Page 2 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 3

By CharlesRoberts

As the days ofsummer dwindledown, WesternNew Yorkersbegin to switchgears from back-yard barbequesand bathing suitsto tailgating out-side RalphWilson Stadiumin their latestthe rma l - l inedapparel. Thewarm days willsoon give way toblustery condi-tions, but here’s alook at what else,besides thedreaded lake-effect snow,makes an annualvisit.

New EnglandPatriots

The Patriotsonce neatly spunthread is begin-ning to unravel year-by-year, as this past off-season,the Pats lost key compo-nents in wide receiver DavidGivens, linebacker WillieMcGinest and placekickerAdam Vinatieri, who hasbooted game-winning fieldgoals in playoff and SuperBowl contests. Offensively,though football is the ulti-mate team-game, as long asgolden-boy Tom Bradyremains healthy, NewEngland’s pulse remainssteady. On the defensiveside of the ball, the squadwill be without veteran safe-ty Rodney Harrison for atleast the early part of theseason, as he is rehabbingan injured knee. Harrison isexpected back toward themiddle-to-end of October,but if the past is to repeatitself, the Patriots’ defensefinds ways to make duehowever possible, even ifthat means inserting a veter-an receiver at defensiveback, as they’ve done withTroy Brown.

Miami DolphinsUnder the direction of

head coach Nick Saban, theDolphins were arguably thehottest team in the league as

the regular season came to aclose last year, winningtheir last six contests.Though they didn’t quitesqueak into the playoffs, theFish didn’t waste anytimerevamping the position thatlagged last season. The‘Phins managed to acquirequarterback DaunteCulpepper, who’s rehabilita-tion from last-year’s season-ending knee injury appearsto be going well, along withthe former first round draftpick of the Detroit Lions,quarterback JoeyHarrington. Quietly, Saban,who’s known to be a disci-plinarian, also acquired thetroublesome younger broth-er of Michael Vick, when hesigned undrafted rookiequarterback Marcus Vick.The only serious setbackthe squad endured was onceagain losing running backRicky Williams, but lastyear’s rookie sensationRonnie Brown appears morethan qualified for the full-time position.

New York JetsThe Jets replaced tena-

cious head coach HermEdwards with a member ofthe Bill Belechick clones in

3 5 - y e a r - o l drookie headcoach EricMangini, how-ever much likeBelechick’s earlycoaching days inCleveland andNew England,things may notbe smooth-sail-ing early-on inthe Big Apple.The Jetsacquired two ofthe most highlycoveted offen-sive lineman inthe draft whenthey choseD’Br ickashawFerguson andNick Mangold,who figure tomove into start-ing positions atoffensive tackleand center,r e s p e c t i v e l y.However, majorquestion marks

remain behind the offensiveline. Specifically, is ChadPennington’s surgicallyrepaired throwing shoulderstrong enough to last a fullseason? If not, can PatrickRamsey finally live-up to hisfirst-round hype? And if notRamsey, will we see second-round pick Kellen Clemensunder center? This Jetsteam leaves a lot thatremains to be seen, but onething that’s certain, is it def-initely doesn’t hurt to be inre-building mode under aBelechick derivative, whoin-turn comes from the kingof franchise turn-aroundefforts in Bill Parcells

Though the AFC East isnot the powerhouse it hasbeen in past years, all fourteams have been assertive intheir continuous efforts toremain competitive. Everyteam has an intriguingunderlying question thatmakes-or-breaks theirchance. For New England,can they truly replaceVinatieri and McGinest?For Miami, Mr. Culpepper,how’s that knee doing? InNew York, who’s going tostep up and take this teamover?

What to expect from AFC East rivalsin their annual visits to ‘The Ralph’

Photo courtesy Miami DolphinsSecond-year running back Ronnie Brown figuresto carry a heavy workload with Ricky Williamssuspended for the entire season.

By Shawn KrestThe 2006 sea-

son offers a mixedbag for BuffaloBills fans. Previousseasons openedwith the promiseof ending theteam’s playoffdrought, thenclosed with awhimper.

The Bills wentin a differentdirection this off-season. Instead ofadding more vet-eran talent, theteam is beingreshaped in theimage of new GMMarv Levy. Thatdoesn’t mean thatBuffalo has loadedup on WinstonChurchill-quotingo c t o g e n a r i a n s .However, theteam’s focus clear-ly has been onadding high char-acter, high intelli-gence footballplayers.

For the firsttime in years, asthe Bills seasonopens, the team isfocused on layinga foundation rather thangetting over the top. Theflip side, of course, is that ina league where every teamseems to have a shot at theSuper Bowl, Bills playoffhopes are low for 2006.

Here is a position-by-position look at what toexpect from the latest edi-tion of the Buffalo Bills.

Quarterback: Keepingwith the foundation-layingtheme, the Bills will exit the2006 season with a cleardirection at quarterback.The much-anticipatedthree-quarterback battlewas scuttled less than aweek into camp as newcom-er Craig Nall pulled up witha hamstring injury. Moreand more, it appears that2006 will be a referendumon J.P. Losman. He’ll get thechance to prove himself thatmany observers feel heshould have been given in2005. The team will also geta better feel on Nall’s long-term prospects. In case ofemergency, backup KellyHolcomb offers a solidshort-term solution.

Running back: Buffalo’ssuccess in 2006 will mostlikely be as a result of theground game. WillisMcGahee took a step backlast year, but should resumehis position on the list ofelite runners. He spent theoff-season sculpting hisphysique, and the runninggame will get the long-promised commitment fromthe offensive staff. AnthonyThomas gives the Bills theirbest backup option in years.Fullback is in the capablehands of Damion Sheltonand recent addition AlanRicard.

Receiver: Lee Evansearned a promotion to thenumber one receiver posi-tion. Peerless Price, return-ing to the team after seeking

greener pastures, can testifyto the fact that success atthe two spot does not guar-antee stardom in the leadrole. Assuming Evans is upto the task, Price andRoscoe Parrish will provideattractive options in sup-porting roles. Andre Davis,Sam Aiken and Josh Reedwill provide depth.Newcomers will bolster thetight end position. Veteranfree agent pickup RobertRoyal lends blockingexpertise, and 2005 draftpick Kevin Everett, whomissed all last season with aknee injury, will make thecatches.

Offensive line: CoachJim McNally has had a yearto remake the line. WhileMike Gandy, ChrisVillarrial, Jason Peters andDuke Preston may not havethe names or resumes toimpress, look for McNallyto get the unit to produceon a level beyond the sumof it’s parts. The final posi-tion will be filled from apool that includes veteranpickups Aaron Gibson,Melvin Fowler, Tuten Reyesand LaWaylon Brown andrecent draftees JustinGeisinger and DylanMcFarland.

Defensive line: Muchlike their offensive counter-parts, the big men on theline don’t have the sexynames, but the unit shouldproduce as a whole. AaronSchobel, Chris Kelsay andRyan Denney will provide arush on the outside, as inprevious years. 2005 draftpick Tim Anderson is thesenior member at defensivetackle. He is joined by pos-sible breakout star LarryTripplett, signed from theColts, first-round pick JohnMcCargo, and underratedsecond-day pick KyleWilliams.

Linebacker:After years ofstability, lastseason’s injuryto TakeoSpikes threwthe lineback-ing corps intochaos. Spikeswill be return-ing to the fieldafter Achillessurgery, andthe mentaland physicalhurdles maylimit his con-tributions inthe earlygoing. AngeloC r o w e l ls h o w e denough fillingin for Spikesin 2005 thathe has earnedthe startingposition thatf o r m e r l ybelonged toJeff Posey. Theonly sign ofstability isL o n d o nFletcher, andhe decided tochange his lastname over thesummer. Still,

despite all the transition,linebacker will be a strengthfor the team.

Defensive backfield:Nate Clements and TerrenceMcGee man the corners andoffer big-play promise. Atsafety, veterans Troy Vincentand Matt Bowen appearready to start the season.The 2006 draft class thatwas supposed to bolsterdepth in this area has beensnake-bit early in trainingcamp. Corner AshtonYouboty has been hamperedby a hamstring injury andcollege teammate DonteWhitner’s holdout makes a2006 contribution seemunlikely. Safety Ko Simpsonhas looked good early on.

Special teams: All themajor components returnfrom one of the league’s topspecial teams units: PunterBrian Moorman, kickerRian Lindell, and coachBobby April should insurethat special teams will be astrength for the team. Awide array of return men,led by McGee, will also poseproblems for opponents.

Coaching: Early in camp,Dick Jauron has offeredcalm, open leadership andhas surrounded himselfwith assistants that spendmuch of their time teachinginstead of scolding. Therelaxed atmosphere is a bigchange from the GreggWilliams and MikeMularkey regimes. In fact, itevokes images of anotherBills coach that led throughcalm teaching — the manwho just happened to hireJauron as one of his firstmoves at GM. Bills fanswould be ecstatic if Jauroncan get the same results asMarv Levy. For a team intransition, it may take timeand patience.

But first, the team needsto lay the foundation.

Laying the foundation: Bills 2006 preview

Photo by Joe VaentiLondon Fletcher has a new name, but should berejoined by a familiar face at linebacker.

Page 4 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

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Publisher & Editor Marian GiallombardoFeature Writers Ross Brewitt, Robert Caico, The Careful Gambler, Rick Davenport, PeterFarrell, Shirley Giallombardo, Sande Hamilton, Ivan the Impaler, Bob Janosz, Ed Kilgore,Shawn Krest (Buffalo Managing Editor), Andrew Kulyk, Brian Mazurek (RochesterBureau Chief), Brian McFarlane, Ron Montesano, Len Mytko, Gary Reeves, WayneSchmidt, Dave Sully, Tim Wright, Rick Zurak (golf editor)Chief Photographer Jeff BarnesStaff Photographers Ryan Bartholomew, Wayne Schmidt, Brad Thyroff, Joe ValentiCover photos Bills by Joe Valenti Contributing Writers Tom Ando, Eric Keepeler, Mike Fox, Glen Jackson, George Kuhn,Brian Michalek, Clarence Picard, Charles Roberts, Curt Pasisz, Bob Plezia, Dr. KevinSmith, Jeff TaylorLayout & Cover Scott Appleby, Graphic artist Liz SeivertAssignment Editors: Shawn Krest & Brian MazurekCopy Editors and Office Assistants Sande Hamilton, Eric Keepeler, Karen McClive,Andrew Mitchell, Len Mytko, Mark Richardson, John WilliamsPlease send your letters, questions, and comments to: Sports & Leisure Magazine, 469Virginia Street, Buffalo, NY 14202 or e-mail them to publisher@sportsandleisuremag.com.Please include your name, address and phone number or your letter can’t be published. Allletters and responses become the property of Sports & Leisure Magazine, they may be print-ed, and are subject to editing. Sports & Leisure Magazine is circulated throughout WesternNew York and Southern Ontario. All rights and trademarks reserved. Reproduction in wholeor in part without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. ©1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Sports & Leisure Magazine.

The Buffalo Bills are onthe field! After a tumultuousoffseason, the Bills are onceagain practicing at St. JohnFisher in Rochester, andthey’ll be rocking the Ralphbefore you know it. We haveour Bills preview in thisissue.

The NFL isn’t the onlyplace where teams are hit-ting bags to get ready forfootball season. College andhigh school teams are alsocamping in preparation fortheir seasons, and Sports &Leisure will have coverage offootball at every level. Forthose of us that prefer a

computer and magazine tohelmets and pads, we alsotake a look at fantasy foot-ball.

There’s not much that cantear Western New Yorksports fans’ attention awayfrom football at this time ofyear. Buffalo Sabres newswill do it. While the seasonis still months away, theSabres have had a busy off-season of their own, unveil-ing a new logo and negotiat-ing salaries. The downsideof having a talented youngteam is a summer spent insalary arbitration cases.

Baseball news will get area

fans to look away from thepractice field as well. Wecheck in on the areaInternational League teamsand the fantasy baseballscene. We also have a specialfeature this month. Ourassignments editor, ShawnKrest, is preparing a book onthe history of baseball’s All-Star Game, and we’re proudto run an excerpt based onhis coverage of the 2006game in Pittsburgh. We hopeyou enjoy it as much as wedid.

Now back to football!

From the Publisher

The Sports & Leisure Magazine TerminatorsFront row: left to right: Nick Finley, Ryan Frankowski, Parker Lee, Tyler Stickels, Zack Shingleton.2nd row: Jacob Steinborn, Ron Stewart, Mike Zheim, Dylan Kallay, Jorden Deuel, Adam Kerr.Back row Coach’s: Rich Kallay, Mike Lee, Carrie Deuel.

The Sports & Leisure Magazine Terminators took the field for their first time in the Town ofTonawanda Little league’s midget division. Despite their 1 and 11 record, there was majorimprovement by all players’ during the season. The team practiced twice a week and played twogames a week. The player’s as well as the coach’s were up for the challenge. They are all look-ing forward to keeping this team together and improving on their record next season.

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 5

By Shawn KrestThe following is an

excerpt from the firstchapter of a book onbaseball’s All-Star Gamewritten by Sports &Leisure Magazine’sShawn Krest. The manu-script is currently beingmarketed to an agency inNew York City.

Phil Garner shouldn’thave turned around.

He would be accusedof much bigger mis-takes before the end ofhis three-day trip toPittsburgh. By leavingtwo of his best defen-sive players on thebench the followingnight, Garner would, inthe eyes of outragedsports-radio callers, frit-ter away the New YorkMets’ best chance in 20years to win the WorldSeries.

As Garner stood withhis hand leaning againstthe batting cage, one ofthose players, Atlanta’sAndruw Jones, pepperedthe PNC Park outfieldwith line drives on theother side of the mesh.The other, St. Louis thirdbaseman Scott Rolen, hadjust arrived at the stadi-um after flying more than1,400 red-eye milesovernight.

That decision was stillmore than 32 hours away,however. On this steamyWestern Pennsylvanianight, Phil Garner hearda familiar voice—a mem-ber of the Pittsburghmedia Garner remem-bered from his playingdays 27 years earlier. Themanager of the NationalLeague All-Star teamturned away from thefield to greet his friend.

Forty minutes later, hestill hadn’t been able toturn back around.

There were over 1,800media members creden-tialed to cover the 2006All Star Game. The vastmajority of them werecrammed in the 4,300square feet surroundingthe home plate cage asthe National League tookbatting practice. Sopacked was the mass ofmedia that fans greetedthe announcement, “allmedia must clear the fieldin ten minutes,” withcheers and applause. Nolonger would their $175tickets be obstructedview.

Broadcasters, writersand B-List celebritiesapproached, one afteranother, for their audi-ence with Garner. Eachasked for “just a few min-utes” of his time. Still asoft-spoken Tennesseeboy at heart, he was toopolite to turn away.Garner gave equal time toMike Golic, co-host ofESPN Radio’s “Mike &Mike” morning showwho was staying atGarner’s Pittsburgh-arearesidence, and a writerfrom his college alumni

magazine, asking aboutUT’s influence on hiscareer.

