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Post by cmo on Oct 22, 2021 15:29:02 GMT -5
Wait 'till next year: Worcester Public Schools targeted to play football at Polar Park in 2022
Rich Garven Telegram & Gazette
For those wondering how St. Paul and St. John’s ended up being selected as the host schools, the answer is simple. Representatives from both schools reached out to WooSox officials after hearing Polar Park planned to host football this fall.
Once it was announced earlier this month St. Paul and St. John’s would participate in the inaugural scholastic football fest at the new ballpark, the WooSox engaged in discussions with Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Maureen Binienda about adding a third game that would include at least one WPS team.
While St. John’s agreed last week to move its game from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., athletic director Dave Shea explained that “for a variety of reasons, it didn’t work out” with a WPS game added into the newly created slot between St. Paul and St. John’s.
Chief among them was late notice, so Worcester Tech-Keefe Tech, South-Burncoat and Doherty-North will, as scheduled, be played this weekend at Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium.
“It was strictly a question of logistics and timing that kept them from doing it in this first year,” Worcester Red Sox president Dr. Charles Steinberg said Thursday. “But we’ve already said that we’re committed to the Worcester Public Schools for the second year.”
Yes, the WooSox are looking to make this an annual event.
“The idea for using Polar Park for football in the fall was a vision of our city leaders,” Steinberg said. “The mayor (Joseph M. Petty), the city council and certainly City Manager Ed Augustus envisioned that years ago.
“In fact, we had to design the ballpark with football in mind. I’m looking at the field right now, and it just fits. And it was designed to just fit. So, yes, we do want football in the fall to be an annual occurrence. Which teams participate, that’s a matter of discussion and logistics.”
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Post by newfieguy74 on Oct 22, 2021 15:29:45 GMT -5
Seems that Woosox ownership may be uncomfortable with the optics of private or non-city schools only playing football at the over 100+M Worcester taxpayer funded Polar Park. Now promising that they will include Worcester public schools next year. Worcester taxpayers get shafted again as they actually paid for the stadium but have to wait after others to use it. This post seems gratuitously cynical, but it gets high points for the number of faulty assumptions and negative conclusions it fits into three sentences.
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Post by ndgradbuthcfan on Oct 22, 2021 15:44:13 GMT -5
Did not miss it at all. I just agree with rfi and not with you. Just to be clear, this is in response to Railer's post. It's a tempest in a teapot and I am finished.
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Post by hc6774 on Oct 22, 2021 16:01:19 GMT -5
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Oct 22, 2021 17:02:42 GMT -5
I thought there were going to be temporary bleachers along the east sideline (right field).
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Post by Tom on Oct 22, 2021 18:05:47 GMT -5
I get the concept that there is a tough visual. It looks like the Polar Park people are going with schools with a higher gate when some people think it would have been better to reward the taxpayers with a public school game.
That being said, the above article pretty much dispels that false perception
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Post by longsuffering on Oct 22, 2021 20:25:06 GMT -5
Save the game program. The outfield wall at the end of the end zone looks like it tackles a full speed receiver harder than a cornerback. If someone gets hurt it could be the last game there. Perhaps the architect was thinking a football field is 100 yards when it's actually 120 yards.
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Post by longsuffering on Oct 22, 2021 20:29:31 GMT -5
I get the concept that there is a tough visual. It looks like the Polar Park people are going with schools with a higher gate when some people think it would have been better to reward the taxpayers with a public school game. That being said, the above article pretty much dispels that false perception Probably it was just an oversight not to understand the political backlash. While St. John's draws more at their field, the novelty of Polar Park would probably draw a big crowd for the Worcester public high schools, too. I don't think the average person cares which school plays first.
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Post by timholycross on Oct 22, 2021 22:24:59 GMT -5
In this day and age, I'd still figure the local public, non-city high schools with good teams would attract more spectators than a Catholic high school. Maybe St. John's bucks that trend.
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Post by HCFC45 on Oct 23, 2021 8:22:38 GMT -5
I thought there were going to be temporary bleachers along the east sideline (right field). Maybe that was supposed to be, but it was decided to put both teams on the same sideline (outfield area) so that those seated in the lower rows of stands along the third base side would have an unobstructed view of the game.
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Post by Tom on Oct 23, 2021 8:37:35 GMT -5
I get the concept that there is a tough visual. It looks like the Polar Park people are going with schools with a higher gate when some people think it would have been better to reward the taxpayers with a public school game. That being said, the above article pretty much dispels that false perception Probably it was just an oversight not to understand the political backlash. While St. John's draws more at their field, the novelty of Polar Park would probably draw a big crowd for the Worcester public high schools, too. I don't think the average person cares which school plays first. If you read the article, there is not much different that Polar could have done other than say "no" when St Paul's and St John's came knocking on their door with the idea. St John's and St Paul's approached Polar and when Polar agreed, Polar approached the city about having one of the city schools play and the city said "no, thank you" There had to be some political backlash since Polar told the story to Garvin and the Telegram. Not much you can do about political backlash based on inaccurate information ------- In a maybe unrelated note, all Worcester city schools have pushed starting time of high school football games up so they will end before sundown. (note - the city was offered the middle slot in what would have been a triple header and presumably ended before sundown). This was done in reaction to post game fight from a recent game that resulted in arrests. That article also mentioned it was not an isolated incident. Pure speculation on my part, but the city might have turned down Polar's offer because that game would have attracted a lot more people including the bad apples that have been causing trouble
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Post by mm67 on Oct 23, 2021 8:44:43 GMT -5
Completely off topic: Harvard - Princeton today at 1PM. Both teams are loaded & undefeated. Might be a heckuva game.
