Saturday, May 30, 2009

Next Time, This Time


Holy Redeemer's run through the state volleyball tournament ended on Friday, as the Royals went 1-2 and were eliminated from pool play. Your Royals tied for third in pool A, but only the top 2 teams advanced to play on in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Losing is always hard, but the nature of sports is that there is always a next time. Pro teams that come up short can always say "wait til next year". This level is different, however. This time is last year's "next time". This time is the last "next time" for the seniors on any of the teams. Here in the house of FotoFink, this was the last of 3 journeys through high school athletics. In the words of Jim Croce, "There ain't gonna be a next time, this time"

Right now, of course, the loss stings. We may all be pondering the what-ifs, we may all have ideas as to what went wrong. Given some time though, how will we look back on this tournament, or this season? Here's a little perspective, from my experience of 6 seasons of Biho/Hore volleyball-

This was the first time we have made it to the PSU tournament since the format was changed to include the regional elimination game that we played last week. In 2006, (our last trip) first or second place in Districts sent the team to PSU, and I believe that there were 16 teams in that tournament. Simply qualifying for the top 8 is arguably the best we've done in recent memory.

After an informal poll of people who should know (Mrs. FotoFink & Brian May) we think this was the fourth trip to states in the last 6 seasons. That's impressive all by itself. Since it was the third that included a Finkernagel on the roster, it was my third trip also. It was the first time I recall not being mathematically eliminated before the third match. The tension during the Masterman games (the first 2, anyway) was incredible. That's why you play, cheer, or watch sports.

Were we close? Consider this- We beat Northeatern. Northeastern beat Deer Lakes. Both of those teams advanced. The truth is, we were competitive in a tournament that included us and the top seven other teams in the state. Not so bad by any standard.

edit 5/31/09- Here's something else to consider- Northeastern lost to Ambridge in the championship game on Saturday, arguably making them the second best team in the state. Is that satisfying, or does it add to our frustration?

Some slightly more random thoughts-

Our lone stumbling block for the season, North Pocono, was also eliminated with a 1-2 record. If you are at all vengeful, that is a little satisfying. In truth, I think it would have been nice to see one of us advance, if not both. If it wasn't going to be Holy Redeemer, then I would have liked to see the Trojans playing on Saturday. The format for the tournament/tiebreakers was complex, in the end, I think North Pocono got the short end of that process, and probably should have gone to the semis.

Considering the number of Coughlin players at the tournament, I thought at first that someone forgot to tell them that they had to WIN on Tuesday to qualify. What was even more surprising was their continued fascination with North Pocono. All the Coughlin players (turned fans) cheered for the Trojans, while I hardly saw any at our games. I've said it before- cheer for who you want to, it's a free country. I just don't get it.

It looks like North Pocono will be off of our regular season schedule next year. That's is truly a disappointment. Competition makes both teams better, and I would say that both teams have benefitted from playing each other for the time I've been watching.

It seem that sports are done for the year, so FF is close to the summer hiatus. I have at least one more update planned before that, as I consider what a Finkernagel-free FotoFink will look like. Stay tuned.

One last time-

PSU Games

Site

See you..... Wow. I'm not even sure when!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I Put A Spell On You


It's hard to explain the games at Whitehall High School on Tuesday night without considering hexes, jinxes, or spells. Hore faced Becahi in the preliminary round of the state tournament, the winner would earn a trip to Penn State for the quarterfinals, and the loser would have some extra time to study for finals. Your Royals cruised through the first two games, chanting their way to convincing wins. Then....

Well- Choose your curse for an explanation of the next 2 games. Becahi won game three fairly easily. Hore led late into game four, then couldn't finish it off and lost a close one. What looked like an easy night was then headed to a game five- fifteen points to decide the season, with all the momentum on the Hawks side.

For those of us looking for more Royal volleyball this season, game 5 was a welcome relief. Fewer errors, and a more effective attack led HR to a victory that seemed like it should have been a lot easier. Easy or hard, a win is a win, just as last week a loss was a loss. The end result- Penn State on Friday, for the first time as Holy Redeemer.

A few hours later, now that my heart is out of my throat, here are a few thoughts-

I still don't like chanting, but I don't dislike it quite as much. It clearly rallies the team.

Becahi = Worst uniforms ever? I am pretty sure that this guy brought me the ShamWows I ordered at Christmas. What can Brown do for you?

Diesel has to be thinking "If there was one more chair, I could sit too"

Check out Mike Desciak, making the Mike Zurek face-of-the-day.

Nice.

Regarding the title, I am cheating a bit, since I am not quite up to CCR yet in my project. I couldn't find anything appropriate from Phil Collins, so I looked ahead a little. I never saw CCR live, since I was 10 when they broke up (It's nice to be too young for something). I do have some fond memories of seeing a cover/tribute band several times at some local venues (bars). Does anyone else remember a band called Revival, that played at The Station, and Cook's? The Station had a spin-the-wheel-for-drink-prices happy hour that sometimes interfered with my enjoyment of the music though.

