Letters To The Editor

Playfair victim of government

For several months, The Spokesman-Review sports pages have informed us of the sad state of horse racing in Spokane. The commission has allotted Playfair only 50 days of racing. In addition, the profitable summer season is to be completely eliminated.

As a result, Playfair may not be able to operate, jobs will be lost, a fine facility may close and those who love horse racing in Spokane will be left out in the cold. What a travesty!

The obvious question is, why is there government interference at all? In a free market, if there is a facility, suppliers of competitive horses, proper management and willing customers - all of which Spokane has - racing should prosper. In fact, horse racing would indeed do exactly that without the massive hand of government interference.

The racing commission exists for two purposes: First, as a tax-gathering agency for the government; second, as a means of placating political pressure and favoritism. Neither is valid in a free society. The commission should be abolished immediately and the free market should determine which tracks hold racing for as long or short a season as they prefer.

To those who say the racing world is unmanageable without the heavy hand of government domination, I say nonsense. No track could attract fans and bettors unless it had confidence that races were honest and competitive. It is in the self-interest of tracks to take precautions against illegal activity - and they would.

All Spokane needs to have a flourishing racing community is to get rid of government interference. The sooner, the better. Leonard M. Melman Chairman, Spokane County Libertarian Party, Spokane

Hatchery steelhead have their place

In regard to the column by Fenton Roskelley (S-R, March 15) concerning the release of hatchery steelhead, I agree the hatchery program is not working very well. I would have preferred to concentrate on rebuilding wild stocks, even if it meant “no fishing” or “catch-and-release” for a period. It may well be too late for this. I also agree there should be no stigma attached to keeping hatchery fish. However, there are some good reasons for releasing them, too. The following is a list of a few:

1. Early in the season, hatchery fish can be caught more than once, multiplying the pleasure a given fish can provide. On numerous occasions, I have had flies clipped off on released fish returned to me by other fishermen.

2. How many steelhead can one person or family unit eat? These are big fish. Unless one is feeding a number of families, a sea lion, or several bears, two or three steelhead per season should be enough.

3. Persons who are mostly concerned with keeping fish remove them from the water to determine their status. Among these fish are wild ones that are so abused they might as well be kept; they are destined to die anyway.

4. The idea that every fish must be kept, and that catching a wild fish is bad luck, is a philosophy that is not confined to streams where there are plenty of hatchery fish. It is carried everywhere, including blue-ribbon streams with large populations of wild fish. It is a poor philosophy to pass on to the young fisherman.

I enjoy Mr. Roskelley’s contributions and have looked forward to them for more than 30 years. Keep it up! Jack D. Rogers Pullman

Feist does it right without fanfare

If you want to be Frontier League coach of the year, don’t:

1. Hire on at West Valley High School and become the boys varsity basketball coach.

2. During your nine years as head coach, lead the team to seven Frontier League championships (five of them consecutive).

3. Win the district tournament five times, each for a berth in the State AA Tournament.

4. Place twice at state - third and fifth - against competition that includes players signed by UCLA, Washington State, etc.

5. Set up several preseason games and organize an Eagle Classic tournament during winter break (without any extra personal financial gain). Do it anyway!

6. Treat your players with respect and coach with a positive attitude, prompting players to say you’re just like a father to them.

7. Instill such confidence in your players that their accomplishments surprise even themselves.

8. Keep in contact with parents. It’s great PR and everyone knows what’s happening.

9. Set up camps during winter Saturdays and during summer for second through sixth graders. Make the game of basketball a real family event.

By doing all of the above, you will never receive Frontier League coach of the year. However, Joe Feist is loved and respected by all of us who witness his professionalism, are mesmerized by his charm, appreciate his true love of the sport of basketball and respect his outstanding ability. We’re also thankful he has his priorities in order - family first, school second and basketball third. Yes, Joe Feist seems to be West Valley’s best-kept secret. P.J. Pecht Spokane

Conservative counter-strike

Now that Rich Landers, The Spokesman-Review Outdoors Editor, has vented his spleen in public (S-R, March 7), his friends must find him a lot easier to live with. Read the following litany of his words and phrases, and accept the challenge of determining whether Landers left out any of the standard verbiage for attacking conservatives on environmental issues:

“Right-wingers bent on denuding nature; scrap basic blueprints for quality of life; take the nature out of your future; the slobbering mob waiting for an opportunity to uproot wildlife habitat and muck up streams; scuttle forward-thinking proposals; scoundrels in Olympia trade paradise for pavement; fanatic right fringe thumb their noses; redneck legislative vendettas; nature-bashing, bludgeoning, knee-jerk, stupidity.”

