Letters for April 21, 2016

SN&R Bummer!

Re “Writes of passage” by Rachel Leibrock (SN&R Editor’s Note, April 7):

Funny thing, the last of my parents just passed away last night. Was trying to think of good thoughts. Then I went to lunch and picked up your paper. Bummer! “Overpriced meal at prom.” Always negative and depressing, your newspaper. Isn’t there anything good in your paper’s world? I’ll keep reading for the music calendar, but you should rename paper to SNR Bummer.

Curt Fry

Sacramento

It’s about the sport, not the money

Re “Strikeout” by Graham Womack (SN&R Feature Story, April 7):

This story needed a man-on-the-street interview. Why didn’t Graham just ask the African-American community?

As someone who played baseball at the collegiate level, coaches little league and covered all sports at every level for 10 years for Northern California publications, this story missed an enormous undercurrent. Young African-American athletes are far more attracted to basketball and football. Many parents spend more money on youth football and travel ball hoops teams, which are far more costly than baseball. The financial reasoning is sort of a joke. The number of African-American youngsters on AAU travel ball basketball teams is astronomical compared to any other demographic.

This is a cultural choice and indifference, not necessarily a problem. You can’t force kids into any sport if there is no desire, it’s as simple as that.

Bryan DeMain

Sacramento

Correction

Re: “Off Air, Online and In-Tune” by Kris Hooks (SN&R Arts & Culture, April 14):

Evan Duran’s credit for his photography accompanying this piece was inadvertently omitted. SN&R regrets the error.