Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Matt Gulley, Arcata High. Local High School observations.

The video is of Matt Gulley, who is the last player I coached now playing high school. I coached boys and girls basketball at Peninsula elementary for many years and have retired from that a few years ago. (Peninsula does not have enough kids anymore for a team.)

I recently went to watch Matt at the Arcata High Invitational honoring Jerry Paul and witnessed Matt score 10 points and block shots and rebound in helping lead Arcata to a win over Anderson High. Arcata made the Championship game against Franklin, and the Arcata coach only went 6 man deep and played just a few others under 1 minute. I hate it when coaches do this. When you are winning or losing by many points, bring in the reserves! This coach also had his son starting as a junior and played him almost the entire game, even though his son was getting exhausted out there! Will Taylor is looking really good a point guard and Tom Witzel may be the best player in the league this year for Arcata.

As far as the Eureka High Loggers go, this is the tallest team I can ever remember in the county! But they have a new coach who has a sophomore son as point guard and he is trying to run and gun and press all over with a short lineup! Coach, play to your strengths! Start 6'6" Senior Mitchell Hash at the point, 6'7" Junior Bryce Rose at the other guard, 6'7" Senior Mandeep Singh at forward, 6'7" Sophomore Eli Savage at the other forward and 6'5" Junior Nate Madsen in the Post! Tallest, most athletic team in the county. And use 6'3" Sophomore Alexis Robinson and Freshman Marcus Finney off the bench at Guards. And you still have 6'6" Senior Ryan Hulbert to fit into the mix on the fron line. This team should be the favorite in league by far!

Fortuna has 5 sophmores on their team, but the trump card is 6'3"Sophmore  point guard Nate Ambrosini. He broke the Loggers press effortlessly and was at the foul line 21 times. He ended with 25 points and led the Huskies to a Consolation Championship over Eureka. Brady Shaha is tough in the middle, but they are going to have height issues. (No one over 6'3").

McKinleyville will be fun to watch because of Parker Farris. He has to be the best improviser in the county. And he has great court sense. You can not teach what he does. Cody Bates plays with heart, but I just don't see alot off the bench.

It is early though, so these observations may come back and haunt me. 

17 comments:

Leslie said...

Richard, I read the comment you left on the Humboldt Herald about Pierson Building Center employees "leaving in mass" for Walmart. May I ask what prompted you to make such a statement? I was lucky enough to be invited as a +1 last night to their annual Christmas Party, and I was amazed at how much everyone praised the business and seemingly loved their jobs and fellow employees. As far as wages, I can only speak for my friend who makes more that the number you quoted, and has only been employed for little over a year. Last night, I met many people who have been at Pierson's for 10, 20, even 30 years. They honored some of those employees last night.

After last night's experience, I've found your comment very insulting to those who I met last night. Could you please explain to me why you felt compelled to make such a statement?

Thanks in advance

Leslie

samoasoftball said...

Leslie: I am pro union in any form.

I would like to see Pierson's (The big Hammer) unionized. I have heard from workers who do not make the $13 an hour threshold and do not have great benefits. Do I want them to work at Wal-Mart? No. I just want to see them represented.

Leslie said...

Richard, I'm sorry, but your comment didn't mention anything about Pierson's employees becoming unionized. Why would they do so when most have been working there for so many years? And we're only talking about 80-100 people. My friend has great benefits, which I believe he began receiving very early in his employment, possibly after a standard probationary period.

Walmart on the other hand, I can understand why a union would benefit these employees. We talking about thousand and thousands of people! Most will never break the minimum wage plateau. I wish you luck if you help them put something together.

I ask the same question again Richard - Why would Pierson's employee's be "leaving in mass" for Walmart? Please explain.

Thank you

Leslie

samoasoftball said...

Leslie: If WalMart were paying the wages they claim are average, that is alot more than most local private small business retailers are paying locally to their workers. Pierson is the highest profile.

Politically I don't don't appreciate Pierson's donating huge dollars to local political candidates who are aligned against the Marina Center or are against growth. In the tens of thousands! Makes it an unfair playing field for candidates.

