All this negativity began when a former employee of the Washington Post (Food
Editor) came to town, and Skip Chappelle got dumped by UMaine, and went to
work for the paper.  Over the years since that happened, coverage has
decreased ( Their reason demographic studies tell them no one is really
interested in college athletics) and become increasing negative.  Readers
have tried to tell the successive sports editors and owner Rick Warren that
Woodward & Bernstein they ain't, and the issue is not as important as
Presidential abuse of power.  No one's listening.  And their reason that no
one was interested in college sports made them look all the more ridiculous
when they chased every opportunity to capitali$e on the NCAA Championship.
 
As the editorial slant of the "Bangor Rarely Knows" became more negative
regarding UMaine sports, readers wrote regularly, and were rarely if ever
published.  Tons of folks would read or send us a copy at the same time they
submitted and their letters would be a no show.  I wrote a very critical
letter, and was somehow not surprised when the writer who's work I was
criticizing called 2-3 weeks after the issue had faded saying they had been
waiting to see if any other letters came in supporting my opinion (There were
nine that I knew of, all sent the day I sent mine) and now would publish my
letter if they could remove parts of it, (like calling them the "Deadly").
 The way he described the changes, the tone of the letter would have been
completely altered.  I just laughed at him, told him that I expected no
better from that paper, and he could do as he wanted, since the issue was
OLD.  Now, fans are completely turned off from trying to give their opinions.
 I would take bets though, that if I wrote a scathing letter about Coach
Walsh, and prefaced it with, "I've never been to a hockey game",  my letter
would be first on the list.  Heck, they'd probably want to interview me!
 
Now I realize that they will probably never go back to the good old days when
you could count on 4-5 hockey articles a week from Larry, with the negative
reported but not sensationalized or distorted.  Now they have Larry, a
nationally recognized college hockey writer, assigned to cover other sports,
while pushing Deidre Fleming.  She does okay, but without Larry's
comprehensive understanding of college hockey and it's history, thereby
weakening the coverage.
 
I was standing in the Sports Department when the Jeff Tory thing broke,
waiting for about 10 minutes to get a book autographed.  No one knew who I
was, or my interest in hockey.  I listened as Mike Dow & Pete Warner
rehearsed the questions they were going to ask Jeff in an interview later
that day.  Their intent shocked naive old me, because they continuously
rephrased the questions with intent to trap, sort of like "When did you stop
beating your wife, Mr. Smith?" kind of thing.  It sickened me.
 
I do not read the Deadly anymore.  If there's anything worth reading, I see
it here, or my ever loving husband tells me about it.  (He reads it cover to
cover, but then he also listens to talk radio.  No accounting for tastes!)
 Someday, I'll convince him to subscribe to the Lewiston Sun (I also believe
that someday he'll hit the hamper!).  According to my friends there is great
coverage in that paper, without the bias afflicting coverage here.  I know
that my not reading it doesn't make a difference to the BDN, but it's my
little protest against the only game in town.  Until more voices are heard,
including the big advertisers, nothing will be changed.
 
Neff is not Sophocles, nor even Kingsley Amis (who's quote: "If you can't
annoy someone there is little point in writing."  adorns my computer), but
he's got one thing the rest of us don't.  His opinions get published.
 
Cathy Hart