Indicting Illini not in good taste

In a recent column entitled "Dear Coach Zook," News-Gazette sports columnist Loren Tate embarked on a scathing indictment of the Illini football program and Coach Ron Zook. Tate suggested that 90 percent or greater of the members of Illini Nation have turned not only against Zook but also athletic director Ron Guenther.

Among his scathing remarks was a reference that Zook could simply take his millions and head to the next stop on his coaching career. That suggests Zook is a ladder-climber looking only for greener pastures.

While I believe that 100 percent of Illini fans are frustrated with the team's performance, I do not believe that 90 percent agree with Tate.

The job of sports writer, at times, is to inspire debate and disagreement. But it should be done with class, decency and taste, and I found those qualities sadly lacking in Tate's article.

Tate, in spite of the fact that he has never had an opinion he didn't personally love, does not speak for even the majority of Illini Nation, and certainly not me.

He personifies the foolish old adage that many people fancy themselves experts at tending bar, building a fire and coaching. I'm betting that he can't do any of the three, but that he would be critical of anyone who can.

BOBBY WARD

Mahomet