On April 3, the Sunday Mirror came to my house, and being a sports fan, I grabbed the sports section first and started glancing at some of the article titles.
One grabbed my attention immediately, and I became so angry over the article that I just had to write a response to it. The title of the letter was "BG's actions during anthem disturbing."
It was a good title to grab attention and a great title to make Bishop Guilfoyle people enraged.
The letter was written by a man who said he's been a baseball fan and has watched many games, but the worst thing he ever saw was what happened at the PIAA Class A girls championship game at the Bryce Jordan Center on March 26 when the BG girls played against Steelton-Highspire.
Like every game, the national anthem begins, and it is the Bishop Guilfoyle girls' tradition to line up by class and hold hands. Whoever sings the anthem begins, and the girls begin to sway side to side. I'm a student at BG, and this is such a large tradition that the entire student section does it as well.
Then at a certain point in the anthem, the girls begin to swing their arms back and forth. Why? Because it is tradition, and it is a symbol of unity for the team.
Now the man who wrote the original article said it was the worst thing he ever saw at a sporting event because they were very disrespectful to the moment. His quote: "They were swinging and swaying and throwing their arms up and down in the air as if they were warming up for a rap concert instead of showing any respect for the moment."
I was at the game in the student section swaying side to side, too.
We are a family, and it is a moment we have together. We weren't being loud or rude or obnoxious. If anything, the unity supports the anthem. In times of war and hatred in the world, we still stand together, just like we are supposed to do in the United States.
What are we supposed to do to respect the moment? When a national anthem plays, what do most people do? They stand and stare at the flag and take in the words. However, many professional athletes, while standing, put their head down and close their eyes.
Is that being disrespectful or not acknowledging the moment?
Jeffrey Holzer
Hollidaysburg
Elementary coaches should show honor
In regards to the letter "CBRC playoff rule needs changed" in last Sunday's Mailbag, I have been involved with CBRC sports programs since 1993 as a coach and elementary school sports director.
While I agree with the spirit of the letter - that every kid should appear in playoff games regardless of their skills - the writer directs threats at the league board when the real culprit behind the playoff rule change is the elementary school coaches.
I've been around long enough to remember when there was a "must-play" rule for the playoffs.
This rule was changed when there were multiple incidents of certain teams showing up for playoff games with only their six or seven best players.
The other three or four kids were coincidentally ill or unable to attend that game. Why this practice was tolerated by parents of the kids is beyond me, but it happened, and numerous times, so the CBRC instituted this rule to even the playing field.
The solution to this problem is not more regulations that some will simply work to get around.
The solution is for elementary coaches to do the honorable thing and play everyone that shows up.
If parents are agitated about this practice, they need to speak to their coach or school's athletic director - not blame the league board, which is simply trying to keep things as fair as possible.
I would like to make it clear I have no affiliation with the CBRC and have never sat on any league board.
My elementary school sent two teams to the playoffs this year, and every child on those teams appeared in their playoff games. One team had 15 boys, and the coach, on his own, made the decision to play everyone.
Coaches, the rule says you don't have to play everybody, but it doesn't say you can't.
Kurt Laich
Juniata Elementary Athletic Director
Rush to judgment troubling
I, like others, was shocked to hear of the allegations of inappropriate acts by Jerry Sandusky involving a student from the Central Mountain School District.
In short, the liberal "drive-by" news media - The Harrisburg Patriot News - has already found him guilty, although the grand jury is still out collecting witness information and facts possibly leading to a possible indictment of Sandusky.
Even if it is found there is not enough information to charge him and go to trial, he has been fried and found guilty. This man is finished regardless.
This is becoming common in our country.
Do you remember the Duke lacrosse players who allegedly raped a woman who it turned out was a prostitute and had done this before?
Her motive was the money she could collect in damages. And what made it worse was the county district attorney was the judge and jury. His motive was to win an election as a Democrat.
The sad part was the thousands of dollars the parents of these lacrosse players had to come up with for lawyers to defend these young men.
Their lacrosse careers were ruined even though they were eventually found innocent of all charges and did graduate from Duke University.
But nobody learned a lesson here.
If Jerry Sandusky had been some unknown blue-collar worker, this might not be happening. What has this country come to?
A person is innocent until proven guilty by his peers. I hope this is the focus as this case moves on.
Les Hart
Duncansville
Treat innocence equally
I trust that if Jerry Sandusky is found innocent of these accusations, the Mirror's coverage and columns will be as extensive and prominent as what appeared on Friday, April 1.
Carl Nerenberg
Hollidaysburg
