Open Letter To Christine Brennan

I hope you will address this letter. I truly like your writing and have been reading you for years. I want you to know that I don't hate you, Christine! Your tone comes across that you think most men hate you. I am not sure if you are even aware of the way you come across. I am even less sure that you care. You seem to have made up your mind going into this profession and now you are dragging one big chip on your shoulder and that must be exhausting. I have many women interview me in my 50 year career performing Casey at the Bat across America. I have watched as women entered the locker room just as they had entered my dorm at Hofstra University when I was a student there in the late 1960's. When I went to Orientation as a college Freshman, I asked the upper classman giving us the tour how long rules had been in place that required men and women to have at least one foot on the floor if they were sitting on a bed and a door to the suite to remain open at all times. "100 years, mister!" The guide snarled at me. When I graduated four years later, we had co-ed dorms. So much for tradition! And at Hofstra when I took a American History seminar, I came to the class late and found only one seat available. I noticed a woman approaching from the other side and offered to give her the seat while I searched for another. Rather than accepting my chivalry, she spat: "I don't need your damn help!" Was that you, Christine? We must have been students about the same time. My point is that many men were raised like me. They respect women and applaud their advancement. They are disgusted at men who treat women badly and I applaud the advances being made in society that are teaching young men how to treat women. For me and millions of other men, we don't need such classes. We had parents who taught us how to treat a lady. Please stop treating us with one nasty word after another. Many men treat women well and its about time that this collective men bashing stop. Instead of making a great point, you are showing your own prejudice and it comes across in every piece I read from you. Will you have the courage to print this letter. I wonder. I speak for every Baby Boomer male out there who loves women and hates any violence for any reason. Fact is that we are still making a slow progress educating men and women to what equality and human kindness are all about. Am I right that someone running for our presidency recently made a remark that if women don't want to get raped they should not go to parties? This from an American governor? Are you going to blame all men for that comment? Good luck Christine in making sports journalism something that is about sports and not the gender of the person covering it. Just take it easy on men. Because many of us love you as well. Steve Tarde San Diego, California Casey at the Bat youtube.com/stevetarde