Norton Giles Henry writes:
>Incidentally, I also had Jeff Tory in my class and I wish someone from
>the NCAA could have sat in and seen the effect that their ruling had on
>him last year.  He was, however, a class act and he deserves all the
>success he is getting this year on the ice.  If anyone in Maine sees him,
>please send him my best regards.
 
Since you bring this up, I want to add something that has been on my
mind this season.  Last year, I felt bad for Tory with the unexpected
and surely unwanted notoriety he achieved after the ineligibility
problems.  At the time, I remember thinking that I hoped he would go
on to play well enough that when people heard his name, they would no
longer associate him with what happened last year.  No kid deserves
that.
 
Well, Tory is off to an incredible start and might be Maine's second
best D behind Imes, among a core of blueliners that is probably
playing better than anyone in HE.  He's a shoo-in for the HE Rookie
Team and a contender for RotY.  It is really great to see and I am
happy for him.  I hope that more people will get to see him play so
that they will likewise no longer think of him in connection with the
ineligibility, and instead think of him as one of the better
defensemen in the league.
 
I am not sure, but I got the impression from Giles' post that Tory was
getting the job done in school too, and if that is the case, it's also
nice to see.  Sometimes adversity can inspire people to greater
accomplishments, and if that happens with Tory, he will be a better
person for having experienced it.
 
I wonder what his attitude is towards it.  I am sure the Maine folks
and media have forgotten it, while outside media/fans haven't.  What
do you do when an opposing writer/radio person mentions it in an
interview?  I can see how you'd get tired of hearing about it, but I
think my approach would be to explain how I've decided to use it to
make me determined to prove myself on and off the ice.  A positive
attitude is bound to impress people.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93