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Sports & Entertainment DOME-INATION
JEFFREY T. BARNES
Army goalkeeper Sam Somers takes a hit while trying to the clear during their game with Syracuse on Sunday, Feb. 22. The second ranked Orange went on to defeat the ninth ranked Black Knights, 12-9.
Sacred Heart looking forward to challenge in semis
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
After finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record in league play, Sacred HeartAcademy will
face league foe Mt. Mercy in Saturday, Feb. 28’s Monsignor Martin High SchoolAthleticAssociation semifinals at Canisius College. The Sharks faced Mt. Mercy once during the regular season, on Jan. 5, and the results of that game foreshadowed the challenge that Saturday’s game will be. In the game on Jan. 5, Sacred Heart came out victorious, but not before falling behind in the third quarter and mounting a comeback in the fourth. The
Flames top GI in hockey semifinals
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Williamsville East hockey players focus more on their teammates and the team’s success than on any individual accomplishments or even wants and frustrations. That focus was key in East’s 5-1 win over Grand Island Wednesday night (Feb. 25), a win that sends them to First Niagara for the Section VI finals on March 2. The Flames jumped out to a 3-0 lead less than halfway through the opening period.
Jack Kelly scored the first goal but was quick to deflect attention to his teammates. “We came out pretty hard,” Kelly said. “I thought it was a good team effort to get the first three goals, and it was hard work by the whole team, not just me.” Chris Winiecki, who finished the night with two assists and a goal, agreed. “Our team played really hard tonight, and I was blessed to get those two assists and that goal,” he said. “The last goal was on my last shift, and it was a great pass. I was in the right place at the right time, and I’m just looking forward to Monday, to winning another sectional title.” Winiecki is a senior this year, and while Wednesday’s win gave him the opportunity to play at
See “Hockey” on page 7
Sharks trailed 51-45 after three quarters before tying the game by outscoring Mt. Mercy 17-11 in the fourth quarter. The game went into overtime, and Sacred Heart scored 14 points to Mt. Mercy’s seven. The Sharks won, 76-69. Sacred Heart coach Sister Maria Pares is expecting a similar challenge on Saturday. She and her team know that it won’t be easy to beat a talented team like Mt. Mercy. “Sacred Heart is preparing for
the playoffs aware of the excellence of the Mercy team,” Sister Pares said. “It is playoff time and we expect to be challenged.” With 76 points, the game was the second best offensive performance for Sacred Heart, outdone only by a tournament win the previous week. If Sacred Heart can continue to put up that kind of offense, it has a good chance of winning this weekend’s semifinal game.
The Sharks will, of course, depend on top scorers Sarah Young and Kathleen Ryan to provide that offense. Young had 26 points in the Sharks’ previous match up with Mt. Mercy, and while Ryan had just five, she’s been providing much of the Sharks’ offense for most of the season. Julia Blujus also added 17 points in that game, and she’ll need to do the same this weekend. Blujus is a senior this year, so contributing to a semifinal
win would no doubt be an enjoyable way to finish her career with Sacred Heart. Young has also been key for the Sharks’ defense this season, and that game was no exception. She had 10 rebounds for Sacred Heart, as did Ryan. The Sharks are coming off a loss to Williamsville North as
See “Hoops” on page 7
Clarence swimmer happy with season but looking to improve
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Sam Costich is happy with the season he had swimming for Clarence this year, but he knows that he and his team can do better. After losing 16 swimmers to graduation after last season, Costich and his teammates knew that this year would be one of rebuilding. Taking that into consideration, Costich sees areas he and his team performed well in and other areas in which they can continue to improve.
