Flak Magazine Letters
Jan-Apr 2006
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02-17-06
To: Bob Cook
Re: Kick Out The Sports!
Dear Mr. Cook,
I really liked your article. I'm not sure how many e-mails you have recieved about your article or about the movie Hoosiers, but I am sure it's a lot like mine.
I am a huge basketball fan and this movie was so moving and inspirational that I didn't need to be a fan. I am 23 years old and I cry everytime I watch it. I can't really fathom that some of them wouldn't have done it if they knew it was going to be this big. I hope every player in this movie knows that there are a lot of kids and young adults out there that would have done this movie at the drop of a hat.
I am very sad about the death and suicide of Mr. Kent Poole. Although I didn't come from a small school, he reminded me of me. I know he touched a lot of lives including mine. Even though it was a small role in a movie, it was a big role in the lives of a lot of people. I never knew him personally, but he will be missed.
Sincerely,
Brad Powers
02-15-06
To: Bob Cook
Re: Kick Out The Sports!
Hi Bob,
I just now read the story — I don't know when — that included some thoughts about me and what I am doing.
I found it interesting, accurate and to the point. Thanks!
One thing you mentioned is the very reason I choose to "...while away his retirement years..." and that of course, is the taking over of the sports pages by the high powered PR departments — of so-called pros — who supply a continuous supply of tripe to the daily sports pages.
The pages of the local papers are the only place where an average high school athlete might get his name in print and some of the recognition he deserves.
But you know that. Hey, thanks again for the story. I think that whole mess is behind me!
Wally Wakefield
02-01-06
To: Bob Cook
Re: Kick Out The Sports!
Hi, I just want to say I really enjoyed your writing and wish you the best of luck. It's tough to find good sports-writer who doesn't take himself seriously.
You are a grown-up's Bill Simmons.
Michael Dervin
Hong Kong
01-28-06
To: Bob Cook
Re: Kick Out The Sports!
Interesting article on the dearth of Polynesian coaches in football. You overlooked, however, a coach of Samoan origin who has ample coaching experience in the pro ranks. Joe "the Throwin' Samoan" Paopao was something of a star quarterback in the Canadian Football League in the 1980s, and in the 1990s he had a series of coaching jobs, including head coach of the British Columbia Lions. He did a brief stint in the XFL and in 2001 he was made head coach of the Ottawa Renegades, who appointed him general manager a couple of years later. He was fired last year but has been recently made an assistant coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Not an illustrious career, but bear in mind that several NFL coaches (e.g., Marv Levy) cut their coaching teeth in the CFL.
Gavin Taylor
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
01-27-06
To: Bob Cook
Re: Kick Out The Sports!
I enjoyed your article a lot. I have been following many of the issues you raised in the article as a sports junkie and also as a graduate student for the past 10+ years. I'm writing my thesis on the Recruitment and Mobility of Samoan College Football Players. I'm also invovled with an organization called AIGA Foundation which conducts clinics and combines in the Polynesian communites primarily in California but also have done camps in Seattle, Honolulu, and Pago Pago, AS.
I thought it was interesting that you glanced over the non-hiring of Norm Chow. Those of us in the know predicted that he would not be selected at BYU because of the subtle racism that exists within the school and the Church's hierarchy — even though Norm had converted. The impression if you talk to many in the three Polynesian communites (Samoan, Hawaiian, and Tongan) was that they like Polys to be recruiters and play ball — but not be the head coach.
The many former ballplayers and coaches of Samoan descent that I speak do not generally feel that Uperesa will be first Poly Head Coach in DI. He's too old and does not have that young fire that many ADs like that hire young assitant coaches to be Head Coaches. He was bounced out of USC, lasted one year at Utah and is now at UNLV. If Chow can do some things in the Pros and he wants to move back to college he may be a better applicant. We really thought that Chow was going to land the Stanford job.
There are only 3 Coordinators in DI that are Poly — Akina, Ken Niumatalolo (Navy) and Robert Anae at BYU. These 3 are more likely to get a chance if they chose to leave where they are at. I would guess that Akina may be happy being an assistant from what I hear from some of his former players. I would put my money on Niumatalolo. Cabral has been at Colorado for a long time — but he's been a dirty program so he may be tainted. I don't know how he is a recruiter — he lands the Polys — but he may be guilty by association for better or worse.
Also wanted to give you a heads up on Al Lolotai's grandsons. Mana Lolotai of Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu verballed to Oregon State — he's been one of the top LB's in the state since his Soph year. Al's other grandson Waylon Lolotai from Colorado verballed to the University of Hawai'i. His father Tiloi played at Colorado and stayed up there to raise a family.
One last thing — one of the first coaches to actively recruit Samoans was Dick Tomey first as an assitant at UCLA (Manu Tuiasosopo, Tautolo Brothers, Frank Manumaleuna — Brandon's father), then recruited plenty to UH (Sapolu, Nogas, etc), and then at Arizona. If you look at many of his former coaches — Akina (Texas), Babers (UCLA), Wagner (UH, UTEP, AZ), Ellerson (Cal Poly-SLO), Norwood (Penn State), etc. have actively recruited Polys from the Mainland, Hawai'i and also American Samoa. When Coach Tomey was hired at San Jose State — he hired away Joe Seumalo from Cal Poly SLO to recruit the Polys. I'm not sure if you were aware that these 2 guys are Samoan — Guy Holliday (Mississippi State) and Johnny Nansen (Idaho).
Once again I enjoy your article — it was nice to see the issues addressed and see them looked at critically.
Aloha,
Jesse Makani Markham
Department of Geography
University of Hawai'i at Manoa
01-13-06
To: Alissa Rowinsky
Re: Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson
Thanks for addressing the very real, very boring who's who in whoring coverage of Amber Frey. I am so tired of her being cannonized as Laci's hero, when all Laci and her unborn son were to her is the golden egg and a tragedy to make her sad life that much sadder. I was relieved to discover that Anthony Flores sued the crap out of her lousy excuse for a life, because I for one am sick of her hypocritical crap.
Sara Anna
