I am the mother of Lincoln Nyquist, one of the boys on the Goffstown Little League team about whom Ray Duckler wrote a recent opinion piece (Monitor, Aug. 15) referring to the controversy involving sign-stealing by the Rhode Island team at the regional Little League tournament.
I completely agree that it is “about the kids.” But who do you think wanted their coach to stick up for them and try to publicize what really happened during that game? What is upsetting about the press coverage of this episode is that none of the reporters or opinion writers have taken the time to go back and look at the ESPN broadcasts of the Rhode Island games, which clearly show what is happening.
In the last game we played them, when the coaches called it to the umpires’ attention and the umpires can be heard on the broadcast acknowledging it. The commentators did not say it wasn’t happening, they just “tut-tutted.” If you look at the facts this is not a “he said, she said” situation. It is a case of coaches encouraging young kids to engage in behavior that is against the rules and the kids laughing their way to Williamsport. What happened to real investigative reporting and responsible journalism?
Coach Dutton is an honorable coach who instills in his players a sense of taking responsibility for their own mistakes, and not blaming others when the game has been played fairly. But these games were not played fairly and he and the Goffstown boys deserve acknowledgment of that fact.
Leslie C. Nixon
NEW BOSTON