“This season, we came in knowing we lost a lot of guys, phenomenal athletes and sectional finalists,” Costich said. “There were spots that could have been better; there were spots that could have been worse. We had a good individual year but not a great team year.” Personally, Costich can look back on his season and see the things he did well and the things he can improve in his senior year next year. “This year, I was pleased with my results, but I wasn’t thrilled,” Costich said. “The main goal, like everyone, is to go to states, but I’m happy. I finished fifth at sectionals in the 200-yard IM, and I ended up finishing eighth in the 100-yard freestyle. So I was really pleased I made the top eight in both my individual events. So overall I’m happy, but I see what I can work on and I’m excited for next season.” Costich has always worked
hard to improve, ever since he began swimming competitively at the end of seventh grade. He’s a junior now and has been on the varsity team since his freshman year. The work he’s constantly put in is the main reason for his success as a swimmer. “You want to come in always thinking, ‘What can I improve on today?’” Costich said. “And you just got to focus on that every lap of the pool. You got to think, ‘This isn’t my time to be lazy.’ You’ve got to be focused the entire time.” Costich and his team will continue to focus through the offseason to improve their technique and be prepared for next season. “Individually, we need to work on our technique for the team to improve,” he said. “So we already scheduled some summer swims that we’re going to do. As a club, we all joined either the Clarence swim club
Personally, Costich can look back on his season and see the things he did well and the things he can improve on. or the Stars swimming. And so we’re all going to really try to focus on the offseason more than we have in the past before the season starts.” Costich has specific techniques that he already plans to improve on during the offseason. He’ll focus on his turns in both events he swims. His other goal is the same as this year’s was, but with next year as his last at Clarence, it’s even more important now. “I want to improve and make state cut times,” Costich said.
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Senior enjoyed last season swimming at Clarence High
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Austin Geiger has been swimming since he was very young, and although his swimming career isn’t quite over yet, the Clarence varsity stage of it is. Geiger has been on the team since he was a freshman, and he’ll be graduating in the spring. Geiger says that the longevity of his swimming career is one of the main reasons for his success, along with the dedication he’s given to the sport throughout those years. “I’ve been swimming since I was in elementary school, and part of my success comes from swimming that long,” Geiger said. “And also putting the work in, like I’ve been dedicated so long that it just paid off in the end.” This season, Geiger focused on performing well, along with just enjoying the time he had left with his teammates. “Since it was my last season, I just wanted to have fun, swim a couple of my fastest times, and just be a part of a great team,” Geiger said. “And overall I think the season went really well.” Geiger also focused on helping some of Clarence’s new swimmers this season. He helped coach Eric McClaren
and was able to lead some of the younger swimmers through his experience. “Being one of the more experienced swimmers, I got to help the newer swimmers coming in,” Geiger said. “I got to help my coach a lot. And it’s just been a great life experience for me.” He is also happy with how he did in sectionals, in which he swam the 100-yard butterfly and the the 200-yard IM. “I did pretty well, I thought,” Geiger said. “I got a place for my team.” BRIGHT FUTURE Geiger says the future is bright for the Clarence swimmers, but they’ll have a lot of work to do to strengthen the team and be ready for next season. “Next year, I think there’s going to be a good amount of work for them to do because right now, our team is definitely at a stage where it’s got to build up stronger swimmers,” Geiger said. “But I definitely think that if they put in the work before the season and then at the beginning of the season next year, I think that they’ll have a pretty good season.” Geiger himself will be swimming in college. He isn’t sure yet where that will be, but he definitely plans to keep swimming in his future. But saying goodbye to his teammates, who have become like a family over the past four years, won’t be easy. “For me it’s sad because the team is basically my family,” Geiger said. “I just love the group of guys that I got to spend my time with. Some of them are my best friends.”
