Letters To The Editor

Dean’s team overplayed

I’m a partisan of the University of Arizona, having graduated from that school a good many years ago. I also try to support membership in the Pac-10 Conference by that institution and, as a result both the University of Washington and Washington State. I read, with an eager interest, any news concerning my school that your paper chooses to publish and I appreciate your doing so.

Upon opening the paper March 24, one of the first things I saw was a picture of Dean Smith on a stepladder. Now, I try to give credit where is credit is due. Dean Smith is a talented coach and has done fine things at the University of North Carolina. Yet, I immediately wondered what there was about UNC’s gaining a regional title and admittance to the Final Four of the NCAA spring tournament that was so much more important than any of the other three schools, that its coach deserved his picture on the front page of a newspaper nearly 3,000 miles away. Particularly when neither the coach nor school has any specific ties to the paper’s reading area.

I then turned to the sports section. I must admit I was appalled. I was infuriated. A picture of a North Carolina team member, one his own mom would have to admit was far from being complimentary, took up over a fourth of the page. A huge, bold, headline talks of the North Carolina advancement to the tournament semifinals. It was a glowing report of that team’s walk through a not-very-difficult - California being the only challenge - tournament schedule.

Now, let’s talk a bit of the story at the top of the page. A much smaller picture of an Arizona team member and less than one-half the space allocated to the headline.

No college athlete deserves the sort of yellow journalism you showed today, nor the scalding you issued when the team won in the first round. No college team should be debased in such a manner, regardless of whether they win.. Your paper would have been better represented and more credible if you had simply run a box and made no further comment. I expect more from your paper and usually get it. Thank you for listening. Tom Cubbage Deer Park

We don’t need Seahawks

It is not the fans’ or players’ responsibility to help these egomaniac owners secure a franchise. Paul Allen is using Cheney as a workout facility as a ploy. Let Eastern Washington watch the Seahawks work out and get their bucks, as if he needs it.

His team, his responsibility. He knows the people in Seattle don’t support the Seahawks. The games are not televised over there for lack of support, yet they are stuffed down our throats. Do not televise any home games and see what kind of support this team gets. It would and should be bye-bye Seahawks! Al Coumont Spokane

How compassionate

Let me get this straight: The hunters are complaining that deer herds have not recovered from the rough winter dieoff of 1992-93 (Outdoor briefs, March 19). So the solution is to kill more cougars. Then without the cougars around, the deer can overpopulate, and when they start starving, the hunters can save the day by blowing off their heads to keep them from starving or getting hit by cars.

Strike another blow for compassion.

How ironic that this is called wildlife management, and how sad that the unsuspecting public is being duped into this whole scam. Roland Cameron Coeur d’Alene

MEMO: We welcome letters of up to 300 words on all sports and outdoors topics. All letters are subject to editing. Writers are limited to one letter a month. Please include your signature, street address and telephone number where you can be reached for verification. Send to Letters to the Sports Editor, The SpokesmanReview, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane 99201, or fax to (509) 459-5098, or e-mail to sports@spokesman.com. To dictate a letter by telephone, call 458-8800 and enter the four-digit code, 4855. S-R sports staff Sports editor: Jeff Jordan Assistant sports editor: Joe Palmquist Outdoors editor: Rich Landers Columnist: John Blanchette Reporters: Steve Bergum, Chris Derrick, Hilary Kraus, Greg Lee, Jim Meehan, Mike Sando, Dave Trimmer, Mike Vlahovich, Dan Weaver Copy desk: Gil Hulse, David Oriard, Geoff Pinnock, Rick House Stats desk: Kory Boatman Contributors: Paul Delaney, Jim Price, Fenton Roskelley, Chuck Stewart