19th HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER
MUSICAL CHAIRS (CONT.)
Sirs:
Your article entitled Character Builders which appeared in your December 23 issue was grossly unjust to two fine men, Mr. Frank Broyles and Mr. Jack Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell's appointment to the University of Arkansas staff expressly and explicitly did not bind him to stay with the University of Arkansas for any prescribed length of time. He had no contractual obligation to stay with us. The University of Arkansas was informed that Frank Broyles would not be in violation of any contract in coming to Arkansas.
In my opinion there is a great deal of misunderstanding on this subject and a great deal of looseness in thinking caused by the improper use of the term "contract" which in most cases was not intended to bind the second party. Be that as it may, your article in my opinion was careless with respect to facts and unjust with respect to Mr. Broyles and Mr. Mitchell.
I am sure the efforts of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED to promote a high standard of ethics in the conduct of intercollegiate and professional sports are to be appreciated, and I am sure you regret the inaccuracy which I have cited.
JOHN T. CALDWELL
President
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Ark.
•Indeed there is considerable "misunderstanding" by the public which, perhaps naively, holds a contract to be a contract, i.e., a binding obligation between two parties. But the public has not had President Caldwell's unique opportunities of observing the coaching wars from the front-line trenches. In 1955, after a fabulous season at Arkansas, Football Coach Bowden Wyatt pocketed part of a $20,000 appreciation fund (he divvied up with his assistants), revved up his spanking-new gift Cadillac and lit out for the University of Tennessee, leaving behind him a brand-new "contract" and the highly verbal chagrin of Arkansas' citizens and legislature. His replacement was Jack Mitchell, brilliant young coach at the University of Wichita, who abandoned his still-damp 10-year contract in such a manner that Wichita's president remarked wistfully: "I am thoroughly disappointed. I feel a little naive." All this caused John Tyler Caldwell, then as now Arkansas' very able president and a thoughtful observer of football's Real-politik, to pronounce (SI, Jan. 31, 1955) what succeeding seasons have made a highly stimulating reflection. "It is unfortunate," said President Caldwell at the time of the Wyatt-Mitchell defections, "that any contract can be treated as a one-way application. It is true, however, that the making of contracts with football coaches developed as protection of the coach against the oftentimes extreme demands of fans and supporters. Realistically, such contracts did not come into being as a protection to the institutions and have never been so respected." Since Wyatt's departure in 1955 Arkansas aides have been careful to talk of "appointments" rather than contracts. Thus on January 14, 1955 Mitchell's hiring was reported as follows: "An Arkansas official said Mitchell would receive a five-year appointment." But such semantic subtleties are almost totally lost upon the unrealistic public which still clings (albeit precariously of late) to the belief that, having been invited to yield their loyalty to the current character-builder-in-residence, it has a right to expect a like return investment.
For further evidence of confusion on coaches in motion see page 21.—ED.
BOXING
Sirs:
Tony Anthony, Aristotle's tragic hero, confused us (Punch, Skill and the Heart, SI, Jan. 20).
I'll wager your writer referred to Aristotle's student and tragic conqueror, Alexander the Great, rather than to Shakespeare's hero Antony.
JAMES ROBBELOTH
St. Mary's College, Calif.
•Classicist Robbeloth is wrong. Aristotle's ideal tragic hero, as he writes in his Poetics, is "A man not preeminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him...by some error of judgment." This last phrase has also been translated to read "some error or frailty" and is the genesis of the celebrated doctrine known as the "tragic flaw." A deep-seated faintness of heart (which some observers feel Tony Anthony has) could well be interpreted as such frailty and albeit facetiously, so could a china chin. There was no attempt on the writer's part to make a play between Anthony and Antony, although Mark Antony's domesticity occasionally has been termed a tragic flaw contributing to his, and indeed Cleopatra's, ultimate undoing. The classics class will now reassemble on page 58 for an advanced seminar.—ED.
GOLF: THAT RULING
Sirs:
F. A. Eastman's request (19TH HOLE, Jan. 20) for a ruling on his ball resting on the lip of cup and eventually dropping as an overhead jet plane crashed through the sound barrier is unnecessary. Rule 35 (pp. 41-42 USGA rules), When Ball at Rest, states: "Whether a ball has come to rest is a question of fact. If there be reasonable doubt, the owner of the ball is not allowed more than a momentary delay to settle the doubt."
R. OTTO PROBST
South Bend, Ind.
Sirs:
The confusing part of all this is that in the recent Bing Crosby Tournament at Pebble Beach, California, 15 million televiewers on Sunday saw Lloyd Mangrum's hanging putt—and then heard announcer—ex-Footballer Tommy ("we'll try to give you a 'punch-by-punch' report of this golf tournament") Harmon describe it thusly. "Of course, Mangrum can wait five minutes. Yesterday Ken Venturi had a similar putt which fell in after he waited two minutes."
C'mon, Mr. English, let's have simple, clear-cut, noninterpretative ruling for everybody.
R. J. GRAULICH
Farmingdale, N.Y.
Sirs:
Y'know, that's why we play golf! I think we all secretly hope for a lie just like the one Mr. Eastman got. The excitement grew from the player to his partner to the foursome to the clubhouse to the neighborhood to the town to the city and now, s'help me, if the whole nation isn't conjecturing as to what the USGA ruling will be.