Williamsville North does little things well to win semifinals
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Although Williamsville North had split the season series with Orchard Park with a 5-2 win and a 2-1 loss, the Spartans knew that a win against the Quakers would require hard work and a well played game.And although both sides gave up goals within the first five minutes, it was North who scored two goals to Orchard Park’s one in that stretch. The 2-1 tally stood, and North will be playing NiagaraWheatfield in the Section VI championship finals March 2 at First Niagara Center. North coach Bob Rosen encouraged his team to focus on doing the little things right. In North’s 5-2 win over Orchard
Park earlier in the season, some lucky bounces aided the Spartans. “I showed the boys film yesterday, and I said, you know, we always talk about little things, doing little things well,” Rosen said. “And there was a twominute stretch in our last game (against Orchard Park), we were losing 2-1, and we went up 3-2. But there were two plays that if Orchard Park scores, it’s a whole different thing. And we preach doing the little things well, how games change on those little things, and they bought in.” Matt Noe scored North’s first goal just 44 seconds into the game. Orchard Park’s Cole Schiffman tied the game less than two minutes later, but North took even less time to take the lead back on Matthew Terrance’s netter. Brendan Cunningham assisted both North goals. Terrance was quick to give credit to Cunningham and the rest of his team for the goal and ultimately the win. “Brendan made a nice play, shot it, got it to the net, and then I was crashing the net. It hit off
the end wall, came out front, happened to just land right on my stick,” Terrance said. “It was a really special moment to get something like that early in the game, but I don’t know. I think of it more as a team win than me just getting the game winner.” Cunningham knew what he had to do to set up both goals, and he did his job well. “I knew I had to get the puck to the net,” Cunningham said. “When you get the puck to the net, great things happen, so I just drove wide, shot it, and we were lucky to get the rebounds and bury them.” THE KEY Goaltender Nick Stafford’s 24 saves were key to North’s win, as was strong defensive play from defenseman Kyle Wilk. Wilk liked what he saw in front of him from his team, as well, and how they held on for the win through the last couple minutes, even as the Quakers pulled their goalie in favor of the extra attacker. “We played really good tonight,” he said. “We moved the puck really well. We had great
discipline, even in the third period. Got a little shaky during the last remaining minutes, but we pulled out the win and that’s all that matters.” Rosen said the same. He’ll take a win any way it comes. “This time of year, all that matters is the W,” he said. “Winning ugly, winning any way this time of year, you just do whatever you have to do.” And they know that they’ll have to do more and play harder for a win next week. Last year, North lost to NiagaraWheatfield 3-2 in the finals. This year, the Spartans are looking for redemption. “I think we can definitely play better,” Cunningham said. “We’re all looking forward to (the finals) because it’s a rematch of last year; looking to get a little redemption. I think our chances are good if we stick together.” “I think we have to have a great week of practice, and I think we have a good chance of getting Niagara-Wheatfield,” Terrance added. “It all comes down to who wants it more, and I think our expectations are to move on from there.”
Williamsville East freshman finishes first in class at sectionals
By Melissa Brawdy SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Flames top GI in hockey semifinals
Michael Clough continued what has been a successful swim season with an impressive showing at sectionals on Feb. 7. The Williamsville East freshman finished first in Class A and second overall in the 100-yard “Hockey” from page 6 butterfly. Now Clough is looking least one more game, Grand many penalties as the Flames, forward to the state championIsland’s seniors weren’t so for- and even when a Flames player ships this Friday and Saturday tunate. But while they gave in didn’t agree with a call, he kept to frustration and picked up the his composure and didn’t react physical aspect of their game, the out of frustration. And for that, Flames kept their composure. Torrillo was proud of his team. For Kelly, it’s about the team. The boys did what they needed “You definitely have to think to do, and now they’ll look to about the team, and you hurt not