His site is set on local sports
TULLY TALK
A Burbank High alumnus and former athlete, Tom Morierty doesn’t
exactly bleed Bulldog blue, nor does he have a hatred of rival
Burroughs.
Morierty does have an allegiance to his alma mater, in fact, he is
proud to be from Burbank and still maintains strong ties to the
school.
However, instead of lending support to just his former school and
promoting Burbank athletics, Morierty has a much broader interest in
mind.
Bothered by what he calls “the dwindling interest and support of
sports programs in the city,” Morierty has come up with his own small
way of promoting athletes and athletic programs in Burbank.
He has launched BurbankSportsBeat.com, an internet Web site
devoted to sports in the city.
“Being a former athlete myself, I remember the days when I was
running cross-country and track at Burbank, and it just seemed there
was more interest and people cared more about sports in the city,”
said Morierty, who graduated in 1974 from Burbank after transferring
from Burroughs. “It also seemed like the high schools were a lot more
successful in sports back then.
“So I just want to do my part to help promote the local sports,
everything from high school sports, to Park and Recreation, to men’s
senior softball. This is just my way of helping the sports grow to
hopefully what they were in the 1960s through the 1980s.”
Although the site is still in its infancy, Morierty is working at
a feverous pace to bring the information up to speed. Along with
scores, highlights and other information, the site also features
photos from various sporting events.
With no other Web site dedicated to a wide variety of sports in
Burbank, Morierty said he thinks his page fills a much-needed niche.
“A school might have its own site, or a team might have a site,
but there is no one place to go to get information about it all,” he
said. “I’m hoping this will be a place where people can come and look
for a variety of sports.
“It will also be a place where athletes can go to get a little
recognition for their accomplishments.”
Along with results, the site also has links to other pages in the
city, like the Burbank Tennis Center and De Bell Municipal Golf
Course. Morierty said he is hoping to add more links.
*
On paper, the new site seemed like a very good idea to Morierty.
However, he has realized there is a big difference between intention
and execution.
Although Morierty said most of the local coaches and organizations
in the city have been receptive to his idea, getting all the
information and scores together has been a big endeavor.
“Basically, I’m doing it all my myself -- even the photos,” said
Morierty, who also works for Dilbeck Realtors. “I’m quickly finding
out what a big job it is.
“The coaches I’ve talked to have been great, and even the Park and
Rec people have said I can go in and pick up information. So it’s
coming along, it’s just a slow process.”
Morierty encourages coaches and organizers to e-mail their results
to tmorierty- @burbanksportsbeat.com. He is also looking for
businesses or individuals who would like to advertise on the site.
Morierty realizes his site isn’t going to propel high school teams
to CIF Southern Section championships, or boost players to the
professional ranks, he is just hoping it will bring a some pride back
to a city that deserves to be proud of its strong sporting tradition.
* JEFF TULLY is the sports editor of the Leader. He can be reached
at 843-8700 or by e-mail at jeff.tully@latimes.com.