Krause: Roland left long-lasting influence on North Shore hockey coaches

Idle chatter while waiting for the fallout when Tim Tebow makes the final roster …Bob Roland was among the best, most innovative, and most intense people ever to coach hockey on the North Shore. His influence extended over such Marblehead luminaries as Toot Cahoon, Tom Colby and Bobby Jackson.Later, when he made the move to English, among the players he coached was Doug Anderson?s son (also named Doug).?He?s a legend,” says Anderson, who is now coaching girls hockey at Bishop Fenwick. “He really is.?He obviously was a tremendous coach,” says Anderson, who also coached for the Bulldogs. “(English) had a great run with very few players.”When Anderson coached at Swampscott, Roland was in his heyday as the coach in Marblehead.?He was so organized,” Anderson said. “He was always looking for the edge. There?s no question he was a great coach … maybe one of the great coaches in the history of high school hockey around here.”Mark Tarmey, the current athletic director at Marblehead, used to scrimmage Roland?s Headers (which is what they were called at the time) while coaching at Malden Catholic.?He was way ahead of his time in how he warmed up and prepared for games,” said Tarmey, who assists Jackson at Marblehead along with his AD duties. “A lot of preparation went into it. He was into systems before anyone else was. He was definitely a forerunner to modern coaching philosophies.”Roland died last week, and it kind of makes you realize how fast time flies. I remember him for two reasons. First, in addition to coaching hockey, Roland also drove the bus for the football team?s road games. He also drove the bus the year Swampscott won the state championship in baseball. In fact, he drove the Big Blue ballplayers out to Worcester for the state championship game.The other thing I remember him for is that he was the umpire 20 or so years ago when a Classical player hit a home run, missed second base on his way around the bases, and was called out on the appeal.Roland took a lot of heat for that, but one thing you learn as an official is that the rules are the rules. And that appeal rule for missing the base is one of the most misunderstood in all of sports, because the umpire cannot invoke it unless he?s asked to by the fielding team. Hence the word “appeal.”So while it may have appeared as if he was showing Swampscott (that was the team Classical was playing) favoritism by waiting until after the Big Blue complained before calling the Classical player out, that is the rule. He said later that it was obvious the kid missed the base and he was just hoping nobody else would notice so that he wouldn?t have to invoke the rule. But Swampscott made the appeal, and he had to make the call.They don?t make them like Roland anymore. And that?s too bad.In all of the hullabaloo about the 10th anniversary of Saugus American Little League?s World Series run, it should also be noted that 30 years ago this summer, the Lynn Babe Ruth 13s, under the tutelage of Gene Tetrault, won the national baseball championship.St. Mary?s will be missing another key factor in the school?s Catholic Central league title defense and bid for a repeat appearance in the high school Super Bowl. Jordan Collier has left, and will be attending New Hampton Prep.Since the Patriots were slated to play their regulars for a significant portion of Thursday night?s preseason game with the Lions, it?s hard to see where Tebow would be able to resuscitate his career in Detroit. This means that next week?s game against the New York Giants, at Gillette, should be the biggest of Tebow?s life … if, that is, he has any future in the NFL. He?d better show up. I can?t imagine Hoodie being that sentimental.A few things, in closing, about the Red Sox … first, the fact that they?re in the conversation in the AL East is astounding and everyone from the top down deserves credit. But throwing at Alex Rodriguez was a bad move. It woke up the Yankees, who haven?t lost since; and it made A-Rod, at le