what’s next. just yourself but the team by “I’m proud of them because taking a bad penalty,” he said. they could have retaliated and Winiecki focuses on what’s gotten into a crazy match,” Tornext. He doesn’t want to risk rillo said. “We just want to get injury, suspension, or hurting his the game and get out. For us, team by taking a bad penalty or it’s getting to Monday. That’s giving in to the physical game our goal, and now we’re there, that his opponent is trying to and we’ve got 45 minutes of force. hockey to play.” “When people are getting on Grand Island’s lone goal, me, I just look forward to the which came in the first few By Melissa Brawdy next game,” Winiecki said. “I minutes of the second period, SPORTS CORRESPONDENT think about, I don’t want to be was the only blemish for East. out in the next game, whether “We got a little complacent Clarence’s season didn’t end it’s an injury or a suspension. there, and they got one back,” I’m just looking forward to that Torrillo said. “I told the boys the way the Red Devils hoped next game, keeping my mind on I only got one guarantee, that it would. But in some ways, it that and not on what’s going on if we don’t give up a goal the ended better than they expected. A 6-2 loss on Tuesday (Feb. on the ice.” rest of the year, we’re going Both the focus on team and to win the state championship. 24) wasn’t fun for anyone, on discipline are something that They gave up one, so they’re in but the fact that it came in the East coach Mike Torrillo had trouble for that, so we got to get semifinals to the No. 1 seed worked to instill in his players. back to that. We’ve got to play after Clarence defeated another good team in the quarterfinals “It’s discipline,” Torrillo good defense.” said. “They know I won’t stand Williamsville East will face was something to take comfort for it, and it’s not just me. It’s Kenmore East on Monday, in. And six regular season wins, them understanding that if they March 2 at First Niagara Center. including tournaments, was lose their composure, if they But the game plan is the same more than some expected from an inexperienced hockey team. lose their discipline, it’s going regardless of the opponent. Clarence will lose six seniors to cost the team. The kids are “We’re going to come out really buying into the fact that and give it our best shot,” Tor- to graduation this year, and hey, I don’t want to hurt the guy rillo said. “We’re going to get sophomore Nick Lunetta said next to me. Because if I take a out and get after them and play that Saturday’s Feb. 21’s 2-1 win dumb penalty, it hurts the guy our game. We need to get out over Lancaster was for them. who doesn’t get out to play, it and do our jobs, and if we do puts our team as a hole, and we our jobs, hopefully good things have to kill the penalty.” will come.” The Vikings took twice as
(Feb. 27-28). Clough has been swimming for six years and now trains with the Buffalo Area Aquatic Club. And he works hard to swim faster and constantly improve. “I train six days a week, two hours a day,” he said. Coming into this year, Clough’s goal was to qualify for states. Going into sectionals in early February, Clough was the No. 1 seed after a preliminary time of 53.56. Clough was able to have a successful sectional meet, finishing with a time of 54.17, which was the best time in Class Aand second only to Starpoint’s Brandon Smith at the meet. He was also able to achieve his goal of qualifying for states,
and Clough was happy about that. “My goal for the season was to make the state cut, and I was able to do that at sectionals,” he said. “I was really happy about that.” In fact, he’s happy with the way he swam all all season. “Absolutely,” Clough replied when asked if he likes the way his season has gone. “The season was a lot of fun, and I’m really happy with how I did.” LOOKING AHEAD As he looks ahead to states this weekend, Clough is training hard and working to swim even faster to accomplish the goal he’s set for himself at states to finish in the top 24. “I’ve been training every
day,” he said. “I just need to swim one second faster.” And what will it take for Clough to increase his speed? “Just keep training,” he replied. Clough is only in his freshman year, so he has three more seasons after this to continue to improve, swim faster, and set even higher goals. For next year, his goals are simple. “Just to make it back to the state meet and get faster,” he said. This year, only a junior was able to finish with a time faster than his. Clough hopes next year he’ll be the one finishing with the best time at sectionals and perhaps surpass whatever marks he hits this year.
