At 09:18 AM 2/16/97 -0500, Robert Svec wrote:
 
>Yesterday evening after a long day, I decided to relax in my favorite chair,
>watch some college hockey and enjoy the sports page of the Bangor Daily News
>to see what was happening on the courts, ice and fields of the area and the
>country.  Instead I found the Bangor "Deadly" News, eastern Maine's version
>of tabloid journalism, doing everything possible to prolong the coverage of
>the NCAA situation.  First there was McLaughlin's version of Chinese water
>torture, the constant dripping of anti University of Maine drivel.  There is
>nothing creative or new about it in his column but it makes for an easy way
>of filling it out.  If you are  intellectually lazy, just rewrite and change
>the title.
 
What was interesting about his column was how he said people shouldn't place
blame or second-guess.. etc -- the same stuff he's been doing for months!
Now he's all hollier than thou when he's perpetrated much of the negativity
in the press.
 
Also note the PPH article I posted.  I've noticed Kevin Thomas is also
notoriously anti-Maine hockey.  His article uses some carefully choice
words, like saying Maine "complained" about the penalties being too harsh.
That struck me as editorializing.
 
>Deirdre Fleming, McLaughlin's little obsequious follower, has shown that she
>has mastered the art of back door character assasination.  Get a few quotes
>and sprinkle with innuendo and you are ready to work in the Bangor "Deadly"
>News sports department.
 
For those who don't know, Deirdre Flemming wrote an article in Saturday's
BDN about the problems Maine will have recruiting now.  It is too long for
me to type in, someone else can do it!  :-)
 
I had but one question when I read the article and that was:  "Where have
you been the last three years Deirdre?"
 
Let's face it folks, Maine is in a much better recruiting position now, than
they were in any of the last three years with all this NCAA stuff hanging
over their heads.
 
Previously, any recruit had to balance the fact that Maine might receive
post season sanctions, and that they might be affected.  Given that, Maine
landed some pretty good talent and looks setup well for the future.
 
Now, with that gone, how can it be any harder to recruit?  Sure, it still
isn't going to be a cake-walk, but it's not going to be any more difficult.
 
Walsh sort of addressed her article during his pregame comments Saturday
saying that anyone who said such things (and no he didn't refer to Flemming)
"doesn't know anything about hockey."
 
I agree with Robert that her article looked like she was trying to do some
muck raking with the other coaches.  What is a coach going to say, "Yeah,
Maine, they'll have an easy time recruiting.  They are going to be great.
Heck, I shouldn't even go out and recruit because it will be so easy for
them."  Recruiting is a constant battle, NCAA sanctions or not.
 
>Watching Jack Parker standing behind the bench and spitting like a tobacco
>chewing minor leaguer and reading his quotes in Fleming's apparent attempt
>at journalism caused my blood to boil (I wonder if the BDN will pay for my
>next blood pressure test).  Paul Pooley  of Providence and Joe Mallen of
>UMass-Amherst showed class in avoiding Fleming's attempt to dredge up
>anti-Maine quotes.  The same can not be said for smug Jack Parker.  His
>dislike for Shawn Walsh and the U of Maine were abundantly clear from his
>quotes which squirted out as easily and  disgustingly as his spitting on TV.
> He not only knocked the University but the President and the Athletic
>Director.  While Pooley and Mallen showed class the same can not be said for
>Parker....he decided to take the low road.  From Parker's quotes, you can
>reasonably expect him to bad mouth Maine to every impressionable young
>hockey player willing to listen too him.
 
Here are the coaches quotes for discussion:
 
PAUL POOLEY, Providence:
 
"Personally, I've forgotten about it already.  I haven't followed it too
much.  Some people are glued to it because of other coaches arond the
league.  It's easy to dwell on the negative.  People wish maybe that Maine
will be down.  They will go forward.  Adversity makes you stronger."
 
JACK PARKER, Boston University:
 
"It doesn't give Hockey East a bad rap, it gives Maine a bad rap."
 
"I think it is foolish to hold it against the people who are playing for the
University of Maine.  That's not the problem."
 
Parker would not elaborate but said he thought the way Maine handled the
case was unbelievable.
 
"I just think it's extraordinary.  What is extraordinary is the reaction
from the president and director of athletics -- how they've handled it.
That whole situation is abosolutely extraordinary."
 
SCOTT BOREK, Lake Superior State:
 
"It's unfortunate this two-year fight with the NCAA has brought them, not to
a screeching halt, but certainly slowed them down.  Recruiting wise, it's
certainly hurt.  When Maine borought recruits in five years ago, it was
pretty hard for the to say 'No.'  Now they're not first on the list.  For a
recruit, they're still in the hunt."
 
"I think the penalties affecting the kids were kind of heavy."
 
Also said Maine will rebuild quickly.
 
RED BERENSON, Michigan:
 
"Well, Id on't think it helped.  Anyone who gets that kind of publicity, at
least in the hockey world, it has got to make it a little tougher for
recruiting."
 
Also said Maine would rebuild quickly.
 
JOE MALLEN, UMass:
 
"I don't want to omment one way or the other [on the NCAA case].  It's too
volatile of an issue."
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])