Ruminations about Aaron and ‘Woj’ and a reunion

Posted By: David Fortier September 21, 2024

By Bob Montgomery

Bob Greisner (1942-2024)

I had some fond memories of Bob Greisner after reading his obituary today. He was a senior at Bristol Eastern when I was a freshman there. We got to know one another well through the years and he earned my respect all the more as a longtime assistant chief of the Bristol Fire Department.

My condolences to his wife, Phylliss, family and friends. He left a fine legacy for his family. Thank you for your fire service

Aaron Hernandez

There was a muti-part story of Aaron Hernandez this past week on TV. I found it interesting, and I wonder if his football playing had damaged his brain? When you think about it in playing for Bristol Central, college in Florida and the NFL, he got smacked many times.

Was he really a victim of these hits as a runner? I haven’t made a decision yet. I think he could have been an NFL Hall of Famer as will teammate Rob Gronkowski.

The way Gronk handles himself now, could he have had excessive bangings in the head, too. Only kidding. Love the guy! 

‘Woj’ – Exit Left

Boy, I’m one of those whose eyes dropped on Wednesday when Bristol’s elite Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he was stepping down as ESPN’s NBA Insider to become general manager of the St. Bonaventure basketball program. He was tired of all his traveling after earning $20 million per year.

He has growing kids, which I met a couple of years ago when he was visiting a gravesite at St. Joseph Cemetery. Although my being small town, he was always friendly and helpful to me during my “Press” years. I’ve also had the pleasure of writing about him.   

A shocker for sure. My best to ‘Woj’ and his close family.    

A reunion of O’s and more

My friend, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Edward Cercone, phoned me and told me he was in Bristol that day, and heading back home to Virginia. He’s a 1958 graduate of Bristol High. He came for the weekend’s St. Joseph School reunion. He had gone to the former parochial school as a youngster.                        

“There were a lot of people there with their last names ending in ‘O’,” he told me. “Fiondello, Valerio, Laviero, Mannerino.”

Some from the past have been Palladino and Longo. There were Komanetskis, etc. Host was John Fasolo and Mr. Fiondella was a speaker.

Shout out 

To Donna Papazian.

Contact Bob Montgomery at BobMontgomery@BristolEditionNews.org or (860) 583-5132.

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