Despite semifinal loss, Clarence encouraged by season “It was pretty big,” Lunetta said of the win in which he scored Clarence’s first goal. “It was pretty much for the seniors; younger kids on the team did it for them.” A strong goaltending effort by junior Jack Niestyty was also key to Saturday’s win, but Niestyty didn’t have the same luck in Tuesday night’s loss to Niagara-Wheatfield. Niestyty was pulled just nine minutes into the game after he gave up Niagara-Wheatfield’s fourth goal. Senior Sam Gugino finished the game in net. He gave up two more goals, and Clarence was unable to climb out of the early hole. “Our goaltending tonight was good,” Clarence coach Richard Brooks said. “Both kids worked hard. They didn’t get the bounces. Things didn’t bounce right for them, and you saw what happened. They were able to build a hole that we could not come back from.” Clarence fought hard, but with such a young team going up against the experience and
skill of Niagara-Wheatfield, the result was no surprise. “I think there was no doubt who the better team was,” Brooks said. “Niagara-Wheatfield’s older, bigger, stronger. Obviously you want to win, but with nine sophomores and a freshman on the team, graduating only five seniors, the future looks bright.” Clarence will say goodbye to senior captain Josh Slowinski, who led the team with nine goals in the regular season and one in the playoffs. Senior Eric Grupp will also be missed, as he was second with six goals scored. Goaltender Gugino allowed an average of just 1.93 goals against in the five games he played. Andrew Kempton,Andrew Danzer, and CJ Carle will also be missed for the hard work they put in and the leadership they provided. Saying goodbye won’t be easy. “We’re sorry to see the seniors go,” Brooks said. “They’ve been around for a long time. Two of them have been here for three straight years with me, and it’s tough to say goodbye. But I think
our potential for the future looks very good.” Even this season was a pleasant surprise for Brooks. A small young team that he thought might be lucky to win a game in such a competitive division finished with an overall record of 7-12-1-2, including playoffs and non-league games. “So three goals gives us a record of 10-12,” Brooks said. “That’s pretty darn good for a team that I thought maybe would be lucky to win a game. So we’re not unhappy. We’re encouraged.” And Brooks is excited for next season and the potential his team has. So excited, in fact, that he and his coaching staff are beginning an offseason training program next week. “We’re looking for improvement even over the offseason,” Brooks said. “We’re starting an offseason program to try to get these kids to realize what it takes to not only be a good athlete, but a good competitive athlete. Our idea is that we want them to be stronger, better, faster.”
Team looks forward to challenge in semis “Hoops” from page 6
they enter the playoffs. They scored 56 points for the second consecutive game, but while the first game resulted in a 56-48 win, the second was a 66-56 loss. Still, there are positives to take away from the loss. Ryan had
an impressive offensive game, scoring 28 points. Young scored 17 points and had nine rebounds. If the girls can work together and get a few more contributions from other members of the team, they have a good chance on Sat-
urday in what looks to be a close and highly competitive game. “We look forward to a good game on Saturday,” Sister Pares said. A win Saturday would send Sacred Heart to the MMHSAA
finals on March 7 at Niagara University, and that’s their goal. “I know that we all want to win the Monsignor Martin championship,” Ryan said earlier in the season.
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Rod, Gun & Game Fishing adventures offer captivating fun in sunny Florida fish line didn’t take long. As we turned the corner to head back to the boat ramp, the air temperature was just a bit above 80, my face had taken on a familiar hourglass shape around my eyes where the sunglasses had been and my inner soul had regained some composure to return home and check for frozen water pipes. As we change our fishing tools back to long shaft ice augers and protective skin layers in WNY, we plan to keep up with the fishing at one of our favorite new places at http:// inshore2offshore.com. Without delay, we are starting a new winter getaway fund this week, just in case this extended sub-zero cold snap happens again next year! Anyone ever hear about global warming? Hmmmm. Like always, it’s good to be back home.
