Tim Donaghy Going To the Big House

And we are not talking about Michigan’s football stadium, either. Donaghy will be spending a fairly light 15 months in the joint, where hopefully he refrains from betting on inmate basketball games and whether or not they will have chili for dinner.

Thursday Morning Quick Hitters

Really….NFL….do we really have this much of a problem with gangs? NFL Officials primary apologist and Tuesday guest on the NFL Network (I didn’t get to see this on TV because of the ongoing Time Warner/NFL Network debate) Mike Pereira talks about Paul Pierce…huh…if the NFL has such a big problem why is he talking Paul Pierce? Wouldn’t he point out a situation from his own league?

Now which Murray is it exactly that is the new head coach of the NHL Kings…Terry, that’s it, Terry Murray.

NHL’s Winter Classic 2 to be played at Wrigley Field on New Year’s 2009

NBA says calls made from Tim Donaghy to Scott Foster is absolutely nothing, yet in doing research it was found that when the betting line moved by two or more points in games Foster officiated, called a “big money move”, the big money went 7-0…..

Since there was NOTHING on the field last night…let me take an editorial bent in a non-editorial forum…Steve Solloway did a piece on the defunct AAA team that used to call Orchard Beach home, The Maine Guides. The Guides brought pro baseball back to Maine for the 1st times since the Portland Pilots in 1949. Owner Jordan Kobritz and now ESPN announcer Gary Thorne brought the excitement of pro baseball to Old Orchard and the entire state. Now comes the editorial…my opinions are not necessarily the opinions of The Central Maine Sports Blog, its sponsors or contributors. A lot of things happened to cause the Maine Guides to leave town…and most of it if not all was not Jordan Kobritz fault. All this time later Kobritz still has been made out to be the fall guy in the debacle. Believe me there are many villains, the bordering neighborhood, OOB town officials, lack of co-operation from Portland…many people are to blame. Kobritz is an easy target..a very unassuming, humble guy who loved baseball. Did Kobritz make mistakes, of course he did, but did he make big enough ones so that to this day have animosity shot his way from baseball fans in this state? No, he didn’t. Take a trip down to Old Orchard and take a look at how the town has allowed a facility, that could generate tax dollars, to fall apart! The concourses where fans once bought hot dogs is all grown up with brush, the outfield fence is all but gone and the former press box lies in ruins where vandals burned it down, pathetic! Town officials and a few neighbors who don’t want their “way of life” changed, ruined a positive thing. Now is the time for this wound to heal. Mr. Kobritz has not commented publicly since he left town and for what reasons? Because people still hold him in such low regard it basicallyhelps them to save face and push blame on the easiest target. Folks face the facts, without The Maine Guides, The Portland Sea Dogs do not happen period! Baseball fever was reignited by Kobritz and the Guides and it is high time the record was set straight and Kobritz welcomed back into his home state. Maybe with the 25th Anniversary of the Guides approaching next spring, someone can turn this thing back to the cool nights by the sea where we saw Doc Edwards do what Doc Edwards did best, manage a group of kids who wanted to make it in the big leagues.

Ok, I’m off my soapbox! Baseball is back tonight in limited form, check your local listings.

Tuesday Morning Quick Hitters

Josh Hamilton…..IS GOD!!!!! Oh and by the way Justin Morneau won.

K-Rod could possibly set the Jonathan Papelbon bar VERY high…filing for free agency after the season.

Peyton Manning has “procedure” on a bursa sac on his knee….so many jokes…so little time.

PEOPLE!!!!!! You can buy a WHOLE SEASON ticket for $300…Don’t succumb to Big Papi Fever!!

And now….a little golf….I used to love to watch Tom Watson play golf…I always felt he never got the credit or the notoriety because the era was so dominated by The Golden Bear, but Tom Watson had a sweet swing and played the game the way I thought that game should be played. Maybe that is a recollection of childhood, maybe it’s the truth…more likely somewhere in between..but it is British Open season, and with Tiger on the bench, now is as good as time as ever to look back and remember as Tom Watson plays his last Birkdale.

OOOOPS…Tim Donaghy, allegedly, may not be the only ref involved…SHOCKER!!!

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