Should you think anything is missing from the list, let Landers know. Then he can go out and howl it until the next full moon. Freed of his stored-up venom, he might then be able to return to the real world where tradeoffs are a fact of life and paradise is not one of the options.

I wonder if this list is from a program of conservative-bashing terms available to every journalist with a word processor. If so, I would like a copy to see what’s ahead next week. Edwin A. Olson Spokane

Actions of Chiefs coach upsetting

As a longtime hockey fan, it pains me to write this letter, but I feel I must. For 15 years, I have sat behind the players’ bench at hockey games and never have I heard such unprofessional and immature language as I did Sunday, March 19, from Spokane head coach Mike Babcock. After a penalty call against the Chiefs, several people, including Chiefs players and people sitting around me, were joking about the call when coach Babcock turned around and made a vulgar comment to me. While using this language is inexcusable at any time, to say it to a home fan when there were no fewer than four children sitting close by is unforgivable. For many years, visiting teams sat in front of my family and me, and never once do I remember an opposing coach using profanity toward any Spokane fan.

While coach Babcock might not realize it, he is a role model, not only for Chiefs players, but to young fans in the stands as well. On this night, he let down both groups. Coach Babcock’s actions took what had been a wonderful night of remembering all the great events in Spokane hockey history and replaced them with an ugly memory I will never forget. While I will always remain a fan of the wonderful game of hockey, I will never be able to look at the game the same way again. Walter Lutz III Spokane

Knight deserves a reprimand

After watching the disgraceful behavior of Bobby Knight on television the other night and then reading about it in the paper (March 18), I feel a few comments are in order.

We can all understand the disappointment of losing a game, but the behavior Knight exhibited goes beyond the realm of disappointment or human decency. It was a disgusting display of a man who has never been held accountable for his antics, on or off the basketball court. To berate a tournament official on television as well as using foul language is the ultimate in poor sportsmanship as well as bad manners.

I can understand the University of Indiana’s desire to win, thus keeping Knight on as head coach. What I don’t understand is its reluctance to publicly censor his outrageous behavior. It cheapens the game of basketball and sets a lousy example for kids. I can only hope the powers that be will call coach Knight on the carpet and not let this latest incident pass without some sort of disciplinary action. Robert Goldsworthy Jr. Rosalia

Who are writers watching?

Recently, a panel of sportswriters from across the state selected the Washington Associated Press all-state B boys and girls basketball teams. To say the least, these selections were absolutely incredible. Taking nothing away from those selected, how is it possible that Jennifer Stinson of Davenport is not the player of the year?

Not only did she break the Washington girls all-time career scoring record, but this past year she led her team to third place at state. For the season, she scored more than 900 points, averaging 30-plus per game. In addition, the senior star led Davenport to first and second placings the previous two years. Give me a break.

The boys selections are equally baffling. How can Will Hutchens of Dayton (the State B champions) not be among the top five players selected? And how is it that neither he nor Ryan Floyd of Sprague-Harrington is the player of the year?

It’s a great injustice to these three players. It sort of makes you think these sportswriters ought to switch to politics. Russ Roeber Spokane

Let’s bring baseball back to fans

Wake up, baseball fans. Ask yourselves these questions: Am I a true baseball fan? Or, am I just a heroworshiper? Before you answer, think about this: Baseball was played, enjoyed and became the national pastime long before multi-million-dollar prima donnas came along.

Baseball has evolved from a form of family entertainment into a one- or two-times-a-year, very expensive family outing. Stop and calculate the bill for a family of four to attend a game. The situation was born from the greed of the players and owners.

This is a good time to bring the game back to the family and for it to become the national game again. The idea of a salary cap makes good sense. It would not hurt the players. Salaries could be made more equitable, with less difference between the top and lower ends of the salary schedule. Then the best players (heroes) would still make their millions advertising shoes, Wheaties, etc.

The owners’ greed to take the biggest piece of the pie by buying up top players with absurd salaries would be controlled. The idea has been expressed that the good players won’t play. Well, if it’s the only game in town, and they don’t play, they won’t sell many tennis shoes.

The owners would now have to lower the price of admission to build attendance. This would put the cost of a day at the ballpark for a family of four back in reach. Should this strike go on and the season be played out by the replacement players, the fans would eventually designate their heroes and bums.

Baseball fans, it’s your turn at bat: Pick new heroes and bums. Attend the games when the price of admission comes down to the family level. Let’s all become true baseball fans. Wilson K. Conaway Liberty Lake