By Forrest Fisher OUTDOOR COLUMNIST
My better half and I travelled south a few days back and found that the recent, extended, subzero cold snap didn’t just take place in the northeast. The big freeze descended to the south too, but only for a day or two down there. In Tampa Bay, Fla., the water temperature was a bitter 60 degrees, the winds were from the east at four miles per hour and at 8:30 in the morning, the air was a chilling 65 degrees. As he backed his 21-foot boat rig into the water last Sunday, Captain Sean Goddard of Inshore-2-Offshore Fishing said, “Hey Forrest, it’s a little chilly for fishing today, but if you and your nephew (Jeff Liebler) are game, let’s give it a try, whadaya think?” I was only speechless for a half-second or less! “Please start your engines Captain,” I smiled a quick grin on the same day as the Daytona 500 speed race without even thinking. I was, of course, immediately compelled to remember to forget the four feet of snow surrounding our house in East Aurora. The decision was a nobrainer! I was so ready to fish in summer clothing, complete with the soothing odor of fresh sunscreen. We left the boat launch near Ruskin, Fla., and the 150 horsepower Johnson outboard motor whispered soft power as we idled through a half mile of no-wake zone – a Manatee protection zone, on our way to the open waters of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. While the primary offerings for catching big fish in the bay include a host of artificial lures and live baitfish, the ‘ol standby is live shrimp. Goddard had five dozen five-inch specimens in the bait live well. Through the day we fished these lively shrimp in various manners of presentation, including with ½ ounce painted lead head jigs, simple bare hooks (size 1/0 circle hooks) with a large split shot or the same rig suspended with a popping float, and off a simple three-way rig set for deep water fishing. Our goal was to target speckled trout, pompano, redfish, saltwater sheepshead and a host of other species – many bigger species, but you know what? The sun shined bright all day without a single cloud to interfere with making shadows. Who cares about fishing! It was so great to be on site here for the great weather and that giant ball of warm orange glowing in the blue sky. I’m not sure it mattered what we were fishing for. Besides that, Captain Goddard was such a welcoming and soft-spoken host with knowledge of the West Coast Florida waterways, just listening to him explain the feeding and migratory habits of the local
This Saturday, February 28, the Western New York chapter of Safari Clubs International will once again conduct their free annual bird house and Wood Duck house building project day. This event provides kids and adults with an opportunity to help conservation efforts in WNY with a simple and fun construction project. All materials are provided by Safari Club and there is no cost for participants. Project builders get to keep what they build and a free lunch of grilled hot dogs will be provided free of charge. Meet at Winter’s Rigging, 2110 Route 249 in North Collins, N.Y., starting at 9 a.m. For more info, contact Marvin Winters at (716) 337-3930.
Redfish are among common day-long catches in the warm Florida sun, as Charter Captain Sean Goddard gets ready to release one of many 3 to 5 pound redfish typically caught in the Little Manatee River near Tampa, Fla. game fish, the fishing tactics and the region, that was worth the price of the charter alone. We felt like we were part of a special weekend TV fishing show. Of course, it was even more special after leaving the icicles and snow back home for a few days. Captain Goddard demonstrated how to use the light tackle and live bait, and seemed to enjoy taking his time to teach us how to fish in the ways of the area. His strong family values and honest understanding of the
waterways was obvious as the fish kept taking my bait and the sunburn on our faces was taking on several new shades of skin tone. What fun! The light tackle was only a term that applies to salt water tackle, because Goddard’s light tackle was comprised of custom made 7-1/2 foot spinning rods and Okuma open-face reels loaded with very thin 30-pound test braid, terminated with a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader to the bait or lure. It didn’t take long for our hands
and clothes to get that welcomed fishy smell that reminds us why we wash our clothes after returning from fishing. Goddard showed us around his special and secret places to fish too, up into the backwaters of the Little Manatee River, where tarpon, trout, snook and redfish make their February residence common with warming spring waters on the incoming tide. The backwater bays and mangrove areas were quiet, peaceful and just what was needed to help my
