Letters To The Editor

Coach’s actions lack class

Tuesday evening, Feb. 29, the Ferris Saxons boys basketball team beat the defending state champion Walla Walla Blue Devils 48-46 with a stunning comeback after trailing by 19 points in the third quarter.

After the game, Walla Walla coach Jimmy Thacker threw a tantrum and immediately stormed to his locker room without shaking the hand of Saxons coach Wayne Gilman.

This is in stark contrast to last year’s state championship game, when the Saxons boys and Gilman painfully congratulated the victors and their smiling coach on their fine effort. Ed Walther Spokane

Fan’s behavior inexcusable

On Tuesday, Feb. 22, I went, as an impartial observer, to Shadle Park to watch the Central Valley-Shadle boys basketball loser-out playoff game.

This game was exceptional. However, the behavior of a certain adult in the stands was very alarming. This man, throughout the game, was particularly loud and rude. He shouted insults and even imitated the players on the court who would celebrate a basket. His offensive behavior came to a head in the fourth quarter. CV found itself in a fouling situation. At one point, an excessively hard foul was made on a Shadle player. This loud individual physically stepped onto the court to insult this hard-fouling player.

“Cheap shot” is probably the only printable phrase he used. No Shadle administrator made an effort to silence this man.

As a former high-school basketball player, I realize that emotions run high on the court. Hard fouls are not excusable, but what happens on the court should be dealt with on the court. High school players are still in the process of growing up, and for a grown man to berate a person maybe half his age on the court in such a fashion is sickening.

Congratulations to the basketball teams of Central Valley and Shadle Park - it was a pleasure to play against you this year. It is unfortunate such a good game had to be spoiled by such a pathetic display. Justin M. Lewis Spokane

Heckling is part of the game

I just read the anti-Kennel Club letter to the editor by Linda Storey (Letters, Feb. 27) and wanted to respond to its lunacy. Although normally I do not get worked up enough to compose such responses, this one was so out of line I found myself forced to. I am the captain of the Gonzaga men’s tennis team and an active member of Kennel Club. Ms. Storey suggested that the members of Kennel Club should try interscholastic athletics and in particular basketball. Well, I am an interscholastic athlete and I have figured out (along with the rest of the sane world) that cheering, heckling, and name-calling are a part of sports. Not only are they a part of sports, they are a large part of sports. I can honestly say that fans (although tennis does not get the fanfare basketball does) have gotten into my head and contributed to losses.

At Santa Clara, there is some guy who dresses up in a giant chicken suit and heckles us. It is disrupting but it is part of the game. I do not know what rock Ms. Story crawled out from under, or why she says that “everyone should be ashamed” of the Kennel Club, but I do know that she should be proud of the greatest sports team in the Spokane area and of the fans that help them out along the way. I think it is Ms. Story, in fact, who should be ashamed for bashing the Kennel Club. Her misdirected anger clearly showed all who read her words that she knows nothing about sports. Perhaps she should try some interscholastic athletics. Perhaps then she would join us (the rest of the world) in a common understanding of an essential part of the game. Jeff Shin Spokane

In defense of the Kennel

Get off the Kennel’s back, if you holier than thou people want to start your morality bus tour, go to the top. How about the NHL or NFL? Maybe U of W games? Also the Chiefs. Have you ever seen ACC football?

Please don’t use the line “we’re better than that” or “one so-called wrong doesn’t make it right.” What the Kennel club is doing isn’t a pimple on a person’s anatomy in the overall prospective of things. Leave Hooterville alone until the rest of the world complies. Ed Ellenz Spokane

Taunting doesn’t belong in GSL

I agree with Mr. Steve McNutt that we’ve seen enough about Ferris in print (Letters, Feb. 27) , but there is one more story that should be told: Ferris’ taunting is worse than GU’s!

I’ve never heard the Kennel Club chant, “Al-Co-HOL-ic”, or “D-W-I”. In all three games against Ferris, I was appalled at the lack of class in their student body.

Taunting is their main style of cheering. Where are the Ferris teachers, administrators and parents during games?

Isn’t one of the responsibilities of cheerleaders to lead the cheers in the proper spirit of sportsmanship? It was when I was in high school.

They should be ashamed of the behavior of their students and take steps to prevent such low-brow actions. College athletes should be able to handle taunting, but there is absolutely no place for it in high school athletics.

The Ferris basketball players are fine athletes and good sports. I have no complaint about their behavior. Their fans should follow suit. Marianne LeSage Spokane

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