Oh, Wolfie, where's the love gone?

I received a nice note yesterday through our “info” link on the website, otherwise known as the “anonymous-vent-your-spleen-at-Portland-therapy-portal”. The note was from someone calling him or herself “Wolfie” and in essence it took umbrage at my having characterized the Wolfhounds backline as “all universe” and went on to point out that more than half their tries had come through their forwards.

Well, let me start by saying that the note came as a nice change from the usual “Portland sucks, Seacoast will win D3” messages I’ve been getting all season, which presumably are either coming from Bob Winchester or our own coach. What’s more, the note was not in the least bit offensive, and ended with “Good luck this weekend and we hope to have the opportunity to even the score in a hard, honest and well-played match.” As do we all, my friend, and I thank-you for displaying the manners that are all too rare in anonymous hate mail these days.

So, on to the crux of Wolfie’s complaint, about that little “all universe” comment. Let me start by saying that we here on the PRFC editorial staff strive for journalistic excellence, and while the Pulitzer may have eluded us so far, we remain hopeful. Having said that, we are in the business of “driving traffic” (that’s an industry term), and from time to time we may employ what we journos fondly call “creative license”, or as you regular folks like to call it “lying”.

Now this may come as a shock to some our devoted readers (both of you), but it is true that in some cases we may have been economical with the truth in the interest of getting a laugh, riling the opposition or taking cheap shots at the league. Nowhere did we lay any claims to being “fair and balanced”. But, of the many whoppers told on this site, this “all universe” comment seems to me to be one of our more minor infractions.

To this end, I would like to present to the court (of public opinion) Exhibit A, which is the BIW’s own match report for their game against North Shore. I would like to draw the jury’s attention to the penultimate paragraph, and the offending line, “Our backs were far superior (and, if this backline plays again, is one of the best in the country)”.

Ah-ha, the smoking gun!

Now true, this does not say “all universe”, but Wolfie’s note claims, “no one from the B.I. Wolfhounds intimated that our backline was ‘all universe’”. So, not being the scholarly type, I looked up this word ‘intimated’ in the dictionary, and it turns out that the primary definition was, “to make known subtly and indirectly; hint”.

Now true, I did not mean that the BIW’s backs were really “all universe” since most of the other known planets have a hard time sustaining life, let alone fielding a decent backline. I was, in fact, simply employing...altogether now...creative license. However, it does seem to me that the BIW’s match reporter did wish to make known subtly and indirectly (ahem!) that their backline was very, very good, and the term “all universe” seemed best suited to paraphrase his own creative license.

So, Wolfie, don’t get me wrong, in my comment I was not seeking to belittle the efforts of the BIW forwards, but merely to make light of what just might have been a little hyperbole employed in your match report. Your backs are good, and so are ours, so are Seacoast’s, and even North Shore is capable of a few moves. That’s why we’re all at the big show, and soon we’ll get to strut our stuff in front of the Eagles selectors who will now no doubt be on the touchlines.

So please don’t take offense, and have a good time this weekend, and remember that just like charity, journalistic integrity starts at home.

No further questions, your honor.

Well that really sorted things out

Well, the Playoff round has come and gone, and are we any wiser?

Seacoast beat MIT 16-0.

Mountaineers forfeited to North Shore.

The Wolfhounds beat "team to be determined" (which was, I think, Middlesex) 35-5.

Rutland (and everyone below them) forfeited to Portland.

So there you have it. A real ding-dong weekend. That sets it all up for the Final 4 at Attitash this weekend.
On Saturday Portland plays North Shore, and Seacoast plays the Wolfhounds. The winners of each meet on Sunday for all the marbles.

Practice makes perfect, so make sure you get out there and get some. Riverton, 6-8pm, Tuesday & Thursday.