Here's what you need-

Game

Site

See you on Friday.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Ain't That A Shame


As many had foretold, your Royals got another crack at North Pocono, only this time the district championship was on the line. North Pocono was on a roll, having won every single game of their season so far (think about that- they swept every match they played- whether you like them or not, that's impressive), but HR had made some changes, and was playing at the highest level of the season thus far. The stage was set for an exciting rematch. Considering the foot wear, this guy, for one, must have been expecting a bloodbath.

These two teams did not disappoint. The Royals carried a lead into the late part of the first game, but the Trojans came back & eked out a victory. Then the Royals did what no team had been able to all season- they defeated North Pocono to take the second game. There was a feeling that this could be anyone's match.

It wasn't anyone's match- the night belonged to North Pocono, as they won the third game easily, then the fourth in a nail-biter to take the district crown. Congratulations to the Trojans- they are a strong team and had a great season- If they'd stop that chanting, I might actually be able to support their run through the State tournament.

Ultimately, the Royals are left with the runner-up seed for next weeks State tournament. Tuesday looks like a 5:00 match against Bethlehem Catholic at Whitehall, a win there sends the team to Penn State on Friday for the Quarterfinals.

As always- A few thoughts-

You may be aware that we here at FotoFink are no fans of the chanting, but your beloved Royals have been one of the biggest offenders of late. I am told (but am not yet convinced) that OUR chants are different- they are original, actually mocking the traditional nonsense that "other" teams spew out. For example, one of the most annoying (as if it's even possible to rank them) has always been "Roofio, Roofio, Roof - i - o" when a player's kill is blocked at the net. OUR chant, is actually "Lucio, Lucio, Lu - ci - o" which is a reference to the curly-haired young man on the left side of this shot. Is ours better? Again, I am not yet sold.

It's hard to see what's going on in these two shots, so let me help. As the North Pocono players are being introduced, our fans have elected to snub them by turning their backs and ignoring the introductions. I loved this- reminiscent of the scene in Mystery, Alaska as the Rangers are introduced.

Everyone has the right to cheer for who they wish, of course. I have to say, however, that I was disappointed that the Coughlin team stuck around to cheer for North Pocono. What's the logic there? Are those guys all cousins or something?

Our next opponent is Bethlehem Catholic. The school seems to be referred to as "Becahi" in most of the media that I've seen, which must be an abbreviation of BEthlehem CAtholic HIgh school. Cool stuff. I am going to start using it for HOly REdeemer.

Depending on your age, you may recognize the title as this, or this, or maybe not at all. I usually prefer original versions, but I'm a bit partial to the drum solo and guitar intro to the cover version in this case.

By now you know the drill-

Game

Site

See ya Tuesday.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Look at me, I can be.... centerfield


Our staff has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get to a baseball game for a few weeks now. Mrs. Ell floated the idea out some time ago, and ever since we have been looking for opportunities. Between travel obligations, volleyball, and soccer, it was not until Friday that we were able to make it happen. Just in time, as it worked out, as the Royals season came to an end with the hard-fought battle at Lake Lehman.

Since I only recognized a few of the players, I am going to assume that this is the first trip to FF for some of you- Here's a quick user's guide-

There are 2 links at the end of this "speech" One will take you to a gallery of shots from the game, one will take you to the main page of the FotoFink website, where you can navigate to find over 20,000 pictures, mostly of Holy Redeemer athletes. All of the photos are for sale, and I hope you like them enough to buy some. I have set the prices at about half of what most pro photographers charge, considering the time and effort involved in all this, I am clearly not doing it for the money. It is nice, however, to have a few extra dollars available when it's time for a new lens, so feel free to order early & often.

Usually, I will title each photo with the player's name. Since I knew so few of the baseball players, I did not do this at all- you will have to page through the gallery to find what you want. For most other galleries, you can type your player's first name into the search box to find the shots of him/her on the site.

Most of the photos are cropped to 5x7. You can order any size, of course, but any other size will require some cropping in checkout. It's easy to do, you'll see during checkout. Just be aware of what you are including or leaving out of your photo.

If you poke around the site, you'll see some collage-type posters, wallhogs & other fun stuff. Contact me if you are interested in any of those. My email is the best way to reach me- sfinkernagel@hotmail.com.

Since this was my first time shooting baseball, there was naturally much to learn. In general, the first base side provided the better angle for the right-handed batter. Occasionally, there were some obstacles though.

The "Holy Grail" of baseball shots among photographers is the BOB- Bat on Ball. From what I can tell, it sometimes eludes pros for years. I got close, but was surprised how hard it really is.

OK- enough from me. Here are the links-

Gallery

Entire Site

BTW- If you are following along, no, I haven't actually gotten to John Fogerty yet. I just couldn't miss the opportunity to use that song, so I skipped ahead a bit. Back to Cheap Trick next time.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Stiff Competition


In any elimination tournament, as play continues, the competition improves. This fact didn't seem to bother HR today, as they swept the Coughlin Crusaders in 3 straight games, earning a shot at the district title on Friday, and an early round to the State tournament next week.