So I don't shop there. (But I have spent thousands there in the past before they donated to candidates running against me personally.)

Leslie said...

Richard, I respect you for admitting that your comments were politically motivated. I'll tell you right now that there isn't any reason to believe that Pierson's employees will be leaving in mass for Walmart. But maybe one day, Home Depot will arrive in Eureka, and you can make another similar statement.

Personally, I'll be spending my dollars locally wherever possible. I'm sure Pierson's misses your business. I hope one day you'd be willing to reconsider your boycott.

Happy Holidays

Politico said...

Although I'm in favor of local campaign finance reform, you do have to admit Richard that without Pierson's donations, the developer backed candidates would have had a HUGE advantage in overall campaign fundraising. The way I see it, Pierson simply gives the progressive candidates a chance to compete on a level playing field. You disagree?

John Osborn approached the subject some time back:

http://www.thereporta.com/election-2010/interested-parties

Politico said...

No comment Richard?

That's unfortunately what I expected


Sigh...

samoasoftball said...

Politico: That is an argument I can not refute. But, why has the business community allied itself against the progressives? Look no further than the huge Pierson donations from the past when progressive candidates won.

Anonymous said...

These guys sure seem like they are a lot less expensive to hire if yo still want to out heraldo...

http://www.cyberinvestigationservices.com/our-services/internet-defamation/

If you are interested in doing it, i will mail you twenty to fifty bucks in cash. Thats how sick of heraldo I am.

Politico said...

Do you have any backup data to show an example where a Pierson backed progressive candidate significantly outspent their primary opponent? I agree with your argument that developers are simply following Pierson's lead, but it's in the communities best interest if all candidates have equal financial capitol to run their campaign.

Let's face it, those who typically support progressive political campaigns rarely if ever have the financial means to give significant dollars to a campaign. Likewise, developers and other business people have plenty of ways to write off significant donations. Osborn's column outlines these political players rather well in the article I referenced.

What's your take?

Politico said...

Richard said: "...Pierson's donating huge dollars to local political candidates ... In the tens of thousands! Makes it an unfair playing field for candidates."


Did you find any campaign fundraising record data Richard to support your claim? Is there an example where a progressive candidate significantly outspent the primary competing campaign?

samoasoftball said...

Politico: Yes. Me against Bonnie Neely in 2006. I was the only "Progressive" candidate in the Supervisor race that year and Pierson donated more to Bonnie's campaign than I raised total! You call that a fair playing field?

Jeff Leonard also ran into the problem of Pierson backing his opponents in two races and Jeff was buried money wise. That is why he championed Eureka campaign reform.

Same thing when I ran for Harbor Commission. Pierson again. My biggest contributor was my wife at $580 and local unions at $500 and I totaled around $15,000 for my campaign. Makes an uneven field.

Remember that Pierson backed candidates did well when they had Kerigan, Glass, Atkin and LaValley for the first times.

Now it looks like the playing field is leveling off. Pierson caused this and his detractors have rallied.

So, yes I can not argue your observations, just adding more than you brought forth.

Politico said...

No offense Richard, but when I mentioned "primary" opponent, I meant the candidates who were going to get the most votes. In 2006, Bonnie and Nancy were the primary candidates. Did they roughly have the same campaign cash totals?

Leonard may be an exception. Do you happen to know the totals for each of his campaigns vs. the primary opponent?

In the Harbor Commission race, how much did John Ash raise? Was he significantly over 15K?

Politico said...

You come up with any data Richard?

I did find that Cherie Arkley gave Nancy Fleming in the 2006 race

http://humboldtlib.blogspot.com/2006/10/neely-beats-flemming-bass-beats.html

Politico said...

Sorry, that should have read, "Cherie Arkley gave Fleming $15,000"

Politico said...

Richard?

Anonymous said...

Politico, why are you prodding? Richard admitted that his bias is all based on politics, not facts. If Pierson had ever donated to his campaigns, then all would be well.