending a state championship is never easy in any sport, let alone track and field. That task becomes even more arduous when you lose 57 points from your state-championship team. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
Reports started filtering back to Bangor a few weeks ago, as deer hunters returned to town from the big woods of northern Maine. “It snowed three days while I was there,” one hunter told me in mid-November. “They had a foot on the ground by… Read More
The table was set for the Maine Maritime Academy volleyball team well before the 2007 season began. The Mariners had enjoyed back-to-back successful seasons and landed another solid recruiting class, but the biggest development was the departure of North Atlantic Conference powers – 2007 champ… Read More
You’re looking at the Hockey East standings and scratching your head. Northeastern University is leading the league and Maine is in last place. Maine swept a two-game set from Northeastern in Boston. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Levi Rollins planned to become a head varsity wrestling coach some day – just not quite yet. But when John Kelly resigned from that post at Camden Hills of Rockport for personal reasons not long before preseason practices began, Rollins suddenly found himself in charge… Read More
CARIBOU – Four-time NASCAR Busch East champion and 1998 Busch Series rookie of the year Andy Santerre will host the fourth annual Andy Santerre Sno-Run charity event on Feb. 9 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Proceeds benefit AMHC’s Sexual Assault Services in Aroostook County. Read More
Chris Hahn, a junior left winger for the University of Maine men’s hockey team who shares the team lead with four goals, will be sidelined for at least three weeks with a broken finger, according to coach Tim Whitehead. He suffered the injury early in… Read More
The state’s most determined deer hunters are still in the woods this week, taking advantage of a pile of snow in their efforts to finally fill their tags. Others, like me, have already packed it in for the season. As I told you last week,… Read More
As much as I enjoy the regular season of Major League Baseball, I am also a fan of the offseason. I keep glued to the press and the associated intrigue of baseball winter meetings, and this offseason might prove to be an intriguing one indeed. Read More
Two new girls basketball coaches will be on the sidelines at two St. John Valley high schools for the 2007-08 season. Dean Gendreau will take over the Madawaska girls on an interim basis this winter, while David Dow is the new coach at Wisdom of… Read More
River restoration embellishes life Tom Hennessey hit the nail squarely on the head (BDN, Nov. 23). Our rivers are a precious resource to us all, more valuable than many realize. Protecting and resurrecting our rivers is vital not just to the health of the natural… Read More
Pete Caron brushed seaweed off a barnacle-encrusted rock, nodded his head toward the makeshift chair and offered me a seat for the show that would follow … if we were lucky. The island, as islands go, wasn’t much to write home about: At low tide,… Read More
The evolution of sports and the media continues. Thursday’s NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, an important matchup only televised on the new NFL Network, drew stinging criticism since it was not available on many cable outlets. They’ll be more such… Read More
Roland “Dan” Martin, the Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, presented a handcrafted Rangeley guide boat to Pierre Corbeau of Portland on Wednesday. Corbeau qualified to win the boat by purchasing his fishing license on-line at www.mefishwildlife.com. The DIF&W offers an annual… Read More
The memories of Ron Dobra’s most recent hike are still fresh. It’s no wonder. Just this October he walked into Canada after through-hiking more than 2,600 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. Starting on the border of Mexico and California in May, Ron hiked for… Read More
Paddlers now seek moving water Canoeists, kayakers adjust plans due to ice formation on lakes, ponds
Have you ever skipped a small stone across a newly frozen pond? It makes a funky pinging noise, doesn’t it? And that little stone goes on forever in its journey across the slippery surface. It’s too early to take steps on that half-inch of ice,… Read More
The recent death of University of Maine soccer player Adam Baxter is just the latest tragedy involving the volatile mix of college-aged kids and alcohol. The 19-year-old native of Skegness, England, who had earned America East All-Rookie honors during his freshman season with the Black… Read More
One of the top girls basketball players in Eastern Maine will be sidelined for part of the season as she tries to recover from a knee injury. Fort Kent guard Marisa Albert, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee two weeks ago,… Read More
The University of Maine Student-Athlete Advisory Council will be collecting toys to donate to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Student-athletes will collect toys at the Dec. 1 men’s basketball game and at the Dec. 8 men’s ice hockey game, both at Alfond Arena in Orono. Read More