Garner joked withESPN caricature ChrisBerman, whose “backback back, GONE!” callwould hang over hisbroadcast of the night’shome-run contest like thehumid haze of the near-ninety degree day andposed for a photo withAlyssa Milano, dating thegame’s starting pitcher,the latest in a long line ofher athlete conquests.

Hall of Fame boxingwriter Burt RandolphSugar introduced himself,as did an imposterdressed as a Pirates bat-boy looking to get a base-ball signed. A gray-hairedman wandered by wear-ing a photo credentialstolen or borrowed fromlate night TV host JimmyKimmel, who had partici-pated in a celebrity soft-ball game the nightbefore. Garner patientlyanswered questionsposed by a teen-agedcamera crew made up ofcontest winners, then cri-tiqued their performancefor the teens’ mentorfrom Boys & Girls Clubs.“It was a lot better thansome of the stuff theseother guys have been ask-ing me,” he said of theinterview.

A vapid woman shout-ed questions to him asthe interview played ondelay on the stadiumscoreboard. Garnerreceived cheers for refer-ring to Pittsburgh as “thecity of champions,”though not as loud as theresponse opposing man-ager Ozzie Guillenreceived when he tore offhis jersey to reveal aRoberto Clemente shirtunderneath.

Ozzie Guillen had ledthe Chicago White Sox toa victory over Garner’sAstros in the previousyear’s World Series andwas winning the publicrelations battle over theAll-Star Break as well.This despite the fact that,as a scrappy second base-man years earlier, Garnerhad led the hometownPirates to a World Title,while Ozzie made newsearlier in the season forcalling a critical reportera homosexual slur. Ozzie

also berated a rookiepitcher to the point oftears for not followinghis orders to hit anopposing batter. Therookie was sent to theminor leagues immedi-ately after the game.

Garner is generous,loyal, hard working andmodest. By every meas-ure available, he is agood man. OzzieGuillen is a better story.In the days leading upto the All-Star Break,while Ozzie worked onone liners, Garnerworked out a way for77-year-old Chuck

Tanner, his former Piratesmanager and a legend inthe city, to be in uniformas an honorary coach.

Each year, baseball’smarathon April toOctober season takes atantalizingly shortbreather in early July. In2006, sixty players and ahandful of managers andcoaches converged onPittsburgh for the oldestAll-Star Game in profes-sional sports. For some, itmarked the highesthonor their careers willproduce. For others, it isa chore—a necessary evilthat comes with theirfame.

“You don’t really appre-ciate it until you missone,” said the YankeesDerek Jeter, an All-Staragain in 2006 after notbeing chosen for the 2005game in Detroit.

Just outside the stadi-um, one of Jeter’s team-mates emphasizes hispoint. A stadium parkinglot has been fenced offand re-christened for thethree days as TheSponsor Zone. Standingamidst booths advertisingconcerts, airlines, soda,and candy is JohnnyDamon. The Yankeescenter fielder and BostonRed Sox savior turnedJudas wears neitherteam’s uniform, butrather a non-descript,logo-free black and whitejersey. A two-time All-Star, Damon missed mak-ing the 2006 team andappears on behalf of oneof the companies hesponsors. Looking self-conscious, he poses forphotos and sign auto-graphs. Fans approachslowly, looking as unsureas Damon as to why he’spresent. As the uncom-fortable meet and greetdevelops, four internsparade by wearing over-sized costumes depictinga baseball, a hot dog, aslice of apple pie, and theChevrolet logo, harken-ing back to a 1970s-eracommercial. Damon isn’twearing a paper machesweatbox, but he’s fillingthe same role.

Inside the stadium, themedia swarms aroundPhil Garner, blocking thefans’ view of the gamesupposedly played justfor them.

At the break

Photo courtesy Houston AstrosAstros manager Phil Garnerfaced down the media hordeat the 2006 All-Star Game.

By Brian Michalek

The Empire State Roar’s MaryPalaimo is fulfilling her dreamsevery time she puts on the padsand football helmet. She ismaking a statement, havingfun, and impressing everyonearound her with her ability andheart, including team ownerSandra Rogers.

“Mary’s punt average wasbetter than seven NFL playerslast season,” Rogers said. “Oneof our new coaches, JohnEvans, the special teams coachfor St. John Fisher College, isvery excited to be working withher.” Mary loves nailing the balldown the field and thrilled she’sbeen able to do it for so long.“This is my seventh season ofplaying women’s professionalfootball,” Palaimo said. “I lovekicking the football and specialteams. Football has taken meon adventures that I would nothave experienced otherwise

and has helped meto find my charac-ter. Thank youSandy for keepingmy dreams alive! Itis a pleasure to playon the gridironwith women whoshare my passionfor the game.”

Kicking is themain reason whyshe has such a pas-sion for this sport.She also recalls anunpleasant memo-ry that occurred 16 years ago.“Ever since I was a little girl, Iwatched the Buffalo Bills,”Palaimo said. “When ScottNorwood missed that field goalI thought ‘I could do a betterjob than that!’ Ever since thatgame I’ve wanted to be a kick-er.”

Being one of the veterans onthe team, according to Palaimo,

can be a challenge. “If you’vegot the experience, and takewhat you’ve achieved in thepast, you try to bring that to acurrent team, it doesn’t pan outsometimes,” Palaimo said. “Yousee what potential you canhave, and if it’s not there it’sfrustrating.” According toRogers, Palaimo’s leadership is

Mary Palaimo is out on the hunt and

having fun!

Photo courtesy Empire RoarMary Palaimo’s big heart and powerful footare just what the Empire State Roar need.

continued on page 18

By Mike FoxAs we enter the last third

of the 2006 baseball season,teams will begin grantingminor-leaguers their chanceto showcase their talents atthe major-league level, andcountless fantasy owners willoverestimate the immediatepotential impact of theseplayers. While history hasshown that late season call-ups can sometimes allow youto catch lightning in a bottle,it has also proven that thechances are probably notmuch better than catchingOzzie Guillen at a gay rightsrally. Keeper-league owners,however, should be ready towork the waiver wire, as thestars of tomorrow are goingto be here soon. If you’vealready missed out on the likesof Andre Ethier, AnibalSanchez, Jared Weaver andJeremy Sowers, now’s yourchance to make up some lostground.

Lousy teams often find it eas-ier to provide at-bats for youngplayers at this time of year, buthopeful Devil Rays DelmonYoung, BJ Upton and ElijahDukes are learning that nothingis guaranteed. OutfieldersYoung and Dukes are potentialfive-tool players with decent2006 stats, but Young has irri-tated management by poppingoff to the press, while Dukeshas already been suspendedtwice this season for discipli-nary reasons, delaying theirinevitable call-up. Upton boastsa .377 OBP and 46 SBs, but hiswoeful play at shortstop hasprevented his promotion. TheRays traded Aubrey Huff tomake room at 3B, hopingUpton can handle the transi-tion.

The Kansas City Royalsshould soon be taking a longlook at Billy Butler and AlexGordon. Outfielder Butler has

ripped up AA pitching (.320-12-84), and claimed MVP hon-ors in the 2006 All-Star FuturesGame. Gordon has been equallyimpressive at the plate (.314-19-70), and his 20 SBs arenotable for a 3B.

The Cleveland Indiansseemed inclined to allow 3BAndy Marte another develop-mental season in AAA, but thecontinued struggles of AaronBoone both at the plate and inthe field will likely force theTribe’s hand. Marte struggledearly with the Buffalo Bisons,but has since improved his statsto a respectable .261-15-46. Heprojects as a low-average major-league hitter with decentpower.

The All-Star Futures Gamehas proven to be a lucrativeplace to mine for future pitch-ing talent, boasting alumninames like Sheets, Zito,Beckett, and Buehrle. 2005game starters Justin Verlanderand Francisco Liriano havetaken the fast track to stardom,and 2006 participants PhilipHughes (NYY), Homer Bailey(CIN), and Jason Hirsh (HOU)

could join them soon.Yankee fans have alreadybegun to clamor for Hughes.The Yanks currently carrysix SPs on their roster, butthe good news for Hughes isthat three of them are JaretWright, Shawn Chacon andSir Sidney Ponson. A tradedeadline deal or continuedineptitude by The ThreeStooges could give Hugheshis shot. Bailey and Hirshhave shown signs of domi-nance in the minors, andtheir parent clubs have seri-ous issues at the bottom endof their current rotations.Both will have to overcometroublesome home parksupon their call-up, but thetalent is there.

If your keeper league rulesallow, now is the time to reachfor standout Japanese pitcherDaisuke Matsuzaka and hisfabled gyroball pitch. The veter-an’s resume boasts a 2004Olympic bronze medal andMVP honors in the WorldBaseball Classic. Matsuzaka haspublicly stated that he wants tostrut his stuff in North America.Japanese rules will requiremajor league teams to submitsealed bids for his services,leading most to speculate thiswould leave the Mariners, RedSox and Yankees as the mostobvious suitors. GeorgeSteinbrenner still remembersthe Hideki Irabu debacle, but islikely to dig deep to secureMatsuzaka’s services for 2007, ifonly to keep him away fromarch-rival Boston.

Remember that rolling thedice on young players is muchlike playing the stock market.Nothing is guaranteed, but yourodds of success increase if youinvest in blue-chip companies.Add a few to your portfolio,then sit back and enjoy theirmaturation.

Fantasy baseball Don’t miss out on call-up parade

Photo courtesy Buffalo BisonsAttention, A Marte shoppers: time tobuy.

Page 6 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

By Peter Farrell and Andrew Kulyk

With two New YorkPenn League franchisesjust an hour’s drive fromone another, a road trip toCentral Pennsylvaniamakes for the perfect quickbaseball trip getaway fromthe Buffalo area. Anddespite their close geo-graphic proximity, theparks in Williamsport andState College are light yearsapart in style and age andrecently we “StadiumGuys” made the drivedown to check these twocontrasting parks out forourselves.

For you “new school”type of ballpark fans,there’s the brand new edi-fice at the foot of PennState’s Beaver Stadiumknown as Medlar Field atLubrano Park. The diverseconcessions – friedTwinkies, walking tacos,Quaker Steak and Lubewings, the red brick façade,the wrought iron gates,wide concourses with viewof the field … the works ...if you’re a regular reader ofour stuff you know whatwere talking about.

There are a few interest-ing quirks here though, asthe dimensions of the parkreplicate those of PNC Parkin Pittsburgh, save for the18.55 foot high fence inright (signifying the yearPSU was founded) insteadof 21 feet. No picturesquedowntown skyline to gowith it though, so howabout an absolutely gor-geous view of the country-side in the Happy Valley.

And obviously, since

Medlar Field is on the cam-pus of Penn StateUniversity, the park doublesas the home of the NittanyLions baseball team. Thepark is a huge upgrade fromtheir previous facilitywhich resembled a smalltown high school yard, nota home for a major DivisionI program, an improvementthat leaves PSU baseball fol-lowers pretty excited.

But one person in State

The old and the new clash in Central Pennsylvania’s “Sawbucks”

Photo courtesy “The Stadium Guys”“Historic” Bowman Field in Williamsport is a perfect settingfor minor league baseball.

By Charles RobertsWith the trade dead-

line nearing, a numberof Cleveland Indiansfront office members,including executive vicepresident and generalmanager Mark Shapirowere in attendance formany late-July Bisonscontests, as the Indianswere looking at playerswho could be called-upin September toimprove their roster fornext season.

After a solid July 26,third baseman AndyMarte found himself outof the Bisons’ lineup thefollowing day, with theofficial announcementcoming from ClevelandJuly 28.

“I’ve never seen a moreeven-keeled, quietly intenseplayer,” Bisons managerTorey Lovullo said of Marte.“He goes out there andnever lets anything distracthim. I think that’s what’sgonna make him a prettyspecial big league player.”

Marte was not the onlyplayer being watched. RyanGarko, who is essentially autility player for the Bisons,has made the trip toCleveland already this sea-son and is likely to rejointhem in September. Otherplayers that may get achance in the big leaguesbefore the season lets outinclude pitchers JeremyGuthrie and Andrew Brownand right fielder JasonDubois. Guthrie had indis-putably his best game of the

season in front of the Tribefront office on July 26, asthe right-handed pitcherthrew the club’s first com-plete nine-inning one-hitterin 15 years.

“He was attacking themwith a three-pitch mix, itwas probably one of themost impressive pitchingperformances I’ve seen inquite a while,” Lovullo saidof Guthrie’s one-hitter out-ing.

“He’s worked really hardto put himself in that posi-tion,” Lovullo added regard-ing the possibility ofGuthrie joining Indians inthe near-future.

Dubois is a one of themore well-rounded Bisons,as the outfielder has hit .265on the season, with a team-high 16 home runs (as ofAug. 1), all while providing

steady defense in theoutfield. The Indians’biggest concern withRHP Andrew Brown hasbeen his ability to con-trol his pitches, but in animpressive closing per-formance on July 25Brown was able to strikeout two batters with fast-balls clocked at 95 mph,while walking none inearning his third save ofthe season.

“I’ve tried to simplifythings, yet pick up mytempo a little bit, stopbeing so methodical andlethargic out there andI’ve also started to quick-step approach the platewhen there’s a runneron-base to disrupt the

hitter’s timing,” Brown saidof his continuous growth onthe mound. “It’s just a mat-ter of being a little bit moreaggressive mentally.”

Cleveland Indians LHPJeremy Sowers proved hismight as he threw 22 con-secutive scoreless innings,which included two com-plete-game 9-inningshutouts. His effort to makethe third time the charmeventually gave way in thefifth inning against theBoston Red Sox in an Aug. 2match up at Fenway Park.Though Sowers’ streakcame to a close, the rookiepitcher didn’t leave muchdoubt as to why he has beena regular in the Indians’starting rotation since join-ing the club, as he struckout All-Star David Ortizthree times in the contest.

Eyes in the sky from Cleveland keep steady watch on Herd prospects

Photo courtesy Buffalo BisonsThough he’s not currently on theIndians’ 40-man roster, BenFrancisco has definitely caught aglimpse or two from parent team.

By Bob PleziaThe WNY Baseball Hall of

Fame Directors have namedthe 2006 inductees. Theyinclude; contributors, BobSlammon and Kevin Lester;old timers, Ken Fremmingand Sam Paxson; umpireStan Figiel; players TomConwell, Dan Copeland,Paul Daddario, DonGriebner, Greg Honsberger,Gary Kaczor, Jim Klein, JoeMiano, Dale Tepas, andMike Wagner.

Bob Slammon was withAAABA Buffalo since themid 50s as a director untilhe passed away in 2004.

Kevin Lester played inmany leagues and AAAMUNY for 20 years withmost notably Eldredge Cluband The Voyageurs. He wasa scout for Pittsburgh andKansas City. He was theBuffalo Bison’s bullpencatcher, youth clinic direc-tor, and for the last 20 years,official scorer. He was thebaseball coach atWilliamsville South and isthe athletic director atSouth.

Stan Figiel primarilyworked in the Suburbanleague. He was a member ofthe WNY UmpireAssociation for 25 years. Hefirst played many years inthat league.

Tom Conwell was withthe Voyageurs when theyhad their championships inAAA MUNY and a nationalchampionship. He thenplayed four years with CityMattress (Suburban) wherethey won division andleague championships.Conwell was a JuniorCollege All-American atErie Community Collegehitting .544.

Dan Copeland played forthe Holland Town(Suburban) team for 19years. He was voted leagueMVP six times. He threwfour no-hitters during hiscareer with Holland Centralwhere he also earned fourletters. Copeland wassigned to a pro contractwith the Phillies.

Paul Daddario played inthe Suburban league(Amherst) for 14 years.Daddario signed with theBraves in ’83 after hitting.446 with UB. He was onseveral Suburban All-Starteams with the AmherstCity Mattress team that wonfive straight championships.

Ken Fremming, in 1947,threw two no-hitters inhigh school, one inAmerican Legion and then,after signing a pro contract,

one in pro ball in the oldPony League. Fremmingplayed MUNY ball for fiveyears in the late ‘40s. Afterhis service duty and proball, he played for theTravelers and EldredgeClub. Fremming playedbriefly for the Tigers in themajor league and he alsopitched briefly for theBuffalo Bisons.

Don Griebner earned AllLeague ECIC two years thenAll WNY in ’76. He thenwent on to pitch for UB.Griebner pitched five yearsfor the famous Voyageurs,who won five league cham-pionships and Griebnerpitched in the NationalChampionship in ’79. Hethen went on to pitch threeyears for Amherst(Suburban) that won threechampionships.

Greg Honsberger starredfor Clarence (Suburbanleague) for 11 years, wherehe was an All-Star for fouryears. In ’82, he hit a record.532. He had a no-hitter in’85. His team won theLeague Championship twoyears and they won the divi-sion an additional twoyears. He was a four-yearstarter at Clarence Highwhere he earned First TeamECIC in ’80. He playedAmerican Legion forClarence where he was atwo time All-Star. Hematriculated to CanisiusCollege where he started forthree years.

Gary Kaczor was All-Catholic at St. Francis forthree years, All WNY Juniorand Senior year. He playedseven years with theVoyageurs from’76 to ’82.He was an AAABA All-Starfor two years with theAlmaroones, and went toJohnstown with the ’75team that went to the finals.Kaczor matriculated toCornell, where he earnedAll Eastern IntercollegiateLeague second team twoyears and second team All-Ivy, one year. He starred inthe Cape Cod league twoyears. While at Cornell heset 6 records, and still ownsthe home run record, inspite of missing much of hissenior year with a wristinjury. Kaczor then playedbriefly in the NY-Pennleague.

Jim Klein played for theSloan Bruins. He was aleague all-star in his senioryear at Kenmore East,Junior College Honorablemention (‘65) and Secondteam (’66) All American,and the team’s MVP in his

second year at now ErieCommunity College. Hethen went on to play twoyears with Buffalo State,where he earned HonorableMention in the StateUniversity N. Y. Athlete.Conference. Klein was anAll WNY CollegiateConference all-star for fouryears.

Joe Miano who played forthe North Buffalo Mustangs(MUNY) was the teamhome run leader, team MVPand team captain for a num-ber of years. He consistentlyhit over .300. He led theMustangs to the MUNYLeague championship in’73. He played in AmericanLegion for the Jurek Postthat won the local champi-onship and went on to thestate finals.

William (Sam) Paxsonplayed for Shanley Cleanersand Pierce & Stevens(MUNY) when they wontheir Division in ’51. From’47 to ’51, Paxson was 61-15(winning percentage of.803). The Dodgers signedhim in ’48.

Dale Tepas played withthe famed Cardinals from’67 to ’73 when that teamwon the MUNY league titlein ‘70 and ’71. He won 19consecutive games between’70 and ’73. He was on thePainters Union team of ’74that won the MUNY title.He played American Legionfor the St. Joe Shamrocksthat won two district cham-pionships and where Tepasdidn’t lose a game in twoyears. He pitched in AAABAin ’68 when his team wonthe league.

Mike Wagner pitched inthe Suburban (Clarence)and MUNY (Travelers)leagues. He was 26-2 in ’80and ’81 when Clarence wonthe Suburban league cham-pionship. Wagner won 135games for the Travelers inthe 13 years he pitched forthem.

The inductees will behonored at a banquet onSept. 20. Call 716-834-1048for tickets and program adsto this event.

WNY Baseball Hall of Fame names inductees

Don Colpoys (left), newpresident of the WNYBaseball Hall of Fame, withbob Plezia.

continued on page 18

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 7

By Ross BrewittOnce upon a recent time

in Pennsylvania, an insensi-tive clown came up with afour star example of badjudgment. This took theform of an eBay posting of abobble-head doll, depictingone of the most frightening,life threatening moments inNHL history.

That the incident hap-pened in Buffalo was hap-penstance, but closer tohome does contribute to thesense of “What the hell wereyou thinking of, stupid?”For most people it was ascene out of a horror flick,for others it brought upqueasy feelings, and forthose of us who were there,it’s the sort of incident thatcan bring up your lunch.

It was March 22, 1989when the St. Louis Blues vis-ited Memorial Auditorium totake on the Sabres. In goalfor Buffalo was ClintMalarchuk who had recentlyarrived via the trade routeMarch 7, from theWashington Capitals, alongwith defenseman GrantLedyard

In the Blues lineup thatnight was a 23-year-oldrookie winger by the name ofSteve Tuttle, and in a goal-mouth collision Tuttle’s skatecame up and slashed the

throat of Malarchuk.Dave Andreychuk, circling

back on the play from theblue linerecalls, “Thefirst thing I sawwas this bigpool of blood.”Having difficul-ty compre-hending, heskated up tothe strickeng o a l t e n d e r ,stunned, thenturned towardthe bench looking for“Pizza” (Head Trainer JimPizzutelli.) “who was alreadyon the run and almost besideme. Clint was on his knees,hand to his throat, and hewas looking right at me withan expression that said, helpme.”

Pizzutelli, a former com-bat medic in Vietnam, tellsthe story from a differentperspective. “I was pantingwhen I arrived, but stayedcalm getting down on myknees beside him and saying‘let me take a look.’ I couldsee a four-inch gash andknew the jugular artery wassevered. I remember myadrenaline pumping think-ing ‘Oh, my god,’ because theblood was still spurting, andit shook me. I took a handfulof square gauze pads and put

pressure on the wound. Ihave never gotten over howcool Clint was, saying he

wanted to get onhis feet realizing,like I did, that ifhe could manageto walk throughthe end-boarddoors, the infir-mary was rightthere and we’donly be wastingtime waiting forthe paramedicsand a gurney. I

remember he asked for apriest, and a phone so hecould call his mother inAlberta, watching the gameon satellite, because he didn’twant her to worry.”

Clint Malarchuk had onlyminutes to live, but hewalked to where the Sabredoctors were already set upfor the worst. Pizzutelliremembers how quickly theywere able to stabilizeMalarchuk, and related howmany other doctors in thestands came rushing to help.

“The scene was so bad, welater learned that severalheart attacks were reportedin the stands. The otherthing that stood out for mewas when one of the officialssaid ‘he’s bleeding to death’. Inever asked if Clint heard itbut the arena was so quiet

the rest of us could, loud andclear. And later, in my officeafter everyone was gone, Itook off my jacket, pants,socks and shoes.... justsoaked in blood. I rememberleaving that night knowing ifClint didn’t make it, I wasout of hockey. Quit.... orretire.... either way I’d begone.”

Now, 17 years later, thismorbid goof in Pennsylvaniaputs up a patchwork bobble-head doll with hands clutch-ing the throat, and a patch ofred gore in front of it, in alame attempt at humor, andprofit, in the hope that oth-ers of the same ilk will bidon it. What he didn’t expectwas the negative backlash ofthe general public, hastilytaking a $40 bid from anoth-er “common sense” chal-lenged dope, and beat aretreat to his crypt, mutter-ing that he didn’t mean tocause any ill feelings. Yeah,right.

As for Malarchuk, hepassed judgment on thewhole bad-taste venture witha typical hockey player’ssense of the ridiculous.

“Maybe I’d be more flat-tered if they made a figurineof me making one of my raresaves.”

Gotta love those goal-tenders.

Poor taste vs. bad judgmentBobblehead from a cementhead

By Ch2 Sports Director Ed Kilgore

Is there anybody outthere, and Imean a-n-y b-o-d-y, who thinksmaybe Joe Mesishould be giventhe benefit ofthe doubt on theresumption ofhis pro boxingcareer?

W i n n i n gthree fights afterthe long layoffhasn’t evenslowed criticism to a smalltrickle, and even Joe told mehe wasn’t really happy justbefore a scheduled trip toSouth Africa was shot downbecause a promoter couldn’tcome up with enough upfront cash.

“I am getting where I wantto be, but it’s frustratingbecause it’s not happeningfast enough. I want it to hap-pen overnight and I don’tfeel as fast as I was. I don’tfeel as strong as I was justyet. I know it’s improving …I see the improvements, but Iwant to be there right away.My trainers are thrilled,(because) they know I workhard and they see theimprovements and are happywith me, but I’m kind oftough to work with and I’m aperfectionist.”

He adds, looking muchtrimmer than he was before aJune fight in Montreal whenhe weighed in at 239 againsta last minute fill-in, “It’s notgoing to happen tomorrow,but with these right fights, in

the right places and the rightopponents we’ll get there.”

It seems most of the worldhas this idea thatJoe’s father/man-ager Jack hassomehow brain-washed Joe intothinking he’s nomore at risk thanany other man inhis profession,and it’s a goodidea to resumethe chase of thebig payday thatcomes with a

heavyweight championshipfight or two.

And believe it, that’s whatthey are thinking.

“By the first of the year wethink we will be in the top10 and feeling the way Ishould be feeling, like I didtwo years ago.”

Two years ago, after theVassily Jirov fight in LasVegas, which seemed like aloss even though Mesi wonby a unanimous decision,Mesi was the No.1 heavy-weight contender in both theWBC and WBA rankings.

That is, until the MRI’sshowed Mesi’s brain bleedsafter that fight when Jirovcaught Mesi with an illegalrabbit punch to the back ofhis head.

We’ve heard the com-ments and seen the columnslaying out the “facts” aboutMesi’s subdural hematoma,which led to his suspension,which was later overturnedon a technicality thanks tohaving a smart legal team.

There are many highly

regarded medical peoplequick to point out Mesi’scomeback now is fraughtwith peril, even though it’salso fair to point out just asmany experts who say thatMesi’s brain has healed, andhe’s at no more risk than anyother fighter.

Not that I’m calling thatany great comfort, becauseeven the healthiest of fight-ers is just a punch away fromserious injury or even death.

It has hit me, however,that even the most negativeof critics about Mesi’s come-back stop far short of pre-dicting he’ll be seriously hurtor killed in the ring. Theysay, basically, “We don’t real-ly know if that could hap-pen, so he really shouldn’tget back in the ring.”

Few people seem willingto give the Mesi duo anycredit on this at all.

Well, it IS their business,when you get right down toit.

Joe says, “If I had even theslightest doubt I could getkilled or badly injured, Iwouldn’t do this. Why wouldI? Nobody in their rightmind would do that.”

Joe admits the controversyis helping his phone ringquite often with offers, andeven though he’s had to dealwith last minute changes inplans, he seems far morefocused on the good thingsthat can happen rather thanthe bad things everybodyelse is worried about.

The stats say he is 32-0and still not past his prime interms of age at 32, even

though he lost two yearswhere he wasn’t evenallowed to spar until he hadthe legal green light again.

He also says the many crit-ics are a motivation of sorts,although his loyal team takesthe negative comments moreseriously.

“It’s never really gotten tome,” Joe smiles, “it’s myother teammates that it getsto, but it never really gets tome. I feel like I have some-thing to prove more tomyself than anyone else,however it does help a littlebit and it is motivating.”

While I’ll admit I’m still alittle nervous about Joe’scomeback, because we goback to the ’96 Olympics inAtlanta when he made theU.S. Olympic team as analternate and began seriouslyplotting his quest for aheavyweight title, I’m alsoquite fine with giving himthe benefit of the doubt.

Make no mistake aboutthis; Joe isn’t doing thisbecause his father is pushinghim. His father is supportinghim, and he’s never going toback down from battlinganybody who says or writesotherwise.

Anybody who has finishedmedical school has the rightto an opinion on the subjectof Joe Mesi’s comeback, butfor the rest of us, we’re onlyguessing at something eventhe experts can’t agree on.

It’s time to turn the pageon judging Mesi’s comebackby the risk, by focusing onwhat happens in the ring, asI see it anyway.

Mesi comeback deserves support

Page 8 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

By Curt PasiszGame Winning Graphics,

Inc., a business started inBuffalo in 2005, is the firstcompany to offer complete kitsfor running sports pools. Suchpools have been gaining popu-larity, respect and widespreadacceptance, evolving intoeffective business promotionaltools. Also, many companieshave credited sports pools withimproving camaraderie andproductivity in the workplace.

The pools offered by GameWinning Graphics have alsohelped to boost the local econ-omy. Some area bars experi-ence as much as $200 dollarsmore in sales and a 10 to 20percent increase in tips perweek when a pool is being run.It’s no coincidence that thecompany’s founder,Christopher Jamele, has 30years of bar experience.

“We’ve simplified runningsports pools, taking the work,expense and intimidation outof starting a pool,” statesJamele, also a reporter andannouncer for WBFO. “Ourobjective is to appeal to peoplewho have never run pools orthose who have experience butwant to branch out and try

new games.” He assures thateach game has been tried andtested. “The guidelines in eachkit will assist the pool operatorevery step of the way.” If nec-essary, added support can begained by contacting the com-pany.

Each kit contains a profes-sionally designed chart, com-plete guidelines for operatingthe pool and detailed rulessheets for all players. Sign-upsheets and a set of markers areincluded with the games thatrequire them. There are sevendifferent games encompassingfour sports (baseball, basket-ball, football and golf) in thecurrent inventory, but moregames involving other sportsare planned for the near future.

The cost of eachgame kit is $19.95.Specially pricedmulti-game packsand volume dis-counts are avail-able. Kits can beordered throughthe company’s Webs i t e ,www.gamewin-ninggraphics.com,by phone or bymail.

