The Citizen, 1998-10-14, Page 9THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1998. PAGE 9.
At all costs
A downed Brussels Bulls defenseman does what he can to back up his goalie during the
action in front of the home net at Saturday night's game against Walkerton. The new-look
team continues to struggle but showed signs of getting it together with a narrower loss than
recent contests. (Ashley Gropp photo)
Tigers champions
again
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S ports
_J
From the sidelines
Small towns losing identity
Injuries plague Brussels Bulls
Thank You
The B & W Trailblazers would like to thank the following for their
generous donation of door prizes to our 10th anniversary celebration:
Walton Auto, Brussels Auto, Foxton Fuels, McCutcheon Motors,
Beretta Meats, Brussels Variety, Radford Auto, Todd's Bakery, Chris
Tenpas, Sholdice Insurance, Just For You, Oldfield Hardware, Brussels
Country Inn, JR's, Village of Brussels, Maitland Valley Insurance, Little
Darlings Hair, CIBC - Brussels, McNeil's Auto Body, McDonald Lumber,
Brussels Motors, Neil Beuermann, G & M Auto, Huron Feeding
Systems, Brussels Agromart, Brussels Livestock, Brussels Agri
Services, Maitside Apple Orchard, Gordy Bell, George of Brussels,
Grey Township, Champion Road Machinery, Winthrop General Store,
McGavin Farm Supply & Equipment, Hishon Sports, D & J
Construction, B & K Brodhagen, Vincent Farm Equipment, Middegaal
Pools, Janet's Donuts, Sparky's Restaurant, Cassidy's Farm
Equipment, Rose & Crown, Ray's Petroleum, McLaughlin Plymouth
Chrysler, National Trust - Mitchell, Western Tire, Friendly Farmer,
Crosswinds, Godfather's, New Orleans, Subway, Oliver McIntosh,
Ward's Power Leisure, Edmunds Garage, Faust Home Hardware,
CIBC - Mitchell, Smyth's Shoes, Mitchell Photographics, Day Break
Bed & Breakfast, Hay's Home Hardware, Molson's, Curby Walker,
Bacardi, Labatt's, Ont. Snowmobiler, McCarty Signs, Royal
Distributing, Yamaha, Ski-doo, Polaris, Arctic Cat, The Citizen.
By Hugh
Nichol
Thursday's
announcement,
that the Mon-
treal Expos
Major League
Baseball Team
ownership
group has 150 days to raise $50
million in new capital is yet another
example of the disparity between
desirability and affordability.
The Expos are a small market
team that cannot survive without the
benefits of tax breaks, nor can they
finance the construction of a more
"revenue friendly" stadium without
government funding.
It is the problem that led to the
departure of the Quebec Nordiques
and Winnipeg Jets hockey clubs and
continues to plague the operation of
teams in Ottawa, Calgary and
Edmonton.
The immediate answer is
impossible because even a recent
House of Commons
recommendation that professional
sports franchises be subsidized is an
issue that can be debated but will
never be resolved for too many
believe it is the owners who created
the market they no longer control.
The dilemma of being David in a
Goliath world is not restricted to
professional sports. The Listowel Jr
B Cyclones and Brussels Jr C Bulls
must be considered small market
because they lack two of the major
resources required for a
championship; 1) an unlimited
budget to simply buy a contender,
and 2) the housing of a major
university or in the case of the Bulls
a high school to attract prospective
signees.
For a student of Wilfrid Laurier or
the University of Waterloo the close
proximity of teams in Waterloo,
Kitchener, Elmira and Cambridge is
far more attractive than the
commute to North Perth while F. E.
Madill brings together players from
at least six minor hockey systems.
Although Wingham has not taken
full advantage to win an All-Ontario
championship, they have iced
competitive teams for the last 25
years, a duration the Bulls may
never experience.
Friday night the Brussels Junior
C travelled to Hanover with 12
skaters.
