Cup O’ Joe: Tourney time is fun time

It was another successful season for area schoolgirl and schoolboy basketball teams and southern Aroostook County was well represented at this year’s tournament at the Bangor Auditorium, both with teams playing and fans watching.
    The Houlton and Southern Aroostook girls basketball squads, as well as the Katahdin boys team each made the trip to the Mecca for the playoffs. The Southern Aroostook boys team qualified for a preliminary playoff, but the Warriors were unable to make it to Bangor this year.
Tournament time, for many, brings back memories of their time in high school. The Houlton, Presque Isle and Caribou bands are always a marvel to listen to at Bangor and those with no ties to the area often appreciate their efforts.
As a former band member, I’ve always watched with much interest as the Shiretown, Wildcat and Viking bands played over the years. On Tuesday, Feb. 22, when the Houlton girls took to the court, I was once again amazed as the band members slowly filled the bleachers.
Apparently, I was not alone in my excitement.
“I hope Houlton wins so I get to listen to their band again,” said one of my media colleagues as we sat at the table, listening to the Shire band rip through “Who are You?” by The Who.
The ultimate compliment a band can receive is when the band and fans for the opposition applaud your efforts. Such was the case for the Shires in that game against Washington Academy as the Raider band cheered enthusiastically after Houlton’s first song.
Band director Joe Fagnant was energetic in leading the Shires. He also spent time getting the audience involved in the game, leading them in cheers and encouraging them to clap their hands to the music. Kudos go out to Fagnant for putting on yet another stellar performance.
I’d be remiss if I did not add, though, that the uniforms worn by the current Shire band pale when compared to the white mock turtleneck, black V-neck sweater and “Dickie” brand dress pants we wore back in the day.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of food available at the Bangor Auditorium. It is, by far, the worst of the three venues that host tournament basketball games – the others being the Augusta Civic Center and the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland.
Since I spent four days covering 11 basketball games at the Auditorium, I had ample opportunity to assess the available food. It amazes me that in today’s day and age the only items of food offered are hot dogs, sausages, pizza slices, nachos, ice cream and popcorn. All of which come at a pretty hefty price tag. A simple bottle of water cost $2 at the auditorium.
In Augusta, for comparison, tourney fans can sample French fries, chicken fingers and sno-cones to name just a few of the items found at the concession stand, which is conveniently located in full view of the basketball court.
In Bangor, there used to be kids roaming the Auditorium selling popcorn and sodas, so that you never missed a dribble or shot. Nowadays, people are left to rush to the concession stand at halftime, standing in lines that can be 20 people deep, anxiously waiting to fork over $4 for a bag of popcorn that is half the size that it used to be.
Fortunately, I wised up after day one at the Auditorium and stopped at the local Shop N’ Save to purchase a six-pack of sodas and a box of granola bars to get me through each day.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281