Congratulations, Mr. Wright Thompson, your misinformed column has offended at least the 644 band students at Allen High School for posting negative comments on both the stadium and the Allen Eagle Escadrille on the ESPN website.

Everyone has a right to an opinion, of course, but if you’re going to inform an entire nation about our high school, follow your own advice and get your facts straight.

We are the “biggest band in the land,” thank you very much. With more than 706 members (that’s 644 band members plus the Tallenettes and colorguard), the Allen Eagle Escadrille is proud of that fact, despite your comment that we had “no idea whether that’s true or not.”

However, when you insulted our “flag-twirlers,” “dance team,” “set of steel drums,” and “16 xylophones” you failed to educate yourself on the fact that: A) those “flag-twirlers” are called the colorguard, B) our “dance team” members are referred to as Tallenettes, C) we don’t have a set of “steel drums,” and D) 15 of the “16 xylophones” you mentioned don’t exist. Therefore, anything you say regarding our band isn’t really a valid opinion, since you obviously aren’t educated in the subject.

Second, we were recently invited to attend the Parade of Roses in 2016, which is considered to be an honor reserved for only the most talented bands. But of course, if you, a sports writer who’s not writing about sports, think our show is “chaotic” I’m sure the area UIL judges who gave us the best score a band can receive at our competition on Oct. 25 would agree.

If you have nothing better to do than insult high school students, feel free to voice your opinion, but we have better things to do than listen to it, like utilize our Performing Arts Center, broadcast room, or cook in our student-run restaurant, Blu, that you failed to mention when you claimed that in Allen “football trump[s] education.”

Football is important in Allen, but it does not define Allen, as you make it out to be. Some find our $60 million stadium intimidating, but as Texans, it is our pride, and something that can’t be cracked by you.