2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Reader calls reaction to basketball woes 'clueless' to larger situation
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
03/26/08 - To the Cigar,
This is in response to the letter from Mr. Brian Kurt attacking Jim Baron's coaching and calling for a boycott. Hello, Mr. Kurt. I, too, was disappointed in URI's meltdown at the end of the season, but unlike you, I am a fan of URI basketball and would never try to organize a boycott.
Why? If you can read as well as you can write, you would know the state of Rhode Island is struggling financially. In addition, there is a very limited budget for athletics at URI. URI has a signed contract with Baron that would cost big money to get out of. Your boycott would help URI drop to the depths of St. Bonaventure.
I have been a URI fan since the early 1970s, and let me assure you URI is not the University of Connecticut, the University of California-Los Angeles or even Providence College.
Should UConn fans boycott the games because UConn got beat in round one of the NCAA Tournament and lost to PC twice? NO!
Any URI team with 20 plus wins and a postseason spot is a success. That is reality. Should Baron get the blame for the meltdown? YES! Should he be complimented for bringing the program back from one of its lowest lows under Jerry D.? YES!
Experts are stating URI's incoming recruiting class is No. 33 in the country. Should Baron get credit for that? YES! Maybe you mean well, maybe you don't, but by calling for a boycott, I rank you as totally clueless on how we can assist URI in building a winning program.
Richard Gingras
This is in response to the letter from Mr. Brian Kurt attacking Jim Baron's coaching and calling for a boycott. Hello, Mr. Kurt. I, too, was disappointed in URI's meltdown at the end of the season, but unlike you, I am a fan of URI basketball and would never try to organize a boycott.
Why? If you can read as well as you can write, you would know the state of Rhode Island is struggling financially. In addition, there is a very limited budget for athletics at URI. URI has a signed contract with Baron that would cost big money to get out of. Your boycott would help URI drop to the depths of St. Bonaventure.
I have been a URI fan since the early 1970s, and let me assure you URI is not the University of Connecticut, the University of California-Los Angeles or even Providence College.
Should UConn fans boycott the games because UConn got beat in round one of the NCAA Tournament and lost to PC twice? NO!
Any URI team with 20 plus wins and a postseason spot is a success. That is reality. Should Baron get the blame for the meltdown? YES! Should he be complimented for bringing the program back from one of its lowest lows under Jerry D.? YES!
Experts are stating URI's incoming recruiting class is No. 33 in the country. Should Baron get credit for that? YES! Maybe you mean well, maybe you don't, but by calling for a boycott, I rank you as totally clueless on how we can assist URI in building a winning program.
Richard Gingras