Letters To The Editor

Players should give something back

Recently, my friend and I traveled for three days to Anaheim, Calif., to watch our favorite baseball team, the Seattle Mariners, play the Anaheim Angels. We went to two of the three games and had hoped to receive an autograph of one of the players. However, we did not receive a single autograph and saw only one player sign any autographs. That was Mr. Gipson.

Now, I realize before the game the players are supposed to be practicing, but after a certain time a number of players group around second base ignoring their young fans who are screaming their names at the top of their lungs. And the children are not being rude. Many of the young fans call the players Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Buhner, Mr. Griffey, and so on. I don’t understand why not one of the players could have come over to their fans and signed some autographs. After the game, my friend and I went to the Mariners exit at our last attempt to receive an autograph. But, we did not receive an autograph. The team buses drove right past all of us while the players looked out the windows at us. Many young, young fans were very disappointed, not to mention my friend and me. We had been waiting at the exit for an hour or more but the players couldn’t even give their adoring fans a second of their time.

I have been a loyal fan of the Seattle Mariners for 2-1/2 years and on this recent trip lost much respect I once had for this team. After all the fans have done for the Seattle Mariners, you’d think they could give something back to their fans. Natasha Allen Omak

Senior sandbagger

Speaking for our 15 members, near or over age 70 golf group, I would like to thank John Blanchette for his article on Ted McFaul. Ted is indeed a multi-talented “jock,” just ask him. Some have said that he plays 3 on 3 basketball the same way he used to play his best sport, football. I understand paramedics are present at all his games for a variety of reasons. At his advanced age of almost 74, it is a wonder that he can get out of bed in the morning, a tribute to good genes and modern medicine.

One problem. Your article has removed the anonymity with which he “sandbags” his friends with his golf handicap of 17. We have arbitrarily lowered his handicap by a stroke a side until his head size returns to normal. Jack Driscoll Spokane

World Cup kudos

I want to thank the Spokesman-Review for its fine coverage of the 1998 World Cup. You have given local soccer fans a real treat by recognizing that this is truly an event that goes beyond the boundaries of simple athletic competition. I recognize that there are some narrow-minded people that resent soccer intruding into their consciousness, but they need to learn that the modern sports fan in America is interested in more than just the “big four” of football, basketball, baseball and hockey. The fact that the Spokesman-Review tries to cover a lot of different sports is just a simple recognition that the modern sports fan is more likely to have an interest in a sport like soccer than was true for older fans. Sam F. Cozza Spokane

Problems at Hoopfest

My son played in his third Hoopfest tournament this past weekend and I wanted to share with you his frustration over what he experienced.

The previous two years he played on teams that had older and taller players on it which bumped him up to a tougher bracket. This year he organized his own team making sure he stuck to the rules “all players must be under 6 feet and age 17”. He was truly looking forward to a weekend of “fair” competition.

What he found, however was a totally different story. Out of the 13-15 teams in his bracket, he found only one other team that actually adhered to the rules for age and height. After their games, he made a point of asking some of the players from the opposing team their height and ages. He found that many were over 6 feet and over 20 years of age.

My question is why set rules if they aren’t going to be adhered to? My son is upset that he lost all three games, but only because they weren’t able to play against “evenly matched teams”.

I have been concerned about the moral course of our society for some time and I think this is another case that points to the decay. First of all, does the Hoopfest Organization not enforce the rules because they may lose teams and money? I hope this isn’t the case as the almighty dollar rules so many other areas of our lives, don’t let it rule “good, clean fun” too.

What does this say about the players themselves? What type of person first of all thinks nothing of lying on their entry form and secondly, that it gives them a thrill and makes them feel superior to beat “the little guy”. Do you think these traits will stop at the basketball court? No, they will carryover into their jobs and community. Besides, whatever happened to playing the game for fun (which means being honest that maybe you will get beat by your peers)? I have felt for quite some time that sports is way too serious in our country. When I hear parents yelling at their 6-year-olds and making them practice hours on end to “be the best” at a sport, no wonder they feel they have to lie to beat someone. Mom and Dad might still be watching! They’ve been taught from early on to win at all costs, because after all, that’s where the big money is.

Perhaps the Hoopfest organization should require copies of driver’s licenses for those 16 years old and older which would verify the age and height information. I would encourage Hoopfest to do all that can be done to to get this back to being a fair, fun game of basketball for all involved. Cynthia Hulse Palouse, Wash.