Now you may be asking ifthese pools are legal. They areif they are played strictly forentertainment purposes withno financial aspects involved.Keep in mind that when usedin reference to such games, theterm “pool” does not indicate amandatory financial commit-ment for the participants nordoes it promise that a cashreward will be offered. Poolsdo not have to involve entryfees or cash prizes in order tobe a good promotional tool.

If you intend to include afinancial interest in your game,please confirm your compli-ance with all local, state andfederal laws and regulationsbefore you begin.

Too hot this summer? Get a pool going!

Sports pools are tremendous businessbuilders and profit boosters.

By Curt PasiszWe all know about type A

and type B personalities. Atthe poker table, it really mat-ters which side you are on.The more I play, the more Irealize that I don’t have theright demeanor to be awinning player. Wearyour emotions on yoursleeve and carryingthem with you willmake you a long termloser. The highs and lowsof the game are just toomuch to handle. If youcan’t roll with thepunches and let thingsgo, you either need tolearn how, or you needto quit playing. You have tobecome emotionless onceyou get those chips in play.You have to play every handindependently of one anoth-er, no matter what happens.If you can’t handle a flat tireon your car, or trouble withyour job, you’ll never be ableto handle a bad beat at thetable. Some people just wantto lose subconsciously insome sort of sick martyr-dom. Search the Internet andyou’ll see that they’ve donestudies on this. If you takepoker seriously, playing yourbest at all times will be thehardest thing you’ll ever do.This is why you always seethe same people playingpoker on TV. They have mas-tered themselves and there-fore mastered the game.Poker is not just a metaphor

for life, it magnifies life. I’verealized that I cannot alwayscontrol myself, and that is

why I‘m not a consistentwinner.

Let me delve a little bitdeeper into this issue, withsome help from PhilHellmuth’s poker animals. Itfeels good for a shy andnervous person (mouse) tobe in charge at the table.This is because they don’tever stand up for themselvesaway from it. To make thingsworse, when they get pushedaround at the table, it magni-fies their frustration, some-times causing them tobecome stubborn when theyknow they are beat. In thissmall way of taking a stand,the frustration of losingmakes them feel even worse.It’s a vicious cycle. The kick-er, no pun intended, is thatboth types of personalitieswant to be in charge at the

table. If you are brash, arro-gant, or just really confidentin life (lion), you don’t wantto be timid and meek whileplaying poker. This leads tothe battle of bully versus

impostor. Guess who winsmost of the time? Thereare, of course, two sidesto the coin. A bullysometimes goes too farwith his actions and self-

destructs, especiallyagainst another bully. It’s the

same posturing you seein the workplace, at thebar, etc. It’s hard forsomeone to hit thebrakes while they havethe gas pedal all the

way down. The lion and themouse each have their ownparticular weaknesses. Theseare extremes, and obviously,there are other personalities.Your goal is to strive tobecome the eagle, the pinna-cle of poker.

To be a winner, you haveto convince yourself thatnobody can mess with youwhen you are at the pokertable. Confidence and beliefin yourself are good, butonce you get cocky you willstart to lose once again.Handle your wins the sameas you handle your losses,no matter what the circum-stances. Don’t play too slowor too fast, and don’t get toohigh or too low. Poker has away of taking care of that foryou.

The psychology of poker players

Being a good poker player takesmuch mind control.

By Bob CaicoThe Seneca Nation Boxing

Club hosted an outdoor ama-teur boxing card in Salamancaon July 21. Brett Abrams (165pounds) from Seneca Best box-ing won a 2-1 decision overCharlie Irvine from NiagaraFalls, Canada. This back andforth battle was voted as the“Fight of the Night.” RadamusRivera (141 pounds) fromEmpire Boxing in Rochesteralso took a 2-1 decision overhis tough opponent, DaveLyons, from Seneca Nation.Shawn Thompson (201-pluspounds) bloodied his oppo-nent that forced a stoppage inthe second round. Thompsonreceived the “SportsmanshipAward” trophy for his efforts.Sean Stahlman (175 pounds)from Seneca Nation won aunanimous decision over KyleMarinucci of Niagara Falls,Canada. The main event was a“barn burner” as Darnell Jiles(141 pounds) scored a unani-mous decision over Scott Paulof Niagara Falls, Canada. Jilesreceived the much-deserved“Fighter of the Night” awardwith the win over the gamePaul.

••••••••Danyell Lynch from Buffalo

won the Junior OlympicNational Championship at 85pounds. last month. Lynch istrained by Darryl Graham whois still looking for a building tohouse his Fletcher-GreenBoxing club.

•••••••• The Empire State Games

concluded on July 31 and theWestern boxing team earnedtheir share of medals inRochester. Lionel Thompson(175 pounds) from Buffalo andDarnell Jiles (141 pounds) fromRochester won gold in the openclass. Murray Cunningham

(154 pounds) from Rochesterwon a gold medal in thescholastic class.

Harvey Murray (Rochester),Excell Holmes (Buffalo),Wendy Casey (U.B.) and EllaNunez (Jamestown) wereawarded silver medals.

•••••••• Hector Alejandro, Jr.

returned to the ring on July 11and dropped a majority deci-sion to Ramon Montano (11-2-2). The bout was the mainevent at the pre-ESPY awardsshow at the Roosevelt Hotel inHollywood, California. Thecard was taped and shown thenext day on ESPN 2’sWednesday night fights. Hector(10-3), from Williamsville,N.Y., was in the ring for the firsttime since his fight in Rochesterlast August. Both fighters tookthe fight on very short noticebut they put on a terrific 10-round junior welterweightmatch. The seesaw battle withpractically non-stop action sawHector throw an outstanding1100 punches over 10 rounds.Montano won though withscores of 96-74 twice and 95-95. “I definitely won the fight,”

said Hector when seen at aBuffalo restaurant a couple ofdays later. Montano was com-ing off a great performanceover highly touted DimitriySalita in March when theyfought to a controversial draw.Many believed Montanodeserved the win after scoring2 knockdowns against Salita.

••••••••The Old First Ward

Community Center was thevenue for “Rumble in theValley” amateur boxing hostedby the Lackawanna BoxingClub. The first bout had thenephew of Buffalo boxing hallof fame member, BobbyScanlon, in action. BobbyGlossek (115 lbs) did his lateuncle proud by scoring a firstround knockout. Roy Braschand Frank Balsano trainGlossek at the LackawannaBoxing Club. Xavier Walker(119 lbs) from Rochesterearned a 4-1 decision overShawn Cassidy of Lackawanna.Javier Suarez (201+) fromLackawanna, Kevin Kline (165lbs) and Anthony Kile (125 lbs)from Syracuse and JonathanRego (178 lbs) from HuffBoxing in Canada were otherthree round decision winners.The “Fight of the Night” tro-phies were awarded to TaylorAtkinson (165 lbs) and JimGarcia for their crowd pleasingthree rounder. Atkinson is anassistant boxing instructor forthe U.B. boxing team and hewon a 5-0 decision from Garciawho hails from Syracuse.

••••••••Up next: Don Patterson

from the NorthwestCommunity Center will hostan amateur card at McKinleyHigh School on September 15.

Local boxing happenings

Kyle Marinucci (left) andSean Stahlman square of atthe “War Party” boxing cardin Salamaca, NY.

By The Careful GamblerAfter almost a year of

columns, a series of TIPSand TRUTHS concerningcasino gambling is in order.

TIP: Always join the casi-no’s Players Club and useyour card whenever yougamble This is the way to getfree food, cash back for slotplay, and free play mailings.Remember - FREE ISGOOD.

TRUTH: Every slotmachine and every tablegame has a house advantage.If you play for a long enoughtime, you will lose. The oldjoke says, “gamblers dependon luck, the casino dependson mathematics.”

TIP: Visit the Players Clubwhen you first enter the casi-no and look for free events,such as slot tournaments ordrawings that have cash ormerchandise prizes. Enterthem.

TRUTH: The past has nobearing on the future. Youhave just lost nine straighttimes and think that yousurly must win this nexttime — NOT NECESSARILYTRUE — the cards or dice orroulette ball have no memo-ry. Your 10th play has thesame odds on winning asyou first play. The smallexception to this truthoccurs in blackjack, wherefor card counters, thealready played cards areeliminated from the possible

cards yet to come. (More onthis in a future column.)

TIP: If you gamble in aforeign country, do not con-tinually convert your moneyinto and out of the foreigncurrency. There is a transac-tion cost associated witheach conversion. Rather,convert your money initially,and when finished, do notconvert it back, but hold itfor your next visit. This willsave you multiple transac-tion fees and also give you aneasy way to keep track ofyour winnings and losses.

TRUTH: The highest slotmachine pay out percentagesoccur on the video pokermachines. So learn the opti-mum strategy for a pokermachine and play thatmachine. (See my previousarticle on Jacks or Betterpoker).

TIP: Before playing a slotmachine, analyze the pay-out structure. This informa-tion is available either on theface of the machine or via apay table button. Determinehow many coins and linesyou need to play to be eligi-ble for all possible pay-outs.Most often the bonus roundor the progressive jackpotwill require full coin play. Onthese type machines, notplaying at the necessary levelincreases the casino advan-tage.

TRUTH: On traditionalreel and video slot machines,

the higher the denominationcoin played, the higher thepay back percentage. Simplysaid, the pay-out percentageon a dollar machine is high-er than that on a quartermachine Similarly the pay-out on a quarter machine ishigher than that on a nickelmachine. So play the highestdenomination you canafford.

TIP: On table games, playthose with the lowest houseedge and play them with theproper strategy. Those gamesare blackjack, craps, andmini-baccarat. Strategytables for these games areavailable in most books ongambling. Some were in myprior articles and more willbe in future columns, sokeep reading Sports &Leisure Magazine.

TRUTH: It is a statisticallaw that if you play longenough against an opponentwho has a mathematicaledge and an infinite bankroll (read casino) you willalways go broke! Yes, youcan win with a good startand limited play, but remem-ber, the longer you play, themore chance the casino has.

TIP: My final tip untilnext issue is to rememberthat gambling is entertain-ment. Only risk your enter-tainment money.

See you next issue, and inthe meantime, enjoy yourgambling!

Gambling tips and truths

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 9

Page 10 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

By Ronald S. MontesanoWe have a lot to cover,

and SO little space, so with-out further adieu, our back18 of the area’s best publicholes begins on the USA sideof the border.

The thirteenth hole atCheektowaga’s DiamondHawk is a medium par 3,playing 165 yards over twobunkers. The middle of thegreen is your besttarget…hope to sink a mid-range putt for birdie.

The seventeenth hole atSheridan Park is a short par5. Move your drive fromright to left to the flat, andyou’ll attack the green of thisdouble dogleg in two with along iron. Eagle is as fre-quent a score as doublebogey.

The seventh hole at GlenOak is a short par 4 of therisk-reward variety. If youcan move the driver withprecision from left to right,you’ll have a chip and a puttleft for birdie. Anythingright is wet, so the long ironis the safe play from the teedeck.

The Links at Ivy Ridgepresents the area’s longestpar 5, the number fourteenhole. Topping out at 600yards, the hole narrows fromtee to green. Three smartshots afford a run at birdie;anything the least bit reck-less finds Davy Jones’ locker.

An undervalued hole at

Peek’N Peak’sUpper Courseis our selectionfor long par 3.Number 13plays 200yards, ofteninto the wind,over water to at w o - t i e r e dgreen. Anyplayer whotwo-putts forpar has earneda feather forthe golfing cap.

The eleventhhole at ElmaMeadows is amedium-lengthpar 4 of some400 yards.Moving fromright to leftaround a tree, it often fightsthe wind, and is known asthe round-wrecker.

The fourth hole at theLake Course of ChautauquaGolf Club is a short par 3over a meager pond.Surrounded by tall timber,the hole plays quietly into anatural theater. Choose yourtee club wisely, as short andlong present difficult up-and-down options for par.

The second hole at Tri-County Country Club is anewly remodeled, medium-length par 5. Formerly acontroversial par four, thisthree-shot hole plays won-derfully from a wooded tee

to an open fairway, across apond to an elevated green.Reaching the putting surfacein two or three is no guaran-tee of birdie or par, as theextreme cantilever sendsputts sliding toward thegreen’s front.Canada

Moving to Canada, wedon’t stray far from NiagaraFalls for the majority of ourholes. The newest interna-tional golf destination keepsgetting bigger, and meritsthe lion’s share of our atten-tion.

The second hole atThundering Waters is a longpar 5 of 667 yards. From the

tour’s long bomber, number2 takes accuracy and dis-tance to navigate the treach-erous path from tee to green.Five is a score to put on yourmantle with pride.

On a course known morefor its psyche than its mus-cle, the 3rd hole at Legendson the Niagara’s Usshers’Creek track emphasizesproper decision-making.Only 150 yards long, theeponymous creek forcesshots to the right, straightinto a greenside bunker. Thelong but thin, angled puttingsurface is a tough target tohit.

Number nine at Legends

on the Niagara’sBattlefield courseis a long par 4 ofover 450 yards.Flying your driveover the water ishalf the battle;avoiding the aque-ous stuff to the leftand the beaches tothe right on theapproach leave arun at birdie on afairly benign green.

At RoyalNiagara, you sim-ply must play theback tee on theEscarpment nine’snumber seven. Adownhill par 3 of208 yards, your teeshot must carry afront-right pond to

a boomerang green. Sandand a hill frame the hole onthe left, making a beautifulhole quite difficult to con-quer.

Take your pick at HuntersPointe for our medium par 5selection. Number ninedoglegs left to right, whileits twin (No. 18) movesright to left. Both requireintelligent drives and wor-thy second shots to set upshort-iron approaches overwater to an enormous dou-ble green.

A hole often missed atPeninsula Lakes is a shortpar 5 on the Hillside nine,number three. Like a down-

hill ski run, this hole is loadsof fun. Bomb your drivedown the hill and watch itcarom closer and closer tothe green. A flat second shotbrings you on or near theputting surface in two.

How do you feel about ahole less than 400 yards thattosses woods, sand, and anever-present creek at you?You get all three atBeechwood Golf Club’snumber 16, our choice formedium length par four. At385 yards, its length doesnot threaten. What causesthe nerve ends to fray are thehazards along the way.

Most of the attention atWhirlpool is directed awayfrom our long par 3, thethird hole. At 235 yards,however, it is the perfectcompliment to its predeces-sor, the demanding secondhole. A well-struck hybridought to bounce onto thisgreen, giving you a shot at adeuce.

The question on the fifthhole at the Links of Niagaraat Willodell, a short par 4 of320 yards, is how much ofTee Creek do you wish tochallenge. Bite it all off withdriver for a run at eagle, ormake a safe play for par orbirdie with an iron to thefairway.

Ronald Montesano has pro-filed 27 of the finest area holesover the past three seasonswith Jeff Russo and Channel 7.

