Blodgett fans breathe fire over letter

The daily newspaper business can be fairly routine, especially when most of it is spent at a desk editing stories and designing pages. However, there is always fresh news to delve into and an occasional surprise, especially when the desk is left behind to attend a news event.

On Wednesday morning, I thought it would be interesting to check out the sendoff for the University of Maine women’s basketball team. The event went smoothly and I couldn’t resist getting a few news tidbits while my 3-year-old daughter bounced in and out of chairs at Bangor International Airport.

We were just heading out when I noticed Cindy Blodgett’s mother, Evelyn, was also leaving. While asking for a few moments of her time, her mother, Irene Achorn, heard me say I was from the Bangor Daily News.

Achorn politely said it was wrong for the BDN to publish a reader’s letter dealing with the missed opportunity of a Millinocket girl to get an autograph from Achorn’s granddaughter, Cindy Blodgett, star player for the University of Maine women’s basketball team.

Achorn said the letter gave a misconception of her granddaughter, who attempts to accommodate as many autograph seekers as possible.

Cindy Blodgett’s grandmother was not the only one who was upset by the letter by Millinocket’s John Raymond in last Saturday’s Sounding Off column. The BDN also received several phone calls and letters. The following sampling of letters perhaps best show other readers’ and fans’ perceptions of Cindy Blodgett.

– Joe McLaughlin, BDN

Come on, John Raymond of Millinocket.

Your letter regarding Cindy Blodgett sounds like sour grapes. Anyone should understand your daughter’s frustration, but I believe in time Cindy will sign an autograph for her.

But your letter would have been better had you mailed it to Miss Blodgett instead of the news media.

Why should you want to plant a seed of discontent toward Cindy, realizing all the good that she has done?

If I were you, I would want to apologize to her in the media, the same place you discredit her.

Also, Mr. Raymond, the last home game when Cindy exited without signing even one autograph, do you suppose, by chance, that she may have had a previous commitment?

– Ronald Knowles, Sebec

Please be so kind as to print this letter in response to the recent “Sounding Off” letter attacking a 19-year-old college student and athlete because daddy’s daughter had not yet been able to get the athlete’s autograph.

I can remember what it was like to be a sophomore in college and I can’t imagine how I or any of my peers at the time would have been able to cope as successfully with the pressures of being a celebrity as Cindy Blodgett has done. She is a celebrity, not because she has sought out fame and biographies and national TV coverage, but because she has devoted herself to the game of basketball.

This has required hours and hours of self-imposed effort to constantly improve her game and her physical conditioning. Every other member of the UMaine women’s team maintains the same level of work ethic as well as one of the highest grade point averages of any team on campus. The result is a wonderful gift to the people of this state and that is the opportunity to watch these gifted and dedicated athletes play their game.

These young women, including Cindy, devote much time to giving autographs. Cindy no longer has the luxury of eating lunch with her mom or shopping at the mall without constant intrusions into what little “down” time she has.

Perhaps the dad who dumped so nastily on Cindy in print simply needs to explain to his daughter that we can’t always get everything we want when we want it and that it is important to have some respect for the needs of a 19-year-old student-athlete to take a break from being constantly “on.”

I’m certain that in the time frame of two more seasons of basketball, there will be other opportunities to get that precious autograph. Looking at the big picture, was it really necessary to slam in such a public way someone else’s daughter who has done so much for girls and women’s basketball and given so many of us hours of fun and excitement? Does the Bangor Daily News really have to print letters attacking prominent individuals in your odious “Sounding Off” column in order to sell newspapers?

– Carolyn Marquez, Hampden

An article in last week’s “Sounding Off” did a disservice to every reader, all of whom need to know that something was missing from the account of a young fan’s efforts to obtain Cindy Blodgett’s autograph.

Those of us who know this sensative, caring young lady are certain that something was left out of the story. Cindy is the last player to come into the Dexter Lounge for the post-game reception because she has spent an hour or more signing T-shirts, programs, paper napkins, anything and everything that fans put before her, often without a “please” or “thank you” on their part.

If any fan, young or old, had waited in line for their turn, Cindy would have fulfilled their wish. Maybe she was called away for a live interview or maybe something else she had no control over caused her to interrupt her autograph session? If so, any fan willing to wait would have had their autograph after the interruption. The letter from Millinocket had something missing. Rest assured that the girl from Clinton does not.

– Larry Willis, Brewer

Readers may submit “Sounding Off” comments to the Bangor Daily News’ Sports Desk at P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. Our fax number is (207) 990-8092. All comments will be edited for accuracy, clarity, content, and taste.