Fan Speak July9

No big deal

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI State's NCAA violations seem like much ado about nothing. Who cares if a women's basketball player gets help moving a bed or is allowed to use a computer? Does that really affect the competitiveness of the game? I think not. Coach B.J. Smith has done a fine job, and he should be allowed to keep it up.

Who's accountable?

THE STORIES on Southeast's basketball violations in the men's and women's programs said some were taking place for more than a year. What were the compliance director and athletic director doing during that time?

Seeking scapegoats

I FIND it interesting that Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins said he would not tolerate rules violations in the athletic department. But if you read between the lines in the recent articles concerning the women's basketball investigation, it appears the university administration has been tolerating violations since Smith got here. Now that they're caught, they are looking for scapegoats and making it look as if they're some kind of strict enforcers of the rules. Rather that being proactive with Smith and getting on top of his violations in 2003 when they first surfaced, they have now let themselves be backed into a corner. They now have given Smith a contract extension, a 20 percent raise and set him up to fail in the process. Leadership? Where?