Let's see, how did MACA volleyball fare Tuesday? Checking the radio station site, I see a heading for "scores" so I guess that's all I get. I'll get the basic outcome and no stat highlights. So at least I have that: a 0-3 loss for the Tigers against Sauk Centre. The item does have game scores: 14-25, 15-25 and 21-25. A bleak night for our Tigers.
This is puzzling: kmrs tells us the Tigers are 10-5 and 3-7 in conference. I was instantly skeptical. The Tigers have been struggling. So let's look at the "Minnesota Scores" site which is a go-to place for basic data. "MN Scores" tells us the Tigers have a 5-10 record. The numbers got turned around. Had I done that in my newspaper career, my basic intelligence would be questioned in a number of creative ways.
Oh my, I am unable to find details from the Tigers' previous match which was versus West Central Area. Again I can only find the basic match outcome. "MN Scores" tells us the Tigers fell to the Knights 1-3. The Tigers have a loss skein of three going.
I can't find anything on the kmrs site for the WC Area match. C'mon people, just because a team is losing, don't drop the ball with media attention.
While I can't share a detailed post re. Tiger volleyball on this Wednesday, I can pay some attention to Benson which finally got its first win! Eureka!
Benson is in the news with its struggle to try to hold on to its long-time nickname and logo, "Braves" with the Indian feathers. Is it true that Benson has not gotten a response yet on whether they can get a pass on this? Benson has reportedly submitted a request to various Native American organizations. But I just cannot see why those organizations would "give" on this.
Benson clearly steps over the line with what it does. If it gets a pass, then all of the offending schools should have gotten a pass. Why bother with the new state law? Native Americans are not mascots, they are regular people. And it doesn't matter if certain local Native Americans might have said it's OK. They would have been put on the defensive by even being approached about this.
I wonder if at present, the various Native organizations will simply not formally respond to Benson's request. Maybe they'd fear some resentment by pouring cold water on what Benson is trying to do? My question: Why can't Benson show the obvious good common sense to move on from "Braves" with the feathers. Why be so tone-deaf? It's embarrassing.
I suggested recently that maybe the Benson administration should prioritize trying to inject a little more vigor into certain sports programs like volleyball. Do that instead of putting forth a display with the "Braves" thing. Well, it's a continuing story.
It's much more pleasant now to focus on the Braves' volleyball success of Monday night. It's a pleasure to write such material, keeps my morale up in life. So the Braves won at home over Lac qui Parle 3-1. Scores were 25-20, 12-25, 25-13 and 25-18. The Braves own a 1-12 record. Not sure the Native Americans would want to answer for that.
Benson has some new names that I'm not used to typing. So we see Sophie Krusemark excelling in serve aces with four. She's followed by Gwen Wilcox 2, Mya McGeary 1 and Sophie Hilleren 1. Julia Claussen was the go-to setter and she had 13 assists. McGeary had six.
Kills! Here it was Kaylin Grube leading the way with 11. Then we see Madison Osterbauer 4, Presley Nygaard 3, Wilcox 3, Alexis Hoberg 1 and Claussen 1. Grube came on strong with ace blocks with her ten. Osterbauer had two and Hoberg one.
Here's the digs list: Krusemark 19, Nygaard 11, Claussen 10, Wilcox 10, McGeary 9 and Hailee Ellingson 8.
I have written about Benson sports for a long time, am accustomed to seeing the Staton and Berens names a lot.
Morris media notes
I checked the web Tuesday night and could find no coverage of the MACA football game on the radio or newspaper websites. The game was of course played Friday. Homecoming is always a colorful and interesting affair. I could not find a photo gallery of the coronation on the newspaper site.
The Morris newspaper website is basically not worth checking. I might suggest it is an insult to us all. Wait, you think that's too harsh by me? Well let's click on "sports" for the Stevens County Times site, see what's there on this Wednesday morning.
- "Women's soccer shutout by Bethany Lutheran."
- "Men's soccer bested by Bethany Lutheran 4-0."
- "Happ brings home UMAC Special Teams award."
Notice the pattern here? It's all UMM. Don't we have some "Tiger" teams here too? Didn't MACA just play its Homecoming football game in front of a big crowd at Big Cat? Wasn't there a colorful coronation at the start of the week? The newspaper has a website all set up to accentuate MACA Tigers, or to even present the afore-mentioned photo gallery. There is nothing that you cannot do online.
When I was still at the paper, our then-manager Sue Dieter was talking big about our website. I was very concerned about overwork with all that was going on, and finally felt I had to take a hike, sadly. The website opened the door to a lot more criticisms that I might take as the producer of sports. There was no way I could stay any more.
And to think that all these years later, under different ownership, the paper would have a totally dormant, basically worthless website! Amazing.
The paper has only one print product each week which means that much news will be reported in a very untimely way. I know of a former MAHS administrator who would be hugely upset with this, would actually express himself in a pretty unpleasant fashion. I was tired of being around such demonstrations, finally realized I just had to get out. And it wasn't even easy "getting out."
The owner of that time eventually decided to just leave town. So cowardly. The tension of my final 3-4 months was a perfect example of how the working life can be a b---h. The management people could have softened a little just for the sake of basic humanity. Do it in the small town spirit of neighborliness. But no. We were owned out of Fargo.
Today we have the Anfinsons who do many things well. But why the total indifference about the paper's website? We can follow the UMM teams from UMM's own website. Why are the Tigers largely excluded? Can the Anfinsons answer that? With all due respect.
I personally blogged about our Homecoming football on Saturday on this "Morris of Course" site. I'm proud of what I did, did not even consider it "work." I "scooped" everyone else. It would be nice to have my efforts acknowledged in some way. Otherwise I'm just a retired "loner." It is getting old. I love being close to our school system.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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