Coach Cindy Blodgett on Thursday released a list of four women who have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Maine on basketball scholarships beginning in 2008-09. They are Samantha Baranowski of Stanhope, N.J., Jasmine Rush of Houston, Samantha Wheeler of Plaistow,… Read More
The Brewer High girls indoor track and field program hasn’t won an Eastern Maine Indoor Track League championship since the 2002-03 season. The Witches will be looking to brew up something special this year, however, and are one of the early-season favorites as EMITL teams… Read More
Back in February, after a contentious battle over the activities that would be allowed on a state land purchase at Katahdin Lake, Gov. John Baldacci formed a task force designed to address similar future concerns. On Tuesday night, members of that group met with the… Read More
It is the largest high school athletic conference in Maine, and next year the Penobscot Valley Conference’s geographic reach will spread even farther, into Washington County with the recent acceptance of Washington Academy of East Machias as a member. Washington Academy, a longtime staple of… Read More
Spencer Abbott, the leading goal scorer in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, has verbally committed to attend the University of Maine next fall. Abbott has scored 24 goals in 26 games for the Hamilton Red Wings and he has also notched 17 assists. He… Read More
New England sports fans are still basking in the afterglow of the Boston Red Sox’s World Series title. They’re excited that third baseman and World Series Most Valuable Player Mike Lowell has re-upped for another three years and they’re hoping General Manager Theo Epstein doesn’t… Read More
Left wing Gustav Nyquist, who has played for the Sweden Under-18 and Under-17 national teams, is one of five players who signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Maine on hockey scholarships next fall. The others are United States National Team Development… Read More
BANGOR – Ed Cotter of Levant rolled the second 300 game of his bowling career in Monday Night Men’s League action at Family Fun Lanes. The 44-year-old Cotter bowled a 763 series with a 221 in his first string, a 242 in his second and the perfect game… Read More
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Amanda Carroll of Gray won the International Candlepin Bowling Association championship with a final score of 1,183 pins in 10 games (strings). Carroll started off strong with a score of 583 after her first five games and a 33-pin lead over Beth… Read More
Defending state champion Bangor High School is the team to beat in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A boys basketball ranks during the 2007-08 season, according to a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches. The Rams were ranked first in the poll of the… Read More
Much to the surprise of everyone in my house, I’ve been watching a lot of NBA basketball these days – particularly Boston Celtics basketball. Heck, I grew up listening and watching the stuff, and my heroes who wore green and white uniforms back then played… Read More
Readers keep reminding me of an important fact: No matter what I say, nor how many times I say it, deer season is not over. For many, that’s true: Muzzleloader enthusiasts and bowhunters in expanded archery zones can hunt for another week or two. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
There is no secret why the UMaine women have struggled this season. The Bears have not played well enough on defense and have committed too many turnovers. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
A good man is gone. The thankful part is, he was here. The passing of Harold Alfond is being duly noted and the accolades are many, real and sincere. His boundless generosity is evidenced throughout Maine. He gave and gave. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Earlier this week, representatives of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust announced yet another key event in the ongoing Penobscot River Restoration Project. The group has met its first private campaign milestone by raising $10 million toward the purchase price of three hydropower dams on the… Read More
In the truck’s harsh beams, heavy white frost coated the blades of grass and clover leaves sprouting among the grain stubble, and each cut barley stalk sparkled and glistened in the predawn gloom. When I stepped out to determine wind direction and to scout for signs of exactly… Read More
As the days grow seasonably colder – finally – and become progressively shorter, my thoughts usually turn to those birds hardy enough to tolerate, and even thrive in, our northern winters. The gray jay – also called Canada jay, “whiskey jack,” and “gorbie,” among other… Read More
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invites students in grades kindergarten through 12 to submit artwork in the 13th annual statewide competition for the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. The designs should feature ducks, swans or geese in their natural habitats. Designs are judged in… Read More
