Letters To The Editor

More Sonics coverage

J: Knock, knock.

Editor 1: Who’s there?

J: Sonics.

Editor 1: Sonics? Do we know anything about Sonics?

Editor 2: I’m not sure. Let me check the files. Well, we have a big one on Mike Price and the WSU football team… . Oh, here’s a big one on the WSU basketball team. I still don’t see anything on this Sonics thing. Is that what you called it? It was Sonics, right?

J: Yes, the Seattle SuperSonics.

Editor 1: All right, let me take a look. O.K., we’ve got Seahawks, Dennis Erickson, Eastern basketball, Gonzaga basketball, John Stockton, Ryne Sandberg, Mark Rypien… OH!!! Here it is. It’s this little tiny one way in the back. We don’t use this one very often. But, now that you mention it, in our last staff meeting we decided to move it in front of the Ryne Sandberg file. Well, you know that he retired and the baseball strike and all. Maybe these Sonics do deserve a little more coverage.

Editor 2: NO!! The rodeo was in town last weekend.

Editor 1: Yeah, you’re right. Maybe if these Sonics (you did say Sonics, right?).

J: Yes.

Editor 1: Well, maybe if this Seattle SuperSonic team wins the championship we could give them a little more coverage. Thanks for stopping by.

* While this dialogue is a little exaggerated, I think it displayed the lack of coverage that the Sonics receive in this market. I do not want to diminish the need to cover all of the aforementioned sports programs and figures. Please, just make an effort to give the Sonics the coverage they deserve. It is hard enough to get national respect, especially if you cannot get it from the local media. Thank you. J. Minnerly Spokane

Praise for coach

I always thought Othello was lucky to have Wayne Schutte as a coach, and like a gambler’s run in Vegas, it had to end sometime.

I’m 35 years old and Wayne Schutte still has an impact on my life.

He told us 20 years ago that “what you put into life is what you get out of it.” And for me, nothing has changed - nothing.

I’ve been lucky enough to have had numerous great coaches, but with due respect to all of them, I would have to say Schutte was the best. No way would I have won like I did without him. And when I did lose, it was because I was too stupid to look across the mat at his signals.

A friend and I were talking about him and we could not think of one person in Othello that commands more respect than Wayne Schutte. He’s also the only coach I’ve had that was tough enough to take what he could dish out. That’s right - the man would work out and sweat right alongside of us. And besides being very knowledgeable, he cared about his men.

In this day of greedy athletes, multimillion-dollar contracts and self-serving coaches, it has always been comforting to have Wayne Schutte to look to as an example of what sport is truly all about. He’s put so much more into wrestling than he has taken. He’s done so much for me and all of the hundreds of other athletes through the years that it would be impossible to ever accurately value his contributions. To think you can put everything he’s done into a paycheck and a handshake is ludicrous.

There’ll never be another Wayne Schutte. Guys like him only come around once in a lifetime. Jerry Rice Othello

Let up on Stinson

I’m overwhelmed by Dave Trimmer’s ability to dig deep into the stats section of a Bi-County game (“Couldn’t help but notice”, Feb. 10), particularly since the paper can’t run the state polls on a regular basis, or can’t write up any Bi-County Saturday games until Monday (even though games from Pasco and Pullman are discussed in Sunday’s edition).

Jennifer Stinson’s attempting to break the all-time state scoring record (both boys and girls and AAA, AA, A and B) is newsworthy. Your childish attempt to ridicule her for trying to get that record is unjustified. Maybe Jennifer did score 42 points in a very lopsided game, but why shouldn’t a very talented young lady have the chance to break a record that every basketball player probably dreams of breaking? Other stars have tried, resulting in lopsided games (even against Davenport some years back), but was there mention made in the paper?

It appears Mr. Trimmer would place money on Davenport being in the state trophy game again. Nothing is for certain. Davenport is good, but on an off night could be beaten. There is no guarantee that Davenport will get to the state tournament or if they do, they could only play two games. There is no guarantee that Jennifer won’t get hurt in the Bi-County playoffs. That’s why Jennifer is going for the state record now. She doesn’t have your crystal ball to see into the future and know that she has 10 games left.

Hopefully, when Jennifer breaks the state scoring record, the Spokesman won’t send Mr. Trimmer to interview her and thereby get the glory for the story. Evidently that would be against his principles! Go for it Jen!! Katherin A. Johnson Davenport, Wash.

Don’t be so selfish

In reference to your comment on Davenport’s Jennifer Stinson in your Prep Notebook column last Friday, Feb. 10.

How can anyone with an ounce of soul begrudge a small-town basketball player the state record for anything? How selfish can you be? Jennifer has worked hard for everything she has earned and she deserves this record. Fortunately, in spite of people like you, I have every confidence that she will indeed be the state scoring champion long before the Bi-County championship game.

You obviously haven’t attended any past Davenport blowouts. Coach Stinson has always been a coach to let the bench go in and finish the game. I have seen him do it dozens of times. Even Davenport’s worst enemies in the Bi-County League agree with what he’s doing. How can he not give her the chance of a lifetime? There is not a coach in the B basketball system who would not do that for one of their players or who would begrudge another coach doing it for one of their players. We’re competitive but we’re close.

Eat your words on that one Mr. Trimmer. You were dead wrong. Jennifer Payne Cheney

Basketball poll stinks

This morning I turned to my Tuesday paper eager to see the AP Top-25 college basketball rankings. I can no longer hold my tongue; I think that the poll stinks.

The Pac-10 began the season with a phenomenal record outside of the conference, including many Top25 victories and strong showings in preseason tournaments. Despite these achievements and although there are five Pac-10 teams in the top 25, I feel that the conference is again being lightly regarded.

UCLA beat Kentucky on the road, plays in a tougher league and has a better record. Kentucky is ranked two slots higher. UCLA also has a better record than Kansas, and plays in a tougher conference, yet Kansas is three slots above the Bruins.

Arizona and Arizona State get better treatment; they are the highest-ranked teams with five losses. But Oregon and Stanford are the lowest-ranked teams with five losses. The Pac-10 teams are 81-22, better than the 84-25 of the ACC.

I am disappointed, but not surprised by these things. I suppose the only way that the Pac-10 will improve its lot with the polls is to do better in the tournament. It is fortunate that the national championship is decided on the court; the teams of the Pac-10 have a chance to prove the East-based AP consortium wrong, unlike in college football. Alan Wolfson Spokane

xxxx