Indeed that was the 28-year New Canaan coach’s reaction to the news that the FCIAC was overruling his decision to keep the Turkey Bowl game at Dunning Stadium and move it to Boyle Stadium in this story by Tom Renner sports editor of The Advocate of Stamford: Darien, New Canaan game changes venues.
Marinelli, the dean of FCIAC football head coaches, has a right to be upset for a number of reasons… especially since it looks like the FCIAC and NC athletic director Jay Egan went behind his back to move the game.
But maybe it was for good reason, according to Darien athletic director John Kelleher, Darien parents apparently were having serious trouble scoring tickets to this game — one that executive secretary John Kuczo said has drawn the most interest in “maybe 25 years.”
Egan had strong words for any of the football staff or players who disagree that moving the game was in the best interest of everyone.
“I’m upset if our coaches and players are in any way upset by this,” he said. “I wish there was some way this could be a home game, but given the situation, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players, coaching staff and our fans.”
I’m warming to the move. Partially because I believe it would be a shame for Immediate family members on either side to miss an event like this (almost like missing graduation). So the league is right in its attempts to accommodate several thousand more fans.
But this should have been figured out a long time ago, not Monday and certainly not at the expense of a school’s regular season home game. (I guess the lesson here is if leagues MUST have a title game, it has to be at a neutral site on a neutral day. This clearly won’t do.)
Anyway, caught between two immovable forces, the FCIAC decided it can live with hurt feelings on the New Canaan side in order to satisfy the potentially unruly mob that would otherwise be banging down the gates at Dunning Stadium.
As we all know, hell hath no fury like scores of parents and thousands of fans scorned.
If I’m Marinelli I say this to my seniors: “They took away your last game at our field. Go out there and win it back.”
The bust open the Boyle Stadium doors and bury your biggest rivals.
(By the way, with a potential state championship matchup on the line, maybe we should start looking at Rentschler Field’s availability? Couldn’t hurt, right?)
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not sure why this is such a big deal. It sucks for the NC seniors that is for sure. Will there be more than a few thousand at this game?
Comment by ELAB — November 25th, 2008 @ 8:34 am
There’s no question that the league had no choice. It’s absurd to turn away thousands of people from a high school football game. The New Canaan players and parents should be thrilled that they will get to play before a Turkey Bowl crowd twice the size of any other, and they will have a great story and lifetime memory from this, win or lose, i.e. “the game was so big we had to move it to a bigger stadium…biggest Turkey Bowl in history!” How bad is that? Stop complaining, Rams.
Comment by Ted Range — November 25th, 2008 @ 8:45 am
Both Lou Marinnelli and Jay Egan were put in a tight spot. If the game was scheduled at Darien (it has less seating than New CAnaan) Trifone and Kelleher would be facing the same mess. Play the game at Boyle and if everything breaks right the two teams will meet agin DEC.6 at Trumbull high school for the ultimate prize–THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
Comment by butch — November 25th, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Once the schools through the league adopted the rule that there would be one game instead of two, with that one game being the FCIAC champ game, it was a fait accompli that the FCIAC ruling body would supersede the wants of the individual schools.
However, these parents down county are use to getting what they want, spoiled one might say. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in the FCIAC shoes. Though, I think for the greater interest of both parties directly invloved and HS football fans in general, they made the right descision.
Leave your lacrosse sticks at home, this will be a war.
Comment by tj — November 25th, 2008 @ 9:44 am
I have to laugh to keep me from crying.
Comment by Charlie — November 25th, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Sorry Lou but the FCIAC had no choice but to move the game to accomadate the demand for tickets. If you wanted the home game on Thanksgiving then you should have played the FCIAC Championship game last week when it was originally scheduled and played your regular season game at home on Thanksgiving. The FCIAC needs to mandate the if the Championship is between Thanksgiving rivals then the game will be played at a neutral site. By the way, is their a more mixed-up, confused and poorly run league in the state than this year’s FCIAC football.
Comment by Norwalk Jim — November 26th, 2008 @ 9:38 am
tj, it is more than unnecessary to bring in the money factor to this argument. Money has nothing to do with this, so stop putting fuel on the fire, besides the “rich kids” argument is brought up every year, and the FCIAC wins at least 2 state championships evey year. And Norwalk Jim, I love how you say, “If you wanted the home game on Thanksgiving you should have played the FCIAC Championship game last week”, like Coach Marinelli had a choice in the matter. Everything that has gone on has been out of his hands so stop attempting to blame it on him.
Comment by ppl — November 27th, 2008 @ 1:11 am
ppl,it’s not money per se, I was speaking to the unique pressure that the FCIAC admins must have encountered dealing with parents who have the want, means and sense of entitlement. Just telling it like it is.
Comment by tj — November 28th, 2008 @ 3:20 pm