SOUND OFF.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Call off the attack

I sure get upset at reading so many hateful and uninformed letters in Sound Off attacking coach Mike Bellotti.

I know the coach and AD Bill Moos very well, and they are both very fine and honorable men. They want nothing but the best for the Oregon football program.

If I had an athletic son who was a football player, I would trust him totally to these men, knowing he would be in excellent hands. I would have absolutely no problem with him being in a program that graduates, I believe, about 85 percent of its players. It is also a program that seldom violates NCAA regulations.

As to the Rodney Woods case, I understand he has been a model citizen at Fresno City College. Why shouldn't he get a fresh start? I recall that scripture says "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Instead of attacking coach Bellotti, we should thank our lucky stars we have him as our coach. He and his assistants have been attacked far too many times. All Oregon fans should realize how fortunate we are to have this group of coaches here.

DANIEL WOLFE

Philomath

The beat goes on

My mother always said, "If you talk enough, eventually you're going to say the wrong thing."

Glib Mike Bellotti couldn't fully explain the errors made in the Stockton, Calif., newspaper because of NCAA restrictions. Talking too much, Bellotti stated they "were under tremendous university controls."

Sure, Mike, that's why president Frohnmayer said you should have talked to him before offering a felon a scholarship. Bill Moos chimed in with some murky announcement, stating that they did follow up on Hamilton's father's concern, conveniently not mentioning what action was taken and why Bellotti didn't call back to Hamilton's father as promised.

Let's see, we have the Woods fiasco, the Hamilton mishandling, Onterrio Smith, kicked out from Tennessee, in trouble after he got here, and a huge, ridiculous billboard in USC territory which fueled them to come here and win while mocking the UO billboard after the game, and the beat goes on.

DARRYL SMITH

Lorane

Time for a fresh start

Thanks to Steve Mims for the commentary on Jay Mayernik.

As a fan of the Thurston Colts, for me it was and is still an exciting year. When I noticed Jay was not out with the team, and the gossip began to flow, my heart sank to a low for a young man who was going places.

As the days go by and I reflect on the events of recent weeks, I still respect coach Piquette for the difficult decision he made. I do wish it had not been a permanent suspension, but that is the coach's decision to make.

With great hope, I see Jay picking himself up and making a fresh start, and that impresses me. Life is not over when we make mistakes. It's over when we don't learn lessons and fail to strive to overcome.

CAROL PRICE

Springfield

Clemens an inspiration

The purpose of this brief letter is to commend a fine young man. This year, the St. Paul Basketball Tournament, which celebrated its 30th anniversary, was privileged to have Kellen Clemens as a featured speaker for a Saturday morning breakfast.

Kellen was inspirational to the young people as he spoke of the four "P's" that guide his life as an athlete and a human being. He focused on passion, perseverance, patience and ended up speaking about prayer.

What a refreshing experience it was for all of us to hear a young man speak about his relationship with God as being paramount in his life and in his success on the football field.

Recently, we have read intimations that a spiritual person may not "make it" in the so-called "real world of professional sports". Yet, Kellen told us that all he is and all that he will become is a gift from God and that this perspective helps him to be a better athlete and teammate, as well as a better man.

It seems that all athletes, especially elite athletes, in any sport may benefit from reflecting on this idea.

JERRY RAGAN

Principal, St. Paul School

Eugene

The Register-Guard sports department welcomes letters on all sporting topics. Our length limit is 250 words; all letters are subject to condensation. Writers are limited to one letter per calendar month. Because of the volume of mail, not all letters can be printed. Letters must be signed with the writer's full name. An address and daytime telephone number are needed for verification purposes; this information will not be published or released.

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