Letters To The Editor

More disappointment

Another November has come and gone and once again, Cougars football fans are forced to ponder another very promising season gone bad. This season reminds me of Mike Price’s first in Pullman, when he took virtually the same team Dennis Erickson had the year before (9-3) and turned it into a 6-5 mess with his patented “November slide.”

Price is 4-19 in November and this certainly is not due to a lack of talent. I do not believe you can blame this on the players. Every year, they play with plenty of heart, they just lack some critical head coaching guidance.

I appreciate the fact that Mr. Price is “dedicated” to Washington State football. Unfortunately, this is a dedication to mediocrity. Price states, “We have a hell of a team coming back next year” in the Dec. 4 Spokesman Review. I only hope we get a new head coach in time to save the players from another disappointing November. Tod Fleming Spokane

A Husky wonders …

I must admit this Husky fan is a bit puzzled. Upon reading (the Dec. 4) article concerning whether or not Mike Price is looking elsewhere for employment, the thought occurred to me … should any loyal Washington State fan even care? What’s his record at WSU … 43 up and 47 down? For crying out loud, lots of football coaches have been fired for having better records than Price’s.

I’ve been wondering for a long time just what kind of magic is involved in him keeping his job at all. It sure isn’t his ability to motivate players in November, or his overall winning percentage. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, Price didn’t exactly have a stellar record at Weber State. I wonder how he got hired at WSU in the first place?

It matters little to me anyway, because I’m a loyal Husky fan, but if I were a Cougar fan, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to say: “Asta La Pasta Mike. I hope you enjoy being called a Gopher (Yikes!!), and don’t forget to bundle up for those balmy Minnesota winters.” Tad Farley Spokane

BYU overrated

It’s Sunday morning (Dec. 8). The Bowl match-ups will be announced this afternoon.

I don’t understand, how in the world BYU can be ranked No. 6? Doesn’t the strength of its schedule make any difference? Doesn’t the fact its loss was against a major college football team and was not even close?

The “experts” are saying BYU has an outside chance in being part of the alliance picture but will probably end up in the Cotton Bowl. First of all, they were lucky to have beaten Wyoming. A bad coaching decision by Wyoming was the reason BYU won that game.

BYU might be a good WAC team, but it is not No. 6 material. Not by at least 14 numbers. W.J. Hiatt Spokane

Alliance a farce

What BYU has done is expose the alliance for what it really is; another made-for-TV sports sham.

The alliance is nothing more than “golf skins game” designed for TV or another “quarterback challenge.”

This is not competition, but a beauty contest designed to appeal to television and make money for those who designed it.

When it was put together, nobody really thought a team from the WAC could end up being ranked in the top eight. Now even the casual observer can see the alliance is playing with a stacked deck.

It’s an utter travesty that BYU was not invited to an alliance bowl. To have Texas, ranked 20th with an 8-4 record, be chosen over BYU, ranked fifth with a 13-1 record, for the Fiesta Bowl shows the true colors of this farce. And just as bad is to have Virginia Tech, ranked 10th, chosen in the Orange Bowl.

All sports fans, not just BYU fans, should be outraged at this system.

I hope the WAC gets aggressive and sues the alliance for its actions. Don Clifton Spokane

Dome gives West edge

This has stumped me for the last couple of years, but why are the Western Washington high school football semifinals still played at the Tacoma Dome, site of the Gridiron Classic?

When the WIAA awarded the Tacoma Dome the state football championships, it should have stripped the dome of the semifinal games. As long as Eastern Washington schools have to play outdoors for all playoff games, except the Gridiron Classic, the Western Washington schools should only play there once, not twice.

During the playoff rounds, finding playable fields is at a premium in Eastern Washington. While Western Washington schools enjoyed 70-degree weather at the dome for the semis, the Eastern Washington games were played in sub-40-degree weather. As a consolation, five of the six games played in Eastern Washington were at artificial turf stadiums.

It wasn’t that long ago (1992) when Eastern Washington schools used to play at an indoor facility, the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho; hell will freeze over before a Washington state playoff game is played there again.

For the sake of consistency, all postseason football games should be played outdoors, except the state championships. The WIAA has to realize that two-plus-two doesn’t equal five. David Maley Rosalia