Roo Barb
Elementary, Watson: I really enjoyed Greg Hall’s piece on UMKC guard Michael Watson (“He’s a Ball,” November 28). I echo his sentiment that this is the best basketball player on any of the local college hoops teams.
As a UMKC student and fan, I attend as many ‘Roos games as I can. I am somewhat disappointed about the lack of attendance at ‘Roos games. Municipal Auditorium is a great venue to watch a basketball game, and Michael Watson is reason enough to come down.
For the college hoops fans who might be reading this, KU is the most overrated team in college hoops, and MU looks to have a down year. Make an effort to see the best player in local college basketball in the ‘Roos’ Michael Watson.
Mike Czerniewski
Overland Park
Call and Response
Sorry, wrong number: I just got done reading Casey Logan’s “Screwed by Sprint” (November 21) for the third time, and I am still trying to figure out what the point was. To bash Sprint for the number of layoffs they were forced to do in a horrible economic time? Really, go through the article and replace Sprint’s name with some other big-time corporate name. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the two people mentioned whose stories don’t even come close to what I went through as a Sprint employee?
I was laid off by Sprint, but it was also through Sprint that I was able to go on with my life. Rumor has it they paid $6K for each employee to attend Right Management. Right helped me find a job in grave times.
I understand the ups and downs of the world. I am 27 years old, and I have already been laid off twice. I, however, refuse to blame the employers for it. It’s a hard time and a hard industry right now. People want to throw out big numbers like 2,500, 11,000, and 5,000, when they should be looking at the percentage of cuts made. It’s no different anywhere else; it looks worse because of the vast number of employees who are under the Sprint umbrella.
Too often, Kansas Citians see Sprint as some huge corporate giant, and they refuse to see them for what they are: a huge asset to the local community. No wonder Sprint is struggling through hard times because of Kansas City and its prima donnas. If Sprint fails, it will cripple the community, and most people will just shrug their shoulders and wear a smug smile on their faces.
Name Redacted
Olathe
Nailed it: Great article. It’s pretty funny to read about the morons who could not tell a “pin” from a nail. That just proves that you can teach people to read, but you can’t make them think for themselves.
As long as the same jackasses are pulling the cart, Sprint will continue to make the same mistakes. While they hope to drive out repetition by cramming the “One Sprint” initiatives in everyone’s faces, it seems only to cause all of the different groups to clutch their sacred cows even tighter. Some ideas: Why not drive out the poor decision making at the upper VP, director and manager levels? You know, the people who thought it would be a good idea to open ION up to thirteen-plus markets as fast as possible instead of making it work in the home market first. Or maybe some of the VPs who skirt the trouble-ticket system by simply telling the directors below them to get their service fixed “RIGHT NOW!!” Or maybe the person who thought firing most of the call-center personnel and implementing Claire was a good idea. Or maybe even some of the managers who can’t tell a CIC from a kick in the ass.
Andy Stevens
Gardner
The turn of the screw: Casey Logan’s title says it all. Having been with PCS since its startup in ’96, and having just recently received my own walking papers, it is hard to describe just how bad the culture is there.
My position was selected for elimination by a director who was fired for ethics violations less than a week later! So, for coming forward and reporting him, I received no job protection while people on verbal and written warnings stay in their jobs. Am I mad? You bet I am!
Name Withheld Upon Request
Ring around the caller: What a great article.
I’ve had the unfortunate experience of being both one of the first ION customers in Kansas City and a Sprint contractor as well. Neither experience was particularly joyful, although the ION experience wasn’t all bad. The phone service was great, the Internet service rocked and the customer service was just OK, if you didn’t get a surly person on the other end.
That being said, the experience while I worked at Sprint was anything but good. In fact, it somewhat mirrored Logan’s story.
The reporter briefly touched on the cover-your-ass attitude and the directors who were functionally computer-illiterate. What he didn’t touch on was the incompetence of the midlevel supervisors who played not only CYA but the biggest game of chicken-shit politics I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness firsthand. Favoritism was rampant, lies were de rigueur and lying to your face was just another part of the Sprint business acumen.
In the six months that I sat around waiting for something to do, there were three or four reorgs. Each accomplished nothing. It seemed that the reorgs were basically director-résumé driven.
What was most disheartening, I think, was the atmosphere within the endless cubicles. There was virtually no talking, definitely no laughing, and it was pretty clear to me that any noise of that sort would not be tolerated. The uniform of khakis and golf shirt (preferably Sprint) should be followed, and if you went along, you might get along. Really, most people just hid in their cubicles and surfed the Internet or took many breaks.
My heart goes out to those unfortunate souls still working in the gulag Esrey.
K.J. Turner
Blue Springs
Sprinting to the unemployment office: At least the Sprint employees who were laid off got a severance package, counseling and job-search assistance. As contractors working with the ION project, my team and I got little notice and nothing for severance. To top that off, the company that had contracted us to Sprint could offer no further job placements.
Michelle Olson
Overland Park
Music Vox
Band aid: Regarding Andrew Miller’s “Black and Blues” (November 28): As a fan of most types of music, I would like to point out that they all have a lot in common. If the clubs would hire these bands, they would play more — just ask Nieners, which keeps them flowing through its doors.
The point is to enjoy it, not put down others, even if you don’t like the particular style or genre. I didn’t care for some of the bands at Club Wars, but they were still competent musicians, and getting the crowd is what you’re there for.
By the way, how can you limit a blues solo? Who would tell Stevie Ray Vaughn that his time is up? I’d just sit back and listen to a master play.
Kenneth Reed
Odessa
Rap around: Thank you! Thank you! I would like to express my deepest sympathy to everyone who felt saddened by the death of Jam Master Jay (Andrew Miller’s Around Hear, November 21). He was great in every sense of the word.
This Williams guy has a lot of nerve. I’m so sick of these people who continue to state how violent rap is. Please! Has Lloyd Williams listened to every rap song? No, so undoubtedly he doesn’t understand that rap is uplifting, inspirational and full of love and expression of prosperity. All these “rap degraders” need to STOP HATIN’!!!
Torrie Navarre
Kansas City, Kansas
