Dear Editor:
I would like to comment about a past and recent (December 10, 2000) Scoreboard article by Jim Hague. A while back a different sports columnist dedicated a sports column to a tirade against a security guard at Giants Stadium. This guard apparently had the audacity to try and get Mr. Hague to move from a restricted area. Instead of just complying and going about his business covering a Hoboken football game, he started his litany of reasons for being there, including recovering from an injury, eventually leading to the Hoboken coach claiming Mr. Hague was with his team. Regardless of who was out of line, Mr. Hague seemed oblivious to the farfetched notion that perhaps if he complied with stadium rules and security’s initial request, the incident would not have grown to the level where it warranted coverage in a column. I am not suggesting he is incapable of behaving himself at sporting events despite this occurrence, but I was more than somewhat surprised when this same writer made those sensational claims about Orlando Gomez, president of the WNY Little League.
With the headline claiming Gomez has a checkered past would any reader not have been surprised to learn that he may have been a released prisoner or hiding some nefarious past? Reading through the article to learn of the hideous violations Gomez must have committed to warrant such uproar over his association with WNY ballplayers the horrifying truth comes out! Apparently while coaching teenagers he actually yelled and screamed at an umpire a few times during his 22 years of coaching. Another crucial twist comes when we learn that WNY town officials were actually unaware of these earthshattering revelations. While it may be virtually impossible to believe officials can run a town of 40,000 people without knowing of such devilish behavior — arguing during a baseball game — Mr. Hague sharp reporter that he is, fills in his readers on this quagmire.
On a more serious note, perhaps I have a different notion of just what “the race card” means. If Orlando Gomez concocted a discombobulated version of events such as claiming his teams lost due to hidden discrimination, then I would say he may be considered to have used “the race card” that Mr. Hague seems to detest. If however the claim is that his player is outright insulted with an ethnic slur within earshot of those at the game, then in simple parlance, those are fighting words. In my opinion to leave a dugout and argue the point shows due restraint on the part of Orlando Gomez. Would Mr. Hague have used the same restraint if the Giants security guard had tossed a few ethnic slurs in his direction? I’d like to end by stating I didn’t read anything in Mr. Hague’s column which would cause Orlando Gomez to desire to “turn his life around” regardless of the reporter’s skewed perspective.
Tom Culhane