frostbitten fingers forget the gloves I had been wearing just a few days before. Goddard has taken snook to over 40 inches in area waters! The sound of my snow blower seemed such a distant memory! The screeching sound of a high-speed drag whining with a big fish on the end was like fine music to my ears and so much better! The non-stop flight to the warm weather country of central Florida for a brief encounter with the beach and wetting a
Feb. 26: Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, monthly meeting, open to public, free dinner, George Washington Club, 2805 Niagara St., 7PM, info: 440-6995 Feb. 28: Annual Bird House and Wood Duck House building project, WNY Safari Club, open to public, meet at Winter’s Rigging, 2110 Route 249, North Collins, starts at 9AM, open to everyone, lunch provided, info: 337-3930 Feb. 28: Southtowns Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, Annual banquet and dinner event, Kloc’s Grove, 1245 Seneca Creek Rd., West Seneca, 6PM start, info: George Rockey 674-3075 Feb. 28/Mar. 1: Niagara Frontier Gun Show, Erie County Fairgrounds, 9AM-4PM, info: visit www.nfgshows.com Mar. 1: 3D Winter Archery, 2015 league, open to public, Collins Conservation, 2636 Conger Rd., 7AM-2PM, info: 432-6035
Paying tribute to a mentor I’ve never met By Mike Haim
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Ask anyone who was around when the Buffalo Braves played in the NBA between 1970 and 1978, and there’s likely going to be a pretty narrow list of “fondest memories.” Most involve legendary players like Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith, the rivalry with the Boston Celtics, and the playoff runs led by coach Jack Ramsay. For this writer, however, there was another element to attending home games at MemorialAuditorium harvesting pre-game notes and post-game statistics. To put it nicely, I tormented
a public relations secretary named Mary Wren and game statisticians every time I attended a game, asking for any game-related documents while my parents patiently waited in an Aud hallway, behind Section 2 of the Lower Golds. (Needless to say, there weren’t the security concerns you’d see nowadays with having a 10-12 year-old kid wandering court-side after a game.) That experience planted the seed that has morphed into nearly 35 years of working in various statistical functions in a variety of sports. Along the way, Mary became a good friend and worked beside me for more than 20 years at Bills games before her death a
couple of years ago. She always had a keen interest in various research projects I’d be working on, always looking for the newest nugget of information contained in what became known as “the HaimStats book.” But it was something she said many years ago that has stuck with me as an everlasting compliment: “You’re like a Buffalo version of Harvey Pollack.” In her days with the Braves, Mary was well-acquainted with Pollack, the legendary Director of Statistical Information for the Philadelphia 76ers who remains the only person who has worked in some capacity at NBA games since the league’s inception in 1946. He was even honored with
his own bobblehead night about 10 years ago. Needless to say, there’s only one Harvey Pollack. I had been aware of him since the 1970s, as announcers would routinely tell their favorite anecdotes involving the guy who developed various statistics - assists, blocked shots, minutes played, offensive and defensive rebounds - which are now considered part of the basic box score. Pollack also decided to have Wilt Chamberlain pose with a sheet of paper with a simple handwritten “100” to signify his record-setting single-game point total back in 1962. His compendium of various statistics, the “Harvey Pollack
Statistical Yearbook,” has been a staple of basketball coverage since 1967. Recently, it has included league-wide lists of dunks, streaks of individual 10-point games, players who fouled out, minutes leaders in “garbage time,” three-second violations, and jump ball leaders. Like any maverick, not all of Pollack’s work has been warmly received. The NBA didn’t appreciate his tracking each team’s won-loss record in games officiated by each referee. But in the end, there has been no way to hold back Pollack’s personality, especially when he embarked on a quest to wear a different tee-shirt every day and set a new Guinness world record; his streak
was more than 4,000 days old when the calendar turned to 2015. But the streak ended after Pollack was involved in a singlecar accident in a Philadelphia parking garage on New Year’s Day. His series of injuries reads like one of his classic lists: seven broken ribs, two broken hips, a broken pelvis, a broken jaw, and several lost teeth. Pollack, still hospitalized and unable to speak, has missed his first 76ers games in decades. His family waits and hopes for a recovery. So does anyone with an interest in sports statistics, especially folks like me who, despite never meeting him, have been immensely influenced by his work.