Fan Speak March5

More girls hoops

I AM very upset to read the sports section. All I hear about is the boys. Girls basketball only makes the paper when there is nothing else to write about. Next year, I hope to read about girls basketball. I think if you published more, maybe girls basketball would become more popular instead of only a few people showing up.

(Believe it or not, we do strive to give fair consideration to the various sports at the 21 schools in our coverage area -- all of which offer boys basketball. Not all the schools have girls basketball. Still, the statistics on coverage on the sports front since Jan. 1 is surprisingly tilted toward boys basketball. One stretch in mid-January featured five girls basketball stories to two boys stories, but February was 16 boys stories and four girls. March has been three girls, two boys. Results, hopefully, dictate coverage. Four area girls basketball teams won 16 or more games this season, whereas seven boys teams achieved that mark. One of those teams set a national record for 3-pointers. Another had a player commit to a Division I school currently in the nation's top five. The four boys teams in the heart of the coverage area combined for a 75-29 record; the three girls teams at those schools were 45-32.)

Cloud or banner

IT IS unfortunate that a cloud has hung over the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team's co-championship season. Why would the administration allow these issues to go on so long and during the season? University president Ken Dobbins has no shortage of controversy. Tentative congratulations to the team, but it makes it sort of hard to hang a banner.

Left out

TO JEFF Douglas: Why did you leave out Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in Division 1 basketball? Not very good reporting.

(Douglas' recent story for The Associated Press about Three Rivers coach Gene Bess earning his 1,000th victory failed to mention Summitt's 907 victories.)

Follow SIU example

AT THE end of another horrendous basketball season that followed a terrible football season, Southeast Missouri State could do worse than to look toward Southern Illinois, where the Salukis have finished fine seasons in both football and basketball. What has SIU done differently than Southeast? They have pushed academic quality to the forefront, so that student-athletes who might not make the pros are instead attracted to the high academic quality. Without a doubt, SIU is the highest academic quality school in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Clean house

WE HAVE a new football coach, so maybe Southeast's football program now is going to improve. That's one positive thing. Now, maybe we can do the same for our basketball program. And since we're going to clean house, why don't we get a new president, too? Maybe Ken Dobbins needs to find a new university. Let's clean house from the top to the bottom. Our baseball coach is excellent. He's doing a good job. But we need to clean house in other areas.

Kudos to the Indians

CONGRATULATIONS TO the Jackson girls basketball team for winning another district title. And congratulations to another state champion from Jackson, wrestler Kamden Rampley. And congratulations to the Southeast women for winning their first Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title.

Accountability

I HAVE mixed feelings about the dismissal of Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner. On the one hand, his record lately has not been very good. On the other, the same administrators who let him go also hired him and football coach Tim Billings, then saddled them with the lowest recruiting budgets in the conference. When is someone going to hold them accountable for their mistakes? They should have to worry about losing their jobs due to poor performance.

One vote for Spoonball

SOUTHEAST: GO after Jay Spoonhour to be the new men's basketball head coach. He is young, energetic and would bring instant credibility. Plus, he would generate some serious excitement. If he applies, I think he is an easy choice.

(Spoonhour currently is an assistant at Missouri.)

Out of its league

IT IS no surprise Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner will not be back next year. For the past several years, this has been expected. Southeast is in the wrong league. The Redhawks cannot run with the big dogs and need to stay on the porch where they belong. There are too many obstacles that prevent the recruitment of top quality players. Coach Garner is a top-notch coach. Southeast's basketball history since moving to Division I is proof that its woes are not coach-related. There is not a coach alive who can turn around Southeast's basketball program under the present conditions.

New post for old coach

CONGRATULATIONS TO former Southeast football coach Tim Billings. A first-class coach is off to a first-class school. When will the university figure out that they do not need to get rid of first-class coaches but need to get rid of the person running the department?

(Billings, who resigned last fall as Southeast football coach, recently was hired as an assistant coach for wide receivers at Wake Forest.)

Thanks, Crusaders

SAXONY LUTHERAN'S first seniors are a great group of young men and a woman. We wish them well. Thank you for a great basketball season.

Shame

SHAME ON Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman and university president Dr. Ken Dobbins for their treatment of coach Gary Garner. For a wonderful coach and person to be treated in such a foul way by Southeast is abhorrent and uncouth. I hope you gentleman remember that when you go to sleep at night.

2007 OVC favorite?

I HATED learning that the contract of Southeast basketball coach Gary Garner was not going to be extended. I think he represents the university with class. I also realize the times in which we live dictate actions such as those that were bound to occur. The only thing I wished had remained unspoken was Garner's assertion that the Indians will win the OVC the next two years. While I'd love to see it, I feel such an assessment was a bit bold. I'm sure if the university officials concurred, coach Garner's tenure would have continued. I sincerely doubt the next coach will feel he is taking over the reins of the conference favorite.

McFerren is the answer

IF SOUTHEAST basketball coach Gary Garner thinks this program is in a good place, he needs to go back and look at the crowd support and level of excitement in the 1980s. If Southeast is looking for the right coach, he is not in the college ranks. The best coach in the nation is Lennies McFerren.

(McFerren, coach of nine state championship teams at two schools, just completed his run of coaching at New Madrid County Central and next year will take his position as principal at Scott County Central.)

Bad decision

I WAS extremely disappointed the decision was made not to renew Southeast coach Gary Garner's contract. I think it was a bad decision for the program and unfair to the coach. Coach Garner is an excellent strategist who motivates his players well. The fact that this year's team outscored opponents in the second halves of games shows that they never quit on their coach even though injuries left them short-handed. You won't be able to find a better coach or citizen to fill his shoes, let alone one who would love to stay here permanently. The smart and fair thing to do would have been to give coach Garner a chance to show what he could do with the players he recruited once he was given a recruiting budget on par with the league average.

Best wishes

COACH GARY Garner works very hard and puts in long hours. He's tried his best to stay within the budget and obey the rules. Coach Garner is a good man, and I wish him the best.