Empire Games cuts are harsh
The state has announced its cuts for the Empire State Games, and it isn't pretty.
For this year's Games there is no open competition, no Masters competition, and the scholastic events are not only scaled back, but athletes will have to pay to compete. Each scholastic athlete will have to pay a $285 participation fee.
Here is the complete press release issued by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The Empire Games have had open (college athletes and older) and scholastic (high school athletes) divisions since the state-wide Olympic-style competition began in 1978.
This year's Games are to be held July 22-26 in the Hudson Valley region, including Poughkeepsie. The 2010 Games will be held in Buffalo.
There will be more coverage in Saturday's News.
This is a punch in the gut for amateur sports in this state. It's pretty awful that something the state has celebrated for decades has been gutted so swiftly.
---Keith McShea
