Fan Speak Jan29

Showcase the women

LET'S TALK about the front of the Jan. 20 sports section. The Redhawks women's basketball team had won three of the last four games. In the last three games, they had absolutely dominated, but still somehow the Southeast men's team steals the headline, "'Hawks stumble down the stretch." Come on now. The men's team is not very good. They're not playing to their potential. The women are kicking some serious tail. We need more coverage of the women in the paper. Get on it.

(Picture and story placement for the Jan. 20 edition was based on the Southeast men's team playing the team directly in front of it in the standings and both teams playing to get into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament field, while the Southeast women were playing a team that was 0-14. The Southeast women had a more prominent placement with the Jan. 22 edition after beating OVC-leader Tennessee Tech and again Jan. 27. The Southeast men take today's centerpiece with a nationally televised game.)

Outdoors coverage

THE MISSOURI Department of Conservation had meetings in Piedmont, Marble Hill, Perryville and Cape Girardeau on antler restrictions and wild turkey regulations. Why did the Southeast Missourian not report on any? More Missouri residents hunt or fish each year than attend St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs games -- 1.38 million versus 1.2 million. One of every four Missouri residents hunt or fish. Sportsmen in Missouri annually pay $80.1 million in state sales, fuel and income taxes. For every one hunter who leaves the sport, 16 are taking their place. Where is your weekly outdoor section?

(Point well taken. Much of our editorial copy for outdoors material is provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation, but recent space considerations have made that a less consistent feature. See Page 5B in today's edition for a column by Paul Davis, outdoors editor of the Daily American Republic, regarding the antler restrictions.)

Radio silence

WHY ARE two stations tied up with one high school basketball game, and other games are not broadcast? Aren't the two stations sister stations? I don't understand that.

(KAPE-1550, part of Withers Broadcasting, is carrying all Notre Dame boys basketball games this season. KGIR-1220, part of Mississippi River Radio, is broadcasting some Notre Dame and some Central games.)

Record speaks for itself

I'M CALLING in regard to the men's basketball program at Southeast Missouri State. How can we afford to keep coach Gary Garner around? Let his record speak for itself. The more important thing is the attendance. Nobody is coming to the games. His record is poor. We can't get a home playoff game. He's fighting this year just to make the OVC tournament. Garner wasn't brought in just to make the OVC tournament. He was brought in for us to make the NCAA tournament.

(Garner, who directed Southeast to the 2000 NCAA tournament, is 125-125 in his nine seasons at Southeast.)

Change needed

SOMEBODY PLEASE help me understand the goal and objective of the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program. Year after year with coach Gary Garner, we continue to see the same results -- or a lack thereof. It is time for a change. We have a great community that would support the team, but the product on the court just is not there. It's a shame we're losing the opportunity to rally behind our university and the basketball team. Garner needs to go. We need a new coach -- a young, aggressive leader to take us to where we should be, which is near the top of the OVC.

Grappling for attention

I THINK Jackson should focus a little more on the Indians wrestling team. So far, the team has had an outstanding season with a stellar performance from the varsity and junior varsity at the SEMO Conference meets. Everyone should come to senior night and the last home dual Jan. 31 against Farmington.

Depressing trend

IT'S SAD to see the Southeast Missouri State and Mizzou men's basketball teams in a free fall to the bottom of their conferences. Both schools and coaches deserve better.