Sports Letters for September 05, 2010

In his review of Kermit Courville Stadium in Friday’s SportsExtra, Daily News Sports Editor Joshua Buckley said the island stadium was “a dump, an eyesore and an embarrassment to Galveston.”

Reporter’s Comments Were Insulting

I’m a Ball High School alumnus and parent of a Ball High School band student.

While our stadium certainly has its flaws, I was appalled by the nastiness with which the review of the stadium was written (“Courville Stadium is an embarrassment to island,” The Daily News, Sept. 3).

I was a supporter for the new stadium bond. Where was this reporter when support for a new stadium was needed?

The reporter’s comments about the band were insulting. Stephen Duncan, Galveston school district’s fine arts director, and Mary Alums, former band director, dedicated themselves to rebuilding the band during the last two years from the dwindling numbers, pre- and post-Ike. The band students work hard (summer and before/after school) practicing the marching routines and music. What does intimidation have to do with a marching band? And, what does discussing the band have to do with a review of the stadium? The band students do not deserve that!

There is a place for objective, constructive criticism. This review of the stadium, however, was neither. The reporter’s vicious comments only make Galveston’s residents and, more importantly, Ball High students feel like worthless, second-class citizens. Hurtful, as opposed to constructive, comments are not productive for anyone.

Tara Annweiler
Galveston

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Enough With The Snide Remarks

In Friday’s newspaper, there was a special sports section regarding the high school football matchups. It’s apparent Sports Editor Joshua Buckley derives some great pleasure in bashing anything Galveston, in particular Ball High School, the football program and, let’s not forget, Courville Stadium. In Friday’s paper, he refers to Courville as “The Dump” and has done this twice now.

It seems Mr. Buckley can’t write a sports article about Ball High without throwing in a few snide remarks, never accentuating the positive. Mr. Buckley should not allow his dislike for Ball High, the Tors and Courville Stadium to be so transparent. I know of one islander who is beginning to take this personal.

We know Courville Stadium is outdated; we also know at this time we can’t do anything about it. When the school board tried to pass a bond issue to build a new stadium, the newspaper came out against the bond issue and urged us voters to cast a vote against it. Perhaps Mr. Buckley and those who sign his paycheck are not on the same page. We can only hope that Mr. Buckley becomes homesick for Alabama and returns there.

Johnny Lidstone
Galveston