12 - August 6, 2010


by Chris White It seemed like everyone saw it happen, except the one guy who had to make the call. I’m talking about when Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had his bid for a perfect game broken up by an erroneous call from first base umpire Jim Joyce earlier this season. It was clear that Galarraga had rushed over to cover first base in time, and the throw beat the Cleveland Indian runner to the bag. But for whatever reason, Joyce called the runner safe. Adding insult to injury, the play would have been the final out of the perfect game for Galarraga. Instead, it became an undeserved blemish on one of the greatest pitching performances in major league baseball history.


Patriot Community Sports Patriot Community Sports


The Trickle-Down Effect of Instant Replay


I’m not here to bash Joyce (who handled the situation with class, as did Galarraga) or any other umpire/official, but plays like this are encouraging


the use of instant replay, not only in professional sports, but in college and high school athletics as well. I’m here to simply ask the question: does instant replay belong on the high school sports scene? Professional sports? Definitely. College sports? Sure. But high school? Well, let’s see. If you didn’t know already, the National Federation of State High School Associations actually passed a couple of rules in 2009 to allow the limited use of instant replay. One of the rules for basketball allows officials to use instant replay during state playoff and championship contests. Officials are allowed to review any last second shots in deciding a contest – whether they should be counted or disallowed – plus they can use the technology to tell the difference between a two- or three-point field goal if necessary. So instant replay is already part of the high school athletic culture in some


sports. But is this okay? I say it is—on a limit basis, though. I think instant replay is a great thing


to have available. The number-one reason I think it has the potential to be such a useful tool is because it takes a lot of unnecessary pressure off of the officials to make the right call when the game is on the line. Why put so much pressure on officials by not having it? With instant replay, an official can easily correct his mistake by going to the sidelines to review a call for a few minutes. I think it would also allow officials to just relax and make calls during the game, knowing there’s a safety net to fall back on. Many traditionalists say that instant


replay compromises the human element of sports, though. They basically say that the mistakes of players and coaches are included in a game’s outcome, and if this happens, then officials should be allowed to mistakes too.


Officiating isn’t about being human,


though. It’s about doing your best to get it right. And if we ignore the instant replay technology available to us – even at the high-school level – then we’re not doing everything we can to get it right. Fans don’t go to games to watch referees blow their whistles. They go to see athletes perform and to see their team win. For those reasons alone, an official’s call should never determine the outcome of a game. Not every call has to be correct, but an official’s call should never decide the game when it’s coming down to the wire.


Officials are there to simply make sure that the contest is played by the rules and played fairly. Hey, it’s a thankless job, but someone has to do it. And to make sure the rules are enforced, especially in critical situations, high school athletics should have instant replay available and ready to use in certain situations.


Salem 14-Year-Olds Claim State Runner-Up Spot


by Chris White Salem advanced all the way to the


championship round of the NH Babe Ruth 14- Year-Old State Tournament held at Michele Park last Saturday. The team had gone undefeated through the first three rounds of the double elimination tournament to come out on top of the winner’s bracket. That set up a championship match-up with Nashua, who came through the loser’s bracket to reach the final round. Because it had not lost yet, Salem entered


Saturday with two games to beat Nashua if needed. Salem would lose both contests that day, however, dropping the first game 6-5 and the second by the count of 9-5.


In the first game, Salem took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. But Nashua added a run in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the fifth to take the lead. Salem would knot it back up, 2-2, in the home half of the fifth, thanks to a single by Jake White that brought home Bret Desrochers from second base. White faced a 3-2 count with two outs and smacked a line drive to center.


Salem’s runners were off with the pitch, which allowed Desrochers to score easily. Nashua came back with a three-run homer over the center field fence in the top of the seventh, making it 5-2. The blast was followed by another Nashua run that was driven in with a base hit to make it 6-2. Salem was resilient, though. A walk by Ethan Glynn, a single by Adam Dolan, and a walk by Mitch Dufton loaded the bases for the home team in the bottom of the seventh. The next batter, Dan Moynihan, drew a walk to force in Glynn from third, which made the score 6-3. After Moynihan, a single to right field by White brought Salem to within one, 6-5. Dolan scored from third and Dufton scored from second on the play.


