Too much bad behavior

While I am a far cry from being a sports nut, I do enjoy watching both intercollegiate and professional athletics. I have found recently, however, that I have become more discriminating both in watching and in reading the sports pages. In fact, almost without knowing it, I apparently “decided” to stop watching the NBA. My issues are the precociousness of the athletes and the criminal behavior of many. I have not done an inventory, but I cannot remember a day when a popular athlete or coach was not reported in the sports pages (often at the bottom of page 4 or 5) as having a DUI, or drug, family or violence difficulties. It may just be my heightened awareness, but it seems like this is occurring in nearly epidemic proportions. I believe it is time to highlight this issue so that it receives proper attention. One way to do this would be to put an old- fashioned police blotter in its sports section. With this addition, the issue of corruption and criminality would be properly displayed. I suspect that once the blotter became a half page on average, there would be a public outcry and other news organizations would follow. Any chance the S-R would begin the process?

Bill Gray

Spokane