SportsFest boys tournament will pick up intensity; especially if music is turned down

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/ FROM KEITH GROLLER Allentown turned into blowout city on Thursday when the "A-town Throwdown" boys varsity basketball tournament got underway at Cedar Beach. When you put teams into pools of four and you are determined to have teams avoid playing teams they would normally play (and that's precisely what the coaches want), you're bound to get some mismatches and eight of the nine varsity games played on Thursday night were one-sided and decided by 20 points or more. The only game decided in single-digits was Nazareth's win over Boyertown, and even that was a nine-point spread. The games, which will probably be played inside at Muhlenberg College, should get a little closer tonight, and again on Saturday when pool play is completed. And then Sunday should be terrific as the tournament goes from the Sweet 16 to the elite eight to the final four and then the championship game. One other thing that takes away from the basketball atmosphere at SportsFest is the non-stop music playing over the loudspeakers. It's hard to build up to some "knockdown, drag-em-out" war when Barry Manilow, John Denver and Air Supply are singing in the background. You won't hear Dan Fogelberg and England Dan and John Ford Coley at a NBA arena.