Readers should mutiny 

Barry Jacobs' article "Canes mutiny" provided an interesting opinion on the recent Hurricanes season. The article would have been better represented under Not A Fan's View. Mr. Jacobs pointed an accusing finger at just about everyone for being "manipulated" into paying attention to the Hurricanes championship aspirations. My first thought is that he is simply a killjoy set upon raining on the proverbial parade (yes, pun intended). However, I find offense in his presentation of fact, memory and pining for the old glory days. Mr. Jacobs starts by talking about being an outsider in his own hometown during the hockey playoffs, and then waxes poetic about the glory days of his New York youth. Which one does he consider home? Mr. Jacobs' favorite object of scrutiny and insult appears to be The News & Observer. He questions the impartiality of the paper and its staff. The content of news reports from any outlet focuses on what is considered news in this day and age. I expect more from the Indy than unabashed ridicule of other media outlets. He manages to fit the Duke lacrosse case into the article that has no bearing on the content. If Mr. Jacobs is or was a hockey fan, then he should appreciate the enormous toil involved in capturing a championship.

The fact that they won is even more incredible. Yes, we are a non-traditional market, but the Carolina Hurricanes will be indelibly etched on the Stanley Cup for all naysayers to contemplate. Let them call us Mayberry or the Beverly Hillbillies--but I would expect a little more support from a local journalist.

The Hurricanes' season galvanized community support and pride in something other than ACC basketball, which is fractured by college loyalties. I find the overall hypocrisy of this article ill-timed and unwarranted. If Mr. Jacobs does not like hockey, fine; I don't root for NASCAR. But you won't find me on a soapbox spouting off about reckless public spending, maniacal owners, or the fact that it's not the sport it used to be 50 years ago. I don't feel manipulated or uneasy that the game has been disrespected to catch my attention. I feel pride that I was part of a grand season, culminating in the first professional championship in North Carolina history.

Chris Queensberry
Raleigh