Gazette sports coverage needs better priorities

A full column-length, front page story in Sunday's Gazette sports: Cedar Rapids Washington High School's Marcus Paige snubs the Hawkeyes (and Cyclones and Panthers), commits to North Carolina. Also on the front page: A feature article on an area bowler, and a snarky column by Mike Hlas on college football.

On page 5: A few paragraphs on Sunday's Iowa basketball game with No. 10 Purdue.

Is it any wonder the area's few top players usually commit to out-of-state schools like North Carolina and Wisconsin these days, considering the short shrift given Iowa men's basketball in the biggest newspaper in the area?

I would like to read about the Hawks' upcoming games, and features on Iowa players, not about some kid taking his skills to an out-of-state program. The Iowa game-day story should have been page 1, the Paige story page 5.

Roger Steffen

Cedar Rapids