ORONO – A five-game winless streak is uncharted territory for the University of Maine hockey team’s seniors. The Black Bears are 0-4-1 in their last five games heading into Sunday afternoon’s 2:00 home game against the University of Vermont. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
On this Thanksgiving morning, I’ll forego the customarily long-winded “Things to be Thankful For” column, in the interest of sharing some outdoor tidbits I hope you find entertaining and interesting. Before we start, though, a few words: We do live in a beautiful state with… Read More
Happy Thanksgiving! Now that the unforgiving Maine winter is fast approaching, its time for many runners to break out the winter gear holed up in their attics or deep in their closets, if you haven’t done so already. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
You are a University of Maine hockey fan and you are bewildered. Even though you were warned that this team is without players who registered 67.7 percent of its goals, you didn’t expect the drop-off to be this significant. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
After making their eighth North Atlantic Conference tournament appearance in the last nine seasons, the Maine Maritime Academy men’s basketball team is looking to bat .900 with another appearance this season. The big challenge for the Mariners this time around will be realizing that goal… Read More
When members of the Lee Academy girls basketball team stepped on to the floor of Mallett Gym for the first day of tryouts practice today, it will have been with a much shorter layoff than normal. Thanks to two postponements of the Class C state… Read More
Ever since I joined the blaze-orange brigade and began spending hours perched in trees, skulking through the woods and sitting on stumps, I have insisted on treating my November obsession as a learning experience. That, for the uninitiated, is a pretty nifty way for deerless… Read More
With the beginning of high school basketball practice yesterday across the state, I couldn’t help thinking about some of the associated do’s and don’ts which accompany Maine’s most popular sport. I’m old enough to remember when all this hoopla began on the first Monday in… Read More
The University of Maine baseball team has announced six players have committed to play for the Black Bears beginning in the fall of 2008. UMaine coach Steve Trimper and his staff have received National Letters of Intent from four pitchers, an outfielder and an infielder. Read More
The seniors on the Foxcroft Academy football team entered Saturday’s Class C state championship game with plenty of title-game experience, but not all the sort they wanted to take with them beyond their playing days. In both 2005 and 2006, the 18 seniors on the… Read More
We now begin the agonizing road down the trail of the Barry Bonds legal saga. This is O.J. Simpson all over again – and sad. There are so many issues involved in this mess that it boggles the mind. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Last week I received an e-mail from Juanita Pressley in Lubec. She and her husband, David, had seen and photographed a yellow-billed cuckoo in an apple tree on their property. “My bird book says their range is southern Canada to Mexico. Local in California; winters… Read More
It seems an eternity since last I plied the local waters in my kayak. I think it was sometime in early August the last time I launched at Pushaw Lake. I know the last time I paddled anywhere was on Aug. 16 when my wife, Kathy, and I… Read More
Over the past couple of decades, moose, Canada geese and wild turkey seasons have truly allowed Pine Tree sportsmen to expand their hunting horizons. Not only are these three great game animals spread throughout the state, but each boasts at least two individual seasons, allowing outdoorsmen to spend… Read More
Just three games remain in the high school season – all with the Gold Ball as a prize. So here are the picks for Saturday’s state championship games at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, in the order of when they will be played: Class A, Lawrence… Read More
Freshman Troy Barnies of Auburn will miss at least a couple of weeks of action for the University of Maine men’s basketball team due to a fractured bone in his left wrist. Barnies, who suffered the injury during the team’s Nov. 2 exhibition game against… Read More
Senior Curtis Wheeler of the University of Southern Maine Huskies men’s cross country team has been named the inaugural Little East Conference Runner of the Year. Wheeler recently qualified to compete in the NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championship after finishing seventh among the… Read More
The first day of preseason practice for high school wrestling is scheduled for Monday, and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill is still in search of a varsity coach to replace Peter Weaver, who left after last season. “We’ve got a group of kids who… Read More
The Colby College community is mourning this week after the accidental drowning of longtime Waterville resident Thomas Kopp. Kopp, 69, was on a camping trip Saturday with his son and three grandsons when their boat was swamped by a wave on Great Pond in Belgrade. Read More
