WINNING HELPS HOOS GET HELP, FOR A CHANGE ... 'GOONS' BACK IN DANBURY

 Of all things:

So, Virginia’s suddenly revived football Cavaliers are 

winning again … and, for the first time in a long time, 

getting the benefits that go to successful teams (especially 

at home). Like?

Like Saturday night against Washington State when game 

officials made a curious call that led to a late safety and a 

22-20 win, the 18th-ranked Hoos’ fifth in a row.

No thanks to the confused, confusing babbling of veteran 

TV play by play voice THOM BRENNAMAN, the 

viewer couldn’t be sure why State allegedly called a fair 

catch, not by the player taking the post-game-tying field 

goal kickoff … but a teammate, and therefore (by rule) 

was forced to start a drive inside its own two-yard line.

Think about it. When was the last time you saw a player

other than the receiver signal for a fair catch? Never, 

probably.

Then we see the replay, and first question should have 

been who did it? The best Brennaman could do was 

something about “a terrible decision,” which, given what 

we could see, might/should have been directed at the 

game referee.

Anyhow, State eventually gave up a safety when RB

 KIRBY VORHEES hit the line, was stopped by LB

 KAM ROBINSON ... and it was ruled two points and 

the ball for UVA.

Never mind, from the best possible replay, it appeared 

Vorhees broke the plane of the goal line before losing 

control of the ball. The way Brennaman explained it, the 

fumble, which Vorhees recovered, was responsible for the 

“safety” call.

Later, much later, we learned Vorhees made the fair-catch 

call. No wonder the KO returner, LEYTON 

SMITHSON, appeared puzzled when whistles blew 

while he was running with the ball.

BOY, IF YOU ARE into reading a lot about nothing, you 

don’t want to miss insider PABLO TORRE’S continuing 

negative take on BILL BELICHICK, North Carolina 

football and JORDON HUDSON, 24, the 73 year old 

coach’s girl friend.

Torre, like many media enemies out to get Belichick, was 

the know-little-to-nothing who continues to be credited 

with an early report that Hudson had been banned from 

all UNC athletics, which proved untrue.

His latest stop-the-press involved a video in which the 

happy couple is heard saying something negative about 

NFL Films.

About Torre … he’s a Harvard alum (Class of 2007) who 

worked for ESPN for a while before spending most of his 

time developing a podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out.

THE FEDERAL PROSPECTS Hockey League, a pro 

circuit that refers to itself (in baseball terminology) as 

Class A, decided in this, its 16^th season, to follow the 

NHL rule book … as much as possible. Should have 

known better, especially now that AJ GALANTE is back 

in Danbury, Conn., running the FPHL’s Hat Tricks.

Local fans, who are old enough to remember the 

Richmond Riverdogs of the United Hockey League, will 

remember the Galantes, father and son who owned the 

Danbury Trashers, a team comprised primarily of misfits 

… that became immensely popular in Danbury and hated 

everywhere else.

On opening night this year, the Hat Tricks played Port 

Huron at home … and wasted little time delighting the 

SRO crowd when 6-8, 260 pound JESSE SWANSON

 dropped his gloves two seconds in for the first of 10 

majors (both teams). By game’s end, the referees handed 

out 35 penalties for 108 minutes.

Danbury lost 3-1, and hardly anyone cared. Swanson, 

who later jumped a considerably smaller opponent, laying 

him out with one punch, accounted for 39 PIM. The 

following day, among the league’s transactions, it was 

noted he had retired … which made his two-game 

suspension by the FPHL’s Department of Player Safety 

moot.

In all, the Hat Tricks had three players suspended 

including ZACH PAMAYLAON who got five games for 

committing “three grievous offenses” during the same 

stoppage of play.

“Mr. Pamaylaon recklessly speared his opponent in the 

face with a pitchfork motion that caused him to drop to 

the ice. He then cross-checked him in the neck and 

shoulder area to causing him to lay prone on the ice, and 

then followed this up with a deliberate spear to the face. 

Everyone involved is fortunate that no injury resulted 

from this dangerous and reckless behavior ...”

Until next time ...