Letters to the Editor for Dec. 29

Published 4:00 am Sunday, December 29, 2019

Letters to the Editor

Let me address the Dec. 18 Tyler Morning Telegraph story about Coach Art Briles being considered at Tyler ISD.

When will it end? No head coach in college football history has been so unjustly maligned and blackballed. What happened at Baylor was wrong. However, to imply that Coach Briles was directly responsible because he didn’t better monitor players’ off-campus activities is way overstated. He was captain of the ship and ultimately fired, but not directly connected to the crimes.



In reality, Briles’ assistants had more direct contacts with the players. Two assistants even had prior NCAA rules violations. However, not a single assistant coach was fired. They all went on to coach in the next Baylor season under an interim head coach, and then all moved on to new coaching jobs at other schools. None were blackballed.

After Coach Briles was removed, the Baylor president and athletic director were also forced to resign. The president went on to a new TV and consulting career and the BU athletic director was hired as AD at another major college.

The only official in the Baylor scandal blackballed was Coach Briles. He has been blackballed for high school, college and even NFL coaching positions because of stories like the one presented in the Dec. 18 newspaper.

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Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze was ousted in 2017 for recruiting violations that included being linked to setting up prostitutes and payments for recruits.

In 2018, Coach Freeze was hired as the head coach at Liberty University, while Coach Briles, fired in 2016, continued to be blackballed.

Mount Vernon hired Briles over some community protests. The school board looked at his record beyond the Baylor scandal. He did win championships at Baylor, but more importantly, Coach Briles has an outstanding high school record at Sundown, Sweetwater, Hamlin, Georgetown and Stephenville before going into college coaching at Texas Tech, Houston and Baylor.

At Stephenville he won four state championships with a 135-29-2 record in 11 years. End the blackballing and let this coach continue his lifelong career.

Dick Ellis

Tyler

Invitation to residents of foreign countries?

I saw the Neighborhood Services notice advertising the Open Housing Choice Voucher Program.

I grew up in a rural area in poverty. Our parents struggled to pay for housing. As an adult, I don’t mind a portion of my taxes supporting it and can see how it improves living standards.

However, English is still our official language. I am not prejudiced by any means but want these available for needy U.S. citizens. When I see my tax dollars paying for advertising programs in both English and Spanish, I cannot help wonder if we are inviting more foreign country residents to move here.

Border crossings increase with the lure of freebies, and I think we need to reserve free and reduced taxpayer paid housing for U.S. citizens. Applications exceed availability, and invitations such as these are neon signs for noncitizens to take advantage of limited resource programs.

What’s next, bulldozing U.S. citizens’ houses to build roads for noncitizens as environmental justice areas? When will it end?

Robert Wilson

Tyler

Children’s Park Christmas lights a gift to community

This year’s Christmas light display in Tyler’s Children’s Park was stunning! Thank you to the following for the many hours of preparation and hard work required to carry the project to success: Jennifer Carson and April Chesley of the Children’s Park, board members, donors and sponsors, the city, volunteers and adult probationers. Your efforts brought comfort and joy to the many who visited the park over the holidays.

Carol Thompson

Tyler

The joke’s on the letter writer

If possible I would appreciate it if you could republish Stan Lynch’s letter (Dec. 27) about Rep. Gohmert this coming April 1.

Bob Brewer

Tyler