A gripe that everyone can relate to....

First off, let me say that I am 100 percent totally behind those who are at the forefront of athletics at Marshall. I want them to do well and I want to be able to do a professional job when I go to cover them.

But covering both high school and college athletics, I gain an interesting perspective on things. There is one thing that I agree to disagree with most Marshall coaches about and it is the quality of athlete that comes out of our area.

I have seen coaches go far on recruiting trips and bring players into Huntington, only to have these players falter or not pan out to their hyped up ratings. However, because they are from Orlando or Charlotte or Detroit instead of Winfield or Ashland or Oak Hill, they are thought to be a better brand of athlete.

Sure, players from bigger cities will probably be used to going against Division I-level players more often, but that is only because of the increase in the numbers of athletes.

I'd be willing to bet that by ratio, this area has just as many Division I athletes per sport as other areas.

I'd like to see Marshall's coaches slow down on traveling to California or Texas or Florida to get an athlete while having to pay a full out-of-state scholarship price. They need to put more effort in our area where the travel, price of tuition for the scholarship and quality are just as solid, plus it would draw more local interest to a sport.

It just make cents to me.

GDT