Back eighteen of the best public access golf holes

Bombs away on the Hillside 3rd at Peninsula Lakes. This par five can be eagled withtwo great shots.

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 11

By Ronald Montesano & Rick Zurak

The Finger Lakes region ofwestern and central New Yorkis not eponymous, but ratheris an understatement: it’s actu-ally two hands plus one extradigit, adding up to elevenlakes in total. The two largestare Cayuga and Seneca, whichalso rank as the deepest (near-ly as profound as LakeOntario!) All run north-south, and were glaciallyformed more than a few yearsback. What this adds up to issomething that’s been aroundawhile, is quite extensive, andis unlikely to change much inthe coming years. On the sur-face, however, the story isquite different, especiallywhen the focus turns to golf.

The Finger Lakes Golf Trailwas established three yearsago by three founding cours-es: Bristol Harbour inCanandaigua, Greystone inWalworth, and Ravenwood inVictor. This year Mill Creek,located in Churchville,became part of The Trail. TheTrail offers a variety of pack-ages starting at $195 per per-son. What await are diversegolf layouts with plenty ofmemorable moments to offer.

This foursome of coursescomprises a triumvirate ofundeniable greatness. BristolHarbour boasts a Robert TrentJones, Sr. layout whose courserecord is held by the inim-itable Jack Nicklaus. Thefront nine meanders across a

vast section of open landabove Canandaigua Lake,skirting the occasional pond.The fairways and greens areprotected by the trademarkTrent bunkers, with sandflashing up in the faces,obscuring the targeted land-ing areas beyond. The backnine gallops like a wild bron-co through uneven, tree-linedhills, providing views of theterrain that predates theresort. Holes play severely upand down these hillsides,painting a mosaic of unforget-table shots when the round iscompleted.

Greystone might be themost unique conspiracy of thethree championship tracksthat form the Finger LakesGolf Trail. When one com-bines a rural setting with nomain road, a tract of quarryand swamp land, and a previ-ously-unknown designer, theresults can be catastrophic. AtGreystone, the verdant pathsfrom tee box to putting greenare mapped as if by outlawsescaping from the sheriff. Thefirst hole tumbles gentlydown a slope until it reaches awell-protected putting sur-face, and the chase is on! Up,down, and across the quarrylands does Greystone ride,constantly changing visuallyand geographically. The way-ward shot is punished, whilethe well-struck orb is reward-ed with safe passage and anequally challenging follow-up. The conclusion of each

nine is the same, giganticdouble green guarded byStoney’s pond. If you think itsavoidance on number ninewas difficult, wait until youhave no option but to cross itheroically on the home hole!

Feng shui on the golfcourse was an accidentaloccurrence in upstate NewYork until the arrival of RobinNelson. The California-bornarchitect, whose dossierreveals tens of designs in theFar East, brought his orientalstylings of harmonious inter-action of ambience and inter-loper to the I-90 corridor.Ravenwood Golf Club is easi-ly seen just east of the exit toVictor. In fact, more than onecar has made an unplannedstop along the two-holestretch that borders the high-way, if only for a glance at thelayout that caresses theuneven lowlands of Geneseecounty. In Chinese, Feng isthe wind and Shui is thewater, and you will encounterboth at Ravenwood. Theirplacement may or may not bein harmony with the swingsthat we make, but theirappearances create the back-ground of Nelson’s etherealcanvas. It is a unique featureat Ravenwood that the chal-lenges presented never seemto unsettle, unnerve, orthreaten the golfer. Along yougo from tee to green,whoooops, you’re in therough, a bunker, or a pond,but that’s o.k. It’s like golf on

elevator music, so at ease doyou feel on the plush lawns ofMr. Nelson.

Ravenwood was selected#5 Best New Public Course inAmerica in 2003. They havehosted the following events:2003 New York State AmateurChampionship; 2004 USOpen Qualifier; 2004 - 2005Site of ECAC CollegeChampionships; 2005 US MidAm Qualifier and the 2006PGA Nationwide TourQualifier.

Mill Creek, in Churchville,opened last year to ravereviews and the course was sogood that it hosted the USGAMid-Amateur Qualifier. Thatdoesn’t happen to too manyfirst year courses, but MillCreek is that good. “The HighPoint of Golf in Rochester.”That’s the slogan being usedby Mill Creek. The high pointrefers to the highest point of

elevation in Monroe County(the tenth tee), but you canrest assured, Mill Creek is upthere in more ways than ele-vation. It is built on a massive320 acre plot. There aren’t anyhouses along the fairwayseither and you get a feeling ofbeing out in the country. It’syou, the golf hole you areplaying, and your ball. It’s golfthe way it should be. Youagainst old man par going left,right, up, down and enjoyingthe different directions thegolf course takes you. Youcan’t wait to get to the next teebox to see what the next holelooks like and the challenge ifoffers.

FLGT works with manyhotels in the area at all pricepoints to fit your budget.

FLGT’s will customize theirpackages to suit the needs ofeach individual golfer. If youfall in love with one of the

four courses, you maychoose that course for thebalance of the package. Ifyou like all four, but wishto play other area cours-es, the braintrust of theFLGT will make the nec-essary calls to get you atee time (they might eventap a few private clubs!).Whether you head a biteast for the day, the week-end, or the entire week,the journey need not takeall day. With the wineries,countryside, and golfavailable along the FingerLakes Golf Trail, you willno doubt find your own,private nirvana. Call“The Trail” at 866-969-

3548.Ronald Montesano writes

about golf for Sports & LeisureMagazine andBuffaloGolfer.Com.

Rick Zurak is the host/pro-ducer of The Western New YorkGolf Report.

Course InformationFinger Lakes Golf Trail

866-969-3548 www.fin-gerlakesgolftrail.com

Bristol Harbour 585-396-2200 www.bristolhar-bour.com

Greystone 315-524-0022www.234gol f .com/grey-stone.asp

Ravenwood 585-924-5100 www.ravenwood-golf.com

Mill Creek 585-889-4110 www.mi l l c reek-golf.com

Finger Lakes Golf Trail review

Ravenwood’s finishing hole, par 5, No. 18, 542 yards.

Page 12 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

By Ronald S. MontesanoBo Danoff faced a consider-

able challenge when offeredthe Thundering Waters com-mission: how to design a golfcourse that differed from thestable of world-class layoutsthat dotted the CanadianNiagara Peninsula. Danoff wasgiven a piece of land that hadseen hard times as a railwaydepot. The line still ran downthe middle of the acreage,forcing the designer to spendmany months pondering thegreatest use of the land. Whenthe final blades of grass wereready to be trod, Danoff’s cre-ation more than stood tallagainst its neighbors. AsThundering Waters matures,it will take its place as the best

course along the CanadianNiagara Peninsula.

The meat of ThunderingWaters is found in the dancecreated by its two- and three-shot holes. The par threes aresexy enough, but the position-ing of the drive and secondshot on par fours is of utmostimportance at this brand newtrack. Danoff inherited the artof camouflage from a spiritualancestor: Alistair MacKenzie.A great many par four holesseem to present sparse fairwayoff the tee; when you arrive atyour tee ball, you recognizejust how much more shortgrass he granted you. Danoffasks that you trust youryardages and the knowledgeof your own swing when play-

ing his layout. What he alsodisguises, however, is thewind. On many a hole, Danoffprovides seemingly way toomuch bail-out land to one sideof the green. What you mighthave missed is the sharp fall-

off of the other side of themoss, into a pond or creek. Ifyou’ve ever watched TheMasters, think back to howthe pros play number 11 …they respect the pond on theleft by aiming right. When

faced with such a shot at the“Waters,” show the sameamount of respect and favorthe safe side. If you don’t,you’ll spend many a momenton bended knee, attempting tofish your ball out of an aquat-

ic demise. Danoff did not signoff on the course without cre-ating a series of unimaginableand unforgettable par fiveholes. His second may be thelongest hole you’ll ever

Thundering Watersreview

Thundering Waters is one of the “must play” courses dotting the Nigara Peninsula.

continued on page 18

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 13

By The Rick Zurak FamilyThere are a number of

stay and play packages inBuffalo/Niagara Falls area,but if play is your numberone goal, there are fewplaces that offer morethan Niagara Falls GolfClub. Located onGarner Road, just offLundy’s Lane in theheart of NiagaraFalls, Ontario,Niagara Falls GolfClub offers golfand much, muchmore , AND… at agreat price.

Where else canyou find Marineland,an outlet mall, a wildanimal park, a water park,two casinos, a number ofnight clubs, and a host ofgentleman clubs all withinten minutes of a golfcourse. Oh, did we forget tomention one of the sevenwonders of the world rightaround the corner?

“We have first rateaccommodations and moreto do than almost any-where,” said Niagara FallsGC Owner Ken Moore.“From a simple foursome toa wedding party to familieswanting to enjoy the entireNiagara Peninsula, we offera great place to stay andeverything else right therein front of you.”

As for the great price, in

the month of August youcan play golf with cart atNiagara Falls Golf Club andstay at one of the many on

course residences for just$50 U.S.D. That’s the priceof many golf course greenfees alone. You want a bet-ter deal, take advantage ofthe three day, two night dealwhere you get three days ofgolf, two nights stay and allyour meals for just $199!

“Each residence includesall the comforts of homeand then some,” saidMoore. “We have pooltables, foose ball table,horseshoe pits, satellitedish with large sportsscreens, fire pits and more.Many of the golfers thatcome stay with us say they

would like to live there.”Want to see those accom-

modations? Check outNiagara fallsgolf.com for avirtual tour. You’ll like whatyou see.

As for the golf, NiagaraFalls is a shortish shot-

makers course that isvery fun to play. It is agreat way to honeyour game becauseyou will use everyclub in your bag. Thethree sets of teesrange from 6,100yards to 5,400 yards

on a par 72 course.There are plenty of

dog-legs and water/sandhazards to keep you hon-

est, not to mention trees. Italso features one of the bestpractice areas anywhere.

“We have been upgradingour range for a few yearsnow,” said Owner KenMoore. “We have a targetrange which is unique tomost areas. The trees aregrowing in and defining thetarget greens more andmore each day. It’s not onlya great way to improve yourgame, but very fun at thesame time.”

Ladies are not left out ofthis package. Not only willthey enjoy the golfing expe-rience at Niagara Falls GolfClub, but along with theshopping at the near by

Stay and Play… and Play, at Niagara Falls Golf Club

continued on page 18

Page 14 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

By Brian J. MazurekThe harness racing scene in

Western New York has shiftedto Batavia Downs until Dec. 2and there are plenty of incen-tives for horseplayers on andoff the track to make the tripwell worthwhile.

Besides some exciting har-ness racing, Batavia Downshas some great promotions,some new and some old thatare bound to create excite-ment at the Genesee Countytrack.

A new promotion and onethat is all ready generatingsteam is the Jim Morrill Jr.Bobblehead Night on Friday,Sept. 8. The first 1,000 fanswill receive a Morrill Jr. bob-blehead beginning at 6 p.m.

“This should be a huge pro-motion,” said Todd Haight,Batavia Downs’ MarketingCoordinator and RaceAnalyst. “We’ve had peoplecall from California wonder-ing if they could buy them,but unfortunately you have tocome to the track to get one.The giveaway has generated alot of interest around thetrack.”

Haight said of Morrill Jr.,“He said that they gave awaybobbleheads at theMeadowlands and it was verypopular. He wants to do any-thing he can to help promoteharness racing in WesternNew York and this was oneway. Jim still has people allaround the country watchingracing in Western New York.Batavia Downs has moremoney wagered and morepeople watching when he isracing here than when he isnot. It’s our way of doing a lit-tle something for him in giv-ing away the bobblehead.”

Another promotion that isexpected to do well is “BrettHanover Night” slated forBatavia Downs on Saturday,Aug. 26. The track will featureold newspaper stories andfilm clips on the horse thatproduced the biggest night inDowns’ history when over15,000 fans crammed into thetrack to see this legendaryhorse race on, ironically, Aug.26, 1966.

“There are only three greatharness horses in my book,”Haight said, “Brett Hanover,Albatross and Niatross.” To

honor Brett Hanover as wellon this night, Batavia Downswill be rolling back prices tothe 1966 level.

While these two new pro-motions will be unveiled, sev-eral popular ones return.

Every Wednesday inAugust, it’s Dollar Day atBatavia Downs as there will be$1 hot dogs, sodas and beerand the free Pick-6 contestwill be held every Wednesdayas well. The Pick-6 pot beginsat $100 and continues to groweach week if it is not hit bypicking six consecutive win-ners in a row.

The $750 HandicappingChallenge is slated for thethird Friday of every monthbeginning Aug. 18 and is freeto enter with a Player’sMember card, which is alsofree.

The annual Driver’s LaborDay Bike Challenge is set forSept. 4 as Denny Bucceri triesto defend his title. The bikesused in the race will be givenaway by a drawing of thosewho picked the winning driv-er.

While there is plenty goingon at Batavia Downs off thetrack, the racing product hasimproved tremendouslythanks to the Video LotteryTerminals, which hasincreased purses across theboard.

“Our purse structure willbe basically the same asBuffalo Raceway’s,” Haightstated. “We’ve got over $1.5million in the purse accountand this is making the horse-men very happy.” The bottomlevel horses will now race for

$2,100 compared to $1,400,while the top horses will runfor $9-10,000, depending onthe size of the field.

Besides Jim Morrill Jr.,who is the defending drivingchampion, Keith Kash Jr.and Ken Holliday will bothrace at Batavia after experi-encing great success atBuffalo this season. “Theyboth have 20 stalls here atthe track,” Haight said, “andare two of the new facesyou’ll see here. They were atNorthfield (Cleveland) lastyear at this time.”

With great drivers comessome great races and it startsAug. 19 when the two-year-

old pacing fillies take to thetrack for the New York SiresStakes. The series continuesthroughout August and endson Sept. 9 when the hard-knocking two-year-old pacingcolts wind up the action.

With improved racing,faster and better caliber hors-es, Haight noted, “The club-house here on Saturday nightsis always sold out, so it’s bestto make reservations early inthe week.” You can makereservations by calling BataviaDowns at 585-343-3750,extension 300.

Haight also said that grouppackages are available for anysize party by calling 343-3750, extension 437 and askfor Arna Tygart.

“People are beginning tofind out that we are the totalentertainment facility,” Haightsaid. “We’ve got inter-trackwagering featuring greattracks from all around thecountry, live harness racing,586 video lottery terminals(slot machines) and greatfood. We have it all.”

Racing is held Monday,Wednesday, Friday andSaturday nights at 7:35 p.m.Then on Aug. 20, Sundayafternoon racing will be con-ducted at 1:15 p.m. for threeconsecutive Sundays withMonday nights being droppedstarting on Aug. 21. A specialLabor Day matinee will beheld on Monday, Sept. 4 at1:15 and that’s when BataviaDowns will move to aWednesday, Friday andSaturday schedule at 7:35p.m. until Dec. 2.

