News & notes

Catching up on some stuff.

As first reported by the Albany Times-Union a week ago, and picked up by El Cheapo Media three days later, Siena men's soccer coach Cesar Markovic retired after a 25 year career, the last seven spent at Siena. Overall, Markovic accumulated 213 wins with 5 different programs, Siena included. Best wishes to Markovic as he moves into the next phase of his life.
======================================
The New York Racing Association, in anticipation of the return of racing at Belmont Park next week, announced that the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga will be opening next month as well, which would signal that racing will start on time at the Old Spa on July 16. Stay tuned.
======================================
Sharp eyed viewers will recognize WWE superstar Titus O'Neil (real name: Thaddeus Bullard) as the newest pitchman for the Fuccillo auto group in recent ads.

Check out this sample:



Bullard starred as a defensive lineman for Florida before turning to wrestling. Fuccillo Auto Group also has a base in Bullard's home state of Florida, where he has been active in civic causes when not in the ring. Fittingly, the spots with Bullard and Caroline Munro have been airing during Smackdown on Friday nights when WXXA can fit the spots in.

This isn't the first time a WWE (nee WWF) wrestler has been a pitchman for an upstate NY business. Tony Garea did ads for the Battery Mart here in town in the 80's. At the time, Garea's in ring career was winding down, leading to his becoming an agent-producer.
=======================================
As the 518 awaits Phase 2 of the reopening initiative coming out of the coronavirus, both of the area's women's roller derby teams, the Troy Hellions (who play their home matches in Rotterdam because they can't afford to rent an arena in Troy) and the Albany All-Stars (who play at the Capital Center), are awaiting clearance to start their seasons. May ye scribe suggest online streaming?

An extra week may mean an extra game. Or not......

When Section II released its football schedules two months ago, they left open the possibility of an extra game for Classes A-C, since AA & D had 8 game schedules already in place.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the extra week, to be known as Week 0, is a reality as of now.

Section II teams have the option of holding a scrimmage or a game on Labor Day weekend (September 4-5), which in recent years has been the traditional start of the season.

Of course, athletic directors throughout the state will be monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic as the weeks progress, because a sudden spike in positive cases of the virus could curtail plans. According to the Daily Gazette, defending Class AA champion Shenendehowa is already scheduling a joint scrimmage at Monroe-Woodbury, which will also include John Jay, for Labor Day weekend, as they have a full 8 game slate set.

What schools closer to home, such as Troy, Lansingburgh, & LaSalle, plan, hasn't been finalized.

In addition, contracts for men's & women's basketball tournaments at Hudson Valley Community College (women) and Cool Insuring Arena (men) have been extended to 2023 since the 2020 state tournaments were cut short due to coronavirus.

We'll keep you posted if there are further developments.

News & notes

According to the Troy Fighting Irish's Facebook page, the Northeastern Football Alliance's 2020 season has been postponed until at least Saturday, July 11, when the Irish were scheduled to face the Carthage Revolution. The original schedule is up at the team's website, and will need to be updated as soon as the league gets the go-ahead to play.

A quick reminder that the Irish play their home games at Lansingburgh High.

But, let's look at it this way. At least there's hope they can play.

And that's more than we can say for the venerable Empire Football League, which is still around, and, like the NFA, isn't getting any love from the press.

No, the Metro Mallers aren't around anymore, but the Schenectady based Tri-City Spartans are the defending champions, and will have to wait until 2021 to defend their title. The EFL announced earlier this week that they would not play in 2020 due to COVID-19.

The Spartans play their home games at Union College's Frank Bailey Field.
====================================
With news this week that racing will return to New York June 1, there are questions surrounding the following:

1. Will Off Track Betting reopen its various parlors in the state, including Menands, Lansingburgh, and Colonie?

Like everyone else, OTB is waiting for the green light from the governor's office, that's all we can figure at this point.

By the way, since OTB-TV was reduced to being a digital subchannel for WXXA a few years back, they're likely using the news feed from WXXA/WTEN for the nightly broadcasts of Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and Governor Cuomo's COVID-19 briefings.

2. Will harness racing return to Saratoga and other New York tracks?

Most definitely, but without spectators for now. However, as long as OTB-TV is committed to airing the COVID-19 briefings every night race broadcasts have been severely cut back.

All we can say for now is, stay tuned.

News & notes

Colonie High announced the other day that their football field will be rededicated and named for former coach Mark Ambrosio, who passed away last year at 64. What is a surprise is that it took this long to make that decision. You would think they would've done that before last season. Hmmmm.
===============================
Former WRGB sports anchor and Schenectady native Joe Tessitore is out as play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football. Tessitore remains part of the ABC/ESPN family, as he'll likely slide back into doing college football/basketball in the coming season.

