Mailbox: Readers unhappy with Columbus Blue Jackets hiring Mike Babcock as coach

Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com.

On the Columbus Blue Jackets and Mike Babcock

To the editor: So it appears the most pathetic team with the absolute worst front office in NHL history is about to hire a coach who is a bully, verbal and mental abuser, and, as several of his past players have said, “the worst person I’ve ever met," "zero respect," "scumbag." Now, those are glowing recommendations, for sure. What a brilliant move to make when you have a young team with talent but much yet to learn. What could possibly go wrong by placing a blisteringly toxic personality in charge of developing them? This is something it seems only the Blue Jackets would consider. In light of that, why would any of our players want to stay in Columbus, and why would any free agent consider coming here? If we’re ever to have a successful team, ownership must change, and the entire front office swept clean and sterilized.

Jeff Pinkham, Plain City

NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets and Mike Babcock: 3 things to know about the likely CBJ coach

Dear Brian: Apparently the CBJ are waiting out the end of Mike Babcock's current contract before giving him the job as head coach. Babcock has won a lot of games and titles with a salty, aggressive, demeaning "old school" kind of style. Why would he change now?

Our players are from a different generation than is Babcock. Young adults respond to instructional guidance and collaborative leadership. The CBJ has a lot of players who have not been screamed at, insulted and demeaned in their development. For that matter, the front office is full of young adults who don't respond to being manipulated by elder "gurus" either.

Who could possibly think Babcock and his domineering personality will bring the best out of those who answer to him in this era? This is a bad hire, plain and simple.

Doug Shoemaker, Westerville

To Jeff, Doug: It seems the Blue Jackets fluctuate between nice guys and tough guys at coach, and now are hitting an extreme. Also, they certainly are making headlines now with the courtship of Babcock and the trade for Pride hater Ivan Provorov.

On LIV Golf and the PGA Tour

Dear Mr. White: During World War II, the U.S. ambassador to England − Joseph P. Kennedy, father of the future president − counseled president Roosevelt that the Nazis were going to win the war in Europe and FDR might be wise to begin negotiations with Hitler based on that assumption. FDR nixed the idea, and for his efforts the ultra-pragmatic Kennedy was branded a traitor and Nazi sympathizer. Switching to the golf wars, it appears a well-connected lawyer told the PGA it would lose an antitrust case to the wildly unpopular, gimmick-riddled though richly endowed LIV tour and thus the PGA might be wise to negotiate with the devil you know ASAP. In a flash, accusations of sports-washing, and worse, went away, and now it’s all about “the good of the game.” In any merger (of equals?) there are hundreds of details to work out: do we do A, B, C your way or our way? PGA tournaments last 72 holes with 156 players while LIV events last 54 holes with 48 participants. Can we look forward to future tournaments covering 63 holes with 102 golfers, half in shorts and half in long pants?

Jon Armstrong, Columbus

Oller: Saudis big winner in merger with PGA Tour, which should put tail between its legs

To the editor: The Fab Four sang "Money can’t buy me love," but they never met the PGA Tour. The tour abruptly switched from Saudi Arabia LIV Golf being the devil and unpatriotic to now the PGA is merging with Saudi Arabia and the European Tour to join forces for the future of golf. I wonder how much money changed hands to make this love fest happen. I thought Tiger and Jack said the PGA was righteous and pure. No wonder that the business of sports has a tawdry reputation.

Michael Oser, Columbus

To Jon, Michael: I know they're already really rich guys, but you can't help but feel for those who turned down hundreds of millions of dollars to stay loyal to the PGA Tour only to now have to watch those who took the money return to the same locker rooms.

On the Columbus Crew

Dear Editor: Following up after the "On the Crew" letter printed June 4 from my father of the same name. Personally and professionally, we sometimes share different perspectives, including his comments after the Nashville game. I believe in my heart of hearts that everyone is trying their best for the team, and to represent Columbus proudly. The players and coaches will inevitably have some bad halves, or even bad stretches of games, and of course they will have watched game footage and looked to learn from those mistakes. Maybe it's the USMNT American Outlaw supporter in me, or the proud second-year Nordecke member, but I always want to "believe that we will win."  The Crew have fought back with two wins and six points this week alone. We're still coming back from injuries and still learning the nuances of Coach Nancy's system. These guys are fun to watch, and I look forward to the energy and passion that so many fans bring to the game as we sing, "Yo si le voy, le voy a Columbus" and so many other great supporters' songs. I trust in the team, the system and the process. For club, for city and for country. Go Crew!

Chet Ridenour Jr., Short North

Dear Mr. White: The Crew hired a new coach (Wilfried Nancy) who has implemented a completely new system of play. Furthermore, he's playing younger guys who never got the chance to even sniff the pitch under Caleb Porter. As I write this letter, the Crew have won their last two games and now sit fifth in the Eastern Conference.

As a fan and season-ticket holder, I have actually been enthused by the progress of the team. Have there been frustrations? Yes, but I choose to look at it through the lens of the long term and not the short term. Losing or tying to teams that sit below us in the standings is unfortunate because it means we've lost valuable points in the playoff hunt. Will that come back to bite us? Only time will tell. But at this point, I trust that Wilfried Nancy will bring us more success down the road than having Caleb Porter still around.

Trying to compare the Crew to the Blue Jackets and Browns is utterly laughable. The Blue Jackets haven't even won one division title and have only won one well documented playoff series. As for the Browns, their last "championship" occurred during the same decade I was born and in the 20th century. Sorry, Brownies, but since 1967, the Super Bowl is the measured standard and championship in which all NFL teams are now judged by and strive for.

Michael A. Thompson, Grove City

On the Memorial Tournament

Hey Brian: How bout this year's tournament? It's A+'s all the way around for me. Condition of the course, CBS coverage, Sunday afternoon drama and, of course, the Thursday through Sunday weather we had. I want to add one quick stat: In his (roughly) 25 years on the pro tour, Jack Nicklaus made $5.7 million. So far this year, in a little over five months, Viktor Hovland has hauled in just short of $10 million for all of his events. I get it, Brian, it's not exactly apples to apples.

Rick Higgins, Columbus

On Ohio State basketball's Seth Towns

To Brian: Seth Towns maintaining eligibility for an eighth season reminds me of Michgan football player Horace Perryman, who retired from the game in 1890 at age 33 after playing eight seasons for the Wolverines back in a time when there was no NCAA or rules. There was no mention if he was actually ever a student. Several years later, only four of their starting 11 were actual students, which led to the founding of what is now The Big Ten to set down some basic rules. Good luck, Seth, at Howard and in your future endeavors.

Dennis Singleton, Dayton

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mailbox: Readers unhappy with Mailbox: Readers unhappy with Columbus Blue Jackets hiring Mike Babcock as coach