Plenty of action on and off the track at Batavia Downs

The first 1,000 fans will begiven this Jim Morrill Jr.bobblehead on September 8at Batavia Downs.

By Ronald S. MontesanoThe Porter Cup is the jewel

of the Western New York sum-mer golf circuit, with amateurgolfers from across the coun-try and the globe contestingthe most sought-after invita-tional trophy in amateur golf.The 2006 edition boasted oneof the strongest local fields inrecent memory, and hopeswere high for an area golfer tostamp his name on one of thetwo championship trophies.James Smith, Mike Fetter, andNiagara Falls member FredSilver expected to contest forthe Senior Division title.Smith entered the final roundtied for the lead, but falteredon Saturday with an abysmal78. Indeed, it seemed to be theone high round that did in thelocal senior contestants, asFetter signed for a third-round78, while Silver turned in a 77that same day. Mike Bell pro-vided the fireworks a la NickFaldo at Augusta, as he turnedin a sparkling 67, the lowround of the SeniorTournament, to claim thechampionship trophy by threestrokes.

The regular division fea-tured many of the top colle-giate players of the day,including Webb Simpson ofWake Forest, Jonathan Mooreof Oklahoma State, and JonMcLean of Texas Christian.The final day brought chal-lenges from many unsungcompetitors, such as AndrewParr (67), Richard Birkmeyer,

Jr. (70), ColtKnost (66) andGary Woodland(69). When theblades of grasshad settled andthe final putthad clicked bot-tom, first-roundco-leader Seung-su Han hadclosed with a 68,good for a two-stroke victory at 10-under,over Parr and Birkmeyer.Although Birkmeyer got to -11 after the first nine of thefinal round, he was unable tomaintain such a torrid pace.Three bogies on the inwardhalf did him in. Han capital-ized with a final-nine score of-2, making up five strokes onBirkmeyer. On Han’s bag allweek as caddie was area ladMichael Balduff, demonstrat-ing that local knowledge ofthe course proved to be anirreplaceable asset.

Justin Regier of Clarenceentered the final round in thetop 20, but pulled a Smithwith a 76 and dropped all theway to 34th place. Low locallad was Matt Thomas ofBlasdell, whose final-round 69brought him a tie for 18th.Other local finishers wereDavid Patronik of OrchardPark (t-40th), Jamie Miller ofSilver Creek (t-45th), StephenGoodridge of Attica (54th),Nick Morreale of Buffalo (t-55th) and Christopher Covelliof Amherst (73rd).

For years, area writers havecomplained that local golfersare not well represented at thePorter Cup. This year, Regierand Covelli earned spots inthe field through open qualify-ing, while the other five con-testants received invitationsbased on previous tournamentplay. Clearly, the tournamentcommittee attempted to rec-ognize their successes, andprovide an opportunity toprove their worth. While play-ing before the home crowdcan be demanding, it still doesnot excuse the poor level ofplay offered by the area con-testants. If Western New Yorkgolfers are to continue toreceive consideration forinclusion in this event, theywill have to provide evidenceof their readiness for the firesof tournament play. At boththe senior and regular levels,no evidence was presented in2006.

Ronald Montesano writesabout golf for Sports & Leisureand BuffaloGolfer.Com.

Porter Cup review

Chris Covelli plays for Florida Gulf CoastUniversity. He graduated fromNichols in 2005. His high school coach,Frank Sacheli, was his caddie forthe qualifying round (67) and for theweek.

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 15

By Dave Sully(Little Valley, N.Y.) By

any current standard, win-ning nine of the last 11races at any race trackwould be considered domi-nant. When you considerthat the race track in ques-tion is Little ValleySpeedway, the very fast andchallenging half mile dirtpaper clip oval located atthe Cattaraugus CountyFairgrounds, where win-ning once is considered acareer goal by many, youcan begin to appreciate therecord that has been estab-lished by David Scott, affec-tionately known as the“Slow Ride.” Scott, fromGarland, Pa, has virtuallytaken over the track, whichrequires steel nerves merelyto compete, much less win,and has earned the respectof his peers while doing so.

Competing in the pre-mier division, the late mod-els, means running the lastor second last feature, whenthe racing surface is usuallyin its slickest condition. Toacquire the speed necessaryto win requires that thedrivers find an area of thetrack that still has tackinessor “bite.” Most often thatplace at Little Valley is onthe outside of the track,dangerously close to thecement barriers whichguard turns one and two,and traditionally wheremuch of the passing occurs.Only Scott and veteran RonDavies make a habit of test-ing the outside on a regularbasis, but lately Davies hasbeen unable to match Scottrunning that line.

The challenge for thedriver is to run down thelong straightaway at wellover 100 miles an hour, andthen navigate very tightturns (hence the term“paper clip, a laMartinsville, Va.) withenough momentum tomaintain or improve yourposition. Scott, whoacquired the appellation

“Slow Ride,” from the song“From Slow Ride to Dirt” byFoghat during youthfulboasting with a competitorearly in his career, is theacknowledged master ofthis technique.

Consider these commentsfrom two of his mostrespected rivals, Bob Closeand Dick Barton. Close,who won a number of racesat Little Valley before thearrival of Scott, and is thedefending track champion(by a razor thin margin,when Scott broke in theonly race he didn’t win)remarked, “When LittleValley first opened up, wewon a lot of races. We prob-ably won five or six racesthe first couple of years, butthat was before David camealong. I’m thinking thatDavid Scott has the mostnerve because he seems tobe the one who can get rightup next to that fence andget ‘er done. We’ve been rac-ing for second ever since.”

Barton, one of the all timegreatest late model driversin the region with well over200 wins, (and a recent vic-tory in a World of Outlawsevent at Stateline) is theonly one to defeat Scott inany of the last 11 races. Hestated after the latest event,where he finished second,“Right now this is David’srace track. I made a mentalerror early in the race and Ithink it cost us, but I don’t

want to take anything fromDavid because you don’twin nine out of 11 races byaccident.”

Scott explained therationale for running thehigh line at Little Valley,saying, “It’s a real fast joint,and usually the outside isreally good. You have to bereal stupid or crazy to run ashard as Ron Davies and I doon the outside. I don’t knowwhich one Ron is. I’ll just gofor stupid for myself. I liketo race hard, and I like rac-ing on the cushion. LittleValley is so much faster onthe cushion. If you can getup there and run wide open,it’s hard to beat you upthere. There have beentimes we’ve run on the bot-tom. It all depends on thetrack and the situation, butmost of the guys don’t runon the outside, so it’s almostlike free reign up there. Youcan go up and almost raceby yourself.”

Right now, the popularDavid Scott is at the top ofhis game at the track whichbears the slogan, “Wherethe bold and the best cometo race.” On Aug 24, he’ll beat it again against the toplate model drivers in theregion, trying for his fourthstraight victory. Time willtell if he wins, but thismuch can be guaranteed-he’ll make it exciting.

The ‘Slow Ride’ rules Little Valley

Photo by Jay PeesThe “Slow Ride” flings His No. 3 through turn two at LittleValley.

By Eric KeppelerWhat can the Randolph

Cardinals football team pos-sibly do for an encore in2006?

Why, win another statechampionship, of course.

The 2005 Cardinals post-ed its best season in schoolhistory, finishing 13-0 andclaiming Randolph’s firststate football title after beat-ing Cambridge of Section II35-6 in the Class D champi-onship at the SyracuseCarrier Dome.

It still means a lot to headfootball coach and athleticdirector Pat Slater, evennine months later as histeam prepares to opendefense of its crown.

“It’s still very special,” hesaid. “That was the firsttime in my 27 years thatwe’ve ever had a team likethat. I keep it in the back ofmy mind, and I can alwaysbring it out whenever Iwant.”

Randolph was the onlySection VI football team tomake it past the regionals,and the Cardinals made themost of their opportunity.They dumped Elba ofSection V 42-7 in theregionals and then beatDeposit of Section IV 28-0in the state semifinalsbefore finishing the job witha convincing win overCambridge.

In the championship, JeffDurow rushed 25 times for123 yards and touchdownruns of 2, 1 and 15 yards.Nick Jackson carried the

ball 20 times for 125 yardsas Randolph amassed 299yards on the ground. BlakeMorrison caught both ofTrae Rogers’ pass attemptsfor 48 yards, with TDs of 23and 25 yards.

“The most importantthing was that the kids allgot along,” Slater said.“They understood theirroles, whatever they were,and they really didn’t carewho got the headlines aslong as we won. Everyonemade the plays when theywere supposed to.”

Slater knows it will be noeasy task to repeat as statechampions - especially afterlosing much of his talented2005 roster to graduation.

But the program is solid,and the players have a blue-print for success. And theyknow what it takes to win astate title.

“Last year is done, over,”Slater said. “This is highschool ball - no trading orfree agency. You’ve got to gowith what you’ve got. Welost a lot of players, butwe’ve got some talentedplayers coming back, so thecupboard’s not exactly bare.And the kids have a differ-ent perspective now - theyknow how hard they haveto work if they want to goback.”Class AA

For the second straightyear, the Orchard ParkQuakers claimed a sectionaltitle at the expense of theNorth TonawandaLumberjacks, this time

beating NT 26-22 in thefinals at Ralph WilsonStadium.

The Quakers then suf-fered their first loss of theseason in the Far WestRegional, bowing 39-14 toWebster Thomas of SectionV to finish the season at 10-1.Class A

The Grand Island Vikingsmade it to the regionals forthe second time in threeyears after posting a 20-14win over the Sweet HomePanthers in the finals atRalph Wilson Stadium.

Grand Island then fell toGeneva 34-16 to end theseason at 9-2, as the Vikingsstill have never made it pastthe Far West Regional in thecurrent playoff format.Class B

In one of the more inter-esting sectional champi-onships, Lackawanna andSouthwestern both came toRalph Wilson Stadium at 8-1 - but it was the Steelerswho emerged with a 24-14victory. Lackawanna wasthen blanked 14-0 byHornell in the regional,ending up at 9-2.Class C

Silver Creek rolledthrough the first 10 gamesof the regular season andthe sectional playoffs,thumping Cassadaga Valley29-8 in the sectional finals.

The Black Knights thendropped a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Marcus Whitmanof Section V in the regionalto finish at 10-1.

Randolph looks to defend state football title

By Mike FoxToronto Blue Jays

fans, this is your timeto shine. This month’squiz features the Jays,who are striving toreach the playoffs forthe first time sincetheir glory years of themid-90s.

1. Who hit the mostcareer home runs as aJay (336)?

a. Joe Carterb. George Bellc. Carlos Delgadod. Lloyd Moseby2. Who is the career

OBP leader for the Jays(.395)?

a. John Olerudb. Roberto Alomarc. Vernon Wellsd. Fred McGriff3. Who had the

most career hits as a Jay(1583)?

a. Willie Upshawb. Shannon Stewartc. John Olerudd. Tony Fernandez4. Who did not win a Cy

Young Award as a Jay?a. Roy Halladayb. Pat Hentgenc. Dave Stiebd. Roger Clemens5. Who holds the single-

season record for SBs by a

Jay (60)?a. Otis Nixonb. Dave Collinsc. Devon Whited. Roberto Alomar6. Who holds the Jays

record for most pitchingappearances in a season(89)?

a. Mark Eichhornb. Mike Timlinc. Duane Wardd. Tom Henke7. Who holds the Jays

single-season recordfor hits in a season(215)?

a. Shea Hillenbrandb. Paul Molitorc. Vernon Wellsd. Tony Fernandez8. Who hit the most

homers in one seasonas a Jay (47)?

a. Joe Carterb. Fred McGriffc. George Belld. Jose Canseco9. Which Jay scored

the most runs in a sin-gle season (134)?

a. Roberto Alomarb. Joe Carterc. Shawn Greend. John Olerud10. Who has the

most career wins as aBlue Jay (175)?

a. Jim Clancyb. Dave Stiebc. Jimmy Keyd. Roy Halladay11. What is the Blue Jays’

team motto?a. Just Win, Baby.b. You Gotta Believe.c. Those Damn Yankees.d. Go Leafs!

Baseball trivia

Photo courtesy Toronto Blue JaysDid Roy Halladay win more gamesthan Dave Stieb?

Answers1. c2. a3. d4. c5. b

6. a7. c8. c9. c9. b10. b

Page 16 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

The economicimpact ofhunting

By Tim WrightHunting is

much morethan a tradi-t i o n a lAmerican pas-time. It createsmore than700,000 jobsn a t i o n w i d e .New studiesshow thatannual spend-ing byAmerica’s 14 millionhunters amounts to $22.1billion. By comparison, andif hypothetically ranked as a“corporation,” that revenuefigure would put hunting in33rd place on the Fortune500 list of America’s largestbusinesses.

The impact on the econo-my with all that spending isextraordinary. When thespending figure was“crunched” recently by aneconomic analysts toaccount for the economicmultiplier effects, huntersspending was shown tohave delivered more than$880 million to the statesand territories of the UnitedStates, with more than $300million for sport fish andmore than $288 million forwildlife restoration.

Hunters not only pur-chase gear, trucks andboats; they also fill their gastanks and coolers. They stay

at motels and resorts. Onaverage, many huntersspend 5.5 percent of theirannual income. Theseexpenditures then “ripple”through the economy gen-erating three times moreimpact for the economy.

This is basicallythe moderneconomist’s wayof saying thatmoney is likemanure becausethe more it’sspread aroundthe more good itdoes. Each dol-lar spent by ahunter increasesanother person’s

income, enabling that per-son (or business) to spendmore, which in turnincreases income for some-body else. The process con-tinues as a wide series ofripples through local,regional, and nationaleconomies until the spread-ing fragments of the originaldollar become so small theycan no longer be measured.

Hunting in New YorkState is also big business,and generates more than$120 million for state cof-fers annually. A recent studyreported that over 700,000people hunt in New Yorkand over three million par-ticipate in wildlife observa-tion activities on an annualbasis. Expenditures per per-son average $1,150 forhunters and $340 forwildlife watchers. A secondstudy suggests that theserecreational activities con-stitute a value of $41 per

acre of wetland translatinginto an annual benefit of$300,000 statewide due torestoration activities aloneduring fiscal year 2006.

The economic contribu-tion of each region of theState is a follows: CapitalRegion $7 million; CentralN.Y. $7 million;Rochester/Finger Lakes $20million; Hudson Valley $17million; North Country $13million; Southern Tier $23million; Western N.Y. $25million. Another source ofrevenue is generated fromthe special excise taxeshunters’ pay. The WildlifeRestoration Fund under thePittman-Robertson legisla-tion collects these excisetaxes on certain huntingequipment and apportionsthem to state naturalresource agencies for con-servation and education,which includes habitatrestoration, shootingranges, wildlife research andmore. Hunting is one ofNew York’s largest indus-tries and a major part ofNew York’s economy.

