By Tim McCaffrey
Over the years, whether it in person, on the radio, via internet airwaves or in print, you may have heard me say, “nothing good ever occurs in the handshake line.” I should note, this appears to only need to be applied to men’s college games. The ladies' game appears to have no issues in my random sampling of coaches and spectators in the region. Not one person could recall a single incident. That doesn’t mean one hasn’t happened, but take that for what it is worth!
I began writing this column after coming across the horrific video below following an Iowa high school game early last week. Please watch with caution.
https://twitter.com/
As Musings loyalists know, I watch a lot of basketball, so there was no chance I was missing the men’s affair between CACC power Dominican and a tremendous Caldwell team in North Jersey, albeit from the comfort of my home! This is the fiercest, in-conference rivalry south of Manchester, NH. The event was a rockfight, and it was a shame anyone had to lose. After the game, I had turned away until Caldwell play-by-play voice (and one of the nicest guys in the business) Jerry Milani announced a skirmish had broken out in (what else?) the handshake line. It wasn’t the only incident in our region this week. Enough is enough.
The Handshake…
The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece. It was a sign of peace, and a way of showing an individual was not carrying a weapon. The first hockey handshake line occurred back in 1908. It is unknown when the custom was introduced to many college sports, but it is outdated and needs to go. Basketball is a contact sport and anyone who watched DC and CU play could see how physical those teams were. The NCAA mandates a cool-down period before talking to the media for coaches and players, but the arch enemy who just nipped ya by one, yea you have to immediately shake his hand. We’re not putting the student-athlete in a position to be successful with this antiquated tradition.
One coach I talked to blamed it on the AAU style of play, and players not being taught how to behave appropriately. Whatever the case, I’ve personally witnessed three incidents live dating back to 2008 when I was a Division III Sports information Director. I was part of the broadcast team during the 2016 NCAA Regional in Philadelphia when Saint Thomas Aquinas and Southern Connecticut State had an unfortunate incident that resulted in multiple suspensions. A few year later, I was also on the call when Chestnut Hill and Le Moyne couldn’t complete the arduous task of getting up from chairs, forming two lines, shaking hands and proceeding the the locker room without a shoving match at the baseline.
Incident at Caldwell
What really caught my attention in Caldwell was when Milani, as the altercation moved off camera, said the coaches were “going at it as well.” Milani eloquently stated, “It’s an emotional game today. The teams played at the highest level of emotion as they could, as well….The Chargers and Cougars played such an exciting game… it’s a shame to have it spoiled at the end.”
I talked to or heard from numerous people on the scene, including coaches, fans and spectators. It’s darn near impossible to know with the action spilling off camera exactly what happened. When I reached out to the respective coaching staffs, I received much different responses. DC was adamant that neither coaching group were yelling at the opposition, but rather both teams were yelling in the heat of the moment. The Chargers coaches were also quick to point out that no punches were thrown.
When I contacted representatives at Caldwell, the official line was, “No Comment,” which, in my opinion, seemed odd. That line is usually reserved for people in the wrong or ones that are not confident in their comportment. It certainly brings up more questions, especially when you take a second look at the video.
What is seen is that longtime Caldwell Assistant Coach Dean Johnson appears devastated after his team’s one-point defeat, exasperatingly putting his head in his left hand while holding a clipboard with his right. It took him 20 seconds from the closing horn to gather himself and head to the end of the Cougars’ handshake line, but not before acting Dominican Head Coach Tony Toapha, subbing for an ailing Joe Clinton, had passed him along with players well onto Caldwell’s side of the floor. If Johnson, who has been with the University since 1990, and is one of the most decorated softball coaches in the nation with over 800 wins at the school, was so paralyzed by the outcome, we have to ask ourselves is this handshake thing really necessary?
If you’d like to take a look at the moving pictures… https://caccnetwork.
The incident occurs about two hours and four minutes into the broadcast. Attempts to reach Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director Mark A. Corino, who is two wins shy of becoming New Jersey’s collegiate leader in basketball wins, were not returned. It should be noted this is not the first incident for the Cougars. While researching this column, I was reminded by a reliable source of an altercation between Caldwell and Nyack after a CACC affair a decade ago when, once again, the handshake line just proved to be a challenge.
Another In-Region Incident This Week…
There was only one game on Sunday in the East Region, but the two participating teams could not figure out how to navigate the handshake line effectively. One player for the host St. Anselm squad appears to be slapping at the hands of his opponents and a Skyhawks player took exception.
https://portal.
In the aftermath, you will witness both head coaches briefly appear at half-court, and you can make your own judgments.
Summary
There are numerous ingredients creating a toxic brew for post-game handshakes. One regional squad has 31 players rostered, while many other programs are at or over the usual number of bodies available. In addition, the stress of living in a much different world has impacted people to varying degrees. Combine those factors with the physicality and emotion of college basketball and this is a recipe for disaster. Nobody is attending an event and saying, "I want to have an altercation in the handshake line during the postgame," but it is long past due for a change to the ritual. I am advocating for the abolition of the post-game handshake, though it may take time for this to materialize, if ever. We don’t see it in NCAA Football, and for good reason. The adults in the room need to lead the way on this before another unfortunate situation escalates, and our region has ANOTHER black eye, literally and figuratively!!
