‘Critics’ shun chance to have voices heard

Anonymous is the perfect word to describe folks around here who are always criticizing coaches and athletic programs around the county.

Almost on any given night at any ballpark all I have to do is stand at the fence and within minutes someone comes up to be and starts telling me everything that’s wrong with their sons or daughters ball coach or ball team.

I’m willing to lend an ear and listen to their complaints. A few might be legitimate, and some are just parents blowing off some steam ‘ two groups which might make up about 20 percent of complainers.

But the other 80 percent are people who think they know everything there is about ball and coaching. They’re quick to criticize when things aren’t going the way they think it should, and are quick to jump on the bandwagon when all is well.

My biggest complaint is no one is willing to publicly give their opinions. There are a lot of people who have a lot to say when they’re confined to a small group, but why not let your suggestions be known to everyone?

Here in the sports department of your local friendly paper, a few months ago we opened up the pages for readers to express their feelings on local sporting teams and events.

We figured with so many people out there who could help fix a lot of things they see wrong with athletics in general in Warren County, why not offer space to send letters to the sports editor, and publish them so those folks’ logic could be heard all across Warren County?

All you have to do is write down on a piece of paper the things you want to discuss about local sports, give your name, and address and phone number, which won’t be published, so we could verify the letter came from you.

But to our surprise, no one was willing to put their name at the bottom of the page. It seems all those great ideas I hear on a daily basis suddenly vanished. Not even the first bit of healthy criticism or complaints made there way to our office.

Now, I know there are plenty of people out there with plenty to say, because between Rob and myself we have heard it all. It doesn’t have to be negative, in fact there are a lot of positive things which can be said for Warren County sports programs.

But the truth of the matter no one wants to put their name at the end of the page.

Yes, it’s a very difficult thing when you write stuff down and then put your name on it for all to read. But Rob and I do it every day, along with the rest of the reporters here at the paper.

We have to take your criticism of what we write every single day. It’s easy to put down on paper all the good things, but as soon as we run something negative the phone lines start heating up.

No one calls when everything is positive and good. We only get the phone calls when there’s something negative to report on or we accidentally left a child’s name out of the paper when he got one hit or one basket. And that’s OK, it’s part of the job. Our writing is out there in the public eye for everyone to read and when we make a mistake, some of you feel it’s your duty to phone in and point them out to us.

But let me ask you this. How would you feel if 9,000 people stood over your shoulder at work and just couldn’t wait to point out your mistakes?

I guess that’s why no one has been willing to send their letters to the sports department. It’s a little different when everyone in Warren County is going to read what you have to say now, isn’t it?

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(E-mail the sports department at [email protected].)