Letters to the editor

In Har-Ber controversy, may need to look deeper

The piece about Har-Ber High School football written by a student for the Har-Ber Herald school newspaper has drawn a lot of controversy lately.

I graduated from Springdale High School back in the dark ages, but I have been a fan of Har-Ber football since the school opened. I had a nephew who played on their state championship team back in 2009. I have a granddaughter attending Har-Ber currently and two grandsons poised to attend Har-Ber.

The students or students who wrote the piece wanted to be treated like grown-up journalists. I have no problem with that and I have no problem with the publication of that piece. However, being treated like a grown-up journalist in my opinion means they are also subject to grown-up scrutiny. I read the piece. It did not come across as great journalism. It came across as a bucket of sour grapes. I suspect that was the reason Springdale school administrators chose to remove it from the school newspaper.

The piece tried very hard to make the video of Coach Clark being at the Pounders' home during the burning of Har-Ber football gear as sinister. Perhaps Clark's being there was unseemly, but I doubt he was invited to the Pounders' home for the sole purpose of watching the burning. I suspect he was invited as a friend and just became an unfortunate bystander.

What I found more unseemly was that the piece tried to do a number on Har-Ber quarterback Grant Allen for losing the Bentonville game in 2017. I saw that game from my living room via the Internet broadcasted to my television. There was plenty of blame to go around for losing that game, including some questionable play calls orchestrated by the Har-Ber coaching staff that was momentum changing.

Har-Ber has fallen on hard times as a football program. The 2018 season was dismal and undoubtedly hurt by the transfer of those football players to the cross-town rival. However, what I find interesting is that Har-Ber is the beneficiary of players transferring from Central Junior High. Central has reeled off several years of conference championships, including two undefeated seasons the last two years. While Har-Ber was shooting itself in the foot with penalties and poor execution in 2018, I marveled at one game during which there was not one penalty called on Central Junior High. Central has a great young head coach that perhaps is ready for a promotion.

There was an undercurrent in the Har-Ber football program that led to the players transferring to Springdale High. That story was never addressed by the Har-Ber Herald piece. It is a story that needs to be told. I think it is time that some brave sports writer writes a piece that sheds light on that story.

Gary W. Johnson

Springdale

Praise for newspaper's responsive service

I have been receiving this paper for 25 years and the customer service has been outstanding.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, when I went to get my paper, it wasn't there. I always start my day reading the paper, especially on Sunday. I called the circulation department at 7 a.m. and by 7:20 I had my paper.

Now that's service!

Gale Cnudde

Rogers

Editorial on 12/14/2018

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