Readers are filled with rage

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, January 22, 2005

Wow. Who spat in YOUR Grape Nuts? It was just six days ago that I asked for input on the subject of what in the Wide World of Sports ticks off you readers most. Judging from the response, we recommend anger-management counseling. Let’s start with, say, five days a week.

Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s gasoline prices. Maybe it’s Randy Moss. But there’s some serious rage out there. I’m thinking of purchasing a bullet-proof vest. Now I see what my best friend, a sergeant for the Washington State Patrol, means when he says to me, “John-o, it’s not a happy place out there.”

I asked for one item from each reader and I routinely got two, five, 10 and even 15. The objects of such rage ranged from athletes’ conduct to The Herald itself, as difficult as that is to believe.

Were I inclined to include every gripe I received, I’d need the entire Sports Section, along with Business, Travel and Comics. Therefore, I’m forced to pick highlights and have to leave out some really fine, albeit angry stuff.

Here goes:

Honked reader Sue Grigsby, obviously a highly educated person who has lofty standards for the spoken word, writes: “My biggest pet peeve is, y’know, the several broadcasters and the host of, y’know, athletes interviewed on television and radio, who, y’know, can’t seem to, y’know, have a conversation without, y’know, using the phrase ‘y’know.’ I sometimes count how many ‘y’knows’ an athlete injects into any given interview. It’s astounding.”

Like, I can, like, relate to that. I’m like, “You go, girl.”

Fuming reader Joe Clark, obviously a religious stickler for fairness, writes: “Why is it when an athlete scores a touchdown, he credits Jesus, Allah or Chaka Zulu with helping him get over the goal line, but when he’s stopped short or fumbles, he never says, ‘Man, we had the game won until (insert deity name here) stopped me!’ That lack of reciprocity bothers me.”

Clark was hardly the only one.

Annoyed Monroe reader Robert Van den Akker, obviously a strong believer in the division of church and state, not to mention the division of church and everything else, objects to post-touchdown end-zone prayer: “I’m not sure Jesus would have condoned grown men trying to knock each other senseless or inflict potentially paralyzing hits on each other in the name of sport in the first place. The opposition should have equal time to ask Jesus why He would allow a touchdown to be scored against them.”

Irate Stanwood reader Jan Leatherman, obviously one who loves lists, puts chatty telecasters at the top: “Sometimes, you’d think they haven’t seen each other in at least a month and try to one-up each other.”

Leatherman also ripped The Herald for what she sees as limited coverage of girls’ and women’s sports, unless it’s Meadowdale High School (“I believe you’ve cost girls scholarships), and second-rate coverage of Washington State University (“Assign more homework on researching other schools besides UW.”)

Hacked-off reader Earl Boyer, obviously a gentleman with strong feelings for the health of his fellow man, writes: “Remember when Pete Rose ended the career of a good catcher (Ray Fosse) by plowing into him at full speed with both elbows? I’ve been called a wimp for my opinion on this, but it just seemed like unnecessary violence. I think they should give the umpires yellow flags to throw at times like that, and call the runner out regardless of where the ball ends up.”

Yep. Violence gets me so sideways I could slug somebody.

Raging reader Ellen Dolley, an avid AquaSox fan, obviously tires of what she considers needless delays to her beloved game: “It’s that damn ‘ceremonial first pitch.’ Just how many people have the need to walk out onto the red carpet? One or two are fine, but I’ve counted five before more than one game. It can delay the start of the game by as much as 20 minutes!”

Dolley’s penalty: Have the guilty parties man the gates during the game, “where they can’t see it or hear it.”

Television talking heads and radio honks served as the biggest targets, for obvious reasons, but we print types didn’t escape readers’ wrath. We caught flack for printing too many gratuitously sexy photos of women athletes, as well as the aforementioned unequal coverage of women’s sports.

Interestingly, no one mentioned the BCS, the NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee, steroids, the NCAA in general, recruiting violations, the NHL lockout, substance-abuse policies or players’ spousal shots.

Maybe those are another column.

In the meantime, let’s all take three deep, cleansing breaths and calm down.