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Trying to find the good in a bad situation

Notes and observations while thoroughly enjoying 11 more days of trout season: A WISE AND PRUDENT DECISION: The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission thoroughly hit it out of the park with its decision — in conjunction with the Office of the Governor, the Department of Health, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources — to abruptly move the opening of the 2020 trout season from yesterday at 8 a.m. up to Tuesday, April 7. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging through the Commonwealth, the wise decision was made to limit the congregation of crowds, particularly in the ...

Commentary: Some ideas may be worth keeping

While sports is on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, there are surely lessons to be learned. When normality does return to our stadiums and arenas, maybe we can put them to use. Certainly, this unprecedented shutdown has changed life — and sports — in ways we never expected. But maybe, just maybe, that’s not entirely a bad thing. If nothing else, we’ll never get another chance for a reset like this one. Here are few ideas worth considering when this nightmare is over: Virtual drafts The WNBA was conducting its draft remotely Friday night — without players, fans ...

Remembering Stokes, plus not a good 2020 for minor league ball

Even though no sports are being played right now because of the coronavirus, there’s a whole bunch going on in the sports world worthy of commentary. Stokes’ legacy Monday marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of Saint Francis basketball legend Maurice Stokes, who died at age 36 in 1970 and is buried on the campus at Franciscan Friar Cemetery. Saint Francis had planned a week-long tribute to Stokes that was to have culminated with a ceremony this past Monday, but it had to be canceled. NBA senior vice president for basketball operations Tim Frank and members of Jack ...

PIAA decision tough for everyone

Throughout my 15 years working in the sports department at the Altoona Mirror, I have had to conduct some very emotionally tough interviews. Talking with Juniata Valley girls basketball coach Rachelle Hopsicker and her team after the Lady Hornets led Jenkintown by nine points in the 2018 PIAA Class 1A championship game with less than four minutes to play before losing in overtime stands out. Another that comes to mind is Portage girls basketball coach Lance Hudak, who turned his back during the interview to hide his tears after the Lady Mustangs were stunned by Bishop Guilfoyle and a ...

Man witha plan: New Bucs GM thinking young at AA

The Curve were supposed to open their 22nd season tonight at Peoples Natural Gas Field, and it was supposed to be a season that would answer a couple of big questions going forward. Now, it’s quite possible there won’t even be a minor league baseball season, making for potentially ...

Virus will make the timeline for sports, too

The unthinkable, at least for sports fans, already has happened. The games, as we know them, are shut down. We’ll never know if San Diego State was a Final Four contender or if Tiger Woods would have defended his green jacket at the Masters. There was no opening day in baseball. The odds are increasingly good there will be no Stanley Cup Final or NBA champion in the year 2020. And now it’s time to consider the unimaginable, at least when it comes to fun and games as we once knew them. That means no college football this fall. No Super Bowl next February. No sports at all as ...