OK. I really shouldn't. This being the holiday season and all. Especially since the guy apologized. Sort of. Can’t dig this writer’s
shots at volleyballBut...
This Terry Frei guy, NHL columnist for the Denver Post, has decided to take on the sport of volleyball. And he's going to lose. Even worse than the 15-0, 15-0, 15-0 drubbing Southern suffered against Long Beach State last week.
Frei wrote he was miffed when Fox Sports Rocky Mountain decided to stick with Game 5 of the Wahine-BYU WAC Tournament championship last week instead of switching to the Colorado Avalanche-New Jersey Devils NHL game. Fox Sports then decided to televise the hockey game on a delayed basis instead of cutting into the live broadcast.
Does anyone in Hawaii empathize with Frei? He's complaining about a 40-minute tape delay.
Maybe he should move here, where 5-hour delays are the norm for Monday Night Football. On second thought, he shouldn't. Not with his opinion on volleyball.
And I quote:
"Nothing against the college volleyball players, but approximately seven people in Colorado cared about that Hawaii-Brigham Young game. Women's volleyball? Men's wrestling? Coed cross country? Same difference.
"We're talking about a game, albeit a league championship game, in a nonrevenue college sport that probably wasn't even a big deal in Utah and Hawaii.
"It couldn't even produce a small blip of interest in Colorado."
FREI decided to visit the Fox production trailer right after the hockey game, asking Mike Dimond, the FSRM executive producer, to defend his decision.
"Put yourself in the viewers' position," Dimond told Frei. "You're at home watching the volleyball game. The WAC championship. Two of the top 10 teams in the country. You've invested three hours in watching the volleyball game. Would you, at the top of an hour, before the match is over, switch to the opening of a hockey game?"
Wrote Frei: "In a word: Absolutely."
I e-mailed Mr. Frei last week, trying to explain the importance of the match to Hawaii. He said he had retracted that "no big deal in Hawaii" statement, thanks to a discussion with a friend in the islands: Lanikai resident and Sports Illustrated writer Kenny Moore.
But Frei held fast to his opinion that hockey should have been shown live and let "Volleyball be hanged" as the Post's headline read. Maybe I would have let this drop if two things hadn't occurred.
ONE, he ended his e-mail with: "Good luck in your career. Perhaps our paths will cross." Perhaps I'll take Heather Bown with me and test Mr. Frei's blocking ability. Can you say "Facial?"
Two, I received an e-mail from John Kessel of USA Volleyball. He said his office had been flooded with requests asking for copies of the Wahine-BYU match.
Kessel was sending copies of Frei's column to those on the USAV message group for one reason: to set the record straight.
"I am posting his column because of the general tone and attitude this sportswriter carries for a sport that is far better than he realizes, in its people, in its values, team and character building, and in its popularity," Kessel said. "Thanks, on behalf of the kids who did see this and saw great role models on and off the court."
To that end, I'm forwarding Kessel's request to you readers. If you'd like to send comments to Mr. Frei, his e-mail address is: Chiphilton23@hotmail.com. Or write the sports editor at: Sports@denverpost.com.
Like I said, I shouldn't do that. It is the holiday season.
But to Mr. Frei... bah, humbug.
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.