Letters To The Editor

NFL needs better refs

I am writing in hopes you will run an opinion poll and put pressure on the NFL for better officiating.

This is without a doubt the worst year for officiating I have ever seen. Some of the sports announcers seem upset. I am very upset as it wrecks the sport and competition. There are too many cases to point out, and I am sure you are aware of them anyway.

The most recent bad call (perhaps the worst, but that is debatable) is the call in favor of the New York Jets and against the Seattle Seahawks. There were two very debatable pass interference calls, but the TD they called in favor of the Jets made on a quarterback sneak is the most blatant error in judgement I have ever seen. What good is it for players to work their hardest and compete to the best of their ability when the referees can change the outcome of a game?

The NFL should do something about the situation! It appears they really do not care. They are probably too rich to care.

We need full-time referees! Any poor officiating that caused an unearned win (i.e., Jets and Seahawks - there are others) should be reversed later on. Instant replay should be put into effect immediately.

It appears refs are being paid to alter games. Lloyd L. Zimmerman Spokane

Get positive on Chiefs

Why is it with our very young Spokane Chiefs must there be so much negativity (in the newspaper)? I’m not talking about the quality of the articles - I think Dan Weaver does a superb job - but rather how and when the Chiefs are placed on the front page or hidden in the back.

It seems lately when the Chiefs lose, we get the full coverage; a bloop on the front page, a dominant photo, and, as usual, a splashy, cynical headline. Meanwhile, what about their wins? A Memorial Cup may be out of the question for a couple of years. However, the transition from this rough ride to that smooth sailing path of victory will be a joy to observe.

Please, please give these teenagers and their fans some encouragement to keep our enduring hopes alive. Sarah Bishop Spokane

Babcock backer

In regards to “Babcock criticized” (Letters, Dec. 6), I have attended almost every game from 1997-98 to the 1998-99 season. Personally, I think Chiefs coach Mike Babcock is doing what he can with what he has, and what he has is a new team that happens to be one of the youngest in the WHL this season.

With such a young, inexperienced team, one cannot expect a season like last year. Don’t get me wrong, the rookies are doing a great job. Some really stepped up in the beginning of this season while two of the veterans were out with injuries.

This team has a lot of talent, including its coaching staff. Just because this year’s team isn’t as successful as the Memorial Cup team doesn’t mean it’s Babcock’s fault. One man doesn’t win or lose a game.

My advice to the Spokane Chiefs would be to keep working with what you have. Practice makes perfect; they can only get better in the weeks, months, and seasons to come. True fans will come to the games no matter what place the team is in. Bri Gilstad Hayden Lake, Idaho

Stockwell deserves credit

Greg Lee’s column of Nov. 19 (“Post Falls girls look on target to win Border”, Prep Page, Idaho edition) had some very thinly veiled negative comments about Dave Stockwell and his program at Lake City High School that are still bothering me.

Dave put his heart and soul into coaching those girls, as well as younger ones coming up through the ranks. He held camps, skill clinics, coached AAU, arranged special 1-on-1 tutoring in the summer (matching up varsity players with younger ones), and had open gym every Sunday (even the Sunday after returning from the state tournament).

He took a huge interest in the girls, and I’m sure sacrificed a great deal of personal time to do it.

I think whatever success Dave Fealko enjoys in the coming years, he will owe a big thank you to Dave Stockwell for the groundwork he’s laid. Sue Metz Coeur d’Alene

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