Salem’s comeback would fall short, though, as it made three straight outs to end the game. Dolan led Salem in both hits and runs for the game, going 3-3 at the plate and coming around the bases to score twice. White led the team in RBI with three. Meanwhile, Dan Morin added two hits and one RBI. Dufton, the starting pitcher,


was solid in six innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out three batters. Salem’s loss in the first game set up a winner- take-all match in the second contest later on. In the second game, Salem trailed only 6-5 midway through the fifth inning, but Nashua opened up the lead in the home half of the inning. A double by one of Nashua’s players brought in two runs, and then the next Nashua batter tripled to bring in one more, making it 9-5.


Salem got three runs in the top of the third and


two runs in the top of the fifth. Salem actually had the lead, 3-2, after two and a half, but Nashua tied it up in the bottom of the third, plated three runs in the fourth, and never trailed from that point. Moynihan, Dolan, and Morin each got one hit for Salem. Morin also drove in four runs to lead Salem offensively. Moynihan came across the plate twice to lead the team in runs; while Dufton, Glynn, and Jared Williamson scored one run apiece as well.


Of course, we need to put limits on its use, so it doesn’t get too ridiculous or out of hand. We don’t want to be stopping every five minutes during a football game to check the spot of the ball. It will take some experimentation to see just how far we can let it go; but I trust that people, as sports fans and caretakers of their game, will know how much we need. The key will be to make sure we are


providing enough help to officials in getting it right, but not overstepping the boundaries of letting technology control the game. Even with instant replay, at any level, human officials should be controlling almost the entire game. It’s just that decisive moment in the waning seconds of an overtime barn-burner, or the climactic occurrence of history being made where it might be nice to have the freedom to take a second look.


Shortstop Adam Dolan tries to turn two against Nashua


is still where you want to buy your next car


NEW 2010 FORD FUSION SE


#0811, Sync Voice Activated System, Auto


0% APR


YOU PAY


MSRP ..........................................$23,370 FOL DISCOUNT ............................$1,371 FORD RETAIL CASH ....................$1,000 FORD PROMO CASH ..................$1,000


$19, YOU PAY


FMSRP ..................................$40,000 FOL DISCOUNT ....................$3,201 FORD RETAIL CASH ............$2,500 FORD PROMO CASH ..........$1,000 FORD CREDIT CASH ............$1,000


up to 60


mos.* 999


NEW 2010 FORD F150 SUPER CAB LARIAT 4X4


#0704, Chrome Step Bars, Pickup Box Access Step, Lthr Htd/ Cooled Seats


0% mos.*


APR up to 60


ORD COMM UPFIT CASH ......$500 $31, 799


2005 FORD FOCUS SES SEDAN 41K MI. #0730A .................................................................$6,999 2003 FORD MUSTANG V6 COUPE #0233A ..............$7,999 2007 TOYOTA YARIS SEDAN #0753A ....................$8,999 2006 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CVT #0802A ............ $10,999 2008 PONTIAC G6 GT #P16694 .......................... $11,995 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA SLE ONLY 32K MI. #0648A .............................................................. $11,999 2006 FORD EXPLORER 4X4 V6 #0647A .............................................................. $13,999 1991 MERCEDES- BENZ 600SL CONVERTIBLE #0719B ............................................................... $14,999


YOU PAY


MSRP ...............................................$17,895 FORD RETAIL CASH ..........................$2,000 FORD PROMO CASH ........................$1,000 FOL DISCOUNT .....................................$896


$13, YOU PAY


MSRP .............................................$26,520 FOL DISCOUNT ................................$1,521 FORD RETAIL CASH .......................$1,000 FORD PROMO CASH .....................$1,000


