NCAA changes have ruined college sports
The NCAA has absolutely ruined college athletics with Name, Image, Likeness rights and the transfer portal.
It is no longer a level playing field for most schools and is especially hard on the smaller schools.
Pretty difficult to put a “team” together when you have players coming and going every year.
They need to put a cap on NIL funds so every school can recruit and compete with the same amount of funds, and also implement sitting out a year when transferring.
A lot of kids are very talented in their sport but need some fine tuning. They get this from their coaching staff and other players. Schools put a lot of money in these kids and they get a first-class education for free. But when they see all these dollars thrown at them, they run. No loyalty to the coaches, school, the fans, or their teammates anymore. You really can’t blame the kids.
When they leave they should have to re-pay the athletic department the cost of the scholarship they have used.
Mark Nord, Polk City
Register reporting is biased against Trump
This reader continues to be both amazed and enraged at the Register’s nonstop assault on the Trump administration.
One of the most recent and blatant examples is the Register’s coverage of the weekend protest held in downtown Des Moines (“Thousands gather at anti-Trump protest”). Your writers continue to suggest that Trump will dismantle Social Security. It is a well-known fact that Social Security is the most sacred of all governmental programs. And no politician would ever consider altering that important source of income for so many elder Americans.
Included in the story are numerous unsubstantiated quotes by far left-wing zealots whose rants clearly display both their ignorance and prejudices.
When Register executives discuss drastically reduced subscription numbers, they need look only to their one-sided coverage of political events. Major case in point is the almost nonexistent mention of Elon Musk’s discovery of hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and mismanagement.
Stu Bassman, West Des Moines
Anti-Trump protesters were vulgar and rude
The April 5 protest in Des Moines was a positive one on some levels. It felt good to see proof that so many others feel similarly and strongly about our government leaders keeping their “hands off” our bodies, schools, Social Security and more.
But what has happened to our “Make America Kind Again” approach? Was it really necessary to shout out filthy language and disgusting name calling as part of our protests? Do we have to demean our governor with vulgar painted signs held up near the American flag for everyone including little children to see? Could we have briefly stopped the slow march at to let cars through on their green light versus making them wait a half hour?
Come on, people. Where has Iowa nice gone?
Mary Christopher, Des Moines
Magistrate’s shortcomings should have been obvious before his appointment
How in the world does someone as profoundly and obviously ignorant as David J. Hanson become a magistrate in the state of Iowa? His deplorableness is awful, but the deeper problem is a process that allows someone like this to sit on the bench.
Richard Cain, Des Moines
Don’t let discrimination into Iowa’s voting booths
I am deeply concerned about House File 954, now heading to the governor’s desk. This bill includes a troubling provision allowing poll workers to question a voter’s citizenship at the polling place. This measure would disproportionately affect voters of color, introducing another barrier minority voters must overcome just to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Such provisions only serve to reinforce discriminatory practices and undermine democratic fairness.
Additionally, the bill’s unnecessary restriction on ranked choice voting seeks to solidify the political status quo. Restricting ranked choice voting, which enables voters to express preferences more clearly and helps diversify political representation, keeps power concentrated among a select few. Instead of embracing fair and innovative voting methods, this legislation actively resists progress.
I urge the governor to reject this bill and stand for true democratic fairness for all Iowans.
Pheng Yang, Des Moines
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Anti-Trump protesters in Des Moines were vulgar and rude | Letters