Letters To The Editor
Soccer coverage lacking
The Spokesman-Review’s coverage of the inaugural weekend of Major League Soccer was deplorable. MLS represents an attempt to revive bona fide first-division professional soccer in the United States. Spokane has a relatively small, but passionate (and growing), soccer community.
The great support of youth soccer, as well as the success of the Spokane Shadow last year, is testimony to this. Many of us who support the sport believe soccer coverage from the high school level to MLS has been weak. This weekend’s match between New York/ New Jersey Metrostars and the L.A. Galaxy drew 70,000 fans. This is an event worthy of more than a box score.
David Oakes Spokane
MLS deserves better
I just finished going through my (April 14) sports section and was very disappointed to find the lack of coverage of the MLS matches that took place (April 13). Placing the scores in the “Stat sheet” tells nothing of the story of what happened. Even on ESPN SportsCenter they had highlights and discussions of all the matches. I think you are definitely underestimating the support for this new league. There were more than 70,000 people at the Rose Bowl for the L.A. vs. N.Y./N.J. match. The league in its first two weeks has averaged more than 30,000 in attendance and sold out many of the matches.
ESPN and ABC are televising many of the matches to a national audience, and from what I hear the ratings have been very good with well more than a million people watching last week’s match.
Please reconsider how you are going to cover this new league. In my opinion, it does deserve similar coverage as the NHL and NBA, in which you give box scores and a few sentences of a game summary. Hans Schafer Spokane
MLS huge deal in nation
On April 6, the MLS had its inaugural match - the biggest thing to happen in American soccer. There was a little deal on page two, “Soccer league debuts.” It had eight lines. I mean, come on. This is front-page stuff.
Spokane has a huge soccer community. I’m lucky enough that I can watch it on TV. But the bottom line is, there is big money in this. Honda, Fuji, MasterCard. You guys better hop on the bandwagon. I think it deserves a little bit more respect than that. Jeff Ripley Spokane
xxxx S-R sports staff Sports editor: Jeff Jordan. Assistant sports editor: Joe Palmquist. Outdoors editor: Rich Landers. Columnist: John Blanchette. Reporters: Steve Bergum, Kevin Blocker, Dave Boling, Chris Derrick, Greg Lee, Jim Meehan, Dave Trimmer, Mike Vlahovich, Dan Weaver. Copy desk: Gil Hulse, Hilary Kraus, Mike Sando, Ralph Walter. Stats desk: Kory Boatman, Katharine Kumangai. Contributors: Paul Delaney, Jim Price, Fenton Roskelley, Chuck Stewart