One of the purposes of this column was to generate some discussion about CB athletics, to give the CB sports fan a chance to spout off. Well, now this thing is rolling, with several emails in the inbox to respond to this week. Keep 'em coming!

From the Inbox (bluffssports@hotmail.com)

Nick writes (in regards to SC Heelan):

"The sooner they get out of the MRC the better. Not letting us into their locker room was the last straw. What kinda class is that? I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure TJ and AL are the teams looked down on in the MRC as having no class. So what did Heelan show when the refused to let us in and almost refused to let AL in? As far as I'm concerned LC will fill the VOID instantly gaining two major rivals in TJ and AL and the competition will be alot better."

Well, Nick, apparently we stand corrected. I was pretty harsh on Heelan about the locker room/grandstand situation, and it turns out I was wrong on a couple of accounts, for which I apologize. Facts...always getting in the way, here's what Larry from Sioux City has to say:

"Fact: it is a matter of public record that the concrete grandstand (behind the visitors bench) was condemned last summer and renovation begins after football season."

Oops. My bad. Furthermore, Larry writes:

"Fact: Since the visiting locker room is under the grandstand (yes, the condemned grandstand) all visiting teams have shared the only locker facility at Memorial field with Heelan. No 16 or 17 year olds have been forced to change outside in 40 degree weather."

Larry, this is not entirely true. WDM Valley did not share a locker facility. They changed outside underneath the covered booster area near the end zone, with tarps draped over to shield the view. That game was in September so the weather wasn't a factor, but Heelan DID attempt to have TJ and AL do the same thing. Both schools protested and were allowed to share the locker room, but without the protest, indeed TJ and AL would have had to change outside in 40 degree weather.

In response to my claim that the MRC will be better off without Heelan, Larry says:

"Why will it be a better conference? No more competition? That too may be not be an accurate assessment on your part. North, East and West are all young programs with new coaches and alot of young talent. It may not be the cake walk you are predicting for TJ and AL."

I'm not saying it will be a better conference because TJ and AL will have a cake walk, I don't think that's the case. But, whether perceived or real, there is some definite friction involving off-the-field stuff between Heelan and the CB teams. The absence of that friction will make for a better experience for all athletes involved, and in turn, make for a better conference.

Larry's a good sport, he could have been much more vicious in response to what I wrote last week, some of it inaccurate, but he was very cordial in his criticisms, in his later email, he writes:

"The MRC is important to Iowa athletics. It reminds Des Moines that there is a western side of the state that contributes in all high school activities and athletics. It's true that both communities have common misperceptions of the other and that's too bad. In Sioux City, its always said that when playing in Council Bluffs 'we never get the breaks or the officiating is never impartial.' Again, misperceptions."

Good point about the Western Iowa bond that Sioux City and Council Bluffs share. In terms of the misperceptions about each other, that's interesting because CB folks say the same things about not getting the breaks in Sioux City. But its not all bad, those misperceptions exist so we can talk smack back and forth like this!

All right, moving on from the MRC thing, Kathy Gentile writes in regards to which Saint Albert team is better, this year's or last year's:

"We don't care!! The bottom line is that we bleed green and gold and want this year's Falcons to take it all the way, and we will be there all the way to support them!"

Amen, Sister. And that seems to go for the entire Saint Albert nation.

Speaking of Saint Albert...

On to the dome again, ridiculous. Its not easy to reload in any class, but that's especially true in 1A where the pool of players isn't nearly as deep. The Falcons haven't even skipped a beat.

But I do have a problem with Saint Albert's first round matchup. AGWSR of Ackley. That's their name. Way too many letters for an acronym. The cut-off should be 3 letters, tops. The A, G, W, S, and R all stand for different small towns that combine to form the school, which is in Ackley.

Just call it Ackley then, seriously.

Does anybody in "W" or "G" town really take pride in having their initial listed? I wonder if they're jealous of Steamboat Rock, they get two letters.

Only one other school is in violation of the 3-letter max acronym in the state of Iowa: BCLUW of Conrad. Rumor has it they're going to combine with AGWSR, and just be known as SCLAWWGUBR (pronounced Sclaw-goober).

Quick Slants

-There's also a school in Iowa named Diagonal. They're never up, never down.

-Props to Brock Gentile, got an interception and knocked the Augustana QB out with a concussion in an SDSU win.

-The next Bluffs Sports Zone is the All-City Football episode.

-Saint Albert fans don't like fences, they almost busted through another one at Underwood on Monday.