Letters: Postgame reaction atypical of Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett

Bennett’s reaction not typical of his style

I heard on local sports talk radio and in your sports section criticisms directed at Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, for the way he exited the postgame handshakes line after losing to Gonzaga in the WCC Championship, which was the third straight loss for Saint Mary’s to the Bulldogs this season.

While there may be quite a love-hate feeling between Spokane’s GU fans and the Saint Mary’s basketball team, I would like to recommend that Spokane fans be more understanding of the emotions that this basketball rivalry brings each year,

I would like to see a more gracious attitude from the consistently winning GU fans toward Bennett, especially in light of the very gracious public comments he has made about the GU basketball program last year and this year.

Last year Bennett was asked how he felt about the rivalry with GU and he stated that he appreciates how coach Mark Few and the Gonzaga program has raised the level of play in the WCC, and has made him a better coach and his team a better team.

This year when asked about the GU team, he stated that it was interesting to note that while the players have changed (two players left for the NBA and three transfers joined GU’s starting five) the coach has not changed, and Few has had an impressive year with a new team, and he should be considered for coach of the year.

Now that doesn’t sound like a coach who has been called a poor sport by some GU fans for his quick exit in Las Vegas, rather than understanding how badly it must have felt to lose three straight games, in the face of a potential Saint Mary’s NCAA Tournament bid.

Hal McGlathery

Spokane

Landers played with emotions on wolf story

Let’s play a game called: What is the subtext here? One wonders whether Rich Landers deliberately missed the point of his March 5 article on the cost of wolf recovery. If he had really wanted to deal with costs, his time would have been better spent by looking at the cost of fish recovery. He states these costs, but then conveniently ignores them in his focus on the wolf. Why? Does he really not care about costs? Is he more interested in the emotional and psychological impact of talking about wolves? It would seem so, given the half-page photo of a wolf. Imagine what readers would have thought if Landers had actually examined the most costly programs and replaced the wolf photo with one of a trout. Not quite the same is it?

Ron Large,

Spokane

Community benefits from Gonzaga’s success

Congratulations to Gonzaga’s men’s and women’s basketball teams for their great seasons, winning WCC tournaments and places at the Big Dance. Whether you are a die-hard fan, alumnus of Gonzaga or another college or university or not, we all benefit from the Zags’ successes. Putting teams from a midmajor university in our region consistently in the national spotlight is a real asset to our community and the university itself. Their success is the result of many factors: great recruiting, coaching, playing, teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work, academic performance, and strong support from the community and across the country. Our thanks to so many for their fine work. We love all our region’s athletic teams. The Zags are special and let’s cheer together for more excellent games coming in the NCAA Tournament.

Libby Barnes,

Spokane