The Tuesday game was played at Bird Island, according to the "Minnesota Scores" site. The four-game win skein has featured one-sided scores. Let's pause to appreciate: 56-27 over Proctor, 73-34 over Benson, 72-49 over Paynesville and 64-41 over BOLD.
The Tigers are making superb adjustments to the departure via graduation of Jackson Loge, to be sure. The team is scheduled to play at Sauk Centre tonight (Thursday).
Sorry, I cannot get the Tuesday game details from the West Central Tribune site. I cannot overcome the paywall. I can't even be sure the game is reviewed there - you never know - but considering the opponent was BOLD, the odds would appear good. I just cannot get there, sorry. It also appears that our coaching staff did not post individual stats on the "Maxpreps" site like they usually do, and like previous coach Mark Torgerson did about 90 percent of the time. That is a very useful service.
Any PR and reporting is good for the program, and I'd like to think that includes my own efforts. I'm checking the Maxpreps site at about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Perhaps stats could be posted later. I hope certain people aren't just trying to turn the screws on me personally. Maybe the newspaper does not like the coverage I supply? Keep in mind, I am a $ benefactor for the Morris Area school now.
In the absence of info from the WC Trib or Maxpreps, I will be severely hamstrung trying to cover MACA basketball this winter. I enjoy doing it. The Morris newspaper would want us to wait for each week's print edition. I feel that is totally unreasonable. The newspaper doesn't deserve support simply because it wants to keep its profit margin stable. We are in the age of the Internet now, something we ought to realize even out here on the desolate plains of western Minnesota.
Update: The stats for the BOLD game are now posted as of 11 a.m. So thanks a lot. I need to cool my jets a little.
Speaking of desolate or detached, we still see the same condescending attitude by the "big city" media writers when major news happens outside of the really big cities. This attitude on their part is becoming more dated with each passing day. Maybe there was a time when it was somewhat credible. Because of the tech revolution, there are no real backwater or "jerkwater" places around the U.S. any more. Remember how the Army colonel in "First Blood" talked about "Jerkwater USA?"
All you need is Internet access today to be totally connected to everything you need including culture and entertainment.
I bring this up because we see the old attitude percolating up with the Idaho murder cases. What a sensational story. So occasionally I have read somewhat dismissive comments about the city of Moscow, Idaho, and surrounding area. I have even heard the "Mayberry" comparison dropped, which is laughable. Mayberry? And just a couple days ago I saw a news update that described Moscow as "a small farming community." Exact words.
The city of Moscow has a population of 25,850 and is home to the University of Idaho. If you want to talk about a small farming community or a Mayberry-like place, let's talk about Morris MN.
Our UMM is conscious of this. That is why they've come up with the slogan "In the middle of somewhere." UMM people are conscious of the likely perception - heck, I have heard this in my travels - of UMM being in the "middle of nowhere." The slogan in fact reminds everyone of that, which is why I have criticized it. But I'm not as smart as the people running UMM.
One of the so-called "online sleuths" who has been in Moscow took us around town one evening to give us a feel for the place. He happened by certain hospitality establishments of which there were many, including quite specialized ones. A vegan restaurant? Two of the murder victims in fact worked there. A bagel shop. Various bars and restaurants. Plus of course the notorious food truck where kids gathered at an ungodly late hour on the night of the killings.
So upon watching the video from this online sleuth, I had to make a comparison with our Morris. Holy backwater Batman, there is no comparison. Moscow ID hits it out of the park compared to Morris. And yet the big city media writers insist on writing about Moscow as if it's an out of the way place, culturally deprived.
Well let me tell you, Moscow Idaho leaves Morris in a cloud of dust. That's just the way it is.
I wish UMM luck in its efforts to celebrate this place. I'm a senior citizen whose birthday is nearing and my standards aren't high for all the hospitality stuff. But I am thinking of young people and people who are new to Morris. I think we all know of certain people who have left here because they just couldn't take it anymore. I could drop a couple names but I won't.
MACA girls
Unfortunately the MACA girls basketball fortunes have not been good lately. Unfortunately, quite to the contrary. The latest exhibit was the 63-29 loss experienced by the Tigers Tuesday against Sauk Centre. Action was here at Tiger Center. Our previous game was a 63-24 loss at Paynesville.
The margins of defeat are discouraging. Is it one of those years when the program has some deficiencies talent-wise? That happens. Might we talk about coaching? I mean, at least talk about it? That has been an extremely dicey thing to do through Morris' history. But coaching controversies are common and they ought not be viewed as a big deal.
There are people who lecture us on how insignificant sports is, compared to "academics." Well, I think that's overblown. I also don't think we hear this as much as we used to. I personally think that co-curricular is maybe more important than academics. My view is probably still seen as radical. If you include music activities, my opinion gets elevated. Academics? Everyone can harness the world wide web any time they want to advance their knowledge. It's all out there. So let's just have fun.
And why not talk about coaching when a team is struggling? It's really a great American pastime. But in Morris the historical record shows that it's touchy. Systems can change and evolve. Maybe our GBB coach is doing just terrific. I have always liked the guy.
The MACA girls will host BOLD on Friday. Our won-lost record is 2-7. Our volleyball team lost in the first round of post-season. I will add re. the Morris newspaper: do not advertise unless it's because you feel your business will directly benefit. Do not advertise because you want to subsidize the paper. It's a private business like any other. And its print edition is just once a week. How would you grade their website?
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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