Letters To The Editor

UNIVERSITY CROSS COUNTRY

Titans girls due recognition

I would like to respond to the article (Sept. 24) written by sportswriter, Chris Derrick, “U-Hi win tainted by talk of mistake, shortcut.”

This article was totally biased and unfair to the hard-working U-Hi girls cross country team. The article had some great opinions. Maybe you should write about the facts, not fiction.

I was at the U-Hi/Mead/Lewis and Clark meet and I saw with my own eyes Robyn Cross finish ahead of Mead’s No. 6 runner. (Editor’s note: This is not in dispute. The story stated Robyn Cross finished behind Mead’s No. 4 runner Autumn Wood, who finished 8th overall.)

The U-Hi girls are also not getting the recognition for their feats. For one, being ranked No. 2 in the state. Second, they have beaten Mead three times this year. I think Chris Derrick owes the U-Hi girls a big apology. Aaron Fryer Spokane

Three officials made the call

The only thing tainted about the cross country meet at Manito was the reporting done by Chris Derrick. The article in Sunday’s paper (Sept. 24, written by Derrick) said, in part, “Mead’s Autumn Wood clearly beat U-Hi’s Robyn Cross across the line for eighth place… . ” This begs the question: In whose judgment? Three meet officials all made the same call simultaneously.

Cross country is a sport that receives far less recognition in our local newspaper than football or volleyball. The Spokesman-Review has used more headline space and inches of ink spouting opinions in one league meet, than have been used in reporting about any one of the state championships Mead’s cross country teams have won the past years. This is more than belaboring the point; it is bedeviling the sport. Mike Campbell Spokane

U-Hi girls owed apology

As a parent, I am deeply concerned about the reporting ethics of Chris Derrick, who wrote the article (Sept. 24), “U-Hi win tainted by talk of mistake, shortcut.”

Since when have reporters become the officials of the meet? As parents, we encourage our children to stay out of trouble by becoming involved in school. They are taught that part of good sportsmanship is respecting the official’s decision.

What kind of example are reporters setting? Degrading students’ efforts has no place on a sports page. The youth of today need as much encouragement as possible. I think Chris Derrick owes the U-Hi girls cross country team a big apology. Barbara Walter Spokane

Facts reported incorrectly

Reading (the Sept. 24) article about University High school’s girls cross country’s tainted victory, I was stunned by how The Spokesman-Review could print such a biased and false account of the meet.

It is obvious reporter Chris Derrick was not at the Manito meet. And if he was, he must have been quite blind.

I have an unbiased account of the incident that occurred during the cross country meet. Any one that looked closely at the finish line clearly saw U-Hi’s Robyn Cross finish before Autumn Wood; however, Wood stepped in front of Cross in the finish chute. The officials clearly said Wood won.

After Mead coaches didn’t get their way, they began complaining about the short cut. This is not a short cut, though, and the newspaper portrayed it incorrectly.

Next time, make sure you get the facts straight. Cory Johnson Spokane

WSU FOOTBALL

An all-time controversy

Concerning the all-time Washington State University football team featured in the Sept. 22 sports section, you may want to consider the following:

In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Nov. 16, reporter Bud Withers, with the assistance of Don James, Jack Thompson and others, selected an all-time All-Apple Cup team. These are the Washington State players who were selected:

Offense: Hugh Campbell, WR, 1960-1962; Glen “Turk” Edwards, T, 1929-1931; Mike Utley, G, 1985-1988; Mel Hein, C, 1928-1930; Pat Beach, TE, 1978-1981; Drew Bledsoe, QB, 1990-1992; Rueben Mayes, RB, 1982-1985.

Defense: Keith Millard, L, 1981-1983; Gary Larsen, LB, 1972-1974; Clancy Williams, DB, 1962-1964; and Eric Johnson, DB, 1971-1973.