Hanover opened the scoring at
the 8:10 mark, then Brussels tied
the score with five seconds left in
the first as Andy Agar scored on a
pass from Brett Fischer and Chad
McCallum.
Shane Graham made 51 saves in
this game, however the skeleton
Bulls squad ran out of gas losing 8-
1 for the final.
Saturday the Bulls tangled with
Walkerton at home. Ryan
Gummerson struck first from Dave
Hardy and Corey Campbell.
Walkerton notched the next two
ending the first period 2-1 for
Walkerton.
The visitors added one more goal
in the second to lead 3-1 after .40
minutes. The Bulls scored with
4:08 remaining in the third as Dave
Continued on page 18
The Bulls mirror the Edmonton
Oilers situation. Both teams have a
successful past but are at the
moment in a rebuilding stage;
neither has the financial capability
of buying a championship and each
has experienced the possibility of
relocation. Even their coaching and
recruiting philosophy is similar in
that the best each has to offer is the
opportunity to play.
The impact of small market
problems is also a part of everyday
life in rural Ontario. Brussels is a
community that is denied the
resources to entertain through
outlets such as movie theatres,
bowling lanes or skateboard parks
and therefore any event that does
not cause property damage or bodily
harm is usually accepted if not
encouraged.
Over the past several weeks area
teenagers have torn themselves
away from the Internet, television
and Nintendo games, bypassed the
downtown loitering temptation and
gathered at the local park for a game
of pickup softball. When
approaching darkness threatened to
cut short their entertainment the
problem was solved with a flick of a
light switch. Last week however the
game came to an abrupt end when it
was discovered the electrical box
had been locked with the
explanation that if the lights were to
be used they would have to pay the
going rate.
These kids felt the reality of small
market teams for they could not
continue status quo nor did they
have the financial resources to
continue. By literally turning off the
lights we have forced those who
already must go elsewhere for
education and employment to leave
even earlier for recreation. Now, not
only can we not attract newcomers
but we are unable to provide for
those we have. We worry that with
amalgamation our identity will be
lost but the truth is our loss has
already begun.
Is it possible that in future years
our grandchildren will look at their
parents with that same bewildered
stare when they talk of Brussels that
our children give us when we speak
of Sunshine, Leadbury or Marnoch?
plated Pipe with a solid single to
right.
Brussels went up 2-0 as Pipe
bounced a single up the middle
cashing Shaw. Goderich tied the
score at two in the fourth but the
Tigers counted one in their half of
the fourth on a Tim Fritz inside the
park homerun.
The Dukes plated three in the
sixth to take a 5-4 lead. The home
side however rallied in turn in the
sixth to score five to take the lead
for good. Uhrig cashed two with a
single to right, and the next batter
S. Fritz smashed a three-run homer
to right centre, to make the final 8-
5.
Uhrig once again went the
distance for the home side fanning
Continued on page 10
...and now a whole lot more!
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lunch or dinner
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Open Monday - Saturday
7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
LONDESBOROUGH 519-523-9790
The Brussels Tigers captured
their fourth Huron County fastball
title with a three-games-to-one
series victory over the Goderich
Dukes.
In game one the Tigers got strong
pitching from Todd Uhrig to take
the first of the series 8-1 in
Goderich.
The Tigers hit the scoreboard in
the top of the first as Steve Fritz
plated Moe Pipe who had walked.
The Dukes tied the score in the first
on a single, stolen base and a
single.
The visitors counted four runs in
the second as Uhrig went the yard
with a grand slam to right centre,
scoring Pipe, Brian Neill, and Mark
Pennington ahead of him.
The Tigers added two more in
the third as Ron Strome cashed
Neill and Pennington who had both
singled.
Brussels ended the scoring in the
fourth as Doug Shaw singled to
score Doug Conley.
Uhrig went the distance on the
hill allowing only one hit while
striking out seven Dukes.
In game two, the Tigers again hit
the board in their first at bat as Fritz
Liumicaumsinenwetwassamsir DZIMWAri • .