It has been a long time since I went a few periods and quarters with e-mailers and callers.

I am intrigued and entertained by adult readers who feel compelled to stick up for pro athletes behaving badly.

First up -- readers who didn't appreciate me calling attention to allegations that former Stanley Cup champ Brian Bellows personified his surname over a kiddie hockey matter.

E-mailer Anna, 14, wrote: "Mr. Bellows was my coach last year and I have something to say about your article. Mr. Bellows was hands down the best coach I've ever had. Too bad when you were doing your interviews, you didn't interview some kids who had him as a coach. Sometimes when people are jealous of others, they say mean things about them. Mr. Bellows has a wonderful family, a beautiful home and had a fabulous career in the NHL. I guess that makes a lot of people jealous. It seems to me that someone is trying to smear his name in Edina. There is a lot of bad behavior from adults in the stands at hockey games; yelling at the refs, yelling at the coaches, yelling at the kids. Maybe the grown-ups should just stay out of this and let us kids play hockey."

Dear Anna:

You made some great points there toward the end about the parents.

While reporting that gossip, I learned a lot about the world of kiddie hockey, including: 1) It seems many parents are convinced they are raising a hockey great. 2) Kiddie hockey is VERY political. 3) Off the record, I was told people weren't going on the record with me for fear of some coach punishing their kid by not playing him or her.

Most ridiculous, I got the impression that some parents are frightened of Bellows. Speaking of whom, if you re-read the article, you will see that I made no disparaging comments about Bellows' coaching, family, house or NHL career. Bellows is reportedly a great guy unless things don't go the way he wants regarding kiddie hockey.

As a former NHLer, Bellows should be a model of decorum when kids are watching. Then again, that may be expecting too much for a sport where, when played at the pro level, hooliganism and thuggery are just icing on the five-hole.

I thank you for your e-mail and am thrilled to get one from a 14-year-old, if that's anywhere near your actual age.

Not on the 'A' team

"Maybe you need to have a child [who] does not make the 'A' team and see how it affects your child and see the kind of discussion you need to have with your child ... and you will feel differently about writing this," wrote Angie P. in part.

Dear Angie:

My friends who have good sense (and I have some who don't) know that one of the reasons you enroll a kid in sports is to teach them at a young age about disappointment and dealing with adversity.

Final Bellowing

My favorite comment on the matter came in the form of an anonymous phone call from a man: "You need to do some more investigative work on your Brian Bellows story. It's the great Watergate coverup in Edina. There is a lot more to it. Goodbye."

Thanks, Deep Throat.

Backing Birk