At least the games are being played. Covid attaches a question mark to so much. Are the players still wearing masks? I have suspected that's difficult to cope with.
Our BBB Tigers actually entered Tuesday with an undefeated record. That finally changed at the home of the Dutchmen. Every time I think of Melrose, I think of superstar Mark Olberding of my youth. He went on to a pro career. Fast-forward to the present: the Dutchmen thumped our Tigers by a margin of 30-plus points. The scoreboard story was 82-49.
A quite robust offense by the Dutchmen, or pretty serious defensive lapses by the Tigers. Our record now is 5-1. Melrose's mark is 6-0. Melrose led 36-27 at halftime. Our woes increased in the second half as we were outdone 46-22.
What happened? Well, our congratulations to the Dutchmen to be sure. Mark Olberding! It was as if he's still there.
Brandon Jergenson was a bright spot for the orange and black: three 3-pointers in four tries. Thomas Tiernan was sharp again with 2/2 in that department. Cole Wente and Riley Reimers each made one '3'. We had three double figures scorers led by Tiernan's 16. Jergenson put in eleven points and Jackson Loge had ten. Other scorers: Sam Kleinwolterink 3, Wente 3, Reimers 3, Durgin Decker 2 and Toby Gonnerman 1. Loge dished out three assists. Tiernan had two steals. Tiernan and Loge each blocked a shot. Rebound stats were not reported in the WC Tribune.
Our MBA Storm boys hockey team has pulled up to .500 in won-lost. Tuesday success accomplished that. It was accomplished at the home Morris ice.
The Storm skated past Wadena-Deer Creek 3-2. Zach Bruns was a standout with his hat trick. Our record now is 3-3 while W-DC is languishing at 1-5.
Bruns put us up 1-0 in the first period with his goal at 3:08. Brady DeHaan assisted. Bruns got our second goal in the second period: he struck at 7:12 with assists from Sam Thompson and Kaleb Breuer. W-DC got on the scoreboard at 10:21 as Wyatt Murray scored with an assist from Cole Woods.
Then Bruns scored again, 11:37 with an assist from Brady Loge. W-DC finished the night's scoring with a third period goal. It was by Connor Davis with an assist from Evan Lunde (3:14).
Our goalie was Brady Backman who stopped 28 of 30 shots. W-DC's Josh Dykhoff stopped 23 of 26 shots.
The pandemic drags, yes
We hear that loneliness looms ever more as a psychological issue with the pandemic. Oh, but we also hear that families are getting stressed. Marriages are getting stressed.
The economics of the shutdown compounds all this of course. The Democratic Party wants to address this as best it can with a major stimulus package. I have some concerns about this, as I fear such moves increase the odds of inflation. A bigger concern is food insecurity and other such immediate matters.
Many people talk about kids suffering with limited in-school learning. People fear that "remote" learning is no substitute. They talk about a "lost generation." I do not share the worries about kids relying on their online devices. I am concerned about how teacher unions are responding to the current disruption.
I am 66 years old and with a considerable background of being close to school systems. Teachers would gnash their teeth as they read this - they would know my knowledge is way too intimate about their machinations. There is no way I can overstate my hatred of teachers unions. I assure you they push the 100 percent narrowest interests of members all the time. They do this while applying a "cloak" of ideals about how it's "all about the children."
Oh no it isn't. If you want to get a reading of the kids' best interests, talk to the board and administration. It's their job to know these things. The teachers look out for themselves, to try to get maximum SECURITY, maximum money and yes, maximum time off. "Oh, how disgusting for you to say that!" Oh no it isn't. I am 100 percent right. Don't bother me to try to argue that.
A Chicago teacher says normal school cannot resume because, well, the virus is still out there. If that's the measuring stick, get prepared for kids learning at home more or less permanently. What if a standard influenza outbreak happens? Can teachers just refuse without consequence to come to work at the building? Well, it all comes down to power, and if there's one thing that unions understand and utilize, it's power.
I have observed so much of this firsthand, I could throw up. But I try to contain myself.
If teachers want to stay at home and do whatever with teaching, it's because they simply like this arrangement. No commuting and less of the stress that comes with managing a hyper "student body" at school. There is no "student body." You can't beat keeping your pajamas on.
I do feel that kids can learn just fine at home and without constant strict supervision by "strangers," the teachers. The online platforms for learning are ubiquitous. But hey, if this is the route we are going to take in the future, as it should be, we don't need grossly overpaid faculty groups in all our communities. The unions with their irritating power should be shown the door. To hell with their chutzpah and disingenuousness.
Maybe you all can't see the forest for the trees.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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