Then came the feedback from Zag fans

Zag fans, you didn't disappoint. Walking in the office last Friday morning, the red light on my telephone was blinking madly.

I'd written a column that said I thought the Gonzaga fan base was crazy for thinking their pretty good hoop program was elite, and that flashing to indicate an overflowing voice mailbox was the fallout.

One Rathdrum man said I was disgusting. One woman said I didn't understand the true meaning of sports. And there were plenty of threatened subscription cancellations.

"I told you, Hasslinger," said my editor. "I told you you'd take a beating."

But some of the better ones started writing down.

"Funny," said the sports editor.

"They don't try to contradict you with facts. They just name call."

It's a little slimy, I admit.

Nudge them in the ribs and watch them howl. Then hold up a mirror so they can see for themselves.

Anyway, take it away, Zag fans!

"YOUR ARTICLE on the GU BB is probably the most out of line sports commentary have ever read," wrote a fine gentleman by the name of Mike, who called me a "total idiot" and wished me luck in my next career as my firing was inevitable. "Please forward this e-mail to your editor/supervisor (based upon the weakness of the article I doubt you will) as I would like to make sure that person knows that they need to find someone new for your position."

Mike, not only did my boss see it, I decided to write a whole other column about it!

On with the show!

Let's meet Corey, who called to find the source of my deep-rooted hatred for Gonzaga and Spokane.

"I don't know if you were an abused child or a little wiener guy or what," he said. "The way I see it, you were probably some middle-of-the-road student at North Idaho College you need to work on your writing, man. It's still at a third-grade level. That would make sense if you went to NIC."

I'd like to think it's at least middle school worthy.

And hello, Marlene.

"You picked on the sacred Zags and their awesome coach. You might as well of told us to slit our wrists now and not even bother to have any hope for anything," she wrote. "Where did you go to school anyway? I can guess it wasn't a Jesuit school. You should stick to your 'fluff' stories you seem to write so well."

You mean like my lost dog stories?

Those aren't hard news?

I DID get some positive feedback.

"Kudos," wrote the sharp-minded Craig. "I laughed through the whole article frickin' hilarious! Few is the worst coach I've ever seen at making (i.e., not making) adjustments during a game. He just sits on the sideline with that dazed look, staring."

Said the equally witty Corey, who's not related to the Corey above: "I read every word, and I never turn the page past the jump."

One higher-up in the prosecutor's office called me up and laughed. This is a nice security blanket in case the guy who left this message hunts me down: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right," the voice yelled into my machine. "You better be hiding and not picking up your phone after writing that crap."

What else?

Oh yeah, I graduated from San Diego State University. The sports teams were only so-so, but I had a blast.

Tom Hasslinger is the city reporter for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2010, or at thasslinger@cdapress.com.