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The conversion of a Division I skeptic

Lately, I’ve wondered why I’m so upset about the drop to Division III at my alma mater, Saint Francis University. For many alumni, their reaction grew out of a long-term investment in the athletics program as athletes, spectators, or believers in the prestige of a Division I program atop a mountain in west central PA. In contrast, my understanding evolved over several decades. I attended Saint Francis from 1986 to 1990. I was not an athlete, so attending a Division I institution was not a deciding factor for me. I chose Saint Francis for its academic offerings, size, ...

Sadly, more will follow Saint Francis

I am retired high school and college basketball coach in the state of Indiana, and I just read with interest the article about Saint Francis dropping to D-III. I must say, I am very disheartened at what is going on with college athletics in terms of the NIL and transfer portal issues. I don’t like any of it, and I am very disappointed to see that the people in the so-called “ivory towers” making the decisions could be so foolish. Both the transfer portal and NIL are ruining what once was a crown jewel of amateur athletics, and now consequently schools such as Saint Francis ...

Crawford set a standard in the Cove

I just read the touching news article detailing Barry Crawford and his courageous fight with ALS in today’s Altoona Mirror (March 12). Well done. Barry has been a huge influence on me not only on the basketball court but through education and career exploration and just plain life. In fact, Barry is my second cousin. When I was 14 years old, he persuaded me to give basketball a try after I had wrestled in elementary school and experienced some success. But I was approaching 5-foot-10, and Barry saw my coordination and competitiveness and thought basketball was a better ...

SFU’s 1991 title team now has company

On the evening of March 2, 1991, I was sitting with some family members and friends in the section of Saint Francis University’s Maurice Stokes Athletics Center now known as “Krimmel’s Korner.” We were part of a crowd of 3,517 that jammed into the Stokes Center that night to see the Red Flash men’s basketball team defeat Fairleigh Dickinson, 97-82, in the 1991 Northeast Conference championship game. I may have had an adult beverage that evening to celebrate Saint Francis’ first-ever NEC title. I don’t remember. I did have an adult beverage — a limited-edition Coors ...

Basketball season has been quite the downer

This past high school basketball season brought back memories of 50 years ago. Many of the games this year, especially the girls games, were very lopsided with wins of 30, 40 and 50 points. Does this mean the competition is so weak or are some of the teams that outstanding? Altoona boys were at one time one of the best teams in the state. The last few years, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the state. There was a time when Hollidaysburg could not compete with Altoona. That’s no longer the case. College basketball is also being ruined. In the past, Saint ...

Empty seats for PSU women speak volumes

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror If the Penn State Lady Lions basketball program traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the cry on the floor would be “Sell!” Granted, Carolyn Kieger was hired to rebuild a floundering program prior to the 2019-20 season, but the structure’s foundation still hasn’t settled. One measure of a team’s progress is the conference record. In Kieger’s first five seasons, the Lady Lions were 25-66 in conference play, including last season’s 9-9 mark. Through 14 Big Ten games this season, Penn State was 1-13. That’s not progress. ...