BREWER – Jamerson Crowley peered around Dave Jeffrey’s Brewer High School classroom Wednesday afternoon, looking at a plethora of prizes that will be raffled off at Sunday’s 26th annual Turkey Trot 5K road race. He then acknowledged the hard work done by Brewer’s sophomore class… Read More
Hikers have been finding snow buntings on the tops of Maine mountains since early October. I wondered when the first reports would come in the Bangor area. Snow buntings nest in the Arctic tundra, making nests against rocks among short shrubs and clumps of grass. Read More
Foxcroft gets 2:30 p.m. start time Ponies will face Boothbay for Class C state football championship
There were no surprises Tuesday morning as the Maine Principals’ Association announced start times for the three high school football state championship games to be held at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday. The tripleheader kicks off at 11:06 a.m. when defending state champion Lawrence… Read More
You are a concerned member of Red Sox Nation. You don’t understand why Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein won’t extend the length of his contract offer to World Series Most Valuable Player Mike Lowell. Lowell wants a four-year deal and Epstein offered him a… Read More
We have an unwritten rule in our house. As simple as it might be, we follow professional baseball and the Boston Red Sox, and then we follow football, most notably the New England Patriots. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
It appears as though the University of Maine men will be without two senior forwards for this weekend’s Hockey East series at Merrimack College. Center Wes Clark and right wing Vince Laise are likely to be sidelined, according to Maine coach Tim Whitehead. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
There are fewer than 15 women currently working as athletic administrators in Maine, a paltry number considering the thousands of girls who play high school sports in the state. One of those few female athletic administrators, however, now holds the top position among the state’s… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – First the Foxcroft Academy Ponies answered the bell. Then they rang their victory bell – loud enough to let the Class C football world know they’re headed back to the state final for the third straight year after a 14-7 victory over John… Read More
He is the kind of player you love to have on your side, but if you are looking across the diamond at him, he can be an irritant. Kevin Youkilis had one heck of a year for the Sox. His value at first base can… Read More
FREEPORT – L.L. Bean will welcome scores of outdoor enthusiasts this weekend for its annual Winter Sports Expo. The event runs today and Sunday and features a weekend full of family and kids fun and activities, interactive demonstrations, presentations, promotions as well as snowshoe and… Read More
When the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the New England School of Communications joined forces to produce “Irrevocable Decisions,” the resulting 23-minute video was greeted with solemn silence and heartfelt praise. The video, which documents a fatal hunting-related shooting that took place in… Read More
As I ducked under the rising garage door and stepped into the driveway, that first breath of sharp, frigid air burned the back of my throat just like that strong cough syrup I forced down as a child. My outside thermometer hovered at 26 degrees and a white… Read More
Recently, I received an e-mail from John Frawley in Hampden. He and his wife live on the banks of the Penobscot River, enjoying the many benefits of the location. “We maintain a platform feeder, a thistle feeder and a suet feeder outside our dining room… Read More
Head Style: head36 – 36 Point, 3 deck, Minion-RegularBDN95, Plain; 111; 1 col Body Spec: Body Text; colw: 11p0; depth:17.23 (in.) googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
PORTLAND – Individual game tickets for the Portland Sea Dogs’ 2008 season go on sale Saturday at 9 a.m. The Hadlock Field office will be open for walk-up sales only on Saturday. Telephone and Internet orders will be taken starting Tuesday at 9 a.m. Individual… Read More
ORONO – It is likely to be an emotional next couple of days for the seniors on the University of Maine football team. Today, the Black Bears’ 12 seniors will be honored during the annual senior luncheon. Then on Saturday, that talented group will gather… Read More
Last week, the chief warden of the Maine Warden Service resigned his post because he had been issued a summons while performing his other job – that of a commercial lobster fisherman. Col. Tom Santaguida cited a desire to protect the Maine Warden Service from… Read More
Touching upon various topics: There is a lot of talk these days about obesity and the need for people of all ages to limit their food and beverage intake and get regular exercise. For teenagers, playing a sport is an excellent way to get in… Read More
In some respects, the John Bapst Crusaders represent the hope all struggling high school football teams share. For while the private high school on Broadway in Bangor with no football feeder program is having its best season in more than three decades, it was just… Read More
