This is my first post in this thread. Until now, I had decided to let others argue this out. I no longer care what columnists think, and stopped reading the PJ Star a while ago.
But to deny that KW's column was gratuitously negative is ridiculous. It focused almost exclusively on selected negative aspects of the program, and ignored anything positive about Jim Les' tenure as coach (and there is a lot positive). If KW had only examined more carefully the criteria that Dr. Cross himself listed for evaluating coaches, he would have had to acknowledge that Jim Les rated quite highly in most areas. To post a negative column at the start of the season like this, demonstrates a clearly defined anti-JL agenda, IMO. And as Air Petey said, it's a widely known fact.
I challenge anyone trying to defend the writer to show any other columnists in the MVC (or anywhere else) writing negative articles at this time of the season. It just doesn't happen.
And for posters to try to suggest there are fans with some kind of irrational, unwarranted hatred toward the PJS and their writers, then try to attribute all this onto tornado, when he has not even been among the most vocal in this thread, is in itself a bit irrational. Any animosity people have toward the local paper is well deserved. I am still waiting for the first article that actually reports something new about the team, the newcomers, the returning players, or the new coaches. There is a lot new there that fans would like to know more about, but I guess we have to get a few more "coach on the hot seat" type articles before we actually ever see any real reporting.