ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611260019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Two recent letters to The Roanoke Times by Robert Milliron and Dale Blevins illustrate their utter contempt for Virginia Tech, it's football team, football coach Frank Beamer, and athletic director David Braine and their ``philosophy.'' I, therefore, feel compelled to respond in the following manner.
The very thought of football players at Tech involved in off-the-field incidents following the ``philosophy'' of Frank Beamer and David Braine is pure hypocrisy. It is no more ridiculous than to say Terry Holland and Jeff Jones were responsible for UVa's basketball recruit, Melvin Whitaker, slashing a UVa football player at a pick-up basketball game on campus last year.
I wish to give testimony to the true ``philosophy'' of Frank Beamer and Dave Braine.
Sept. 19, 1987, at the Virginia Tech-UVa football game in Charlottesville, UVa won a very hard-fought game. On the Virginia sideline, in civilian clothers, was a UVa player, Craig Fielder, stricken with cancer. In an after-the-game interview, Craig stated how happy and elated he was that his team had won, and Craig's teammates awarded him the game ball.
Frank Beamer, in his first year as a Tech coach [and] a Tech alumnus and former football player, was well aware of the intense rivalry between the state's two largest universities and he was distressed about his team's loss in the final game of the season. But, he was also distressed to read of the plight of one of UVa's players as he reported in the next day's edition of The Roanoke Times & World-News.
In an act of compassion by coach Beamer, another ``game ball'' was signed by the Virginia Tech players and was sent to Craig Fielder early in the week following the game. Accompanying the football was a personal letter to Craig from coach Beamer. It has not been acknolwledged that Craig received the football and the letter, as Craig died approximately two weeks later, Oct. 16. This act was never publicized, nor was it intended to be. This was Frank's ``philosophy.''
Another incident involving a Virginia Tech athletic official occurred prior to the Tech-UVa basketball game at the Roanoke Civic Center in 1990. It was the last game in which Terry Holland, the UVa basketball coach, would coach against Virginia Tech. He was leaving the university to become athletic director at Davidson. Dave Braine, athletic director at Tech, in a surprise announcement prior to the tip-off, called Terry out on the floor to present him with a commemorative plaque, acknowledging his past accomplishments at UVa and the high regard in which the Tech athletic adminsitration had for a class individual. This also was not done for publicity.
Mr. Milliron and Mr. Bivens have chastised not only the Tech football team, but Dave Braine and Frank Beamer, and, in Mr. Milliron's case, Tech's president, Dr. [Paul] Torgersen. We, at Virginia Tech, are very proud of these leaders and their accomplishments and not just by a measure of success which occurs on the football team, but also by their ``philosophy,'' and compassion for other human beings.
I am also proud of the fact that Virginia Tech has chosen to play ``Big Time Football.'' The fact that a great newspaper like The Roanoke Times would succumb to writing such an article in the editorial column is beyond comprehension. Larry Hinker, associate vice president for university relations at Virginia Tech, had the correct response in The Roanoke Times' Nov. 18 edition. I definitely believe that The Roanoke Times editorial writer and the newspaper lost a lot of credibility for future articles, regardless of the subject.
At the end of Tech's upcoming basketball season, another man of high integrity will be retiring. I am confident that Terry Holland and Jeff Jones will acknowledge an honest and genuine respect for Bill Foster, Tech's head basketball coach, as he retires at the end of the season.
UVa, with Terry Holland, George Welsh and Jeff Jones, is blessed to have such esteemed individuals running and coaching their major athletic programs. Virginia Tech is also equally blessed to have men of such high integrity leading their university and their sport programs.
RICK HARMAN SR.
Roanoke
Redskins, racing better than baseball
In regard to Mary McCoy's letter of a few weeks ago, I would like to differ with her.
First, there is only one football team, which is the Washington Redskins. And, while I'm at it, I would like to thank WFIR for having Sonny Jurgenson, Sam Huff and Frank Herzog broadcast the games because the TV announcers are lousy.
Second, NASCAR racing is more important than anything except Redskins football.
So, set your VCR on ESPN, record the race, watch Fox for Redskins football with the volume off and radio on and about 4:15 p.m. wind your tape back and watch Rusty Wallace win another race.
Now, Mary McCoy, who cares about baseball - Mickey Mantle is gone and so is baseball, basketball, hockey. Long live NASCAR and Redskins football.
BOBBY HALL
Vinton
Division III teams deserve coverage
Some people think your paper has done a good job of covering Division III sports during this current football season. They are mistaken. True, you did do an article on Bridgewater's excellent start, wherein they won their first two. The problem is that you ran it the week after it lost to Emory & Henry. As an E&H alumnus I was insulted to read about the undefeated Bridgewater Eagles after my alma mater had already beaten them. I suppose this could be chalked up to an error in timing. So let's move on to some other problems.
This past Saturday, Nov.16, Emory & Henry beat Maryville, Tenn. You listed the results in scoreboard (lowercase intentional), and that was it. Now I understand that Emory & Henry is at the edge of your coverage area, although for that matter so is BC. All I wanted to see was a paragraph about the E&H game. That's not too much is it? I looked through the Sunday Sports section three times to make sure I hadn't missed it. It wasn't there.
One thing that makes me feel better is that you didn't cover Ferrum or W&L much better.
I understand why VPI&SU, VMI, UVa et. al., get most of the coverage. But I am certain that had one of them achieved the equivalent of what Emory did this year your Sports section would have been filled to overflowing with the tale. Come to think of it, that happens when those schools don't have good years.
I think you at The Roanoke Times don't fully realize the number of Emory & Henry graduates that read your paper every day. Or of some of the other small colleges for that matter. A lot of Emory's students come from your readership area.
My main purpose in writing is to remind you of the following: 1, The state does not stop, for college sports purposes, at Blacksburg. 2, Coach [Lou] Wacker has as good a record as any other coach at a Virginia college football program. 3, Most of my fellow small college alums probably don't complain out of a sense of the hopelessness of the cause.
THOMAS OSBORNE
Narrows
Gordon is still popular with fans
In reference to the article your staff writer, Bob Zeller, wrote Nov. 12 on Page 1 of the sports section:
The article was on Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon. I can't believe how he used Labonte and put Gordon down. I am a very big Jeff Gordon fan and this article has upset me badly.
Bob Zeller talked like Terry Labonte was so very popular and Jeff Gordon was too big for his britches. But on the other hand he said people were really booing Jeff in the last few races. I have attended the last three races this year and Jeff Gordon is very, very popular. I think Bob Zeller is a Terry Labonte fan and he is trying to sell Labonte to the public. He has no right putting Jeff Gordon down. Jeff is the 1995 champion and he has proven he can drive as good as anyone out there in racing.
PATRICIA WORRELL
Roanoke
Please write Mail letters to:
Sports Mailbag
P.O. Box 2491
Roanoke, Va. 24010
Letters should include signature, full address and, for verification only, phone number. All letters are edited. Letters of 200 words or less are given preference.
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