The Husson College women’s soccer team was back at practice in Bangor Monday after Sunday’s rough-and-tumble North Atlantic Conference title victory over the University of Maine-Farmington. The Eagles responded with what coach Keith Bosley called a lively workout. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The Red Sox are champs. The Pats are undefeated. So are the Celtics. And I still haven’t got my deer. Three out of four ain’t bad, I suppose. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
Still basking in the glow of the Red Sox’s recent World Series victory over the Colorado Rockies, I couldn’t help thinking about the special events surrounding each Fall Classic since my birth in 1950. Let’s face it, for a lot of us in New England,… Read More
ORONO – As a former football player and the current coach at the University of Maine, Jack Cosgrove is generally a pretty tough guy. Saturday afternoon, after his Black Bears had eked out a 16-13 Colonial Athletic Association victory, the veteran coach got a little… Read More
Weather permitting, the waiting soon will be over for the final two candidates for a berth in one of next weekend’s Eastern Maine high school football finals. Five teams already have qualified to play another week. The Class A matchup will send No. 2 Bangor… Read More
BANGOR – Roger Brownell, 63, of Bangor bowled a perfect 300 game Sunday during the second annual Maine State USBC Senior Tournament at Family Fun Lanes. For Brownell, who has been bowling for 45 years, it was his first 300 game. He bowled games of… Read More
On Thursday afternoon, the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife issued a press release that was, to say the least, shocking. Col. Tom Santaguida, the chief of the Maine Warden Service, had resigned. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Every hike is a chance to explore. Hiking across the landscape by trail is a way to discover just what’s out there. It doesn’t matter whether it’s somewhere you’ve tramped before. Each hike’s different, even when you’re taking the same trail. Different season, different weather, different hike. There’s… Read More
The Penobscot Fly Fishers will hold their monthly dinner meeting at the Coach House Restaurant in Brewer on Nov. 7. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
The playoff chase at the end of each sports season is marked by close races, intense competition and the bane of all competitors’ existences – ties. Ultimately, someone’s a winner in each case thanks to tiebreaking formulas that seek to create a best among equals. Read More
Nestled in the woods of Washington County, Grand Lake Stream is a village you don’t find by accident … unless, that is, the “accident” involves taking a wrong turn off unpaved Stud Mill Road while looking for some outdoor fun. Because of its seclusion, Grand… Read More
Last year, Husson College’s Tatyana Wolterbeek scored the game-winning goal with 2:57 left in regulation to give the Eagles a 1-0 win over the University of Maine at Farmington in the North Atlantic Conference women’s soccer final. That gave the Eagles a berth in the NCAA Division III… Read More
The University of Maine men’s hockey team will be short a regular forward when it takes on Boston College at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Friday night. Maine coach Tim Whitehead said freshman forwards Robby Dee, Keif Orsini and Andrew Sweetland will miss… Read More
The University of Maine men’s and women’s cross country teams ran to solid fourth-place finishes at last weekend’s America East Championships at Stony Brook University on Long Island. “We thought we could be somewhere between third and fifth,” head coach Mark Lech said. “As it… Read More
New England’s Bill Belichick has developed into the best coach in the NFL. Three Super Bowls in six years and a near-miss a year ago in a heartbreaking loss to Indianapolis in the AFC championship game speak for themselves. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The Ellsworth boys soccer team is in familiar territory – set to play in its 15th state championship match Saturday when it squares off against Falmouth in a 10 a.m. start at Lewiston High School. But the Eagles’ route to the final may have been… Read More
When the opening day of deer season finally arrives, the months of waiting and planning and scouting and hoping don’t change one basic fact. Four o’clock in the morning is early. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Some of the matchups are still unknown, but the Maine Principals’ Association announced Monday the sites for Saturday’s state soccer championships. In fact, the locations were settled even before matchups in several classes were finalized Monday afternoon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Hampden deserves better coverage Evidently to the Bangor Daily News, the Hampden Academy boys soccer team’s upset over the Bangor Rams is only deserving of a small article in the newspaper (BDN, Oct. 20). Had the score been reversed, the entire sports page would have… Read More