Since it is obviously more difficult to make the all-time All-Apple Cup team than it is to make the all-time team of either school, why were some of these players (Pat Beach, Gary Larsen, Eric Johnson) good enough for All-Apple Cup, but not good enough for the all-time Washington State football team? Bob Kirlin Spokane

All-time Cougars team a hit

Congratulations to sports editor Jeff Jordan and columnist John Blanchette for their splendid job of putting together, “A century of greatness: The Best to Wear Crimson and Gray,” The Spokesman-Review’s all-time Washington State University football team for the past 100 years.

A lot of time and effort were required to survey such a panoply of talent and come up with as fair an assessment as was presented in the final selections published in Friday’s (Sept. 22) S-R.

My hat - I never wore a football helmet - is off to you. Richard B. Fry Pullman

Unbeaten WSU team slighted

Your announcement of an article to appear last Friday on the history of football at WSU sounded great. I looked forward to the recognition of the only team in the history of the institution that was undefeated, untied and unscored against for the entire season!

Instead, John Blanchette, who probably knows nothing firsthand about this team that played in the falls of 1906 and 1907, badly besmirched them and relegated them to sewage.

What do I know? My father, one of two players praised by the then-president of the college, E.A. Bryan, in his Historical Sketch of the State College of Washington, 1890-1925, was left tackle. Obviously, Bryan was very proud of his team.

I heard my dad say more than once that if a teammate was injured on one leg, he tied up the other one: for the opposing team would “kick the tar out of it!” Does this sound like the Pullman team was the barbarians?

A pox on your Blanchette. Janet Miller Spokane

Tired of WSU-bashing

To respond to the letter of Sept. 25 calling WSU students morons and immoral: It is unfortunate that Seth James chose to brand thousands of other students who attend WSU and the fine professors who teach there for the actions of a few.

Behavior like that is disturbing and can be in poor taste, but we learned long ago to avoid such unpleasantries by not sitting in or near student sections wherever we attend football games. I also challenge James’ inference that behavior like that occurs only at Washington State University.

If you ate at a downtown restaurant in Spokane, Seth, and a few of the customers were drunk and using vulgar language, would you tell everyone you knew to never go downtown again?

Reading between the lines as you learn to do when you’re a naive, old woman as myself, the key words here seem to be, “the big university I attended,” and describing the experience and the way the football is played as “repulsive.” There seems to be another agenda here: taking cheap shots at a rival university to promote feelings of superiority.

Generalizing as you did, Seth, to label an entire university as immoral shows a very inflexible and narrow view of human behavior.

I, for one, am tired of all the negative comments about a fine university.

A Cougar Mom and proud of it! Denise Greear Spokane

Nebraska deserves Cougs’ respect

I am responding to the comments from WSU football player Dwayne Sanders about (Saturday’s) game against Nebraska. (Sanders guaranteed a WSU victory.)

As an NU graduate, I have this to say: Show some class. This is the kind of conduct that makes WSU look bad. In his career, Tom Osborne has never disrespected opponents, or spoken badly about upcoming games. In turn, his players also have respect for other teams and players.

Nebraska is ranked No. 2 and is the defending national champion. At least show them the respect they deserve; the respect you would like reciprocated for your team. Jennifer Bryan Spokane

GOLF

Inane question deserves punch

Every occupation, every profession has some real stinkers in it. We saw a beauty right after the end of the Ryder Cup golf competition shortly after Curtis Strange had barely missed a 5-foot putt, which helped to sew things up for the Europeans.

A reporter, with a smirk on his face, asked Strange what his thoughts were about the missed putt. Strange, undoubtedly feeling terrible, turned away from him; no answer, nor should there have been one. If it had been me in Strange’s position, I’d have knocked the stupid reporter’s teeth out.

I hope the reporter’s boss saw it or heard about it and fired him without pay. Carlton Gladder Spokane

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 Spokesman-Review, W999 Riverside, Spokane 99201, or fax to (509) 459-5098. 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, 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: Rita Balock, Paul Delaney, Jim Price, Fenton Roskelley, Chuck Stewart