Women’s Rankings
There have been many interesting results, but none shocked the senses more than Pace losing to Bridgeport after building a 14-0 lead, holding the Purple Knights to zero field goals in the 1st quarter, and only to one point in that stanza. Congrats to Mike West, who in his maiden season with the Purple Knights, comes away with the biggest win in the program's recent momery.! Quite a feather in the cap to defeat the Musings’ #1! The region is a mess, and making sense of it is a fool’s errand. Without further adieu, this fool begins the Top 15…
1) Bentley 5-2 ▲1
2) SNHU 6-1 ▲ 2
3) Pace 5-1 ▼ 2
4) Assumption 5-2 ▲5
5) Le Moyne 4-1 ▲ 4
6) SCSU 4 -2 ▲6
7) Franklin Pierce 5-3 ▲3
8) Post 6-1 ▲ 5
9) USciences 5-1 ▼ 2
10) Jefferson ▲ 4
11) AIC 4-3 NR
12) Dominican 6-3 ▼ 6
13) Chestnut Hill 6-2 NR
14) St. Anselm 4-4 NR
15) Stonehill 1-3 ▼12
OUT: Daemen (5), New Haven (11), Molloy (15)
As the season gets parsed out slowly but surely, keep an eye on Assumption. The Greyhounds have played a very tough schedule with losses to #s 1, 3 and 7. They have quality wins at Dominican and Southern New Hampshire. Playing a good non-conference schedule will keep the Greyhounds within the Musings’ Rankings for the foreseeable future. Remember, there is way more to formulating these rankings than just the records. All schedules, as we know, are not equal!
There’s a long way to go, but it certainly looks as if the ECC is going to be a one-bid league. Daemen’s losses to both Saint Anselm and Stonehill are crippling. There are still two fantastic non-conference games on the Wildcats' schedule and I would suggest winning either home against Le Moyne or at Bentley. Two wins and they’ll be right back in the mix, but even one win would help build a case. Beware of the CACC, as that conference is more talented in the middle than ever before. Steve Fagan’s Golden Falcons went into Orangeburg’s most famous arena and shocked Dominican for a monumental upset. It’s a credit to the league that there is so much balance, but it shines a bigger spotlight on non-conference schedules. As the season goes on, I’ll be referring to teams' SOS (or Strength of Schedule) and many other data points. This formula is how the NCAA Committees break down the bracket, and a reason the Musings can accurately predict, more often than not, the regional field of eight, as well as EXACTLY where each team should be seeded! For now, the region is messier than my room as a child!
Women’s Game of the Week
#1 Bentley @ #2 SNHU: Tuesday, 5:30 pm.
Southern New Hampshire is 6-45 lifetime versus the Falcons, and remarkably only one of those wins has come in Manchester since the teams began playing in 1980. In 2018, the Penmen knocked off Bentley, 66-55, at the Field House. While this isn’t a must game for Karen Pinkos and company, it could deliver a statement. It’s been hard to get any words in edgewise for anyone playing the region’s most decorated outfit, but if there ever was a time and a place, it’s here. The Musings will be watching and you should be too!
Men’s Top 15
1) Dominican 8-0 - -
2) Bentley 5-1 ▲1
3) Stonehill 7-2 ▼ 1
4) Adelphi 6-1 ▲5
5) Assumption 5-2 ▼1
6) St. Thomas Aquinas 6-3 ▲5
7) Daemen 3-4 ▼ 1
8) New Haven 5-3 ▲5
9) SNHU 5-3 ▼ 1
10) Pace 7-1 ▼ 3
11) Jefferson 6-3 NR
12) Le Moyne 4-3 —
13) Saint Rose 4-3 ▼ 8
14) Caldwell 4-3 ▲1
15) Franklin Pierce 4-3 ▼ 1
Out: St Anselm (10)
While there was much more stability in the men’s rankings, the biggest upset of not only the season, but as long as I can remember, happened on Saturday when the College of Staten Island upended previously undefeated Pace in NYC’s outermost borough. It was the first-ever Division II win for the region’s newer Dolphins, and it blemished a previously spotless Setter resume. Nothing is predictable.
Men’s Game of the Week
#1 Dominican @ #4 Adelphi: Saturday, 2 pm:
DC will be tested Thursday in Rockland County when SNHU comes to town, but there can only be one marquee game this week and it’s this one in Garden City. Make no mistake, this is Adelphi’s chance to show it belongs in the field and have a shot to host the regional. It’s way too early to have a favorite to host, but by the time the calendar turns, one can generally figure the handful of schools that are in the mix.
For those who don’t know, I have a fairly popular baseball YouTube series in which I teach umpiring and the rules to anyone who wants to be educated. It can be found here https://www.youtube.com/
While I don’t expect many to go watch those videos, I’ve been lucky enough to be a mentor or a coach, as it were, to hundreds, if not thousands, of young umpires all over our planet who want to get better at their craft! At the end of every video, I say: “Always do what’s right, not what’s easy.” It is a mantra that keeps me balanced and pointed in the right direction. I’m going to start using it here to close my column!
Next Week, we’ll narrow our rankings down to 14 because it’s what we do here at Musings Central, and we’ll have lots more thoughts about the region! Also, stay tuned next week for a special look at someone who has never been mentioned in the Musings, but has been integral in keeping the region together. The times, they are changin’! Until next Monday, Always do what’s right, not what’s easy… Happy Umpiring! Hmmmmm, maybe next week, I’ll edit out the umpiring part!
McCaffrey’s Musings is written and directed by Tim McCaffrey. He can sniff out chocolate chip cookies from nearly 10 miles away, and is looking forward to eating an Oatmeal Raisin cookie with the full belief before biting, that it was a chocolate chip! He can be reached at tpmccaffrey@gmail.com.