Meanwhile, he'll be on your screens starting Thursday for season 2 of Holey Moley on ABC, alongside Fox's Rob Riggle (Fox NFL Sunday). They'll have those old school yellow blazers, just for fun.

Now, how long d'ya think it'll be before Riggle is asked to fill in for Michael Strahan on Good Morning America? That should be a better gig for Tessitore, actually.....
===================================
Just days after twin sister Lilly committed to UAlbany, Sophie Phillips has chosen to play her college basketball at Rhode Island come 2021, where she'll join Saratoga star Catherine "Dolly" Cairns, per the Daily Gazette. The twins' senior season at Cambridge should be interesting this winter.
===================================
On Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo gave the green light for racing to resume on June 1. As had been anticipated, there will be no fans at Belmont Park when the track reopens, and likely the same will hold true for the Saratoga meet, which is set to start July 16.

Auto racing will return as well at the usual suspects (Lebanon Valley, Fonda, etc.), also without fans or large crowds.

Now, here's an idea no one has considered.

With television starved for original sports programming due to the pandemic, it would be in the best interests of local stations to take a look at sending their cameras to Fonda, Lebanon Valley, etc., and mount a weekly schedule of live race broadcasts this summer.

Assuming the Tri-City Valleycats are able to play without live crowds when their season starts next month, they at least have the advantage of having their games broadcast on internet radio.

But what about semi-pro football, which doesn't get the attention or respect it enjoyed in the early days of the Metro Mallers in the 70's?

To the casual fan, football should be football, whether it's semi-pro, college, pro, or high school. The Northeastern Football Alliance doesn't get a lot of media or fan support, though the two actually go together, because without the newspapers, how do fans not on social media know if there's a game?

CW affiliate WCWN will reserve time to pick up WPIX's feeds of Mets & Yankees game when Major League Baseball starts play in July (we think). But there are going to be those Saturday & Sunday afternoons where's there's no baseball that can be filled with tape delayed stock car racing or semi-pro football, if the station and its corporate parent, Sinclair Broadcasting, consider it. Which I doubt.

If there was ever a time when local racing can take advantage of a window of opportunity for air time, this is it.

News & notes

The annual Eddy Memorial track meet, the biggest track event in the 518, is among the victims of the cancellation of this year's spring sports schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I think we won't be hearing much about track & field until indoor season begins in December.
===============================
Mekeel Christian Academy's boys' basketball team left the Western Athletic Conference and went independent three years ago. All they've done is win, and after coming up short in Class B last year, the Lions moved up to A and won the Section II title back in March.

Emma Willard left the Central Hudson Valley League right before the 2018-9 season for an independent schedule, which netted them back-to-back berths in the Class A women's sectionals the last two seasons, losing in the first round to neighboring Troy High both times.

Mekeel's women's basketball team is following suit, and leaving the WAC to go independent for the coming season, and will test their mettle against bigger schools such as Schenectady and Shaker, after dominating the WAC last season, per the Daily Gazette. The exit agreement with the WAC stipulates a minimum two year period before the school would reconsider and apply for reinstatement in the league.

In this space, I've advocated Emma Willard, if they tire of the independent schedule, move into a bigger league like the Suburban Council, home to Shaker, Troy, & Schenectady. The league has one fewer women's team than men's teams, more glaring after Mohonasen defected to the Colonial Council in 2018. Moving into a league like the Suburban or Colonial would also raise Mekeel's profile.

Something to think about.
=================================
Reports, again from the Daily Gazette, suggest NYRA is opening up the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, but only after backstretch workers are tested for COVID-19 as a precaution. As of now, NYRA is hoping to re-open Belmont Park for a short meet before the annual Saratoga meet in mid-July, all without fans, but as of last check, Governor Andrew Cuomo doesn't share NYRA's enthusiasm. Stay tuned.

Preparing for the future

Three more Section II women's basketball stars have made collegiate commitments in recent days.

Valencia Fontenelle-Posson has committed to Siena, where she'll play for coach Ali Jacques. Fontenelle-Posson was the leading scorer for a Guilderland women's team that had an up & down 2019-20 season.

Shenendehowa's Meghan Huerter and Niskayuna's Olivia Olson will join forces and play for Providence. Huerter opted not to attend Siena, where her father, Tom, Sr, was a star player years ago. Brother Tom, Jr. transferred prior to last season. The question remains, of course, of whether or not Meghan will follow brother Kevin (Atlanta) to the pros after her college days are over.

The downside to these announcements, as I have read & seen over the years, is that for their senior seasons, these athletes will be, for the most part, under greater scrutiny from fans of rival schools who believe that they may get preferential treatment from officials because of the early commitments. However, that's not always the case. These kids work hard to achieve their goals, and if referees decide to give them preferential treatment for whatever reason, that's their decision(s).

Best of luck to all three once they start their college careers in 2021.

