Fan Speak May21

Know the rules

CONCERNING THE article on the sports page May 11 about Central's six baseball players and coach being suspended because of an MSHSAA rules violation, the obvious questions weren't addressed: Why didn't coach Steve Williams or athletic director Mark Ruark read the handbook. and why aren't they aware of this rule?

(Central was not alone in the commission of this violation. Jefferson City suspended four players and coach Bob Coons for attending the same camp. The Jays lost a 9-7 district opener to Columbia Hickman and finished 19-7. The Jefferson City News Tribune reported that the suspensions handed down by the Missouri State High School Activities Association followed an anonymous e-mail the MSHSAA received.)

A shame

WHAT A crying shame about the Central baseball suspensions. So, coach Steve Williams has been attending these offseason camps for 15 years and didn't know the rules? Rules are rules, and it's the coaches job to know them.

Grow up

TO BELL City and Scott County Central: Grow up. The Bell City fans need to forgive and forget their former coach and move forward. The finger-pointing and bickering is getting old. Bell City, rise above and turn the other cheek.

Education over sports

BELL CITY and Scott County Central need to focus more on education, and not on which school has a better basketball team or makes it to the state finals. They both need to get over basketball. There are things that are far more important in life.

Get the facts

IN RESPONSE to Marty Mishow's column May 14: Maybe Mr. Mishow should learn all the facts and not befriend all the coaches in this area.

Hall update?

MANY MOONS ago, the Central High School athletic director responded to a Fan Speak question by saying plans for the revival of Cape Central's athletic Hall of Fame were in the "talking stage." The school year is at an end and there were no solicitations for nominations nor inductions into the hall.

(An update in the April 16 edition mentioned that Mark Ruark was in the process of identifying volunteers and financial backers. He told the Missourian then, "My goal is to have it up and running for inductions in the 2006-07 school year.")