Barry "ImperialCreed" White

I just sent this guy an email, I just couldn't stand to let this kind of thing slide. It's below...

Dear Mr. Gholson,

I am writing to congratulate you on your fantastically analytical and thoroughly researched piece featured recently on the Knoxville News Sentinel website entitled "Blame video games for demise of U.S.
sports".

You sir, despite a complete lack of corroborative evidence, genuine scientific research or any other information to back up your claim, have tried (and failed, I'm afraid) to convince me and the world at
large that video games are indeed entirely at fault for the United States decidedly average show of sporting ability in recent times. Truly, in that single, final line of the piece where you state: "The kids from all over the world have been playing and practicing to get
better. Ours are playing video games." you drive your point home with such utter conviction that I at first struggled to find fault with what you had said.

But then, as I pondered your words, several things occurred to me. For a start, you seemed so sure of your position that you didn't feel the need to support the claim you make at the end of the article with any
evidence whatsoever, instead opting to sneak it in at the close. While it is true that the popularity of video games is on the rise, that is not evidence in itself for what you claim. By your logic, I can just
as easily assert that playing sports causes heart disease.

Second, I couldn't help but take note of some of the sporting facts listed in your article. You may have failed to notice that as one of the most multicultural societies in the world, America is chock full
of citizens with names such as "Kims and Yims and Chungs and Kungs", in addition to the Smiths and Joneses, and I have to say I found that
entry to be subtlely racist. Rest assured, I am not branding you a racist, but I would suggest that you need to rethink your stereotypes.

The Ryder Cup resides in Europe, you got that right, and the U.S. will technically be the underdogs this time around as they are not on home turf. However, what the likes of Phil Mickelson's or Tiger Woods' performance on the course has to do with video games is beyond me. Mind you, Tiger has lent his name to a series of phenomenally successful golf games published by Electronic Arts, so I suppose the subsequent increase in his popularity and the size of his wallet can only have been detrimental to his game.

The United States soccer team did not distinguish themselves at this year's World Cup in Germany. However, you seem to be forgetting their phenomenal showing at the previous World Cup where, as an always
underrated team, they did a fantastic job and really punched above their weight before exiting the tournament. Again, I am left at a loss
as to what video games have to do with the team's performance. Interestingly, South Korea had a technically better performance in Germany, managing to chalk up a win against Togo and drawing with the
mighty France. South Korea is also famous for having a very large and dedicated population of video gamers, with matches between some players even being televised on national networks, while the market for Massively Mutliplayer Online Role Playing Games is at its most
prolific in the Asian countries.

I could go on, Mr. Gholson, but I think you can see my point. You're article was beyond poor, offered no proper argument and was totally without basis in fact, relying on mere coincidence and entirely rooted
in the kind of reactionary scapegoating that seems to be plaguing media outlets and political circles at the moment. I understand you have been a professional journalist since the 1970's and frankly you
should have known better. I hope you read this letter in the informative spirit it was intended.

Yours,

Barry White