It’s clear to see thathunters are good for theeconomy and for manycommunities, hunting dol-lars keep them afloat.Together, hunters andanglers are the most impor-tant source of conservationfunding in the UnitedStates. Hunting is not just arecreational activity – it’s amajor part of our economy,and yes, it is big business.

By Ivan the ImpalerAfter eight years, he is

returning to Buffalo. He wasan NFL linebacker whocaused havoc, planted seedsof destruction and was justGenerally Nasty on the foot-ball field (or was it theFrozen Serengeti of RichStadium?)

Whatever…The impor-tant thing is: former BuffaloBills linebacker and specialteams ace Monty Brown(“The Alpha Male”) will bemaking his local debut as aPro Wrestler atBallparkBrawl VII.

Yes, Fans of Our GreatSport, it’s time for THEPremier Annual Wrestlingin Buffalo (even bigger thana WWE House Show).BallparkBrawl VII will bewaged at Dunn Tire Park onSunday, Aug. 27. Festivitiesstart at 2 p.m.

They’ll be crowning anew Natural HeavyweightChampion. The prior title-holder, Charlie Haas,resigned with WWE thisspring and is now onMonday Night RAW; there’llbe a one-day tournament toannoint a new titleholder.

But back to Monty for amoment (or a paragraph).

In the mid 90s, the Bills

were still annual con-tenders, even though theirSuper Bowl run had ended.One of the constants on thatsquad was the SpecialTeams, coached by BruceDeHaven. In addition toperennial All-Pro SteveTasker, players like MarkPrice and Monty formedone of the best kick cover-age units in the NFL.Brown, an All-American LBat Ferris State University,played with Buffalo from1993-95 and finished hiscareer with a season in NewEngland. Who knows if anyformer teammates will be inattendance to welcome backMonty?

The star-studded lineupat the Brawl won’t stop withThe Alpha Male. One firstround match in the titletournament will be SamoaJoe vs. Steve Corino, whohave never faced each otherin the Eastern U.S. Alsoappearing will be currentNWA-TNA X DivisionChampion Senshi (aka Lo-Ki), Classic Colt Cabana,“Fallen Angel” ChristopherDaniels and the charismaticMilano Collection AT. Inaddition, WWE Hall ofFamer Sgt. Slaughter isscheduled to appear!

Finally, many top localwrestlers be in action on thecard; you can watch localheroes along with the bestin the business.

One of the great thingsabout the Brawl is thatyou’ll see many rising starswho could very well be inWWE by this time nextyear. For example, lastyear’s brawls saw MattStriker, Harry Smith andC.M. Punk before they start-ed working for Vince. Inaddition, Southern Ontario’sShawn Spears in now in theWWE developmental terri-tory in Ohio Valley.

The Buffalo Jills will alsobe in attendance; whatother reason do you need tobe there? Tickets are nowon sale through the BuffaloBisons and at tickets.com.There is so much more Icould tell you, but not inthe arbitrary word-countlimit imposed by this publi-cation.

You can log intowww.ballparkbrawl.com forthe latest developments onissues such as: will TeddyHart make it across the bor-der this year?Upcoming events

Saturday, Aug. 12 –

BallparkBrawl VII Monty Brown returns to Buffalo!

Banana CakeBecause I just made this a few days ago I thought I’d share it with you. The texture is

fine and tender, not like a heavy bread would be.

You’ll need:1/2 cup shortening (Crisco) at room temperature1 cup sugar2 extra large eggs3 large bananas (Very ripe)2 cups flour1 tsp baking soda1/2-1 cup of walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and mashed bananas, and beat on medium speed. Sift flour and soda together and then add to the banana mixture. Addnuts (if desired).

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees on center rack for 1 hour. To test fordoneness, insert a fine skewer or knife which should come out clean, if not clean, con-tinue to bake and test until done. Cake should rise up high. Cool and enjoy!

Shirley’s kitchen with Shirley Giallombardo

Summerangling hot in

AugustAugust arrived with the

hottest weather of summer2006, and the angling actionis just as hot, with just aboutevery species of game fish hit-ting high gear as summerfeeding reaches a crescendo.Lake Ontario

Chinook salmon are start-ing their migration towardsLake Ontario tributaries, set-ting up what promises to be amemorable pre-spawn bonan-za, according to MarkMcGranahan of Sparky’sCharters. Large fish, fattenedup for the fall spawn areshowing in depths over 300feet, just a few miles off shore.Spoons and salmon flies trig-ger big fish to strike whentrolled at depths of 45-55 feet.Cut bait should draw savageaction as August marches on.Concentrate efforts near theLower Niagara River, Wilson,Olcott and Oak OrchardCreek.

A word of caution goes outto Lake Ontario anglers, asthe recent discovery of twowater-borne illnesses in thisGreat Lake should add extracare to anglers this season.Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia(VHS) was discovered earlierthis year, and this illness hastaken a toll on bass, musky,round goby and a variety ofother warm water speciesfrom the Niagara River to theSt. Lawrence Seaway.Although this disease posesno threat to humans, anyobservations of fish bearingthe telltale sores should bereported to your nearest DECoffice. Type E botulism hasalso been confirmed in water-fowl on Lake Ontario, andthis bacterium can affect fish.Since type E Botulism canaffect humans, the DECadvises not to handle any sickor dead birds. If you catch asick-looking fish, it is advisedyou do not consume it. Theseoutbreaks of botulism havebecome a regular occurrencein recent years, something

else to be cognizant of whenfishing the Great Lakes.Lake Erie

Walleye continue to amazeanglers for size and numbersof fish. Most walleye seekershead out to 90 foot depths tofind schools of large fish beat-ing the summer heat. Wormharnesses in black and purpletake top mention, but color issecondary to finding the rightdepth and speed. Best betsinclude the waters betweenSturgeon Point and DunkirkHarbor, with early morninghours getting most mention.

Smallmouth bass havepicked up their feed, withlarge bronzebacks holdingalong rocky drop offs indepths between 35 and 40feet. Smoke and pumpkinseedtube jigs, round goby patternsoft plastics and drop-shotrigged soft jerk baits temptsome large specimens tostrike early in the morningand late in the afternoon.Seneca shoals have been pro-ductive, but for larger fish,anglers should work the breaklines along Myer’s Reef, justout front of Pinehurst.Inland Lakes

Chautauqua Lake walleyeanglers received a welcomestocking effort, as DEC offi-cials released 130,000 year-ling walleye into this fisheryin July, with another 100,000slated to be stocked later thisfall. The night bite deliversbetter results for keeper sized‘eyes,’ with areas aroundMission Meadows, the BellTower, Maple Springs andLong Point receiving goodreports. Worm harnessestrolled or drifted along out-side weed edges will put fish

in the box, butexpect to catch afew short fishwith every keep-er landed.

Musky anglersrave about thereturn of sometruly impressivefishing, asC h a u t a u q u aLake is rapidlyregaining itslong renownedreputation ofbeing a top

musky fishing destination inthe Northeast. Large bucktailspinners and Suick jerk baitsworked off outside weededges early and late in the dayproduce heart-thumpingaction, especially duringvolatile weather periods.

Bass anglers seeking qui-eter waters do well with blackand blue jig and pig presenta-tions on Cassadaga Lakes,presenting lures as tight tocover as possible. Anglersshould concentrate on weedbeds found on the manyhumps in Cassadaga early,switching to heavy cover oflily pads and deadfalls as thesun climbs higher in the sky.

Erie Barge Canal anglerswill find great bass fishingfrom North Tonawanda toLockport, with spinnerbaitsand buzzbaits deliveringthunderous strikes early inthe morning, and Texas-rigged plastic worms andBitsy Bug jigs heating up asthe day progresses.Concentrate efforts aroundweed beds, slowly presentinga jig or plastic worm in holesand along the outside edgesfor best action.

Remember, take a kid fish-ing and give the gift that lastsa lifetime.

Rich Davenport is co-founder ofWeLoveOutdoors.com, an avidOutdoorsman and member ofthe NYSOWA. His works arealso published in NY OutdoorNews, Walleye.com and theBuffalo News. Rich is also theRecording Secretary for the ErieCounty Federation ofSportsmen’s Clubs. Emailrich@weloveoutdoors.com

Smallmouth bass, like this one caughtby Jack Durphy of Amherst hit high gearin August on Lake Erie.

continued on page 18

Woods and Water with Tim Wright Doctari’s Fishing Forum with Rich Davenport

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 17

By “Touchdown” Tom AndoIt’s August and college

football is back. Here’s alook at the top 10 as I see it.

1. Notre Dame: TheFighting Irish need torebound after beingromped by Ohio State inthe Fiesta Bowl, but afterlosing just five starters fromtheir 2005 lineup, look forNotre Dame to have itsarms raised high comeJanuary.

Four out of five offensivelinemen return to protectsenior quarterback BradyQuinn, who threw for3,919 yards last seasonwith 32 touchdowns, bothschool records. The offensejumped from 81st to 10ththanks to senior receiverJeff Samardzija (1,249 yardsand 15 touchdowns) andjunior tailback DariusWalker (1,196 rushingyards). Another seasonunder head coach CharlieWeis will only make theoffense more dangerous.

2. Ohio State: The goodnews is that senior quarter-back Troy Smith (2,282passing yards, 611 rushingyards and 27 total touch-

downs), junior receiver TedGinn Jr. (51 receptions andfour touchdowns), and jun-ior running back AntonioPittman (1,331 rushingyards and seven touch-downs) all return to leadJim Tressel’s team thatwould be number one if itweren’t for a young defensethat returns two starters.

3.USC: Bush, White andLeinhart are gone, butreceivers Steve Smith (957

yards and five touchdowns)and Dwayne Jarret (91receptions for 1,274 yardsand 16 touchdowns) areback to help junior quarter-back John David Booty stepup. The defense only wel-comes back four starters,but don’t expect PeteCarroll’s Trojans to be out-played often. They controltheir own destiny with alate home game againstNotre Dame.

4. Oklahoma: Eightstarters return on defensefor the Sooners, includingsenior ends CalvinThibodeaux (ten sacks) andC.J. Ah You. Hesiman hope-ful Adrian Peterson (1,104yards rushing and 14touchdowns) will need tocarry the offense after soph-omore quarterback RhettBomar was kicked off theteam on August 2nd. A tal-ented group of youngreceivers return, but don’texpect this squad to bringhome the hardware.

5. Florida: Senior quar-terback Chris Leak didn’t fittoo well into Urban Meyer’sspread offense, despite

Touchdown Tom’s National Top Ten

Photo courtesy LouisvilleHeisman hopefuls MichaelBush (No. 19) and BrianBrohm (No. 12) haveLouisville in TouchdownTom’s Top Ten.

By Leonard J. Mytko

We may still be amonth away, but withtraining camps in fullswing and preseasonfootball just days away,fantasy football talk isalso beginning to heatup. For example, who’llbe starting at tailback forthe Bears comeSeptember or canDetroit’s Kevin Jonesbounce back from adown year? Any fantasyparticipant who wants towin and take home somefine piece of assembledsilverware should be fullof questions and ideas inthe weeks before thedraft. Here are some ofthe more frequentlyasked questions beingtossed around this year.

1. Which running backgoes No. 1 this year?

On top of the pile are usu-ally Shaun Alexander (28TDs and 1,958 total yardslast year) and LaDainianTomlinson (15, 17, 18, and20 touchdowns the last fourseasons), but sniffing at theheels of those two provenstar backs is last season’sbiggest head-turner andnewest hit sensation, theChiefs’ Larry Johnson. So ofthat group, I’d have to say bydrafting Alexander, you’realmost assured to lock in thesame numbers that mightyAl has been putting up forseveral seasons now.Meanwhile, L.T. and L.J.come with just a little moreconcern heading into thisyear.

2. When should I draftReggie Bush?

He should be the No. 1pick in most keeper leagues.However, I wouldn’t drafthim any higher than any ofthe top 10 elite runningbacks on paper already. Youmight hit paydirt, but yourgambles will be far greater aslong as Deuce McAllistercontinues getting touches

and seeing action in the samebackfield with Bush.

3. Who will be this year’sLarry Johnson?

I’m going to go out on a bitof a limb and say wide receiv-er Matt Jones of the Jaguars.With Jimmy Smith nowretired, Jones has the size,speed and skills to be a majorred zone target for quarter-back Byron Leftwich. Otherpossible 2006 breakthroughfantasy players include run-ning backs Ronnie Brown ofthe Dolphins and StevenJackson of the Rams.

4. Should the preseasonaffect my draft strategy?

The biggest thing witheverything leading up to theseason is injuries. You don’twant to be the one whodrafts Brian Finneran. Butnot everything you see goingon in training camp or in thepreseason is indicative ofhow the regular season willgo. Yes, the Bills’ offenseprobably won’t be explosive,but Marvin Harrison has apretty good chance of post-ing another 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season. Still upin the air are things likeTerrell Owens’ hamstringand what will happen to dis-

gruntled wide receiver JerryPorter and his playing daysin Oakland.

5. Do bye weeks reallymatter?

Just don’t fall into a trap ofrevolving your whole draftaround them. Draft withyour gut instinct and hope allthe bye week issues workitself out. You get yourself infar more trouble when youpass on players all because oftheir weeks they are off. If Iwere you, I would just take aquick look at which sixteams are on byes for Weeks6 and 7 beforehand.

6. Since Willis McGaheeis my favorite Buffalo Billsplayer and I love the Bills,why not make sure I get himfor my fantasy team andhave a player to personallyroot for?

Four words: Don’t be ahomer. Fantasy ownersshould never let personalbiases interfere with theirdecision-making. Otherwise,you’re usually throwing goodwinning strategy right downthe drain. On the other endof things, don’t pass up onDrew Bledsoe simply becausehe didn’t lead the Bills to aSuper Bowl either.

Fantasy football FAQ’sQuestions on the upcoming fantasy football season

Photo courtesy Kansas City ChiefsTaking charge in Kanas City is Larry Johnson, who put up bigyardage numbers late last year.

By Clarence PicardIn a crowded American

sports scene profes-sional soccer is fight-ing an uphill battle.Football, baseball,basketball, and hock-ey dominate themedia and the fans.Rochester is no dif-ferent as the UnitedSoccer League’sRaging Rhinos haveto battle the first-place Red Wings forthe public’s dollar.

Regardless of theirstiff off-field competi-tion, the Rhinos haveno trouble battlingthe big boys on thefield. Year after yearthe Rochester RagingRhinos manage tocompete with the bigboys of Major LeagueSoccer in the LamarHunt U.S. Open Cup, soc-cer’s top domestic competi-tion. Since MLS started playin 1996, the Rhinos haveadvanced to the Open’squarterfinals four times,winning the tournament in1999. They remain the onlynon-MLS club to win thecompetition.

