Upon Further Review

Give Tom Cummings this much—the man that chose to head right into the maelstrom and take over Fort Defiance’s wrestling program after the questionable ousting of Terry Waters decided he was going to say all the right things Monday.

Hours before heading to Fort to meet a concerned and angry Indian wrestling family (and you can’t blame them for being either now can you?) Cummings told sports reporter Corine Gatti that he was going to extend an “olive branch” to Waters.

“Terry has a great feeder program with the Battlefield Wrestling Club. That’s what makes our high school programs and youth a success,” Cummings said. “Maybe, I can offer him assistance, or vice-versa.”

Finally, someone at Fort Defiance is making some sense. Sad that it’s not coming from the administration and that Cummings, a man who has done nothing other than take a job once held by a much-loved coach, had to stick his neck out on the line less than a week on the job.

Cummings’ offer may have answered a question or two. The tight-lipped good ol’ boy network known as the Fort Defiance Athletic Department and Administration continues to run the show as they see fit, with no regard to the athletes that put the school uniforms on or the parents that pump money into their coffers, and refuse to tell us why.

Sure, principal Larry Landes promised a note would be sent to Waters a few weeks after his firing which would explain everything and give the parents full confidence in his decision to fire the much-loved coach. But no letter has been made public and if the letter was sent with the hopes of squelching any uprising for the Waters firing, isn’t the best way to do that is making it public. But with Cummings hoping to help Waters and vice-versa, well, that puts the egg on the administration’s face.

How so? Well, the only saving grace the school had was that Waters was fired for some major infraction of school rules or the like. By Cummings extending his hand in friendship to Waters and hoping the two can work together for the better interest of the Fort wrestling program, well, we can’t imagine that would be happening if Waters did something wrong to get fired.

But hey, like I said, at least somebody out at Fort is finally making sense. It is, however, too late.

Cummings’ offer seemed to have mattered little to fans of the Indians wrestling program. Fans that have sent e-mails (and continue to do so as you read this) and fans that, and you can’t blame them, still want answers as to why Waters won’t be coaching their kids come November.

No answer has come from the administration since King Larry waved his scepter in front of the faces of the taxpaying school community and told them his school was “not a democracy.”

Folks, the bottom line is we may never get an answer as to why Waters was fired.

But Cummings’ call for peace, and maybe some help from Waters, gives concerned parents all the unofficial answers they may need and confirm what they speculated all along.

The good ol’ boys won this round, and did it at the expense of high school kids. For crying out loud guys, high school kids. Landes was right about one thing, it’s not a democracy at Fort Defiance, it’s a good ol’ boy oligarchy.

Jim I would like to say that I really respect a man that can stand for whats right even though you know that some people will try to bring you down.  I do not really know much about the new Larry & Jack would have not even considered him if they thought for one minute he would not dance to their tune. Jim, I truly believe racism played the biggest role in this whole mess and if it where not true we would already know if there was a legitament reason.  I truely believe that a large percentage of the school facaulty, administration, and coaching fratenity at Fort is at the least bigoted if not down right racist.  I am truely sorry to have to say such a thing about a place of higher learning, but some of the things that I have heard over the years coming from some of the people at Fort in authoritive positions combined with the Waters situation would make one feel this way. I am hear to tell all of you who will listen we as parents and concerned citizens need to stop turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to predudiced,racist behavior no matter who it is. UNLIKE WHAT LARRY LANDES SAID AT THE FIRST MEETING THAT FORT DEFIENCE IS NOT A DEMOCRACY, SHOW HIM HE IS A LIAR!!!!

You know what...reading these articles on Mr. Waters and how he was dismissed for no apparent good logical reason really brings back to me of what I stuck by. Fort Defiance has alot of issues they need to reconize the biggest one being RACISM! Mr. Waters is not only a victim but my daughter is also one. My daughter plays with a varsity basketball team in the area and had to literally be restrained from knocking the other girls head off and the coaches head off due to her coach let her use the “n” word towars my daughter. When telling the principal about this matter he reassured me that he would be sending me letters and the girls would be suspended..none of this happened. Matter of fact I am still waiting on this. And you all at the games have the nerve to stand up there and read the creed..maybe you all should include Mr. Landes name in that and put at the end that RACISM is allowed! I think people need to take a good look at this matter and for Mr. Waters just remeber that the MAN you are they cant take that away from you but every good dog has its day!! You will prevail!