19TH HOLE: The readers take over
BASEBALL: GOOD COMPANY
SIRS:
THE ENJOYMENT OF BASEBALL HAS BEEN INCREASED BY THE RICH LITERATURE WHICH IT HAS HELPED TO CREATE OVER THE YEARS. DURING THE CURRENT SEASON WE HAVE BEEN TREATED TO SEVERAL SUPERB SPORTS ILLUSTRATED PIECES: IN APRIL IT WAS THE STATE OF BASEBALL, THEN AN ITEM ON BALTIMORE'S ALL-STAR GAME, FOLLOWED BY THE STORY ON THE YANKEES AT THE SEASON'S END. NOW THESE HAVE BEEN CAPPED OFF WITH A SPECIMEN OF SPORTSWRITING AT ITS BEST: "ONCE AGAIN, WITH FEELING" IS A DELIGHTFUL TREATMENT OF OCTOBER'S BIG SPECTACLE. MOVE OVER LARDNER, RICE, GALLICO, DALEY, MENKE AND COMPANY—YOU HAVE A NEW COMRADE—ONE ROBERT CREAMER.
HERBERT R. O'CONNOR JR.
BALTIMORE
SPORTS ALL
Sirs:
Wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your World Series edition (SI, Sept. 29). It's fun having such a wide variety of subjects to read aloud to my family! Would like to meet the writers of EVENTS & DISCOVERIES—what a wonderful sense of humor they have!
Also, hats off to the H. V. Kaltenborns for being such good sports!
ELEANOR T. GUSTAFSON
Hampton, Va.
AMERICA'S CUP: YOU ARE THERE
Sirs:
Congratulations to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and Carleton Mitchell for the outstanding and up-to-the-minute coverage of the America's Cup classic. It was almost unbelievable to tune in for radio coverage of the third race, while reading in a magazine the account of the first race together with the detail of the second attempt—particularly when being geographically positioned 3,500 miles from the scene of action. However, that was the situation as both SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and Columbia led the way.
Thanks for fine coverage, and for the reproductions from the lens of Richard Meek. May I, as an enthusiastic Canadian, wish for the day when Canada too might join the challenge.
JAMES A. McVIE
Victoria, B.C.
AMERICA'S CUP: SOUVENIR
Sirs:
The America's Cup is retained and, with it, a superb job on your part in covering the races and the preparations. Mr. Mitchell, in addition to being a fine yachtsman, provided us with lucid coverage of the event. My congratulations to him and to your staff for the consistently good reporting.
In an early issue this year, March 17, you published pictures of models of the yachts used for tank testing. Do you know where I might obtain sufficient information on hull and mast dimensions to construct a reasonable sailing model, approximately two-three feet in length, of one of the American boats?
MILTON H. COLEMAN
East Syracuse, N.Y.
•Cross-sectional lines of the 12-meter boats designed by Sparkman & Stephens have never been released, but Mr. Coleman might make a start with the side view (see below) given in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Sept. 9, 1957.—ED.
FOOTBALL: HAMLET'S GHOST
Sirs:
Expert opinions on the new football conversion rule were fine, but the most titillating and incisive comment on this subject that we have seen or heard anywhere is the "Coach Hamlet" cartoon (SI, Sept. 29). Wouldn't the late Herman Hickman have chuckled?
LORRY MASON
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
FOOTBALL ISSUE: THE SCORE ON NORA JOHNSON
Sirs:
Nora Johnson's wonderful article on why women need football (Girls! It's Goal to Go!, SI, Sept. 22) deserves some sort of award. I'm sending a copy to my sister-in-law, who first informed me of these truths.
EUGENE T. ROSSIDES
Washington, D.C.
Sirs:
I know exactly how she feels. Football games to me have always meant strategy, planned weeks in advance, on how to get asked to the game in order to get to the parties, what to wear and who else is going and how to keep your hair curled in the rain or snow.
The best part of football games are the pregame picnic; half time, when you can find your nonfootball friends—if you're lucky; and even the second half is bearable because you know the end must be nearing!
MRS. WILLIAM BAYNE JR.
Glen Cove, N.Y.
Sirs:
Miss Nora Johnson is obviously a better observer of football fans than of football players.
Amherst's home game record during Miss Johnson's college career was 9-5-2. Amherst, furthermore, was undefeated in 1953, Miss Johnson's senior year at Smith. Miss Johnson, I know, confesses that she didn't understand the game, but she should have known what the score was.
PETER SCHRAG
Amherst, Mass.
Sirs:
The article by the eastern-educated Nora Johnson was one of the most asinine I've ever read. She claimed women are always taken to games and it was extremely doubtful if they would go to them otherwise. She also said a woman sees the game pleasantly diffused through the eyes of the man with her.
Out here in Berkeley, college girls have been going to games without men for decades and they didn't lack for boy friends.
I've gone by myself often and, though it may be unthinkable to Miss Johnson, a few of us women understand the game as well as the average man.
E. MORRISETT
Berkeley, Calif.
FOOTBALL ISSUE: LOOK, NO HANDS
Sirs:
Nora Johnson's article alone is worth the price of a year's subscription, but where, oh where is Goren? How could you do that to me?
JEROME SCHEUER
Brookline, Mass.
•An ardent fan, Goren sat the hand out so as to get hep to the new football season.—ED.
FOOTBALL ISSUE: HEAD COUNT
Sirs:
In case the question ever comes up, there are 716 complete football players in Roy Doty's football map of the U.S. I think there may also be some spare parts kicking around, but there are at least enough for 65 teams and a water boy. I didn't count any of the sectional maps. After all, you can carry this nonsense too far.
W. R. GRAHAM
Houston
PHOTO
VIM: 12-METER RACING MACHINE