This year has been no dif-ferent. In the Cup’s thirdround the Rhinos beat upon USL rival NewHampshire Phantoms 5-1.The New EnglandRevolution, led by nationalteam midfielder ClintDempsey, will travel toRochester on August 2ndfor a spot in the quarterfi-nals. With a win the Rhinoswould advance to theround-of-eight for the thirdconsecutive season.

Although the Rhinos did-n’t need much defensive

help against the Phantoms,allowing only three shots,their driving force since2000 has been Scott Vallow,the club’s goalkeeper andcaptain.

After twice being namedAll-America at BowlingGreen State in Ohio, Vallowspent his first pro season inDallas before heading toRochester in 2000. In hisfirst season as the Rhinoslast line of defense Vallowled the Rhinos to a leaguechampionship while pacingthe USL in save percentageand picking up top-keeperhonors. He hasn’t sloweddown since.

After leading the club toanother USL A-League titlein 2001, Vallow split histime between the Rhinosand MLS clubs New

England and Dallas Burnthe following season.

Vallow would spendmost of his time as aback up in MLS, butnevertheless, he wasstill playing in themajors. Fortunately forRochester Vallowreturned for the 2005season, finishing with a0.92 goals against aver-age and a league run-ner-up finish in the reg-ular season.

Going undefeated intheir first 10 matches ofthe 2006 season, theRhinos have relied onVallow in many closegames. Through 17league games theRhinos are 8-2-7, withfive of their wins by aone-goal margin. Theireight wins and sevendraws have earned them

31 points, good enough fora second place tie with theCharleston Battery behindthe Montreal Impact.

In the Rhinos most recentwin, a 2-1 thriller againstthe defending-championSeattle Sounders, Vallowwas again at the top of hisgame. The veteran keeperthwarted multiple Soundersscoring chances while theRhino offense warmed up.Vallow was able to keep theSounders within one beforeMatthew Delicâte tied thematch and JohnnyMenyongar gave the Rhinosthe win in the 60th minute.

With Vallow’s stout workminding the net, the Rhinosshould continue on theirconstant quest for glory onthe field and support off it.

Rhinos, Vallow continue to battle the bigboys on the pitch

Photo by Brad ThyroffGoalkeeper Scott Vallow boots theball against the New EnglandRevolution in the U.S. Open Cup.Vallow and the Rhinos fell 5-4 onpenalty kicks.

continued on page 18

Page 18 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE August 2006

worth its weight in gold.“Mary’s leadership on thefield is reflected in the playof those around her,”Rogers said. “They knowthat she always gives 110percent of herself to theteam. So in turn they alsostep up their play to emu-late her.”

One of Palaimo’s keys toher success is determina-tion, which can be seen onand off the field. “She alsoalways puts others needsbefore her own, you canalways count on her,”Rogers said. “She worksextremely hard as a land-scaping professional and asa women’s pro football play-er. Her dream is to one daymake it possible for womento play football for a living,

like the men do. This seasonMary has taken it upon her-self to sponsor several of thegirls on the team in thememory of her father,Joseph J. Palaimo. He was alarge supporter of both hisdaughter and women’ssports. Mary does not likethe fact that a large numberof women are excludedfrom this sport simplybecause we are forced to payto play the game we love.”

One of the things aboutPalaimo is her colorful hair.According to Rogers, that’sone of many things thateveryone talks about andenjoys. “Mary is a veryunique person, one of thethings she really enjoys isdying her hair different col-ors for the games,” Rogers

said. “It’s something fun andit really does draw in acrowd of fans around her.”For Palaimo, having fun ispart of the game, which iswhy she does it. “I’ve alwaysheard that kickers are intheir own little world,”Palaimo said. “I agree. Ha!Ha! It’s not that I want to bedifferent, it’s just fun for meto do. I kind of feel like I’mthe Dennis Rodman ofwomen’s football. I try tohave something different, sopeople will talk about itevery week.”

When needed, Palaimoalso plays defensive back,running back, and line-backer, which is why Rogersis very fortunate to have thisdiamond in the rough onher team.

Roar from page 5

“ECW” House Show - FirstArena - Elmira, N.Y. - 7:30p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 26 - NWAUpstate - All Star SportsArena, 557 E. Ridge Road,Rochester, N.Y. - 6:15 p.m. -Upstate 8 Tag TeamTournament. See www.kay-fabedojo.com for details.

Sunday, Aug.27 -BallparkBrawl - Dunn TirePark, Buffalo, N.Y. - 4 p.m.See www.ballparkbrawl.comfor details. Already signed:Samoa Joe, Monty Brown,Christopher Daniels, SteveCorino, Lo-Ki, Colt Cabana,April Hunter and more.Tickets on sale now!

Sunday, Sept. 10 - BayArea Wrestling - Knights ofColumbus - 222 Queenston

Road -Hamilton, Ontario,Canada - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 17 - WWEPPV - Air Canada Centre -Toronto, Ontario, Canada -7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30 - NWAEmpire - St. Johnsburg FireHall - Ward Road. -Wheatfield, N.Y.- 6:30 p.m.- See www.kayfabedojo.comfor more info.

Reminders -WrestleVision is acknowl-edged as the finest localwrestling show in the entireregion. You can watchAdelphia Cable Channel 20on Saturdays at 4:05 p.m inSuburban Erie County, andin Rochester on UPN 18(soon to be “My 18”) at 3p.m. on Sundays, with a

replay late Tuesday eveningat 1 a.m. You shall listen tothe Pain Clinic radio showin Rochester on WHTK(1280 AM) Saturdays at 9a.m. In Buffalo, you canhear Turnbuckle Talk onWBNY-FM (91.3) Mondaysat 8:30 p.m. Internet listen-ers can catch www.mon-daynightmayhem.com fornews and interviews. Don’tforget to purchaseBallparkBrawl III and IVDVDs, now on sale atwww.ballparkbrawl.com orat any NWA Upstate, NWAEmpire or NVP show.BallparkBrawl V DVDs willbe available VERY SOON.

Wrestling from page 16

College isn’t exactly gush-ing about the new venue.Penn State beloved headfootball coach Joe Paterno,known to most as “JoPa,”has been talking down theballpark ever since a shovelfirst hit the ground. At firsthe was critical of the loss ofpremium parking spaces atBeaver Stadium, but thosespots have since beenreplaced. “I don’t thinkthere should be a profes-sional team on campus,”Paterno said recently.“Unfortunately, nobodyever asked me. They justwent ahead and did it.”

Witht those outfielddimensions one wouldthink that State College’sMLB affiliation would bewith the Pirates. Not so, theSt. Louis Cardinals holdthat distinction, and rumorhas that they will stickaround these parts for awhile after top Cardinalbrass got a good look at thisplace. We can’t blame them.

The Pirates are affiliatedjust down the road inWilliamsport, where theCrosscutters play in historic(and old school) BowmanField. This neighborhoodballpark opened in 1926and is the second oldestminor league park in exis-tence.

But don’t let the age of

this venue fool you intothinking that this is adumpy ole’ wreck. Bowmanhas undergone plenty ofrenovations since becominga NY-P member in 1994.The exterior architecturelooks somewhat like a stonecastle, the covered grand-stand still exists, but under-neath is new chair backseating for about 3,000, anda newer concourse/plazagreets you at the mainentrance with a solid, if notextravagant, food and drinkselection and also a newteam store. (Note: here inWilliamsport you can actu-ally buy a bobblehead ofRhashan, a portly beer ven-dor also referred to as the“Director of Smiles”).

The Crosscutters havetwo Western New York con-nections on the team. TomPrince, who played five sea-sons for the Bisons andholds the distinction of hit-ting the first home run everat Dunn Tire Park, is in hissecond season as the team’smanager. And second base-man Jim Negrych is a nativeof South Buffalo, now start-ing his pro career after hisstandout performance at theUniversity of Pittsburgh.

And with State College’sentry in to the NY-P League,the two clubs have alreadybegun to hype their brand

new rivalry called the“Sawbuck Series.” In aunique marketing twist, thetwo clubs have worked outticket packages for the fansso that a fan in either citycan buy not just SawbuckSeries tickets for their ownpark, but also have ticketsfor games in the otherteam’s park. (Memo toDunn Tire Park andFrontier Field, aww heck,you too Alliance BankStadium in Syracuse...takenotes please.)

Want to make your base-ball visit to CentralPennsylvania complete?Then don’t forget to includea visit to Commerce BankPark in Harrisburg, home tothe AA Harrisburg Senators.This old time ballpark takescenter stage on an island inthe middle of theSusquehanna River, right inthe middle of a bucolicpark.

There you have it! Threegames, three ballparks in 25hours … this is how we doit on the Ultimate SportsRoad Trip.

For more information onthe Ultimate Sports RoadTrip, check out Andrew’s andPeter’s web site at www.thes-portsroadtrip.com.

Stadium Guys from page 6

throwing for 2,639 yardswith 20 touchdowns andjust six interceptions. Withshaky talent at the otherskill positions, there can besome trouble brewing.Linebacker Brandon Siler isgoing to have to bring thedefense week in and weekout if Meyer and Leak can’tbring out the best in eachother.

6. Texas: The runninggame will be strong with thelikes of Jamaal Charles (878yards and 11 touchdowns)and Selvin Young (461 yardsand eight touchdowns) car-rying the ball behind anexperienced line. Strongdefense is expected onceagain this season as theLonghorns try to replaceVince Young with freshmenColt McCoy and JevanSnead. Don’t be surprised ifMack Brown splits timebetween the two a la Youngand Chance Mock severalseasons ago.

7. Auburn: Head coachTommy Tuberville kept histeam back in contention in2005, thanks in large part tojunior quarterback BrandonCox (2,324 yards and 15

touchdowns) and seniorrunning back Kenny Irons(1,293 and 13 touch-downs). Leading tacklerWill Herring has movedfrom safety to linebackerand leads a strong unit forthe Tigers, who have keySEC home games againstLSU, Florida and Georgia.

8. Louisville: The darkhorse in all of college foot-ball this season could beBobby Petrino’s Cardinals.Led by their stud quarter-back Brian Brohm (2,883yards and 19 touchdowns)and senior tailback MichaelBush (1,143 yards and 24total touchdowns) they canscore in a hurry as theyaveraged 482.1 yards pergame while on defense,seven starters return to thelineup. Home games againstMiami and West Virginiawill determine their destiny.

9. West Virginia: Headcoach Rich Rodriguez wasblessed last season with apair of freshmen studs inrunning back Steve Slaton(1,128 yards and 17 touch-downs) and quarterback PatWhite (952 yards rushingand 15 total touchdowns).

The team expects more inthe passing game fromWhite, who averaged 69yards per game last season,and with only one starterreturning on the offensiveline, that could be quite atask. The defense has plentyof depth but returns onlyone defensive lineman inKeilen Dykes and onedefensive back in safety EricWicks, which could spelltrouble against Louisville’sdangerous offense.

10: California: Juniorrunning back MarshawnLynch missed two gameslast season and still rushedfor 1,246 yards and 10touchdowns. Jeff Tedford’sspread offense is expectedto be run by sophomorequarterback NateLongshore, who was injuredin last seasons openinggame and has capablereceivers to throw to.Luckily the defense hasseven starters returning asthe Golden Bears will have adifficult time playing bothTennessee and USC on theroad.

Touchdown Tom from page 17

encounter, unless you rou-tinely combine holes at yourhome course. You owe it toyourself to go all the wayback to the Daly Tees to chal-lenge every one of the 667yards that lie between teemarkers and flagstick. Believeit or not, a medium hitter canuse driver, 4 iron, 6 iron andget home! Danoff makes onesimple request: keep itstraight. The remaining trioof three-shot holes do notattempt to keep up with theirbig sister in length, although6 (at 588 yards) comes close.Instead, they curve alonghorizontal and vertical undu-lations, with steep bunkersand invading trees to serve ashazards. 15 (at 536 yards)and 18 (at 546) are just plainfun. In fact, old Ron had a 45-footer for eagle on the closinghole, but three-whacked for

par. Oh, the agony! The bestpart about 18, however, isthat the green lies across apond from number 9’s put-ting surface. This is funnyonly because Ron’s brother-in-law mistook the number 9green, and drowned his ballhalfway across.

Thundering Waters haseverything a golfer coulddesire, except cart girls.Whoa, now, don’t retract yourtee time! Thundering Watersreplaced the cart girl withThe Lion’s Den, an accessiblecafé that sits at the crossroadsof at least eight of the 18holes. You’ll pass by thisattractive stop almost as oftenas you putt. The Den servesall sorts of edible fare and liq-uid refreshment, and theladies who staff the Zoo are ofthe most amiable sort. You’llforget why the cart girl ever

mattered!Thundering Waters’ green

fee checks in no higher thanany of its neighbors. Theyeven give you a chance to wina free green fee and cart onthe 16th hole! All it takes isone player in three to hit thegreen of that par three in one.Although pretty, the 16thhole is no bully. The ownersand staff simply want you toreturn. Make plans now tovisit Thundering Watersbefore the season ends. Youmay even question your ownclub’s membership renewalthis time around.

For more information, call877-833-DALY or check outtheir Web site www.thunder-ingwaters.com.

Ronald Montesano writesabout golf for Sports &Leisure Magazine andBuffaloGolfer.Com.

Thundering Waters from page 12

outlet mall, the AmericanaHotel, right around the cor-ner, features a wonderfulspa for your relaxing pleas-ure.

“We cater to all kinds offolks,” said Moore. “Wehave had tournamentswhere people fly in on a hel-icopter to the property andtake a limo back to the air-port. We host youth hockeyteams needing a place tostay while playing here inthe Niagara Falls area. Wealso are here for New Year’sEve, where there is plenty todo including golf. If thesnow stays away, we areopen for golf twelve months

a year.Groups of all sizes are

welcomed at Niagara FallsGolf Club. Right nowaccommodations are openfor groups of up to 70, butgroups of four, eight, twelveand sixteen enjoy the facili-ty every day.

“We do a lot of familyreunion things,” saidMoore. “The guys will playgolf and then maybe thecasino, while the ladies dothe spa, the falls or maybetake the kids to the differentparks in the area. This isNiagara Falls, and one thingis for sure, there is plenty todo. We offer a great place to

stay, eat, play golf and enjoythe entire area at a veryaffordable price.”

For reservations atNiagara Falls Golf Club call905-328-4096 or check thenout on the web at nia-garafallsgolflcub.com.

Rick Zurak is the host/pro-ducer of The Western NewYork Golf Report airedTuesdays at 7:05pm on Time-Warner Ch. 20 in the Buffaloarea. He is also the Director ofthe NY State Junior Golf Tour.Contact Rick atzurakgolf@adelphia.net.

Niagara Falls Golf Club from page 13

August 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 19