$22,


NEW 2010 FORD FOCUS SE SEDAN


#0748, 0747


0% APR


up to 60


mos.* 999


NEW 2010 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4X4


#0727 0%


APR AVAIL.*


999


2005 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT CREW CAB HEMI 4X4 #0718A .............................................................. $14,999 2006 MERCURY MARINER PREMIER 4X4 V6 #P16875 .............................................................. $14,999 2005 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO 4X4 V6 #P16843A .......................................................... $14,999 2007 SUBARU IMPREZA AWD #P16874 ............. $14,999 2005 TOYOTA RAV4 4X4 #0728B ....................... $14,999 2010 KIA OPTIMA LX AUTOMATIC #P16873 ............................................................ $15,999 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO LT271 1500 4X4 EXT. CAB #P16743A .......................................................... $15,999


MSRP .............................................$19,540 FOL DISCOUNT ...............................$1,041 FORD RETAIL CASH .......................$1,000 FORD PROMO CASH ..................... $1,000 FORD COMM UPFIT CASH ...............$500


YOU PAY $15, YOU PAY


MSRP ..........................................$33,835 FORD RETAIL CASH ....................$2,000 FOL DISCOUNT ............................$1,836 FORD PROMO CASH ..................$1,000


$28,


Londonderry of


10 minutes south of manchester 10 minutes north of salem 10 minutes east of nashua


NEW 2010 FORD RANGER XL R/C


#0641, 0629, Auto


0% APR


up to 72


mos.* 999


NEW 2010 FORD EDGE SEL AWD


Sync Voice Activated Sys., Class II Trailer Tow Pkg, #0610


0% APR


up to 72


mos.* 999


2007 FORD FUSION SE SEDAN #P16847 .............. $15,999 2008 FORD E350 WAGON 12 PASS. VAN #P16390 ............................................................ $16,999 2006 LINCOLN ZEPHYR M/ROOF, NAV. #P16705 ............................................................ $17,995 2007 E 350 UTILITY BODY #0719A ..................... $17,999 2006 DODGE CHARGER R/T M/ROOF, LTHR., 345 HP, #0831A .............................................................. $18,495 2007 HUMMER H3 4X4 #0729B .......................... $18,999 2008 FORD ESCAPE XLT V6 4X4 #P16818 .......... $19,499 2006 FORD EXPEDITION LIMITED M/ROOF, NAV., DVD #P16745 ............................................................ $23,845


* 0% ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH WITH APPROVED CREDIT. EXCLUDES TAX, TITLE, AND REG. FEE. PRIOR SALES EXCLUDED. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. MUST FINANCE THROUGH FORD MOTOR CREDIT FOR FORD CREDIT CASH. MUST OWN COMPANY FOR COMMERCIAL UPFIT. VEHICLES FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. SALE ENDS 8/9/10.


1.888.865.1166 ROUTE 102, EXIT 4 OFF I-93 Client: FordofLondondery YOU PAY


MSRP ..............................................$38,680 FORD RETAIL CASH ........................$4,000 FOL DISCOUNT ................................$2,681 FORD PROMO CASH ......................$1,000 FORD COMM UP FIT CASH ............$1,000


$29, YOU PAY


MSRP .................................................$42,124 FORD RETAIL CASH ...........................$4,000 FOL DISCOUNT ...................................$3,125 FORD PROMO CASH .........................$1,000 FORD BONUS CASH ...........................$1,000


$32,


XL R/C 4X4 DUMP TRUCK Auto, #0414


NEW 2010 FORD F350


0% APR


up to 72


mos.* 999


NEW 2010 FORD F250 XLT 4X4 SUPER CAB


#0229


0% APR


up to 72


mos.* 999


2008 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB SRS AUTO 4X4 #1044A .............................................................. $23,999 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 4MATIC #P16675 ........................................................... $23,999 2007 FORD F150 CREW CAB LARIAT 4X4 #P16707A .......................................................... $24,999 2007 MAZDA CX-9 GRAND TOURING AWD NAV. M/ROOF #P16869 ............................................................ $25,999 2006 FORD F350 CREWCAB DUALLY 4X4 DIESEL #1031A .............................................................. $29,999


Londonderry of


SHOP ONLINE 24/7 @ WWW.FORDOFLONDONDERRY.COM


EndsMonday Sale


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12