Letters To The Editor

BASKETBALL

Touching moments

What a great touch during the Northeast district basketball radio coverage. Dick Wright, the voice of sports for kids and our communities, is sidelined right now, but as we listened to the games we heard his son, Bob, calling the game - you could tell he was taught by the best. Hearing Dick’s famous voice on some of the sponsor ads along with his daughter, Kay, touched so many of use.

Leave it to Dick, an icon in sports, to touch us all again. Best of luck to Dick in a fast recovery and his two great kids that know by his example what caring and being involved with kids and athletics truly mean. Thanks Dick.

Ron and Sally Jackson Spokane

Bands rate applause

I went to the State AA basketball playoffs in Tacoma. There was a unique opportunity Friday night to watch both the West Valley girls and Cheney boys play in their semifinal games. As I sat with my daughter and her friend, we found ourselves cheering for both teams as they played down to the wire. It was often difficult to decide which game to watch because they were both very close.

Colville played in the next semifinal game and I was pleasantly surprised to find that a band had adopted our team for its game. As a Colville fan, I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the band members from both Cheney and West Valley, who joined together and played for and supported the Colville basketball team throughout its game with O’Dea.

I know I speak for most of the Colville fans at the game. O’Dea was the team to beat, so it was special indeed to have both pep bands combine to add to the excitement.

I have always enjoyed each band when the Colville teams visit their schools, and to have both playing in support of Colville at the state tournament was a heartwarming demonstration of genuine sportsmanship. They clearly won the battle of the bands. All three schools, their teams, fans and the Frontier League should be proud. Andrew C. Braff Colville

Good, bad sportsmanship

As a participant, coach, official and spectator of all sports events the past 60 years, I had the opportunity and privilege to witness the Class B tournament in Spokane.

I was impressed with the girls championship game. While no one likes to come in second after working so hard, I would like to compliment the coach and players from Wilbur-Creston for the sportsmanship they exhibited and congratulate the Ritzville girls on their victory.

I wish I could say the same for the boys championship game. It was very disappointing for me to see the lack of respect, the lack of tact, and mostly the lack of sportsmanship exhibited by the Reardan coach and Reardan boys basketball team, not only to the victorious Republic team, but to the large number of spectators.

Hopefully, the Reardan parents and community aren’t satisfied with the behavior exhibited by their team and coach.

I believe part of coaching is preparing your team for a temporary setback. Also, a part of coaching is to teach respect and good sportsmanship, win or lose, which leads to the building of character and preparing young people for the future. As I said before, no one likes to lose, but we should give credit where credit was due, in this case the Republic boys basketball team. I am sure they would have stayed after the game and offered their congratulations. W. Kirkwood Moses Lake

The right philosophy

After many years of watching grandkids play AAU basketball I was becoming disillusioned with the whole philosophy coaches were bringing to the court. This idea of the focus being on the big win at the expense of half the team riding the bench most of the game is a sad situation.

Then, when attending the Yakima AAU tournament, a new philosophy blew in the door by way of a Walla Walla fifth-grade basketball team. I urge any coach working with youth teams between the ages of 8 and 14 to take a lesson from this team’s coach.

He really has an understanding of athletic development, which I thought this program was aimed at. He has two terrific players, including one who delivers passes like a John Stockton wanna-be. But these two see no more playing time than any other member of this team. Every young man on that team plays equal time regardless of ability. A parent told me the coach writes down his rotation before every tournament and stays with it regardless of the game or the score.

He could put five players out there that could take most any five on another team, but the bottom line is he doesn’t. And by the way, with this philosophy in place, this team blows away most opponents. He does what these programs are for - promote athletic development in these young kids, not to put wins under the belt using a few early-developed 12-year-olds.

This is the kind of coach we need to hold up for an example to youth basketball, soccer and baseball coaches. This coach’s name is James Angley. I don’t know him personally, but I’ve certainly enjoyed watching his team play, and I take my hat off to him. John Hall Yakima

OUTDOORS

Landers misfires again

Concerning the article by Rich Landers on snowmobiling safety (March 13): I am curious just what it is that gives you the right to pass judgement on an individual you never met.

You had absolutely no place, no divine right to accuse a man of not knowing what he was doing. I have every confidence the man of whom you speak knew more about surviving in less-than-desirable conditions than you could ever dream. I would love to see a city slicker such as yourself traverse into the terrain that took this wonderful man’s life and survive as he could have given the proper chance.

Landers, before you go passing any more judgement, I urge you to talk to family and friends of this man. It’s not that this person did not know his limits, but that some egomaniac from Spokane thought he had to prove something by highmarking the other machine. For that reason, a well-liked, much-respected man has lost his life.

His 3-year-old daughter will now have to grow up knowing her daddy only through pictures and stories. I cannot even begin to tell you how unfortunate that is because he was such a kind-hearted, caring person with so much to offer. On that note, do you really think you had the right to say the things you said? How would you like it if, when you die, this community says awful things about you, not knowing anything about you except that you write trashy articles for The Spokesman-Review? I do not think your friends and family would appreciate that any more than this community appreciates your self-righteous article. Shanon M. Foote Priest River

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Let’s vote on Seahawks

I am a Seattle Seahawks fan, but after April 3 it could be the Los Angeles Seahawks. Oh, what a horrible thought. On March 11 our legislators decided we are unable to make a decision about what we want. I left home a long time ago and don’t like anyone telling me what’s good for me.

What’s the big deal? This vote is not going to cost the taxpayers a dime. Paul Allen is going to foot the whole bill. So what do the legislators have to lose? Also, it’s my understanding this new stadium will be funded by those of us who want to keep the Seahawks. Paul Allen has set a date of April 3, if the legislators don’t agree by then to let us vote in the next election he will walk away from the whole deal.

If you would like to help keep the Seahawks or just want more information, the Spokane Seahawks boosters club meets every second Wednesday at Puerto Vallarta at 7 p.m. All are welcome. Let me close with this. We asked Paul Allen to buy the Seahawks. So call your legislators now! Paul, we haven’t given up, so please don’t you! Kathie Clark Elk, Wash.