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Post by hcpride on Oct 23, 2021 8:51:45 GMT -5
Completely off topic: Harvard - Princeton today at 1PM. Both teams are loaded & undefeated. Might be a heckuva game. Completely agree. Both are ranked (it seems they are getting more respect from the polls) and I almost made plans to go. (The train from Penn Station to campus is a piece of cake.) Considering it’s Homecoming and the quality and rivalry I’m wondering how many fans show.
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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Oct 23, 2021 9:19:16 GMT -5
I went to check out the field this morning. It looks great, although the end zones are really close to the outfield and infield fences. Talked to a Polar Park employee as well. Over 10,000 tickets have been sold and they will keep selling at the gate until game time. Trying to call in extra concession workers, but expect long lines at the concession stands. I’m sure with the extra capacity this should be the highest attended event in the short history of the park. Can’t wait for the game, it should be a great event for Holy Cross and Worcester. I know a lot of people that haven’t been to a game in 10-20 years that are going.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Oct 23, 2021 9:43:59 GMT -5
I went to check out the field this morning. It looks great, although the end zones are really close to the outfield and infield fences. Talked to a Polar Park employee as well. Over 10,000 tickets have been sold and they will keep selling at the gate until game time. Trying to call in extra concession workers, but expect long lines at the concession stands. I’m sure with the extra capacity this should be the highest attended event in the short history of the park. Can’t wait for the game, it should be a great event for Holy Cross and Worcester. I know a lot of people that haven’t been to a game in 10-20 years that are going. Thanks for the update--particularly encouraging is the news about some fans returning after a long, long absence.
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Post by rgs318 on Oct 23, 2021 9:59:44 GMT -5
Encouraging indeed. Getting to those very fans is one of the main reasons for this game on this field.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Oct 23, 2021 10:56:07 GMT -5
For those fans returning to re-sample Crusader football, I'm hoping for great weather, a solid Holy Cross win, strong execution, and some spectacular plays by Dobbs, Sluka, Smith, the receiving corps, etc. It wouldn't hurt either if local boy Peter Oliver ran over and/or past a few Raiders for 100 yards. I'm not asking too much, am I???
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Post by hcgrad94 on Oct 23, 2021 11:11:44 GMT -5
For HC87 and others who immediately questioned why HC would move this game to Polar Park, thoughts on the buzz and publicity?
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Post by sader1970 on Oct 23, 2021 11:28:57 GMT -5
Haven’t got there yet today but I will be very disappointed if a crowd approaching 10,000 in a much smaller venue than Fitton doesn’t sound much louder and more enthusiastic.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Oct 23, 2021 11:40:00 GMT -5
I wonder if another FCS school (outside of several HBCU institutions) has scheduled home games in as many off campus venues as Holy Cross in the last 30 years.....Limerick Ireland, Hamilton Bermuda, Yankee Stadium, Polar Park? Time has flown thinking back that the HC-BC game at Foxboro was 50 years ago.
After Polar Park, what’s next for an off campus home game venue.....care to suggest or speculate?
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Post by hc87 on Oct 23, 2021 11:54:49 GMT -5
For HC87 and others who immediately questioned why HC would move this game to Polar Park, thoughts on the buzz and publicity? Just not a fan myself of football played in baseball stadia but if it builds up publicity for the program, that's great. Not going myself but I'll be curious how well it is received etc by those who do attend. Personally, I suppose I'm "old school" in that I enjoy/prefer the game-day experience of going to Fitton, tailgating, being on-campus and watching a game in a stadium that is near unmatched for sightlines.
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Post by HC92 on Oct 23, 2021 11:57:25 GMT -5
For HC87 and others who immediately questioned why HC would move this game to Polar Park, thoughts on the buzz and publicity? Also some doubters on whether this would be a sellout. Not sure how we define sellout but all the seats will be sat in and lots of other GA tickets being sold.
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Post by CHC8485 on Oct 23, 2021 11:57:28 GMT -5
Time has flown thinking back that the HC-BC game at Foxboro was 50 years ago. 50 years ago?!? I know I'm getting older Crucis, but I was a junior when that game was played in 1983, 38 years ago.
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Post by hc87 on Oct 23, 2021 12:00:42 GMT -5
Time has flown thinking back that the HC-BC game at Foxboro was 50 years ago. 50 years ago?!? I know I'm getting older Crucis, but I was a junior when that game was played in 1983, 38 years ago. HC-BC was played in the then new Schaefer Stadium in 1971 due to a snowstorm (game was supposed to be at Fitton)....I attended as a youth, HC battled but lost 21-7...Joe Wilson won the O'Melia I believe.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Oct 23, 2021 12:08:51 GMT -5
Joe Wilson was awarded the O’Melia. 87 is correct the game was moved to Foxboro in 1971 due to an unexpected snowstorm in Southern New England on Thanksgiving Day. The conditions at Fitton would have been similar to the HC-BC game played at Fitton in 1986.
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