Leading off today: Robbin Williams' appointment as Albany's football coach did not happen as expected last night due to
questions about his resume raised by
The Times Union.
Williams' hiring was to be approved last night, but the school board wants to take a closer look at his background, another potential blow for a team coming off back-to-back winless seasons. A copy of Williams' resume obtained by the paper appears to mis-state his experience as a player:
Three of the six NFL teams Williams claims to have gone to training camp with say they do not have a record of him ever being under contract or being invited to a training or free-agent camp. When questioned Wednesday, Williams told the paper he had tryouts lasting one or two days with six teams but that he never signed with any of them.
Williams also told the Times Union he was a member of the 1988 Washington Redskins as a replacement player, but the players strike actually took place the previous season. In addition, his contention that he played arena football for the Albany Firebirds at times from 1992 to 1994 appears unsubstantiated.
Information regarding Williams' employment at the Albany County Correctional Facility, his education and college and scholastic coaching background appears to be accurate, the paper reported.
Milestone alert: 35th-year baseball coach Jim Palano of Bishop Timon-St. Jude picked up victory No. 500 with a 6-3 win over Strong Vincent in Erie, Pa., yesterday. Sophomore Billy O'Neill went the distance for the Tigers (3-3), striking out five.
David Pojman scored two goals, including the 100th of his varsity career during a 16-2 lacrosse win for Croton-Harmon vs. Peekskill. The senior also recorded four assists.
Tough stretch of games: Someone forgot to tell Canandaigua that its 15 minutes of fame ended last June. The Braves, whose NYSPHSAA Class B boys lacrosse title season was chronicled in an online documentary series, are 5-0 against relatively soft competition thus far.
The Braves' 25-game winning streak will face severe tests beginning tomorrow against Corning East, ranked fourth in Class C by the New Yok State Sportswriters Association, and then against No. 5 Penn Yan. That'll be followed April 29 in a home contest against Class A No. 8 Fairport for Canandaigua, which starts the season No. 1 in Class B.
"Any chance we have, we try to play the best competition possible," Canandaigua coach Ed Mulheron told the Democrat and Chronicle. "There's not many teams a whole lot better than Corning East."
Budget news: The proposed Canandaigua school budget cuts 37 jobs; chops freshman football, cheerleading,