So what’s up with Robin Short and Carl English? Short writes a Telegram column (“St. John’s Edge have earned fans’ applause,” Feb. 10) outlining his surprise at the huge success of the St. John’s Edge basketball team.
He attributes their success to a sports-starved public, a decent night out for a good price, a winning team and good marketing. He depreciates them as “flavour of the month.”
But not one mention of Carl English and the desire for Newfoundlanders to see him play as an important part of that mix! This is far more than an omission. It’s an absurdity. A flagrant foul.
This is especially so considering that English has more than lived up to his marquee billing and has become not only the Edge’s but one of the league’s most comported and prolific scorers.
Now one player does not a basketball team make. And the Edge have a number of crowd pleasers. But to omit part of the team’s success to a Newfoundlander from modest means who overcame bewildering odds, nearly made the NBA and who at 37 is still exciting fans and motivating young sports enthusiasts is astonishing, if not callous.
There’s no excuse for the oversight unless English feels that he has had enough media attention and, taking one for the team, would prefer to play out of the limelight.
If that is the case, good job Robin! Mission accomplished.
Tom Hawco
St. John’s
