REID SAGEHORN
Young man steps up, takes responsibility
In January, Reid Sagehorn tweeted "actually, yes" in response to a question whether he had "made out" with a young female teacher at his high school. Before long, Sagehorn found himself suspended from school and under consideration for felony charges by local police.
On Saturday, flanked by his mom and dad, he expressed regret for his words. He didn't point fingers; he didn't try to sidestep responsibility. He simply said he was sorry.
I don't know that young man, but I feel proud of him anyhow. Good job.
ED SALDEN, Chaska
OLYMPICS REACTIONS
The agony of defeat needn't be stifled
In response to the two featured letters ("Shame on tearful silver medal winners; shame on newspaper," Feb. 22) regarding the front-page photo of members of the U.S. women's hockey team after their loss at the Olympics. What I saw was a photograph that captured the raw emotion of the players right after they played their hearts out. They were understandably disappointed to lose a gold-medal game that was theirs to win right up to the last few minutes.
Olympic athletes put years of dedication and sacrifice into their training, and devote so much time and energy to their respective sports — all of this at the expense of time with family, friends and careers. They represented our country well and deserve better.
BETSY LIBERATO, Greenfield
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If you've followed the long-standing rivalry between the U.S. and Canadian women's hockey teams and watched the Olympic final, it was an extremely tough, heartbreaking loss. Sure, it's just a game. But the women, still in uniform, were showing genuine disappointment moments after an intense, emotional game in which they played their hearts out and came within an inch of winning. Plastering a smile on their faces would have been dishonest — and impossible.
The postgame interviews I heard were honest and appealing, with several team members saying they were proud of their teammates and none exhibiting poor sportsmanship. That photo spoke volumes, and I lingered over it, appreciating it as an apt visual metaphor for a classic game.