Bumming around town with Bill Bumerton
Bumerton is a retired Navy fighter pilot who had been missing in action for several years while he traversed the globe looking for greener grass. He discovered the grass is only greener here (it’s blue in Kentucky), so he returned to again take charge of his 1954 green Hudson Hornet that had been in storage, refilled his pipe, and is continuing his smokin’ ways. Here is what he recently told us at the Sports Paper.
If it wasn’t for the Dowells – Lane and Deanna – there would no such thing as the Semancik Foundation or Bremerton Heros. They have done a lot for the local community so the most you can do Big Dawg is attend the latest non-profit Chuck Semancik Memorial Foundation fundraiser, the annual Crackin’ Crab feast scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. at the ARCBuilding by the A&C Sports Bar & Grill off Perry Avenue in Bremerton. Tickets are $40 or $500 for a corporate table. For more information and buy your ticket Big Dawg you can go to www.semancik.org . You can also stop by Bremerton High School and ask for Marilyn McClelland and get your ticket through her. All of this has come about through the good graces of the Dowells. Sad to report to your one reader, Big Dawg, but Lane had poly sci classes with you at Western Washington. It took him years to get over that. It took Western even longer. … Mike VanWinkle won the Kitsap Scratch Bowlers Association’s 17th annual eliminator tournament that was held at Laurel Lanes in Port Angeles. The open was sponsored by Lakeside Industries and VanWinkle’s win was his 14th KSBO title, pulling him into a tie all time for sixth place with Gabby Galbraith. In the 205 and under Division tournament that was sponsored by Seven Cedars Casino, Danny O’Toole won his second KSBO title of the season. … None of the local high school basketball teams reached the elite eight in the various state tournaments. That is no surprise to me, Big Dawg. This area traditionally does not match up well when it gets to the district and regional level. I know you have discussed the reasons why many times over the years, and it mainly comes down to lower population and isolation from the bigger populated areas on the other side of the water. Every once in a while this area gets a good team or two, but it’s not a common thread to have a state contender year after year. The last boy’s state championship for this area was in 1983 when a German transfer, Chris Welp, led the Olympic Trojans to the state title. We need another seven-footer like Welp to transfer in from Germany, I guess. Even the presence of Marvin Williams at Bremerton failed to earn this area a state title. Bremerton, which ran away with the boys Olympic League title this year, ended the season on a three-game losing streak, which included an 87-60 whipping by Lake Washington at regionals, one step away from the elite eight. Bremerton coach Darren Bowden has a decision to make if he doesn’t return. He lives on the other side of the water and the betting, Big Dawg, is that he will find work over there and not return. If that happens, I would bet, Big Dawg, that former Bremerton Knight player Jeff Gallagher, now the head coach at Black Hills, would be the front runner to get the job. Just as long as it’s not you, Big Dawg, I’m comfortable with that. … You know, Big Dawg, I think it’s terrible that pro football limits the salary teams can pay their players. I know that the No Fun League’s salary cap makes for a more even playing field, but that goes against our capitalistic philosophy in this country and it makes it extremely difficult for any team to create a dynasty like teams did in the old days of the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers, Vikings and Cowboys. The luxury tax in baseball has done the same thing to teams in the MLB. This is all bad socialism. I say, Big Dawg, let the teams with deep pockets buy up all the good players so we guys who love the underdogs can hate somebody. It was fun to hate the Yankees. Now, the Yankees have a tough time winning all the time and it’s no fun to hate them anymore. I would be great if Paul Allen could open hi s pocket book and buy whatever player Petey wanted. But he can’t. He’s limited by a salary cap. … Do you wonder, like I do, Big Dawg, what Chuck Armstrong is doing now that he is no longer with those Marineros of yours? The media has to find somebody else to rank on now that he’s gone. Lincoln is still there, though, so I guess the media still can take out their frustration on him when the team finishes fourth again in the American League West.