I've mentioned before how little I really know about volleyball. One thing I am sure of, however, after 6 seasons of watching, is that momentum is a huge part of the game. For games 1 and 2, Coughlin got none, and fell by some lopsided scores. Game 3 was different, as HR needed to come from behind late in the game to get the victory, but again- once momentum was with us, the result was a victory.

Some random thoughts from the afternoon-

This picture, and this one, look similar. So much so, that you may assume that they were one of those rapid-fire magic camera things. They are not. They were taken several minutes apart, which you can sort of tell by looking at the fan sitting behind coach in one shot who's not there in the other. Why is that important? Maybe it isn't, but to me, it shows an organized team running consistent plays. We will need to be on top of our game on Friday, let's hope that this is a sign that we are.

We stayed for the first N Pocono/Lackawanna Trail game, and Trail was able to keep it close. Discuss this among yourselves- Is this a good thing for us on Friday? Does it mean that N Pocono is beatable? Or will it just be a wake-up call for a strong team? We'll know in less than 48 hours.

Bad socks seemed to be the norm today. Here's another point for discussion- Since these are Adidas socks, does that make them cool to wear with sandals? I say no. This is the second time we've seen this combination, so I will assume that it is intentional. (there's an old joke there- they guy with mismatched socks who says "no no, these are good- I have another pair just like them at home!) I suppose the idea is to distract your opponent so much that it takes them off their game. It wasn't working.

I have a strong dislike for rules, but there are a few that I try to live by. First off, never, ever, ever assume that a woman is pregnant, until you see the head crowning. (I believe that was a Seinfeld line, but all the best material is stolen, so give me some slack here) Second, if you are ever unsure of the male/female question, just avoid the situation all together. There is no safe choice, and no way to smooth over a mistake in either direction.

I set about a mission earlier in the season to get a picture of Erica smiling. Had our season ended tonight, I am happy to note that my work is done.

Our blog title/song title tie-in today is from Cheap Trick, track 4, side 2 of the Heaven Tonight LP. Lots of fond memories for me of Cheap Trick, back to the summer of either 1979 or 1980, live at the Allentown Fairgrounds. A few things stand out in my memory of that show- Route 22 was a traffic disaster (that hasn't changed in 30 years), a band called The Rockets opened up, (their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" was their only claim to fame), and when it came to the part in "Surrender" about having my Kiss records out, they actually threw Kiss albums into the stands. It's the little things.

See you Friday, for the late game at Wyoming Area. Until then-

Here are the shots from today.

Here's the whole site.

We're all alright.

Good Times Roll


Upsets are exciting. Miracle on Ice. Villanova/Georgetown. Giants/Patriots. They are especially so when you are cheering for the underdog, of course, so I understand if Berwick isn't sharing in the excitement just yet. Going in to Monday night's game, however, Coughlin had to be considered the underdog. The end of the regular season had not gone well, and they were facing the number one seed in the district tournament. Add to that an early goal by Berwick, and shortly into the game it seems like the end for the Coughlin girls. The Crusaders knew better, however, and some inspired, come-from-behind play led them to a 3-2 victory and a date with Dallas for the district championship. Good stuff.

A few thoughts-

This shot would have ordinarily been deleted. It's blurry, and there are no faces. I kept it, because that ball went in. The first goal, I believe.

Caption this.

Maybe you can tell, I like the celebration pictures. Nice air on this one, Olivia.

This one may be even better. The game is over, victory is ours. The girls are excited, raising their hands in triumph. Now look at the lower right corner. Celebration road kill.

Time to go. Good luck in the district finals, and on States!

Game shots are here.

All of the FotoFink fun is here.

Double Life


Lots of meaning in this post's title- Monday brought a doubleheader of girl's soccer, and while I clearly had favorites in each game, there were also some ties to the opponents as well. It's funny how a few picture sales can affect my allegiances.

The opener saw Holy Redeemer taking on Dallas for the third time this season. Each of the first 2 games was a 1-0 victory for Dallas, but somehow, this one just felt different. Although Dallas dominated play, the Royals were getting chances, and also a few breaks. Between a missed PK, a few fortunate posts, it almost seemed like maybe this could be HR's day. (Night, actually. Kinda cold too.)

By now, of course, we know that it was not. Dallas scored on a perfectly placed free kick, and that goal held up to send them on to the district finals, and ended Holy Redeemer's season.

Lots to do, as always, so here's a few quick thoughts-

If you have been trying to look it up, let me save you the trouble- Double Life is not a Jimmy Buffet song, I am finally past that artist on my quest towards Warren Zevon. For new readers, I am in the process of recording all of my old vinyl records to digital- It's a lengthy process, but I have been drawing inspiration from the song titles for the blog entries. Double Life is a track on The Cars second album, Candy-O. Great cover art, but a disappointing effort considering how strong the first album was.

Nope. Maybe next year.

I found it interesting that I overheard two different people on the sidelines of the game that were amazed that girl's soccer has grown to this level. I am not. In fact, I am amazed that there are not more fans and support for the game. I have no interest in sparking this kind of debate, or this, so I will let it go at that.

Enough of my ramblings. The game pictures are here. All of the shots can be found here.

I wonder how many of you are getting smart & skipping right to the bottom for these links?