By Michael Letendre

This morning at TBE, we’ve discussed the problem of handshake lines at the end of scholastic and collegiate basketball games.

And perhaps it’s time to do away with that sportsmanship showing in boys and girls hoop and during men and women’s collegiate basketball. 

Now, something to consider, those handshake lines extend to high school football, soccer, baseball, softball and several other sports.

It seems to be getting more and more difficult to keep things calm at the end of football contests and as far as I’m concerned, all those sports should see the elimination of end of game handshakes.

Long memories

Let’s go back in history to give a little more pause when it comes to handshake lines and the need for those methods.

How about an example from the world of scholastic baseball?

On April 15, 1994, the Bristol Eastern baseball team (19-4 that season) brought its 2-0 ledger to Maloney in a CCC South showdown.

It was a back-and-forth game between Mike Giovinazzo’s Lancers and Ed Zajac’s Spartans.

But in the end, Maloney was able to hang on to a big 14-10 victory over Eastern.

However, that was not the entire story of the game.

I was there in Meriden that day to witness a truly bizarre situation on the diamond as the Eastern team came out to shake hands, which happens after every game.

However, only a handful a Maloney players came out to the handshake line (it might have been only two or three players).

I vividly remember Giovinazzo and Zajac kind of going back and forth around home plate as the handshakes never took place.

Turns out that Zajac and Maloney were angry about something Eastern senior Todd Ziogas, the uncle of current Bristol Central pitching sensation Pia Torreso, said about Maloney to the Hartford Courant the previous season.

Eastern played Maloney times in 1993, going 2-1 against the squad which included an 8-2 victory during postseason play.

Ziogas told the Courant that, “once you get a jump on [Maloney], and their coach starts to get on them, they can fall apart.”

Now, are those truly fighting words which would get the Maloney coach and the team so heated that they refused to shake hands at the end of the game?

Who truly knows.

Don’t poke the bear

Ziogas was a tremendous three-sport athlete (soccer, basketball, baseball) for the Lancers and usually wasn’t that big of a trash talker.

But he could talk when pressed enough.

At the end of a basketball game on January 14, 1994, Eastern had beaten Newington 61-48 to move to 7-0 on the season.

However, there was a ton of talk after the game coming from the Newington squad (including lots of trash talking as the players were out in the hallway, trying to leave Eastern) and the usually reserved Ziogas, who has just dropped 21 points on them, wasn’t really pleased about all the chitchat coming from the visitors.

Again, Ziogas and Eastern did not forget about all the talk when the teams got together again for another CCC South confrontation.

The Indians lost the rematch 72-52 on February 13 in Newington as Ziogas dropped in 16 points to lead the Eastern charge.

These were heated moments that a handshake line wouldn’t help in the least.

Those weren’t a good idea then and they’re not a good idea now in 2023.

However, there’s a solution in hand.

Please read the final chapter of this three-part series as I reveal what should take place instead of the outdated end of game handshake lines.

And the solution isn’t all that shocking. 

All TBE readers, supporters and donors                

The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.                

• Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.                
• Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.                

Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.