News & notes

The Albany Twilight League is awaiting word on whether they'll be able to take the field for their 90th season. The oldest amateur league in the area has seen other leagues cancel their 2020 seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, and are torn about whether or not to do the same. The league plays virtually all of its games at ancient Bleecker Stadium in Albany, which might explain why it doesn't get the same kind of coverage it used to. Troy has a team in the league, but you'd think the league would expand its borders, and let some games be played across the river.......
========================================
The Tri-City Valleycats are waiting on a decision from the NY-Penn League, expected June 1, regarding the 2020 season.

Ye scribe's best guess is that they will play, but without fans and possibly without the popular nightly promotions. Stay tuned.
=========================================
Cambridge women's basketball star Lilly Phillips has committed to playing her college ball close to home.

Phillips will stay in the 518, and move on to UAlbany after graduation. I'm willing to guess that sister Sophie will do the same, even though there will be a little break without the sister act playing on the same court. Good luck, Lilly.

News & notes

The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League announced that there will be no 2020 season due to the coronavirus.

That announcement alone casts doubts on whether or not the New York-Penn League will actually take the field this summer. The PCCBL was to start at the end of this month, with the NY-PL to follow roughly three weeks later.

One by one, the summer traditions in the region are falling by the wayside due to the pandemic, with no end in sight.

In contrast, the Premier Lacrosse League will play some games this season without fans. The PLL was to have played at Casey Stadium at UAlbany before the pandemic struck.
====================================
UAlbany is mourning another of their athletic alumni.

Orin Griffin, 65, passed away a few days ago, after starring for UAlbany in the 70's in football, playing for coach Bob Ford. Griffin played his high school ball at Mont Pleasant High in Schenectady. Most folks today, however, might remember Griffin not as an athlete, but as a musician.

Griffin fronted a number of local R & B cover bands, including Play Time, over the last few years. Ye scribe remembers seeing Play Time at Riverfront Park in Troy several years ago, but at the time, I had no idea of Griffin's athletic background.

Rest in peace.

Now, it's going to be interesting if they do a basketball tournament this year.....

It didn't take long for former Troy High varsity basketball coach Greg Davis to land on his feet.

Davis will head across town to take over the same role at LaSalle, according to the Daily Gazette. He takes over for interim coach Joshua House, who stepped in when Jon Desso was bounced in February. Between the two coaches, the Cadets logged a 14-6 overall record (12-2 in the Colonial Council), finishing with a one-&-done in sectional play, losing to CBA.

Davis was 45-27 in three seasons at Troy, where, according to the Albany Times-Union, he will continue to teach history. Davis led the Flying Horses to a Suburban Council Grey division title and a Section II Class A title in 2019, resulting in his being named Large School Coach of The Year by the Times-Union after the 2018-9 season.

After a 4th place finish in the Grey division in 2019-20, Davis was notified that he would not be retained for a 4th season as coach, with his predecessor, Richard Hurley, returning to the bench after a 3 year hiatus. LaSalle will return a large core of players from the 2019-20 team, a squad that fell to Troy in the first round of the Uncle Sam Holiday Classic in December. The only question is whether or not Davis will employ his up-tempo offensive schematics at LaSalle.

It will be just as interesting to see if 1) there's a Holiday Classic this season, and 2)  LaSalle accepts an invitation to participate.

At least El Cheapo Media was finally able to get an interview with Davis, now that he's no longer operating under Troy High's media blackout against El Cheapo.

So will the student meet his teacher? Stay tuned.

A double whammy for the 518

Any chance of a spring high school sports season evaporated Friday when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that schools across the state would remain closed for the rest of the academic season, which ends next month. This results in hundreds of seniors being unable to compete one final season in track, lacrosse, softball, & baseball.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association confirmed later Friday that the spring season was cancelled, shifting the focus on keeping everyone healthy & safe as the warm weather settles in. There are warnings that there could be a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall, and we're hardly out of the woods now.
========================================
While the Tri-City Valleycats, and the New York-Penn League in general, are hoping to start play next month, they will play with heavy hearts.

William Gladstone, 88, chairman and principal owner of the team, passed away Thursday from complications due to COVID-19. Gladstone purchased the Pittsfield Mets franchise in 1992, and shifted affiliations to the Houston Astros in 2001, a year before the Pittsfield Astros became the Valleycats.

Under Gladstone's stewardship, the Valleycats have won 3 NY-PL titles (2010, 2013, 2018) and a handful of division titles while remaining among the top draws in the league, even during lean periods. The 'Cats arrival in 2002 ended an 8 year period without minor league ball. During that time, the unaffiliated Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs had been playing at now-defunct Heritage Park, and folded within a few years of the 'Cats' debut.

Gladstone is survived by two children and several grandchildren. Wife Millie passed away in 2018.