VIRGINIA OBERKOETTER
Rochester
•The USGA's Mr. English, after study of Mr. Eastman's letter with members of the Rules Committee, ruled as follows: Mr. Eastman disqualified himself on that hole for "undue delay," as per Rule 37, part 7. If that jet plane had passed overhead earlier as Mr. Eastman's putt was trembling on the lip of the cup the ball would be considered holed. But Mr. Eastman's wait of two minutes before the sonic boom holed his putt constitutes undue delay. As for Lloyd Mangrum's delay in the PGA-sanctioned Crosby Invitational, Mr. English states that he and committee members, some of whom saw this incident, felt that Mangrum clearly violated USGA rules and that he should have been penalized. Tommy Harmon was of course in error in stating that Mangrum "had five minutes to wait for the ball to drop."—ED.
BASKETBALL: CENTER JUMP (CONT.)
Sirs:
I must commend Mr. Edward's suggestions to restore the center jump to basketball (19TH HOLE, Jan. 20).
Basketball is an interesting game, but not many of us care to watch so many whistle-blowing, play-stopping, free-throwing contests where, all too often, half or more of the scoring comes from that free-throw line.
K. P. CHISHOLM
Long Beach, Calif.
Sirs:
I fail to see how bringing back the center jump after every basket will "really put strategy and generalship back in the game." With Wilt Chamberlain certain to control 99 44/100% of the taps, the U. of Kansas club might set a new record by going a full season without losing possession of the ball or being scored upon.
Mr. Edward doesn't realize that one of basketball's biggest appeals to its paying customers is the type of game in which the outcome isn't decided until the buzzer. These games are made possible by the "trading of baskets" which in most cases would be eliminated completely if the old rule were being used. Final scores of 100-20 would be common while winning spreads of 10 points would be considered a real tight contest. To top it off, this rule would bring back another era of the clumsy big man. Let's not set basketball back to obscurity.
CHARLES ANDREWS
Amherst, Mass.
JEMAIL: THE BEAUTIFUL MULE (CONT.)
Sirs:
This on the comparative intelligence of the horse and mule (HOTBOX, Dec. 16) from a farmer: A horse will overeat and overwork; a mule, never. I had to put chains with snaps for gate latches after we got mules. I've had a horse almost literally saw his leg off in a barbed-wire fence, while our mule stood tangled in a barbed fence four or five hours (judging from the droppings) and when released had nary a scratch. A horse is easier to love, yes; more intelligent, no sir!
H. A. McNEIVE
Kansas City, Mo.
BOATING: TRAGEDY
Sirs:
I have just finished the article on Harvey Conover and the fierce storm that struck off Miami several weeks ago (SI, Jan. 20). It's an impressive account of what looks like a tragedy—impressive for its completeness, authority and timeliness. It's a job that only SPORTS ILLUSTRATED could have done. Congratulations.
DAVID B. ARNOLD
Philadelphia
BOATING: TOUGH COMPETITION
Sirs:
As a sometime crewman aboard Peter Grant's Nalu II I agree with everything you have said about her virtues as a racing yacht (SI, Jan. 20).
And even her ugliness has given her a competitive advantage. As Tom Garvey, crewman on the rival Dasher, says, "The best thing about sailing on the Nalu II is that you don't have to look at her!"
RONALD C. DAVIS
Los Angeles
FLYING: FUN FOR THE FAMILY?
Sirs:
Enjoyed no end Bill Mauldin's The Saga of 99 Pete (SI, Jan. 13 et seq.), extremely interesting and worth the time to read. His flight log is also valuable information for anyone who is or will be planning a similar trip through the same places.
There are a lot of flying fans in your audience, and I'm sure every one would like to see more.
PETE ROSENWALD
Wilmington, Del.
Sirs:
Thanks a lot for the Mauldin saga—one of the most enjoyable features I can ever remember reading.
While the Boswell of the foot-slogging infantry of World War II days may never qualify for an ancient Greek amphora, he's a cinch for Father of the Year.
Island hopping—via light plane—with two small boys must qualify as our newest and most challenging sport. Even with a family-size bottle of Kaopectate and two motors.
RICHARD N. MORGAN
Louisville
BRIDGE: SUPPOSE...
Sirs:
Concerning one of the hands in the National Open Team championship (SI, Jan. 6), would Mr. Goren please tell us how South would have played if West had covered South's queen of trump lead with the king instead of playing low? We believe that should be the correct play at that point.
MERRILL A. HAINES JR.
H. WILLIAM THOMPSON
Eureka, Ill.
•Says Charles Goren: If West had covered declarer's lead of the queen of trump, North's ace would have taken the trick and the other trump would have been drawn. Then declarer is free to try his club finesse, which, of course, fails, but no matter, for the rest of the tricks are his for six diamonds. As far as covering the queen with the king, West knows that South must have five diamonds in his hand. Even if he held only four it would place East with a singleton which would fall under North's ace. It is better to hold up on the king in the slight hope that North will give up on his finesse and play the ace.—ED.
NORTH
[King of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[King of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
WEST
[Queen of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[8 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[King of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
[9 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
SOUTH
[Ace of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
EAST
[10 of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[Queen of Hearts]
[10 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
— [Diamonds]
[Queen of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[7 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]
SOUTH
1 [Diamond]
5 [Heart]
6 [Diamond]
WEST
Pass
Pass
Pass
NORTH
4 no trump
5 no trump
Pass
EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass
