Fanfare:
Fanfare:
Sadly, Kent State, not surprisingly, lost another great basketball coach to greener green at a bigger school. Yes, charismatic Stan Heath is now at Arkansas.
I met him at Kent State's banquet on the 10th and got a funny look when I asked him not to leave us. After losing three senior starters, and a fourth who played a lot, next year will be a rebuilding year at Kent with or without Mr. Heath. It's just a shame the Metro Athletic Conference conference is just a stepping stone for young coaches who succeed and then move on to bigger schools' big bucks.
Who here can forget when Jim Clemons left YSU, in the middle of the season, to be an assistant in the NBA? There is no loyalty in college coaching. It's all about the money.
Keith Hipple
Youngstown
Fanfare:
After watching two-time Mr. Basketball LeBron James single-handedly dismantle Poland, I can honestly say he has the complete package. He was unstoppable inside and out. If he wasn't hitting deep 3s, he had a wide variety of dunks to bring the crowd to their feet. He was a man among boys with his rebounding and magical passes. He definitely belongs in the same class as Ohio schoolboy legends Jerry Lucas, Clark Kellogg and Jimmy Jackson. He lived up to the Sports Illustrated coverboy nicknamed "The Chosen One."
The thing that most impressed me was when Cincinnati Roger Bacon handed St. V's their first loss in Ohio since James arrived. He took it in stride and acted like a complete gentleman, shaking hands and signing autographs for little kids. We all know the outcome would have been different had he not gotten in foul trouble.
This high school phenomenon wearing No. 23 is headed in the same direction as another 23, Michael Jordan. I just hope he spends a year in the capital state of Columbus and becomes an Ohio State Buckeye.
Joe Maderitz
Youngstown
Fanfare:
In a recent letter informing parents of Bowling Green State University's men's track team that the sport was being eliminated, the athletic director used the words "with deep regret." I believe he should use the words, "with shame and embarrassment."
This year, millions of dollars were spent on new lights for the football field. How many universities in Ohio have lights for their football fields? The AD states that, with 22 sports, BG was running the largest program in the MAC. How many universities have a hockey program? BG does. What is their budget? How much does a zambonie cost?
The letter also stated the decision was based on the regional and national health of the sport. I contest that the "health" of track and field is excellent. After witnessing the last Summer Olympics, I would say that the "National health" of track and field is unquestionably better than hockey. In fact, we would like to challenge the hockey (or football team) to a stress test to determine who is healthier!
I challenge that running is the basest of sports. It requires no expensive lights, no heavy equipment or pads, no ice rink, no enormous stands, no zambonies, no court, or even turf. It requires shoes and a strong competitive spirit. Therefore, how can BG eliminate track when all the high budget sports remain untouched?
Marilyn Stonestreet
McDonald